Chapter 5: Rebellion at the Birthday Banquet
A few days later, a banquet was held in the palace to celebrate the emperor's birthday.
Old Madam Lu hated meat and fish, and since Lu Qian hadn't been home all day, he didn't go to the palace with her for the banquet. Just after the twilight hour, the palace gates were bustling with cars and luxury vehicles.
The carriage from the Duke's Mansion stopped, and Song Lingyi lifted the curtain and stepped out. She saw a tall, elegant figure standing not far away. Although there were quite a few people gathered around him, she could tell where he was at a glance.
Pei Zhao tilted his head to look at him, his eyebrows slightly curved, he looked so gentle and elegant, so graceful that the others gathered in front of the palace gate looked at him sideways.
Pei Zhao walked slowly over and bowed solemnly to the Duke and his wife before turning to Song Lingyi. The girl wore her hair in a double bun, her crimson satin skirt fluttering in the breeze. Her eyes were bright and her teeth were as white as jade.
"Lingyi." After a brief pause, he greeted, "Sister Ayu."
Lu Yu's hand around Song Lingyi's arm suddenly tightened, and her eyes revealed a hint of excitement and shyness.
"Brother Jianzhi." Song Lingyi smiled slightly and returned the greeting.
The eyes of the elders from the Lu and Pei families shifted between Pei Zhao and Song Lingyi. After looking at each other, they all showed understanding.
The banquet was held in Linde Hall.
The Lu and Pei families were arranged to sit together, with Song Lingyi sitting next to Pei Zhao.
The music in the main hall was melodious, and the colorful skirts of the dancers in the music troupe were fluttering.
Emperor Xuanyuan, who had been absent from court for many days due to illness, finally showed up, but unlike the usual palace banquets, the atmosphere tonight was obviously less lively.
The ministers in the room all had their own thoughts and expressions.
Until, with a loud bang, the Second Prince, seated on the dais, slammed his cup, and a sea of silver-armored guards instantly surrounded the Golden Palace, shattering the fragile and strange harmony of the banquet. Only then did Song Lingyi fully grasp the situation: this was no birthday banquet, but a Hongmen Feast.
A eunuch wanted to support the crumbling emperor, but Xiao Du cut his throat with a sword, and blood spurted out.
The Duke's Mansion was close to the platform, and the eunuch fell in front of Song Lingyi, staring at the platform with his eyes, and it took a long time before he died.
"ah--"
A scream shattered the deathly silence of the hall. The ministers and their wives trembled and retreated, but all around them were impenetrable red walls and tightly shut windows, leaving them with no way to retreat.
Lu Yu snuggled into Wang's arms, her face pale, obviously frightened by this sudden palace coup.
The ministers roared in anger. No one had expected the Second Prince to rebel during the Emperor's birthday banquet. They were trapped in the palace, unable to summon reinforcements.
The whole hall was filled with the flashing of swords and sabers. Song Lingyi looked up at the high platform. Xiao Du stood in front of him with a long sword, laughing excitedly and wildly, as if he was enjoying the pleasure of looking down at the panic-stricken people.
The hall was in chaos, Song Lingyi was squeezed here and there, and in the blink of an eye, her uncle and aunt were gone.
Just when she felt cold in her heart and was at a loss, a warm big hand suddenly grasped her slender wrist.
Song Lingyi tilted her head to look. Pei Zhao frowned, but his expression remained calm. "Follow me."
Those black eyes, as clear as glass, reflected the young man's handsome face, just like a gentle breeze that dispelled the dark clouds weighing on his heart, bringing him an inexplicable peace of mind.
Pei Zhao held her firmly behind him, shielding her from the noisy crowd. Song Lingyi's nose was filled with the trembling fragrance of his body.
At that time, a young civil official spat at Xiao Du and cursed him as a traitor, but Xiao Du did not get angry but laughed instead. He ordered the Silver Armored Guards to drag all those who refused to surrender outside the Golden Palace and shoot them.
There were wailings everywhere inside and outside.
