Chapter 140 Exchange 2 The two of them seem to be competing with each other again...
Fang Yicheng rushed back to Huayang Palace just before the palace gate was locked.
As he walked up the steps in front of the hall, he saw Su He standing in the corridor. He stopped abruptly and murmured, "Young lady... why don't you come into the hall and rest?"
Su He was dressed in casual clothes with her hair half tied up in a bun. Under the dim light of the palace lanterns, she looked even more relaxed and lazy, and even had a hint of lingering ambiguity.
She said calmly, "I ate a lot for dinner, and I want to take a walk outside to help digest it."
Then he asked, "Why did Yicheng return to the palace just now?"
Fang Yicheng bowed his head and replied, "I wasted a lot of time walking around Tongtian Terrace."
Su He asked again: "Are you familiar with the surroundings?"
He replied, "Don't worry, girl. I'm familiar with everything."
Su He smiled and said, "You've worked hard. You should go back to your room and rest early."
Fang Yicheng replied "OK" and then turned around and went back to the house.
He never met her eyes from beginning to end.
Su He looked at his back in the night, feeling inexplicably uneasy.
The night deepened, and the lights in the city went out one by one.
There was no wind, no moon, no sound, and only the sound of the night watchman's clappers could be heard from deep in the streets.
An undercurrent surges wildly in invisible corners, seemingly ready to turn this peaceful world upside down.
The next day, Su He got up at dawn and washed and changed his clothes.
She ordered Zhang Xiuhua, "Aunt, please bring me my bracelet."
Zhang Xiuhua paused, "Princess, are you going to use that bracelet against Bai Jinan?"
Su He shook his head: "Bai Jinan's poison skills are far superior to mine, how could he be subdued by my small bracelet? I was just preparing for any unexpected situation."
Zhang Xiuhua nodded hurriedly, "Princess, you're right. I'm just worried something might happen." She turned and took out the bracelet from the hidden drawer nearby. "What kind of poison powder is in there?" she asked.
Su He replied, "Now that we have avenged our great hatred, there is no need to take anyone else's life. Just use the drug powder."
Zhang Xiuhua nodded, prepared the medicine powder for her and put the bracelet on her.
In just a moment, Fang Yicheng had packed up and was standing guard outside the inner hall door.
Su He reminded him, "When the guard of honor stops at the foot of the Tongtian Terrace, you will go and stand guard beside Bai Jinan's sedan chair. When he gets off, you will lead him to my room in the palace."
Fang Yicheng nodded: "Princess, don't worry."
Su He nodded slightly and then walked out of Huayang Palace.
At this time in Weiyang Palace.
Wang Xing'er helped Bai Jin'an put on the big fur crown and wanted to tie the artificial arm on him again.
Bai Jinan refused bluntly: "No thanks."
Wang Xing'er looked worried: "What if the Queen finds out..."
Bai Jinan's face turned slightly cold: "What happens today is no longer up to her."
Wang Xinger lowered his head and replied "yes".
Bai Jinan walked slowly to the palace entrance with his left sleeve empty.
Fang Yushan was waiting at the door with a sword in hand.
Bai Jinan patted Fang Yushan's arm with his remaining right hand and said, "Today's matter depends entirely on you, sir."
Fang Yushan replied solemnly: "Your Majesty, rest assured, we will be victorious today."
A gleam of light flashed in Bai Jinan's old eyes, and he said "Okay" in a deep voice.
In Changle Palace, Concubine Shu had also packed everything.
Chuanzi hurried into the palace: "Your Majesty, the people from Weiyang Palace have already set off."
Concubine Shu asked, "What about the Second Prince?"
Chuanzi replied, "The Second Prince is already waiting outside the palace."
Concubine Shu's expression relaxed: "Let him in."
Chuanzi replied "yes" and turned around to report.
A moment later, the Second Prince, Zhao Bo, entered the palace. "It's time to head to Tongtian Terrace. What does your mother want from me now?"
Concubine Shu smiled lovingly: "Nothing, mother just wanted to see Bo'er."
She looked at Zhao Bo, dressed in his imperial robes and looking so noble, and could not help but feel pleased: "This is what a prince of Liang should look like, and this is also what an emperor of Liang should look like."
Zhao Bo had been anxious and worried since he fell ill, and his temper had become much more irritable. He even lost some patience with Concubine Shu. He frowned slightly and said, "Mother, please keep your voice down. Don't let anyone catch you at the last moment."
Concubine Shu was nonchalant: "What are you afraid of? This is in Changle Palace."
Zhao Bo glanced warily outside the palace and asked in a low voice, "Does mother really think that Bai Jinan is trustworthy? If he does something unsettling in an occasion like today... we won't be able to handle it."
