Chapter 147 Two Pieces of News: May we meet again in a peaceful and prosperous era...
After seeing Gu Xiangzhi off, Yu Nie persuaded Xiao Chengyan to rest in the next room, and then lost the last bit of sleepiness she had left.
After playing with the snow slave in the cage for a while, she got up and returned to her seat at the table.
In a short while, the courtyard has returned to tranquility.
The moon was obscured by thick clouds at some point, its bright silvery light hidden.
Beside the bed, Cuiwei bent down to tidy up the bedding. The cotton quilt, embroidered with gold thread, was softly spread out, so fluffy that it was irresistible to touch.
After arranging the jade pillow, pulling the quilt up, and smoothing the tasseled curtains, Cuiwei turned around and softly called to her, "Princess, the servants have prepared the bed. It's late, you should rest now."
"No rush." After a night of tossing and turning and not getting much rest during the day, Yu Nie's voice sounded tired and hoarse.
At this moment, she was filled with many thoughts. She had seen Huan Xun off in his armor and headed south early in the morning, and then Xiao Chengyan's side had encountered unexpected complications in the evening. One thing after another weighed on her mind, making it difficult for her to calm down.
The war between Beiye and Nanyin was about to break out. She pondered repeatedly whether there was any chance to turn things around and whether she could still find a way to stop Xiao Daozun's northern expedition. At the same time, her heart was also worried about the distance, wondering where Huan Xun's army had gone, whether his men and horses were safe, and whether there were any dangers on the road ahead.
Thinking of this, she took out the double-patterned jade pendant he had given her last night, and examined it carefully while propping her head up.
Even though she didn't know anything about jade, the feel and translucent color of this jade pendant proved that it was quite valuable.
But for her, the monetary value was secondary; the sentiment behind his gift to her was far more important.
Now, the aristocratic families can no longer stir up trouble, the land reform is proceeding in an orderly manner, and the common people have land to cultivate.
For a plan to overthrow a dynasty, these measures only represent half the battle; the remaining half is the most crucial.
What she wanted to achieve was a bloodless rebellion aimed at radical reform.
Every step in this process concerns the lives and fortunes of her, Langxi, Huanxun, and countless others who are involved.
How to ensure that the current emperor, Zhao Yunfu, abdicates "justifiably" and allows her to carefully select someone capable of carrying out her reform ideals to smoothly ascend to the throne is the most crucial and dangerous problem facing them.
The person on the dragon throne is no longer a specific monarch; he himself is the best symbol of the deep corruption of this power system, a living, breathing, decaying monument.
As long as he remains seated on the throne, the fundamentally rotten rules he represents will not truly change.
Therefore, the fair and just world she pursued, a world where every life could enjoy the most basic dignity, could never be realized.
How can we bring down Zhao Yunfu without affecting the overall situation?
It is advisable to adopt a roundabout approach, emulating the ancient strategy of "holding the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords," to first control him, and then force him to voluntarily abdicate after the war between Xiutu and Nanyin is settled.
Or should they take advantage of everyone's attention being focused on the war, secretly plot to get rid of Zhao Yunfu, and install a new ruler?
If they chose to kill Zhao Yunfu, they certainly had excellent conditions. At present, Langxi was his most favored concubine, and the alchemist he trusted most was already Huan Xun's man.
More importantly, the palace guards are now entirely under the control of the Wuwei Battalion. Xu Cai, recommended by Wang Chang, has been appointed commander of the Wuwei Battalion, wielding immense power over the palace.
Once they decide to take action, even if Zhao Yunfu tries to call for help, no one will respond.
But the thought only flashed through her mind for a moment before she suppressed it.
She couldn't help but wonder how Gu Xiangzhi would react if she really attacked Zhao Yunfu. Would they really end up turning against each other?
Perhaps... it's time to find an opportunity to explain everything to him. Zhao Yunfu killed Xu Jingyang, killed Langxi's fiancé, and killed Brother Xu, who had treated her well.
They will never forget this blood feud, and they will never give up.
