The weather was gloomy, and the north wind was raging. Beneath the high eaves of the imperial steps, the voices of the ministers were deafening, echoing over the layers of palace walls.
In the grand hall, Emperor Shen Yan was furious.
"I am the Son of Heaven. Whoever I choose to make empress will be the mother of the Great Jin Dynasty. Are you all planning a rebellion?"
When the emperor is angry, corpses will lie scattered for miles.
The new emperor was ruthless and came from a humble background, yet he managed to climb to the position of Grand Secretary through his own abilities. Moreover, he ascended the throne under the rule of aristocratic families, where there were no poor families among the upper ranks and no noble families among the lower ranks. His iron-fisted methods were obeyed by all, and the ministers were terrified.
But the cabinet ministers risked their lives to offer their advice.
"For the sake of peace and tranquility of the Great Jin Dynasty, I swear to speak the truth, even if it is unpleasant to hear it. Your Majesty wishes to establish a princess of the former dynasty as empress, and I dare not disobey. However, the imperial harem is short of offspring. Your Majesty should also select candidates to fill the harem after establishing an empress."
Some people started it, and others echoed it.
Shen Yan's expression softened slightly as he listened to the chatter of the officials below.
"This matter will be discussed again. An edict shall be issued to the Cabinet to confer the title of Empress, and all departments of the Imperial Observatory shall be ordered to prepare immediately."
The news that Shen Yan intended to make a princess of the former dynasty empress shocked the court and the public.
Upon hearing this, Chu Chang Le, who was in the inner palace, suddenly dropped the golden cup in her hand.
The palace maids around them exchanged glances, none of them daring to say a word.
The cold wind outside the window carried the fragrance of crabapple blossoms. Siqin ordered someone to clean the hall and served her a bowl of butter tea.
"Princess, these are refreshments presented as tribute by the Gaoche people. Please have some."
Chu Changle snapped out of her daze, ignored her, and slowly walked to the dressing table.
A beautiful young face was reflected in the yellowish mirror.
"Get out, everyone."
Siqin paused for a moment, then directed the people to leave.
The palace doors were closed, and the room fell silent.
Chu Changle took out a knife.
She looked at the person in the bronze mirror and brandished the knife.
She has never killed anyone, not even a chicken.
Her father had taught her how to hunt before, but she was too clumsy. Her older sister often mocked her, and even her younger brother was better than her. The rabbits she finally managed to hunt all escaped.
Later, Shen Yan taught her how to hunt and showed her how to kill with a single shot.
But he never taught her how to kill.
The knife pierced the flesh, and pain shot through the body.
With a clang, the knife hilt fell to the ground.
Hearing the commotion, the pianist outside rushed in with a start.
Chu Changle collapsed to the ground, blood streaming down her abdomen, her face deathly pale.
Siqin was terrified when she saw that she was about to push it in further, and she immediately stopped and shouted.
"Quickly, summon the imperial physician! Summon the imperial physician!"
The frost and snow on the tiles, passing over the layers of eaves, meanders throughout the entire palace hall.
Upon hearing the eunuch's words, Shen Yan's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly descended the long steps and headed towards Guangyang Palace.
The palace was filled with imperial physicians, and palace maids carried basin after basin of bloody water in and out.
When the people saw the emperor, they all bowed in greeting.
"how's it going?"
The imperial physician immediately knelt down, "Princess, the blade missed a vital spot, your life is temporarily out of danger."
As Shen Yan breathed a sigh of relief, anger surged within him, but he restrained himself from lashing out.
The moon shone through the window, and the palace fell silent.
The imperial physician waited outside the palace.
Shen Yan looked at the unconscious person on the bed and kicked Si Qin.
Who gave her the knife?
The palace maids inside were so frightened that they trembled and lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to utter a word.
Siqin's back was trembling, and blood was seeping from the corner of her mouth.
"This servant was unaware, please forgive me, Your Majesty."
"Drag him away."
Chu Changle was unconscious for several days. Her body was already weak, and although the knife wound was not fatal, it made her body feel like it was collapsing, and she was unable to wake up for a long time.