Concubine Shu sneered, "He's just an ant, one-armed, old, barely surviving. Even if he really has some plans, he won't be able to cause any trouble. Don't forget, everyone in this palace is ours."
Zhao Bo reminded again: "Besides Bai Jinan, there is also a Zhou family."
Concubine Shu was even more disdainful. "He's just a civil official. We have the Qianniu Guard and the twenty guards of the capital under our control. Why should we be afraid of him? Don't worry, Bo'er. Everything will be fine today."
Zhao Bo bowed his head and said, "Thank you, mother."
The mother and son then walked out of Changle Palace hand in hand and got on the sedan chair to leave the palace.
At this time, Zhou Ping of the Zhou family was ready to go.
Butler Shi Kai entered the room and reported, "Master, the young master claims to be going to the Crown Prince's enthronement ceremony as well. Do you think... should he go with you?"
The young master is none other than Zhou Yuanzhang, the only remaining heir of the Zhou family.
Zhou Ping refused without hesitation: "The situation today is dangerous, and Zhang'er cannot be involved in it."
Shi Kai looked embarrassed: "But the young master doesn't listen to advice."
Zhou Ping's expression turned a bit more ruthless: "Put some knockout drug in his morning tea and let him sleep in the mansion today."
Shi Kai bowed his head and replied "yes", but he was still worried at the end: "That Concubine Shu has the Qianniu Guard and the Twelve Guards of the Capital under her control. Master, you must be careful today."
Zhou Ping sneered: "I have an army under my command, so why would I be afraid of a few of her guards?"
Shi Kai replied respectfully, "This old servant is waiting for the master's safe return."
Zhou Ping said "hmm", strode out of the house, and got on the carriage leaving the mansion.
At this time, it was the Xie family mansion.
Xie Wuhen had changed into a black suit, with a long sword hanging from his waist, and he looked very imposing.
Wu Sheng asked, "Boss, are you really not going to the Meridian Gate?"
Xie Wuhen replied: "I'm not going."
Wu Sheng stammered, "What if the emperor blames me..."
He interrupted coldly: "There is no emperor, that's just Bai Jinan."
Then he ordered: "You must follow the guard of honor secretly and protect the princess's safety."
Wu Sheng lowered his head and replied "yes".
Xie Wuhen stopped talking nonsense, strode out of the house, and flew to the foot of the West Mountain outside the city.
At the foot of Xishan Mountain, the border generals and soldiers led by Zhou Cheng were ready for battle at any time.
At this time, the guard of honor was already waiting in front of the Meridian Gate.
The sun was covered with banners and the sky was filled with canopies. Ministers stood in rows according to their official ranks. Palace servants were playing musical instruments or holding pots and umbrellas, and they lined up like a long dragon on the street in front of the palace gate.
Today is the important event of enthroning the crown prince. It involves the court and concerns the country, so it naturally needs to be grand and grand to enhance the country's prestige.
The emperor arrived early, sitting in his special sedan chair with a curtain.
In just a cup of tea, Concubine Shu and the Second Prince arrived and sat in their respective sedan chairs.
Su He and the other two concubines also sat in their respective seats.
She even looked around a few times, but found no trace of Xie Wuhen.
When everyone is ready, the trumpets sound, and the sound shakes the sky.
The eunuch shouted "Move on!" and the ceremonial guard proceeded in a mighty procession towards the Tongtian Terrace outside the palace.
An hour later, the guard of honor arrived safely at the foot of Tongtian Terrace.
It was already daybreak, with drums and music blaring everywhere, creating a grand spectacle.
Two palace maids came to greet Su He from the sedan chair.
When Su He got off the sedan chair, she winked at Fang Yicheng who was standing beside her. Fang Yicheng understood and turned around to wait beside Bai Jinan's sedan chair.
Su He was led by a palace maid to a hall in the palace.
The hall was equipped with the formal dress that the emperor was going to change into, clean water and soap for washing his face and hands, as well as towels for wiping his hands and face. In the middle of the hall was a standing bronze mirror that could reflect a person from head to toe.
Su He dismissed the palace maids and began to wait for Bai Jinan to appear.
While waiting, she even went to the door to look at the lock on the door. The lock matched the copper lock that Xie Wuhen gave her.
It seems that he had visited this place before and prepared this copper lock in advance.
From outside the palace came the deafening sound of trumpets again, followed by the blast of drums and music, and then the eunuchs' long chant: "The Emperor enters the palace—"
Su He breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that Bai Jinan would be here soon.
She stood up and walked to the palace gate, making a gesture to welcome the emperor.
