Tianwu Hall, Xuanwu Gate.
The cultivators of the Imperial City Division ultimately lacked deep foundations. The combat power of the Incense Offering Divine Dao was simply too weak. They truly couldn't even compare to the Dao Court officials.
Coupled with Lu Yang's order forbidding the use of force.
Therefore, under the charge of the officials, the human wall of the Imperial City Division retreated again and again. Fissures appeared in the Incense Offering divine light, allowing the noise to penetrate deep into the Tianwu Hall.
"What's going on?"
In the Imperial Harem, Empress Xiao woke up from her meditation, her beautiful brows slightly furrowed. She was still comprehending the mysteries of [Seven Luminaries Heaven] when she was suddenly interrupted by a wave of panic.
With this thought, she immediately activated her divine sense.
Then she saw the scene outside the Xuanwu Gate and her expression changed slightly: "Is this... forcing the palace? Such audacity! Are they trying to tear off all pretenses?"
Empress Xiao's pretty face was ashen. She hadn't expected the officials' reaction to be so huge. In this situation, she and Crown Prince Longxing had to make an appearance. At least they had to meet them and ask what the officials were thinking. Otherwise, if pretenses were truly torn, it would only plunge the Dao Court into greater turmoil.
Could it be that Du Huan's actions were too drastic?
If that's truly the case, it's easy to solve. Just throw Du Huan out to take the blame. I originally thought that demon dragon could be smarter...
Empress Xiao's thoughts raced.
However, the next second, her beautiful eyes suddenly froze... Because in the distance, she saw sky-filling dust and smoke, and heard uniform footsteps.
Thud. Thud! Thud!
The sound was like thunder. Soon, squads of soldiers clad in face-covering heavy armor and holding black and red court staffs walked out of the dust and smoke, marching towards the Xuanwu Gate.
"Five Imperial Military Camps!?"
"W-what do you want to do?"
"I am a jinshi (scholar) from the imperial examination of the 543rd year of Jiayou. The Five Imperial Military Camps dare to set out without a transfer order? Do you know this is a grave crime?"
Answering these scoldings were court staffs smashing down on their heads.
Bang!
A muffled thud, like a whistle announcing the start of a match. The next second, all officers and soldiers of the Five Imperial Military Camps charged into the crowd of officials like wolves and tigers.
As officers and soldiers of the Imperial Camps, their official positions were all the lowest Rank 9. However, like the Five Imperial Military Commanders, when they formed battle arrays, these official positions would combine with each other, forming absolute suppression against all officials below Rank 5. This accounted for nine-tenths of the officials present.
As for the Foundation Establishment officials, they were personally dealt with by the Five Imperial Military Commanders.
With the generous rewards promised by Lu Yang, plus a little help provided by [Marionette], the morale of the entire Five Imperial Military Camps was simply unprecedentedly high.
That scene was truly like tigers entering a flock of sheep.
For a time, the sounds of ghosts wailing and wolves howling outside the Xuanwu Gate were incessant. The stench of blood shot to the sky. And the Imperial City Division, which had been retreating steadily just now, rose again.
"Officer! Stop hitting, stop hitting!"
Several officials were beaten by the soldiers of the Five Imperial Military Camps until they scurried like rats holding their heads. their hot blood from just now dissipated instantly, and they wailed, "We were just passing by..."
Bang!
Before the voice faded, an Imperial City Division cultivator sped over and slapped the other party's face with a court staff, instantly knocking out a mouthful of blood and broken teeth.
Immediately after, this Imperial City Division cultivator looked at the soldier of the Five Imperial Military Camps with a serious face: "You lack experience. You already hit them with a court staff, how can these bugs still speak? Come, let me show you an example. Learn from me. Only this way can Lord Du Huan see your loyalty!"
Soon, this fighting competition entered a white-hot stage.
One after another, officials drove streaks of light trying to escape. The cultivators of the Five Imperial Military Camps and the Imperial City Division pursued relentlessly, the court staffs in their hands practically leaving afterimages.
"This... this..."
Inside the Tianwu Hall, Empress Xiao widened her beautiful eyes. On the other side, Crown Prince Longxing also looked dumbfounded, clearly unable to sort out the current situation.
"What happened?"
Crown Prince Longxing swallowed his saliva, then looked at Empress Xiao as if asking for help. Empress Xiao, however, quickly regained her calm after brief astonishment.
...Such audacity!
The same sentence, but no longer describing the officials, but describing Lu Yang. She absolutely never expected Lu Yang would actually dare to do such a thing!
Thinking of this, Empress Xiao's elegant brows furrowed deeper and deeper:
More importantly... what kind of heretical methods did he use? How did he make the Five Imperial Military Commanders obey him completely? This simply defies common sense!
For the first time, Empress Xiao felt she might have misjudged the person... In her plan, the Five Imperial Military Camps were loyal only to the Imperial Family. It should have been impossible for Lu Yang to control them. The only way was for her to step forward. That way, in the end, Lu Yang would take all the blame for her, while she reaped the benefits.
But the result was completely different from her plan.
