This uprising came with such suddenness, such ferocity, that O'Neal had absolutely no way of imagining it, no way of predicting it.
Overall, the specifics of the plan's execution were as follows.
After the morning court session that day, Bode and Esdeath met in secret. Bode directly handed over his military authority over the Imperial Capital's Imperial Guard, stationed outside the Imperial Palace, to Esdeath. Then, the two parted ways.
Afterward, Bode thoroughly investigated and found that O'Neal had left the Little Emperor and was going through the Privy Council offices one by one, handling state affairs. At this moment, Bode felt the opportunity had arrived.
He personally led the Imperial Palace Guards, raided the Little Emperor's bedchambers, and was the first to take control of the Little Emperor!
Just as Uchiha Madara had said, no matter how much the Little Emperor cried or fussed, he was to be placed under house arrest. At worst, they'd gag him and throw him directly into a closet.
There was no other way. Because, according to legend, the Imperial Supreme Imperial Relic required a legitimate royal bloodline to be activated. If they didn't control the Little Emperor first, he might very well be swayed by O'Neal into activating the Supreme Imperial Relic, which would lead to serious trouble by 19 o'clock.
With the Little Emperor under control, this matter was nearly half-done!
Then, Bode split his forces into two. One part followed him to keep the Little Emperor under control, while the other part headed directly for the Privy Council, with one primary objective: Minister O'Neal, whether dead or alive!
Just as Bode's Palace Guards stormed towards the Privy Council, the cunning and seasoned O'Neal also received the news. He never in a million years expected that Bode, that old-fashioned fellow, would suddenly launch an attack.
Since Bode had already surrounded the Imperial Palace, then there was no hope for the Little Emperor. In his desperation, O'Neal ordered his personal guards and assassin agents to escort him in his escape.
Just as they fled the Privy Council, this group ran head-on into the Palace Guards, who were encircling them from both sides!
With the true intentions revealed, there was no need for further words. O'Neal's personal guards and the Palace Guards immediately clashed, while the assassin agents tightly protected O'Neal as they attempted to break out.
Although Bode's Palace Guards were numerous and elite, facing O'Neal's highly capable assassin agents was still not enough. With these assassin agents carving a bloody path, O'Neal was tightly protected,
breaking out towards the main gate of the Imperial Palace.
If things continued this way, it was quite possible O'Neal might actually escape.
At this critical moment, Night Raid's experts decisively struck!
This time, the battle was neither an assassination nor an open field engagement. It was a fight amidst the ornate carvings, painted beams, and gilded splendor of the Imperial Palace. It could almost be called close-quarters combat.
Thus, the female death gods of Night Raid (excluding Bulat, Lubbock, and Susanoo) unleashed their full capabilities. They even bypassed the ordinary soldiers, directly pouncing on the assassin agents surrounding O'Neal,
engaging them in one-on-one combat!
With experts attacking, and O'Neal himself being the target, the special assassin agents protecting O'Neal had no choice. They could only temporarily abandon O'Neal and step forward to face the challenge!
A battle of high-level combatants thus began.
O'Neal, now without expert protection, was stunned. He could only order his ordinary guards to redouble their protection and accelerate their breakout attempt.
However, could O'Neal truly escape?
The answer, of course, was no!
Earlier, after Esdeath received the military authority over the Imperial Capital's Imperial Guard from Bode, she immediately left the Imperial Palace and headed straight for the Imperial Guard's main encampment, taking control of the Imperial Guard!
Afterward, Esdeath combined her Field Army with the newly acquired Imperial Guard. She then ascended a platform and, following the rhetoric Uchiha Madara had given her, enumerated Minister O'Neal's atrocities to the assembled army.
Things like plotting rebellion, losing the people's support, harming loyal officials, manipulating the young emperor, imposing exorbitant taxes... In total, she listed over twenty charges, and every single one was a grave crime! A major offense!
A capital offense! Most importantly, the charges Esdeath presented against O'Neal all came with ready evidence. All the soldiers in the army had seen it with their own eyes, or at least had heard rumors of it, even if they hadn't witnessed it personally.
With this public denouncement, Esdeath successfully ignited the fury of both the Field Army and the Imperial Guard. On the spot, all the officers and soldiers verbally condemned Minister O'Neal!
Seeing that the atmosphere had been sufficiently built up, Esdeath stood on the platform, smiled faintly, raised her hand, and shouted at the top of her voice, finally yelling the slogan: "Cleanse the Emperor's side! Execute the treacherous ministers!"
It must be said, this slogan was incredibly rousing. The roar of agreement from the armies below rose in waves, each higher than the last.
Seizing this opportunity, striking while the iron was hot, Esdeath, now in control of both the Field Army and the Imperial Guard, began their operation together!
The Field Army, being the largest in number, was ordered by Esdeath to garrison all critical points throughout the Imperial Capital, clear the capital's streets, impose a city-wide martial law, and most importantly, launch a surprise attack on the Garrison Corps, disarm them, and take control of all Garrison Corps members. Those who dared resist were to be killed without question!
There was no alternative; the Garrison Corps was now O'Neal's personal paw.
O'Neal was still inside the Imperial Palace. Once he emerged, the Garrison Corps would become his private army!
The Imperial Guard also had a considerable number of troops and was considered among the elite of the military. Although not as formidable as the Imperial Palace Guards, their numbers and quality were just right, making them a truly formidable fighting force.
Esdeath personally led the Imperial Guard to surround the Imperial Palace, maintaining a siege without attacking.
Inside the Imperial Palace, palace maids and eunuchs, faced with this terrifying turmoil, all scurried around with their heads in their hands, too terrified to come out. Therefore, the force currently controlling the entire Imperial Palace was Bode's Palace Guards.
The Palace Guards guarding the main gate of the Imperial Palace saw General Esdeath leading the Imperial Guard approaching. Immediately, following Bode's prior instructions, they threw open the main gates of the Imperial Palace!
Meanwhile, inside the Imperial Palace, O'Neal, protected by layers of guards, discovered that the main gate had opened for some unknown reason!
Though filled with doubt and suspicion, given the current situation, staying in the Imperial Palace meant death!
O'Neal steeled his heart, abandoning the assassin agents who were fighting Night Raid. He ordered his guards to protect him, to cut through the encirclement, and break out of the Imperial Palace!
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