No one was surprised to hear the imperial edict.

With the empress gone, the harem still needs someone to manage it.

At this critical juncture, compared to the fierce competition among those with princes, everyone preferred that the "hopeless" Consort Xi be in charge of the harem.

After leaving the main hall, Consort Xi said to Consort Xian and the others, "His Majesty's health has improved, so all of you sisters can rest assured and take good care of the prince. There must be no mishaps."

Back at Xingning Palace, Consort Xi lay on the couch, and Liuli massaged her shoulders, whispering, "The Crown Prince is finished this time, and the Empress is finished too. Your Highness, should we..."

Consort Xi interrupted her, saying, "Liuli, go to Qingpu Garden."

She asked Liuli to fetch Xie Zhaozhao to the palace.

The Crown Prince is attacking the city. Once the city falls, it could be very dangerous for her to stay in Qingpu Garden. So let her enter the palace and be with her.

Even if the city gates of the capital were breached, and even if Wei Jingzhong had been plotting for decades, it would still be extremely difficult to breach the palace's main gates.

Liuli accepted the order, but was stopped when she left the palace.

The imperial guards said, "His Majesty has decreed that no one may enter or leave the palace without permission."

Liuli said she was ordered by Consort Xi to pick up Madam Gu, but the Imperial Guards shook their heads, saying that no one could be treated specially.

Helpless, Liuli had no choice but to return to Xingning Palace.

At the end of Shenshi (5 PM), the city's imperial guards, their faces and heads covered in blood, rushed in to report.

Report: The south gate has been breached and is no match for the enemy.

The imperial army sent to rescue them was intercepted on the way by Wei Jingzhong's army and could not arrive for a while.

When the south gate fell, all the imperial guards defending the city were killed.

They died from being attacked from both inside and outside.

All the rebels, as if injected with adrenaline, charged towards the palace, howling as they trampled over the blood of the imperial guards.

The Imperial Street outside the palace was lined with the Imperial Guards of the Three Departments, which was the last line of defense leading to the palace.

Blood flowed like a river on the Imperial Street.

In Qingpu Garden, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, one can clearly see the Imperial Guards fighting a bloody battle, and the Imperial Street stained red with blood.

The flowerbeds and trees along the street, along with the sunlight, were all blood-red.

Upon hearing the report from the soldiers of the watchtower, Xie Zhaozhao and Madam Xie looked grave.

Even with such a tragic situation, they did not send anyone from the manor to provide assistance.

She wasn't disloyal to the emperor, but she had to protect herself first.

With only a couple hundred soldiers, this force was barely enough to fill a gap in the mouth of the rebels.

She had to protect Qingpu Garden, all the women in her maternal family, her brother's unborn child, and her child with Gu Shaoyu.

As darkness fell, the fighting among the rebels outside the palace was deafening, as they advanced step by step toward the palace.

The crown prince led his men and finally stormed the Meridian Gate of the palace.

"Attack the city!"

The bloodthirsty crown prince shouted, "Father, please open the palace gates and abdicate in favor of your son. Your son will surely protect you as the Retired Emperor and allow you to live out your days in peace."

Nobody paid him any attention.

The rebels began their attack on the Meridian Gate.

The sound of the hammering against the palace gates was louder than the city's great bells.

It was earth-shattering; everyone was terrified.

At the hour of Xu (8 PM), suddenly the sounds of battle shook the heavens outside the capital. Amidst billowing dust, a cavalry force of ten thousand men charged toward the capital.

This cavalry unit was extremely well-equipped.

If Emperor Hui were present, he would recognize the leading group.

Gu Shaoyu, Xie Yu, Yin Jin'an, Li Yunmu, and a bearded man whom Emperor Hui did not recognize.

"Serve the Emperor! Serve the Emperor! Open the gate immediately!"

Outside the city gate, the army halted, and Gu Shaoyu shouted loudly towards the city tower.

The city gates are now guarded by the prince's rebel army; why would they open the gates for him?

On the city wall, members of the Wei faction shouted, "Grand Secretary Gu, surrender! His Highness has stormed the palace, and His Majesty has decided to abdicate in favor of the Crown Prince!"

When Gu Shaoyu heard that the Crown Prince had already stormed the palace, he and Xie Yu and the others retreated, preparing for a strong attack on the city.

Yin Jin'an spurred his horse and shouted outside the city gate, "You bastards on the city wall, I am your Second Master Yin. I never suffer injustice. Count down three, and if you don't open the city gate, I won't be polite."

The men on the city gate laughed loudly and cursed, "You scoundrel dare to call yourself 'master' to us? Believe me, if you say another word, we'll cut off your head and use it as a chamber pot!"

Yin Jin'an said to Ren Jialin, "**, you're good at martial arts, give them a good thud!"

He said to Xie Yu, "Brother Xie, tell your men to step back."

Xie Yu waved the flag to the people behind him.

The 20,000 men and Gu Shaoyu all retreated.

Yin Jin'an also stepped back.

Ren Jialin picked up a clay pot bomb, lit it, and threw it directly at the front gate, throwing three in a row.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

The gate is broken!

"Kill!"

"Boom!"

Ren Jialin led a dozen or so martial arts experts up the city wall, targeting the guards who were armed with bows and crossbows, while the others cleared a path with clay pots and thunderbolts.

The South Gate has been breached!

Led by Gu Shaoyu, Xie Yu, Yin Jin'an, Li Yunmu, and Ren Jialin, the 20,000-strong army thundered into the city like lightning, their tall horses charging into the city.

The tall coachman spurred the horses onward toward the palace.

"Giddy up!"

Since it was already night, Gu Shaoyu was afraid of causing friendly fire, so he shouted "Serve the Emperor!" as he rode, to prevent the bloodthirsty Imperial Guards from shooting at them because it was too dark to see who was friend or foe.

Outside the palace, they encountered the Crown Prince's army. Gu Shaoyu ordered Nanxing and others to hold torches and shout towards the palace.

"I am Gu Shaoyu from the Inner Cabinet. I am late in coming to the rescue. Please, Imperial Guards, make way for us!"

"I am Yin Jin'an, Commander of the Palace Guard. I am late in coming to the rescue. Please make way immediately."

"I am Li Yunmu of the Duke of Ying's Mansion..."

"I am Xie Yu, a secretary in the Ministry of Revenue's Department of Finance..."

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