Chapter 92 "I believe he will not die in Daqin Hall."
The mist and rain in March were desolate, and the raindrops fell from the gray sky, and the whole Jiazhou city was submerged in a vague mist.
The weather was no longer cold, and even the city and its surroundings were filled with roaring cheers. The latest military report had just arrived, arriving by Pegasus. After two weeks of fierce fighting, the Battle of Xuhuai had finally been won, driving the Northern Rong army back north of the Yellow River.
The only good news in such a long time.
But even as the wind blew through the hall, Master Wen still felt a chill in his heart, and the waves of indignation were beyond words.
He had just returned from Daqin Palace. The old emperor seemed cheerful and happy, but the gloomy gloom in his eyes and the oppressive atmosphere among the palace servants in the palace could not deceive anyone.
Master Wen had aged a lot, his cheeks were sunken, his hair was white and his skin was chicken-like, he had lost the steady gait, and finally showed the shaky gait of an eighty-year-old man, as if he would fall down at the slightest gust of wind.
More than half of the royalists, including Wen Taishi Yi Zhongling, Zhang Yuanrang, etc., were forcibly taken away by the emperor.
When the decision was made to retreat, the entire Yuquan Palace was plunged into heart-wrenching cries. Some people rushed forward to follow, some shouted harsh remonstrations, some screamed in despair, some rushed up the jade steps and knelt down crying, and some were so angry that they banged their heads against the golden pillars and died with blood all over their faces.
The emperor's royalist party was in chaos. Many were indignant and crying, and many wanted to stay and die with the people of Zhongdu. Even Zhang Yuanrang and others were silent.
Wen Taishi tried to persuade him, but no amount of persuasion or force could get him to leave. He was quickly pulled away in the chaos. If he had a choice, he would have chosen to stay and live and die with the capital and its six hundred thousand people. He would never leave, no matter what. But he had no time to think. As soon as the emperor's robe was pulled away, the guards covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief soaked in medicine. He fell unconscious, and the guards carried him away.
Yi Zhongling, Shang Rong and others received the same treatment.
When they woke up, they didn't dare to struggle because they had already left the city gate and were fighting fiercely on the way to Pingjin Ferry. They were afraid of exhausting one more person to death.
——The old emperor actually knew very well in his heart which people were truly worthy of being his last guarantee in terms of work and protection, but he just didn't listen to them.
In just three months, it felt like countless years had passed. Master Wen had never felt so old. He was furious and indignant, but powerless. He struggled to provide logistical support for the army, only to receive a short letter from Gao Minggong (written after he had left the tent).
The cheers outside, the gloom in the Daqin Hall, the sad March mist and rain, Gao Minggong's coffin stopped in Rongzhou.
Wen Taishi, leaning on a cane, tremblingly returned to the Piyang Palace. The Piyang Palace, which was three hundred feet away from the Daqin Palace, was divided into a temporary outer court. After it was moved to Jiazhou, all the court officials, big and small, stayed in the office for almost twelve hours and had no place else to go.
In the half-dilapidated and narrow Piyang Hall, Grand Master Wen stepped over the threshold tremblingly. Li Yi came to greet him. Also in the hall were several of Grand Master Wen's students, including the Minister of Works Shang Rong. They hurried forward and helped Grand Master Wen in to sit down.
Li Yi picked up the teacup, poured a cup of hot tea and handed it to Master Wen.
An oil lamp was lit on the desk. The room was quiet and silent, heavy and full of noise. Only the sound of dripping rain could be heard.
The wind blew in, and Li Yi sighed softly. He said solemnly, "Let the emperor abdicate, Grand Tutor. We can't wait any longer."
Li Yi is also a powerful person. Feng Kun and Xie Ci have successively turned the Zhongdu court upside down. Li Yi is low-key, but has done a lot of things in private. As soon as Feng Kun left, he seamlessly joined the royalist camp, even on the side of Master Wen, and gained their trust.
Gao Minggong wasn't the only one who was disheartened and indignant by the old emperor's actions. Everyone present felt as chilled as water. The moment they received Gao Minggong's letter, they realized that they could no longer allow the old emperor to continue sitting on the throne.
If this continues, the local and central armies will fall apart and it will be completely over.
