noveltune Chapter 5480 Striking the Emperor
Chapter 5480 Striking the Emperor
Chapter 5480 Striking the Emperor
Princess Jinyang followed Li Chengqian out of the Wude Hall. As soon as she stepped out of the Wude Gate, she saw this scene. She was so shocked that her beautiful eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly. Although she already knew that Fang Jun was brave and invincible, the visual effect of him knocking down Li Jingye, who was fully armored, with his bare hands was too amazing.
The girl immediately pursed her lips, her eyes as still as water.
My own man is so brave!
Everyone, including Li Chengqian, was shocked. Even those who had guessed that Fang Jun would win did not expect the gap between the two to be so large.
Especially when Fang Jun punched Li Jingye in the liver, the onlookers gasped, feeling Li Jingye's unbearable pain.
Then there was that final, upward hook, which made everyone instinctively cover their chins.
Fang Jun looked down at Li Jingye, who was lying on the ground, with a smile and said, "Don't jump around all day and annoy people. Don't mistake other people's tolerance for weakness. If you can't even withstand a single blow, you should stop showing off. If a man wants to achieve something, he must first have strength and constantly improve himself. You... still need to practice."
When the meritorious officials of the Zhenguan era were gradually dying out, he took up the flagpole, raised the banner, and led the Tang army to another glorious chapter after the founding of the country, maintaining the empire's military strength and always looking outward.
However, while they were conquering foreign lands and expanding their territories, laying the foundation for the Tang Dynasty to become the world's first empire and plunder wealth from all over the world, a group of people were rapidly rising in the center of the empire's power by relying on the merits of their ancestors, and attempting to plunder their achievements through the transfer of power.
It’s tolerable, it’s unbearable!
If you have the ability, then ride a horse and take up a sword to conquer cities and seize vast territories in Byzantium and the Abbasid Caliphate, or go to the Americas to expand your territory and turn the wilderness into fertile land!
Not to mention a group of spoiled brats including Li Jingye, even His Majesty wouldn't be allowed to do this!
He knew all too well that once these people seized power, they would change the national policy and shrink from the outside in, in order to maintain the interests they had gained and abandon the empire's policy of always looking outward and nourishing the country with the benefits of the world.
This is something he absolutely cannot allow to happen.
Therefore, he wanted to thoroughly defeat Li Jingye and completely eliminate this momentum.
Li Jingye lay on the ground, his liver throbbing with excruciating pain, his mind reeling. He could only vaguely make out Fang Jun's outline with his eyes open, unable to hear what Fang Jun was saying. He was just panting heavily, looking utterly pathetic like a defeated dog.
……
In contrast, Li Chengqian was even more furious.
Nowadays, who doesn't know that Li Jingye is the "emperor's henchman"?
Fang Jun brazenly knocked him down outside the Wude Gate, which was tantamount to challenging the emperor's authority!
But while Li Chengqian was filled with anger, he also felt a deep sense of apprehension.
Seeing Li Jingye lying on the ground, completely defeated and powerless to fight back, sent a chill down his spine.
He certainly wouldn't simply assume that Fang Jun was venting his anger for Jinyang. If that were the case, he could cause trouble for Li Jingye anytime, anywhere. Why bother chasing him to the palace and knocking him to the ground in public?
This is not just a slap in the face to Li Jingye, but also a slap in the face to Li Chengqian.
This is also a warning.
"Grand Commandant, is there no rule left in resorting to violence within the Taiji Palace?"
Li Chengqian's face was ashen.
Fang Jun then turned around, dusted off non-existent dust from his robes, straightened his turban, and bowed deeply to the ground.
He respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, it was not a matter of fighting, but rather a friendly exchange between your humble servant and General Li. All of my colleagues here can attest to this."
When the onlookers saw His Majesty's face, as black as the bottom of a pot, and his eyes, which seemed to be flickering with anger, they were all immediately alarmed and secretly thought that something was wrong.
It was truly inappropriate of me to forget where I was while watching the spectacle...
Li Chengqian looked around coldly and said, "Isn't anyone doing something? If you're really bored, then go to Jiuzong Mountain and clean up Zhaoling!"
The assembled ministers and officials trembled with fright. The usually magnanimous emperor's words revealed his fury. They bowed deeply, apologized, and then hurried away, returning to their respective offices.
The area in front of Wude Gate instantly became quiet, except for the dozens of Imperial Guards and the "Hundred Cavalry Division".
Upon hearing that someone was injured, an imperial physician rushed over to treat Li Jingye, who was lying on the ground.
Li Chengqian ignored Fang Jun and asked the imperial physician, "Is his life in danger?"
He had clearly seen Fang Jun's series of punches just now; even from a distance, he could feel the force that could split mountains and shatter rocks. He hoped that Fang Jun might have killed Li Jingye with one punch...
After several imperial physicians treated the patient, they reported back: "Your Majesty, please rest assured, the dizziness is caused by a cervical fracture. Simply use a hard object to position and protect the cervical fracture, and the patient will be fine after a month of rest."
Fang Jun smiled and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I know my limits and will not harm this valiant general under your command."
At that moment, Li Jingye slowly woke up and regained his senses. He happened to hear these words, and his face immediately turned red with embarrassment. He struggled to get up, pushed the imperial physician away, and knelt on one knee on the ground.
"Your Majesty, this humble general is incompetent and begs to atone for his sins with his death!"
