Chapter 59 The Empress Dowager's Palace Coup "What are you all doing here? Where is she?!"...
Inside a room in the inn.
"What! You've entered the palace?" Yu Xinyao asked in surprise.
Gu Xi was stunned for a moment: "Yao Yao, you didn't know? Haven't you been back to Beijing recently?"
Yu Xinyao shook her head: "Not yet. I went to Wudang Mountain to become an apprentice. Those people just now are my fellow disciples. They were seeing me off down the mountain back to the capital today. I didn't expect to run into you guys."
"Have you seen your brother yet?" Gu Xi asked anxiously.
Yu Xinyao was taken aback: "He's back? Why haven't we heard from him?"
She inquired about him every day, eagerly awaiting her challenge! Seeing that there had been no news for so long, she decided to go back and check on him herself.
Gu Xi was immediately disappointed and couldn't help but complain about Xiao Heng in her heart. He must have deliberately kept it a secret before, which caused Yao Yao to not know that her brother had returned to the capital, and the two of them missed each other.
"Did you break off your engagement with that person?" Gu Xi continued to ask.
"I left early!" Yu Xinyao said indifferently, since she didn't like that person anyway.
Gu Xi wanted to ask if she should consider her brother, but after thinking about it, she decided against it. It was better for her brother to ask her about this himself.
After leaving the side room, Yu Xinyao went to say goodbye to her fellow disciples. On her way back, she encountered Bai Xingzhi.
"Miss Yu," Bai Xingzhi greeted her politely.
Yu Xinyao nodded to him, and just as she was about to turn and leave, she suddenly remembered something, took out a porcelain bottle from her bosom and tossed it to him: "Here, take this. It's very effective for external injuries. Considering you saved my sister." She had noticed blood seeping from his shoulder at the tavern, but everyone's attention was on Xiao Heng, and no one noticed him.
Bai Xingzhi was slightly taken aback, then smiled faintly and said, "Thank you for the medicine, Miss Yu."
Yu Xinyao touched her nose and said, "No need to be polite!" This person speaks so politely, it's really not what I'm used to.
And so, Yu Xinyao joined the group returning to the capital. Gu Xi was the happiest of all, while Xiao Heng was the only one who was unhappy.
Because Gu Xi clung to Yu Xinyao all day long, calling her "Yao Yao Yao Yao" every day, he was so tired of hearing it that his ears were practically calloused.
He kept sneaking into Yu Xinyao's room at night, forcing him to go and get her every day, otherwise she would stay there and refuse to leave. Xiao Heng's expression grew uglier day by day.
If he had known this would happen, he shouldn't have agreed to let that woman come along!
Little did he know that Gu Xi was afraid her sister-in-law would run away and wanted to find out Gu Xiao's feelings for her.
No matter how Gu Xi tried to probe, Yu Xinyao didn't show any interest in Gu Xiao. Gu Xi was extremely anxious, but she didn't dare to ask directly, fearing that she might make things worse.
That night, Gu Xi went to Yu Xinyao's room again, as expected.
"Yaoyao, I got a piece of music in the palace. It feels familiar, but I can't remember it. Let me play it for you." Yaoyao usually accompanies dance or swordplay to pieces she recognizes.
After Gu Xi finished speaking, she began to play. Xiao Heng seemed to know that she liked the zither, so he took this zither with him when he left the palace, and she would play it every day.
“Wait, play it here again…” Yu Xinyao said.
Gu Xiyi played it again as instructed, and Yu Xinyao also followed along with a gesture.
She frowned and asked, "Isn't this a piece you wrote when you were little?"
Gu Xi was taken aback: "Really? I don't remember."
"No mistake! It must be the first piece you wrote!" She even designed this gesture specifically for the occasion.
“But I have all the songs I’ve played since I was a child, and I haven’t found this one.” She has had this habit since she was a child: she organizes all the songs she has written or learned and puts them together.
"That's strange, but I'm sure I'm not mistaken!"
Gu Xi was even more confused. Who picked up her sheet music and brought it into the palace? And when was her sheet music lost?
Was the person who played with her the one who also saw the sheet music in the palace, just like her, or was that person the one who picked up her sheet music?
She was really curious, and once she returned to the palace, she would definitely go to Bihe Garden again to find that person.
*
The day before arriving in Beijing.
"Junior sister, how are you feeling now?"
“Senior brother, please listen to me first,” Gu Xi said with a solemn expression, “I think I’m… poisoned.”
"Poisoned?!" Shen Yichen and Zhu Yin exclaimed at the same time.
Shen Yichen quickly took Gu Xi's pulse, his heart pounding with alarm: "This is...!"
"Senior brother, did you also realize it was Master's poison...?"
"It is indeed Master's poison... This poison is called Seven-Day Wandering. It can only be diagnosed on the seventh day after poisoning. Without an antidote, one will die within a month."
