"Your Highness, please help me!"
But when Yi Shangyun finally made it back to the palace before dawn, after a long and desperate journey, she finally asked Xuan Yuanhao for help, only to be rejected.
"Aunt, I'm so sorry!"
Yi Shangyun was completely stunned and asked in confusion, "Why? If His Highness the Crown Prince is unwilling to help me, why did he tell me about this?"
Xuan Yuanhao looked troubled and asked her in return, "On one side is my most respected royal uncle, and on the other is my father. I have done everything I could, and I have also done what I couldn't. If it were you, my royal aunt, what would you choose?"
Yi Shangyun suddenly realized that Xuan Yuanhao's actions, though seemingly cold-hearted, were actually quite justifiable.
After all, blood is thicker than water...
But at this point, it seemed there was no other way. Helpless, she still wanted to try one more time.
"So, Your Highness, you knew this was the Emperor's conspiracy, but to save face for the royal family, you just couldn't distinguish right from wrong? That's your only royal uncle, the backbone of the Western Qin Kingdom!"
Xuanyuan Hao knew perfectly well what was going on, but he was clearly unable to respond to her. He simply picked up a book from the table and began to flip through it.
Upon seeing this, Yi Shangyun gave a cold laugh: "So, Your Majesty the Empress shares the same thoughts as His Highness the Crown Prince?!"
Xuanyuan Hao remained silent, his gaze fixed intently on the scroll in his hands.
Yi Shangyun finally turned away silently, feeling helpless, and left in disappointment.
At this moment, Xuanyuan Hao put down the book in his hand, and said to Yi Shangyun's departing figure, "I'm sorry..."
"How did things turn out like this?"
"I thought that by staying here, I could protect them all, but how could this be..."
"what do I do?"
"what do I do?"
Leaving Donghua Palace, Yi Shangyun walked alone along the palace corridor, muttering to herself restlessly.
Looking up, I realized that the sky was unusually gloomy today, just like my heart.
"No, even if it costs me my life, I must protect them."
Having made up her mind, she immediately quickened her pace, wanting to find Emperor Jing and make a final desperate struggle.
But as they walked to a secluded corner, a familiar voice suddenly reached their ears: "Miss, please wait!"
Yi Shangyun stopped in his tracks, turned around, and saw that the person speaking was Zhang Zhiyuan.
"It's him!" He was startled.
He then quickly stepped back two paces, stood by the roadside, bowed his head, and curtsied to the judge: "Your Excellency, Judge!"
Zhang Zhiyuan looked around to make sure no one else was there before stepping forward and respectfully bowing to Yi Shangyun: "Your Highness, this humble subject greets Your Highness. It's been a long time. How have you been?"
Upon hearing this, Yi Shangyun looked up in astonishment: "You... how did you recognize me?"
Then, a thought crossed his mind, and he guessed, "Could it be that you already recognized me yesterday in Donghua Palace?"
Zhang Zhiyuan shook his head and said slowly, "No, no. That young lady's illness was already terminal, and she didn't have much time left. But suddenly, overnight, her condition improved significantly. I think that in this world, besides Your Majesty's medical skills, there is no one else who can do it."
Recalling the past, Zhang Zhiyuan continued, "Moreover, when I first met Your Majesty in the palace, you also covered your face with a veil. Has Your Majesty forgotten that we have known each other for many years!"
Now that things had come to this, Yi Shangyun realized that any further pretense in front of him would be futile, so she fell silent and stopped speaking.
At this moment, Zhang Zhiyuan suddenly stepped forward and approached her cautiously, saying in her ear, "It's not convenient to talk here. Your Majesty, please come with me for a moment, and I'd like to speak with you privately."
Although she had some doubts, Yi Shangyun still moved forward and followed.
Upon entering the Imperial Medical Academy, Zhang Zhiyuan led him to a rather secluded courtyard.
Yi Shangyun looked around, puzzled, and asked, "Where is this place? Why did the judge bring me here?"
Zhang Zhiyuan raised his hands, clapped twice, and said, "Your Majesty, please look!"
In an instant, Yi Shangyun was stunned by the woman's face that came into view: "She... how come she looks exactly like me?"
Zhang Zhiyuan raised his head slightly, looking quite satisfied.
Stroking his beard, he introduced her: "Her name is Xiao Lian. That day, I was walking back to my residence, pondering some matters. Suddenly, I saw a woman by the roadside, a woman who had fallen on hard times and was selling herself to bury her father. She looked quite similar to Your Majesty, so I hatched a plan. If Your Majesty wishes to completely break free from the Emperor's control..."
Yi Shangyun immediately understood: "You mean..."
But as soon as the thought arose, she immediately became worried.
"But if the Emperor discovers that Xiao Lian and I have switched places, she might be in mortal danger?"
At this moment, the woman spoke, her voice filled with unwavering determination: "Your Highness, I am not afraid! His Highness the Prince of Qin is deeply loved by the people. When my hometown suffered a famine, if it weren't for His Highness's efforts to stand up to the court and insist on opening the granaries to provide relief, my entire hometown would have starved to death long ago. For His Highness's safe return and for the people of Western Qin to be spared the suffering of war, I would die without regret."
Unexpectedly, Zhang Zhiyuan also had such a resolute and unyielding moment.
