Chapter 107
Before it was completely dark, Wang Shuqin took the three girls from the academy back to the city by carriage. One of them sprained her ankle, one had diarrhea, and the other one was so pampered that she took the carriage back with her. Wang Shuqin sent the two closest girls back home first, and then the last one had severe abdominal pain, so she picked a nearby clinic and sent her there. They didn't come out until it was completely dark.
Thinking that it was getting late, she told the driver to send the girl back first, and she took her maid and old woman to choose a restaurant for dinner. However, before the dishes were served, she heard sounds of chaos on the street.
"The princess plotted to murder your majesty, but she fled for fear of punishment, and was shot dead by His Royal Highness Prince Xin. His Royal Highness Prince Xin has ordered that all restaurants and shops be closed tonight, and no one should leave their homes. Those who obey the law will not be punished, and those who break the law will be killed without mercy!"
When Wang Shuqin heard this, she shuddered violently.
Grandma died?
How is that possible?
If something happened to my grandmother, what about my second sister-in-law and her family? What about my mother and father at home?
For a moment, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar and couldn't utter a sound for a long time.
Before she could think about it, the shopkeeper had gone upstairs to urge the guests to leave the store. The coachman had not returned yet. Wang Shuqin and others were driven out. They had nowhere to go, and they dared not say that they were members of the Wang family for fear of being captured by Wang Xin's men. They hid all the way and later hid in the City God Temple.
One of the old women tried to find a way to go back to the palace and ask someone to pick her up. In the end, Wang Shuqin was left with only a personal maid and a nanny. Looking back, she saw that the dimly lit City God Temple was full of beggars. The smell was unpleasant and they looked at each other in silence.
Wang Shuqin was dressed richly, with her hair covered with pearls and jade, and she looked like a daughter of a wealthy family. The beggars looked at her with strange eyes.
Wang Shuqin had never suffered such hardship in her life, and she felt a little bitter in her heart. Fortunately, she had been running the polo field and helping Xie Yunchu manage the academy over the years, and she was no longer a delicate young lady. She quickly swallowed up her sadness and worry, and gradually calmed down.
Seeing a poor child crying and hungry, she took the initiative to hand over the snacks she had with her. Seeing how gentle she was, everyone immediately showed kindness to her, and some even asked her how she ended up like that.
Wang Shuqin made up a lie to get away with it.
Looking at the sky outside, there was thick smoke and earth-shaking sounds of fighting coming from the distance. Everyone's faces were filled with panic and confusion.
How come such a good weather suddenly changed?
In the past few years, the imperial court has imposed heavy taxes and the people have suffered terribly. After finally implementing the new tax law in recent years, people seemed to be relieved, but war broke out again. When will the world be peaceful?
A child heard the sounds of killing outside and hid in his mother's arms crying. The woman gathered his clothes, wiped his tears and coaxed him to sleep.
The temple was filled with a foul stench. Wang Shuqin leaned against the threshold, trying to suppress the discomfort, and looked outside, muttering in a daze.
I don't know how long I waited, but I suddenly felt footsteps approaching. Wang Shuqin suddenly woke up, raised her eyes, and met a pair of dark, bright, yet extremely familiar eyes.
"Xie Yunyou, why are you here?"
Wang Shuqin got up excitedly. The moment she saw the acquaintance, her confusion, helplessness and grievance were instantly revealed, and she burst into tears.
Xie Yunyou was holding a skinny beggar in his hand, and he was shocked to see Wang Shuqin, "Why are you here?"
The maidservant beside Wang Shuqin hurriedly explained the reason to Xie Yunyou, and Xie Yunyou also told Wang Shuqin that he heard that there was a trouble and was worried about his sister and stepmother outside the city. He was planning to go to the water gate of the canal dock to find a way to go out of the city to rescue people. On the way, he met a homeless beggar and temporarily sent the person here. Unexpectedly, he met Wang Shuqin.
"Come out quickly, I'll take you back home first."
Wang Shuqin's eyes were filled with tears.
Following Xie Yunyou out of the City God Temple, he took a few steps and suddenly remembered something. He quickly took out the silver notes and coins on his body and distributed them to the beggars inside. "When the war is settled, find a job. If you can't find one, go to the First Women's Academy opposite the Imperial Examination Hall and do some rough work there."
Everyone held the banknotes, looking excited.
"Thank you, young lady. We will remember this."
Wang Shuqin followed Xie Yunyou and left.
After leaving the City God Temple, Xie Yunyou found that the horse he had tied there just now was gone, and he immediately cried out in pain.
