Chapter 318: Unified Northern Expedition
Everyone in Fengqi Palace was dressed in white. At this moment, Empress Yuan Chun's face was even paler than her clothes. She almost subconsciously hugged the little prince Zhou Jin tightly, while Princess Zhou Yu hid behind her mother trembling.
"The Emperor has ordered that the Empress be seriously ill due to worry, and that Crown Prince Zhou Jin be brought up in Huaici Palace for upbringing—"
Huaici Palace was the palace where Zhou Chong's biological mother lived.
Sending the prince to his grandmother for upbringing sounds reasonable, but Yuan Chun knows that this is just Zhou Mian's roundabout strategy!
If he wants to be the regent, he must first control Zhou Jin, who is still the crown prince!
But once he enters Huaici Palace, how many days can Zhou Jin live?
The stepmother didn't like Your Majesty in the first place, and now sending Zhou Jin, who is only five years old, is like walking into a tiger's mouth!
Empress Yuan Chun was shocked and stood before Zhou Jin, like a hen protecting her chicks. "How dare you! I'm not sick! I'm perfectly fine! His Majesty has just passed away, and the Crown Prince is still young and needs his mother's care. If the Empress Dowager wishes to see my son, there's no need to rush at this moment!"
"Mother, I won't leave!" Zhou Jin, who was only five years old, had no idea what was going on. He only saw his mother's frightened tears and trembling body, and seemed to understand what his mother meant when she said, "Your father is gone."
His small body stood in front of his mother and sister, clenching his fists like a man, his chin slightly raised, looking quite serious. "General Yu, I am the crown prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Don't be so rude! Take your people out quickly! You are scaring my mother and sister!"
General Yu curled his lips into a mocking sneer, but still bowed slightly. "Yes, Your Highness, but these are all orders from the Retired Emperor. The Empress is seriously ill and unable to care for the Crown Prince, so she has ordered you to go to Huaici Palace to fulfill your filial duties. Please don't resist, and don't make things difficult for us servants."
"What are you doing?! Let me go! You are not allowed to bully my mother and sister!" Zhou Jin was picked up by General Yu, and his small body was immediately lifted into the air. He struggled with his limbs, but he could not break free from the shackles of this huge creature.
"Jin'er!" Empress Yuan Chun screamed in pain, but was held down by several palace maids brought by General Yu. All the palace maids in Fengqi Palace hid in the corner trembling, and no one dared to step forward.
Anyone can see that the one in power now is the emperor emeritus.
Even someone as noble as the Queen has only an empty title.
"The Queen is seriously ill and has started talking nonsense. Please, maids, take good care of her!"
Several palace maids were old and strong, and they were also elderly people who came from Huaici Palace. They immediately responded.
"The servants will take good care of the queen!"
However, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Zhou Jin had already been carried out on General Yu's shoulders.
Zhou Jin struggled so hard that she grabbed General Yu's hair. General Yu felt pain and secretly pinched Zhou Jin hard. Zhou Jin immediately burst into tears.
General Yu threatened mercilessly: "Your Highness, you better be obedient, otherwise if you get bumped or bruised, no one will care for you!"
The door to the deep palace slowly closed, leaving only Zhou Jin's crying and shouting.
Empress Yuan Chun sat on the cold ground, clutching her chest, weeping bitterly. After Zhou Jin and the others had finally left, several palace maids finally released her. Eight-year-old Princess Zhou Yu immediately threw herself into Empress Yuan Chun's arms, crying, "Mother, my younger brother has been taken away by the bad guys—let's go save him!"
One of the old palace maids with drooping eyes shrilly said, "Your Highness, it's only natural that the Empress Dowager wants to see her grandson. General Yu is working for the Empress Dowager. Are you saying that she's a bad person?"
Empress Yuan Chun immediately pulled Zhou Yu over. Her face was pale and tears streamed down her face. She hugged Zhou Yu and said to the palace maid, "Madam, why do you have to bully us orphans and widows? The Crown Prince has been taken away by you. Do you really have to force me to death before you are satisfied?!"
"Oh, I remember now. The Empress Dowager is concerned about your health and is afraid that you will be too sad because of missing the late emperor. She has ordered us to take good care of the Empress and the Princess." The old palace maid smiled proudly. "Come, take the Empress back to her room and let her recuperate."
