Chapter 24 Palace Coup "..."
They rode swiftly, and by the time they reached the river crossing it was nearly dusk. The sun was setting in the west, and several ferry boats were moored on the shore. Travelers paid their tickets and boarded the boats without difficulty, leaving the capital.
Ruan Yang dismounted and boarded the last ship of the day. This passenger ship was quite impressive, with a large hull and a cabin that could accommodate more than a dozen people. Some of the daily necessities could be found on this ship.
Ruan Yang booked a second-class room, intending to make do for the night. She lit a candle in the room, and the cabin, which had been somewhat cramped and stuffy, was instantly as bright as day.
From the moment she saw the group of people approaching from afar, Ruan Yang had long anticipated that they were coming for her. However, the situation was sudden, so she had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure. While the villagers were in agitation, she hid the tiger tally in the soil under the lush weeds.
Fortunately, fate allowed her to escape a disaster temporarily, giving her the opportunity to return and retrieve her belongings.
Ruan Yang pushed open the latticed window, and what she saw was a huge full moon hanging in the sky. The dark clouds were sometimes blown away and sometimes gathered by the evening breeze, and the dark water below was gently rippling.
It gave her the illusion that she was on a long voyage at sea.
Ruan Yang twisted her neck and suddenly felt a tearing pain. She looked in the bronze mirror and saw a faint red mark on each side.
He pinched a little too hard.
If it weren't for the sleeping incense she had prepared in advance while in Phoenix Palace, she would probably be a cold corpse now.
Just as she was about to lie down for a short rest, a dark shadow flashed past in the mirror. Ruan Yang gripped the hairpin on the table and quickly turned around. At that moment, the door suddenly opened.
"Young lady, I see your light is still on, so you must not have gone to bed yet. Would you like some dinner?"
Ruan Yang saw that the figure was indeed a petite woman. She turned her gaze, got up and opened the door. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed several water stains in the corridor, but the woman's shoes and socks were dry.
She smiled and said, "No need. I think it's very lively outside. Could you take me to the deck for some fresh air?"
“Then come with me, young lady.”
Ruan Yang was led by the woman to the deck, which was brightly lit and filled with the sounds of sheng and xiao (traditional Chinese wind instruments). There were even magicians performing on the stage. Flames "whooshed" out of a man's mouth and then went out safely, drawing applause and cheers from the onlookers.
Ruan Yang stood in the crowd, her heart pounding. There were so many people around; the person following her probably wouldn't risk kidnapping her in public.
But this was just a delaying tactic. She couldn't rest easy until she safely handed over that hot potato.
As darkness fell completely, the play ended, and people dispersed in twos and threes, gradually quieting down on the deck once again.
Ruan Yang walked through the crowd and casually stepped down the wooden stairs, but she keenly sensed that the person who had been following her all along was getting closer and closer. The room that was just tidy was now a mess, with stools overturned on the ground and her package torn to shreds by a dagger.
Ning Xian's men must all be highly skilled in martial arts, far beyond what a woman like her could handle. But the ship won't dock until tomorrow morning at the earliest. How is she supposed to deal with that person for so long?
Ruan Yang gripped the extremely sharp hairpin in her hand tightly. Since she was destined to be a lamb to the slaughter, she might as well fight desperately; perhaps there was still a glimmer of hope.
She quickened her pace and entered the cabin, then quickly hid behind a pile of wooden crates. It was dark and deserted, with only the sound of water splashing against the hull and the thumping of her heartbeat.
With a creak, the man stepped onto the stairs and followed cautiously.
Seeing this, Ruan Yang was somewhat puzzled. If the other party wanted to kill her, he could send her to meet the King of Hell without lifting a finger. But the man's steps were slow and deliberate, as if he was in no hurry to kill her.
As she was pondering this, the man's shadow was quickly cast on her embroidered shoes, and Ruan Yang's hand holding the hairpin began to tremble.
She told herself that if she rushed out now and plunged the hairpin into his vital spot, it would be over.
Although Ruan Yang lacked confidence, in the blink of an eye, she had only one choice. She turned around, raised her right arm, and stabbed at the heart of the dark figure.
The shadow nimbly dodged, accurately grabbing her wrist in the darkness and pinning her against the wall.
Ruan Yang winced in pain, her hand went limp, and the hairpin predictably fell onto the carpet. Just as she was about to cry for help, she looked up in the moonlight and her eyes widened in surprise. She exclaimed softly, "...Wen Jin?"
Lu Wenjin glanced at the gradually dispersing crowd outside, shushed him, and shook his head: "Come with me."
Before Ruan Yang could figure out why he was there, her hand was enveloped by a warm, dry palm. The other person's fingers instantly gripped her tightly, carrying her through the perilous night.
