Chapter 130 Ultimately, relying on oneself is worse than relying on trump cards.
As dusk settled, Shen Yujiao sat by the window, gazing blankly at the afterglow reflected on the windowpane.
Seeing that she had been sitting there stiffly all afternoon, Chu Rou couldn't help but sigh and handed her the teacup, saying, "Have some water first. You can't just sit here like this forever."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yujiao looked up and gave her a weary smile: "Aru... I'm in a hurry..."
Despite her unwell expression, she still accepted the cup of tea, sipping it slowly, her mind still filled with Chu Rou's words—"Three days from now is your birthday."
The afterglow of the setting sun fell into her eyes, illuminating the loneliness and worry in them. If she and Shen Yujiao had not shared the same birthday, perhaps she would feel less powerless at this moment?
As the sunlight gradually dimmed, Xu Zhiyuan returned with a food box. He placed the food box on the table, opened it, and quickly said while setting out the plates, "I've found out that the new emperor... Prince Huan, will ascend the throne in three days. The palace gates are locked, and all the civil and military officials are trapped inside. The city's markets are under strict control, and no household is allowed to go out. All the city gates are also tightly closed. It seems that they won't be lifted until the new emperor ascends the throne."
The amount of information in those words was overwhelming. Chu Rou couldn't help but look at Shen Yujiao with some concern, only to see that she merely trembled her eyelashes, softly responded, and then curled up against the wall again, lost in thought, as if the news had been expected all along. Seeing her calm and composed demeanor, Chu Rou became even more worried.
She stepped forward and advised, "Eat first. You need to conserve your energy, no matter what."
"You guys eat, I'm not very hungry."
Shen Yujiao was calculating where Jiang Chen was most likely to be right now. If things went smoothly, he should be on his way back to the capital by now. Even so, three days of rapid travel wouldn't be enough. If things went slowly...
She dared not think about it, and found it hard to accept how things had turned out this way. She clasped her hands together, her inner unease and turmoil evident.
The fact that King Huan announced his imminent accession to the throne was, to some extent, a consequence of her own compassion. She knew she shouldn't have placed her hopes on Jiang Yu, but she still made a foolish mistake, and now, looking around, she can't find a way out.
There was hope, but she placed all her hopes on others.
The reputation of the eldest prince in the capital is now too great. Prince Huan is both a civil and military leader, has capable ministers under his command, and is backed by the powerful Yue family. Even in the shadows, Prince Zhao has won over martial arts sects for him. Even if she wanted to ask other princes for help, there is no one who can help her right now.
King Han was fond of literature, but the world was in chaos. King Tai had military power, but the Qi and Liu families had just caused him trouble. The remaining princes were all incompetent, the crown prince was away fighting and his fate was unknown, and the emperor had been dead for a long time. Objectively speaking, King Huan was indeed the best choice for successor at the moment.
As dusk deepened, the remaining light and shadows were reflected on the window lattice, the interwoven grid resembling a large net enveloping her. Shen Yujiao felt suffocated within this net; she had had enough of these days of constant travel, exhaustion, and anxiety.
At this moment, she missed Jiang Chen terribly, or rather, since returning to the capital, this feeling had grown stronger and stronger. Her longing for Jiang Chen was almost overwhelming her reason. From the palace to the Eastern Palace, the capital, and the northern frontier, she had been taking care of everything along the way, and finally felt that her endurance was about to reach a critical point.
Or let's just forget about it and let Jiang Yu ascend the throne.
Anyway, she and Jiang Chen weren't Shen Yujiao and Crown Prince Chen, so they just handed over the throne to Jiang Yu. She and Jiang Chen could go far away from now on. To hell with the court, the imperial power, the people's livelihood, and the peace of the Great Xia Dynasty.
She let out a long breath, then wiped away all the crazy thoughts that had been running through her mind. After a while, when she opened her eyes again, they were clear and bright.
"I want to go to the palace."
Since she couldn't rely on others, she would rely on herself. Shen Yujiao had always been very clear that she held a trump card in her hand.
The two people who were eating paused when they heard this, and then looked at her at the same time with disbelief in their eyes. Chu Rou put down her chopsticks first and took a few steps forward to persuade her: "Don't be impulsive. At least we can think of a way out when we are outside. Once you go in, you will never be able to come out again."
