noveltune Chapter 5479 One-on-One Combat
Chapter 5479 One-on-One Combat
Chapter 5479 One-on-One Combat
At Chengtian Gate, the imperial guards saw a troop of cavalry galloping towards them from afar. They quickly stepped forward and saw that Fang Jun, the leader, had already dismounted, thrown the reins to his personal guard, and strode towards the palace gate.
His brocade robe looked rather thin in the cold winter, but he was tall and handsome, though his face was a bit dark...
The Imperial Guard knelt on one knee: "This humble general greets the Grand Commandant!"
Fang Jun nodded calmly: "Open the door, I want to enter the palace."
The imperial guard said, "Please allow me to inform them first..."
“No need,” Fang Jun waved his hand. “I’m not here to see His Majesty, but to see Li Jingye. Just open the door.”
“This… here.”
The imperial palace was not a place where anyone could enter and leave at will, but Fang Jun could.
Fang Jun entered through the side door and headed straight for the Wude Hall.
They encountered a patrol of imperial guards on the way, asked them where Li Jingye was, and then went straight there...
Taiji Palace is a very typical "front court and rear palace" structure, with the "front court" adopting the "three-court system".
The Outer Court, centered around Chengtian Gate and the East and West Halls, was where grand ceremonies were held and people's opinions were consulted. Taiji Hall was the core of the Inner Court, where the emperor mainly held court and conducted state affairs. He met with his ministers on the first and fifteenth of each lunar month, and it was also the place where grand ceremonies such as enthronement, investiture, and banquets for tributary envoys were held.
The Zhongchao Palace included offices such as the Secretariat and the Hall of State Affairs on the east side of the Taiji Hall, and offices of the prime minister and the emperor's close ministers on the west side, which facilitated the emperor's consultation and drafting of documents and edicts. The Secretariat and other government offices were also located here.
The Liangyi Hall served as the inner court, a place where the emperor and his clansmen gathered for discussions and received high-ranking officials. Emperor Taizong often hosted banquets for officials of the fifth rank and above here.
The inner court included the Liangyi Hall and Ganlu Hall, which served as the daily living quarters for the emperor and his consorts.
Since the Wude Hall was already part of the "inner court" area, the offices of the "Hundred Cavalry Division" within the palace were located outside the Wude Gate, and they were not allowed to enter the Wude Hall without being summoned by the emperor.
Fang Jun's journey had already alarmed many people, and everyone knew that he had come to cause trouble for Li Jingye.
There are no secrets within the palace. Everyone was well aware of Li Jingye's previous act of forcibly taking Princess Jinyang from Xuanqing Temple back to Taiji Palace, so they naturally understood Fang Jun's purpose in coming here.
This is going to cause trouble for Li Jingye...
They all got excited.
For an imperial center like the Taiji Palace, solemnity and reverence are expected. Being there often can be oppressive, and people are very keen on watching the spectacle.
When Fang Jun arrived outside Wude Gate, he saw squads of "Hundred Cavalry" soldiers either on duty or patrolling. He then shouted, "Summon Li Jingye to see me!"
No one dared to question anything; someone rushed off to inform Li Jingye.
Fang Jun stood outside Wude Gate with his hands behind his back. He looked over the gate and gazed at the roof of Wude Hall for a while before turning around to look at the group of officials who had secretly slipped out from the Southern Secretariat and Hongwen Hall to watch the excitement. He would nod and smile at those he knew.
Before long, Li Jingye, fully armored, strode over and stood five steps away from Fang Jun. He clasped his hands in a salute and said, "Because of my armor, I was unable to perform the full ceremony. Please forgive me, Grand Commandant. May I ask what business you have with me, Grand Commandant?"
Fang Jun scoffed, "Why pretend to be ignorant when you know the truth?"
Li Jingye's expression remained unchanged: "This humble general is dull-witted and does not understand what the Grand Commandant means."
He was tall and strong, appearing to be half a head taller than Fang Jun. His armor made him look imposing and powerful, and his aura was no less than Fang Jun's.
Conversely, Fang Jun, with his hands behind his back and strolling leisurely, appeared much more refined...
Fang Jun said calmly, "You are indeed dull-witted, incredibly stupid."
Li Jingye's face was solemn: "Please enlighten me, Grand Commandant."
Not only were his own subordinates present, but also many officials and eunuchs gathered nearby to watch the spectacle, and he was naturally unwilling to show any weakness.
Fang Jun smiled and shook his head: "As the saying goes, 'a tiger father, a dog son,' is indeed true. Are you trying to disgrace your grandfather by daring to do something but not daring to admit it?"
Li Jingye's face flushed instantly, and he said in a deep voice, "Is the Grand Commandant trying to use my grandfather to intimidate me? That's a gross underestimation of me, Li Jingye!"
Fang Jun laughed and said, "A foolish and incompetent spoiled brat like you, who only got promoted by relying on his ancestors' achievements, actually expects me to respect you? Your grandfather and I were colleagues, we respected each other and had a deep friendship. If I really wanted to suppress you, I wouldn't need to bring up your grandfather, I could do it myself... How am I any different from your grandfather?"
Some of the onlookers burst out laughing.
This was not meant to be harsh. Today, Fang Jun is on par with Li Ji, and although Li Jingye is a few years older than Fang Jun, he is indeed the junior.
Li Jingye took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his anger: "Grand Commandant, you are known throughout the land for your eloquence, while I am clumsy and inarticulate, and I am truly ashamed."
Fang Junqi asked, "Weren't you quite eloquent back at Xuanqing Temple?"