But after waiting at the temple gate for about two quarters of an hour, Bai Jinan did not appear.
The place where the honor guard stayed was not far from the palace, and even at a slow speed, it could be reached in at most a quarter of an hour.
She felt vaguely uneasy and immediately went to ask the palace maid standing in the corridor: "Have you seen the emperor pass by?"
The maidservant lowered her head and replied, "Princess, I have never seen the Emperor."
She asked several palace maids in succession, and they all gave the same answer.
In other words, Bai Jinan didn't come towards her at all after getting off the sedan chair.
She knew something was amiss and hurried back to the guard's station to ask a eunuch in charge. The eunuch hesitated for a moment, then frankly replied, "When the emperor left his carriage... he said... the ceremony would be simple, and the princess wouldn't need to attend to him."
She asked, "Where is the emperor?"
The eunuch replied, "The emperor went to Zhaoyu Palace."
"Where is Zhaoyu Palace?"
The eunuch pointed in the direction of Tongtian Terrace and said, "Zhaoyu Palace is the palace closest to Tongtian Terrace. When the auspicious time arrives, the Emperor can go straight to Tongtian Terrace from the palace."
Su He said "thank you" and turned to find Bai Jinan.
Today's occasion is very important, she must not let Bai Jinan appear in public.
She walked through the winding corridor and quickly found Zhaoyu Palace according to the general direction.
At that time, Fang Yicheng had just settled Bai Jinan and was about to leave the hall. When he saw Su He appear, he hurriedly closed the door behind him.
Su He looked at the closed door, then looked at Fang Yicheng: "What exactly is going on?"
The light under the porch was a little dim, but it could not hide the helplessness, embarrassment, and cowardice on Fang Yichen's face.
He avoided Su He's gaze and whispered back, "The emperor insisted on not going... I have no choice but to go to the palace where the girl is."
Su He reminded coldly: "He is not the emperor, he is Bai Jinan!"
Fang Yicheng lowered his head and replied, "Miss, you are right."
She took a step closer to him: "Yicheng, raise your head and look into my eyes when you speak."
Fang Yicheng then slowly raised his head and looked at Su He.
The moment their eyes met, she clearly saw the evasion and embarrassment in his eyes.
She understood immediately, and she also understood why she felt uneasy when she saw his back last night. It was because her intuition had always been sharp!
She asked directly: "Bai Jinan promised you a high position and wealth, right?"
He paused, lowered his eyes, and avoided her sight again.
After a moment, he finally mustered up the courage, raised his head, and whispered, "Don't worry, young lady. I will never let Bai Jinan hurt you."
Su He sneered: "Hurt? Don't forget, he wanted to kill not only me but you as well."
Fang Yicheng defended himself vigorously, "Things are different now. After all, he's the ruler of a country now. Maybe I can gain some leverage for the girl in front of him..."
"You know very well that the real emperor is still alive."
"Without military power, it would be useless even if the emperor were still alive."
Su He felt that he was hopeless: "Given Bai Jinan's temperament, do you think he would be a good emperor?"
Fang Yicheng shook his head: "This is not important."
Su He shouted: "No, this is very important."
Fang Yicheng was startled by the harsh shout. He immediately glanced at the wooden door behind him and said, "Young lady, please keep your voice down. Don't let Bai Jinan hear you."
Su He smiled helplessly, tears welling in her eyes. "From the time Yicheng brought me to Fuzi Mountain to now when he followed me into the palace, we've gone through so many difficult times together. I thought the trust between us was unbreakable, but I never imagined... at this critical moment, Yicheng would actually betray me."
After she finished speaking, she waved her hand and sprinkled all the drug powder in the bracelet towards Fang Yicheng...
Fang Yicheng also showed an expression of disbelief the moment he inhaled the drug powder. He murmured "girl" and then fell to the ground.
Su He looked around and after making sure that no one noticed him, he quickly dragged the unconscious Fang Yicheng to a secluded corner and hid him.
At this time, Bai Jinan in the house seemed to have heard the noise outside.
He asked through the door: "Yicheng, what happened?"
Then he asked, "Yicheng, are you still outside?"
But Fang Yicheng had already fainted and no one answered him.
He stood up and walked outside, intending to open the door.
Su He reacted instantly and fastened the copper lock on the door in the blink of an eye.
Bai Jinan tried to pull the door open, but it wouldn't open. "Is Yicheng outside? Why can't the door be opened?"
Su He replied through the door: "The emperor is in poor health, you'd better rest in the house."
Bai Jinan instantly recognized Su He's voice and sneered, "It seems the princess has some plans today. Isn't the princess worried about missing the auspicious time for the canonization?"
