Chapter 114 056



"Empress Dowager Xia colluded with the former imperial physician to secretly poison the late emperor. She manipulated the power of the foreign relatives and misled the country. The current emperor stripped her of her title of Empress Dowager and imprisoned her in the palace." This news spread like wings over the palace walls overnight and throughout the streets and alleys of the capital.

Many people were shocked that Empress Dowager Xia would fall from a high position to the abyss overnight. Once the news reached the people, it was like cold water poured into boiling oil, instantly causing a boiling response. Although the people who had hated the Xia family for many years did not dare to celebrate in person, they were all running around to tell each other behind their backs, and even secretly felt proud of the emperor. However, many people who were very sensitive to the situation were silently calculating in their hearts: It seems that the direction of the court is going to change completely!

Sure enough, a few days later, the current emperor helped Wu Yue, the former tutor of the crown prince and minister of the Ministry of Personnel, to sit on the position of right prime minister. As soon as Wu Yue took office, he immediately presented a memorial, angrily accusing the current left prime minister Xia Mingyuan of ten crimes, including interfering with the imperial power, forming a clique for personal gain, and embezzling money. The thousands of words in the eloquent letter pointed out that Xia Mingyuan was a traitor and a traitor, and everyone could kill him. Xia Mingyuan was in grief over the imprisonment of his sister, and was speechless for a while. He was so angry that he tried to refute, but he spat out blood and then fell to the ground holding his chest. The palace was in chaos and the emperor had no choice but to order him to be taken back to the palace for treatment. After that, Xia Mingyuan claimed to be sick and hid in the palace and never went out again.

However, just when the outside world was saying that Xia Mingyuan was pretending to be sick to avoid disaster, he was actually ill. In the main room of the prime minister's residence, the strong smell of medicine overwhelmed the incense. Under the dark blue quilt, Xia Mingyuan's chest rose and fell violently, and he kept breathing heavily. Upon closer inspection, he had white hair on his temples. This powerful official who had dominated two dynasties finally collapsed completely when facing the impending end.

Luo Yuan stood in front of Xia Mingyuan's bed with his arms drooping, sighed deeply, and said, "Prime Minister, you should take care of yourself. The direction of the court is unclear. If you don't stand up quickly, I'm afraid the whole situation will become even more passive."

Xia Mingyuan's eyes dimmed. He knew that the Queen Mother had been under house arrest. He was now shouldering the safety and survival of the entire Xia family, but he was already old and felt that he was a little overwhelmed. He sighed heavily, then coughed up a mouthful of thick phlegm, and then he spoke with a slight gasp: "What is the current situation? What is the emperor doing?"

Luo Yuan hurriedly replied: "The Imperial Court has submitted many memorials, all impeaching Xia officials, but the emperor has kept them all and has not sent them out. His attitude is unclear for the time being. It's just that..." His expression darkened, and he took a step forward and continued: "Your Majesty seems to be intending to draft an edict to summon General Qin and others back to the court to report on their duties!"

"What!" Xia Mingyuan felt his heart shrink and he sat up straight in fear. Qin Xuan was his eldest son-in-law and had been guarding Yanzhou with 80,000 troops to prevent the princes from making any moves. If even he was stripped of his military power and recalled to the capital, the Xia family would have nothing to rely on. It seemed that the emperor wanted to use a strategy of cutting off the firewood from the bottom of the pot, first slowly taking back the military power in the hands of the Xia family, cutting off all their retreat routes, and then giving them the final blow.

As Xia Mingyuan thought about this, he felt a cold wind whistling into his heart, chilling his limbs. He only blamed himself for being too careless and always underestimating Zhao Yan. He never thought that this emperor, who he was so confident he could control in his hands, would have such a deep plan.

Seeing his gloomy face, Luo Yuan bowed and comforted him hurriedly: "Now is not the worst moment, Prime Minister, don't worry too much. However, in my opinion, Prime Minister, you still need to think of a countermeasure as soon as possible. If General Qin really surrenders his military power and returns to the capital, I am afraid that the situation will be difficult to save."