Fortunately, Xie Yunyou remembered the way to Wang's house, and took a shortcut back home with Wang Shuqin.
Xie Yunyou first asked about Yanque Lake, and Wang Shuqin just said that it was fine when she left.
After all, Xie Yunyou had been in the court for a year and guessed that things were not that simple. No matter what, he couldn't save people by fighting alone, so it would be better to send Wang Shuqin back first and seek advice from Duke Wang Guo.
Having made up their mind, the group quickened their pace.
Soldiers and horses kept passing through the streets and alleys, so the two had to find a secluded place behind the house to walk at night. Wang Shuqin had never walked such a long distance before, and after walking for a while, she accidentally twisted her ankle.
"Ouch."
The nanny and maid beside her quickly supported her.
Xie Yunyou turned around and looked at her, "What's going on?"
Wang Shuqin bent over in pain, looking annoyed, "I sprained my ankle!"
Upon hearing this, Xie Yunyou's brows furrowed so much that they could pinch a mosquito to death. He glanced at the nanny, who was a bit older and panting, even worse than Wang Shuqin. As for the little girl, she was exhausted from wiping her sweat. Xie Yunyou gritted his teeth and squatted down in front of Wang Shuqin.
"Come, I'll carry you."
Wang Shuqin was stunned.
The maids around were all shocked and looked at each other in embarrassment.
Men and women should not touch each other.
Xie Yunyou guessed what Wang Shuqin was worried about, and said simply, "Don't worry, I won't ask you to be responsible. This matter is known to heaven, earth, me, and you, and no one else knows..."
Before Xie Yunyou could finish his words, a soft body suddenly lay down behind him. He was stunned for a moment. Although he was already in his twenties, he was still a boy after all. He had never experienced such a situation, and his ears turned slightly red.
But Xie Yunyou was Xie Yunyou after all. He quickly calmed down, picked up the girl on his back without distraction, and ran towards Wang's house.
Wang Shuqin was not a pretentious girl, and when she heard Xie Yunyou trying to avoid suspicion, she got angry and leaned forward. Her sister-in-law's brother was also her brother, so there was nothing to be shy about.
At about 15:30, Xie Yunyou finally carried Wang Shuqin to the alley in front of the palace and put her down immediately. The maid went in and asked someone to bring a sedan chair to pick up Wang Shuqin. Wang Shuqin stood against the wall and invited Xie Yunyou to come in for tea. At this moment, a guard jumped over the alley on his horse and ran towards the main gate of the palace, shouting,
"My Lord, our Second Master has returned to the capital and is leading his troops to attack the Imperial City. General Gao has led 5,000 elite soldiers out of the city to rescue people."
Xie Yunyou ignored everything after hearing the shout and ran after the man, asking, "Where did Gao Zhan leave the city?"
The guard dismounted and replied, "East Gate."
Xie Yunyou was extremely anxious. He quickly grabbed his reins, jumped on the horse, turned the horse's head and ran out of the alley, "Borrow my horse for a while."
He immediately squeezed his horse's belly and galloped towards the east gate.
Wang Shuqin watched his scabbard-like figure gallop away, and limped to him and shouted, "Xie Yunyou, be careful."
"I got it..." A cool and neat voice was heard in the wind.
At that time, there were a lot of people sitting in the main hall of the Duke's Mansion.
Wang He was on the left, wearing a first-rank crimson duke's robe; the president of the Jiangnan Hanlin Academy, Mr. Dong Wenyu, was on the right, wearing a first-rank crane court robe. Between the two sat a handsome young man, about seventeen or eighteen years old, with delicate features and a handsome face. He was wearing a dark blue prince's robe embroidered with python patterns. He had a calm expression and clear features.
Behind the three men, there were about ten officials kneeling, including Dali Temple Minister Wen Yu, Criminal Minister Geng Weizhong, and Rites Minister Zheng Ge Lao.
Hearing the Duke's narration of the heroic death of Emperor Jinning at the bridgehead, the young man's heart surged and a blush appeared on his handsome face.
"Then how did Old Master Wang get the edict out of the bridgehead?"
The Duke stroked his beard and said, "That winter, the bridgehead snowed for five days and five nights in a row. The snow covered the sky and the ground. No birds were seen. People were frozen stiff. Horses froze to death. In the end, they could only drink horse blood and horse urine. Seeing that reinforcements would not come, the Mongol crowbars attacked like a hot knife through butter. His Majesty Jinning left a will and committed suicide in front of the parapet. The accompanying civil and military officials were all killed in the battlement. In the end, only my father was left injured and barely alive."
