Chapter 155
Because of the snow, the sky darkened earlier than usual.
When Xie Zheng brought Fan Changyu into the study, the light was already dim, and they had to turn on the light to see the furnishings inside clearly.
Xie Zheng took out a map from the bookshelf, spread it out in front of the desk and showed it to Fan Changyu: "The Li family's plot against Wei Yan failed, and they fell into Wei Yan's trap. The only way to survive now is to control the entire capital and recommend the emperor's eldest grandson to succeed the throne. The platform of the Meridian Gate is not lower than the gate of the capital. If the Li family attacks by force, it will not be able to take it down in a short time. However, the Li family has been operating in the capital for many years. It is hard to say whether there are any Li family insiders in the Jinwu Guard.
Since Wei Yan has pushed the Li family to this point, he must have prepared a trick. But I am still in the capital, and if I don’t sit back and reap the benefits, both the Li and Wei families will try their best to drag me into the water first.”
Fan Changyu listened to Xie Zheng's analysis of the current situation. The more he listened, the tighter his hands clenched on the desk.
She raised her head and asked, "So the Li family attacked you first and ordered the five armies to surround the Xie Mansion?"
Xie Zheng's lips twitched slightly, his smile not reaching his eyes: "This is just the opening scene."
At this time, the guards outside the door came to report again: "Master, the Five Army Battalion outside is shouting to search the mansion, saying that someone saw the escaped prisoner from the Dali Temple enter the mansion last night."
Fan Changyu looked at Xie Zheng with worry in his eyes. Xie Zheng just said to the outsider: "Then tell the people of the Fifth Army Camp that if they have the courage to break into the gate of my Xie Mansion, they can break in and search."
After the guards took orders and left, Fan Changyu asked, "Did they really leave a flaw?"
The candlelight flickered in Xie Zheng's eyes, but it didn't bring out much warmth. "Wei Yan's plan to drag me into this is over. The last time you and I robbed the prison, the Li family believed that it was Wei Yan who kidnapped the prisoner. I think Wei Yan had already started to plan. Last night, the blood-clothed rider robbed the housekeeper of Sui Mansion, caught the Li family killing the conspirator who changed his words, and also learned the location of the hidden letters between the Li family and Qi Min. With such a handle in my hand, how can the Li family sit still? Whether there are witnesses or not, they will find a reason to surround the mansion."
Fan Changyu also knew that the Li family was going to go down this path to the end. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat and she said, "If Qi Min knew that Bao'er was still with us, would the Jinzouyuan be surrounded as well?"
Xie Zheng nodded: "With the strength of the five military camps, it is no problem to surround the Jinzouyuan."
Fan Changyu frowned immediately: "General Tang and Aunt Zhao are still in the Jinzouyuan..."
Xie Zheng raised his eyes and looked at her: "This is what I want you to do next."
Fan Changyu's expression suddenly became more serious.
Xie Zheng pointed at the location of the palace gate on the map with his slender index finger. "The Five Army Camps are divided into five camps and 72 guards, with a force of no less than 20,000. Four of them may be used by the Li family, but the commander of the Left Army Camp, Shen Shen, is on good terms with me, and the Shen family is also a loyal and honest minister. Xie Shisan will go to him with my token and ask him to stop Wei Yan from mobilizing the troops of the Shenji Camp. However, we still need a bait to divert the attention of the Li family and Wei Yan. I have already given you the token to dispatch the Blood Robe Cavalry. When the time comes, you will take all the Blood Robe Cavalry in your mansion back to the Jinzouyuan and bring Tang Peiyi and the others out."
Fan Changyu raised his head suddenly: "I took away all the blood-stained horses, what about you?"
Xie Zhengfeng glanced out the window at the snow, with a carefree and casual look as if he had been waiting for this day for a long time: "They won't believe that I gave all the blood-stained knights to you. They will only think that I have hidden people in the capital."
