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If the Crown Prince rose in rebellion, they would immediately come to the Emperor’s aid.

But before the Crown Prince could make his move, Duke Dingbei died.

A spy from the Dingbei Army who had entered the city with Duke Dingbei informed everyone that Duke Dingbei had been killed by Gu Qingluan and Qitian You working together.

The Dingbei Army couldn’t accuse the Crown Prince without evidence, but it was an undeniable fact that Gu Qingluan had killed Duke Dingbei, so all fingers pointed at her.

If Gu Qingluan died, Qitian You would lose a significant ally, and when they later asked the Emperor to investigate the truth, they would likely expose Qitian You’s ambitions.

Chen Chong remained calm and saw no need to conceal these events.

Xiao Jingye, disguised as a member of the Dingbei Army in the crowd, heard Chen Chong’s account and realized that the situation had turned against them. He glared at Gu Qingluan and Feng Tianlan, annoyed.

It was these two who had ruined his plans!

However, the Dingbei Army had divided into four groups, attacking from the east, west, south, and north cities.

The other three places had not yet reported any disastrous news; perhaps there was still a fighting chance.

He adjusted his helmet on his head and quietly slipped away.

As for Yin Qing…

Captured so easily by Gu Qingluan, she had shown no skills at all. What use was keeping her!

After listening to Chen Chong’s words, Gu Qingluan chuckled. “You’ve all been deceived by Duke Dingbei.”

Chen Chong couldn’t believe it. “That’s impossible!”

“Wait until you see the Emperor, and you’ll realize you’ve put your trust in the wrong person,” Gu Qingluan said, giving him a cold look. “Do you want to come with me willingly, or do you want me to take action?”

Chen Chong verbally expressed disbelief, but he had already begun to doubt deep down.

He scanned his surroundings, looking for Master Yun.

Master Yun was the son of the illegitimate daughter of Duke Dingbei who had been living in exile, and he was also the son of Prince Yun of the Kingdom of Dingyang.

Several years ago, the Duke brought him into the Dingbei Army.

At that time, Chen Chong felt that the Duke’s actions were inappropriate and advised him to send Master Yun away.

It was Master Yun who, through his actions time and time again, proved to everyone that he had no ill intentions toward the Chengyuan Kingdom.

Several times when they were in danger, it was Master Yun who strategized and helped them defeat the enemy.

Chen Chong saw how Master Yun constantly worked for the benefit of the Dingbei Army and silently regarded him as one of their own.

Duke Dingbei’s strong support and mentoring of Master Yun eventually led everyone to see him as the future leader of the Dingbei Army.

During their last meeting, Duke Dingbei had told them that if anything happened to him, they should fully obey Master Yun.

When Master Yun proposed to besiege the city with military force, Chen Chong had reservations, but Master Yun had saved him before, and his trust in the Duke made him ultimately agree.

If everything Duke Dingbei said was a lie, then what about Master Yun? Had he been scheming all along?

After all, he had spent so many years in the Dingbei Army for a reason, right?

At this moment, Xiao Yunjing was absent, so Chen Chong was the highest-ranking officer in the army.

All the soldiers looked at him.

“General Chen, you can’t go with them! Be cautious, it could be a trap!”

“Yes, General Chen! We’ve followed the Duke for so many years; we know him well, don’t we? But this woman, she killed Duke in a cruel manner. We must not trust her.”

“Let’s go together! Even if it means death! Besides, we’ve come this far; there’s no turning back now! Let’s give it our all, maybe we can survive!”

If the claims made by the opposing side are accurate, it means they have rebelled, which is a serious offense that could result in the punishment of multiple generations, even to the point of extermination.

It’s too late to stop now.

Li Tianhao’s face showed concern as he spoke, “You’ve been deceived by Duke Dingbei, and there’s no intention of rebellion among you. If you surrender now, I’m confident that His Majesty will be merciful in his decision.”

“That sounds nice! Can you represent His Majesty?” one young officer sneered.

The Dingbei Army members who had been swayed by the idea calmed down.

Indeed, the kind words from the other side were just an attempt to deceive them into surrendering.

Whether they had acted out of their own will or had been influenced by someone else, the fact that they had risen in rebellion and besieged the city could not be changed.

Countless defenders of Tianjing City had been killed or injured, and the city had suffered immense losses.

They didn’t believe that the Emperor would truly let bygones be bygones.

“If you don’t believe me, I can send someone to request a royal decree from the Emperor. A monarch’s word is his bond. If you see the royal decree, will you still doubt it?” Gu Qingluan asked.

The officers of the Dingbei Army exchanged glances.

Gu Qingluan gazed into the sky.

Though it was quite far away, she could faintly see flashes of light in the distant sky.

The defenders at the other three city gates were likely in a difficult situation, and they didn’t have the luxury of time to linger here.

In a serious manner, she emphasized, “This is your sole opportunity to vindicate yourselves. If you decline, both you and your families will be branded as traitors and nailed to the pillar of shame in the Chengyuan Kingdom..”