Wen Taishi and his companions, who were all civil officials in their lifetime, endured half a month of chaos and sleepless nights, and finally waited for victory. Although there were cheers outside, the world was in a state of gloom, but some things had to be decided and put on the agenda after all.
Li Yi, dressed in a crimson-purple official robe, looked heroic and solemn. He said, "The country relies on its eldest ruler, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. I don't know how long this rain will last. Summer is only half a month away. Once the ground is dry, it will be time for war again."
He guessed Master Wen's intentions and tried to persuade him many times.
It wasn't that the Third Prince was so good, but rather that he was the tallest among the short ones. In this current situation, pushing a little kid up there would definitely not be enough to subdue the local warlords, including the governors, governors, and protectorates.
Li Yi's idea was simple: Wen Taishi was so old, how much longer could he live? The most outstanding of his students and younger generations had either died or were inferior to him in some way. As long as Wen Taishi died, Li Yi would be confident that he would take over the position of Chief Minister and leader of the Party to assist the Emperor (regency).
The rain gradually got heavier, and the falling drops became more and more rapid and chaotic.
Master Wen sat behind a half-worn nanmu desk. From his position, through the misty rain curtain, he could see the gate of the Daqin Hall in the distance and the Ciqing Palace, which served as the Eastern Palace, further away.
After the prince was redeemed, Wen Taishi met him. The prince burst into tears and was panicked. He knew it was wrong to knock on the door, but he sobbed: "I, I'm very scared. If I don't go, they will kill me. They have already cut off one of my fingers, wuwuwu..."
In fact, Master Wen could not do anything to the crown prince, because the other princes under the old emperor were still too young, and he would still be the crown prince when he returned.
But the prince was always worried, and when he saw the Grand Tutor, he broke down in tears and snot. In fact, at the beginning, he really just wanted to make a contribution so that the emperor would not kill Lin Guofu.
Wen Taishi was so angry that he couldn't express it in words. He wanted to shake the prince's shoulders and scream at the top of his lungs, but he was also very disappointed with the prince's ability.
Compared to the old emperor, the third prince had some hope of recovery. Most importantly, he was the crown prince! The emperor's abdication and his ascension to the throne were a seamless transition.
Master Wen quickly made up his mind, "Then it's him!"
He said in a hoarse voice.
The old hands held the teacup, and the tea spilled several times as they trembled. He seemed to see the faces of Pang Huai, Gao Minggong, and Xie Xinzhong on the surface of the small brown teacup. Finally, he threw the teacup on the ground, and two lines of old tears fell.
He burst into tears.
…
It was late at night and the drizzling rain finally stopped. Xie Ci, Gu Guan and his party had already left the Wei army camp and were now in a tile-roofed house in the backyard of a township shopping store in the far suburbs of Gao County, a must-pass road leading to Jiazhou.
In the small main room of the small courtyard, Gu Guan sat at the table with her chin in her hand. She watched Xie Ci, dressed in black, leaning over the tabletop to sharpen the blade of his goose-feather knife. She was a little surprised: "This Li Yi is really capable!"
After several personnel changes, he was the only one who remained standing in the court. He even seamlessly connected with the royalist party. I guess he sought a way out there right under Feng Kun's nose. He is really brave and capable.
They have people in Jiazhou, and the current situation of the court is very clear.
The repeated grinding sounds finally stopped. Xie Ci slowly stood up. He stretched out his hand to test the blade. The sharp edge of the thin goose feather knife was facing his face. He scraped it with his fingertips. There was a soft "clang" sound, and the flowing cold light trembled suddenly under the light!
"The Third Prince can't do that."
The night was as cool as water, and Xie Ci's calm voice was tinged with a chill from the accumulated rain. He sneered, his smile not reaching his eyes: "How can a man who ordered the opening of the Sishui Pass for the Northern Rong, leading to the massacre of the capital and millions of people, be allowed to ascend the throne?"
Xie Ci tested the blade, and was finally satisfied with its extremely sharp edge. He picked up the white handkerchief beside the table and wrapped the blade with his palm. The cold white blade passed through his palm, and the water stains and iron dirt faded away, leaving it shining brightly.