At this point, he raised the corner of his lip slightly, looked at Fan Changyu and said: "When false is true, true is false, who dares to gamble on an uncertain result?"
Fan Changyu was still worried: "Even if the Li family only has four battalions of soldiers available, that's still more than 15,000 soldiers. How are you going to deal with it?"
Xie Zheng said, "Both Li and Wei have a backup plan and will not put all their troops here to fight to the death. Even if it comes to a life-and-death battle, the few hundred Xie family soldiers I brought to the capital can also make them lose a layer of skin."
Fan Changyu slowly digested what he said, and suddenly asked: "Why did your people go to stop the Shenjiying troops, but the Li family's people didn't go?"
Xie Zheng raised his hand and lightly touched Fan Changyu's cheek: "The Jinwu Guard is directly under the young emperor. Wei Yan is now on the same boat with the young emperor. The Jinwu Guard will definitely be used by him. With the elite of the Three Thousand Battalions, he can still fight the Li family to a draw in a short period of time if he defends the palace. But with the artillery equipment of the Shenji Battalion, no matter how many people the Five Army Battalion has, in the end they will just be a pile of broken limbs and flesh under the artillery fire."
He paused at this point and said, "I asked Shen Shen to go. Rather than saying that he was trying to stop the Shen Jiying, it would be better to say that a few parties were trying to steal the weapons of the Shen Jiying. Do you understand?"
Fan Changyu finally understood the importance of this deployment. She said, "After rescuing General Tang, I will temporarily hand over all the troops in the capital that can be used to General Tang's deployment. I will go to Xiyuan in person. If General Shen fails to stop the people from the Shenji Camp, I will!"
The weapons of the Shenjiying were stored in the West Garden outside the palace.
Xie Zheng stared at her for a long time. Fan Changyu frowned and said, "You don't believe I can handle it?"
Xie Zheng held the man tightly in his arms and said, "If you can't hold him, then don't hold him. Come back alive to see me."
Fan Changyu raised his eyes and said, "This is not something you should tell a general."
Xie Zheng lowered his head slightly, his hair cast a faint shadow on his eyelids, covering the tenderness hidden in his deep and cold eyes: "You are a general of tens of millions of people, and you are also my wife. I am telling you to be my wife."
Although she knew the situation was urgent, Fan Changyu's heart still skipped a beat when she heard his words. She pursed her lips and stared at him intently.
She said, "I'm leaving."
She had already walked to the door, but suddenly she turned back, took a few steps forward, grabbed his collar, pulled him down, and kissed him hard on the lips, then she lowered her long eyelashes like a fan and said in a muffled voice: "I know what you are going to do."
After saying that, he opened the door and walked out.
Xie Zheng stood there, watching her walk away with big strides, his dark eyes filled with deep and dark emotions: "If she gets into trouble, you don't have to come back."
There seemed to be a dark shadow in the room leaving quickly.
-
With the blood-stained cavalrymen who were worth a hundred men each clearing the way, the troops from the Five Military Camps that were surrounding the gate of Xie's mansion were nothing to be afraid of. Fan Changyu and his men quickly tore open a gap in the enemy's path and rode straight into the Imperial Court.
It was New Year's Day, and most of the shops along the street were closed. I didn't know whether they had gone home to celebrate the New Year, or the noise of soldiers coming and going today was too loud, scaring the merchants into closing their shops. Ordinary people along the street also kept their doors closed.
Because they were such a large, moving target, a portion of the soldiers from the five military camps surrounding Xie's mansion went after them, and the scouts who were riding in the opposite direction were successfully ignored.
-
The gate to the Jinzouyuan had already been knocked open. The commander stood in the courtyard with the sword at his waist and shouted in a rough voice, "Search for me! If you find any boys, kill them without mercy!"
Tang Peiyi, He Xiuyun and other generals came out upon hearing the noise. Seeing that the intruders were from the Fifth Army Camp, they did not dare to confront them head-on. Tang Peiyi clasped his fists and said, "May I ask why this general suddenly sent troops into the court?"
