I walk sideways in the game world

Chapter 167: Besieged on all sides, the trapped beast still fights

In the Imperial Garden, there was singing and dancing, clinking glasses, and a chorus of laughter and joy. Ren Xiaoyao, the young general who defended the country, had just led his troops to repel the invading enemy and returned in triumph. He was in high spirits.

However, as they toasted, Ren Xiaoyao sensed something strange. He keenly perceived that the Emperor's gaze, besides admiration, concealed a subtle tinge of fear and suspicion. And the Left Prime Minister, usually respectful and respectful to him, seemed especially attentive tonight, his smile carrying a depth of meaning that was difficult to articulate.

Ren Xiaoyao's heart was filled with alarm, his intuition telling him that things were not as simple as they seemed. He exchanged a calm glance with Xia Lin, and the two of them tacitly withdrew from the lively party.

"Brother Xiaoyao, have you discovered anything?" Xia Lin asked in a low voice as soon as they left the Imperial Garden.

Ren Xiaoyao nodded and told Xia Lin what he had observed at the banquet.

"Left Prime Minister has indeed been acting a bit strangely lately," Xia Lin frowned slightly. "A few days ago, I received intelligence that he had secret contact with the marshal of an enemy nation on the border, but there's no definitive evidence."

"It seems our suspicions are correct. The Left Prime Minister has indeed colluded with the enemy!" A cold glint flashed in Ren Xiaoyao's eyes. "This old fox, while appearing loyal on the surface, is secretly betraying his country for personal gain!"

"Brother Xiaoyao, what should we do now?" Xia Lin asked worriedly.

"Our most urgent task is to find evidence that the Left Prime Minister is colluding with the enemy and expose his true colors!" Ren Xiaoyao's eyes flashed with determination. "As long as we have evidence, we can turn the tables on him and make him suffer the consequences!"

"But the Left Prime Minister is cunning and treacherous. It's not easy to find something to hold against him."

"Don't worry, I'll find a way." Ren Xiaoyao smiled confidently, "You should also intensify your intelligence gathering. Once you have any news, notify me immediately."

"Okay!" Xia Lin nodded, with a determined light in her eyes.

As the night deepened, the banquet in the Imperial Garden drew to a close. However, a greater storm was quietly brewing. Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin stood side by side in a corner of the garden, gazing at the brilliantly lit palace in the distance, their hearts filled with worry and uneasiness.

"Brother Xiaoyao..." Xia Lin suddenly spoke, but stopped talking.

"what happened?"

"I... I think I've found some clues..." Xia Lin took a deep breath and pulled out a letter from her bosom. "This is what my people just intercepted. It was sent to the border by the Left Prime Minister. Take a look..."

Ren Xiaoyao took the letter and examined it carefully in the moonlight, his expression gradually becoming solemn. The content of the letter was written in cipher, but Ren Xiaoyao, with his extraordinary wisdom, was able to decipher it quickly.

"As expected, the Left Prime Minister really wants to cooperate with the outside world to overthrow the empire!" Ren Xiaoyao's eyes flashed with a cold light, and he crumpled the letter in his hand. "It seems that we have to act quickly!"

Xia Lin nodded and was about to speak when suddenly, there was a sharp sound of air piercing through the air, and a sharp arrow, gleaming with a cold light, shot towards her face! In a split second, Ren Xiaoyao, quick-witted and swift-handed, tackled Xia Lin to the ground, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow. The sharp arrow lodged in the tree trunk behind him, its tail still trembling slightly, revealing the attacker's murderous intent.

"Who is it?!" Ren Xiaoyao protected Xia Lin behind him, his eyes as sharp as torches as he scanned the surroundings filled with dark shadows.

Before he finished speaking, a dozen or so men in black emerged from the rockery and bushes and surrounded the two men. Each of them was armed with a sharp blade, and they looked murderous, clearly well-trained assassins.

"Kill them all, leave no one alive!" The leading man in black gave the order, and everyone attacked Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin like hungry tigers pouncing on their prey.

"Looking for death!" Ren Xiaoyao roared, drawing the sword from his waist. With a flash of cold light, he split the black-clad man in the front in half. He protected Xia Lin while fighting and retreating, his moves ruthless and his sword skills sharp. In a moment, several black-clad men fell under his sword.