"Your Majesty, Western Qin is currently beset by internal and external troubles. The Empress Dowager and Eunuch Shou are in cahoots, bringing a person of unknown identity back to the palace. What are they plotting? The Emperor has clearly intended to harm His Highness the Prince of Qin, whose fate is now unknown. With the 200,000-strong army of Dongning Kingdom about to press on, Western Qin cannot do without His Highness the Prince of Qin. There is no time to lose. Your special status means that only Your Majesty can save this land of Western Qin."
After much deliberation, Yi Shangyun said, "Zhang Zhiyuan is right. The most urgent task now is to find His Highness. It is indeed not the time to settle scores with Emperor Jing. At this time, the court must not be in chaos. Rather than confronting Emperor Jing head-on, which might result in mutual destruction, it would be better to make a quick escape and leave the palace. Perhaps this will be my only chance."
So she sincerely thanked the two of them: "Thank you for everything you have done for the people!"
Zhang Zhiyuan then glanced at Xiaolian, who immediately took out the bundle that had been prepared in advance for Yi Shangyun from inside the house.
Zhang Zhiyuan said, "In this bundle are a few changes of clothes prepared by my wife for Your Majesty, as well as some silver for travel expenses. Your Majesty, please take good care of yourself on your journey."
Seeing such thoughtful arrangements, Yi Shangyun was both surprised and moved: "Zhang Zhiyuan, I really didn't expect you to be this kind of person."
Zhang Zhiyuan said, "With the nation in peril, although I cannot charge into battle to fight and defend our borders, I know that every citizen has a responsibility for the rise and fall of the nation, and that the destruction of the country means the destruction of the family."
Encouraged by this, Yi Shangyun confidently declared, "Rest assured, Your Highness will be alright, and I will absolutely not allow this bloody war to break out between our two countries."
At this moment, Zhang Zhiyuan took a small black wooden box out of his sleeve pocket and handed it to Yi Shangyun.
Yi Shangyun asked in confusion, "What is this?"
Zhang Zhiyuan said mysteriously, "Your Majesty, why don't you open it and take a look?"
Yi Shangyun took it, opened the lid of the wooden box, and was instantly stunned: "This...this is the mysterious tiger tally of the Northern Lie Kingdom, how could this be..."
"Before His Highness died, he instructed me to take good care of the peony plant for His Highness. One day, while I was loosening the soil around the plant, I accidentally discovered that he had hidden the tiger tally in the soil!"
Zhang Zhiyuan belatedly said, "Now that I think about it, perhaps the Second Prince had long anticipated this day, and this was his final act of assistance to you, Miss!"
At this point, Yi Shangyun was filled with complex emotions. He tightly gripped the tiger tally in front of his chest with both hands and uttered, "Second Prince!"
Even so, Zhang Zhiyuan was still worried: "Beilie Kingdom is a small place. I imagine the troops that this tiger tally can mobilize are far from enough to resist an army of 200,000, but it's still better than being unprepared. The rest, I'm afraid, can only rely on Your Highness the Queen. If Your Highness agrees, you are the only heir favored by the late King of Dongning, and no one in the Dongning court would dare to disobey you..."
Zhang Zhiyuan hesitated before speaking further.
Yi Shangyun thought for a moment and said, "I know what I'm doing, and I'm really grateful for everything you've done for me."
After bidding farewell to Zhang Zhiyuan and Xiaolian, Yi Shangyun once again shouldered her pack and embarked on her journey back to Dongning.
No sooner had Yi Shangyun left the palace than the messengers from the Prince of Qin's residence arrived with news of the death.
Emperor Jing was pondering with the chief eunuch in the palace: "She has been in the palace for some time now. Tell me, how can I obtain the power of the guardian?"
The chief eunuch thought for a moment and said, "I have heard that in order to obtain the power of the guardian, one must first make the guardian submit to the emperor so that the guardian can be of one mind with the emperor. At that time, whatever the emperor thinks or desires, the guardian will do everything in his power to achieve it for you."
Emperor Jing then asked, "How can I make him submit to me?"
The chief eunuch hesitated for a moment: "Well, perhaps letting her spend time with the Emperor day and night would increase their understanding of each other..."
Emperor Jing seemed to be deep in thought, and silently said, "Spending time together day and night will increase our understanding of each other..."
Just then, a guard came in and reported: "Your Majesty, someone from the Prince of Qin's residence has come to report that Consort Chun... has passed away!"
Emperor Jing was shocked: "What? When did this happen?"
The guard reported, "It was last night; they said the concubine was the first to discover it in the mansion!"
Emperor Jing was startled at first, then seemed to suddenly realize something.
Finally, he waved his hand and only gave one instruction: "With the Prince of Qin gone, and the Dowager Consort having been deeply favored by the Emperor, her funeral must be held with dignity!"
"yes!"
After the guards left, the chief eunuch secretly rejoiced, saying, "This Consort Chun survived a great calamity many years ago, but in the end she still lost to the Empress Dowager. This time she's finally completely dead."
Upon hearing this news, Emperor Jing was initially shocked, but then he had a vague premonition and said, "This matter is probably suspicious. Send people to investigate it thoroughly. We must not be careless like we were that year!"
"Yes!" The chief eunuch accepted the order and left.
Emperor Jing muttered to himself, "Mother, it seems you are even more anxious than I am..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com