Chapter 496 The True Prince

Zhao Duan received a positive response from the empress and left with a lantern in his hand, feeling satisfied.

After sending the "future emperor" away, Xu Zhenguan did not return to the bedroom, but went back to the fourth floor of the old building again.

She also planned to visualize once more to confirm whether there would be any new changes in her current self after entering the "human world".

The night was quiet. The empress in white placed the fiery red lantern on the floor, sat cross-legged on the cushion, and entered into meditation.

A uniform airflow was exhaled from the delicate nose.

In a trance, Xu Zhenguan also had a familiar feeling of weightlessness, as if falling from a high altitude into another world.

At the same time, in the big city where Zhao Duan lived in his previous life, at the same time in the early morning.

In a bustling metropolis, on a bench in a certain public park, a young woman in her twenties suddenly appeared curled up and fast asleep.

Xu Zhenguan opened her eyes and slowly sat up. Her messy long hair covered half of her face, revealing her appearance exactly the same as in the "outside world".

However, her clothes had changed. She wore a women's shirt on her upper body, trousers on her slender legs, and a pair of light-colored sandals on her feet, revealing her ten delicate toes.

"Every time I come in, it's the same time, the same place, the same identity, as if time has been frozen at this point."

Xu Zhenguan took out his cell phone from his pocket, turned it on, and looked at the Arabic numerals on it.

It was here that she first visualized herself, with nothing on her except her cell phone and a bunch of keys.

Unfortunately, she didn't know the unlocking password of her phone at all, so she couldn't open it until now. She also didn't know which house in the city the key in her hand led to.

"It doesn't seem to make any difference. Let's see if our stay here will be extended."

Xu Zhenguan was thinking, when a car passed by outside the park. The bright headlights swept over her, and she subconsciously raised her hands to cover her eyes.

As the vehicle left, her beautiful eyes flashed with deep curiosity and vigilance.

Even though she has been here many times, the city is still full of novelty to her because she only stays here for a short time each time.

As an emperor, she even wondered, if this was truly another world recorded by Emperor Taizu, how powerful would the strong people here be?

The "carriage" that can build such a magnificent building is faster than the war horses in the army.

Shaking his head, Xu Zhenguan put his cell phone in his pocket, walked out of the park, and walked skillfully in a certain direction.

Soon, she appeared outside a Taoist temple with a plaque that read "Taiqing Palace".

This was the only place she found in this strange city that made her feel familiar and at ease.

Moreover, although the rules of Taoist temples in this world are very strange, she knew through trial and error that Taiqing Palace was still open at this time.

There was a kind-hearted female Taoist priest who claimed to be a "management staff member". As long as she asked to stay homeless, she would be allowed to stay for a while.

This time is no exception.

When Xu Zhenguan knocked on the door, he expressed his request for accommodation to the female temple priest who was about forty or fifty years old and wearing a green Taoist robe in slightly unfamiliar Chinese.

The middle-aged female temple keeper, with gentle features and a kind personality, said hurriedly, "Come in first. I'll call the police for you, but they'll have to wait a while before someone arrives."

Xu Zhenguan knew that the female Taoist priest had reported to the authorities, but every time she stayed here, she would wake up before the officials arrived.

Soon, the empress was brought into a room, and a middle-aged female temple keeper chatted with her while arranging the fortune sticks on the table.

The empress had no mood for small talk and stared blankly at the "marriage tree" in the courtyard that was hung with colorful strips of cloth.

According to a female temple keeper, for some reason, in the past two years, it has become popular among young people to come to the temple to seek marriage, and this business is very popular.

"How about asking for a marriage? I won't charge you any money."

The female temple keeper looked at her and said with a smile, "I can tell fortunes, and I'm quite good at it."

Xu Zhenguan hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Thank you."

After providing her birth date and other information as requested by the female temple keeper, the other party fiddled with it for a while and handed her a jar filled with beads, each of which had a surname written on it.

Xu Zhenguan reached out and picked up a bead at random. The surname on the bead was quite rare, it was the character "Zhang".

The female temple keeper laughed and said:

"Your future Mr. Right will have this surname. According to the divination, you will definitely get married before you turn thirty. His career... is actually a government-funded one."

Xu Zhenguan was lost in thought, holding the bead with the word "Zhang" written on it. Suddenly, he shook his head and smiled, then threw the bead into the jar.

I thought to myself: He is indeed a charlatan.

The husband I chose was clearly named Zhao.

…

…

The same night.

On Linfeng Road, a ship was sailing northward under the moonlight.

Eunuch Hai, with slightly gray hair and wearing a scarlet dragon robe, stood on the deck, bathing in the moonlight and breathing gently.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard in the cabin, and Mochou came out of the cabin and walked to the side of the ship.

"Miss Mo, why aren't you sleeping?" Eunuch Hai opened his eyes and looked at her:

"You've been running around for days. You're just an ordinary person after all. If you don't get enough rest, you might get sick."

Mo Chou's face was haggard, wrapped in a female official's robe. She said nothing as she gazed at the broken moon in the river. The direction of the capital was dark.