Zhou Yu watched helplessly as several old palace maids took action and dragged Empress Yuan Chun into the room. Zhou Yu's eyes turned red with tears, and she kept instructing the palace servants in Fengqi Palace: "What are you standing there for? Go help my mother--"
But everyone kept their heads down, unmoved.
"You bunch of damn slaves, why don't you listen to what this princess says?!" Zhou Yu, who was nearly eight years old, didn't understand why the palace servants who used to be servile and submissive suddenly became no longer friendly and even pretended not to hear her orders.
Even now, they had clearly heard and seen everything, but they still had to watch helplessly as the palace maids treated her mother like that.
Zhou Yu stood there helplessly, letting her tears flow down. Then she seemed to remember something and hurriedly followed.
She wants to be with her mother!
"Your Highness, don't go--" Finally, a palace maid who couldn't bear it any longer pulled Zhou Yu lightly, but was quickly shaken off by Zhou Yu.
Soon, the room was locked, and only Empress Yuan Chun and Zhou Yu were inside.
Zhou Yu kept wiping Empress Yuan Chun's tears, and the mother and daughter cried together.
Zhou Yu's eyes were full of tears. "Mother, what on earth does the Emperor's grandfather want to do? Why does he want to take my brother away from us? Is my brother going to be the emperor? When my brother becomes the emperor, everyone will have to listen to him. Soon we will be able to get out. Mother, don't cry——"
Empress Yuan Chun looked at her innocent daughter with a broken heart, "Yu'er, do you remember the gold-inlaid dressing box that your aunt gave you?"
Zhou Yu nodded blankly.
"Later, it was taken away by your eldest cousin." Empress Yuan Chun smiled helplessly, "This throne is like your dressing box. Even if it is yours, you still can't keep it. In the end, you still have to give it to someone else."
"Mother, you mean someone wants to take your brother's throne?" Zhou Yu suddenly understood, "But your brother is the crown prince, the rightful emperor—"
Empress Yuan Chun sneered, "Nothing in this world is legitimate. It all depends on who has the cruelest heart. Your royal grandfather—"
Looking at Zhou Yu's frightened eyes, Empress Yuan Chun didn't say anything after all.
Soon, a palace maid knocked on the door gently, claiming to be delivering dinner.
It was the face of a stranger I had never seen before.
Empress Yuan Chun knew that her Fengqi Palace had probably been cleaned out by someone from Huaici Palace under the pretext of her being seriously ill, and that those serving her now were probably all from Huaici Palace.
Empress Yuan Chun did not expect that all this would happen so quickly.
Since Zhou Chong's death, she had almost no time to feel pain. The situation was out of control and everything was pushed forward. Before she knew it, she had reached a dead end.
Empress Yuan Chun had no appetite at all, but Zhou Yu was still young and in the period of growth, and it was unknown how many full meals the mother and daughter could have. Empress Yuan Chun struggled to stand up and took the wooden box from the palace maid.
The moment their hands touched, Empress Yuan Chun felt something extra in her palm.
Her expression changed slightly.
The person opposite also looked nervous.
It was obvious that he was a novice and had many flaws.
Empress Yuan Chun quickly took the note and said coldly, "What are you standing there for? Even if I lose power, it's not your turn to be a slave and watch me make a fool of myself!"
The palace maid blushed and quickly apologized and left.
—————————————————
Empress Yuan Chun never expected that Concubine Jing would be so bold.
She actually brought a few palace maids and broke directly into her bedroom.
She walked in so arrogantly, as if no one was around, leaving her standing there in a daze.
Her Royal Highness the Princess has been carried out.
Now only Empress Yuanchun, Concubine Jing and her maid are left.
Empress Yuan Chun stared at Concubine Jing warily, then angrily said, "Concubine Jing, the late emperor treated you well, and you actually turned to the Empress Dowager?"
It was no wonder that Empress Yuan Chun was angry. Her Fengqi Palace was now heavily guarded, and not even a fly could fly out. Zhou Mian's men were everywhere inside and outside, so it was difficult to even get in or out, let alone pass on messages.
However, Concubine Jing was able to come and go freely, so Empress Yuan Chun naturally thought that Concubine Jing must have taken refuge with the Empress Dowager early on!