"He was very clever. He took great pains to change clothes with an inconspicuous guard, and then pretended to be dead. After the Mongols entered the fortress, they really took away the bodies of His Majesty Jinning and all the court officials. My father was thrown into the ravine along with the bodies of other soldiers, and thus escaped."
"He was seriously injured and unable to move. He relied on his perseverance to hold out in the ravine for a day and a night. Finally, he waited for our army's outpost. He found an opportunity to hand the secret decree to that person and asked him to hand it to me personally. When the outpost learned that His Majesty Jinning had committed suicide at the bridgehead, he cried bitterly. Not long after my father explained everything, he also died."
"The scout rushed thousands of miles to bring back the news. At that time, His Royal Highness the Wise King had already ascended the throne as the emperor. I did not dare to make it public and hid the secret decree in a safe place. The scout then became my bodyguard and never left me until my death."
Upon hearing this, Prince Zhaode fell to the ground and cried bitterly.
"The king is so righteous that we cannot even begin to look up to him."
After crying, Prince Zhaode straightened up and asked the Duke with red eyes, "What did the will say?"
The Duke said, "His Majesty Jinning led His Majesty the First Prince to the northern expedition, leaving His Majesty the Second Prince to guard the capital. The will naturally states that His Majesty the Second Prince, your father, Prince An, will inherit the throne. Unfortunately, His Majesty the Prince Xian, his uncle, has already ascended the throne. The court is already in turmoil and cannot withstand another round of civil strife. His Majesty Prince An reluctantly surrendered, and we can only wait for an opportunity."
Over the years, the Duke secretly ordered people to dig a secret passage near the Prince's Mansion, leading directly to the bottom of the Prince's study. Once a dispute arose, he would immediately and quietly send people to bring the Prince to his mansion.
As soon as the Duke finished speaking, a messenger outside the door reported that Wang Shuhuai had entered the palace. The Duke helped the elegant young man beside him to stand up without saying a word, "Your Highness, it's time for us to enter the palace."
The wind should have been warm that night, but it was stained with blood and felt chilly to the bone.
At midnight, the battle-hardened frontier troops finally invaded the Fengtian Palace in one fell swoop. In the brightly lit main hall, there were only a few guards left in front of the princess. Half of the five thousand soldiers outside the palace were killed or wounded, and half surrendered.
Prince Xin was wearing a long black robe, standing outside the palace with his hands behind his back, looking at the princess across the soldiers.
"Aunt has been at the center of government for many years, aren't you satisfied? Isn't it great for my nephew to inherit the throne and for me to be involved in the planning behind the scenes?"
Even though the situation was hopeless, the princess sat on the Panlong throne that originally belonged to the emperor, motionless, with two female guards guarding her on both sides, more than ten guards standing in front with spears raised, and several ministers including Qi Xiaohe lined up at her side.
Hearing Prince Xin's words, the princess sneered and shifted her gaze from him to the outside of the palace, where a vast night wind blew over. The princess smelled a hint of sadness from the night wind.
"Why? I have helped to build this country. Since my brother ascended the throne, I have been diligently reviewing memorials day and night. I have prepared winter clothes for the soldiers and quelled the floods in the Huai River. Even if I have some selfish motives, I have made great contributions over the years. You, a bastard, want to seize my power. Why? Just because you are a man, you should inherit the throne? I don't accept it."
"You have made achievements in border warfare, and I have made achievements in assisting the government. Now it's just a matter of our own abilities. I lost, and I have nothing to say."
Prince Xin's eyes moved from her to the pearl curtain in the back hall, and he slowed down his voice, "Aunt, for father's sake, as long as you surrender, I will still provide you with good food and drink, and you can live in Changchun Palace until you die."
"Hahahaha!" The princess burst into laughter, but the smile disappeared in an instant, leaving only a hint of coldness.
"Zhu Yun, you have been threatening court officials by holding your family hostage. This is a big taboo in politics. Even if you ascend the throne, ask the officials whether they will obey you or not? Do the people obey you?"
Prince Xin smiled lightly and said indifferently, "I will not harm the official's family. As for how to appease them, I have my own arrangements. There is no need for you to worry, aunt."
"It's getting late, aunt, please move aside and let me go in to visit my father..."
"You want to steal the emperor's treasure?"
Without the imperial seal, there are other imperial treasures. Without them, the imperial decrees cannot be issued to the six ministries or reach the four seas.
This is why Prince Xin is still wary of the eldest princess.