"I can't sleep. The cabin is stuffy and I'm going out to get some fresh air. I wonder where His Majesty is now."

Eunuch Hai bowed and said, "Your Majesty is blessed with great fortune. You must have already entered Linfeng, escaped the rebels' pursuit, and will return to the capital soon."

The news of the battle in Baihua Village has not yet spread, because almost all the people who participated in that battle died, resulting in that except for a very few people, not even Eunuch Hai knew the details.

All we know is that a fight broke out, many masters died, and Your Majesty and Zhao Duan are on the run.

There was no way. He was simply being held back by Duan Shuiliu and his men, and had lost track of the Empress.

Therefore, he could no longer provide escort, so he simply changed direction and led his martial arts hall priests to join the Fengshan team including Mo Chou, the Minister of Rites, and the Governor of the Grand Canal Ning Zechen who were heading north.

"I hope so, but after so much time has passed, I'm afraid many people in the capital have become restless."

Mo Chou frowned:

"I'm only worried that we'll be back too late and something might happen in the city. I heard that Prince Heng of Qingzhou has already led his rebel army to the eastern outskirts of the capital... If the capital is lost, even if Your Majesty returns..."

Eunuch Hai said calmly:

"Although I don't understand state affairs, I know that Qingzhou's military isn't strong. Prince Heng is ambitious but incompetent. He's not a hero, but more of a fool. This was evident when he was the first to send his son, Xu Zudi, to the capital to cause trouble. We don't need to worry about him."

After a pause, the old eunuch continued:

"As for Your Majesty, with Zhao Duan's talents, he will surely be able to escort you back to the capital safely."

Zhao Duan... Mentioning this hateful "rival in love", Mo Chou couldn't help but snort, gritting her teeth:

"This guy is really lucky. He has been protecting the emperor all the way. I'm afraid His Majesty will favor him even more."

Mo Chou, who has a crush on the empress, is secretly dissatisfied and decides to continue competing fairly with Zhao Duan after returning to Beijing.

She still believes that with the empress's extraordinary talent and beauty, no man in the world can match her.

Although she was not worthy, she could stay with the empress as a maid until the end of her life.

Poor Mo Chou, in her unrequited love, had no idea that Zhao Duan had already climbed onto the dragon bed... Even less did she know that a coup had broken out in the capital, and even that it had been quelled...

Eunuch Hai glanced at her without saying a word. He raised his palm and hit the sail. A strong wind blew, the sail swelled, and the ship accelerated to rush to the capital to provide assistance.

…

…

The eastern suburbs of the capital, dozens of miles away.

In a plain area, the rebels of Qingzhou Road and the five military camps of the imperial court have been confronting each other on the Qingzhou border for many days.

If you look down from the sky, you can see large military camps at both ends of an open space on the ground.

As one of the "Beijing Camps", the Fifth Army Camp's weapons and soldiers are naturally elite, but the current situation is too complicated.

The opposing Prince Heng, as a royal relative, fought under the pretext of "serving the king". As a minister in the court, Grand Tutor Dong neither dared nor had the right to rashly order a war.

We can only station troops for defense.

The Qingzhou rebels did not take the initiative to start a war, and the two sides were temporarily deadlocked.

Moreover, due to the slow intelligence, they were still unaware that the empress had returned to the throne in the capital.

At this moment, inside the Qingzhou rebel camp and the central army tent, the lights were brightly on.

The core members of the rebel army gathered together, sat around in the tent, and discussed important military matters.

Sitting at the top was a pampered middle-aged man, about fifty years old, with a beard, and the demeanor of a powerful and wealthy man who was used to ordering people around. He was none other than Prince Heng, one of the "Eight Princes".

Sitting below Prince Heng, on his left was a young man in his thirties with red lips and white teeth. He was Zhao Duan's "old acquaintance", His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Xu Zudi.

At the beginning, Xu Zudi and the female head of the Xiao family in Donghu went to Beijing together with Mr. Zhengyang because Prince Heng and Princess Yunyang were brothers from the same mother.

Therefore, Xu Zudi stood up for the good-for-nothing Li Lang, captured two pawns from Lihua Hall, and made trouble for Zhao Duan.

As a result, he was slapped in the face by Zhao Duan, and the Privy Councilor Xue Shence stepped in to mediate, so the conflict between the two sides did not escalate.

Later, Zhao Duan even accepted Madam Xiao of Donghu's offer of allegiance at the market in Huting, and plotted against the prince.

On the right side of King Heng, sat an armored and heroic general in his thirties or forties with his back straight. His head was slightly drooped and his eyes habitually fell on the ground to conceal the expression in his eyes.

Surprisingly, it was the highest-ranking general of the imperial army stationed in Qingzhou, Commander Wei Xianzong.

This time, Prince Heng was able to quickly gather the rebels and march to Beijing thanks to the surrender of this commander.

Below the two of them were the other civil officials of the palace and military officers.