Song Lingyi had never seen such a scene before. She hid behind Pei Zhao, not daring to look at him. One hand tightly grasped the corner of his clothes, fearing that this man would imitate those civil officials in showing loyalty and lose his life.
Pei Zhao gently patted her clenched hands and whispered soothingly, "Tonight's targets are all ministers who support His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. The Second Prince will not touch the Duke's Mansion or the Pei family for the time being."
Song Lingyi had just arrived and didn't understand the twists and turns of the Kyoto court, but seeing his serious expression, she felt that he was telling the truth.
"Brother Jianzhi, aren't you afraid?"
Amidst the chaos surrounding them, Pei Zhao spoke in a deep voice, "Your Majesty is in poor health, and the situation in the capital is tense. It's impossible that His Royal Highness hasn't received any news. I just heard from Prime Minister Zhang that there's a wanted poster of His Royal Highness in a town near Kyoto. I guess after repelling the pirates from Danyang County, His Royal Highness has been planning a trip to the capital."
“…”
Song Lingyi was stunned by what she heard, but she understood the general meaning. There is no room for two tigers in one mountain. No matter who comes to power, the other will not end well. The Second Prince chose to force the emperor to abdicate, probably because he wanted to take a gamble before the Crown Prince returned to the capital.
"Does this mean that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will come to the rescue?"
But Xiao Du sent people to surround the hall and killed several ministers. If the prince could show up, he would have appeared long ago.
Pei Zhao took a breath and shrugged: "Maybe."
In fact, he was not sure, and he said this more to appease Song Lingyi's emotions.
If the Second Prince were to obtain the imperial edict and the imperial seal, the empire would be in chaos. However, if he were the Crown Prince, the best approach would be to wait and see, at least to convict Xiao Du of treason and ensure that Emperor Xuanyuan could no longer shield him from his evil deeds.
The night wind blew into the hall. Xiao Du lost his patience. With a long sword in one hand, he pulled Emperor Xuanyuan down from the platform with the other, shouting at the top of his lungs to force him to give up his throne.
At the critical moment, a feather arrow struck Xiao Du's sword-holding hand like lightning.
when……
The long sword fell to the ground.
Xiao Du stared in disbelief at the direction where the arrow came from, his right hand numb and trembling slightly from the shock.
There were several muffled sounds in the square, and the silver-armored guards fell down spitting blood. The Kyoto garrison, like a dark cloud approaching, was ready to fight.
In front of the team, an arrow with a cold and sharp light was aimed at Xiao Du like an eagle's eye catching its prey.
The crowd in the hall was filled with excitement, shouting "The Crown Prince has arrived" as if they had been granted amnesty. Song Lingyi had little interest in the Crown Prince's efforts to save the emperor, but instead admired Pei Zhao's insight immensely.
The atmosphere was as tense and oppressive as a fully drawn bowstring.
The ministers and female relatives were silent as they watched Emperor Xuanyuan being carried in by Xiao Du and then thrown to the ground casually, with his clothes disheveled and looking extremely embarrassed.
"Where's the jade seal?!"
Song Lingyi looked at Xiao Du's ferocious look from afar, and could not connect him with the decent image he had at the poetry meeting.
She had only been in Kyoto for a short time, but she often heard others say that the current emperor doted on the second prince, even letting him overshadow the crown prince.
Now, for power, they were killing each other, fighting each other with swords. She couldn't help but feel pity for the Emperor Xuanyuan, who fell to the ground, dilapidated and in his twilight years.
It's not that we pity him because he brought it upon himself, but we pity him because he stood at the top of the world, enjoying supreme power, but in his twilight years, he was pushed into the abyss by his most trusted partner and his son.
Most of the Silver Armored Guards were outside the palace, confronting His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Inside, the palace was filled with powerless civil officials and their wives. Song Lingyi's dark eyes shifted slightly, looking at the teapots and wine glasses scattered on the ground.
After waiting for a while, Emperor Xuanyuan still didn't speak, and Xiao Du's patience was exhausted.