Su He replied: "Isn't the Emperor worried too?"
Bai Jinan replied, "The princess may be young, but she has a keen eye."
He was naturally not worried about missing any auspicious time, as he had no intention of enthroning any prince today.
Today, he just wanted to use this important ceremony to announce to the outside world that Concubine Shu was so ambitious that she was willing to cut off one of the emperor's arms and force the emperor to issue a decree to appoint the second prince as the crown prince. This would surely arouse public outrage, and in this way, he would be able to bring down Concubine Shu and the second prince in one fell swoop.
He added, "If you miss the auspicious time, Princess, have you thought about how to explain it to Consort Shu?"
Su He replied, "Your Majesty, please do not worry about how I explain this."
He said calmly, "I only hope that the princess can get what she wants."
At this time on the Tongtian Terrace, Concubine Shu and Zhao Bo had been waiting for a long time, but Bai Jinan still did not show up.
Zhao Bo was already getting impatient: "If you don't come soon, the auspicious time will pass."
Concubine Shu comforted him: "Don't be anxious, Bo'er, wait a little longer."
Zhao Bo said angrily, "If Old Bai takes advantage of this opportunity to cause trouble, my son and I will be disappointed."
Concubine Shu gritted her teeth and said, "If he dares to do anything, I will immediately tear him into pieces."
Then he ordered the palace maid: "Go to the princess and ask if she has helped the emperor change his clothes and wash his face."
The palace maid replied "yes" and turned to leave.
After just two cups of tea, the maid hurried back: "Your Majesty, the palace where the princess is resting... is empty."
Concubine Shu paused: "What about the emperor?"
The palace maid replied, "I heard from the eunuch in charge that the emperor did not ask the princess to serve him and went directly to Zhaoyu Palace."
Zhao Bo's eyes flashed with anger, and he whispered, "Today is the crown prince's enthronement ceremony, and he actually broke the ancestral rules by not changing his clothes or washing his face. Does mother still think that this old man Bai wouldn't dare to cause trouble?"
Concubine Shu's expression turned cold. "Since he hasn't come yet, I will go to Zhaoyu Palace to fetch him myself." Then she instructed Fang Yushan beside her, "Commander Fang, please come with me."
If that old man Bai doesn't leave the palace, she will order the guards to drag him out of the palace. If he still doesn't understand, she will use his body to confer the title today and take his life tomorrow, and her son will ascend the throne the day after tomorrow.
Everything was planned by her, and she would not allow any mistakes to happen.
Fang Yushan clasped his fists and replied "Yes", then followed Concubine Shu.
The two of them walked down the steps of the Tongtian Terrace one after another and turned into the porch of the palace.
The porch was a secluded space, with no one else there except a few palace maids on duty.
Fang Yushan suddenly stepped forward and blocked the way before Concubine Shu: "Please stop, Your Majesty."
Concubine Shu paused and asked, "What does Commander Fang mean?"
Fang Yushan answered confidently, "The Emperor is ill. Since he does not wish to ascend the Tongtian Terrace at this time, then let him rest in the palace. I hope Your Majesty will be considerate."
Concubine Shu stared at him intently: "Can you afford to miss the auspicious time for the crown prince's enthronement?"
Fang Yushan replied, "Whether it is an auspicious time or not is up to the Emperor to decide."
Concubine Shu was stunned for a moment, and suddenly realized that the Commander Fang in front of her was Bai Jinan's man.
But she couldn't say it openly, otherwise how could a prince appointed by a fake emperor convince the people?
She sneered: "It seems that Commander Fang is loyal to the emperor."
Fang Yushan sneered, "Not only am I loyal to the Emperor, I also seek revenge for my fiancée, who was murdered by the Second Prince two years ago."
He uttered the word "revenge" with gritted teeth.
Concubine Shu took two steps back: "Commander Fang, are you planning a rebellion?"
Fang Yushan gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist and said, "It should be the Empress and the Second Prince who are plotting rebellion, right?"
Concubine Shu shouted towards the stairs behind her: "Someone come and capture Fang Yushan." After that, she turned around and ran towards the Tongtian Terrace behind her.
Zhao Bo on Tongtian Terrace heard the noise and immediately sent twelve guards to capture Fang Yushan.
The Qianniu Guards under Fang Yushan were naturally not pushovers either. They quickly deployed their forces and launched a counterattack, and for a while the two sides were fighting in chaos.
The ceremony site carefully arranged by the officials of the Ministry of Rites was instantly thrown into chaos. Some floors on the platform collapsed, some colorful sails were torn down, and even the carpet on the ground was cut into pieces by swords and knives.