The princess glanced at the chief minister of the cabinet, Chen Xuanqing, who was standing beside him. The cabinet had been in turmoil in recent years, with rapid changes. At first, the Han King's father-in-law, the Minister of Personnel Qi Ge Lao, was in power. Later, Qi Ge Lao retired due to illness, and the Minister of War Qi Zhen was promoted to chief minister. After the defeat in the Western Chu war, Qi Zhen was dismissed, and the cabinet was then headed by the former Vice Minister of Personnel, now the Minister of Personnel, Chen Xuanqing.
"Lord Chen, when the court was discussing this, the officials recommended you to join the cabinet, and I also agreed. How come you have become Prince Xin's running dog now?"
Chen Xuanqing bowed deeply to the princess and said ashamedly, "I am ashamed to have failed the princess's kindness. However, with a powerful enemy at our side, the country relies on its eldest prince. Your Highness Prince Xin has made outstanding contributions and is the third son of the emperor after Prince Gan and Prince Han. He should inherit the throne. If the eldest prince is deposed and the youngest prince is enthroned, it may cause turmoil in the court. I am also concerned about the safety of the people."
The princess snorted and turned her cold eyes to Lin Xiyue who was standing on the other side of Prince Xin. She saw Lin Xiyue wearing a silver-white sweater and looking lazy, as if she was smiling.
"Your father never participated in party disputes, so how could he be easily bribed by Prince Xin? It couldn't be for the Queen, right?"
Lin Xiyue remained calm, crossed her arms and smiled as she said,
"My father and Lord Chen share the same idea. They hope that the war will be stopped as soon as possible and peace will be restored to the world."
The princess said angrily, "If he is willing to listen to me, I can stabilize the court without bloodshed."
The Duke of Zhenguo was stationed in Xuancheng to guard the north of the capital. The Princess wrote to him several times, hoping that the Duke of Zhenguo would use troops to intimidate Prince Xin and cooperate with her to complete the change of regime. Unfortunately, the Duke of Zhenguo remained indifferent.
The two sides were still discussing when suddenly there was a sound of fighting from the direction of the Meridian Gate behind them. The sound became louder and louder. Prince Xin frowned and looked back. A man ran towards him from under the platform and shouted,
"Your Highness Prince Xin, Wang Shuhuai... Wang Shuhuai has come back to kill... and stormed into the Meridian Gate..."
Upon hearing this, Prince Xin's face changed, as if a huge rock had sunk into an icy lake in his eyes.
"How is that possible?"
Wang Shuhuai entered the palace so easily. There was only one possibility: there was an insider around him.
Suddenly, there was a flash of spark. Before Prince Xin looked towards the man, he saw a fast silver light like a snake sticking out its tongue and instantly rushed in front of him.
Lin Xiyue was fast enough, so fast that the tip of the sword was at Prince Xin's throat in the blink of an eye. However, Prince Xin was even faster. His many years of military career had made him extremely alert. He quickly used his palm to push out the tip of Lin Xiyue's sword and held the tip of his sword tightly. At the same time, he gathered his internal strength and shook it backwards. Then he kicked towards Lin Xiyue with his legs like a whirlwind, hitting Lin Xiyue right in the lungs.
Lin Xiyue was knocked back quickly by Prince Xin's quick, fierce and accurate move, and finally hit the pillar behind her.
In an instant, the guards beside Prince Xin swarmed over. Lin Xiyue didn't even have time to catch his breath. He dodged backwards and quickly fled under the platform. Unfortunately, the guards did not give him a chance and quickly surrounded him. The two sides fought each other.
Prince Xin didn't care about Lin Xiyue. He looked towards the Meridian Gate. The vast sky and earth were illuminated by a group of torches. A dark cloud of armored guards were rolling towards the Fengtian Palace with clanging steps. Among them, there was a figure that was particularly eye-catching. Prince Xin saw Wang Shuhuai and bit his teeth to reveal a trace of blood.
He sent three waves of experts to assassinate Wang Shuhuai, but they all failed.
The silver armor was taken off at some point, and the second-grade scarlet robe was also gone. Wang Shuhuai was dressed in plain clothes as white as snow, holding an object in his left hand, and a long sword tied to the wrist of his right hand with white silk was dragging on the ground. The tip of the sword touched the ground, making bursts of quarreling sounds.
From the stone steps under the Meridian Gate, there are a total of 180 steps extending to the foot of the Fengtian Hall.
Wang Shuhuai looked at the towering Fengtian Hall in the distance, his handsome eyes slowly narrowed. With every step he took, the soles of his white boots were stained with blood, and he took steps with exceptionally firm determination.