"Father, Dong Xuan in the imperial court controls the Xiuwen Academy and is holding on tight. If this continues, the Beijing army ahead will not yield. We have rushed to the capital this time. Although we have Qingzhou at our backs, the army does not carry much baggage and food. If the stalemate continues, it will be disastrous!"

Xu Zudi spoke first, handing over several pieces of intelligence sent from the capital:

"As for the news we sent people to spread in the city that the empress was dead and the city was about to fall, it has been quite effective. Now the people in the city are in panic, and the people in the court are in turmoil. In my opinion, it is better to take action first."

Inside the tent, another general also agreed:

"Your Highness, what His Royal Highness said is absolutely true. Our Qingzhou troops have now surpassed the other vassal kings and are at the gates of the city. This is destiny. However, if we continue to stalemate, we are afraid that other vassal kings will attack before the court collapses, and we will miss the opportunity."

Another counselor from the palace hesitated and said:

"What the Crown Prince said is certainly true, but the prince's cautious approach also makes sense. We don't have many soldiers and horses in Qingzhou. If we go to war with the five military camps ahead, we will inevitably suffer losses. After we capture the five military camps, we still have the Shenji Camp stationed outside the capital, and the Twelve Guards inside the city..."

The reason why the Qingzhou rebels delayed the war was that they were afraid of the troops left behind in the capital.

Worried about losing too many people.

Therefore, he has been playing the card of "supporting the king", trying every possible means to cause unrest within the court, hoping to take control of the capital without resorting to violence.

At this moment, everyone in the tent was giving their own advice and discussing the matter.

"Quiet down!"

Finally, a large hand without calluses slammed down on the table, and everyone fell silent.

The pampered and ambitious but incompetent Prince Heng glanced at his "ministers" and raised his nose, looking at the commander of the Qingzhou Army, Wei Xianzong:

"What does Xianzong think?"

Wei Xianzong clasped his hands, stood up and saluted respectfully:

"I will only follow the orders of the prince. Whether to fight or wait is up to the prince to decide."

A flatterer... Xu Zudi glanced at him while holding his folding fan. He had no good impression of this commander who was always a little gloomy.

Prince Heng was very satisfied with Wei Xianzong's performance. He nodded slightly and said arrogantly:

"Everyone's words make sense. Since those treacherous ministers within the city have seized the power of our royal family and refused to open the gates to welcome me, it would be inappropriate to continue delaying this.

However...if we rashly launch an all-out war, the only casualties will ultimately be those of the Xu royal family...Now that the imperial court is in turmoil, the imperial camp outside the city and the imperial guards inside must also be in a state of panic. How could a subject dare to fight this king?"

After a pause, King Heng made the final decision:

"So, let's just fight a battle first, send out the evil beasts, and suppress the arrogance of the Fifth Army Camp. Let these soldiers who think they are from the Beijing Camp see for themselves how powerful our Qingzhou troops are!

Ha... outsiders all think that I, Qingzhou, don't have many soldiers and horses and am not good at fighting. This is simply ridiculous. If I had no one to rely on, how could I dare to be the first to go to the capital to support the king?"

He had a sneer on his face and was not afraid of the well-equipped Beijing army.

It seemed that as long as he gave the order, defeating the Beijing camp would be as easy as eating and drinking.

Everyone in the tent looked as if it was natural.

Xu Zudi smiled proudly:

"Father is right. Do those fools really think our Qingzhou troops can't break into the city? Oh, it's not that we can't, we just don't want to suffer losses.

As my father said, it would be most appropriate not to engage in an all-out fight to the death. Instead, we should fight a battle first, defeat the five military camps, and then force them to surrender.

As long as we win a great victory and tell those corrupt scholars in the city that we, the Qingzhou soldiers, can break into the city if we want, then they will be really afraid!

By then, we can just send some people to spread the word in the city, and there's no need to worry about the court not opening the gates to welcome my father into the city!"

The others also echoed.

King Heng laughed and ordered the war to begin tomorrow.

The generals dispersed and prepared to mobilize their troops for battle.

After everyone had left, King Heng also stood up, left the central military tent, and returned to his luxurious military tent where he slept.

At this moment, two beautiful concubines were waiting in the military tent, their beds made up.

"Your Majesty!"

Prince Heng stepped into the tent, humbly said "yes", and suddenly asked:

"How's Xiao Dong'er?"

A concubine lowered her head and said, "According to the prince's order, she is being kept in solitary confinement. Does your prince want to bring her here?"

"Forget it," King Heng waved his hand, showing little interest.

"If I weren't worried about the Xiao family's behind-the-scenes trouble, I wouldn't bother bringing a widow with me. It's unlucky. You should go out too. The war is imminent, and I need to conserve my energy."

"yes."

After the two beautiful concubines left, Prince Heng walked to a box in the corner and opened it. Inside the box was a strange and mysterious half-body armor.

Its entire body is fiery red, with a black human face pattern on the front.

"The throne is mine." King Heng held up the mysterious armor, his mouth curled up in a disdainful manner. "With this in my hand, I can kill anyone, even the gods and immortals!"

(End of this chapter)