The Minister of Rites, who was already old, cried out in a sobbing voice on the high platform: "These ancestors, these ancestors..."
At this time, outside Zhaoyu Palace, a palace maid hurriedly came to report: "Princess, it's bad, it's bad, there's a fight on Tongtian Terrace, or... or quickly ask the emperor to come out and stop it..."
Su He smiled slightly: "If there is a fight, there will be bloodshed. For the sake of the emperor's safety, he must not be allowed to leave the palace."
When the palace maid heard this, she thought it made sense and stopped talking.
The two sides were fighting fiercely on the Tongtian Terrace, with blood splattered everywhere and corpses strewn all over the ground.
But the number of the Thousand Bull Guards was ultimately no match for the Twelve Guards of the Capital. After half an hour, most of the Thousand Bull Guards were killed or wounded. Even Fang Yushan was captured and brought before Concubine Shu and the Second Prince.
After the shock, Concubine Shu's hair was disheveled and she looked disheveled, but she still pretended to be calm.
She announced to the court officials below the Tongtian Terrace, "Qianniu Guard Commander Fang Yushan has committed treason and is being taken to the Ministry of Justice. His accomplices will be found and punished accordingly."
The ministers below the stage were all terrified by this turmoil.
Some officials found it incredulous: "Commander Fang has always performed his duties diligently and conscientiously, so why would he plot treason... Is there some misunderstanding here?"
Some officials were still asking, "Such a big mistake has happened today, why hasn't the emperor shown up yet?"
Another courtier murmured, "Ever since the Emperor fell ill, the palace has been controlled by Consort Shu and the Second Prince. Could it be that... the Emperor is being held hostage by them?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the ministers became even more frightened.
A brave minister stepped forward and asked loudly, "Excuse me, Your Majesty, where has the Emperor gone?"
Before Concubine Shu could respond, Zhao Bo interrupted, "The Emperor is ill and resting in the palace. What's the matter? Do you want to disturb him?"
The minister replied, "I have no intention of bothering Your Majesty. I am simply concerned... the auspicious time has passed, and I wonder if the enthronement ceremony should continue."
Zhao Bo sneered, "I've long been crowned Crown Prince by my father's decree. Whether or not this enthronement ceremony takes place is unimportant. What matters is that I vow to take the head of the traitor Fang Yushan today as a warning to others." He quickly drew a long sword from the guard's waist and slashed fiercely at Fang Yushan's neck...
Just as the blade was about to chop off Fang Yushan's head, suddenly there was a crisp "bang" sound, and a stone flew through the air and hit the blade of the long sword.
Although the stone was small, it was extremely powerful, causing Zhao Bo's arm to go limp and he dropped the knife in his hand without warning.
He was furious and looked forward: "Who is so bold as to attack this prince?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Shangshu Ling Zhou Ping appeared in the open space under Tongtian Terrace.
Behind him was a group of armored soldiers, led by his nephew Zhou Cheng.
Zhou Ping spoke sternly, "The Concubine Shu and the Second Prince have coerced the Emperor and disrupted the government. Now, they have forged an imperial edict and are plotting treason. As veteran officials of both dynasties, we swear today to eradicate the evil, eliminate corruption, and uphold justice."
Zhou Cheng took over the conversation: "I am a frontier garrison commander. I recently received an order from the Minister of State to go to the capital to defend the emperor. My men, take down these traitors who are plotting rebellion."
The soldiers responded "yes" in unison, leaping forward and starting to fight.
Amidst the flashing swords and shadows, Concubine Shu shouted, "Zhou Ping, you are so brave."
Zhao Bo also loudly announced: "Whoever captures Zhou Ping will be rewarded with 10,000 taels of gold."
The Tongtian Terrace, which had just been quiet, became bloody again. Shouts, screams, and wails were intertwined, sweat, blood, and tears reflected each other, civil officials fled in all directions, palace servants hid everywhere, and under the bloody morning sun, blood flowed like a river.
After more than an hour of fighting, most of the Twelve Guards of the Capital were killed or wounded, and there were more bloody corpses on the ground.
The Concubine Shu and the Second Prince who tried to escape were captured by Zhou Cheng's soldiers and taken to the high Tongtian Terrace again, where they stood together with Fang Yushan who had been captured before.
The mother and son were extremely embarrassed and angry.
Concubine Shu asked, "How dare you, Zhou Ping, to usurp the throne!"
Zhou Ping retorted, "You are the one who wants to seize power and usurp the throne. Fang Yushan is the witness."
Fang Yushan was being held down by the soldiers. He struggled a few times when he heard this, but it was of no avail.
Concubine Shu gritted her teeth and said, "This is the Zhao family's kingdom. My son is the crown prince that the emperor relies on the most. How can he be accused of plotting to usurp the throne?"