"In time, if he is captured again, who knows if he will become the emperor who commands the princes and abdicate the throne to the enemy!"
Gu Wan thought to himself, "You're absolutely right. The Third Prince really did this in his past life." No, it was the new emperor. After being harassed and exploited by the Northern Rong, he passed the throne to another powerful warlord, Wu Xiucheng, who transformed the court into another, separate one, forcing Li Yi to finally cross the river to the south.
"He is reckless and incompetent, untrustworthy and immoral, too self-righteous and weak-willed." In this respect, even the old emperor is much better than him. Xie Ci said calmly: "If he loses control, it will bring disaster to his family and country."
If Master Wen dies, or if the people who control him are incompetent or selfish, it will easily lead to devastating consequences.
However, at the moment, this Central Plains land cannot withstand even the slightest risk of this kind.
What's more, when we think of the soldiers who died one after another in the fierce counterattack at the Sishui Pass and on both sides of the Yellow River ferry, the Shuofang Army alone suffered more than 10,000 serious injuries and deaths.
There were also heart-wrenching cries inside and outside the devastated Zhongdu city.
At that time, Xie Ci wanted to tear the father and son's skin and bones apart, and even tear their flesh and blood into pieces.
Therefore, for both public and private reasons, Xie Ci could not allow the Third Prince to succeed to the throne. Therefore, this time, his assassination list had added another person: the old emperor and the Third Prince!
He didn't even want to be called the crown prince, he didn't deserve it!
Xie Ci was already dressed neatly, with the leather waist belt fastened on and the goose-feather knife fastened to his waist with a "click".
His tall and straight figure stood in the small room like a sword drawn from its sheath. He had even changed his appearance, but under the light, his dark pupils, angular nose and profile were still the same as usual.
When those cold eyes turned to Gu Wan, they couldn't help but become affectionate and soft.
Gu Wan also stood up and was checking the things they were going to take. Outside, horses neighed. Xie Ci looked at her. Unconsciously, she had turned nineteen. Her soft cheeks gradually lost their baby fat. Her eyebrows were willowy and her eyes were almond-shaped. She was beautiful and charming. She noticed that he was looking at her and looked at him with a puzzled smile.
The sharpness in Xie Ci's heart faded away, and an indescribable emotion surged. He moved his lips, wanting to say something.
——Maybe, he will never come back after this trip.
There was a kind of obsession. Her soft and graceful face under the light, her every frown and smile, everything seemed to be gently imprinted in his heart, long-lasting, integrated with his heart, as if it had always been there.
Heroes are short-tempered, but young people are affectionate.
He had thousands of words to say, but in the end, Xie Ci said nothing. He reached out and hugged her. Under the soft light like water, he put his arms around her shoulders and held her tightly in his arms, her body deep in his bones, in his flesh and blood.
After a long moment, when he heard several galloping horses trotting through the muddy water under the night sky and suddenly stopping at the back door of the cargo store, he finally let go of her hand and whispered, "Nothing, let's go."
…
When he stepped out of the narrow back door of the store and made eye contact with Yin Luo on horseback, all his complicated emotions faded away at that moment!
Xie Ci's face was solemn, and he withdrew his gaze. The group quickly jumped on their horses, and two groups worked together as they galloped quickly towards Jiazhou.
They soon arrived at the city of Jiazhou.
The entire Jiazhou City is now under martial law. Except for urgent military intelligence reports and imperial decrees, three city gates are closed and no one is allowed to enter or leave.
But both Xie Ci and Yin Luo had ways to enter the city. After some time, they entered Jiazhou City.
When they got here, Gu Wan reapplied their makeup. She meticulously applied high-fidelity makeup to them, even adding subtle adjustments to their figures, shoulder pads, and waist cinching, making them look so lifelike that even the subjects themselves were startled when they glanced sideways.
It was at this moment that the tense atmosphere finally relaxed slightly. Everyone felt more confident, their hearts seemed to settle back down, and they finally felt something real.
Yin Luo stood up. He had brought three people with him, but only one of them went with him. He was also very skilled. He ordered the imperial guards who came to disguise him, "Repeat the password and patrol rules."
Gu Guan now understands why Yin Luo took the initiative to seek cooperation with them, it was because of the disguise.
