The capital posthouse.
The entire place was guarded by imperial guards, and anyone outside the hall was asked to leave. Apart from the emperor and Wei Shuyi, only the innkeeper remained.
"Gentlemen, do you want to go inside and rest?" He sat trembling at the door, not daring to leave. "It's cold and dewy, this..."
"Go and do your thing!"
One of them drew his sword and gave the order, and he was so frightened that he shrank back behind the table and continued to lie down and take a light nap.
In the upstairs guest room, Wei Shuyi opened the window and gazed out at the suburbs. Apart from the moonlight, only the faint flickering of fireflies could be seen in the fields and the thatched cottages.
"I've been watching for half a day, and you still can't get enough?" Xie Yanci finished changing his clothes and gently put his arm around her waist from behind. "When my father was alive, he also went to worship the Gaomei Immortal. The ceremony was magnificent and I was deeply impressed."
"Why doesn't the emperor go?"
"I am still young and in no hurry to have a child. My children are all my flesh and blood, so what if they are princesses? If she is a woman of both literary and military skill, I might even make an exception and appoint a crown princess as regent!"
She had no idea that he had such a "deviant" idea!
In the Zhou Dynasty, men were respected, from the emperor to the common people. Even the most exceptional women were not allowed to serve as officials. At most, they could only hold a minor position in the palace, with no right to participate in state affairs.
It is not easy for Xie Yanci to change!
"I am shallow and foolish. I wanted to follow the local customs and pay my respects to the ancestral tablets. I am sorry to have caused Your Majesty trouble."
"I won't force you. If Yao'er is looking forward to the prince, I will go with you."
While they were together, she unexpectedly discovered another side of the emperor, which surprised and delighted her.
However, when thinking about tomorrow's fate, his beating heart calmed down.
Ancient texts state: "On the day the black bird arrives, a grand sacrifice is offered at the suburban sacrifice. The emperor attends in person, accompanied by the empress and nine concubines. The emperor's chariot is then treated with respect, adorned with a bow and shackle, and given bows and arrows, before the suburban sacrifice."
During the reign of Emperor Yunwu, there was no such grand scene.
At this moment, he was accompanying Wei Shuyi to the outskirts of Beijing, moving forward step by step with the crowd.
"Your Majesty, do you really not need me to order them to evacuate?"
"It's okay." He warned softly, "Don't ruin the atmosphere of the ceremony!"
"yes!"
Wei Shuyi finally made it to the front of the line. He looked up at the statue of a goddess with a human face and a bird's body, riding on two dragons, and immediately knelt down to burn incense with a pious attitude.
I only hope that my brothers and sisters will be in good health, and if they are lucky enough to escape slavery, they will each start a happy family, have many children, and live a happy life.
She was not really praying for a child, she just wanted to find a statue and pray for her relatives who were still alive.
"alright?"
"Yes, your wish has been fulfilled. I can now return to the palace with the Emperor."
He looked out at the scenery on the ridges of the fields, and was actually intrigued. "It's still daylight, no rush. Come, I've been so busy with state affairs that I haven't performed the plowing ceremony myself this year. I want to go and take a look."
Wei Shuyi naturally would not refuse. Walking along the flat dirt road, he came to the paddy fields cultivated by farmers.
She had been here before: the Duke's family had very strict education, and did not require their children to make friends with the powerful. Instead, they were always taught to be close to the people's sufferings and to be prepared for danger in times of peace.
Her father once held her tender hands and taught her how to plant rice in the fields, how to use a hoe to clear weeds, and even carried her on the back of a buffalo, with the painter recording this moment.
How could someone so close to the people, using his high position to work for their well-being, collaborate with the enemy and commit treason?!
"Yao'er, you look very bad, are you feeling unwell?"
"I do feel a little uncomfortable. Maybe I've been walking for so long. My legs are a little swollen and it's not very convenient."
Xie Yanci immediately ordered a carriage to be brought over and helped her into the sedan chair. "It was my negligence that allowed a pregnant woman to follow on foot!"
He was confessing to his unborn child, his tone regretful.
She felt inexplicably guilty and bent down to rub her ankles a few times. "I'm fine. I'll just rest here for a while. Next year, I will definitely accompany the emperor to the plowing ceremony again to make up for the regret."
"good."
Xie Yanci let her lean against the stacked cushions, then lifted her legs and placed them on his knees, massaging her.
The force was moderate and relieved the numbness.
She wanted to refuse, but she knew she couldn't overcome his stubborn temper, so she had to close her eyes and enjoy it.
Until—"Your Majesty, be careful!"
The carriage shook violently, and several sharp arrows were shot into it! The roof was also forcibly smashed with a heavy hammer, and debris flew everywhere, and the murder weapon fell straight down!
At the critical moment, Xie Yanci flew over, hugged her body, and jumped out of the carriage through the gap, his right hand still tightly protecting her abdomen!
"Your Majesty?! Who are these people?!"
Wei Shuyi huddled in his arms, and from high above he could clearly see the men in black attacking him from nearby.
They had the same goal and were unwilling to fight with the imperial guards. Instead, they looked up at where the two men were hiding. After a whistle, many sharp arrows flew over!
"Kill that bastard! Don't let the dog emperor have any offspring!" "Don't let her live!" "Those who destroy my homeland will die!"
They spoke with a broken accent, approaching from all sides. Beneath their nightgowns, they held hearts filled with hatred! Every move was executed with full force!
Xie Yanci helped her resist with one hand, but it was always difficult.
While he was powerless, an assassin threw a double-headed iron hammer with countless cold spikes on it. Whoever was hit by it would be seriously injured!
"Your Majesty, be careful!"
Wei Shuyi hurriedly blocked the attack for him, and his left shoulder was pierced by the sharp blade twice in a row, and blood gushed out!
The guards were already fighting with the assassin. He looked at the blood-red clothes and couldn't help trembling: "Yao'er! Wait a moment! I will take you back to the palace! You must not be in any danger..."
She endured the pain and forced a smile: "As long as the emperor is fine, I am fine. I am not in pain."
Several carriages came galloping at the same time. It was the patrol team from the capital city that had arrived!
The leader, upon seeing this, fell to the ground in fear and pleaded, "Your Majesty, please forgive me! I am too late to save you! Your Majesty..."
"Get out of here!"
He had no intention of staying here, so he carried her in his arms and rushed into the carriage.
The coachman did not dare to slow down, but whipped the horse faster, hoping to reach the palace gate as soon as possible!
Dust flew up and the people dispersed.
The sudden appearance of the assassin cast a sad red hue on this Shangsi Festival trip.
Xie Yanci regretted it immensely, pressing down on her still bleeding shoulder more than once: "I should have listened to him, evacuated the people, and checked the surroundings... I shouldn't have been so overconfident and trusted the security of the suburbs!"
"It has nothing to do with them. They did their best." Wei Shuyi pleaded for the guards. "The assassin was deliberately disguising himself, so it's not entirely... their fault."
"Don't talk, just listen to me, don't waste your energy, I won't punish them!"
Xie Yanci's heartbeat was stronger than ever. She leaned against the familiar chest, staring at the black and gold before her in a trance.
Someone had dug several holes under the dirt road and covered them with weeds. As the carriage passed by, someone deliberately ignited the gunpowder!
All destroyed, no one escaped!
The sudden impact separated the two.
Wei Shuyi felt his body rise slightly into the air before falling to the ground again! He rolled around and around down the slope, finally hitting a huge rock and losing consciousness.
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