Zhou Ping sneered: "I'm afraid the position of Crown Prince is not legitimate."
Zhao Bo shouted at the side, "Whether the crown prince's position is legitimate is a matter for our royal family. What does it have to do with you, an outsider?"
Zhou Ping stepped forward and approached Zhao Bo: "I am a veteran of two dynasties. The development of Liang State is due to my contribution, and I also have a say in the affairs of state."
Zhao Bo stared at him, emphasizing each word. "My father has only two princes, this prince and the fifth prince. The fifth prince is just a child. No matter what, the position of crown prince belongs to me."
Zhou Ping laughed heartily: "Second Prince, you're joking. There are many candidates for the crown prince among the Zhao family."
Zhao Bo was so angry that he trembled: "You want to use the emperor to control the world?"
Zhou Ping replied: "I am only trying to open up the Second Prince's mind."
At this time, the civil officials who had fled in all directions gathered again under the Tongtian Terrace.
Liu Qinian was the first to speak up and agree: "The Minister of the Chancellery is right. If the Emperor is not well, we must choose a virtuous person from among the Zhao family to be the successor."
He has always been aware of the current situation. Now that Concubine Shu has lost her power, he naturally has to quickly choose a side.
The court officials who had close contacts with Zhou Ping also expressed their support.
For a moment, everyone in the Tongtiantai Terrace shouted, "Your Excellency, the Minister is wise. Please reopen the discussion on the succession."
Concubine Shu was furious: "Are you crazy? Do you all want to rebel?"
Zhou Ping stroked his beard and smiled, whispering, "My Lady, the victors are the kings and the losers are the bandits. Just admit defeat."
Just as he finished speaking, a deep voice pierced the air, "The matter of appointing a crown prince was once the Emperor's decision. When did it become the Zhou Lord's decision?"
The air suddenly became quiet for a moment.
Everyone looked towards the open space behind them following the sound and saw Xie Wuhen dressed in tight clothes, holding a long sword, striding majestically towards the direction of Tongtiantai.
He raised his eyes to look at Zhou Ping on the high platform: "Master Zhou's evil ambition is now clearly revealed."
Zhou Ping looked at Xie Wuhen in the audience with disdain.
Ever since he ruined the last marriage with the Li family, he and the Li family had a permanent grudge against each other. Even though he occasionally responded to them on the surface, he was still unhappy in his heart.
He sneered, "Thank you, sir, for your courage to stand up to me single-handedly."
Xie Wuhen's eyelashes fluttered, and his excellent bone structure became even more noble and imposing.
He also smiled: "How can Lord Zhou be so sure that I am traveling alone?"
Zhou Ping glanced at the empty space behind him and said, "Master Xie is just a small-time Dali Temple official, and now he has learned to bluff?"
He then ordered sternly, "Come here, arrest this Dali Temple Shaoqing who is plotting to commit treason and insubordination."
But his words seemed to fall on deaf ears, and no one took any action.
Zhou Cheng, who was standing beside him, was also a little surprised. He solemnly ordered his deputy general, "Act quickly according to the Shangshu Ling's order."
Deputy General Hu Xu turned a deaf ear to his words and ignored him.
Zhou Cheng was a little annoyed: "What's wrong with you?"
Hu Xu's expression remained unchanged: "Don't be impatient, General. Wait a little longer."
But a moment later, Xie Wuhen also shouted: "Where is the Chengde Army?"
Upon hearing this, Hu Xu strode forward and replied solemnly, "I'm here."
The generals and soldiers from various frontiers who had come from afar also responded in unison: "I am here."
The cry of "I am here" shook the world with its awe-inspiring voice, recreating the might of the Chengde Army back then, surprising and moving everyone present.
After all, since Prince Zhao Chengde was imprisoned, the border garrison commanders were replaced, and the three words "Chengde Army" also disappeared over the long years.
When I hear it now, it seems like the past is happening again.
Zhou Ping was shocked. This was clearly the army led by his nephew Zhou Cheng, so why did they suddenly change their attitude? He turned to Zhou Cheng and asked, "What's going on?"
Zhou Cheng was also confused and turned to look at Hu Xu: "Deputy General Hu, what happened to you?"
Hu Xu stood on the podium with his head held high and chest puffed out, ignoring him.
At this time, Xie Wuhen once again ordered in a stern voice: "Zhou Ping and Zhou Cheng are colluding with each other to commit evil, arrest them immediately."
Hu Xu answered "yes" loudly, and then winked at several deputies. However, in the blink of an eye, Zhou Ping and Zhou Cheng were captured by the Chengde army and pressed down on the platform.