He also has a master of disguise, but he is still a little inferior to her.
Gu Guan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly checked everyone who had gone there. He not only thanked them, but also Yin Luo. Yin Luo had no objection and raised his hands for her to check the lumbar pad.
Everything is ready, and the time they have chosen has come to the final point, and they are about to split into two groups.
If Gu Guan didn't go to the palace, Xie Ci wouldn't let her go either. She was responsible for picking up Madam Gao and her three daughters.
The sound of dripping water was particularly clear in this narrow and unknown back room. It had stopped raining outside, and the wind had been blowing all day, and the accumulated water on the eaves and roof tiles had begun to dry up.
The time was shorter than they had originally expected, but fortunately everything was ready for action!
"Let's go."
Xie Ci was brief and to the point. He even put makeup on his eyes, so the outline of his eyes could no longer be seen. He looked like a completely unfamiliar man in his thirties. Only his eyes were still so dark and familiar.
He took two steps out, turned back and looked at Gu Wan deeply, then turned around and left quickly.
…
It has come to this.
Even someone as calm as Xie Zi's voice tightened, "Master?"
Gu Wan took a deep breath and said, "Let's go pick up Madam Gao and the others first, quickly!"
She turned around and walked away quickly with her men.
The city was under martial law, but ordinary people still had to go about their daily lives. After three days of being confined to their homes and streets, some essential places of life were finally allowed to open slightly, such as the market, the well, and shops selling charcoal, dishes, lamps, oil, and candles. Every market was open, concentrated on a single street, along with the restaurants on that street.
Apart from this, no other places were allowed to open for business, and no one was allowed to wander around after shopping. Anyone caught would be treated as an enemy spy.
People on the street were in a hurry, including Gu Wan and his companions. They changed into common people's short jackets, carried baskets on their shoulders, and walked quickly along the long street to the end of the market.
"If only the old emperor would die of illness sooner!"
Xie Zi, who was only a year older than Gu Wan, hurried along the streets of Jiazhou. The sky was brighter than yesterday, but a heavy pressure settled on him like a gray cloud. His voice choked with anxiety, "It would be great if the Third Prince also died at the hands of the Beirong people."
Emperor assassination.
Use life as a blade to kill.
The wind is whistling and the Yi River is cold. The possibility of never coming back is too great!
Even if they succeed, what kind of difficult situation will their masters face in the future?
Xie Zi and his companions traveled for two years and finally found Xie Ci who had returned. They watched their master grow up, and the grief and indignation they felt when they saw the old master and the eldest son pass away one by one was still as fresh as yesterday.
What a damn emperor!
Damn this world!
All kinds of anxious emotions surged up, and Xie Zi and the others' eyes became hot. They hurriedly lowered their heads and wiped their eyes with their hands.
"Don't worry, stay calm, they will definitely come back safely."
Gu Guan's expression was solemn, and her steps were quick and hurried. She did not have an innate fear and awe of the imperial power, but she would never underestimate the power of the ancient imperial power and the court. She was an adventurous person, but her nervousness and accelerated heartbeat at this moment were real.
She was also very worried. Walking on the streets of Jiazhou, as time passed, she couldn't help but feel anxious.
But everyone was anxious and afraid, but she remained calmer.
The group walked quickly at a steady pace, quickly bought some things, and then headed straight to the westernmost end of Linxinfang.
This is a temporary relocation area. When the wealthy families living near the palace heard about the arrangement, they immediately moved out and arranged for some maids and servants to serve here, but whether the residents were willing to use them was another matter.
The families of the court officials and generals who were brought with them, most of whom were military generals, were all settled here without any distinction between households. All of them, big and small, were placed in various rooms and small courtyards.
Gu Wan and the others were wearing the attire of family members and servants. Officials' wives also needed to eat, and since morning was the time for shopping, they weren't surprised. They climbed over the wall and quickly found Madam Gao and her family. The latter had already received Gao Mulin's letter and was waiting with their bags packed, ready to leave as soon as they arrived.
They lived too closely together and were seen by a neighbor who suddenly opened the window. Gu Wan drugged her, put her on the bed in a sleeping position, and then quickly left.
