Chapter 504: One Branch
The Jinwu Guard was responsible for guarding the Forbidden Palace, while the Five Military Camps were responsible for guarding the Forbidden Palace outside the First Gate. However, the Forbidden Palace was closed at night, and the so-called patrol was just a walk around the Qianqing Palace.
Song Mo walked slowly from Yuehua Gate to Longfu Gate.
When he reached the Fengcai Gate, he saw Wang Ge standing under the corridor of the Hongde Hall, waving at him.
Song Mo thought about it, then walked over with a smile and bowed to Wang Ge.
Wang Ge smiled and returned the greeting to Song Mo, pointing to the veranda next to the Hongde Hall.
Song Mo nodded, and the two of them entered the veranda one after the other.
Wang Ge took a long breath and straightened up: "This autumn heat is sometimes cold and sometimes hot, which makes the emperor unhappy. We should also be alert."
Serving the emperor is like serving a tiger. In previous years, the emperor would stay in the Western Garden until early August before returning to the palace. However, in mid-July this year, Concubine Liu, who had accompanied the emperor to the Western Garden to escape the summer heat, suddenly fell ill and died. The emperor lost the mood to escape the summer heat and returned to the palace in late July. As a result, all of the servants around him were a little trembling, fearing that they would accidentally anger the emperor.
There was only a bed, a chair and a table in the wing room.
Song Mo smiled and sat on the only armchair in the room, saying, "By the Double Ninth Festival, the emperor's mood will improve."
Perhaps it was because of his old age, the emperor, who used to regard the Double Ninth Festival as a mountain climbing festival, entertained his retired ministers on the Double Ninth Festival for two consecutive years, and the scene became more grand each year.
"That would also be a hassle for those of us in the Twenty-Four Bureaus." Wang Ge seemed more high-profile than usual, and his words were slightly domineering. "I would rather the emperor go to the mountain. At least there are people from the Jinwu Guard, Jinyi Guard, and Qishou Guard to help and wait. We are brothers in distress."
Song Mo smiled slightly.
Wang Ge smiled and changed the subject: "I came to see you, Your Highness, because I want to show you something." As he spoke, he took out a hairpin wrapped in a handkerchief from his sleeve.
The hairpin was no more than three inches long, made of pure gold, and inlaid with a sapphire the size of a pigeon egg, surrounded by a circle of rubies the size of rice grains.
It shines brightly under the dim light.
Song Mo's expression changed drastically. He stood up suddenly and shot a sharp look at Wang Ge.
Wang Ge couldn't help but flinch, but soon calmed down and said with a smile: "It seems that the Crown Prince and his wife are as loving as everyone says. You can recognize the Crown Prince's wife's things at a glance. Then we won't say anything in secret in front of others. Prince Liao has no other intentions. He just invited the Crown Prince's wife and He'er to stay in the Liao Palace for a few days. After Prince Liao goes to the palace to meet the emperor, he will send someone to send the Crown Prince's wife and He'er back. Please give it to me, Crown Prince."
Song Mo sneered, with veins visible on his fair temples: "You are not qualified to negotiate with me!"
Wang Ge hated it most when others looked down upon him, and a hint of resentment flashed in his eyes.
A kind voice with a hint of smile rang out from the room: "Then am I qualified?"
Song Mo's pupils shrank, a needle-like light flashed in them, and he turned to look in the direction of the sound.
A tall figure dressed in eunuch's clothes walked out from behind the bed.
King Liao!
Song Mo was shocked and asked in a lost voice, "How did Your Highness get in?"
Prince Liao grinned, his smile showing his pride which could not be concealed: "I am the legitimate son, the heir to the throne."
So we have to seize the palace!
So we must rebel!
Song Mo was silent.