Things took a sudden turn for the worse and everyone was unable to react in time.
Aren’t the border soldiers Zhou Ping’s men? How come they suddenly became Xie Wuhen’s men?
Even Liu Qinian, the Minister of the Dali Temple, was at a loss. He was Xie Wuhen's superior, yet he was kept in the dark about everything.
He was a little annoyed for a moment and was about to step forward to question him, but he saw Xie Wuhen continue to loudly announce: "Your Majesty is welcome to ascend the Tongtian Terrace."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the emperor wearing a dragon robe walking slowly on the open space below the stage, followed by his personal eunuch Zhao Fu.
Zhao Fu flicked his Buddhist whisk and shouted, "The Emperor has arrived, why don't you quickly pay your respects?"
Everyone finally reacted and knelt down in greeting.
At this moment, Concubine Shu on the stage saw the emperor and his intact left arm, and she shrank back in fear.
Zhao Bo's eyes widened, and he was so shocked that he couldn't speak.
Zhou Ping closed his eyes and sighed deeply.
The winner is the king and the loser is the bandit. His Zhou family is completely finished.
He taunted Concubine Shu in a low voice: "Didn't you all keep saying that the Emperor was ill? Now that the Emperor is in good health, do you have anything to say?"
It was precisely because he was convinced that the emperor was ill and even suspected that the emperor was on his deathbed that he took this risky move today, but he did not expect to end up in complete failure.
At this moment, Concubine Shu was trembling and crying, and she didn't care about anyone else.
The emperor had walked across the open space under the Tongtian Terrace and arrived in front of his ministers.
He looked around and saw blood flowing like a river and corpses scattered all over the ground. A bitter feeling came over him. This land of power was like an arena, built with countless lives and blood, year after year, and there was no way to stop it or prevent it.
He ordered in a deep voice: "My dear ministers, please stand up."
The ministers shouted, "Long live the emperor!" and then they all stood up.
The shouts of "Long live" were carried by the wind, drifted into Su He's ears, and also drifted into the hall where Bai Jinan was.
Su He felt relieved, knowing that it was done.
Bai Jinan, who was inside the hall, felt a sinking feeling in his heart. He asked Wang Xing'er, "Did you just hear the shouts of 'Long live the emperor' outside the hall?"
Wang Xinger was stunned. "It seems so... but I can't quite hear it."
Finally, he asked, "Your Majesty, do you mean... that another emperor has appeared?"
Bai Jinan's face turned cold instantly. If the real emperor showed up, where would he be able to stay?
He hurriedly stood up and tried to open the door, but it wouldn't open. It only made a series of "bang bang" sounds.
He asked in a deep voice, "Does Princess think that this palace door alone can lock me up?"
Su He replied through the door: "Isn't the emperor staying behind this door until now?"
Bai Jinan snorted coldly: "Do you think I have been imprisoned until now?"
Then he lowered his voice and said, "To be honest, I am just waiting for the right time to show myself."
Su He smiled and said, "Senior Bai may not be able to wait for that opportunity, because the real emperor has already appeared."
Bai Jinan anxiously began to bang on the palace door: "Princess, if you know what's good for you, please open the door quickly."
Su He replied, "Senior Bai, please be patient and wait a little longer. After all, if two emperors appear in front of everyone at the same time, it will not be a good thing for everyone."
Bai Jinan softened his tone, "If Princess is willing to open the palace door, I will give her the other half of the antidote to the Heart-Eating Flower poison."
Su He was unmoved: "Do you think I will still believe you?"
Bai Jinan said, "If you don't believe me, you will die."
Su He replied: "Even if I die, I will never trust you again."
She wanted to live, but she would never cause trouble in the court just to survive, and she would never let two emperors appear in front of the public at the same time, causing unrest in the country.
Bai Jinan lost his patience and was using his internal energy to hit the door.
After losing one of his arms, he had almost lost all his strength, and his body was now at the end of its strength.
Seeing him like this, Wang Xing'er was terrified and said, "Your Majesty, your health is most important... Don't hurt yourself."
Bai Jinan ordered in a deep voice: "Come and help quickly."
Wang Xinger hurried forward and knocked on the door together with Bai Jinan.
The door clanged loudly, and the copper lock also trembled.
Su He was a little anxious, fearing that they would break out, but at this moment everyone under the Tongtian Terrace was paying homage to the real emperor, so she didn't want to make a big noise and let people know of Bai Jinan's existence.
She was thinking about what tool to use to block the door when suddenly there was a loud "bang" and the door of the hall suddenly opened. Bai Jinan jumped out of the hall at lightning speed and held a dagger against Su He's neck.