Jingpin coughed softly, "It was I who asked the Queen Mother for permission to come and persuade you to value peace and stop opposing the Emperor. Only then did the Queen Mother grant me permission to meet with you."
Empress Yuan Chun became increasingly puzzled.
Unexpectedly, the maidservant beside Jingpin suddenly said, "Queen, it's me who wants to see you."
Empress Yuan Chun was startled, and seemed to have just noticed that there was someone behind Concubine Jing.
Feng'er took a step forward, revealing her beautiful face under the light. She was not tall, and her facial features were ordinary, but her eyes were sharp and she had a fierce feeling of fighting on the battlefield.
Feng Er honestly introduced herself, "Queen, I am from Jinzhou Prefecture."
The three words "Jinzhou Prefecture" made Empress Yuan Chun's face change drastically. She looked at Concubine Jing in shock, and Concubine Jing's eyes avoided slightly.
Empress Yuan Chun's chest heaved as she glared at Concubine Jing: "I thought you voted for the Queen Mother, but I didn't expect you to vote for Jinzhou Prefecture!"
Feng Er, however, stopped Jingpin and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, time is precious. There is no need to waste it on criticizing our fellow members."
"What do you want to do?" Empress Yuan Chun came to her senses. "You are very brave. The palace has been turned upside down, and no one expected you to hide in the palace. No wonder, with your insider in the palace, it is not difficult for you to disappear into the world."
"Empress, as I said, time is precious, don't waste it. And in this situation, you need us more than we need you. So, why not seek cooperation?"
Empress Yuan Chun did not expect that the people of Jinzhou Prefecture were so strong and overbearing, and they could see her predicament at a glance.
Seeing that Empress Yuan Chun seemed to have calmed down, Feng Er continued, "I heard that the Emperor Retired snatched the Crown Prince away today? The Empress should also understand that no one can sit on the throne for long. Whether it's the current Crown Prince or Zhou Mian—"
Empress Yuan Chun glared at him, "What right do you have to say that?"
"Empress, my lord Xu Zhenying is about to conquer the east. Our people will soon reach Bianjing City. By then, Bianjing will become an isolated island—"
"But we still have General Zhao Yi. He has always been loyal to the emperor and patriotic. He will never sit idly by and watch us, orphans and widows, being bullied like this—"
Feng'er smiled, as if mocking Empress Yuan Chun's naiveté. "First, Zhao Yi's 200,000-man army is nothing compared to our Jinzhou Prefecture. If it weren't for the Tartars to the north, and our lord's compassionate heart, not wanting them to take advantage of the situation, she would have reached Bianjing long ago. Second, how much is loyalty worth? How can you be sure that General Zhao Yi doesn't intend to establish himself as king? Third, and most crucially, do you think Zhou Mian will give you some breathing space?"
Empress Yuan Chun turned pale.
"I heard that the Crown Prince has been snatched away by Zhou Mian today. Children are weak, so it's possible that something unexpected might happen to them. Isn't that right, Queen?"
Empress Yuan Chun was immediately furious: "He dares?!"
"Why wouldn't you dare? You killed your son, let alone your grandson? If Zhou Jin hadn't died, how could Zhou Mian have naturally taken that position?" Feng'er wore a cruel yet calm smile. Her expression didn't show a trace of humility, but rather a sense of high spirits. "Empress, wake up and don't harbor unnecessary fantasies. I've told you, no one in the Zhou family can hold that position. What you've fought so hard for is nothing more than the title of a king who lost his country—"
Empress Yuan Chun's breath was choked, and she seemed to remember Zhou Zhong's desperate and sad face from long ago.
He had said this before!
I just don't know what kind of mood His Majesty was in when he said these words.
Could it be that... the Great Zhou Dynasty really cannot be preserved?
"Or does the Empress think that you, a lonely woman from an unknown family in the inner palace, with no military power, can defeat Zhou Mian?"
Empress Yuan Chun shook her head in despair.
Yes, what can she use to fight?
She had no military power and no prominent maternal family, and her only hope was General Zhao Yi, who was far away in the north.
But distant water cannot quench immediate thirst.
Even when Zhou Zhong was alive, they couldn't defeat him. Not to mention them, an orphan and a widow—
This battle for the throne is doomed to fail.
