The prince is fierce: Who dares to steal my woman?

On the other side, Liancheng's voice was equally loud, but carried an undeniable authority: "He Jian is the real traitor, whose crimes deserve no death! Soldiers, do not be deceived by his lies. As long as you lay down your weapons and surrender to the Prince of Guangling, you will all be spared death and share in wealth and glory!"

On the battlefield, amidst the glint of swords and the clash of spears, every engagement was accompanied by the loss of life, blood splattering everywhere and staining battle robes. The soldiers' cries and roars mingled together, creating a tragic yet brutal scene.

Prince Liu Kun of Guangling hid in the shadow of a palace not far away, looking tense, his forehead covered with fine beads of sweat, and his eyes flashing with unease and fear.

In contrast, Wei Wuji, the Right Minister, appeared remarkably calm. He held a feather fan in his hand, a meaningful smile playing on his lips, as if everything was under his control.

Just as the situation was at a stalemate and the outcome was uncertain, an old general in his sixties, wearing heavy armor, slowly stepped out of the crowd. His figure appeared exceptionally tall; he was none other than Jiang Zhan, the former commander-in-chief.

Jiang Zhan's gaze, sharp as lightning, swept across every inch of the battlefield before finally settling on He Jian. His voice was steady and powerful: "Soldiers, listen to me! The Prince of Guangling has the world in his heart and loves his people like his own children, while the Crown Prince is despicable and wicked, having murdered the emperor and usurped the throne. He has already been executed by the Prince of Guangling. He Jian is a traitor to the Crown Prince, and his crimes are unforgivable. You should no longer serve him. Quickly lay down your weapons and surrender! The Prince of Guangling is magnanimous and will forgive your past transgressions!"

Jiang Zhan's words were like a thunderclap, instantly exploding on the battlefield. The soldiers looked at each other in dismay, and their original beliefs began to waver.

Many of the Imperial Guards led by He Jian were former subordinates of Jiang Zhan. These tough men held deep respect and remembrance for their former leader. When Jiang Zhan's voice, carrying the vicissitudes of time and his indomitable will, echoed across the battlefield through the smoke of war, it was as if an invisible force quietly seeped into the depths of people's hearts.

The soldiers' eyes began to flicker, their morale began to waver, and their hearts began to crumble, like a candle flame in a storm, teetering on the verge of being extinguished.

The soldiers began to discuss among themselves...

"Brothers, the Crown Prince is already dead, what's the point of us still fighting? Are we going to risk our lives for He Jian?"

"Yes, General Jiang said that as long as we lay down our weapons and surrender to the Prince of Guangling, we will forgive and forget, and we can even share wealth and glory."

"Yeah, brothers, let's not make any more pointless sacrifices, let's surrender."

"We are willing to surrender."

"We are willing to surrender."

"..."

In an instant, a large number of He Jian's soldiers laid down their weapons and surrendered, while others simply turned their guns on the spot, defecting to another side.

In this way, the judgment is made.

Faced with the demoralization of his troops, He Jian did not choose to retreat. He straightened his back, brandished his long sword, and fought fiercely in the enemy ranks like a wounded lone wolf, each strike containing unyielding spirit and determination.

However, one man cannot hold out alone. As the battle intensified, He Jian's figure gradually appeared lonely and exhausted. Finally, after a fierce clash, he was captured alive by Lian Cheng's soldiers, covered in blood, his clothes torn, his hair disheveled, like a warrior returned from hell.

He Jian, pinned to the ground by two burly soldiers, stared intently at Liu Kun, the Prince of Guangling, opposite him. He roared, his voice filled with endless grief and indignation: "Liu Kun, you are sinister and ruthless, you murdered your brother and seized the throne. I, He Jian, will haunt you even as a ghost!"

A cold smile played on Liu Kun's lips as he slowly approached He Jian, his tone laced with amusement: "I'll send you to meet your maker right now."