After the pacification of Western Chu, spies discovered that Prince Xin was showing signs of mobilizing troops. Wang Shuhuai knew that time was running out, and in the final offensive battle, he used the enemy's hands to kill the Left Commander-in-Chief, General Linwu, and firmly controlled the Western Expedition Army. He also used the Jinning edict to recruit the Right Commander-in-Chief Cao Hongxiang to his command, and handed over the entire war to Cao Hongxiang, and rushed back to the capital overnight with 5,000 elite troops.
The soldiers were exhausted after a long journey and would certainly not be able to defeat the enemy. What should they do? Wang Shuhuai took the blood edict of Emperor Jinning and the imperial seal sent to him by Xie Yunchu and persuaded the guards along the way to follow him to Beijing to defend the emperor.
Prince Xin's border troops were already very exhausted after rushing to the capital, and after experiencing another war, they had reached their limit of endurance. Wang Shuhuai first controlled the key points of the capital without bloodshed, and then easily attacked the imperial city.
On his left and right, the spirited soldiers of the garrison rushed forward like a tide.
Behind him, Duke Wang He and Dong Wenyu led countless court officials and walked slowly behind the grandson of Emperor Jinning, Prince Zhaode.
Some soldiers who were not yet dead suddenly swung their spears and stabbed at Wang Shuhuai.
Wang Shuhuai raised his sleeves with all his strength, and the blade of the long sword tied to his wrist flashed, cutting straight into the opponent's throat, baptizing the entire old dynasty with mighty military spirit.
It was Chou time, and the sky seemed to have reached its darkest moment. A long wind blew, and the front of the Fengtian Hall, which was tense, suddenly became silent for a moment.
Across the firelight, across the blood-stained soldiers, and countless corpses, Prince Xin and Wang Shuhuai looked at each other from a distance.
Wang Shuhuai had a calm expression. He had surrounded the Fengtian Palace tightly, and Prince Xin could not escape even if he had wings.
Prince Xin clearly saw the Duke of Zhenguo, who was in charge of guarding Donghua Gate, standing next to Duke Wang He. He howled in anger, "What a good plan, Wang Shuhuai, Duke Wang, when did you set up this plan? Ten years, fifteen years, or even earlier?"
If it weren't for the strong support of the Duke of Zhenguo, he would not have been sure of being able to capture the imperial city, so Lin Xiyue was just a bait released by the Duke of Zhenguo and others from the beginning to the end.
He, the dignified Prince Xin Zhu Yun, was nothing more than a chess piece in the hands of others.
Prince Xin sneered from his chest, took the bound Lin Xiyue from the guards, grabbed his throat and pushed him forward.
"Duke Zhenguo, can you really watch your adopted son die at my hands?"
The Duke of Zhenguo suddenly took a step forward and came to the front of the three armies. He glanced at Lin Xiyue through the bright firelight. He saw that Lin Xiyue's face was covered in blood, one of her arms had been twisted beyond recognition, and her face no longer had any of its former charm. He was immediately heartbroken.
"Yuer!"
Prince Zhaode behind him also walked forward and stood beside Wang Shuhuai, staring blankly at the pale-faced Lin Xiyue, tears welling up in his eyes.
"Shu Huai, he is my uncle's posthumous son, born to a female guard who was abducted to the Mongols?"
Wang Shuhuai glanced at Lin Xiyue in the distance and said in a sighed tone, "Yes"
Prince Zhaode took a deep breath and asked with a sob, "Can you save him?"
Wang Shuhuai looked deep and said nothing.
There is no such thing as a bloodless coup.
Ever since Lin Xiyue started lurking beside Prince Xin, she never thought of staying alive.
Although Lin Xiyue was trapped in the enemy camp, she did not show any fear at all. Instead, she showed a ferocious and crazy smile.
"Hahaha, hahahaha." He looked around at the vast palace, the terraces, the soldiers standing everywhere, and even saw the vast mountains and rivers in the distance through the fireworks. The sinister look in his eyes faded away, replaced by a sparkling light.
"As long as my descendants in Jinning can rebuild this land, I, Lin Xiyue, will die without regrets!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly bit his tongue, and large mouthfuls of blood gushed out from between his lips and teeth. In a moment, his head drooped, and his body went limp, and he was twisted in the hands of Prince Xin like a piece of rag.
The Duke of Zhenguo howled and stamped his feet in grief.
"Yuer!"
The Duke of Zhenguo was one of the soldiers in the Battle of Bridgehead. After Emperor Ning of Jin died for his country, he sent people to Menggu several times to look for the lost orphan of the eldest prince. Finally, he discovered the existence of Lin Xiyue. He thought of a way to bring her back to Jin, and kept her by his side. When he learned that Prince Xin was secretly investigating Lin Xiyue's identity, the Duke of Zhenguo discussed with the Duke and decisively took advantage of the situation to let Lin Xiyue get close to Prince Xin.