She had arranged the "Crown Princess's serious illness" with Princess Yong'an before leaving the palace, and she still had a pretext for it. But if she entered the palace and things became difficult, she would have no way to escape.
“If His Highness the Crown Prince were here, he would absolutely not agree to you doing this.”
Upon hearing this, Shen Yujiao lowered her eyes. She knew all too well that for Jiang Chen, choosing between her and the throne was never a difficult one. However, she could not simply let Prince Zhao and Prince Huan act as they pleased. She was also a citizen of the Great Xia Dynasty, and she could not stand idly by while her people suffered.
Like Shen Yujiao, she now carries an inescapable responsibility on her shoulders.
"Right now, besides me standing in front of them, is there anything else that can keep them in check?"
Xu Zhiyuan sat at the table. Although he didn't understand much, he knew that it was extremely dangerous. Chu Rou, as a noblewoman who grew up in the capital and had close ties with the royal family, knew about that past, that dramatic love story between the eldest prince and the eldest daughter of the Shen family. She was fortunate enough to have witnessed some of it.
That's why she couldn't utter a single word of objection.
The fact that the coronation ceremony was scheduled for three days later proved everything. Everything King Zhao did was for King Huan's sake. Correspondingly, King Huan's only weakness was her. When this closed loop became a dead end, someone had to step forward to break the deadlock.
Without a doubt, Shen Yujiao is the most suitable person in the current situation.
"There really is no other way..."
Even knowing the answer, Chu Rou still tried to stop her at the last moment. Looking at her hand that had fallen as she stood up, she subconsciously pulled her fingers back, just like that night when she couldn't stop He Zhiju from going to the battlefield. She understood that today she could only watch Shen Yujiao leave.
“Of course, this is not the only way,” Shen Yujiao stood up and looked at the two of them. “You will still need to look after me outside the palace. My purpose in entering the palace this time is twofold: first, to stop them, and second, to delay them. If the stop is unsuccessful, the delay will not go smoothly either. You must be prepared for the worst.”
She dipped her finger in the teacup and drew a simple map of the capital's defenses on the table. She pointed to the city gate: "Xu Zhiyuan, if the Crown Prince can return to the capital within three days, he will surely break through the city gate. Judging from the current situation, the King of Thailand has not successfully taken control of the city's military power. I need you to find a way to blow up the city gate. Use the ammunition from musket barrels to gather them together."
"If we do not receive news of the Crown Prince within three days, A-Rou, please ask Grand Tutor Chu to announce to the world that the late Emperor left a will clearly stating that the Crown Prince will inherit the throne. This will is in the palace, and we must ensure that all forces in the city concentrate their efforts to break through the palace gates."
“My father is in the palace. As long as there is a glimmer of hope, I will try to protect him and get him out of the palace. You must make sure that the right person appears in the main hall with the imperial edict.”
Upon hearing this, both of them tensed up. Xu Zhiyuan was the first to sort out his thoughts and nodded in response, "Okay, I'll figure something out."
Chu Rou pondered for a long while before asking, "The imperial edict..."
"Don't worry, I've seen the will with my own eyes. It was written by His Majesty himself," Shen Yujiao stood up, her back to the fading light behind her. "I will find a way to deal with them. As for outside the palace, I'll leave it to you two."
"yes!"
When Shen Yujiao arrived at the city gate, it was the heaviest rain. The darkness and torrential rain created a blurry ink painting. The rain was so heavy that even when the two walked towards each other face to face, they could not see each other's faces clearly within ten steps.
The mud at the west gate drew complaints from the soldiers guarding the city. Just as a group of people were discussing whether they should go back to their tents to rest for a while, a man in a black cloak came out in the rain.
They immediately went on alert, pointing their halberds at the newcomers and demanding sharply, "Who goes there!"
Shen Yujiao took out the token that Yong'an had given her from her bosom and deliberately lowered her voice, saying, "Qingjue Temple is acting under orders. Those who delay the opportunity will bear the responsibility themselves."
The gatekeepers exchanged bewildered glances at the token. It was indeed a decree from the King of Zhao, and the princess inside Qingjue Temple was a half-sister to the King. Although opening the city gates required the order of the Imperial Guard Commander, the current situation...