"Even on the battlefield, victory and defeat are common occurrences, let alone in a private duel. Besides, the Grand Commandant is the bravest in the army and invincible. There is nothing shameful about losing to him. If you truly have pride, then practice hard and win back in the future!"
Li Chengqian patted his shoulder and comforted him gently, without showing the slightest bit of anger.
Li Jingye's eyes welled up with tears, and he choked up, unable to speak.
Although he was the one who lost, it was actually His Majesty who lost face. How could he not feel guilty?
As the emperor's henchmen, not only did they fail to hunt for His Majesty, but they were also beaten up, which is truly a disgrace...
Most importantly, the prestige he had built up over a long period of time was shattered by Fang Jun's punch, which was the reality that he could not accept.
Li Chengqian said, "Let's go back to our residence and recuperate properly. We'll come back to the palace to serve after we've recovered."
“…Here you go.”
Li Jingye endured his dizziness and hung his head in dejection.
Li Chengqian glanced at Fang Jun: "Come with me."
He turned and left.
Fang Jun bowed and said, "Yes."
He straightened up and saw Princess Jinyang standing gracefully. He blinked and raised an eyebrow slightly, as if to say, "Don't be angry, I'll get revenge for you."
Princess Jinyang pursed her cherry lips and gave a radiant smile.
Ahead, Li Chengqian said impatiently, "Hurry up!"
Fang Jun then walked towards the Wude Hall. After he passed Princess Jinyang, Princess Jinyang followed suit.
It has a certain air of husband and wife working in harmony...
……
Inside the Imperial Study.
Li Chengqian sat behind his desk, furious: "Fang Yi'ai, what exactly do you want to do?! Li Jingye is my right-hand man, entrusted by the emperor to command the 'Hundred Cavalry Division' and represent the emperor's authority and dignity. He was beaten and injured in public by you, losing face completely. How can I, as the emperor, face this?"
For him, Li Jingye was not simply an "imperial henchman." No matter how sharp a "henchman" is, he is not irreplaceable. But Li Jingye's identity was too special. It was not only the bond between him and Li Ji, but also represented a new force with "loyalty to the emperor" as its core.
The setback Li Jingye suffered today might very well uproot the power he painstakingly built up...
Fang Jun explained calmly, “Your Majesty is wise. Li Jingye’s disrespect towards me is nothing new. In the past, I was quite lenient with him because of his status as the emperor’s henchman. But this fellow has become arrogant and domineering, relying on Your Majesty’s favor. Today, we will have a fair fight. Whoever wins will submit to the consequences. That’s all.”
Behind her, Princess Jinyang stood obediently in the shadows by the door, trying her best to hide and avoid attracting attention, lest she get into trouble and be scolded.
Li Chengqian took a deep breath. He understood Fang Jun's true intentions, but he couldn't say it outright. He was helpless in the face of this guy's feigned ignorance.
He rubbed his temples and waved his hand, "Fine, I can't control this blockhead of yours. You can go and sue Ying Gong later."
Fang Jun was taken aback: "Although Duke Ying is a renowned general of our time, he is no match for Li Jingye in terms of martial arts, and he is also quite old. In any case, he is no match for me. If you ask him to fight me, I am afraid that I might accidentally use too much force and cause trouble..."
"Pfft!"
Princess Jinyang, standing at the door, couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Li Chengqian was both amused and exasperated: "Who told you to fight with Duke Ying? You beat his most beloved grandson, he will definitely not let it go, and he might already be at your house complaining to Fang Xiang!"
Fang Jun smiled meaningfully: "Your Majesty is overthinking it. Perhaps Duke Ying will be grateful to me for disciplining his grandson?"
Li Chengqian gave Fang Jun a deep look and waved his hand impatiently.
Fang Jun bowed and said, "This humble subject takes his leave."
He turned around and bowed to Princess Jinyang, saying, "This humble subject takes his leave."
Princess Jinyang stood gracefully and hummed in agreement: "Grand Commandant, there's no need for such formalities."
Li Chengqian: "..."
Are you two putting on an act in front of me?
Are you trying to drive me crazy?!
……
Fang Jun came out of Chengtian Gate, stretched his limbs, and felt completely relaxed. He had vented his anger and dealt a blow to His Majesty by beating up Li Jingye, and he felt really good.
"This servant greets the Grand Commandant. The Empress requests your presence at the Eastern Palace to discuss important matters."
A eunuch tiptoed over from the side and bowed.
Fang Jun glanced at him and saw that he was indeed an eunuch by Empress Su's side. He nodded and walked eastward with him along Hengjie Street. They entered the East Palace through Jiafu Gate, passing through halls and palaces until they reached Lizheng Hall.
Inside the side hall.
Sandalwood incense burned in the bronze beast-shaped incense burner, the doors and windows were tightly closed, and the air was filled with the fragrance. The ground was covered with a Western Region carpet with intricate patterns and bright colors.
Fang Jun entered, bowed, and after being called to rise, he looked up and saw Empress Su staring intently at him, scrutinizing him from head to toe.
Fang Jun was taken aback: "I wonder what the Empress has summoned me for?"
Empress Su remained silent, staring at him for a long while before finally opening her cherry lips and clicking her tongue: "Grand Commandant, a hero of the world and a man of outstanding talent in this era, yet he has the strange quirk of being a 'good princess'. Tsk tsk, truly astonishing."
This guy used to act so calm and collected in front of her, seemingly indifferent to women, but it turns out he only liked the "princess" and looked down on the "Empress"?
You scoundrel!