Desperate Love: Rebirth of the Demon King

"Your Majesty, please spare my life. I deserve to die, but I also believed the rumors..." Xu Jing said timidly.

"Since you already know it's a rumor, why do you still believe it? Your Majesty, in my opinion, Xu Jingding is delusionally trying to assist the King of Minxi in a rebellion, and his cousin Xu Gui is a disciple of Uncle Zhao." Prime Minister Zhou immediately stepped forward and said.

"Is that so?" Jin Xuan walked up to Xu Jing expressionlessly, staring at him, his tone so calm that it was frightening.

Xu Jing's body softened, and he knelt on the ground and confessed: "Your Majesty, I dare not! I absolutely do not have the intention of rebelling!"

"Of course I know that General Xu is loyal, but Prime Minister Zhou and a group of old ministers don't believe it. They said that General Xu had 200,000 troops stationed outside the imperial city, and the rebels were already at the gates of the city, but General Xu knew nothing about it. They suspected that General Xu was colluding with the rebels."

Jin Xuan's eyes were always on Xu Jing, and he said in a gloomy tone: "So, we invited General Xu's parents, wife and children to stay in the garrison camp for a few days to act as a guarantor for General Xu."

Xu Jing's body trembled violently, and his face turned pale in an instant. He didn't expect that his indecision would cause his family to be arrested. This was his biggest weakness and what he feared the most.

"Your Majesty, my family members are all innocent. I hope Your Majesty will forgive them." Xu Jing immediately kowtowed, tears and snot streaming down his face. He no longer looked as calculating and calm as before.

Jin Xuan frowned slightly, feeling a little reluctant.

What he disdained most in the past was using this method to threaten others, and he thought this behavior was too despicable.

But now, he had to do it because the high priest told him that sometimes in order to protect more people, it was necessary to use some appropriate means.

"General Xu, as long as you are loyal, your family will be safe. I am not a tyrant who likes to persecute loyal ministers and generals, but I am not a cowardly and incompetent ruler either." Jin Xuan looked at Xu Jing, his voice still calm, but full of the majesty that only an emperor could have.

Xu Jing raised his head, his eyes full of awe and regret: "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong! I will swear to protect the imperial city, protect the orthodoxy, protect Your Majesty, and protect my parents and wife!"

He had always thought that the little emperor was just a puppet who was kept in the deep palace and temporarily took the throne, and that the real person in power was the high priest.

From what we saw today, the high priest was only responsible for bringing him here. He didn't say a word from beginning to end, and his attitude towards the little emperor did not overstep the mark.

It seems that the rumors are not entirely credible. This high priest is truly loyal to the Jin royal family and is not someone who likes to play power games.

Jin Xuan nodded and signaled the guards around him to help Xu Jing up.

He looked at Xu Jing and said earnestly, "General Xu, I hope you will remember your promise today. Today you will go back to the city defense camp to prepare for the battle, and continue to pretend to cooperate with the rebels on the surface."

"I will definitely live up to your majesty's trust." Xu Jing kowtowed respectfully to Jin Xuan.

"Thank you, High Priest, to send General Xu back." Jin Xuan turned to Lan Moqiu respectfully.

Lan Moqiu nodded slightly, walked to Xu Jing, grabbed his arm, and disappeared from everyone's sight again as he had done when he came.

Prime Minister Zhou thought to himself: If this great priest Lan wanted to rebel, he could wipe out the Jin royal family without a single soldier. He really has no interest in imperial power.

Some court officials also thought to themselves: I'm glad that I have supported the right person. His Majesty has such a terrifying person as the high priest to protect him, yet there are still people who are trying to rebel.

Lan Moqiu sent Xu Jing back the same way. When Xu Jing returned to the camp, he couldn't help but ask Lan Moqiu: "If the high priest has such magical powers, why doesn't he become the Lord of the New Moon himself?"

Lan Moqiu smiled coldly and said, "The Emperor Star is determined by the destiny of the upper realm. Do you think anyone can be it? This priest asserts that Jin Yu does not have the destiny of an emperor. If we talk about strength, this priest alone can turn your 200,000 city defense troops into ashes. General Xu, sometimes you have to listen to advice in order to protect your family for ten thousand years."

After saying that, he left without waiting for Xu Jing to react.

Xu Jing stood there blankly, looking as if he was thinking about something. It seemed that he could no longer play both sides and try to please everyone in the future.

The two sides faced off like this for seven days. After seven days, the armies of the King of Shu and the King of Yue also arrived fifty miles away. The two princes, King Jin Yang of Shu and King Jin Ming of Yue, also met in Jin Yu's tent.

"Brother, I have brought all the garrisons from Shu. How confident are you that we can capture the imperial city?" The first thing Jin Yang said when they met was to get straight to the point.

"Brother, I have also mobilized 70% of my garrison troops here. When do you plan to start the siege? How many days can you enter the palace?" Jin Ming was more impatient and talked about entering the palace right away.

