Simultaneous Transmigration: The Re-merging of 99 Selves

Chapter 49 Revealing Identity

Xia Zhen bowed his head and admitted defeat, but Zhao Yu shook his head and was in no hurry to order him around.

As Zhao Yu toyed with Xia Zhen's official seal, he smiled and said, "No rush. Before we get down to business, I'll ask you a few questions, and you must answer them truthfully."

Xia Zhen immediately straightened up, his expression solemn: "Please ask, sir. I will answer to the best of my knowledge."

"Let me ask you," Zhao Yu said, setting down his official seal and fixing his gaze on Xia Zhen. "As the Commander of the Palace Guards, in charge of the three imperial guards, how many troops can you mobilize within the Imperial City without alerting anyone?"

Upon hearing this, Xia Zhen trembled violently, and his face turned deathly pale.

He looked up at Zhao Yu, his eyes filled with horror, and couldn't help but ask in a trembling voice, "Sir... what exactly does the sir want to do?"

Within the imperial city, troops were mobilized.

These eight characters, taken together, have only one meaning—palace coup! Rebellion!

Xia Zhen had already risked his life when he participated in the coup that killed Han Tuozhou. Now, this man is going to do something even more outrageous than that.

But when he met Zhao Yu's cold, sharp eyes hidden behind the black cloth, all his questions got stuck in his throat.

Xia Zhen gave a bitter laugh, then lowered his head dejectedly, no longer daring to ask any more questions.

He knew he was already on a sinking ship and there was no way off.

Unless Xia Zhen can disregard life and death.

But if he were truly a man who would sacrifice his life for righteousness, he wouldn't have helped Shi Miyuan stage a coup back then. Now that he has bowed his head, where is there any room for him to question him?

Xia Zhen stood there, his brows furrowed, and after a long period of contemplation, he slowly spoke.

His tone was full of helplessness: "Sir, you don't know this, although I am in charge of the Imperial Guards, the defense of this imperial city has never been something I can decide on my own."

"Within the imperial city, half of the palace guards are under the command of the Imperial City Guard, who are directly under the emperor's jurisdiction. All transfers require the emperor's written edict. I can't escape their notice at all, let alone interfere."

"The remaining half of the palace defenses will be personally managed by Yang Cishan, the Deputy Commander of the Palace Guard."

Yang Cishan, mentioned here, is the elder brother of the current Empress Yang Guizhi. He is now the Grand Commandant, the Military Governor of Fengguo Army, and is also granted the title of Grand Master of the Three Departments.

When Han Tuozhou was executed, it was he who acted on behalf of the Empress and joined forces with Shi Miyuan.

Today, this man is the second most powerful figure in the court after Shi Miyuan, and is also Empress Yang's core assistant in the court.

"Yang Cishan is the Empress's brother, so I have no say in the palace's defenses."

Xia Zhen smiled wryly and continued, "If I want to avoid alerting the Imperial City Guard and Yang Cishan, at most I can only mobilize three hundred men under the guise of patrol, and we can't go deep into the heart of the Imperial City; we can only operate on the outskirts. If we make any big moves, it will be exposed immediately, and there's no way we can get away with it."

"Three hundred people..."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yu's eyes widened in thought. He looked up at the roof beam, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table as he fell into deep contemplation.

Three hundred men is indeed not a large number, but in the narrow alleys and walls of the imperial city, there was simply no space for the army to deploy its forces.

If used properly, three hundred elite soldiers would be enough to control the key gates of the palace at a critical moment and take down Empress Yang and Shi Miyuan's cronies.

Combined with the Imperial Guards under Xia Zhen's command, his unparalleled martial arts skills, and the Evil-Repelling Swordsmen he secretly cultivated, that would be enough.

Back then, Li Shimin was able to seize the throne with only 800 men at Xuanwu Gate. If Zhao Yu were to follow suit, it shouldn't be considered a risk.

Seeing Zhao Yu deep in thought, Xia Zhen felt uneasy and tentatively asked, "Sir, what is the purpose of your inquiry into the defenses of the imperial palace?"

"If... if you want to retrieve any martial arts manuals, treasures, or antiques from the Imperial Palace, there's no need to mobilize the Imperial Guards. Just say the word, and I, Xia, will risk everything to get you in without the slightest risk."

In his mind, a martial arts master like Zhao Yu would only want the peerless martial arts techniques or rare treasures that might be hidden in the palace. Surely he wouldn't actually want to rebel.

Of course, he was also praying that Zhao Yu wouldn't say the answer he least wanted to hear.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yu snapped out of his daze, looked at Xia Zhen's anxious face, and suddenly chuckled.

He spoke slowly, his tone carrying a warning: "Grand Commandant Xia, have you already forgotten the taste of the Life and Death Talisman? Are you trying to test my intentions?"

Xia Zhen's body trembled violently, and his legs went weak, almost causing him to fall. He forced a smile and explained, "What do you mean, sir? I... I would never forget."

"It's good that you haven't forgotten." Zhao Yu nodded, without saying anything more, and simply flicked his finger lightly.

A barely perceptible stream of true energy burst forth and precisely struck Xia Zhen's Tanzhong acupoint.

The next moment, Xia Zhen felt the cold, dormant energy within his body, which had been dormant for ten days, suddenly erupt!

That familiar, bone-deep itch and pain swept over his entire body like a tidal wave. It was as if millions of ants were instantly activated and awakened, burrowing into his body and frantically gnawing at his internal organs.

"ah--!"

A piercing scream shattered the silence of the study.

Xia Zhen fell to the ground, curled up, and frantically tore at his clothes and flesh, his fingernails scratching bloody marks on his body, while he let out inhuman roars.

Cold sweat mixed with blood on his forehead instantly soaked the ground.

He finally understood once again the hellish suffering his advisor had endured before his death.

Zhao Yu stared blankly at Xia Zhen, who was rolling and groaning on the ground, as if he were looking at an insignificant object.

After a short while, seeing that Xia Zhen was almost unconscious, he waved his hand again, and a stream of Yang energy shot out, instantly relieving the effects of the Life and Death Talisman.

The intense, deep-seated itching and pain subsided like a receding tide.

Xia Zhen collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted, panting heavily. His clothes were soaked with sweat, and his face was ashen. He didn't even have the strength to lift a finger.

He struggled to lift his head, looking at Zhao Yu at the head of the table, his voice hoarse: "Sir...sir, do you perhaps...only wish to humiliate me? If that is truly the case, I...I would rather perish with you!"

"Grand Commandant Xia, please don't be anxious." Zhao Yu waved his hand, his tone calm. "I don't mean to humiliate you, but this matter is of great importance, concerning the lives and fortunes of many people, and even the fate of the Song Dynasty."

"Therefore, I must remind Grand Commandant Xia what to say and what to do, so that you may remember the taste of this Life and Death Talisman. You must remember that one wrong step will lead to utter ruin, so don't blame me for not warning you."

Xia Zhen lay on the ground, his chest heaving violently, his eyes filled with bewilderment and incomprehension.

The fate of the nation? What exactly does this person want to do?

Just as he was filled with doubt, Zhao Yu slowly raised his hand and removed the black cloth covering his face.