palace coup
In the days that followed, the group was extra busy.
Along the way, they passed through dense forests where black crows gnawed at flesh and blood, climbed over high mountains where the roots and flesh of vegetation had been plundered, stepped into streams where blood mist rose and corpses floated by, walked through dilapidated and deserted villages and alleys, and saw the city buildings that had lost their prosperity.
The closer they got to the capital, the more visible changes in the world became like a death warrant, telling them the limits of dynastic change.
By the end, they were moving at a speed that could be called a march to the battlefield.
Ten days merged into five, three into one, working day and night without a break, racing against time to catch the opportunity to change the situation.
The fireflies in the dark night are like the most ethereal hopes, giving passers-by temporary comfort.
When surrounded by the fireflies, Song Tiaotiao tightly grasped the reins with her knuckles, and finally couldn't help but raise her hand slightly, but as expected, she still passed by the fluorescent light.
She felt a surge of regret in her heart, but she had no reason to worry about it. She quietly suppressed her loss and continued riding forward.
Time passed quickly, and they had arrived at the border of the capital without realizing it while riding non-stop.
At the foot of the city gate, Song Tiaotiao dismounted from his horse in a hidden place and looked up at the city gate in front of him.
This city gate seemed even more majestic and towering than it had been on the day of his exile. Now, it seemed to reach the heavens, towering above, surveying the world from above.
And towering above it seemed no longer the pavilions, towers, and gilded splendor of the city's envied and praised by the world. Instead, there were only the slowly rising Kongming lanterns and a bright, full moon.
The bright moon before my eyes is as bright as yesterday, seemingly unchanged. But what about the people and things behind the city gate?
As more and more Kongming lanterns appeared, like a thriving star, Song Tiaotiao finally felt a sense of participation in the festival.
Tonight is the Mid-Autumn Festival.
According to custom, the curfew is lifted at night and people enjoy themselves together.
And the turning point they have been waiting for for a long time will come tonight.
Thinking of this, Song Tiaotiao looked back.
Right now, behind her, only Gu Chengjue and Song Zhaozhao, who had changed their disguise, were still in the open. The rest...
Qin Xing led the troops and waited for the opportunity, while Chen Pinglang disguised himself and sneaked into the capital to meet up with the insider and open up various routes. As for Zhao Ling and his two grandchildren, they were secretly protected by people sent by the Zhenbei Prince when they passed through the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion.
The secret guards who followed along the way each carried out the tasks assigned by their masters, hiding in the dark night and providing silent watchover.
While waiting silently, Song Tiaotiao held the anesthetic needle in her hand and repeatedly practiced the quick and accurate insertion in the air.
"Song Tiaotiao, aren't you tired? It's been a long time since you had a good rest. You finally get a chance to catch your breath, but you still don't stop at all. I feel tired just looking at you..." Song Zhaozhao murmured to himself, holding food in his hands.
Song Tiaotiao stared at the needle with sparkling eyes, her hands moving without stopping: "Life is unpredictable and ever-changing. It's better to have one more way to protect yourself just in case."
Hearing this, Gu Chengjue's eyes flickered slightly, and he held Song Tiaotiao in his arms a little tighter. Song Tiaotiao was concentrating on practicing acupuncture, and for a moment she was completely unaware of such a small movement. She only felt that the small heating pad on her back was softer and more relaxed.
At that moment, the sound of flapping wings came from the air.
In a moment, the gray pigeon with eyes as red as agate had silently settled on Gu Chengjue's shoulder. Seeing Song Tiaotiao, it tilted its head slightly, then stretched out its arms and raised its ankles, revealing a small paper scroll.
Song Tiaotiao glanced at the scroll that was so close to her, and even her breathing stopped for a moment due to nervousness.
Then, her eyes briefly met Gu Chengjue's.
Perhaps because the night was too dark, she felt that Gu Chengjue's eyes were deep from the outside tonight. Just like the all-encompassing night, seemingly only vast and dark, but within it, countless mysteries that are worth exploring are hidden.
Then, Gu Chengjue picked up the scroll with his bony fingers and gently unfolded it.
There were only a few words on the scroll. Any ordinary person who picked it up might only guess that it was a common greeting from an alien race.
But those who can understand it can clearly see from it the unpredictable situation that is enough to overthrow the dynasty.
Gu Chengjue was no exception. However, his expression was calm, with only a slight ripple.
His mind drifted through that brief moment, like a passing wind, sweeping away all his emotions.
When he looked into Song Tiaotiao's eyes again, his eyes were light and he gently rested his chin on Song Tiaotiao's shoulder and murmured, "Tiaotiao, tonight, you are destined to stay awake." At this point, he whispered in Song Tiaotiao's ear, "The palace coup..."
Hearing this, Song Tiaotiao's eyes trembled, and she clenched her fists for a moment, then quietly released them when Gu Chengjue reluctantly peeled them off for her.
This day finally arrived.
After entering the city, they encountered this node.
"There's an order from above: curfew tonight! Listen up, everyone, curfew tonight!"
"Anyone still wandering the streets within one incense stick will be punished according to the law!"
Upon hearing the officers and soldiers' words, the originally bustling crowd fell silent in an instant.
But soon, both the vendors and the common people were at a loss for a moment because of this order. After hanging their heads and stamping their feet, they accepted their fate and went back to their homes. Only when they ran around privately, they complained continuously.
"What? The Mid-Autumn Festival night has just begun, and suddenly a curfew is announced! I've been waiting for my sweetheart for a long time."
"Don't even mention you. I even booked it ten days in advance just to try out the cooking skills of Shopkeeper An Rong. But I was kicked out the moment I walked in. The reason... I heard over there that someone in the palace has suddenly become seriously ill, and they're afraid we'll run into him."
