The war broke out without warning. The rebels, led by the three kings, united as one and attempted to overthrow Emperor Yue’s rule. They advanced all the way to Shengjing.

Inside the magnificent palace, an ancient picture of mountains, rivers and the country was painted on a huge screen. The gilded lines of the mountains inside floated like clouds, and a figure emerged from it.

She was wearing a black robe, with a coiled dragon embroidered with gold thread coiling from her right shoulder to her left wrist. Her black hair was half-tied up with a gold hairpin, and the rest of her hair hung down to her waist like ink splashes. Her figure and color gradually solidified, casting a shadow.

All the civil and military officials in the court knelt on the ground immediately.

“Long live my emperor.”

“Be flat.”

Emperor Yue slowly opened his eyes, his pupils were a very deep dark blue, with no visible background: “How is the war going?”

“Your Majesty, the rebel army of the three kings is at the gate of the city. Major General Huo is leading his soldiers to fight to the death, but the enemy is coming in with great force and our army is gradually finding it difficult.” A general in armor knelt on one knee and reported anxiously.

Xu Shanshan nodded slightly, his eyes calm as water: “I already know, you can leave and tell General Huo that everything can be done as planned.”

“As ordered.”

After the general left, Xu Shanshan paced outside the hall. The color of his eyes turned dark gold. Under the “Sky Eye”, everything within a few miles could be seen.

She looked out at the battlefield outside the city.

Civil and military officials followed closely behind him. Although they were puzzled in their hearts, they did not ask rashly, but remained silent.

“In your opinion, Jingguo will no longer be controlled by the people of Xuanmen, nor will there be interference and persecution from foreign enemies. All internal and external troubles have been resolved. How should it be governed?” She suddenly asked an irrelevant question.

All the officials were stunned and fell into deep thought for a while.

After a moment, someone replied: “If this is how Jingguo will develop in the future, then as long as everyone performs their duties conscientiously, everything will develop in a good direction.”

“Yes, the future of Jingguo will surely be prosperous and stable, allowing the people to live and work in peace and contentment.”

Once the conversation starts, the train of thought gradually starts to flow.

“The country is peaceful and the people are safe. This was our original intention.”

“At that time, the people can choose which institution of higher learning to study, read serious poetry and books, sing the classics, and create a flourishing forum for essays.”

“The people will no longer have to live in dire straits, and civil rebellions will be quelled.”

Listening to the civil and military officials discussing their expectations, Xu Shanshan looked at them with a long gaze and said, “I also want to see the future you describe. The future is promising. You will have the opportunity to realize it all.”

It was as if a fire was lit in their chests, burning their whole bodies. Finally, filled with passion, they asked her for a guarantee for the future.

All the ministers knelt on the ground, as if praying to the gods, and their voices were like thunder: “Your Majesty, can we win this battle?”

Xu Shanshan did not answer them directly. She just said calmly: “You can see it with your own eyes.”

She raised her hand and a water mirror appeared in mid-air, presenting the current war situation to everyone in a mysterious and intuitive way.

–

Outside the city, Major General Huo was leading his soldiers in a desperate fight with the rebels. From the very beginning, the traitor Xie family appeared in Shengjing, which made the war tense and the troops insufficient.

It was precisely because of the Xie family’s defection that the three kings chose to send troops at this time and capture Shengjing in one fell swoop.

Major General Huo, clad in blood-stained armor and holding a spear, stood on the battlefield like a god of war.

Like his father and his brother, he would rather die on the battlefield than allow invaders to set foot in the territory he protects.

The hot and fishy wind coming from the battlefield is the morale of the soldiers and his burning spirit.

“For the sake of Jingguo and His Majesty, we will never retreat or surrender and will defend Shengjing to the death!” Major General Huo roared, waving his spear and rushing towards the enemy camp.

The soldiers all responded in unison. Even though they fell one after another, they were still as brave and fearless as tigers descending from the mountains, and fought fiercely with the rebels.

However, the rebels of the three kings were numerous, and there were many powerful masters. Under their fierce attack, the Huo family army gradually fell into trouble, and the defense line collapsed on a large scale, showing obvious loosening…

“Huo Junting, the time has come, it’s time to close the net.”

An order appeared in Major General Huo’s mind. His eyes changed and he looked at the three kings’ army in front of him and exchanged glances with his left and right deputy generals.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

He responded respectfully in his heart.

When the next offensive and defensive battle began, Major General Huo started a stalemate with the enemy general. He shot hard and knocked down an enemy soldier. Although he noticed the sneak attack from behind at this time, he kept a calm face and gritted his teeth, allowing the enemy to chop him in the back.

“General——”

The Huo family soldiers were half worried and half acting. They shouted angrily and anxiously: “General——”

“Oh no! The general is seriously injured. Hurry! Evacuate first–“

They surrounded General Huo and protected him as he retreated into the city, but the rebels would not miss such a great opportunity. When they saw such a great opportunity before them, they quickly summoned all their troops and planned to launch a counterattack and capture the city in one fell swoop.

Xu Shanshan observed everything through the water mirror, and all the civil and military officials saw it too. They were also anxious and panicked at this moment.

“What’s going on? Are General Huo and his men going to be defeated?”

“It’s over. The king’s army has begun a general offensive. Without the chief commander, won’t they be defeated?”

“Your Majesty, could you please send some more people to the battlefield to provide support?”

“The Xie family has already transferred their troops away. There are only a few thousand Huo family soldiers and more than a thousand palace guards left in Shengjing. How can they defeat the 30,000 Wang army?”

Xu Shanshan rolled up his sleeves, put his hands behind his back, and said two words calmly: “Silence.”

Immediately, the noisy voices disappeared, and the officials’ eyes widened, but their mouths were sealed tightly and they could not open them at all.

“I had anticipated the Xie family’s betrayal. Instead of waiting for me to find them one by one, it is better to combine the rest and solve them all at once.”

She rode the wind and came to the highest point of the palace. Phoenixes surrounded her, flames scorched her eyes. She formed seals quickly with her hands and muttered something.

In an instant, the sky and the earth changed color, and a powerful and mysterious force surged out from every corner of the capital.

Even the earth’s crust seemed to be shaking. People in the palace held on to the nearby buildings and looked up in shock.

The spiritual crystals that Xuanmen had implanted in the imperial palace had not been removed. At this time, the light was shining brightly and intertwined with each other, forming a huge curtain of light that enveloped the entire capital.

“Nine Netherworld Illusion Formation, activate!”

Suddenly, light flashed in the formation, and countless illusory scenes emerged like a tide.

The rebels were charging, but the next second they saw a flash before their eyes. The familiar battlefield disappeared in an instant, and the Huo family army that had fled in panic also disappeared. There was a vast darkness ahead, and the shrill sounds of ghosts crying and wolves howling echoed in their ears.

The rebels were terrified and fled in all directions, but they found that no matter how they ran, they were always going around in circles.

The three kings in the rear hurriedly ran out of the tent.

“What the hell is this place?”

They looked around, their eyes filled with fear and shock.

“Yes, it’s a formation. We are trapped. Have we fallen into the trap of Emperor Yue?” Prince Rui, who was standing next to him, turned pale.

“Impossible! If it takes a lot of time to set up such a large formation, how can it be completed overnight?”

Not only them, but even the civil and military officials behind Emperor Yue had this guess. There was no movement at ordinary times, so where did such a huge covering formation come from?
When did Emperor Yue set up such a large magic array to lure you into a trap? (End of this chapter)