Shen Yichen asked in confusion, "Why were you poisoned?"
Gu Xi shook her head: "I don't know either." She only woke up seven nights ago and didn't know what had happened before.
With red eyes, Zhu Yin said, "Zhu Yin knows." Seven days ago, it was the night that Miss shielded the Emperor from an arrow. The arrow must have been poisoned, but Miss doesn't remember. She carefully said, "The night Miss woke up, a group of assassins suddenly came. The assassins originally wanted to kill the Emperor, but the arrow missed and hit Miss's shoulder instead."
Gu Xi and Shen Yichen were both shocked to hear this. Why would their master be involved in the assassination of the emperor?
Gu Xi asked urgently, "Senior brother, do you know where Master is right now? I need to find him to ask him about this, and I also need the antidote!"
Shen Yichen looked at her with a solemn expression: "Junior sister, I haven't been able to contact Master for a long time. I went back to Medicine Valley, but I couldn't find him anywhere."
Gu Xixin grew colder and colder.
"I'll administer acupuncture first, which might slow down the onset of this poison for a few days. I'll continue to look for my master... and your heart ailment..." Shen Yichen hesitated, then stopped.
"If I recover from this poison, how long can I live?" Gu Xi looked at him hopefully. "Five years? Ten years?"
Shen Yichen shook his head: "It could take three years at most, or as little as one year."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin hugged Gu Xi and burst into tears, crying, "Miss..."
Gu Xi was stunned for a long time, never expecting that God would take her life so soon.
After an unknown amount of time, she swallowed her dry throat and said, "The most urgent thing is to find my master to cure this poison... Zhuyin, the Emperor must not know that I have been poisoned, otherwise it will bring disaster upon my master."
The crime of regicide will likely implicate not only the master and senior brother, but also the entire Medicine King Valley.
Shen Yichen glanced at her with concern and replied, "Yes, if there is any news, I will try to have Lord Gu pass it on to you."
Gu Xi lowered her eyes and replied, "Okay." She wondered if she could wait that long.
*
Arrived in Beijing that evening.
"My lord, everything is in place," came Lu Xiao's voice from outside the carriage.
"Are you scared?" Xiao Heng cupped Gu Xi's cheek in his palm and planted a kiss on her lips.
Gu Xi stared at him intently and shook her head: "I'm not afraid."
Xiao Heng pressed Gu Xi against his chest and said, "You'll be with Wei Lin and Wei Ran in a bit; they'll protect you."
Gu Xi hugged him back: "Okay."
The carriage slowly drove into the palace gate. The group disembarked, and the surroundings were deathly silent, yet a deadly intent lurked within.
Xiao Heng walked slowly toward the Golden Palace. He knew that his mother was waiting for him there. She had failed to kill him outside the palace, but now that she was inside, she dared not kill him rashly.
She was determined to find a legitimate reason to bring him down, but unfortunately, he wouldn't let her have her way.
In the Golden Palace, the Empress Dowager sat on the dragon throne with a three-year-old child. The child looked very similar to the Ninth Prince, who was rumored to have died. He must be his posthumous son. Everyone present understood the Empress Dowager's intentions.
The civil and military officials, who had been looking at each other in bewilderment, bowed in unison upon seeing Xiao Heng's sudden appearance: "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Regardless of which side they are on, with the overall situation still uncertain, the proper etiquette between ruler and subject must not be neglected.
"All of you, rise!" Xiao Heng's voice rang out in the hall, his imposing aura undiminished, completely unaffected by the Empress Dowager's actions.
Xiao Heng glanced at the person on the throne and asked with a half-smile, "Mother, what is the meaning of this?"
The Empress Dowager said sternly, "You unfilial son! You murdered the emperor and killed your brother, and your ascension to the throne is illegitimate. Today, I will support the late emperor's grandson to succeed to the throne and restore order to the world!"
No sooner had the words been spoken than the sounds of fighting erupted outside the hall. In a matter of moments, the Golden Palace was heavily surrounded, with the Imperial Guards and Qin Jianshan's men locked in a standoff.
A murmur of discussion arose inside the hall.
"Even the Empress Dowager says so, does that mean the Emperor's ascension to the throne was illegitimate?"
"Could it be that the late emperor was truly...?"
"If that's truly the case, murdering the late emperor is tantamount to treason, an act of disloyalty and filial impiety, how can one bear it..."
"Your Majesty, please be careful with your words!" Bai Xingzhi's voice suddenly rang out, instantly silencing the previously noisy hall. "His Majesty is the eldest son of the legitimate wife, and he ascended the throne by the late Emperor's will. This was witnessed by the three regents, and he is undoubtedly the rightful heir of the empire!"