"Once your two armies have rested, you can start attacking the city. The city defense forces have already reached an agreement with me, so they just need to stand by and watch. There are 40,000 guards in the imperial city, including the Imperial Guards, Yulin Guards, and Secret Guards, which will definitely not exceed 2,000 people. But..." When Jin Yu said this, his brows unconsciously frowned.

"But what? What else does your Royal Brother have to worry about?" Seeing his hesitation, Jin Yang asked again.

"Do you still remember the Guardian God Cult?" Jin Yu looked at his two younger brothers and asked.

"Yunji Villa? Aren't they protecting the Jin royal family? Are they also participating in defending the city?" Jin Ming asked puzzledly.

"It's just a mere immortal sect with only a few hundred people in total. Can Jin Xuan rely on them to turn the situation around?" Jin Yang said with great disdain.

"That's right. When our three forces come together, we have at least 400,000 troops. Why should we be afraid of his mere tens of thousands of people? Not to mention the hundreds of people from the immortal sects." Jin Ming also stepped forward and said in an arrogant tone.

"However, it is rumored that Yunji Villa guards the orthodoxy of the Jin royal family. Isn't this Jin Xuan the son of the high priest and Concubine Lan?" Jin Yang suddenly looked at Jin Yu in confusion.

"Hmph, at this point, whether it's true or not, do you and I have any way out?" Jin Yu glanced at Jin Yang coldly.

"No, my brother..." Jin Yang wanted to say something else, but was stopped by Jin Ming.

"Royal brother, we have been traveling for a long time. It is time to rest. We will discuss the siege tomorrow." Jin Ming said as he dragged Jin Yang out of the tent.

After the two of them walked away, Jin Yang asked Jin Ming, "Second brother, why did you stop me from asking my brother?"

Jin Ming looked at his most honest brother with disdain and said, "Don't you understand at this moment?"

"What do I need to understand?" Jin Yang asked puzzledly.

"The reason why my royal brother chose to rebel was not because of whether Jin Xuan's identity was orthodox, but because he wanted to sit in that position." Jin Ming said directly.

According to Jin Yang's personality, if he can't figure out something, he will definitely ask Jin Yu directly.

Jin Yu has been a serious person since he was young, and how could the two of them understand what he is thinking?

Jin Yu was very scheming. If you didn't help him rebel, he would not let any of his brothers go if he ascended to the throne. If you helped him rebel, you might still have a chance of survival.

Jin Xuan, their youngest brother, has been the purest and most cowardly one since childhood. How could he be a match for Jin Yu?

So when Jin Yu found him and rebelled on the grounds of blood, he resolutely chose to help Jin Yu.

As for Jin Yang, this straightforward guy, he must have believed the rumor that Jin Xuan was not of orthodox bloodline.

"Are you saying that my royal brother lied to me? Jin Xuan is also our brother?" Jin Yang asked as if he had just woken up from a dream.

"Things have come to this point. Even if you want to regret it, it's too late. You have already been charged with treason." Jin Ming sighed and patted Jin Yang's shoulder.

"Then wasn't I helping the tyrant? We are blood brothers, there is only one throne, it doesn't matter who sits on it?" Jin Yang regretted his decision, why was he so stupid?

"You and I should go back to the camp and rest first. It's too late to regret now. Let's wait for the siege!" Jin Ming said again.

"It's not too late if you want to regret." A voice came from behind them.

"Who?" Jin Xuan and Jin Ming turned around and saw Lan Moqiu looking down at them.

"Are you... the high priest?" Jin Ming asked.

"Is he the one who was having an affair with Concubine Lan?" Jin Yang asked.

"Oh, do you believe it?" Lan Moqiu flashed in front of Jin Ming at lightning speed, stared at him sharply and asked.

"No, no, I don't believe it..." Jin Yang replied stutteringly.

"If you don't believe it, why don't you go back to your Shu land as soon as possible? As a vassal king, do you really want to follow Jin Yu in rebellion when Wu Zhao comes to Beijing?" Lan Moqiu pressed on, asking in a strong tone.

“No, no…” Jin Yang was forced to retreat step by step, looking panicked.

"Jin Yu is a man with deep scheming, viciousness, and strong suspicion. If he really reaches that position, with his cunningness, would he allow the two of you to continue to be alive and threaten him?" Lan Moqiu continued.

"But if we don't help him, when he reaches that position, won't he still not let us brothers go?" Jin Ming said from the side.

Lan Moqiu stopped and looked back at Jin Ming.

"Your Highness the King of Yue does think more thoroughly than the King of Shu. However, Jin Yu cannot win, and he cannot sit in that position." Lan Moqiu said to Jin Ming with a firm tone.

"Why should I trust you?" Jin Ming looked at Lan Moqiu and asked.

"As a priest, I can take Jin Yu's life at any time." Lan Moqiu said again.

"Heh, High Priest, are you joking? If you can take his life at any time, do you still need to convince us two here?" Jin Ming asked disdainfully.