Shen Yan served her tirelessly for several days, even moving the processing of memorials to the study outside the palace.
She has lost a lot of weight.
The King of Qi is still unconscious, and the other princes are being held up in the capital, causing a disturbance.
Shen Yan was extremely busy. He heard that the war in Beiyou had been won and that the Prince of An's troops had come to the capital. So he secretly sent people to the thirteen capitals of Chaodong.
"Your Majesty, a secret letter from General Wei Wu."
Shen Yan took the secret letter and glanced at it casually.
"These generals from the thirteen capitals of the Eastern Kingdom were dissatisfied with Prince An, so General Weiwu hosted a banquet for them, and they all expressed their desire for peace."
What about Taiyuan?
Bai Xun said calmly, "The Prince of Qi is unconscious, and there is a hint of riots in Taiyuan. Moreover, the Li family of Longxi has been living in Taiyuan for a long time, and their interests are complicated by their connections. We cannot go against the powerful families."
Shen Yan pursed his lips and remained silent.
"The eight princes of the North are trapped in the palace. If this drags on any longer, there is a risk of major chaos."
"I believe that Prince Su, who is guarding the southern border, Prince Duan, Prince Huainan, and Prince Pingxi, should remain inactive for now and be allowed to leave the capital."
“The power of Prince An, Prince Qi, Prince Lingnan, and Prince Ding can be dismantled one by one.”
As soon as he finished speaking, someone stepped forward and spoke up.
“Your Majesty, the Prince of An and the Prince of Lingnan have close ties with the Marquis of Yan. If they make a move, the whole situation will be in danger. The Marquis of Yan has won a great victory in Beiyou and has plenty of troops and supplies. If he starts a rebellion, the capital will be in grave danger.”
Shen Yan's face was somber. "Issue my secret order to summon the valiant cavalry general from Lingnan to the capital."
"yes."
"By the way, Your Majesty, the assassins we sent to Beiyou were defeated, but I heard that the troops from Monan have also reached Beiyou."
The northern region was in turmoil, with neighboring small states forming an alliance to rise up, and war raging everywhere.
Yanbei Mo reached Mohe and clashed with the Western Regions. The area around Jiaqing Pass was already on the verge of collapse.
As Chu Changning looked at his marching route, a thought suddenly popped into his head.
The fact that the princes were trapped in the capital was probably part of Yan Beimo's plan. Without the interference of the princes in the north, he could practically sweep through Beiyou.
If it weren't for the Western Regions people getting involved, they probably would have taken over Beiyou long ago.
Once he takes over Beiyou, the eastern and western borders of the capital will be vulnerable, making it easy for him to seize the throne.
Chu Changning carefully observed the battle situation on the sand table and took a deep breath.
"What are you looking at?"
Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and the person walked in against the light.
Her heart tightened, and she clutched her stomach, pretending to pour water.
"Your stomach hurts, drink some water."
Yan Beimo glanced at her, walked closer, and picked her up in his arms.
Chu Changning was startled by his sudden action, and Feng Ying instinctively hooked her arm around his neck.
"Interested in military affairs?"
He placed her on the small couch and looked at her with a meaningful gaze.
Chu Changning covered his legs with a small blanket and coughed lightly.
"I was waiting for you in the study, but you didn't come for a long time. I was bored, so I decided to take a look out of curiosity."
Yan Beimo raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Chu Changning had a plan in mind, smiled, hugged his arm, and whispered.
“My father was a common soldier who ascended the throne with the support of a noble family. I have seen many battles since I was with him.”
In fact, the original owner of this body did not know how to fight, nor had she ever been on the battlefield.
"So, you want me to take you to hear about the war and to the battlefield?"
He leaned down and whispered a laugh in her ear.
A warm breath tickled her ear.
Chu Changning subtly stepped back, slowly saying, "I didn't mean that, I just wanted to---"
Before she could finish speaking, a cold hand gently pinched and ravaged her lips.
"Behave yourself, don't you want the baby in your belly?"
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