The atmosphere in Beijing has been rather strange lately.
On the day of the palace coup, a great fire broke out in Tangquan Palace, turning half the sky red.
It was only a few dozen miles away, but almost half of the capital city saw it.
Then, various forces secretly fueled the flames.
The streets and alleys of Beijing are filled with all sorts of rumors, some reliable and some not.
"The Second Prince plotted rebellion, colluding with the Imperial Guards in an attempt to assassinate the Emperor and usurp the throne, but was captured on the spot!"
"Chaos has broken out at Tangquan Palace, with fighting and bloodshed everywhere!"
"The third prince and the fifth prince killed each other, one became a cripple, and the other became blind!"
"The officials of the imperial palace were brutally slaughtered; oh, how pitiful they were!"
"The sage was so angered that he vomited blood, fell seriously ill, and was nearing the end of his life!"
"The three prime ministers, Wang, Cui, and Zheng, turned the tide and took charge of the overall situation, while the empress ruled from behind the curtain!"
"...The deposed crown prince is returning, and the three ministers intend to assist him in regaining his throne!"
The people were in an uproar and panic.
They weren't frightened by these rumors, but rather by the fact that security in the capital had become tighter.
The city gates were tightly shut, and the guards on the city walls were on high alert.
The number of martial arts officers patrolling the streets has also increased, each carrying a horizontal sword and looking fierce and menacing.
The people were so frightened that they didn't dare to leave their homes. They could only stay in their own courtyards, listening intently to the sounds outside.
The officials who remained in the capital were also on edge, filled with anxiety and unease.
The families of the accompanying officials were even more worried, unable to sleep at night.
The palace was in turmoil, and with it came bloodshed.
Could something have happened to my husband (father, son)?
Unfortunately, rumors, both true and false, began to circulate outside, and there was no further concrete news about Tangquan Palace.
Everyone was waiting anxiously.
Just then, a giant sphere floated across the sky.
Climbing to the top of the tall building and looking into the distance, I was surprised to find a person standing under the sphere.
Oh my god!
Someone is flying!
However, the distance was too far, and the person's face could not be seen clearly at all.
A shout came from mid-air—
"His Highness the Prince of Yue has been ordered to return to the capital!"
Only then did everyone realize that the person floating in mid-air was His Highness the King of Yue.
Three years ago, the crown prince was deposed and instead enfeoffed as the King of Yue, and ordered to go to his fiefdom.
The people of Beijing still remember this incident.
Especially the powerful and wealthy families, they knew that King Helian Jue of Yue was pretending to be weak while actually being strong, and had already built up his own power in Lingnan!
Some people are even underestimating the situation: Could it be that Helian Jue intends to lead his troops back to the capital?
Although it seems unlikely, given Helian Jue's status and strength, some people still believe that Helian Jue will one day raise an army.
However, before Helian Jue could even plot a rebellion, the Second Prince, Third Prince, and Fifth Prince started fighting amongst themselves.
Those who remained in the capital were unaware of what had happened at Tangquan Palace.
All they knew was that Tangquan Palace was in ruins, the three princes were all severely injured, and even the Emperor...
The imperial court is highly likely to experience major turmoil.
Some people also worry that the Turks in the north might take the opportunity to cause trouble.
In the last great battle, the sage did indeed defeat the Turks.
However, the Turks did not completely disappear; their power was simply much weaker than before.
Empress Ashina's father and brother also died in battle.
One of her cousins seized the opportunity to rise to power, gathered the remnants of the Turkic tribes, and fled into the deeper grasslands.
The Turks are unlikely to invade in the short term.
However, this is on the premise that the Great Zhou Dynasty remains peaceful and powerful.
But now, with the princes vying for the throne and the emperor's fate unknown, the situation is unstable. If the news leaks out, the Turks, who have fled to the grasslands, are very likely to make a comeback and take advantage of the situation!
"Heavens above! The Sage must not be harmed!"
"The Turks are ruthless and cunning; we must not give them an opportunity!"
"Your Majesty, this is bad! You should quickly appoint a Crown Prince!"
"Exactly, exactly what are the three phases doing?"
"...The Crown Prince? The older princes have all perished in the hot springs. Are we going to appoint a baby as the Crown Prince?"
"The ruler is young and the country is in turmoil! The Great Zhou Dynasty is in grave danger!"
People were filled with anxiety and unease, and the atmosphere in the capital plummeted to its lowest point.
At that very moment, the deposed crown prince Helian Jue descended from the sky.
Even ordinary people who know nothing about the world feel as if they have found a pillar of support when they see the wise and powerful Helian Jue.
At first, when the crowd was shouting, they were saying something about "the deposed crown prince".
But as they kept calling him that, he became known as the "Crown Prince"!
The people Helian Jue left in the capital started to stir up trouble.
They left their homes, went out onto the street, and knelt down to worship the sky.
He even shouted, "Long live the Crown Prince! Long live His Highness the Crown Prince!"
People have a herd mentality.
Once someone shouted this, other people followed suit.
Helian Jue stood in the basket, looking down at the streets of the capital. He saw more and more people coming out of their homes and kneeling in the streets.
The thunderous shouts brought Helian Jue back to the feeling of supreme honor, second only to the emperor.
I'm back!
...
Following the wind, the hot air balloon slowly drifted over Beijing and disappeared from everyone's sight.
The people's cries did not subside.
Even the officials and constables left behind in various government offices couldn't help but kneel down.
As for the guards on the city wall, they were all stunned when they saw the large sphere.
The people knelt down, and they knelt down as well.
The people shouted "Long live the Crown Prince!" and they joined in.
Among the guards were some of Helian Jue's men, who, seeing this situation, seized the opportunity to hide in the crowd and incite unrest.
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