The evening breeze on the river was icy cold, and her hair flew wildly in the air. Although Ruan Yang felt cold, her heart was warm.
They quickly ran to the bow of the boat. Ruan Yang knew that Lu Wenjin and Ning Xian were sworn enemies, and that he had always been loyal to the Ruan family. She thought he wouldn't harm her. She gasped for breath and asked, "What are you doing here? Weren't you in Shu?"
Lu Wenjin said, "This is a long story. I was worried that something might go wrong at Fengqi Palace, so I wanted to take the initiative to find the person who handed over the Tiger Tally. I never expected to run into you."
Ruan Yang said, "Then what should we do now? There are probably quite a few of the Crown Prince's spies on this ship."
As soon as he finished speaking, hurried footsteps came from behind him.
Lu Wenjin turned to Ruan Yang and asked, "Do you have the item on you?"
"Yes, I've always kept it close to my body."
Lu Wenjin looked at another small boat not far away, then grabbed Ruan Yang's hand and said, "Are you willing to trust me this once and jump down with me?"
Ruan Yang was startled. He grabbed the gunwale to steady his swaying body. Below him was bottomless black water, and the fear of the unknown made him want to back down.
She hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
......
Ruan Yang wasn't actually a very good swimmer, but in this critical moment, she had no choice but to try anything, jumping into the icy river with Lu Wenjin so that at least she wouldn't be a burden to him.
She kept her eyes tightly closed, trying her best to relax her body. Even though Lu Wenjin was holding her waist and swimming away from her, her strength gradually began to run out.
Fortunately, the boats that were coming to meet them were also approaching, and Nguyen Yang immediately grabbed the reins that had been thrown down and used all his strength to climb up.
Ruan Yang choked on several mouthfuls of water, and when she reached out to touch him, she couldn't find Lu Wenjin, who had been taking care of her.
She anxiously leaned over the gunwale, ignoring Lu Wenjin who was already climbing, grabbed the boy by the back of his collar, and pulled him up.
"Young General, Miss Ruan."
When Ruan Yang saw that the visitor was Ah Chou, he finally felt relieved and lay down on the deck with his legs spread wide.
They are safe.
Back in the cabin, the servants quickly boiled water, and after Ruan Yang washed herself, she changed into A Chou's clean clothes.
Under the candlelight, beside the incense burner, Ah Chou brought a blanket to wrap Ruan Yang's trembling body, but then noticed obvious bruises on Ruan Yang's body.
Ruan Yang escaped from Ning Xian again? Ah Chou's fingers dug tighter and tighter.
Seeing Lu Wenjin standing nearby, she said, "Miss, is your health more important? Would you like me to get some ointment to apply?"
Ruan Yang was taken aback. Looking at herself in the bronze mirror, she unconsciously pulled her collar up. She shook her head and said, "No need. You should go and rest first. I have something to say to General Lu."
Lu Wenjin straightened her newly changed clothes, looked up and smiled: "What's wrong?"
With every step Ruan Yang takes, the pain Ning Xian inflicts on her intensifies.
She said guiltily, "You saw it yourself, on my body..."
"sorry."
The girl's words pierced his heart like needles. Lu Wenjin looked away, and everything told him that she had been with Ning Xian the whole time.
Lu Wenjin was about to speak when her eyes welled up with tears. She then forced a smile and said, "Are you going to back out again and not want to marry me anymore?"
Seeing that Ruan Yang remained silent, he guessed that the young girl was too embarrassed to refuse him.
Lu Wenjin forced a smile: "You like him very much."
"I...."
She really couldn't remember anything about her past with Lu Wenjin.
He was afraid of hearing Ruan Yang's affirmative answer, so he immediately interrupted her and said in a huff, "It's okay, I'll just pretend that my Yangyang has gone to a very far place, and who you like has nothing to do with me."
Ruan Yang looked up, about to explain, but he had already put on his outer robe, pushed open the door, and left.
Ruan Yang wanted to chase after him, but she stopped as soon as she stepped out the door. She hated Ning Xian more than she loved him, and as for Lu Wenjin, whose memory was blank, she only regarded him as a very good friend.
Since she had no romantic feelings for him, she couldn't keep him hanging on and delay his life.
After finishing his official duties, General Ye immediately came to visit Ruan Yang.
He said, "Thanks to Miss Ruan for safely delivering the tiger tally to me all the way. Regardless of whether it succeeds or not, I will certainly not let down the Empress's trust and will send you back safely."
Ruan Yang laughed and said, "I only did my best. If it weren't for General Lu saving me, I'm afraid I would have died on that ship."
"General Ye, would you mind telling me when you plan to take action?"
"In the next few days, when the time is right, we will mobilize our troops, storm the capital, and take the rebels' heads."