It would be better to let him know sooner rather than later, so he can distance himself from her. That way, he won't be put in a difficult position when things come to light later. She couldn't help but think this.
With this in mind, a clear and straightforward path took shape in her mind.
Having made up her mind, she no longer hesitated.
She knew which way to go from here on out.
It's time to put that alchemist Huan Xun mentioned to good use.
Seeing that she showed no sign of wanting to rest, Cuiwei became worried and was about to offer a few more words of advice.
Her words of comfort were about to come out when Song Ai, who had just finished burning incense, stopped her.
Setting down the incense burner, wisps of calming fragrance slowly filled the room.
Song Ai walked slowly closer and saw the worry between Yu Nie's brows and the jade pendant in his hand.
She understood immediately, and after a moment's thought, she asked with knowing concern, "Your Highness, are you tossing and turning at night because you're worried about Lord Huan's safety?"
Yu Nie did not deny it: "The mountains are high and the roads are long, I don't know where he has arrived."
“Judging by the marching speed, Lord Huan is probably more than a hundred miles away from Jian’an.” Song Ai said, “Lord Huan is young and promising, and skilled in military affairs. He will surely be safe and sound.”
"Is everything alright...?" she murmured, her mind preoccupied.
It's no wonder she was worried.
The natural barrier that stretched between the north and south was considered by Nan Yin to be tantamount to suicide for Bei Ye to attack from there, and he was convinced that they would never do such a suicidal thing.
They could not have imagined that, over the years, Beiye, taking advantage of the mountainous terrain and dense forests, had secretly ordered the construction of plank roads in the deep valleys and cliffs of Lingnan. Although this hidden artery was not yet fully connected, it had already greatly improved the travel efficiency of lightly armed elite troops and significantly reduced the obstacles posed by the natural treacherous terrain.
Huan Xun led a thousand light cavalry this time precisely to use this plank road to attack the flank of Nan Yin and catch them off guard.
Although there are plank roads to bridge the natural barriers, the areas where the plank roads have not been built are still fraught with danger.
This taught her how to go down safely.
But no matter how much she thought about it, it was all in vain. She had to come up with a way to prevent the war from escalating. After a moment of thought, her gaze couldn't help but drift outside.
On the table to the south, there was some gunpowder for experiments.
After a long period of observation, she suddenly had an idea.
These gunpowder powders cannot be used as weapons, but they can certainly be used to create a deterrent effect.
*
The next day, before dawn, there was a knock on the door of Hongzheng Hall.
Yu Nie, who hadn't slept all night, heard someone at the door say that Mei Nian had arrived.
Without much thought, she knew that Mei Nian must have been sent by Gu Xiangzhi, so she quickly asked Sui En to bring the person in.
Mei Nian entered the inner courtyard carrying a bundle in her arms.
Yu Nie asked, "Why did you arrive so early?"
Although Gu Xiangzhi came early to discuss matters, it was still dark.
After Mei Nian finished bowing, he said urgently, "Your Highness, my master has instructed that it is currently the turn of his familiar brothers to guard the South Gate. Later, a group of our troops will be leaving the city to reinforce the Grand Eunuch."
He handed over the bundle: "Your Highness, please change into these clothes immediately and blend into the ranks before leaving the city. There is no time to lose; we must act quickly!"
Xiao Chengyan, who had also been awake all night, had quietly come outside the hall when he heard Mei Nian enter the courtyard, and happened to overhear their conversation.
After Mei Nian finished speaking, he quickly entered the room and asked as soon as he finished speaking, "What about Han Jie? He is still in the city, and I cannot go ahead alone."
Mei Nian seemed to have anticipated this question and immediately replied, "Your Highness Xiao, rest assured, while you accompany him there, I have already dispatched other men to meet you at the city gate."
Upon learning that Han Jie had also been settled, Yu Nie knew that every moment of delay would increase the danger.
Then, she immediately stuffed the bundle that Mei Nian had brought into Xiao Chengyan's arms and urged him, "Quickly, change your clothes."