Having said that, he took a gleaming longsword from the soldier beside him and, without hesitation, swung it towards He Jian's right leg...

"what!"

A fierce scream rang out, and blood gushed out like a fountain, staining the surrounding land red, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood.

He Jian's face was contorted with excruciating pain, but he still forced himself to hold on, shouting with his last ounce of strength, "Liu Kun, you traitor! If you have the guts, kill me and let me become a vengeful ghost, taking you to the underworld to suffer eternal torment!"

Liu Kun sneered, a ruthless glint in his eyes: "Heh... Kill you? That would be too easy on you. I will throw you into a death row cell, torture you slowly, and then execute you by slow slicing, cutting you into a thousand pieces. Only in this way can I quell the hatred in my heart!"

Two armored soldiers approached He Jian, who was bound to the ground, silently like ghosts. He Jian was ragged and covered in blood, but he still stubbornly held his head high, with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His eyes, like burning torches, were fixed on Liu Kun, a man in a magnificent brocade robe with a cold smile on his face, not far away.

"Liu Kun, you are ruthless and cruel, you murdered your brother and usurped the throne. This is an outrage against heaven and you will surely die a horrible death!"

Although He Jian's voice was hoarse, every word was powerful and resonant, echoing throughout the palace.

Upon hearing this, Liu Kun's lips curled into a disdainful smile, and he uttered a single word: "Bah!" His eyes were full of contempt. "You ignorant fool, you dare to talk about the principles of Heaven? I, the King, am the greatest principle of Heaven!"

At Liu Kun's command, two soldiers pounced on He Jian like wild beasts, roughly lifting him up and dragging him away. He Jian's body left a shocking trail of blood on the ground; one of his legs had been cut off and lay quietly on the cold earth.

As He Jian was dragged away, he continued to mutter and curse Liu Kun until his voice faded into the distance.

Witnessing this scene, a look of relief finally appeared on Liu Kun's face. He slowly paced around, his tone tinged with smugness: "Hmph, with He Jian eliminated, I can finally rest easy."

However, Wei Wuji hurried over, his expression not relaxed, and even seemed to bring an ominous aura: "Your Majesty, the current crisis is far from over, and we must not let our guard down."

Liu Kun frowned slightly, his eyes sharp: "Oh? Right Minister, what other crisis is there?"

Wei Wuji took a deep breath and said in a solemn tone, "Although He Jian has been eliminated, Han Xiu still has 50,000 Imperial Guards under his command. These 50,000 Imperial Guards are the real threat. Most of them are former subordinates of He Jian and are loyal to the Crown Prince. Once Han Xiu learns that the Crown Prince has been killed, he will lead his army to attack the palace, and the consequences will be unimaginable."

"Han Xiu?" A hint of doubt flashed across Liu Kun's face, then his eyes sharpened. "Right Minister, are you referring to Han Xiu, the one who has always been loyal to the Crown Prince? Han Xiu, the Spear King of the Northern Border?"

Wei Wuji nodded heavily: "Exactly. If Your Majesty wishes to achieve great things, you must first deal with Han Xiu's 50,000 Imperial Guards!"

Liu Kun stared at Wei Wuji, his tone resolute and unwavering: "Right Minister, tell me, how should we deal with Han Xiu's 50,000 Imperial Guards?"

Wei Wuji gently stroked his long beard, his face composed, yet his eyes gleamed with the wisdom of a sage: "Your Majesty, regarding the matter of Han Xiu, we might as well follow the same strategy we used with He Jian, focusing on persuasion to surrender. We can pardon Han Xiu's soldiers and execute only Han Xiu himself, to demonstrate Your Majesty's magnanimity and benevolence. For those soldiers who can see the error of their ways and abandon their evil ways, we should not only give them generous rewards, but also let them see the bright future of choosing the right path. As for those who can capture or kill Han Xiu, they should be granted the high rank of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households, to boost morale and shake the enemy's resolve."