aunt

The north wind swept across the barren fields of the capital. Ning Lingyi stopped his horse and stared at the outline of the towering city on the horizon.

Her illness had not yet healed and her face was still pale, but the moment the capital city came into view, all the softness and weakness that belonged to her illness were silently suppressed. The black fox fur coat moved slightly in the wind, and underneath it was the iron-clad bones that showed the toughness of a commander-in-chief of the three armies.

Her gaze was calm and unfathomable, and she concealed all her worries for her mother and her sighs for the past in this deep gaze.

Behind her, Xue Cheng stood with his sword in hand, his expression solemn; Nong Zishi had a gaunt face, with worry and determination locked between his brows, but he still stayed by her side to protect her; Su Qingfan was dressed in neat riding clothes, with a toughness honed by the sea breeze between his brows, and his eyes were always focused on her condition; Jing Zhao also rode beside her, and beneath the gentle temperament of a young man from the south of the Yangtze River, there was a calculating scrutiny.

Thousands of cavalry stood in a forest of silence, the only sound being the rustling of their battle flags in the wind. All eyes were fixed on the slender yet upright figure in front of them.

She is back.

Capital city.

Sunlight filtered through the thin clouds, falling on the mottled city walls, casting a silent, yet massive silhouette. Once, she had been a prisoner within this city, gazing at the sky from all four corners; then, she had become a fugitive, running through the frost at night, pursued by endless enemies.

And now, she is back.

He brought with him the sandstorms from the border, the smoke of war from Heshuo, thousands of loyal and brave men who had been tempered in blood and fire, and even more turbulent waves that were enough to overturn this corrupt court.

She looked at him quietly, her eyes deep.

She came back, but Zhaoyang would never come back.

Others may have forgotten, but she remembers it clearly.

The instigator of this was Emperor Guangqi.

Yes, he defeated the former crown prince, defeated his father, and won the world.

But so what?

Now, Ning Lingyi has her troops at the gates of the city, with her sword pointed at the capital, just to take his life!

"Your Highness," Nong Zishi rode closer and reported in a low voice, "As you instructed, the entire army has set up camp twenty miles from the capital. The proclamation has also been prepared."

Ning Lingyi nodded slightly, her eyes still fixed on the distant city wall.

She spoke, her voice low but clear and firm: "Open the flag."

The order was passed down, and under the command of the central army, the large black flag with gold embroidery and the word "Pearl" was suddenly lifted up by two burly strong men. The cold wind instantly filled the flag, and the flag fluttered and flew. The word "Pearl" was bright and dazzling, as if it suddenly illuminated the gray sky and earth, and also burned countless prying eyes, some open and some hidden.

"Send a message."

Dozens of messengers, carrying red flags on their backs, rushed out like arrows, heading straight for the four gates of the capital. They not only wanted to shoot the paper written by Nong Zishi into the city, but also wanted to make sure that the flag was clearly visible to the millions of soldiers and civilians guarding the city walls and inside.

The manifesto launched into the city listed the ten major crimes of Emperor Guangqi Ning Yanli: to ascend the throne, he secretly made an agreement with the Western Qiang, ceded Hebei and invited a wolf into his house; for his own selfish desires, he poisoned his father and emperor, framed his brother, and forced the death of the former crown prince; to consolidate his power, he allowed his troops to massacre people in the suburbs of the capital, watched the people being ravaged and loyal officials being wronged; to cover up his crimes, he fabricated charges and purged the court...

Every single one of them points out his unkindness, injustice, unfilial piety and unbrotherly behavior, which is condemned by both humans and gods, and cannot be tolerated by heaven and earth!

The letter concluded: "Now, Princess Mingzhu, Ning Lingyi, has faithfully obeyed the mandate of Heaven and raised an army of righteousness. This is not to usurp the throne, but to punish the tyrant to thank the world. She remains calm and appeases the people, restoring social order through the ages. On the day this edict arrives, the restoration of the royal family will be known to all!"

The manifesto was like boiling oil poured into a dark fire, instantly igniting the capital city, which had already been undercurrents.

On the top of the city wall, the defending soldiers were passing the letter around, whispering to each other, and looking at the dazzling flag outside the city with complicated eyes.

Many of them had relatives who had been massacred by the Qiang people, or were still resentful of the loss of Heshuo.

Within the capital, in teahouses, taverns, and on the streets, the contents of the manifesto spread by word of mouth at an astonishing speed.

"Really? Your Majesty actually..."

"No wonder Heshuo lost it so strangely! Turns out he had sold it!"

"It's Princess Mingzhu! The princess who won the battle in Heshuo and even used her own money to redeem the people from the Beishuo people!"

"She's back! She's really back!"

The long-suppressed fear, dissatisfaction and anger finally found an outlet at this moment. The people rushed to tell each other that they did not have to endure it. It turned out that there was still a place for Ren Jun in this world. The world might really be changing.

Even in the deep houses of the rich and powerful, there is no peace.

In the residences of some middle and lower-level officials, candles were lit all night long. Some were anxious, some were secretly happy, and more were assessing the situation and weighing the pros and cons.

"Although Princess Mingzhu's move was risky, it was entirely justified."

"Emperor Guangqi... The former Prince Yong was so shrewd, yet he chose to do something so self-destructive."

"Let's wait and see what happens next. I'm afraid the situation in the capital is about to change."

!

Inside the Purple Palace, the scent of ambergris was still strong, but it could no longer suppress the panic that permeated the air.

"Trash! A bunch of trash!"