Xia Mingyuan narrowed his eyes and looked at Luo Yuan in front of him. He had always known that this young man was ambitious and admired his progress and intelligence, so he asked him to do some things over the past year, but he never dared to trust him too much. Who would have thought that it would come to this point. The Xia family is already on the verge of collapse. All officials related to the Xia family are being monitored by the emperor's eyes and ears. Instead, he can only rely on this inconspicuous little character to find out the trends in the court for him. But is this person really trustworthy?

Luo Yuan noticed the suspicious look in front of him, and quickly lifted his robe and knelt down, saying: "Wen Qian is loyal to the Prime Minister. If the Prime Minister does not believe me, Wen Qian dare not refute it. I can only leave with injustice."

Xia Mingyuan quickly signaled him to stand up, and said with a wry smile: "When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. I am in such a situation now. If Wen Qian is really one of those villains who seek to curry favor with the powerful, he would have avoided me long ago. How could I not believe you? So... what do you think we should do now?"

Luo Yuan stood up, a stern look flashed in his eyes. He walked to Xia Mingyuan's bedside and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "Forgive me for being frank, but the Prime Minister's current situation is the result of your Majesty's long-term planning and calculations. Therefore, he will never let Xia go easily. The only way now is to burn your boats and risk your life to survive!"

Xia Mingyuan was shocked, and then he pointed at him and shouted angrily: "How dare you! You want me to usurp the throne! Do you know that this is a capital crime that will implicate all nine generations of your clan?"

Luo Yuan quickly crouched down, his arms trembling, but his voice was still firm: "I dare not, but if you want to protect the Xia family, this is the only way!"

Xia Mingyuan seemed to be furious. He picked up the porcelain pillow beside him and threw it at him, shouting, "Get out! Considering your loyalty to me, I will pretend that I didn't hear what you just said. Otherwise, your life will be in danger!"

Luo Yuan's head was covered in cold sweat, but he still stood up, saluted him steadily, and then turned around and walked out.

Xia Mingyuan was so excited that his chest ached, so he covered his chest and gasped for breath. The servant guarding the door noticed something was wrong and came in to ask if he wanted to call a doctor. Xia Mingyuan just waved his hands helplessly and shouted, "Everyone get out! No one is allowed to come in without my order!"

Then the room returned to silence, with only a few suppressed coughs and the ticking of the night watch. Xia Mingyuan leaned against the brocade cushion, and suddenly felt a sense of grief that could not be shaken off. How could he not know that what Luo Yuan said was the only way out? Now that the emperor had taken action, there was no way the Xia family would be left with any chance of survival, and they would definitely be killed. Letting Qin Mu return to the capital was only the first step, and the next person he would have to deal with would be himself. But if he really wanted to rebel, it would mean the lives of the entire family being at stake, so how could he dare to make a decision lightly? Moreover, apart from the 80,000 men in Yanzhou, the most crucial military power in the hands of the Xia family was the 30,000 Yulin Army in Xia Qing's hands. But Xia Qing's character is unruly, and she has always been very close to the current emperor, which makes her an unpredictable variable. The more he thought about it, the more headache he felt. It seemed that everything in front of him was white, and he couldn't see the road ahead clearly.

In the blink of an eye, it was nightfall. Under the cover of heavy twilight, someone rushed into Xia Mingyuan's bedroom without waiting for the message.

Xia Mingyuan saw that Xia Qing was still wearing his sword and armor, and it was obvious that he had come directly from the military camp. He did not have time to blame him for barging in so brazenly, and quickly stood up and asked, "What happened?"

Xia Qing took off his sword and threw it hard on the table, saying with a dark face: "Today, the emperor summoned me to the palace and asked me to hand over the command of the Yulin Army tomorrow and wait for other deployments. Isn't this clearly adding insult to injury and forcing us into a dead end!"

Xia Mingyuan was startled again, but he quickly calmed down and said slowly: "Your Majesty really acted quickly. He couldn't wait to target the Yulin Army in your hands before he even transferred Qin Mu back."

Xia Qing turned to look at him, his eyes fierce as he said, "Uncle, we can't just sit there and wait for death any longer. If this continues, the Xia family will be eaten up by him bit by bit!"

Xia Mingyuan remained calm and asked, "What do you think we should do?"

Xia Qing walked up to Xia Mingyuan and whispered, "Uncle, do you know that Prince Qi has always been planning a rebellion?"