However, these men in black were clearly determined to die, and they fought bravely, one after another, fearless of death. Although Ren Xiaoyao was a skilled martial artist, he was no match for four people with two fists, and gradually fell into a disadvantage.

"Brother Xiaoyao, be careful!" Xia Lin hid behind Ren Xiaoyao and reminded anxiously.

At this moment, a man in black seized Ren Xiaoyao's weakness and slashed at his back. Ren Xiaoyao was unable to dodge and was about to be hit. At the critical moment, a black shadow flashed by and knocked the man in black away.

"Brother Xiaoyao, are you okay?" The man who came was none other than General Sun, Ren Xiaoyao's deputy commander. He had received the news that Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin had been attacked in the Imperial Garden, and he was extremely worried. He brought a team of men and horses to support them.

"General Sun, you've arrived just in time!" Ren Xiaoyao breathed a sigh of relief, a fierce glint in his eyes. "Kill them all! Leave no one alive!"

With the arrival of General Sun and the reinforcements, the tide of battle turned in an instant. The men in black were outnumbered and were quickly routed.

"Brother Xiaoyao, are you okay?" After the battle, Xia Lin anxiously checked Ren Xiaoyao's injuries.

"I'm fine." Ren Xiaoyao shook his head. Looking at the corpses scattered all over the ground, a trace of solemnity flashed in his eyes. "It seems that the Left Prime Minister has become desperate."

"Brother Xiaoyao, what should we do now?" asked General Sun.

"Return immediately, mobilize the troops, and prepare..." Ren Xiaoyao hadn't finished his words when a sudden, deafening roar of shouting and fighting erupted from the distance. His expression changed, and he suddenly looked up toward the palace, his eyes filled with shock and anger. "Oh no! We've fallen for a trick! The Left Prime Minister's target isn't us, but..."

The cries of killing exploded like thunder, and Ren Xiaoyao's heart sank. He looked in the direction of the sound. It was the Imperial Palace! Damn it, he'd fallen for a trick! The Left Prime Minister's real goal wasn't to assassinate him and Xia Lin, but to seize the opportunity to launch a coup!

"General Sun, gather all the troops immediately and follow me back to the palace to rescue me!" Ren Xiaoyao ordered sternly, his tone full of anxiety and anger.

"Yes!" General Sun also knew that the situation was urgent and did not dare to delay. He immediately turned around to mobilize troops.

"Brother Xiaoyao, what should we do now? What should we do?" Xia Lin grabbed Ren Xiaoyao's arm tightly, her eyes full of worry and fear.

"Don't be afraid, Lin'er, I will protect you." Ren Xiaoyao gently patted the back of Xia Lin's hand and comforted her, "Let's go into the palace now, expose the Left Prime Minister's conspiracy to the public, and protect the emperor!"

As night fell, flames shot up from the palace, and the cries of killing were deafening. A coup was underway. Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin disguised themselves, evading the rebels' sight and infiltrated the depths of the palace. Along the way, they witnessed the rebels' brutal acts firsthand, filling their hearts with anger and grief.

"Where is the emperor?" Ren Xiaoyao grabbed a eunuch who was fleeing in panic and asked sternly.

"The... the emperor... is... in the imperial study..." the eunuch answered tremblingly, his eyes full of fear.

Ren Xiaoyao no longer hesitated and took Xia Lin straight to the imperial study. Outside the imperial study, the rebels were surrounding them, shouting and screaming. Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with determination.

"Kill!" Ren Xiaoyao shouted, wielding his sword as he charged into the enemy formation, unstoppable like a tiger descending from a mountain. Xia Lin followed closely behind, her silver needles darting through the rebels' acupuncture points with pinpoint accuracy. Working in perfect harmony, they carved a bloody path through the enemy lines.

Inside the Imperial Study, the Emperor panicked, sword in hand, unsure of what to do. The Left Prime Minister entered with a group of rebels, a sinister smile on his face.

"Your Majesty, you'd better hand over the imperial seal obediently to avoid physical pain." The left prime minister approached the emperor, greed glittering in his eyes.

"You...you traitor! I will not surrender!" the emperor shouted angrily, but his tone was full of powerlessness.