The general was several levels lower than Tang Peiyi in rank, but at this moment he just sneered and said, "The Three Departments have investigated the case and found that the mother and son of the rebels who were lost in the Dali Temple were hiding in the Jinzouyuan. This general has been ordered to come and search."
Tang Peiyi was straightforward, and when he saw the man's contemptuous attitude, he was already angry. He Xiuyun was very careful and said immediately: "Since we are ordered to search, I hope the general will show us the search warrant to avoid misunderstanding and damage to the harmony."
The general could not produce a search warrant, so he said, "Once we have the witness, go to the Dali Temple to see the search warrant!"
He Xiuyun exchanged glances with Tang Peiyi and Zheng Wenchang, and they all understood what was going on.
He Xiuyun smiled amiably, "General, what you said is true. Since we were summoned to the capital, we have never left the Jinzouyuan unless summoned by His Majesty. How could the missing prisoner of the Dali Temple be hidden here? There must be some misunderstanding. It's cold and windy, so let the people below search. General, why don't you come into the house with us to warm yourself by the fire and drink a cup of tea to ward off the cold."
As he spoke, he was about to step forward to support the general's elbow.
The general's eyes flickered and he was about to refuse, but He Xiuyun suddenly attacked him. The hand that was holding his arm twisted back and then went to the general's feet. The general was immediately held back by his hands and fell to his knees.
Zheng Wenchang also pulled out the sword from his waist and pressed it against his throat, and shouted at the officers and soldiers who were trying to move forward: "Back off!"
The general realized that he had been careless, and gritted his teeth as he looked at Tang Peiyi and said, "Let me find the person and take him away, so that we can all live in peace. If you insist on wading through this turbulent water, it will not be so easy to escape."
Tang Peiyi stared at him for a long while and said, "Tied him up!"
Immediately, the bodyguards came forward with ropes and tied the man up tightly.
Tang Peiyi, He Xiuyun and Zheng Wenchang lived together. Tang Peiyi knew whether they had hidden a boy there. Fan Changyu was a female general and lived in another courtyard. Tang Peiyi was not sure whether Fan Changyu had really robbed the prison secretly or whether the soldiers just found an excuse to catch Yu Baoer.
Several people held the general hostage and headed towards the courtyard where Fan Changyu was. The officers and soldiers who had been searching everywhere were afraid that their leader would be captured, so they did not dare to move. They only pointed their weapons at Tang Peiyi and his group, intending to wait for an opportunity to act.
When they arrived at the courtyard where Fan Changyu lived, they saw Xie Wu holding a knife in one hand and protecting an old couple behind him.
He only had one hand that could wield a weapon, and he had to protect two elderly men. He was obviously at a disadvantage, and his body was covered in blood. The doors of several rooms in the yard were wide open, as if they had been broken into and searched by soldiers.
Tang Peiyi immediately shouted: "Stop!"
When the officers and soldiers surrounding Xie Wu saw their leader being captured, they looked at each other and eased their attacks.
Tang Peiyi gave He Xiuyun a look, and He Xiuyun immediately brought two personal soldiers to help the two elders of the Zhao family. He Xiuyun personally helped Xie Wu and asked in a low voice, "Where is the young master?"
Xie Wu replied: "The general took her away secretly."
He Xiuyun heaved a sigh of relief after receiving this answer. He turned around and questioned the general of the Five Military Camps: "We are here temporarily here under the order of the Emperor. You have no right to search. I want to see who is right after reporting to the Dali Temple!"
The commander still insisted: "The son of the rebel who was kidnapped from the Dali Temple is hiding in the Jinzouyuan. You are hiding a rebel. Could it be that you also have rebellious intentions?"
Tang Peiyi's face looked quite ugly.