Let alone the commanders who should have been loyal to the Tianwu Imperial Family, even the commanders loyal to the Three Excellencies inexplicably changed camps and followed Lu Yang!
This is a miscalculation!
With this thought, Empress Xiao instantly realized her situation—After controlling the Five Imperial Military Camps, that demon dragon would inevitably covet her Son of Heaven's Seal!
In an instant, Empress Xiao felt a tingling pain on her skin. An intense sense of crisis swept through her body, as if a large hand was ravaging her.
Where is Du Huan? Where is Du Huan!?
—Empress Xiao's question was also the question of the Junior Guardian, Junior Preceptor, and Junior Mentor secretly observing the situation. Where was that demon dragon right now?
Li Taian turned immediately to look at Junior Preceptor Zheng Pingyi.
However, after sensing for a long time with a frown, the latter shook his head: "I can't detect his aura at all. It's very likely he left Tianwu City in secret."
"Left? Impossible!"
Li Taian shook his head directly, then gritted his teeth: "Regardless, keep an eye on the Imperial Palace. If that demon dragon wants the Son of Heaven's Seal, he must enter the Imperial Palace!"
At this moment, Empress Xiao, Crown Prince Longxing, the Junior Guardian, Junior Mentor, and Junior Preceptor... a full five Foundation Establishment Perfection Great Perfected Ones released their divine sense, covering almost the entire Xuanwu Gate inside and out, surrounding it watertight. Under such surveillance, almost no one could deceive them and enter the Imperial Palace.
"Someone come!"
Just then, Empress Xiao suddenly said in a deep voice, "Pass my Decree—summon the Five Imperial Military Commanders to enter the palace. I want to receive them personally and inquire about the matters of the Imperial Camps."
This was an opportunity!
Although I don't know why, Du Huan is obviously not here... I'll take this opportunity to see if I can instigate the Five Imperial Military Commanders to defect and make them obey my orders.
Thinking of this, a cold light suddenly flashed in the depths of Empress Xiao's eyes:
If possible, that would naturally be best... If not, and the Five Imperial Military Commanders are truly under an evil technique, then bury them all alive. its better than falling into enemy hands!
The only question was—would the Five Imperial Military Commanders obey the summons?
Under Empress Xiao's nervous gaze, the Five Imperial Military Commanders, who were participating in the battle outside, heard the decree passed down by the eunuch and stopped their movements immediately.
"This subordinate accepts the order!"
The five Commanders accepted the decree without any hesitation.
Seeing this scene, Empress Xiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Regardless, as long as they entered the Tianwu Hall, the Five Imperial Military Commanders would be at her mercy.
After all, the Five Imperial Military Commanders could only regulate the entire Dao Court when they possessed the Son of Heaven's Seal. Without the Son of Heaven's Seal, the Five Imperial Military Commanders were just Rank 3 officials; Empress Xiao could solve them with a single breath. This way, the situation hadn't reached an unmanageable point yet.
Soon, the Five Imperial Military Commanders walked into the Tianwu Hall.
As they entered the palace, Li Taian and the others' divine sense tried to follow, but with a cold snort from Empress Xiao, they were cut off directly outside the Tianwu Hall.
Immediately after, Empress Xiao also drove Crown Prince Longxing out.
For no other reason than if the Five Imperial Military Commanders refused to submit, she prepared to kill... Naturally, the fewer people saw such things, the better.
"Five Generals..."
Empress Xiao deliberated on her words, then spoke softly, wanting to first test the state of the Five Imperial Military Commanders to see if they were truly controlled by Lu Yang.
Then she froze.
One, two, three... clearly there were five Imperial Military Commanders, yet she suddenly saw a sixth person.
A handsome face, a calm smile, the stature of Foundation Establishment Perfection, and that strange aura of half-human, half-dragon—all announced the identity of the visitor.
Lu Yang cupped his hands and smiled: "Greetings to Her Majesty the Empress."
In an instant, silence reigned.
Empress Xiao's thinking even fell into a brief pause... She completely couldn't understand how Lu Yang appeared here.
Although the answer was actually very simple—
I have cheats.
Golden Talent: [The Insignificant Person]!
[The Insignificant Person] You can actively reduce your own presence. The more people there are in the place you are, the harder it is for anyone to notice your existence.
The next second, before Empress Xiao could speak, Lu Yang's expression suddenly turned solemn:
"Five Imperial Military Camps, attention!"
"Salute Her Majesty the Empress!"
As his voice fell, the five Imperial Camp Commanders present stomped their feet in unison and placed their hands at their sides: "LOYALTY!"
Seeing this, Empress Xiao subconsciously took a step back. Her red lips trembled slightly, and her beautiful eyes were full of vigilance, like a sheep cornered by a vicious wolf:
"You... what exactly do you want to do?"
Hearing this, Lu Yang took a step forward and said indifferently:
"Verified by the Imperial City Division, the [Minister of War] has confessed that the current Junior Mentor, Junior Guardian, and Junior Preceptor are all suspected of secretly colluding with the Demonic Sect and assassinating His Majesty."
"I ask Her Majesty the Empress to grant this subject the Son of Heaven's Seal and authorize the arrest."