Li Jingye couldn't hold back any longer: "What exactly does the Grand Commandant intend to do?"
Fang Jun said, "Over the years, I have cultivated my character and kept a low profile in everything I do, but it seems that everyone has misunderstood me as a kind-hearted person who is as easy as dough. Even when someone rides on my head, I still have to be mindful of my status and pay attention to my manners. But they have forgotten that I, Fang Er, was once a young man who could not tolerate any injustice!"
People laughed again.
You call that being intolerant of even a speck of dust?
You're clearly vindictive!
At the same time, everyone confirmed Fang Jun's purpose—to avenge Princess Jinyang.
As for Li Jingye acting on imperial orders... who cares?
The fact that Fang Jun spent the night at Xuanqing Temple last night has now become a hot topic, known to everyone. Regardless of whether Princess Jinyang's submission to Fang Jun violates the law and ethics, since she is already Fang Jun's woman, given Fang Jun's personality, he will naturally seek revenge.
Li Jingye felt immense pressure. The prestige he had painstakingly built seemed to crumble, collapse, and vanish amidst the jeers and laughter. Now, he was just a clown being pointed at and cursed by Fang Jun.
Seeing his suppressed anger, Fang Jun nodded: "You have many grievances against me, thinking that I am just lucky and that I just happened to achieve those military exploits. You can do it too... Today I will give you a chance. Right here, let's settle this with our fists."
"Ok?"
Li Jingye's eyes lit up, suppressing his elation: "Is the Grand Commandant's statement true?"
Having practiced martial arts since childhood, coupled with strong bones and excellent talent, he rarely encountered opponents in hand-to-hand combat, and was especially skilled in wrestling, having great confidence in his abilities.
Although Fang Jun is known as the bravest in the army, he has been living a life of luxury and indulgence in wine and women for many years. He must have been drained of his resources long ago.
If I can defeat them in one battle, my prestige will increase rapidly!
Fang Jun nodded calmly: "Then please have everyone here as witnesses. If you lose, kneel before Princess Jinyang to apologize and admit your mistake. From now on, avoid His Highness whenever you see him."
Li Jingye asked, "What if you lose?"
Fang Jun chuckled and said, "I am the Grand Commandant, a high-ranking official of the empire. Giving you a chance for a one-on-one duel is already an honor bestowed upon me by the entire world. Who do you think you are?"
Li Jingye's face flushed red: "Good!"
"Let's begin!"
The two men faced each other, five steps apart, ready to clash at any moment.
Seeing that no imperial guards had come to maintain order or stop the competition, the onlookers grew bolder and kept pushing forward, while discussing among themselves.
Who do you think will win?
"Is that even a question? Fang Er is a few years younger and possesses astonishing strength. The reputation of being the bravest in the army is not just empty words."
"Even the most powerful man isn't invincible, right? Li Jingye is clearly stronger and bigger, and his height and reach are a significant advantage if he doesn't use weapons."
"I'll set up a betting pool, who wants to place a bet?"
"I'll bet two guan (a unit of currency) on the house!"
"I bet on Li Jingye, twenty strings of cash!"
……
Fang Jun stood with his hands hanging down and his feet slightly apart, steady and composed, showing no sign of trying to make the first move.
After a brief standoff, Li Jingye knew he had to strike first. He exhaled and shouted, then lunged forward, reaching out to grab Fang Jun's left shoulder. Fang Jun reacted instantly, retreating instead of advancing, raising his left arm to block Li Jingye's hand, and kicking Li Jingye's supporting leg with his foot.
Li Jingye's eyes lit up. He pulled his hand down from the other's left shoulder, grabbing the arm that was blocking his way. He shifted his feet to dodge the other's kick, and then used the momentum to pull the other's arm to perform an over-the-shoulder throw.
Although it wouldn't seriously injure Fang Jun, simply slamming him to the ground would be enough to humiliate him.
However, in that small space, Fang Jun was unable to break free from the other party's grasp. Instead, he bent his knee and pressed it against Li Jingye's waist, using all his strength to pull him backward. The two were evenly matched, so this over-the-shoulder throw naturally failed to work.
Li Jingye tried to throw Fang Jun to the side, but failed to throw him as he had expected. He immediately realized something was wrong. Sure enough, a sharp pain shot through his waist the next moment. Fang Jun's left knee was pressing against his left side, preventing him from using his full strength. At the same time, he jumped up and his right knee slammed into his right ribs.
Although there was armor between them, the knee strike was incredibly powerful. Li Jingye grunted and quickly let go. If the opponent were to deliver another strike like that, his ribs would probably be broken.
However, although he let go and broke the entanglement between the two, before he could turn around, he heard a gasp from the crowd. Startled, he subconsciously raised his arms to protect his head. The next moment, Fang Jun slammed a whip kick into his raised arms.
The whip kick was powerful. Although it didn't hit his head directly, the force of the kick to the arm caused his arm to slam into his head. Li Jingye groaned, his vision blurred, and he staggered two steps before quickly turning to face his enemy.
Fang Jun gave him no chance to breathe, and in one swift step, he punched Li Jingye hard in the liver area under his left rib.
His fist struck the armor beneath his ribs with a muffled thud. The immense force of the impact traveled through his body, and Li Jingye felt as if he had been hit by a running wild bull. His internal organs shifted instantly, and the intense pain caused him to instinctively groan. He bent over like a shrimp.
The next moment, Fang Jun's fist, which had been holding back, struck his jaw from below.
Li Jingye's head jerked upwards uncontrollably. Before he could feel any pain, a wave of dizziness washed over him, and he collapsed to the ground, his vision going black.