Xia Mingyuan raised his eyebrows and said "Oh". This was indeed the first time he heard of this.

Xia Qing walked to the edge of the bed and sat down. He whispered how Xiao Du had escaped by instigating Prince Qi to rebel, and then said in a deep voice: "Prince Qi is just a fool who can't accomplish anything great, but he can be used by us. If someone could tip him off at this time and let him know that the evidence of his intention to unite with the Xiao family army to rebel has long been in the hands of the emperor, and then fake an imperial decree to summon him to the capital, he would have to rebel in order to save his life."

He raised the corners of his lips slightly and continued, "If Prince Qi wants to counterattack the Central Plains, he must pass through the defense of Qin Mu in Yanzhou. At that time, the Qin generals only need to pretend to be defeated and let Prince Qi's troops advance straight in, and then lead troops to chase to the capital in the name of equal judgment. At this time, the Yulin Army under my command can cooperate with the Qin generals and others. Once the imperial city is in chaos, they can enter the palace and kill Zhao Yan. Then, with the limited force of Prince Qi, it is impossible to resist the combination of me and Qin generals. After eliminating them all, we can invite the queen mother out of the cold palace and support a new monarch. By then, the world will be in the hands of our Xia family."

Xia Mingyuan listened carefully and suddenly felt much clearer. He thought about it again from beginning to end and felt that the plan was perfectly arranged. He was 70% sure of success. But he was still a little worried, "You will hand over the military power tomorrow. By then, will you be sure to mobilize the Yulin Army?"

Xia Qing said with a haughty look on his face: "I brought up my own army, how can he take it back just because he wants to? Even if he immediately appoints new people to take the positions, I can guarantee that at least a few battalion commanders will only obey me, and I still have this thing in my hand."

He pulled out a map from his arms and unfolded it in front of Xia Mingyuan. When Xia Mingyuan saw the map clearly, a strange light flashed on his face and he said in a trembling voice: "This is the military strength and topographic map of the entire imperial city!"

Xia Qing smiled proudly and said, "Yes, the emperor has always been wary of the Xia family, so of course I have to leave a way out for myself. This map took me a year to complete. Although the distribution of troops and defensive terrain in it cannot be said to be completely accurate, there will not be too many omissions. As long as we have this map, it will be easy for General Qin to lead his troops to attack the imperial city." He quickly put on his smile again and said, "Uncle, whether the Xia family will be slaughtered or give it a try is entirely up to you. This is related to the life and death of the entire family. As long as you give an order, your nephew will definitely obey and will never dare to disobey."

Xia Mingyuan pondered for a long time, and finally showed a look of determination on his face, but he remembered something, "Although this plan is good, there is still a hidden danger. Have you ever thought that Xiao Du will not sit idly by and watch us seize the throne so smoothly? The Xiao family army is stationed in the northwest. If they also take advantage of the chaos to attack the capital, wouldn't they catch us off guard?"

Xia Qing said: "This is easy. We can form an alliance with him first. Uncle can write him a letter and ask him to keep his troops in place until we succeed. After we succeed, we will divide the river with him. Xiao Du can get half of the country without spending a single soldier. I don't believe he won't be tempted."

"This..." Seeing that Xia Mingyuan was obviously hesitant, Xia Qing continued, "A little impatience will lead to big plans. Our biggest threat now is the emperor. Xiao Du and I have a common enemy. Now we have to get his cooperation first to ensure that there are no loopholes in this plan. As long as we can stabilize our position, we can slowly settle accounts with him later."

Xia Mingyuan narrowed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then said, "That being said, what if I tell him all about this plan and he reports it to the emperor? Wouldn't that be courting our own death?"

Xia Qing smiled and said, "Uncle, how can you be so sick and confused? Xiao Du told the emperor the evidence of our rebellion, isn't he pushing himself to a dead end? Think about it, if the Xia family collapses, who will be the next to suffer? Uncle, the rabbit is dead and the dog is abandoned!"

Xia Mingyuan looked at the face in front of him that was reddened by the candlelight, and finally let out a breath and said softly: "Okay, let's follow your plan first, and then we will discuss it carefully."

The bell rang, the candles burned out and were lit again, and the two of them discussed until dawn before they finally decided on the whole plan. Xia Qing replaced Xia Mingyuan's cup of hot tea and said, "Uncle, have you thought about it? Who will go to tell Xiao Du this?"