"Then don't blame me for being rude!" The left prime minister sneered and reached out to grab the jade seal.

At this moment, a loud shout rang out: "Stop!"

Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin rushed into the imperial study and were immediately furious when they saw the scene in front of them.

"Xiaoyao! Why...why are you here?" When the emperor saw Ren Xiaoyao, it was as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw, and hope rekindled in his eyes.

"I am late in coming to your rescue, please forgive me, Your Majesty!" Ren Xiaoyao knelt on one knee and said in a deep voice.

"Good! Good! You've arrived just in time!" The emperor pointed at the Left Prime Minister and roared, "This traitor is plotting rebellion! Take him down immediately!"

"Your Majesty, please don't listen to his nonsense. I am loyal to you!" The Left Prime Minister hurriedly defended himself, but his eyes flickered, betraying his inner thoughts.

"Whether it's nonsense or not, you'll know after reading this." Xia Lin stepped forward and presented a secret letter to the emperor. "This is a secret letter I found in the Left Prime Minister's residence. It's enough to prove that he is colluding with the enemy and intends to usurp the throne!"

The emperor took the secret letter and read it carefully. His expression became increasingly grim. Finally, he slammed the letter on the table and roared, "Left Prime Minister, do you have anything else to say?!"

The Left Prime Minister's face turned pale. He knew the truth had been revealed, and a trace of viciousness flashed in his eyes. He suddenly attacked and took the emperor hostage...

"You daring traitor, why don't you surrender!" The emperor was shocked and angry, and shouted at the left prime minister. He never imagined that the right-hand man he had always relied on would be a traitor who wanted to overthrow his throne!

The Left Prime Minister held the emperor hostage and smiled coldly: "Your Majesty, a man who knows the current situation is a hero. As long as you obey me, I guarantee that you can still enjoy wealth and glory."

"You...you are committing treason!" The emperor was so angry that he was shaking all over, but he could do nothing.

"Your Majesty, I'm sorry!" The Left Prime Minister turned a deaf ear to the emperor's rage and ordered his men, "Pass the order down! Seal off the palace and kill without mercy!"

"Yes!" The rebels under the Left Prime Minister had already controlled the situation outside the Imperial Study. After hearing the order, they immediately took action and surrounded the entire palace.

Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin were stunned by this sudden change. Before they could react, the rebels swarmed in and surrounded them.

"Protect the emperor!" Ren Xiaoyao roared and swung his sword to meet the enemy. Xia Lin used her lightness skills to shuttle through the crowd. The silver needles in her hand flew out like raindrops, and each needle accurately hit the acupuncture points of the rebels, knocking down a group of them in an instant.

However, the number of rebels was too large. Although Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin were skilled in martial arts, they were no match for four people and gradually fell into a disadvantage.

"Brother Xiaoyao, we are surrounded. What should we do now?" Xia Lin asked anxiously, with a hint of despair in her tone.

"Don't be afraid, Lin'er, I will definitely lead you out!" Ren Xiaoyao said gritting his teeth, his eyes full of determination.

However, at this moment, deafening shouts of killing suddenly came from outside the palace, and an army poured into the palace like a tide and started a fierce battle with the rebels.

"It's General Sun! We are saved!" Xia Lin was ecstatic when she saw the flag of the reinforcements.

However, Ren Xiaoyao's face showed no joy at all, but rather a solemn expression. He looked up outside the palace and saw an army marching in with great force. The leading general was wearing black armor, riding a tall horse, with a bloodthirsty sneer on his face.

"Enemy Marshal?!" Ren Xiaoyao's heart sank, knowing he had fallen into a trap set by the enemy. The palace was now plagued by internal and external troubles, attacked from all sides, and they were in a desperate situation...

"Brother Xiaoyao, what should we do now?" Xia Lin also realized that the situation was not good and asked anxiously.

Ren Xiaoyao didn't answer, but looked deep into the depths of the palace, where there was a secret passage leading out of the palace...

"Lin'er, come with me!" Ren Xiaoyao took Xia Lin's hand and ran towards the depths of the palace, leaving behind a meaningful word that echoed in the night sky.

"Eunuch Qian, where is the secret passage?"