Today, the army was able to settle this dispute at the lowest cost, and Lin Xiyue made an indispensable contribution.
Lin Xiyue was finally thrown aside by Prince Xin. His body rolled down a few steps and stopped at a place. A ray of light shot out from Fengtian Palace and fell on him. Upon closer inspection, the once handsome face was smiling, a smile with closed eyes.
Wang Shuhuai fixed his gaze on Lin Xiyue's corpse for a moment, then raised his hand with a cold expression, "Three armies, listen to my orders. I, Wang Shuhuai, follow the will of Emperor Jinning and support the restoration of Prince Zhaode. Those who follow the trend will be spared, and those who stand in my way will be killed without mercy!"
With a wave of his slender fingers towards the sky, the soldiers gathered towards the Fengtian Palace like a black cloud.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, many of Prince Xin's troops surrendered. At 3 a.m., Wang Shuhuai finally managed to capture the Fengtian Palace.
After all, Prince Xin had been on the battlefield for a long time, so he transferred the remaining elite troops into the palace to guard the important roads, and kept the eldest princess, the queen, and half of the court officials who originally supported him under his control.
Among these court officials were fifteen officials from six ministries, nine temples, and other important figures.
No matter how ruthless Wang Shuhuai was, he could not watch the entire government district fall into paralysis.
This is Prince Xin’s bargaining chip.
The blazing fire illuminated the entire Fengtian Hall.
There were many corpses scattered all over the usually solemn and dignified hall. The eldest princess was still sitting on the coiled dragon throne. Prince Xin stood not far from her with the queen in his hand. Below were thirty court officials headed by Chen Xuanqing. Everyone had a different look on their face. Some were terrified, some regretful, and some couldn't raise their heads.
Prince Xin stationed a large number of troops at the door to confront Wang Shuhuai and others.
The Duke cast a glance at the Princess and asked the Prince,
"Zhu Yun, you are doomed today, why bother struggling fearlessly?"
Prince Xin held a dagger against the princess' neck, with a cold smile on his face, "What do you think? The Duke's heart is as deep as the ocean, and I can't compare to him."
This is a joke about the ridiculous marriage between the Duke and the Princess.
The Duke's face remained solemn and motionless.
Wang Shuhuai glanced at his grandfather's alert expression and said softly to him,
"Grandfather, please go to the side and take a rest. I'll take care of this!"
Prince Xin was obviously making use of the past between the Princess and the Duke, so how could Wang Shuhuai just sit back and watch?
The Duke turned his head and looked at him, his lips twitching slightly, "Shu Huai..."
Wang Shuhuai met his eyes quietly, his expression unmoved. Immediately, a guard stepped forward and respectfully tried to help the Duke, but the Duke stood there without moving.
The grandfather and grandson looked at each other, and the Duke's heart suddenly ached when he saw Wang Shuhuai's extremely determined expression.
Behind him, the Duke of Zhenguo held Lin Xiyue's body and cried bitterly, the Prince of Zhaode leaned on the side and mourned, and the other ministers protected the Prince of Zhaode on both sides. No one dared to intervene in the lawsuit between Wang Shuhuai and his grandson.
The third and fourth masters who followed him into the palace naturally understood what Wang Shuhuai meant and became extremely anxious.
"Shu Huai, she is our mother after all, please show some mercy." The third master Wang Zhang said anxiously.
The fourth master stood at the bottom of the stairs and pleaded with him, "Shu Huai, please save my mother's life. From now on, whatever the Wang family says is what you will do."
Wang Shuhuai's face did not fluctuate at all. He wanted a clean court. The eldest princess was ambitious and suspected of regicide. Such a person could not be kept. Many officials in the court and the public were old friends of the eldest princess. If she was kept, there would be endless troubles.
Whether it is Prince Xin or the eldest princess, he will uproot them.
Waving his hands again, the guard helped the Duke aside.
Prince Xin stared at Wang Shuhuai fiercely, and was amused by his calm appearance.
Wang Shuhuai had already drawn his bow and arrow, and was standing at the palace gate aiming at Prince Xin, ready to fight.
Upon seeing this, Prince Xin immediately grabbed the Queen and moved her forward.
The queen's hands were tied behind her back, and she angrily cursed Prince Xin.
"You are such a treacherous person. I helped you, but you repay my kindness with hatred."
Prince Xin said helplessly, "It's a matter of life and death, Queen, I'm sorry."