Xia Mingyuan said, "There is a person who is perfect for the job. She is of no use in the prime minister's mansion anyway, so we might as well make the best use of her." He seemed to remember something and was silent for a long time before he said to Xia Qing, "By the way, can you do me another favor?" He then leaned over to him and gave him some instructions.

Xia Qing was surprised when she heard this and asked, "Why did uncle think of doing this at such a critical moment?"

Xia Mingyuan's face was hidden behind the white mist rising from the tea, which made him look sad for a moment. He put down the teacup with a deep look in his eyes and said slowly, "I owe her this. I will return it to her sooner or later."

The next day, Xiao Du finished reading the secret letter in his hand, raised the corner of his mouth sarcastically, and then burned the secret letter in the lamp. He turned to Yuan Xi and said, "He is really going to take action. Your father would rather die than lose."

Yuan Xi's heart skipped a beat, but she did not ask about the details of the matter. She just put down the book in her hand and said, "It's a pity that he can't see through it. The general trend of the world is nothing more than the word 'people's will'. The will of the people is the foundation of the country. Now Your Majesty is deeply loved by the people, but the Xia family is a traitor who abuses power and is despised by everyone. So no matter what he does, he will definitely lose."

Xiao Du raised his eyebrows without making any comment, then walked over and hugged her, saying softly, "Seventh Aunt is here, in the flower hall. She said she brought you something. Do you want to go see her?"

Yuan Xi's body stiffened. Seventh Aunt... is she cured? Ever since she learned the truth about her infertility, she has been deliberately avoiding this aunt whom she once regarded as her own mother. She doesn't want to know if she has any difficulties, nor does she want to think about how much of her kindness to her is out of true love and how much out of guilt. But after all, people are not plants, and the 16 years of mother-daughter love and companionship cannot be forgotten.

Finally, she went to the flower hall. Even though she had imagined many things in her mind, when she saw the skinny and old figure sitting in the hall, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and cry. That was not the Seventh Aunt in her memory. The illness and mental torture had almost taken away all her vitality. Now there was only a skeleton that could still walk.

When Seventh Aunt heard the voice, she turned around. When she saw Yuan Xi's face clearly, her lifeless eyes suddenly lit up. She stood up tremblingly, and couldn't wait to walk towards her. But as soon as she took a step, she stopped timidly. Countless painful emotions flashed across her face, and she murmured, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Then she squatted on the spot and burst into tears.

The two of them cried for a long time. Finally, Yuan Xi walked over and helped Seventh Aunt up. Seventh Aunt clung to her arm like a drowning person holding on to the last piece of driftwood. She stared with her red and swollen eyes and said incoherently: "I don't know, I really didn't know at first, but I couldn't fight against your father, Xi'er, it's all my fault. Seventh Aunt couldn't protect you. It's all my fault..."

Yuan Xi held her almost bone-like arm, suddenly hugged her and said, "It doesn't matter anymore, none of that matters anymore, you will always be Xi'er's Seventh Aunt." She had long seen that the Seventh Aunt might not have many days left, and she didn't want her to spend her last moments in guilt.

At night, Xiao Du thought that the two of them must have a lot to talk about, so he deliberately asked the Seventh Aunt to stay in Yuan Xi's room. Under the flickering light, the Seventh Aunt combed Yuan Xi's hair as before, but the little girl with a charming smile in the bronze mirror had grown into a tough woman who had experienced the vicissitudes of life.

The seventh aunt sighed and wanted to wipe her tears again. Then she finally remembered and took out a household registration paper from the package and handed it to Yuan Xi. Yuan Xi curiously opened it and took a closer look. She saw that it recorded in detail that she was born in a merchant family in the west of the city, and her original surname should be Yang.

Yuan Xi was a little dazed for a moment, and raised his head blankly and said, "I...amn't I Dad's biological child?"

Seventh Aunt touched her head and sighed, "Of course you are. When the plum blossoms bloomed that year, I saw you born with my own eyes, and I also saw with my own eyes how happy your father was." Her eyes flickered, as if containing endless sighs and sorrows, and she said slowly, "This is the last thing he did for you."


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