"Since Father is unwilling to speak, then go and die."
He raised his sword high, his face dark and distorted to the extreme.
Song Lingyi picked up the teapot on the ground and, using the most standard shot put posture, aimed at the back of Xiao Du's head and threw it fiercely -
Snap——
It hit Xiao Du's back of the head accurately.
“Yes!”
Full marks!
The sound of porcelain breaking reminded the ministers who had remained silent that the Second Prince was doomed. If they did not speak out, they would probably be treated as traitors later.
Amidst shouts of "Protect the Emperor", ministers led by Lu Tanwei rushed forward one after another, holding wooden stools and long sticks, and surrounded Xiao Du.
Pei Zhao tilted his head to glance at Song Lingyi, who was immersed in the joy of "her sword still sharp", and shook his head and laughed.
Several female members of the royal family carried the unconscious Emperor Xuanyuan to the side. One of them boldly sniffed the Emperor's breath and collapsed to the ground in fear, "Oh my God, your Majesty has been frightened to death by this traitor! He's not breathing!"
"What?!"
"What should I do?"
The women were either terrified or sobbing in panic.
Song Lingyi looked at Emperor Xuanyuan lying quietly on the ground, and suddenly her mind emerged with the golden rescue time her teacher talked about during her school days. She moved slightly, but someone grabbed her wrist.
"Lingyi."
Song Lingyi raised her eyes and saw Pei Zhao silently shaking his head at her with an extremely serious expression.
The wailing and crying filled the hall, and also tugged at Song Lingyi's nerves. "I know a way to save him. It should be able to save him."
"You're not a doctor. If you're not absolutely sure, you should be cautious and protect yourself."
“…” Song Lingyi was in a daze for a moment.
That's right. The emperor is not an ordinary person. If he cannot be saved, she might be implicated.
While hesitating, he heard Pei Zhao say softly, "If there's a way, go ahead. I'll take care of anything that happens."
Their eyes met.
Pei Zhao's unconditional trust and support made Song Lingyi's nose sore. She pinched her palms and forced a smile.
Pei Zhao watched her walk into the crowd, his crow-feather eyelashes drooping.
Saving the Emperor's life would be a great achievement. With the Song family in dire straits, Lingyi had been seen wandering among the noble ladies of Kyoto, often receiving cold stares. If she could accomplish this feat, no one in Kyoto would dare to neglect her. Even if he couldn't save her, it didn't matter; he had his own way to protect her.
There was a chaotic noise inside and outside the hall. Song Lingyi took a few steps forward and began to give first aid to Emperor Xuanyuan using the chest compression method taught by her teacher when she was a student.
A female member of the family was terrified and hurriedly grabbed her.
"What are you doing, little girl? If you hurt the dragon, do you know what a sin it would be?!"
"This is the method my father taught me. He was a captain and often used it to save people in the barracks."
The woman hesitated and refused to let go. Song Lingyi was at her wit's end, sweat dripping from her face. "Whether he's injured or not doesn't matter. If we delay any longer, His Majesty will be truly beyond help."
The female relative was stunned, and Song Lingyi broke free from her shackles, silently counting the rhythm in her heart, and continued to press on Emperor Xuanyuan's sternum.
Everyone's heart was pounding as they watched, but no one dared to stop her.
After an unknown amount of time, a cry of surprise came from inside the hall: "Wake up, wake up!"
Emperor Xuanyuan seemed to choke and suddenly coughed, "cough cough cough..." His face gradually turned red.
"God bless you, your majesty is awake!"
"Thank God, thank God!"
At this moment, the female family members all breathed a sigh of relief.
Amid the commotion, a feather arrow pierced through the gap in the carved wooden door and went straight into Xiao Du's chest. The rebels outside the hall were also killed.
The surroundings suddenly became quiet.
Xiao Mingyi walked slowly into the golden palace, his handsome face stained with blood, looking sinister and evil.
After a long while, the ministers and their wives came to their senses and knelt down to greet him loudly:
"Greetings to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
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