"This priest just wants to give you two a chance to live. If you listen to my advice, when the time comes, you can join forces with the defenders to attack the city from both inside and outside, catching the rebels off guard. If you don't listen to my advice, rivers of blood will flow, and it will not be worth it to keep your lives in this Crescent City." Lan Moqiu said, looking at the two of them coldly.

"Second brother?" Jin Yang was a little shaken and turned to look at Jin Ming.

"Do you believe him?" Jin Ming looked at Jin Yang and asked.

"If Jin Xuan is really our younger brother, I don't want to be his enemy. Besides, can my royal brother really win?" Jin Yang said hesitantly.

"Your Highnesses, there is no need to respond in a hurry. You just need to make a choice when the siege begins. This is a token from His Majesty. Light it when you have figured it out. Then I will know what you both mean." Lan Moqiu said, disappearing in front of the two with a mysterious smile.

"Second brother, was what we just saw real?" Jin Yang asked doubtfully.

If it was fake, the feeling was so real; if it was real, the person suddenly disappeared.

"It's real, look at this." Jin Ming handed over the red scarf in his hand.

"What does the second brother plan to do?" Jin Yang asked again.

"Can you give me a day to think about it? I'll give you the answer tomorrow." Jin Ming had a headache at the moment. He was in a dilemma. Why was it so difficult to be an idle prince?

On the ninth day of the siege, the three kings, the King of Western Fujian, the King of Shu, and the King of Yue, gathered outside the Crescent Imperial City and surrounded all four city gates.

At the same time, all the disciples who had gone out for trials at Yunji Villa returned to assist the garrison in defending the city.

On the tower, Jin Xuan personally faced the enemy, his armor making his muscular figure look even taller and more majestic. The three years of physical training, the course set by Lan Moqiu himself, was not easy. He was no longer the weak little emperor three years ago, but had the aura of an extraordinary and decisive emperor.

Jin Yang and Jin Ming were shocked when they saw Jin Xuan like this. Jin Xuan in front of them looked very similar to their father when he was young, so how could they believe that he was not their father's biological son?

Moreover, at this moment, he has already revealed the demeanor of an emperor. Compared with the proud, conceited, cold and paranoid Jin Yu, he is obviously more like an emperor.

"Jin Xuan, today you have been surrounded by my 300,000 troops. Don't you intend to surrender?" Jin Yu shouted arrogantly in front of the formation.

"Just you? Soldiers, listen up: King Jin Yu of western Fujian spreads rumors about the royal bloodline and colludes with the prince to rebel. Capture him immediately!" As soon as Jin Xuan gave the order, the soldiers guarding the city immediately took the initiative to attack.

Seeing this, Jin Yu had no choice but to order an attack on the city. Suddenly, the shouts of killing shook the earth, and the troops on both sides engaged in a fierce fight.

On the periphery, the 200,000 city defense troops led by Xu Jing quickly formed a siege, and the killing formation of Yunji Villa was also launched at the same time.

At first, Jin Yu's siege army was able to fight against one or two enemies due to their numerical advantage, but as time went by, the disparity in combat power gradually led to their falling behind. As the vanguard was defeated, the main attacking rebels also panicked and abandoned their weapons and fled.

Seeing this, Jin Yang, in accordance with the agreement with Jin Ming, led his army to besiege Jin Yu's troops without hesitation. Jin Ming also began to turn against them, and the Yue King's army directly counterattacked the Minxi army.

In a flash, Jin Yu's army was suddenly caught in a dilemma of being surrounded by enemies on all sides.

Jin Yu thought he had the situation under control, but suddenly found that he was too arrogant and too trusting.

Especially Jin Yang and Jin Ming's betrayal and Xu Jing's breaking of promises, all of these were beyond Jin Yu's plan.

Everywhere you look, you can see the panicked and fleeing Fujian troops, who are running in panic, trying to find a way to survive.

There was chaos on the battlefield. Jin Yu's vanguard officers were captured one after another by Jin Xuan's men. Some were killed and some were captured alive. For a time, the army completely lost its organization and command.

Jin Yu didn't know how to deal with this sudden situation and could only stand on his horse and look blankly at the people on the city wall.

"Royal brother, do you still want to fight in this situation?" Jin Xuan looked directly into Jin Yu's eyes with sharp eyes without any hesitation.

"Jin Xuan, the victor makes you a king and the loser makes you a bandit. I admit defeat today, but there is still a long way to go..." After Jin Yu said this, he whipped his horsewhip and tried to force his way out of the encirclement, and bravely swung the long sword in his hand at the soldiers who were besieging him.

"I'll do it myself." Jin Xuan said as he took the long sword from the hidden guard beside him and jumped directly down from the city wall. After a few leaps, he stepped onto a galloping warhorse in the chaos and galloped towards Jin Yu.

Seeing this, Zhao Xie quickly followed Jin Xuan and jumped off the city wall, chasing after him.

"All secret guards, follow His Majesty..." Lan Moqiu gave an order, and all the secret guards on the city wall followed.