Ruan Yang asked, "What will happen to the Ji family, who are allied with the Crown Prince...?"
She was clearly asking a question she already knew the answer to.
"Confiscate their property, exile? But the specifics depend on His Majesty's decision."
"It's getting late. Miss Ruan must be tired from your journey, so I won't disturb you any longer."
...
After hearing the fortune teller's divination, the Duke of Dingguo could not sleep at night. Finally, on a certain day in the third year of Yongning, the Ji family led their troops into the capital.
When Ning Xian learned of this news, she tried to step forward to stop them, but it was too late.
Without sufficient troops, the central government was quickly overrun by the iron cavalry trained by the maternal relatives. After three days and three nights of brutal fighting, the once prosperous palace was instantly turned into a river of blood.
At dusk, the Duke of Dingguo beheaded a palace servant, kicked open the door of Chonghua Palace, and began to approach the emperor's usual sleeping quarters.
The blood splattered on his sleeves made his sword-wielding hand slippery. He gritted his teeth, tore off the bright yellow gauze curtain, and saw the emperor still lying half-dead on the dragon bed. He breathed a sigh of relief.
He scoffed, raised his sword, and severed the head from the dragon bed. Blood splattered everywhere. The man calmly picked up the head that had rolled into a corner and chuckled maniacally, "Your Ning family's empire will now belong to me..."
No sooner had the words been spoken than several screams echoed from the corridor outside Chonghua Palace, followed by deafening heavy footsteps that seemed to pound on one's heart.
The arriving soldiers were already poised to draw their bows. Ye Xiu said, "You are already a prisoner. Why don't you surrender now?"
Hearing the commotion outside, the Duke of Dingguo's expression changed drastically. He laughed stubbornly, "General Ye, what are you doing? That old man in the capital is dead, and you're still working for him? I think you should come under my command and we can share the Ning family's empire."
"Who is cursing me?"
As the palace coup unfolded, the guards in front of the Phoenix Palace were eliminated one by one, and the emperor was able to safely emerge from the secret chamber.
He stood behind the soldiers with his hands behind his back: "Duke Dingguo, I am in good health and have no serious illness. How could I have suddenly passed away? Look at you, you are getting senile and have mistaken a fake for me."
Duke Dingguo suddenly realized that the fortune teller was actually sent by the cunning emperor to provoke him!
He looked at the head in his hand and laughed, "Your Majesty has devised a brilliant plan to lure the tiger away from the mountain."
The emperor coldly said, "Name your accomplices, and I may spare the Ji family out of consideration for the late empress."
If he could point out the Crown Prince's crime on the spot, he could rightfully depose Ning Xian and avoid being accused of murdering his son without cause.
The Duke of Dingguo was pinned to the ground, but a glimmer of hope remained in his heart: his youngest son, Ji Zhonglin, was still far away in the Hu region training troops.
He said, "It has nothing to do with anyone else; it was all my doing."
At this moment, the Duke of Dingguo suddenly saw Ning Xian, who had arrived late. He glanced at him, and after confirming that Ning Xian had also seen his eyes, Meng Ran began to struggle free until she overturned the guards who were restraining her.
In a flash, he grabbed the sword from the ground and pounced on the emperor like a madman.
Ning Xian's eyes darkened, and he immediately snatched the bow and arrow from his attendant and drew the bowstring.
"Whoosh, whoosh—"
After several muffled thuds as sharp weapons pierced through muscle, the man finally collapsed to the ground.
Ning Xian glanced at the man who lay dead with his eyes wide open, then knelt before the emperor: "Your Majesty, I am late in coming to your aid. I beg your forgiveness."
The emperor ignored him and turned to the eunuch who was delivering the decree, saying: "Pass down the order that the Ji family has plotted to usurp the throne and deserves to be executed. However, out of consideration for the late empress, I will only give the male members of the Ji family a cup of poisoned wine, while the women will be exiled to Xijing to be slaves for eternity, never to rise again."
"As for the Crown Prince..."
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Author's note: Xiao Lu was really hurt today...
Sigh, Yangyang, what's so great about a jerk like that? Hurry up and recover your memories, wake up! Stop clinging to that stubborn bastard, or you'll only get more heartbroken later. [Pity]
And hey everyone, my lovely readers, the male lead can speak his mind freely, but the female lead is just a pitiful victim experiencing her first love. She's a little slow on the uptake after the fall, but she'll definitely grow stronger over time, so please don't blame her! [crying emoji]
For those who enjoy cross-dressing, check out my author page! My next book will be about a cross-dressing master and a seemingly innocent palace maid; the title is "The Green Tea Princess is Actually a Cross-Dressing Master"! [Sprinkling flowers]
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