Knowing the situation was critical, Xiao Chengyan said no more, took the clothes, and went to the next room to change quickly. In a short while, he appeared before everyone dressed as a low-ranking soldier of the Imperial Horse Administration.
Still feeling uneasy, Yu Nie disguised him again, putting on a beard and darkening his face.
After he was cleaned up, very few people would recognize him. And since it was dark, it would be even easier to fool them.
After tidying up, Yu Nie had Cui Wei bring him a square object that was tightly wrapped and handed it to him.
Under his puzzled gaze, she solemnly instructed, "Take this safe, and remember, never go near any source of fire. Once you have safely arrived in Nan Yin and met your brother, then follow the instructions I wrote down inside, light the fuse, and throw it into an open space."
She spoke earnestly: "Please be sure to tell him that although this thing is small, it can unleash the power to destroy city walls. The Beiye army has a large stockpile of such firearms, which will soon be deployed to the battlefield. I hope he will withdraw his troops."
To ensure Xiao Daozun had no worries, she promised: "I swear by my name that as long as Nan Yin is willing to withdraw its troops, Bei Ye will never take the initiative to invade. I am willing to establish an eternal peace treaty so that the border can be peaceful and the people can be spared the suffering of war."
Xiao Chengyan held the rather heavy package in his hands: "What exactly is this...?"
"Gunpowder," Yu Nie replied without hesitation, "It will become explosives in the future, the most ruthless weapon on the battlefield."
Explosives and weapons—Xiao Chengyan didn't understand the power of the former, nor what it represented.
But when she mentioned the word "weapon," he instantly understood the special nature of this object. What she gave him was not just a token, but a deterrent.
She wanted to use this item to persuade her brother to stop the northern expedition.
“I understand.” He lowered his eyes and replied in a hoarse voice, “I will deliver your words to my brother without missing a single one.”
"I swear on my life," he solemnly agreed to her words.
She had no doubts about his words; if she had, she wouldn't have handed the gunpowder to him.
Seeing that the sky was beginning to lighten, she gave him some more money and valuables: "You can't go home without money for the journey."
After she forced it on him, she whispered, "Hurry up and go. Mei Nian is waiting. Don't miss the opportunity."
Looking into her eyes, he gritted his teeth and turned to leave as if he had made up his mind.
He had just reached the bottom of the stone steps when she called out to him again: "Xiao Chengyan..."
Hearing the sound, he turned around.
She paused, smiled, and said, "Thank you, thank you for being so kind to me when I first returned to Beiye. You took me to Yongxing Temple, told me about all the fun things and delicious food, and made me feel less lonely in the capital. You made me feel like I had friends."
She looked at him, her eyes gleaming: "I hope that in the future, in peaceful times... we can meet again."
These words were like a sharp sword, piercing the part of his heart that he was most reluctant to let go of.
His eyes suddenly welled up with tears, and he felt an intense soreness.
Vivid memories flooded back: their first meeting at the city gate, when he had no intention of falling for her; and seeing her draw a fortune stick at Yongxing Temple, when he conceived the idea of spending his life with her, a thought that has remained unchanged until now.
For him, he was so fortunate to have shared those times with her; those days were enough for him to remember for a lifetime.
"Don't wait any longer, Your Highness Xiao, let's go quickly," Mei Nian urged from the side.
Without wasting any more time, he suppressed the sob in his throat, looked back at her one last time, his gaze lingering and tender, as if he wanted to etch her image into his heart.
"I definitely will." His voice was slightly hoarse and reluctant: "Qiqi...take care."
Having said that, he didn't linger, gritting his teeth and resolutely turning around.
Before long, he and Mei Nian disappeared at the entrance of the inner courtyard, disappearing into the light mist.
Upon receiving the good news that they had left the city, Yu Nie remained restless in the palace.
Sui En, who was sent to investigate the situation, returned with two pieces of news two hours later.
The first piece of news was that Xiao Chengyan was able to leave Jian'an, but Han Jie was stranded in the city because he couldn't find anyone else.
The last piece of news was the one that shocked Yu Nie the most: Wang Fenghu was dead, and his head had been hung at the execution ground.
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