"Alright! Take them to the stronghold. If everything goes well, we can get out. Otherwise, we can hide in the city first."
Jiazhou City also has a permanent population of 300,000. If everything goes well, the city will soon be in chaos, and no one will pay attention to them.
Both the rescue plan and the evacuation route had been carefully planned. After Gu Guan sent them to Jianmingfang in the outer city, she stopped.
She was thinking about Xie Ci, so she hurriedly gave some instructions to Xie Feng who came to pick them up, and quickly turned around and went back with Xie Zi and the others.
When they returned to the small room where they had put on makeup, they couldn't even bring Zhang Qing with them, so Gu Guan only brought Xie Zi with him. The two of them followed the beams and carefully walked along the wall to the eaves of the front hall of a mansion in front of Gongmen Street.
On the roof, Xun Xiao was lying there, holding the hilt of the sword in his hand. There were also more than a dozen people. Among the soldiers of Xie Jiawei, Liuyunwei and Xie Ci's army, the best ones except those who followed Xie Ci were all here.
Qin Guan looked back at her, and he didn't even dare to speak a word to Gu Wan.
Gu Guan carefully crouched down at the front. No one else dared to show their heads, except Xun Xiao, who was the most skilled. He showed his eyes and stared.
There were people talking and chatting in the house under the tiled roof. The unfamiliar voices of chatting and laughing made the atmosphere on the roof even more tense like a string.
Gu Guan didn't pay attention, but the conversation still reached his ears. This was the house of Yi in Jiazhou Prefecture. Yi's younger brother said to his elder brother proudly and happily: The jade buds presented as tribute today were highly praised by Deputy General Manager Wu, so he asked us to present more tomorrow.
Gu Guan didn't know what jade buds were, but they were obviously a precious ingredient.
She cursed in her heart, this damn old emperor!
She was very careful not to make any sound, and she lay down under Xun Xiao with her face pressed against the tiles. "Brother Xun, what's wrong?"
Xun Xiao's eyes never left the palace gate: "I've been inside for almost an incense stick of time."
Calculating the time, I have already reached the Daqin Hall.
Gu Wan's heart tightened. She was about to say something when suddenly, "BOOM!" there was a loud bang as fireworks exploded into the sky!
From behind the Daqin Hall, a highest-level emergency flare was raised, and a bright blue firework suddenly exploded in the air!
——When Feng Kun forced the emperor to abdicate, the Zhongdu Palace raised a similar signal flare!
In an instant, the entire palace erupted in movement! Sharp shouts and cries echoed as teams of imperial guards swarmed toward the inner palace. Archers wielding powerful bows, the highly skilled commanders of the imperial guards launched their weapons like arrows from their bowstrings. With a clang of their backhands, they unsheathed their longswords, their gleaming, cold light gleaming brightly.
Officials of all ranks who rushed out of the gates of the outer court also swarmed in. The palace was in chaos all of a sudden. The well-trained imperial guards rushed out in droves at the stern shouts of the captain above their heads!
But they could only see the palace gate, and had no idea whether Xie Ci and his men succeeded or whether there were any injuries or deaths!
Brilliant blue fireworks suddenly burst out, and Gu Wan's heart suddenly rose to his throat.
She almost instinctively wanted to stand up, and Qin Guan beside her did the same, but Xun Xiao pushed them back. He said in a hoarse voice: "Our mission is to provide support!"
Rush in, where to?
Don't thank them for finally getting out, they were trapped inside instead.
Even if you want to attack Wei to save Zhao, you have to see the situation clearly before you act!
Xun Xiao's voice was hoarse and unpleasant, but for the first time he said seriously, "Let's wait a moment. We need to figure out the situation first."
Xun Xiao had indeed changed. He no longer sarcastically thanked him. He said, "I believe he will not die in Daqin Hall."
People like that shouldn't die here.
Xun Xiao's voice was hoarse, and he tightened the hilt of the sword in his hand. His mind was firm, and he was determined to go back with Xie Ci no matter what.
Because this place is not worthy!
The author has something to say:
Let’s begin! I’ll transfer Xie Ci and the old emperor tomorrow, and there will be results tomorrow!
Finally, a huge kiss to you all! See you tomorrow, babies~ (*^▽^*)
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