Everything happened so fast that Su He couldn't react in time.
Even Wang Xing'er didn't know what was going on. He stood blankly in the hall, not knowing whether to go forward or retreat.
Su He remained calm: "The situation is settled now. What's the point of Senior Bai holding me hostage?"
Bai Jinan gritted his teeth and wrapped one hand around her neck. Even with one hand, it was still strong enough for a trained martial artist. He said, "You are a noble princess. Using your life to threaten Zhao Chengye is still somewhat useful."
Su He replied, "I was born outside the palace and never spent a single day with him. Our relationship is naturally distant and emotionally distant. Why would he accept your threats?"
Bai Jinan was unwilling to give up: "How can we know that he is not threatened if we don't try?" As he said this, he forced her to go down to the porch. The stairs in front of the porch led directly to the rooftop.
Su He would never let Bai Jinan appear in Tongtiantai.
She quickly took out the signal tube from her sleeve and pressed it lightly. The signal flare in the tube rushed into the sky with a "whoosh" sound, and then exploded with a "bang".
This was the signal tube Xie Wuhen gave her, and it came in handy at this moment.
Wu Sheng, who was guarding the base of Tongtian Terrace, saw the signal flare and rushed to the outside of Zhaoyu Palace at lightning speed, pointing his sword at Bai Jinan and saying, "If you want to survive, you'd better let the princess go immediately."
Bai Jinan's eyes were red and his face looked fierce.
He sneered, "I've met you before. You're one of the lackeys of the Shaoqing, aren't you?" He added, "This Shaoqing is genuinely devoted to the princess."
Wu Sheng gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. "Since you know Shao Qing's feelings for the princess, you also know the consequences of holding the princess hostage today."
There was a hint of gloom in Bai Jinan's eyes: "Now that we have come to this point, there is no reason for me to look back." After he said that, he dragged Su He towards Tongtiantai.
The force was so strong that Su He was almost suffocated by him.
Wu Sheng flew up and quickly blocked his way: "I say again, let the princess go immediately."
Bai Jinan sneered: "If you dare to take another step forward, I will take the princess's life now." As he said that, he increased the strength of the dagger in his hand.
The sharp blade of the dagger had already cut through the skin on Su He's neck, and blood was quietly oozing out.
Wu Sheng took a step back nervously: "You...you must not hurt the princess."
Su He comforted him: "Don't worry, Wu Sheng, I'm not afraid even if he hurts me."
Bai Jinan, who was at the end of his rope, was completely enraged. "You're not afraid, right? Very good."
He took a breath and said, "Since I can't walk out of this palace alive today, I will take someone with me to die with me." As he spoke, he raised the dagger and stabbed Su He's neck fiercely.
Just as the blade was about to touch the skin on Su He's neck, a stone also flew through the air and hit Bai Jinan's elbow with a "whoosh". Bai Jinan's body went limp and the dagger in his hand fell to the ground with a "bang".
Then a black shadow came from the sky, raised its long legs and kicked Bai Jinan's old face hard. Before Bai Jinan could see who the person was, he was kicked to the ground and died silently.
The person who came was Xie Wuhen.
His face was cold and murderous, like the devil who was taking lives.
The air was silent for a moment.
It took a while for Su He to come back to his senses, and he said "Thank you, sir" in shock.
If it weren't for him, she would have died just now.
His eyes were filled with concern: "Is the princess okay?"
Su He replied: "Don't worry, sir, I'm fine."
He breathed a sigh of relief and glanced at Wu Sheng coldly.
The meaning of this look is very clear, to put it bluntly, it means "what use are you to me?"
Wu Sheng couldn't help but shudder and murmured, "I did arrive as soon as possible, but...but Bai Jinan is really cunning."
He didn't bother to respond. He glanced at the trembling Wang Xing'er and ordered directly, "Take this man away." He also ordered, "Take off Bai Jin'an's dragon robe and drag him away. Remember, don't let anyone see his face."
Wu Sheng lowered his head and replied "yes", and immediately called several officers to deal with the scene.
He and she were alone on the porch.
He looked at her twice, and his gaze finally fell on her neck, where there were still a few traces of blood.
He said angrily, "Isn't the princess quite powerful? How did she end up like this?"
She heard the sarcasm in his words and couldn't help but reply: "Isn't the master also very powerful? Didn't he end up in prison?"
He replied, "My imprisonment was part of the plan."
She asked in return, "How do you know, sir, that being held hostage by Bai Jinan wasn't part of my plan?"
He choked and was speechless for a moment.
The two looked at each other solemnly, as if they were starting to compete with each other again.
The specific reason for the competition is unclear.
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