After He Xiuyun nodded calmly, Tang Peiyi knew that Yu Baoer was no longer there. He immediately patted the face of the bound general and sneered, "Then let your people search. If nothing is found, you can leave your hands and feet here."
When the general heard this, he looked around and didn't see Fan Changyu. He shouted, "The remnants of the rebels have been taken away by General Yunhui, right?"
At this moment, the sound of rapid and chaotic horse hooves was heard outside the Jinzouyuan, followed by the sound of weapons clashing.
Tang Peiyi and others held the general and went to the front yard. Just after passing the hanging flower gate, they saw a soldier at the gate being kicked and flying down the stone steps. He hit the flowerbed and spit out blood.
Fan Changyu rushed in dressed in a strong suit, carrying a long sword on his back. When he saw that Tang Peiyi and his men had kidnapped the leader of this group of officers and soldiers, he breathed a sigh of relief and called out, "General Tang!"
Tang Peiyi saw through the gate the blood-stained knights fighting with the soldiers outside and asked hurriedly, "Niece Changyu, what's going on?"
Fan Changyu slashed away an officer who was trying to launch a sneak attack and said succinctly: "The Li family is going to rebel!"
Tang Peiyi, He Xiuyun and others all changed color when they heard this.
Fan Changyu didn't have time to wipe the blood foam off his face. He quickly stepped forward, looked at Tang Peiyi and said, "This Dayin is about to change. Let's see what General Tang plans to do."
Tang Peiyi's rough face showed a rare solemn expression. After a breath, he looked at Fan Changyu and asked, "What are your plans, Lord Hou?"
Fan Changyu had a scratch on her forehead during the battle, and a drop of blood slid from her forehead to her chin. Her eyes were cold and firm: "The one sitting on the dragon throne is a tyrant without moral integrity. The one the Li family wants to support, although he is the descendant of Prince Chengde, he once lived in the Sui family as the eldest son of Prince Changxin for seventeen years. It was him that the Li family colluded with to frame Wei Yan. The siege of Lucheng and the death of Lord He were all caused by him. If this person ascends to the throne, he will definitely not be a good person."
Tang Peiyi and his companions did not know the hidden truth until today. After being stunned for a moment, anger appeared on their faces.
Was the evil plan of emptying Chongzhou City and besieging Lu City the one that was thought up by the Li family and the emperor's eldest grandson?
Tang Peiyi looked at Fan Changyu and asked, "Isn't the child you've been carrying around with you the descendant of Prince Chengde?"
Fan Changyu said: "That child is the son of the emperor's eldest grandson."
He Xiuyun glanced at the Fifth Army commander he had kidnapped, and a sneer appeared on his gentle face: "So the people from the Fifth Army suddenly surrounded the Jinzouyuan, is it because the emperor's eldest grandson ordered to kill that child?"
Fan Changyu nodded solemnly.
Tang Peiyi hadn't expressed his opinion yet, but with his father's death in the past, He Xiuyun hated the emperor's eldest grandson to the core. He was the first to stand towards Fan Changyu: "I will follow the Marquis and support the emperor's eldest grandson!"
Tang Peiyi looked at He Xiuyun.
He Xiuyun was the oldest and most stable of the young men. He bowed to Tang Peiyi and said:
"I did not do this out of emotion because of my father's death. The eldest grandson of the emperor has fought for the world, but he has no sympathy for the people. Like the Li family, he tried to use the lives of thousands of soldiers to make Wei Yan commit a serious crime. In public, he has no benevolence of an emperor. In private, he even killed his only son in order to fight for the throne. Even jackals are not so cruel. If Dayin is handed over to such a person, what is the difference between it and when Wei Yan controlled the government? How can we face those soldiers who died in the battle outside Lucheng in the future?"
Zheng Wenchang immediately stood over to Fan Changyu's side, and soon after, twos and threes of the generals from Jizhou who had followed him to the capital also stood over there.
The brutality of the Battle of Lucheng was ultimately a thorn in the hearts of these generals of Luzhou.