The squad leader glanced at the torrential rain, weighed the matter carefully, and was finally convinced by the phrase "those who delay will bear the responsibility": the token was genuine after all, and since the person who came dared to use Princess Yongxian's name, it meant that he was at least no ordinary person. Anyway, it was a battle between gods, and no matter what they did, they would be wrong. They were going to die anyway, so they might as well live one more day.
"It's raining so hard, Your Excellency should hurry up and leave."
Shen Yujiao sensed the shrewdness in his words and took the opportunity to reassure him: "I am only on orders to go to Qingjue Temple to deliver the imperial decree. Master Yongxian will be entering the palace in person later. I would appreciate it if you could do me a favor later."
Upon hearing that Princess Yongxian would be coming to the capital in person, the squad leader breathed a sigh of relief and waved his hand, saying, "No problem, no problem. We're just doing this for Her Highness. Please come back soon."
With high-ranking officials holding things up, even if the sky were to fall, it wouldn't hit them. Shen Yujiao nodded in understanding, pulled down her hood, and stepped into the rain.
When the door of Qingjue Temple was knocked, Princess Yongxian was reading a book. Inside her room, the fragrance of pear-shaped incense was burning, which, combined with the dampness outside, created a unique atmosphere. So much so that when Shen Yujiao, covered in wind and rain, stepped into the room, Princess Yongxian subconsciously frowned.
"Didn't I tell you not to disturb me?"
Her displeased expression froze the moment she looked up and saw the person approaching. She was startled at first, then quickly put down the book in her hand, took a few steps forward barefoot, and knelt down to pay her respects: "This servant greets Your Highness the Crown Princess. May Your Highness be well."
Despite wearing a hood, Shen Yujiao was soaked to the bone. Raindrops dripped from her forehead into the fur carpet beneath her feet. She said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I've dirtied your carpet."
"What are you saying, sister-in-law—"
Yongxian suddenly stopped talking. She got up and went back to her desk, quickly put on her shoes, and then took out a few handkerchiefs from the cabinet next to her: "These are all unused, sister-in-law, please wipe them."
"It's kind of you to still be willing to see me at a time like this."
The person opposite her spoke in a detached tone. Princess Yongxian did not understand the meaning behind her words. She simply lowered her bright eyes and smiled self-deprecatingly, "What does it matter now, or what does it matter in the past or the future? No matter how much my brothers fight, they will never make things difficult for their younger sister. I remember the kindness my sister-in-law showed me back then."
These words surprised Shen Yujiao. She took the hot tea that Yongxian handed her and listened as she continued, "Empress Rong is willing to help me, partly because of personal feelings, and partly because of my sister-in-law and my brother the Crown Prince. I understand that."
Shen Yujiao lowered her eyes and smiled knowingly: "So what are your plans now?"
"Right now?"
Yongxian glanced back at the wisps of white steam rising from the incense burner, the half-read scroll under the lamp, the kettle on the small clay stove bubbling with hot water, the aroma of tea wafting from the tea table still lingering, and the sound of thunder and rain pattering on the banana leaves outside. The more chaotic it was outside, the more peaceful her room seemed.
"I plan to finish reading the rest of the books later, then take a bath and go to sleep. Anyway, with martial law in effect now, no pilgrims will come to my place. With the Taoist temple closed, I'm just an idle person."
Shen Yujiao did not miss the fleeting hint of sorrow in her eyes: "It's really rare..." to still have such leisure and elegance at this time.
Yongxian remained silent in the face of her teasing, instead looking up directly at her. In the capital, a time of great tension and uncertainty, it was rumored that the Crown Princess, who was supposedly seriously ill and bedridden, had come late at night in the rain. It was unlikely that she had come to see her sister-in-law.
One can discern the refined meaning from the sound of the strings.
With such intelligence and insight, Shen Yujiao suddenly understood why the King of Zhao was unwilling to let her leave the palace back then. Being in the midst of the situation, she could see things clearly. Not everyone has such an ability.
"Yongxian, it's really a shame that you were born into the Great Xia Dynasty and had to be a woman."
Faced with this sudden remark, Princess Yongxian didn't have time to hide her instinctive surprise. Then she heard the person opposite her continue, "I wonder if Yongxian desires a quiet night or long-term peace?"
In the flickering candlelight, Yongxian could clearly hear her own chaotic heartbeat, the sound even drowning out the rain outside. After only a moment's hesitation, she quickly curtsied and respectfully said, "Your subject will obey Your Highness's orders."
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