Seeing Prince Xin threatening the Queen Mother, the soldiers in front were afraid. Wang Shuhuai's eyes were cold without a trace of warmth. "How can such a person be worthy of being the Queen Mother if he seduces the wives of officials out of the city?"
As soon as his hand loosened, the arrow flew off the string with a whoosh, brushed past the heads of several soldiers and hit the queen in the chest. The queen spat out a mouthful of blood and stared in the direction of Wang Shuhuai with her eyes open until her death.
Prince Xin threw the queen to the side and jumped away.
It seems that Wang Shuhuai is not willing to be coerced.
"You used the wives of officials as threats, and now you want to use court officials to save your life. Zhu Yun, is this all you have?" Wang Shuhuai stood tall in front of the palace, his handsome face as white as jade was as cold as ice.
Zhu Yun looked at his opponent, Yue Zhiyuanting, and felt a moment of frustration.
"You killed Mr. Cheng Xuan half a year ago just to send Lin Xiyue to me and gain my trust, right?"
Wang Shuhuai said, "That's right. Once Cheng Xuan dies, no one around you can figure out Lin Xiyue's true colors. It's like killing two birds with one stone."
Prince Xin said unwillingly, "It would take you at least five or six days to get back to the capital from the capital of Western Chu. When you set out, I was still in Yulin. Does that mean you were prepared?"
Wang Shuhuai smiled, "Three years ago, I found out that you were using merchants in the border town to secretly sell ironware and forge weapons. Last time, you secretly sent people to disguise as refugees to kill the prince. I followed the clues and found out that you had raised a group of soldiers in the deep mountains of Taihang Mountain. So I secretly sent people to spy on you. When I saw that you were preparing for a rebellion, I immediately rushed back from Xichuan."
Prince Xin said in a fierce tone, "But you came back at the perfect time, entering the city when the princess and I were both injured. Wang Shuhuai, you are so cruel. You have been secretly watching the opportunity all these years, waiting for my father's lineage to fight each other, and you reap the benefits."
Wang Shuhuai paced slowly in front of the hall and said with a smile, "You know it too late."
Zhu Yun was so angry that he laughed. Every time he thought about how he was just a pawn in the fight between Wang Shuhuai and Wang Shuhuai, and how he helped Wang Shuhuai clear the obstacles, but ended up falling into his hands, he would be filled with anger.
He couldn't swallow this.
Wang Shuhuai held the imperial edict and the imperial seal in his hands. He inherited the orthodoxy and followed the will of heaven. It was meaningless for him to resist stubbornly. Was he willing to do so? Of course he was not. How could he be willing to see his years of planning ruined in an instant? He was even more unwilling to die here.
The leader of the secret guards came over, keeping watch on all sides, and whispered,
"Your Highness, as long as you can keep the green mountains, you will not be short of firewood. As long as you return to the border, we still have a way out."
Prince Xin's face was as gloomy as iron as he pondered over a countermeasure.
At this moment, a courtier in the hall suddenly jumped to the armchair next to him, causing Prince Xin's eyes to flash.
Wang Shuhuai, who was outside the hall, noticed that he was distracted, and shot an arrow with quick eyes and hands. The arrow hit Prince Xin on the shoulder. Prince Xin was also very domineering. He deflected the arrow without saying a word and threw it aside. The sharp sound of close combat was heard again in the hall.
Wang Shuhuai then shot three arrows in succession, forcing Prince Xin to roll on the ground and finally hide to the side of the Panlong throne. Thinking of the princess' sudden return to the city without anyone noticing, Prince Xin suddenly had an idea. He put a dagger to her throat and whispered, "Aunt, how are you going to get back to the city? Wang Shuhuai has already recognized Prince Zhaode as the emperor. There is no way for us to survive. How about I take you with me to escape?"
The princess naturally guessed what he meant. She didn't even look at her, her eyes fixed on the open hall. She said in a calm tone, "You can kill me or chop me up as you wish."
Since choosing this path, the princess has never thought of retreating. Death is the next step, and she wants to die with dignity.
Prince Xin was speechless. The eldest princess was not afraid of death, but there were always those who were afraid of death. Immediately, he gave a look and the leader of the secret guards took the eldest princess and several of her followers to the back hall for interrogation.
Wang Shuhuai gave a cold order to the courtiers in the palace.
"Hide to the sides!"
Without saying a word, the court officials hid behind pillars or under walls with their heads in their hands.
Wang Shuhuai was no longer afraid. He led the archers and stood behind the spearmen, shooting into the hall again. The Duke of Guo saw this and immediately called out,
"Shu Huai, spare the life of the princess!"