"That's totally unrelated. We're just happy, how can we just..."
"Oh, please stop talking. The world is in chaos right now. Changes to the rules happen so often, and it's not the first or second time. We, the common people, can only suffer in silence. Speaking out... You've seen it too, not only the common people, but even the officials can't escape it. Right now, whether it's the prison in the sky or the dungeon in the ground, they're like a market, overcrowded."
"Hurry up! You're dawdling here, do you want to be beaten?"
After repeated begging for mercy, two figures hurried past at the entrance of the alley.
Behind them, the officer who had shouted at them watched them leave, then scanned the area to see if there was anyone around before pretending to turn around and headed into the dark alley.
The man narrowed his eyes slightly, looking down at a bluestone brick that looked different from the others. He squatted down and tapped out a rhythm. After a moment, the bluestone brick made a loose sound. He lifted the bluestone slab with one hand, looked at the three people below who were looking up, and whispered, "Let's go."
Beneath the bluestone bricks, there was a hidden world. They passed through a low, narrow tunnel, and finally, under the dim light of fires burning on both sides, they stepped into a spacious dark room.
After getting used to the dim light, Song Tiaotiao's eyes couldn't help but stare at a figure sitting in the corner with his head propped up.
In this dark room, the man's eyes were like the surface of water illuminated by moonlight, reflecting the ripples.
In silence, she looked at her. Song Tiaotiao heard a soft laugh, and then the sound of fire was heard. The four walls of the dark room projected a slender silhouette, reflecting the woman's true appearance.
"You're finally back, Tiaotiao."
Song Tiaotiao's eyes flickered as she looked at the beautiful woman in front of her, whose appearance and behavior were the same as before, and called out in a trembling voice, "Madam An..."
Madam An lowered her eyes as she stepped forward, raising her delicate hand to smooth her hair. "My dear child, we've been apart for so long, but I can't say much right now. I've come here to offer you some support." She slipped her hand into her sleeve and pulled out a book. "This is the record I've made of Li Huan's crimes over the years, as well as everything committed by his cronies... Everything I've written down, with witnesses and evidence, is indisputable."
After she finished speaking, she saw Song Tiaotiao throwing herself into her arms childishly like she did in her childhood. A faint smile gently rose at the corner of her lips and she hugged her back: "These, when swords flash and swords play, I guess they won't be useful for the time being, but when it comes to killing them, it will ultimately be a reassurance that you have a legitimate reason."
Song Tiaotiao's almond-shaped eyes sparkled with tears. She nodded and took the book from her hands with both hands: "Thank you, Madam An, for taking the trouble for me."
An Rong patted her back gently, then took her hand and walked towards the front. "Good girl, I've taken you through this secret passage many times before. Now, I'll take you through it again." She glanced at the three people behind Song Tiaotiao, each with a different expression, and said, "Let's go, Song Lingshan. I'll wait for you at the exit."
Every time this tunnel passes through a dark room, there are four possible passages, and there are countless such dark rooms inside.
If someone stumbled into it, they would likely walk for three days and three nights and still end up going in circles. However, if one memorized the tunnel route, they would find it connected in all directions, allowing them to traverse the entire capital at will, even reaching the imperial palace.
But the road leading to the palace became more and more dangerous as you went deeper and deeper, like walking through a bloody mouth.
There were countless hidden arrows flying across the cheek from time to time, knives and chopping boards passing by the feet from nowhere... and so on.
This is under the leadership of An Rong.
However, this was a close call, and considering the time they took, it was actually much shorter than the usual time to enter the palace.
When the last stone gate in the tunnel slowly opened.
The candlelight shining all around, like the sudden burst of light from the sky, illuminated Song Tiaotiao and his group, and also illuminated the tall and straight pine-like figure in front of them.
"You came quite quickly." After saying that, the man standing with his hands behind his back slowly turned around.
Song Tiaotiao stared at the familiar figure, feeling a pang of sadness in her heart.
Song Lingshan's posture and demeanor were still as tall and sharp as before, but his cold and sharp eyes briefly revealed a look of longing and guilt as he lingered over Song Tiaotiao.
“Daddy!”
The word "Daddy" was not called by Song Tiaotiao.
Song Zhaozhao's aggrieved call passed by Song Tiaotiao's ears. Then came the sound of brisk footsteps, and then the muffled sound of someone being taken into her arms.
Song Tiaotiao watched the scene of loving father and filial daughter before her, but her mind was still recalling the shame on Song Lingshan's face when he looked at her. She opened and closed her lips several times, then lowered her eyes and said nothing.
Now, what should she call Song Lingshan?
She had called him "Daddy" since she was little. And the fatherly love she had missed out on in two lifetimes was also found in Song Lingshan...
During this brief moment of hesitation, a broad hand patted the top of her head. Song Tiaotiao, feeling the familiar comfort, finally couldn't hold back the tears. She looked up at Song Lingshan, who called out to her in a trembling voice, "Tiaotiao, if you still want, you will always be my, Song Lingshan's, daughter. Previously, I failed to protect you, a complete dereliction of duty. Now, this time, Daddy will definitely protect you..."
Hearing this, Song Tiaotiao's eyes trembled and he called out in a low voice: "Daddy..."
An Rong, who was standing behind her, glanced at Song Lingshan calmly and said, "Song Lingshan, I hope you can keep your word this time."
Song Lingshan nodded towards her, pulled out a roll of pale gold brocade stained with blood from his bosom, and said in a deep voice, "I have obtained His Majesty's blood edict."
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