Prince Liao said, "Yan Tang, you and I grew up together. You know best how I treat you and how the prince treats you. I can understand why you rejected me at first. You must choose one of the family righteousness. I gave you Madam Jiang's hairpin today so that you can give an explanation to the world. Why do you have to stick to the old rules and stand in front of me, turning your friend into an enemy? To be honest, I have no choice but to do this. Have you ever seen a prince who would let go of his half-brother after ascending the throne? Don't blame me for being cruel!"
Song Mo pursed his lips and said nothing, but his expression was somewhat stubborn.
Prince Liao sighed and said, "Yan Tang, I know you have arranged some people to be around Madam Dou. If I remember correctly, the leader is Lu Ming. I heard that he is very skilled and has a group of people who can be used. So I asked Shi Chuan to help deal with Lu Ming. And your brother-in-law Chen Jia is also a talent. Shi Chuan has praised him in front of me more than once. At this time, he should have been called by Shi Chuan to the Jinyiwei Yamen, accompanied by Liu Yu. I am here to drink tea. There is a distinction between men and women at Madam Dou's place, so it is not appropriate for other people to go. I asked your father and brother to help me and pretend to have sprained my ankle while traveling. Even if you dislike Song Han, I think that considering Madam Jiang's character, she should give Song Han the face of letting him go into the manor to rest for a while. And your uncle, the Jiang family has always been loyal and brave, so I am still a little worried. So I brought him here this time and temporarily placed him in the Liaowang Mansion, with Geng Li watching him..."
Everything has been planned out, without any mistakes!
Song Mo stood there quietly, his expression somewhat obscure.
Prince Liao did not urge him and stood facing Song Mo.
Wangge didn't dare to say anything.
The room was quiet and silent.
The sound of the fourth watch drum could be heard from afar.
King Liao couldn't help but frown.
Could it be that Song Mo wants to use the tactic of procrastination?
Just as he was about to speak, Song Mo spoke in a hoarse voice, "Show me that hairpin!"
The expressions of Prince Liao and Wangge couldn't help but relax, and Wangge even held the hairpin very attentively.
Song Mo walked under the lamp and looked at the hairpin carefully.
The small oval mark looks like the petals of a peony flower, with two small ancient characters "Shou Gu" carved on them.
Song Mo gripped the hairpin tightly, his fingertips turned white, and closed his eyes in pain.
Prince Liao and Wangge exchanged glances quickly, and both felt relieved, with a faint smile on their lips.
Song Mo suddenly stepped back, shouted "There is an assassin" and kicked down the door of the veranda.
There was a commotion outside.
Lights kept coming on.
Wangge's smile froze on his lips.
But the Prince of Liao looked stern and said coldly: "Song Yantang, do you think I would rashly take the risk? Since you don't want to drink my toast, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Before he could finish his words, the general flag-taker who was following Song Mo on patrol had drawn his sword and slashed at Song Mo.
Song Mo avoided the blade and went straight to the emperor's inner chamber in Zhaoren Hall, where someone was fighting fiercely with the general flag.
The Zhaoren Hall was already brightly lit.
A young eunuch appeared at the gate of Zhaoren Hall with a dagger on Wang Yuan's neck.
Song Mo's face was as red as a pot, and he asked loudly: "Where is the emperor?"
Wang Yuan smiled bitterly and said, "The emperor is in the wing room, and Bai Xi is serving him."
When the Emperor visits his concubine, he does so in the wing room behind the Zhaoren Palace.
And Bai Xi is Wang Ge's adopted son.
In other words, the emperor was kidnapped by Bai Xi when he was having sex with his concubine.
Song Mo could not help but curse inwardly, and said to the surrounding Jinwu Guards: "I have died for the emperor with my life and soul. Save the driver!"
The eunuch's dagger penetrated three inches into his flesh, and Wang Yuan screamed in fear.
No one paid any attention to him.
Everyone rushed towards Zhaoren Hall.
Wang Yuan whispered, "Song Yantang, if I die here, I will not let you go even if I become a ghost." As he spoke, he strangely pulled out a pitch-black dagger from his sleeve and stabbed it into the chest of the young eunuch.