After all, she was his wife and the mother of his three children.
When Prince Zhaode ascended the throne, the eldest princess's power was removed and she no longer had the possibility of interfering in state affairs.
Wang Shuhuai's arrow has already left the string.
The eldest princess watched the arrow coming towards her forehead. The sharp silver light was infinitely magnified in her eyes. She slowly closed her eyes and stood still.
However, at this moment, Prince Xin pulled her to the side, and the arrow pierced the princess' ear and penetrated into the Panlong throne behind. A blood mist exploded. At the same time, the secret guard who had found out the result of the interrogation flashed in with surprise in his eyes, and protected Prince Xin as he fled from the corridor to the back of the palace.
Seeing this, Wang Shuhuai waved his hand and led his men to surround and chase after them.
As soon as Prince Xin's men left, the main hall of Fengtian Palace became quiet.
The Duke stared blankly at the Princess who was leaning on a corner of the dragon throne. She slowly supported herself and sat down, gradually regaining her normal look. There was a hint of sarcasm in her solemn eyes, and her gaze met his from a distance.
"Duke Wang, you have endured humiliation and hardship for forty years, all for this day."
The Duke stood at the entrance of the palace with his hands behind his back. The wind that gathered from all directions blew up his clothes again and again. His expression was clearer than ever before, but also contained a bit of pain.
"Your Highness, the Wang family has always been committed to supporting the country. Prince Xin, for his own selfish interests, has disregarded the court and the people and started a dispute. Your Highness, you are also seeking power first and the country second. The court can no longer withstand your tossing and turning."
"Shu Huai settled the matter with one move, put an end to the war, and brought peace to the world. Your Highness Prince Zhaode inherited the legacy of His Majesty Jin Ning, and is benevolent and righteous. In the future, he will rectify the chaos and work together to become the ruler of the revival of the country."
The princess listened indifferently, the anger on her face gradually faded. There was no point in saying more, it was no longer important. She was exhausted after a night of tossing and turning. She slowly let out a breath, and her slender fingers under her sleeve gently pinched a tiny silver blade. The silver blade gently slid across her wrist, and blood seeped into her robe, but because the robe was wide and crimson in color, no one noticed it for a while.
She seemed to be unaware of the pain, and her expression remained calm. She spoke across the corpses and panicked courtiers and the Duke,
"I'll leave the child in your care."
I wanted to say that I felt sorry for them, but I didn't continue. Instead, I said,
"It's just a matter of success or failure. I have been a powerful figure in the court throughout my life, and I will die without regrets..."
The Duke noticed something was wrong with her tone and took a closer look. He saw her wrist slowly dropping down and a line of blood dripping down the corner of her clothes to the ground.
A breath rushed up his throat and he became speechless.
The eldest princess stared ahead indifferently. The palace in front of her was slowly disintegrating. She seemed to see her two sons running towards her. There was a slight pain in her eyes. She also seemed to see her mother waving at her. The pain finally turned into a smile at the corners of her lips.
Wang Shuhuai chased to the back hall. Several palace maids were hiding in the corner and trembling. Only a few guards were left to resist stubbornly. There was no trace of Prince Xin. After killing the last few secret guards, Wang Shuhuai immediately interrogated the palace maids and learned that Prince Xin escaped from the secret passage in the ear chamber of Fengtian Hall. He was so angry that his face turned ashen.
"Come here, pass the order down, block the entire imperial city, waterways, and the checkpoints within a hundred miles of the capital!"
“Lengshan, take your men and chase them through the secret passage. Dig three feet into the ground and dig the man out for me!”
"Yes, sir!"
After Prince Xin entered the secret passage, he did not leave immediately. He knew that Wang Shuhuai would catch up soon with his ability, so he changed clothes with the leader of the secret guards in the secret passage, asked the secret guards to dress up as him, and ran wildly towards the Guangqumen Avenue to lead away the pursuers. He then walked along the secret passage towards the harem, and finally climbed out of a dry well in the imperial garden.
After all, the palace was his home. When he was young, he had walked around the imperial garden countless times, so he knew exactly where the dog holes were.
He climbed up a watchtower in the northeast corner of the palace with ease, killed the patrolman on the watchtower, and jumped onto the parapet.
After all the scheming and fighting in battles throughout his life, Zhu Yun ended up in this situation. He felt a strange feeling in his heart. He stood silently in the night for a moment. Facing the vast wind at the end of the Yin hour, he jumped down from the city wall. At that moment, he thought to himself.
He should have one of the two: the kingdom and the beauty.
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