Emperor Guangqi Ning Yanli threw a report to the ground, his chest heaving violently, his face pale and ashen.

It's not that he didn't expect Ning Lingyi to come, but he never expected that she could reach the capital quietly and lay siege to the city!

"Hundreds of miles! She's traveled hundreds of miles from Heshuo to here! Are all the commanders of the prefectures, counties, and passes along the way dead? Why wasn't there any warning? No one tried to stop her? Why did I only know about her when her flag was planted right under my nose?!"

He roared, his voice sharp and piercing with fear.

The eunuchs standing in the hall were silent as a mouse, bowed their heads deeply, and wished they could shrink into the cracks in the ground.

None of the kneeling civil and military officials dared to answer.

Emperor Guangqi slumped on the dragon throne. He understood that what was scary was not Ning Lingyi's arrival, but the smooth journey!

What does this indicate? It means that in the north, the prestige of Emperor Guangqi has long since collapsed! Local officials and generals are disloyal, watching with cold eyes, or even secretly acquiescing, waiting for the outcome of this internal strife within the imperial family!

They... are all waiting to see him defeated!

Why? He only gave up the three towns of Heshuo, not his entire country. Why couldn't these people understand that he had no choice?

He just made this one mistake, and they just sat back and watched?

A bone-chilling chill gripped him, colder than the wind outside the hall.

"How many people did she bring?" He stood up, walked quickly, grabbed the collar of a kneeling general and asked.

"Your Majesty, the scouts reported approximately four to five thousand elite cavalry..."

"Four or five thousand?" A fierce look flashed in Emperor Guangqi's eyes. "A mere four or five thousand people dared to spy on my capital? Who gave her the courage?"

He pushed the general aside, staggered a few steps, and roared hoarsely, "Issue an order! Martial law is in effect at the nine gates. The Governor's Office of the Beijing Camp is ordered to mobilize troops immediately and march out of the city to wipe out the rebels! I demand Ning Lingyi's head!"

He still had trusted generals and tens of thousands of soldiers from the Imperial Army! This was his last resort! He had to seize the opportunity before she could gain a firm foothold and crush her with the force of a thunderbolt!

"Go!"

The order was hastily passed down, and the troops of the Beijing camp began to mobilize. Teams of soldiers rushed to the top of the city, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

The decree had been issued, but he still felt it was not enough.

Since Ning Lingyi dared to set up a formation in the capital, it would definitely not be so simple. She has done too many things in the past few years and cannot be underestimated.

This world must not be taken away from her.

Yes, he was the emperor, and he had all the civil and military officials in the court. After some thought, he issued another decree.

"And more!" He gasped, his eyes flickering. "The title of Grand Master to Zhao Ge Lao has been extended, and Minister Li has been promoted to the first rank. General Zhang has also..."

He listed the names of several important officials in the court one after another, some of whom held real power, while others had ambiguous attitudes.

His heart was bleeding, and he was reluctant to give these fence-sitters any honor, but now he had to do it in exchange for their support, even if it was only superficial.

He is the emperor, and he must make these ministers recognize him as the emperor!

But suspicion has not diminished in the slightest, but has grown like weeds.

Why did Ning Lingyi bring only these troops? Was it a tactic to seduce Beishuo? Was Tuoba Hong's main force lying in ambush nearby, waiting for him to send out his main force so they could exploit the opportunity?

The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became, and the more he felt that no one around him could be trusted.

Were those ministers who had just received their rewards secretly mocking his cowardice? Would those generals who had been ordered to fight turn against him in the battle?

He became even more scared.

"Investigate! Investigate for me!" He growled into the darkness in the empty hall. "Anyone who has a history with Ning Lingyi and whose words and actions have been unusual recently, keep a close eye on me! If anyone shows any unusual behavior, kill them without mercy!"

The bloody purge intensified again in silent fear.

Several more officials' residences were surrounded, and countless lives were lost quietly. The entire capital city fell into a strange atmosphere: there was a powerful enemy outside the city, and everyone inside the city was in danger.

However, in the corner of the hall where no one could see, the ministers were communicating more frequently.

Even the royal family members began to have some thoughts.

*

Kunning Palace.

Compared with the turbulent waves of the previous dynasty, this place seems like a quiet island, but the air is also filled with an elusive depression.

The queen was holding the hand of Crown Prince Ning Chengze and practicing calligraphy stroke by stroke.

The child's handwriting was still childish, but he wrote with extraordinary concentration. Warm incense burned quietly in the hall, with occasional slight crackling sounds.

Suddenly, the prince raised his head and whispered, "Mother, they said Aunt Mingzhu is coming, right?"

The queen's hand paused almost imperceptibly, and the ink spread out in a small blob on the paper.

She lowered her eyes, hiding the myriad emotions in them, and only softly replied, "Yeah."

The prince was silent for a moment, his black and white eyes filled with worry and fear beyond his age. He had only seen Ning Lingyi from afar and heard of her, but was not close to her.

He lowered his voice and asked timidly, "The palace maids whispered that Aunt Mingzhu came to kill my father... Will she kill me too?"

The queen stared at her son's pale little face and saw the clear panic in his clear eyes. That was the most direct perception of fate that a royal child had in the deep palace.

It's a pity that he was born in an imperial family.

She was silent for a long time, and the hall was so quiet that only the sound of the wind outside the window could be heard.

Finally, she reached out her hand and gently stroked the prince's head, soothing her son's frightened and uneasy heart.

"No." She whispered, looking through the window lattice at the invisible smoke outside the palace wall, as if telling herself and the child in her arms.

"Auntie...is here to reason."