Tang Peiyi sighed deeply, looked at Fan Changyu and said: "I don't know if I will regret today's decision in the future, but no matter who Wei Yan supports or who the Li family wants to protect, they are not worthy of the throne. Today's action, whether it is a success or a failure, I, Tang Peiyi, will follow the Marquis to change this day for Dayin!"
Only after Tang Peiyi nodded did Fan Changyu feel relieved.
With Tang Peiyi's help, Xie Zheng has a 30% chance of stabilizing the capital tonight!
-
Outside the Jinzouyuan, the Blood-Cloaked Cavalry were still fighting with the officers and soldiers of the Fifth Army Battalion. A bloody head was thrown out from the gate of the Jinzouyuan, fell on the floor tiles, and rolled several times before stopping.
Blood was still dripping from the Mo Dao in Fan Changyu's hand. Under the dim light, her eyes were as fierce as a tiger rushing down the mountain. Her cold voice cut through the noise of the cold night: "The Right Ye Army Assistant Zhou Tong is dead. If you surrender, the crime you committed tonight will be forgiven!"
The five-camp army stationed in Beijing is divided into five camps: the Central Army, the Left and Right Wing Army, and the Left and Right Sentinel Army. The Central Army Camp has the largest number of people.
The soldiers who were fighting in the chaos stopped one after another when they saw the bloody head.
Tang Peiyi then said, "This general will assist Marquis Wu'an in capturing the traitors. If they do not surrender, anyone who surrounded the Jinzouyuan tonight will be charged with treason."
The Youye Army that came to surround the Zouyuan was without its leader. After hearing these threatening words, they suddenly became panic-stricken. After looking around, they put down their weapons one after another.
Seeing that the situation in the Jinzouyuan had stabilized, Fan Changyu immediately looked at Tang Peiyi and said, "General Tang, I'll leave this to you."
Tang Peiyi asked, "Aren't you going to the palace with us?"
Fan Changyu climbed onto the horse's back, the cold wind lifting the scattered hair on her forehead from the fight just now: "I'm going to stop the Shenjiying from supporting the palace."
With just one sentence, Tang Peiyi understood Fan Changyu's intention.
He said, "Then bring some more people over!"
As he spoke, he named a few more people to Fan Changyu, including Zheng Wenchang.
Fan Changyu did not refuse. He just clasped his fists towards Tang Peiyi on horseback and said, "Thank you, General!"
Fan Changyu took Zheng Wenchang and others and rode to the West Garden with Xueyi.
After Tang Peiyi watched them walk away, he shouted to the surrendered Youye Army: "Follow me to rescue the driver!"
-
As dusk deepened and the snowstorm intensified, a thin layer of snow accumulated on the lantern shades hanging in the porch.
The dim light from under the eaves cast the swaying shadows of the bamboo on the candlelit doors and windows of the room, and vague figures of two people could be seen inside the room, each sitting on a low table and playing chess on either side.
He was thin but handsome, with sparse hair tied into a bun at the back of his head with a long hairpin. From time to time, he would use his hand to stroke the few sparse long beards in front of his chin.
The other figure had strong muscles and bones, and sat on a cushion with his back as straight as pine and cypress. His moves were crisp and decisive, with an aura of murderous intent.
Both of them are like mountains, but one is as clear, peaceful and gentle as flowing water in the mountains, while the other is as majestic and magnificent as Mount Song.
When the old man's skinny index and middle fingers held another white piece and dropped it onto the chessboard, Master Tao looked at the person opposite him and sighed, "Yigui, you've reached a dead end in this game."
Gui is a jade ritual vessel. Yigui is the courtesy name of Wei Yan.
Now, looking at the entire court and the country, only the old man opposite with a sad face dares to call him by this name.
The wind was strong outside, making the bamboo shadows sway. Wei Yan put the black piece in his hand back on the chessboard and said, "Maybe, there will be a way to break the deadlock when the sun rises."
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