Chapter 188 The world is changing

The group followed Jiang Yingli down the stone stairs. The secret room was underground and it was a bit chilly all around. The concubines hugged each other tightly.

Song Wanyan walked alone at the front of the concubines who were huddled together, still fearless.

"It turns out that His Majesty turned this place into a garden last year in order to secretly build this secret room. No wonder such a good palace was demolished just like His Majesty said." Lady Fang said so.

After hearing this, Jiang Yingli smiled but did not respond.

Building a garden wasn't exactly a pretext for digging a secret room; she simply couldn't grow any more flowers. The two things complemented each other, with no primary or secondary.

After going down the stone steps, there were candlesticks in the secret room. Qiuxia and Lianqiao lit them one by one. The surrounding environment finally became bright, and the gloomy atmosphere finally subsided.

Jiang Yingli held up the candlestick and shone it around before returning to the crowd. She warned, "This place is hidden, and no one knows about it except His Majesty's close associates. If a mutiny really happens, just stay here, don't make a fuss, and don't leave at will. This place will protect you."

Standing in this secret room at this moment, the concubines felt a real sense of crisis in their hearts. A mutiny is a terrible thing and many people will die.

They felt like a stone was pressing on their hearts. They responded to whatever Jiang Yingli said and no longer dared to scream like they did just now.

Seeing how dejected they all were, Jiang Yingli consoled them, "Don't be afraid. Even if His Majesty is not here, the imperial palace still has its troops deployed."

Seeing this, Ying Xiuyi hurried out to comfort everyone, "Yes, those who took advantage of Your Majesty's absence to try to steal the country are nothing more than traitors. The Empress and the Crown Prince are the legitimate rulers of the palace. Let's not give these treacherous people any more power."

"The Empress and the Empress Xiuyi are right. We are His Majesty's concubines after all. How can we show our weakness and bring shame upon His Majesty? If we can survive, we will survive. If not, then we will die!"

The beautiful lady Mei spoke passionately, making everyone excited.

Jiang Yingli smiled and motioned for everyone to be quiet. "Alright, there's no need to act like you're going to die a heroic death. The rebels are targeting the Crown Prince. This turmoil has nothing to do with you. Why risk your lives for nothing? Stay put. Don't rush out and fight like crazy. Staying alive is the most important thing."

After Jiang Yingli finished speaking, she took Song Wanyan's hand and walked towards the stone gate.

"Xianfei, I only tell you the mechanism of this stone door. Don't open it easily. Watch them carefully."

Hearing this, Song Wanyan frowned immediately: "I'm watching them? What about you? Aren't you going to stay here?"

Jiang Yingli shook her head. "Since I am the legitimate heir of this palace, I naturally have my work to do. While His Majesty is away, I must help His Majesty defend Daye."

Song Wanyan paused for a moment, then nodded slowly and solemnly.

She looked at the determined and fearless man before her, and suddenly felt trance-like. In the past three years, she had witnessed Jiang Yingli's growth and transformation, and also witnessed this mutual support and unwavering love.

Looking back over the years, the world really seems like a dream.

Upon hearing this, the concubines behind Song Wanyan hurried over and said, "How can the Queen be outside alone? Her Majesty should quickly bring the Crown Prince in. As long as we don't let the rebels find us, we will eventually get support."

"There are too many variables. Nothing will be accomplished by just waiting." Jiang Yingli said softly.

The concubines grabbed Jiang Yingli's sleeves and said, "But the prince is still so young, what will Your Majesty do alone? Then I will not stay here anymore. I want to go out with Your Majesty."

"I'm going out too!"

"I also want to follow you, Your Majesty!"

Zheng Lan'er stood outside the crowd, watching the scene quietly.

Her sick body not only made her unable to help, but also became a burden. She could not be like them.

Jiang Yingli grabbed the hand that was tugging at her sleeve and brushed it away. "Stop messing around. His Majesty chose you to enter the palace, but he couldn't give you favors or heirs. You've wasted half your life in the palace. You can't end up losing your life here."

Lady Fang cried the loudest: "But I entered the palace of my own free will. It's just that I haven't been favored by Your Majesty. With Your Majesty's care, my life is much better than before. If I hadn't been chosen, I would have been given to Xue Jiu as a concubine! It's okay that he's fat and big-eared, but he also likes to torture his concubines. I heard that many concubines have died in the backyard. I think that instead of dying in that place, it's better to enter the palace and fight for myself. Now my life is good enough."

When Mei Mei heard her revealing her scars, she quickly hugged her and both of them cried bitterly.

Jiang Yingli vaguely remembered that Concubine Fang came from a fairly good family, and her family actually sent her to be a concubine in order to please the Xue family.

"Then we must not let you fall into this trap. Better days are yet to come." Jiang Yingli waved at them, "Go back, I'm gone, everything will be fine."

Jiang Yingli took Qiuxia and Lianqiao up the stone steps step by step and disappeared at the end.

After walking out of the stone steps, Jiang Yingli pressed the mechanism, and the wall flipped over again. Even the fake spider web made of fishing line was perfectly restored. At first glance, this place was just a side hall that had become desolate due to being uninhabited for many years.

Jiang Yingli returned to Zhaohua Palace and found Lin'er sleeping soundly in his crib, completely unaware of the impending danger.

In the afternoon, news came from outside the palace that her phoenix carriage was ambushed and smashed to pieces just as it arrived at the entrance to the mountain.

It was expected that they wanted to kill her and take the prince away.

Fulin hurried back from outside the palace and reported, "Lord Wei has already obtained the military order and is already making deployments. I have asked my servant to convey to the Empress that you rest assured, from Donghua Gate to the West Corner Tower, not even a fly can get in."

Jiang Yingli nodded, feeling a little relieved, and looked towards the door again.

There was no news from General Gu.

The elite of the central imperial guards are all in the palace. The Southern Army is the imperial guard, defending the east and west sides. The remaining North Gate and the defense of the capital are the most important. The Northern Army garrison stationed in the northern suburbs of the capital must be transferred as soon as possible.

The Northern Army was large, and Jiang Yingli was wary of the possibility of it falling into the wrong hands, so she wouldn't easily reveal the command. Before his departure, His Majesty bestowed upon General Gu the rank of Right Lieutenant of the Northern Army, allowing him to mobilize a portion of the troops. However, there had been no further news from General Gu.

Jiang Yingli didn't dare to go out casually. After all, the Xue family was deeply rooted, and she couldn't predict whether the tightly guarded palace would be infiltrated by the Xue family. Neither she nor Xiao Chen'an could show up easily.

Only the prince who stays with her is the real prince.

At this moment, outside the palace, the capital was in chaos. A piece of news that came from nowhere spread from one person to another, and quickly submerged the entire capital in a haze of panic.

——"Your Majesty died in danger in the northern border. The thirty-two tribes of the Northern Di have launched a counterattack and have captured several cities in the northern border. Daye is doomed!"

"His Majesty has passed away, His Majesty has passed away! The Crown Prince is a child less than a year old, how can he shoulder such a heavy responsibility? The situation in Daye is about to change!"