Wang Qiu Shuang, who was listening on the side, also looked pale.
The words of this member of the Xu Society were like a sword piercing the heart, making people feel a chill down their spine.
Are these the girls from Jinzhou Prefecture?
Each of them is as fierce as a wolf or a tiger, even more terrifying than an army of 100,000.
Feng Er smiled and said, "Empress, since you can't keep the throne, why don't you try to keep your own children?"
Empress Yuan Chun stood up, steadied her shaky body, pursed her lower lips, and looked at the person who spoke.
When talking about her two children, Empress Yuan Chun seemed to calm down completely.
"Tell me, what do you want me to do?" She smiled bitterly again, "You want my life?"
Feng'er saw that Empress Yuan Chun's face was full of hostility. She talked about cooperation, but her tense body clearly revealed her distrust. So she sighed, "It seems that the Empress does not trust our Prince Zhao?"
Empress Yuan Chun sneered, "Who among those who can sit on the supreme throne is a kind-hearted person? Right now, it's simply because my son's status as the crown prince still has some value. In the final analysis, it's all just exploitation. Why do you have to pretend to be so hypocritical——"
"The premise of this cooperation is mutual trust. The Queen is very wary of us and definitely cannot trust us."
Feng'er actually sat down, as if this noble Fengqi Palace was her own bedroom, at ease and relaxed. Compared to Empress Yuan Chun's nervousness, Feng'er actually had the casualness of someone in control of the situation. "Your Majesty, there's really no need to be so wary of us. Your Highness has never done anything like crossing a river and then destroying a bridge. In the final analysis, the Empress is simply afraid that we're the same kind of people as Zhou Mian. She'll talk about cooperation one moment, then wipe out your entire being the next, right?"
Empress Yuan Chun's face turned slightly pale. She didn't expect the people of Jinzhou Prefecture to be so direct.
Feng Er smiled, "I can assure you that our Highness is not that kind of person. When he was in Jinzhou Prefecture, many people wanted to assassinate him, but he never gave them any trouble. He often said that enemies can never be killed, and the only way to eliminate them is to turn them into your friends."
Empress Yuan Chun was stunned.
Even Concubine Jing next to her was calm and collected, as if she was unwilling to let go of anything.
"The Empress has lived in the inner palace for a long time, and news is lagging behind. She may not be very clear about the general situation of the world, and even less likely to hear about our Highness. Even if she hears a few words, I am afraid they are all bad things about our Highness. I believe the late Emperor must have cursed our Highness behind his back a lot."
Empress Yuan Chun spoke mournfully, "On the contrary, His Majesty believed your Highness to be a gifted individual. He even looked forward to meeting your Highness in person."
Feng'er raised her eyebrows. She really didn't expect Zhou Zhong to be so broad-minded.
Empress Yuan Chun curled her lips into a smile, her tone somewhat mocking: "Why, you don't believe it? Although the late emperor was not very smart, he was a good-tempered person."
When Zhou Zhong was mentioned, even Jingpin, who had no marital relationship with him, had tears in her eyes.
Yes, although the late emperor did not favor these concubines very much, he was a very generous person.
The palace maids, both big and small, were rarely punished when they committed crimes.
He always said that these servants left home at a young age and came from poor families, so their lives in the world were already very difficult.
Feng Er sighed, "He's a good man, but unfortunately he's not fit to be an emperor. If you were born in an ordinary family, you two would have lived together in harmony until old age."
Empress Yuan Chun felt as if her heart was being cut by a knife at this moment.
In the final analysis, it was this throne that ruined her husband!
No, it was Zhou Mian who harmed my husband!
If he had not forced his husband to sit on the throne, he would not have ended up like this.
"Our Highness once said that Zhou Zhong was a very pitiful emperor. Whether he became emperor or not was never his decision, and he was a man without control over his own life."
Empress Yuan Chun immediately burst into tears!
Even a female rebel who was thousands of miles away knew that her husband had been wronged!
"Perhaps no matter how much I say in good words about Your Highness today, the Queen won't believe it. But let's take a step back. If the Queen truly feels that no matter what choice you make, the ending will be death, at least don't let it fall into Zhou Mian's hands. If it falls into our hands, I can guarantee that you will die quickly."