"What the Empress Dowager said today is baseless and unsubstantiated. If you all listen to it, believe it, and question the Emperor, you will truly shake the foundation of the nation!" Bai Xingzhi glanced indifferently at the people present.
"What the Left Prime Minister says is absolutely right..." The ministers who originally supported Xiao Heng also chimed in.
"I personally witnessed the late emperor's edict; it cannot be faked..."
Seeing that these people had been persuaded, the Empress Dowager angrily rebuked them: "Left Prime Minister, today you have allied yourself with this ruthless person, one day he will surely get rid of you! You will regret it!"
Bai Xingzhi chuckled softly upon hearing this, but remained silent.
Xiao Heng listened to these people arguing back and forth about whether he was "orthodox" and found it all laughable; he didn't care what they were saying at all.
His gaze swept across the outside of the Golden Palace. The situation seemed dire. It appeared that Qin Jianshan had summoned all his subordinates back, and they could only barely maintain a stalemate.
He smiled slightly and said, "Mother, Uncle, I have a great gift for you today."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Xiao pushed someone out from the corner. He pulled off the cloth covering the person's head, revealing his true face, but the person's mouth was stuffed with a cloth strip, so he couldn't make a sound.
The Empress Dowager and Qin Jianshan's gazes fell on the emaciated man, and after a moment they exclaimed in surprise, "Hao'er!"
Xiao Hao is still alive!
"Mother, I wonder which is more important, the throne or my ninth brother's life?" Xiao Heng asked casually.
"Xiao Heng!" The Empress Dowager was shocked and furious. She had actually tortured him to this extent!
"Does Mother still remember the birthday banquet that day when I presented her with a painting called 'A Mother's Deep Affection for Her Son'? In that painting, I had already revealed to Mother the location of Ninth Brother's hiding place," Xiao Heng said with a regretful expression. "Unfortunately, Mother has always disdained the things I present to her, causing Ninth Brother to suffer so much in vain."
"You!" The Empress Dowager looked at him angrily.
"Uncle, are you really willing to give up the entire Great Sheng kingdom just to kill me?" Xiao Heng sneered.
Qin Jianshan's eyes flickered slightly; he knew his actions were inappropriate.
"Take him away, and I will spare his life!" Xiao Heng slightly raised his eyelids.
"Don't even think about it!"
Lu Xiao ripped the gag from Xiao Hao's mouth, and a hoarse voice came out: "Mother...save your son..."
"Get out! Get out of here!" The Empress Dowager suddenly changed her mind, her voice filled with panic and urgency.
Qin Jianshan obeyed the order and made way for them. Seeing this, the guards outside rushed in to protect Xiao Heng and the others.
Suddenly, the sounds of fierce fighting broke out outside the hall again. A general led a group of soldiers in and rushed in. Qin Jianshan and the others were quickly captured.
"Your humble servant has arrived late to save Your Majesty! Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"
"Take everyone away..." Xiao Heng paused slightly, glancing at Qin Jianshan with a mocking look, "General Qin, stay."
"yes!"
Seeing that the Empress Dowager's power was waning, the hall fell silent as everyone waited for Xiao Heng to speak on how to decide on the crime of treason.
Xiao Heng glanced at everyone and said calmly, "Next, it's my family affairs..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Bai Xingzhi bowed and said, "We will take our leave now." All the civil and military officials responded in unison and filed out.
After the crowd dispersed, Xiao Heng turned his gaze to the person still on the throne: "Mother, I have never understood why you hate me so much. I even suspect..."
He even suspected that he wasn't her biological son. She had previously tried to make him think that there was an important person imprisoned in the dungeon, but when he sneaked into Cining Palace at night, there was no one in the dungeon.
"How is it? Aren't you disappointed? You really are my son! Hahaha..." The Empress Dowager looked at Xiao Heng with venomous eyes.
Qin Jianshan looked up in shock upon hearing this: "Empress Dowager, didn't you say he wasn't your biological son, but rather that he was the one who was demoted to a palace maid...?"
"Uncle, now that you know the truth, how does it feel?" Xiao Heng asked sarcastically.
In his panic and guilt, Qin Jianshan looked at Xiao Heng, then angrily said to the Empress Dowager, "Why are you so foolish!"
The Empress Dowager glared at Xiao Heng with a sinister look: "You unfilial son! Let's see how long you can be so smug!" She paused, then continued, "If you really want to know, I'll tell you in a month." So you'll die knowing why.
Xiao Heng chuckled and looked at her coldly.
*
As Xiao Heng stepped out of the Golden Palace, his eyes inadvertently caught sight of Wei Lin and Wei Ran, who were supposed to be guarding Gu Xi, and his heart sank.
He strode up to the two of them, grabbed Wei Lin by the collar, and asked urgently, "What are you doing here? Where is she?!" His voice was filled with panic.
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Author's note: Finally back in the palace! [Sprinkling flowers]
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