The young eunuch widened his eyes.
He couldn't understand why Wang Yuan had a dagger on him.
People serving the emperor are not allowed to carry any weapons!
He fell to the ground with a thud.
Wang Yuan rolled and crawled to the corner of the wall, pressing his bleeding neck with the corner of his clothes, and watched Song Mo run through the hall to the wing room.
There was only one palace lamp lit in the veranda.
The concubine who was favored by the emperor was wrapped in a quilt and huddled beside him tremblingly, not daring to raise her head.
The emperor was glaring at Bai Xi with eyes as fierce as a diamond, and shouted, "How dare you, you little bastard, to assassinate me!"
Under the pressure, Bai Xi's hand holding the knife was shaking, and her voice was trembling, but her expression was a bit resolute: "I am also following orders, please show mercy, Your Majesty!"
As they were talking, they heard a fight outside.
The emperor's expression remained unchanged, but he was secretly delighted in his heart.
Song Mo's anxious shout came from outside the house: "How dare you! Which palace eunuch are you from? How dare you have such evil intentions!"
No one answered.
The noise of fighting became more and more intense.
The emperor's expression changed slightly.
Song Mo was in charge of the Jinwu Guards, and he knew all the eunuchs who were well-known. But now a stranger appeared and sneaked into the Forbidden Palace. The only one who could hide it from Song Mo was the one who lived in the Kunning Palace behind him, besides himself.
The emperor was suddenly heartbroken.
He couldn't help but touch his chest.
The door of the wing was knocked open, and a stranger dressed in eunuch's clothes walked in with murderous intent, saying to Bai Xi: "Quick, ask the emperor to go to Kunning Palace, Song Mo is fucking trying to kill himself!"
Bai Xi looked at the newcomer in embarrassment.
The visitor ignored all this and stepped forward, grabbed the emperor and dragged him out.
This was the first time in his life that the emperor had been treated like this. He was so angry that he was shaking all over and couldn't speak. The naked concubine was so frightened that her body went limp and she fainted.
Two more people came in, held the emperor, and quickly walked out of the room.
Under the moonlight, the Jinwu Guards and a group of eunuchs were fighting in a group, and Song Mo was outnumbered seven by himself. He had no way to get rid of them, and they had no way to capture Song Mo, so they were stuck together.
The emperor felt very disappointed.
There was a sound of banging on the palace door, mixed with a strong and powerful voice: "Your Majesty, please forgive the Crown Prince for being late in rescuing you!"
The emperor couldn't help showing surprise.
After nightfall, the keys to each palace were locked, and no one dared to wander around no matter what happened. The East Palace was especially prone to unnecessary misunderstandings, so the Jinwu Guards always patrolled the East Palace most strictly.
The prince was weak, and the emperor was somewhat dissatisfied with this. But he did not expect that at the critical moment, the prince had such courage and flexibility, and boldly led people to rescue him.
The emperor inexplicably let out a long sigh, feeling a sense of relief.
"Let me go!" he shouted, and the two fake eunuchs holding him loosened their hands involuntarily.
The emperor straightened his clothes and strode towards Kunning Palace.
The gate of the Qianqing Palace collapsed to the ground.
The Jinwu Guards swarmed in.
The prince looked at the scene in front of him, his face pale, and he could hardly believe his eyes.
"Is it really the King of Liao?" he murmured, "How dare he take such a risk?"
Ji Yong, who was holding him, managed to hold back his eyes and said gently, "Whether it's the Prince of Liao or not, Your Highness should go and rescue him immediately!"
The prince calmed himself down after hearing this and was about to walk inside, but was stopped by Cui Yijun who was following closely behind them.
"Please wait a moment, Your Highness!" He looked at Ji Yong suspiciously with a gleam in his eyes, "How come Lord Ji has the badge of the Jinwu Guard? And it seems to be Lord Song's badge? If I remember correctly, it seems that Lord Ji is not on duty today..."