Feng Er narrowed her eyes and smiled, "But why don't you take a gamble? Our princess is a very good person. As long as you have met her, you will know that she is definitely not someone who would kill to silence someone."
Empress Yuan Chun looked bewildered. "We are the last bloodline of the Zhou family. If she doesn't kill us, she will never be able to truly end this chaotic world."
"Empress, you are too narrow-minded." Feng'er's voice was crisp. Although it was a rebuke, her tone was smiling, which made people feel very sincere. "You overestimate yourself. Don't worry, everyone yearns for a free and fair world. No one would miss the corrupt and decadent Zhou Dynasty, and no one would think of rebelling against the Jin Dynasty and restoring the Zhou Dynasty. You might as well take a gamble and see if our Highness will cut the grass and root it out——"
Empress Yuan Chun looked at Feng'er who was so determined, her heart was in turmoil.
Having lived in the palace for six years, and being the mother of a country and protected by Zhou Zhong, she was not an ignorant woman.
At this moment, she had no choice.
There is only one road to Jinzhou Prefecture.
She raised her eyes, her gaze sharp, "Tell me, how do we cooperate?"
————————————————
In the west, Liu Dazhuang soon received an urgent military report from Jinzhou Prefecture.
He opened it and took a quick look, then a suppressed smile appeared on the corner of his lips.
Seeing the young generals around him looking at him curiously, he calmly put away the military report and then said to Zhu Kui, "Zhu Kui, from now on, you will take over as deputy general of the western battlefield. Cooperate with General Lu to wipe out the remaining remnants of King Zhoushan's forces."
Zhu Kui was shocked and became more and more curious about the content of the military newspaper.
Liu Dazhuang looked at Xu Huijia again, his eyes flashing, "General Xu, His Highness has ordered you and me to withdraw half of our troops and rush to Xingyuan Prefecture immediately."
"Xingyuan Prefecture?" Xu Huijia's eyes jumped, and then as if she had thought of something, her eyes shone brightly, "Are we going to the Northern Expedition? So soon?!"
The young players around immediately cheered!
Only Zhu Kui immediately realized that Xu Zhenying was in a hurry to go north, and that the war in the east must have subsided.
Zhou Heng, I’m afraid his head and body have been separated.
Zhu Kui had mixed feelings, but he had been in Jinzhou Prefecture for several years and had long regarded himself as a soldier of Jinzhou Prefecture.
The sadness in my heart only lasted for a moment, but what I felt more was the shock brought by the Northern Expedition.
Once they launch the Northern Expedition, their process of unifying the world will be accelerated.
In other words, soon this war-torn land will find peace.
Liu Dazhuang gestured to silence the others. "The war is urgent, Huijia, we'll call up the troops and leave this afternoon. We'll arrive at Xingyuan Prefecture as soon as possible so we can make preparations."
Xu Huijia immediately asked, "This time we are concentrating our forces to march north. Does Your Highness want to lead the expedition in person as well?"
"It's not mentioned in the military report, but even our people in the west have been mobilized. It's clear that this Northern Expedition will be full-scale. I suspect His Highness will also be there to take charge."
"Good. Fighting alongside His Highness gives me even more confidence. His Highness has never lost a battle."
Zhu Kui said, "General Liu, General Xu, if we take away half of the troops, there will only be about 40,000 men left in the west. The King of Zhoushan still has at least 100,000 men—"
Xu Huijia laughed, "Why, General Zhu, are you afraid of losing? Didn't you learn about those battles in military class where the outnumbered defeated the larger force?"
Zhu Kui, after his training in Jinzhou Prefecture, was now much more composed than before. He knew that General Xu, a relative of the emperor, was testing him, so he smiled and said, "It's not that I'm afraid of fighting, but my strategy needs a slight adjustment. We are outnumbered now, and the Shu region is tortuous. We are unfamiliar with the place, so it would be difficult to defeat the enemy with a small force. So, I think we should adjust our strategy now, switching from offense to defense, and at the same time, widely publicize the news of our Northern Expedition. Information in Shu is sparse, and truth and falsehood are mixed, making it difficult for the common people to distinguish. If they knew we were trapped, their fighting spirit would probably be less fierce."
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