Chapter 131: Is the Prince Consort Too Weak to Take Care of Himself?
Shen Lingyue had a million curses to say in her heart.
But she didn't dare.
She could only follow the crowd, huddling together with the other terrified, pale-faced, sobbing, and screaming noblewomen, trying her best to minimize her presence.
Although these people mainly serve as hostages, as long as Prince Heng is not mentally unstable, he will not kill them for the time being.
But...she has a grudge against the Princess of Rongcheng! TAT
"You can't see me, you can't see me..." Shen Lingyue silently chanted in her heart, bowing to all the gods and Buddhas in the sky.
Princess Rongcheng really couldn't care less about settling personal scores at this moment. She forcibly helped Prince Heng up and had someone bring out a black cloak embroidered with nine dragons in gold thread that had been prepared beforehand, which completely covered his dirty and wrinkled white prison clothes.
—Perhaps the uprising was launched too hastily, and there wasn't enough time to embroider a dragon robe, so they could only wear a black robe as a token gesture.
"Father."
Princess Rongcheng grabbed his wrist tightly, her gaze intense and her expression fervent. "Do you want your grandmother to die with her eyes wide open in disbelief? Why not fight back with all your might!"
When Prince Heng came to his senses, his eyes were filled with intense hatred for Emperor Qingxi.
My mother has always been in good health, how could she suddenly fall seriously ill? It must be that Father Emperor is angry with her and is forcing her!
For that woman, he even stripped his eldest son of his clan status. What fatherly affection is left?
At this moment, he couldn't afford to think about how the Princess of Rongcheng had obtained the people he controlled in the Imperial Guards, or how she had planned this palace coup.
He only wanted to rush to Emperor Qingxi and pull him down from that high throne.
Prince Heng straightened his collar, slowly raised his head, and his face showed an unwavering determination.
His gaze swept over the trembling women and their families before him, and he said in a deep voice, "Ladies, please stay here and do not move. Once I have finished my business, I will naturally escort you back to your residences safely."
Everyone fell silent, and the timid ones didn't even dare to cry out; they could only cover their mouths tightly.
Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi stood in front of Meng Wanyin, their eyes darting around as they frantically searched for a way to break the deadlock.
It wasn't until Yan Yi looked around at everyone in the hall that she noticed something strange.
"...Where is Consort Gao?"
The county magistrate of Rongcheng was also asking the same question.
Consort Lin's coffin was placed in the main hall, while the side halls and wing rooms on both sides were for the imperial concubines and some elderly or in poor health to rest.
After all, Emperor Qingxi only wanted them to enter the palace to mourn, not to be buried with him.
Even the strongest body can't withstand kneeling for seven days straight. Plus, the ceremony was coming to an end, so everyone wanted to take a break and rest for a while after kneeling for a bit.
Now, the ladies resting in the side halls and wing rooms have all been "invited" out one by one, but Consort Gao is the only one missing.
Princess Rongcheng frowned. Her original plan was to seize Consort Gao amidst the chaos, take her to the imperial court, and coerce Emperor Qingxi into writing an abdication edict. If he refused, she would kill Consort Gao as a sacrifice, thus confirming Emperor Qingxi's guilt of being bewitched by a seductive concubine and being a tyrannical ruler.
The problem is that the very first step has gone wrong, and the most important hostage is gone?
She summoned the head of the Imperial Guards guarding outside the palace and ordered him to lead his men into the inner palace and find Consort Gao no matter how hard they had to dig.
The dark mass of soldiers passed by like a storm cloud, and moments later, screams and cries rose and fell all around.
Shen Lingyue clenched her fists silently, her teeth itching with hatred.
Isn't the key to a palace coup to capture the king first, seize control of the old emperor swiftly and decisively, and complete the transfer of power?
The old emperor is not even dead yet, and you've already started burning, killing, and looting in the harem?
Prince Heng, you are a prince, not a peasant rebel!
What a ridiculous palace coup! It had absolutely no technical skill involved...
Shen Lingyue cursed inwardly. Perhaps it was because her anger was too intense that she had inadvertently attracted the attention of the Princess of Rongcheng.
Frustrated at failing to capture Consort Gao, she turned her head and saw Shen Lingyue, her "old grudge." She snorted coldly and strode towards her.
"You seem to have a problem with me?"
Princess Rongcheng gripped Shen Lingyue's chin tightly, her tone icy, "When you ruined my plans back then, did you ever imagine you'd end up like this?"
If it weren't for Shen Lingyue's interference, she would have already gotten Jiang Yunlin, and how could she have let him become the prince consort?
Princess Lekang and Jiang Yunlin have been married for over three months and are still very much in love. Princess Lekang herself is also very healthy and energetic, and the so-called rumors of her being a jinx to her husband have long been disproven.
The more the Princess of Rongcheng thought about it, the angrier she became, and her eyes filled with murderous intent as she looked at Shen Lingyue.
I hate couples like you who are all lovey-dovey!
Why not take this opportunity to make Pei Jinghuai a widower?
I vaguely remember that he was somewhat good-looking...
"Princess, please reconsider!"
Yan Yi stepped forward to stop her, shoving the Rongcheng County Princess's hand away and raising her voice slightly: "Since the County Princess wants to use us to blackmail everyone, aren't you afraid that if you start killing indiscriminately now, it will backfire?"
The women around them, upon hearing this, almost palpable panic crossed their faces.
They were unaware of any past grudges between Princess Rongcheng and Shen Lingyue, but at this moment, the fates of all the women in the palace were intertwined, and who knew who she would target next?
Princess Rongcheng glared coldly at Yan Yi: "You've got some nerve, aren't you afraid I'll take care of you too?"
Yan Yi was naturally afraid, after all, it's hard for a normal person to reason with a madman.
She clenched her cold fingertips tightly, leaned forward slightly, and whispered in the ear of the Princess of Rongcheng in a voice only the two of them could hear: "It would be easy for the Princess to kill us, but do you really want to push the Marquis of Changning's mansion and all the nobles to the opposite side of Prince Heng?"
The Princess of Rongcheng was silent for a moment, then tapped Chen Lingyue twice from a distance, saying, "I'll let you off the hook today."
Once her father ascends the throne smoothly and she becomes a princess, she will have plenty of opportunities to deal with them however she wants.
“Mother, you and sister-in-law stay here and watch over them.”
The magistrate of Rongcheng County summoned a group of men who surrounded the crowd and deliberately shouted at Princess Heng, "Anyone who dares to move will be killed without mercy!"
Then she chased after Prince Heng ahead.
The previous dynasty was also in chaos at this time.
Princess Rongcheng dared to use Prince Heng's edict to mobilize her confidants to force the emperor to abdicate, so of course she wouldn't just target the women in the harem; controlling the guards of the front court was the key.
The incident happened suddenly. At that time, there were still many officials waiting to be summoned to the palace, and their own offices were located in the imperial city. They were having a nice time drinking tea and chatting when suddenly they heard the sound of weapons clashing outside and the deafening fighting. Chaos broke out!
These imperial guards who dared to follow Prince Heng in his rebellion didn't care what rank you were, whether you were a top scholar or a second-place scholar. Anyone who dared to make a move would be beheaded or arrested without hesitation.
Even so, it couldn't stop the spirited ministers, who shouted for the emperor's protection and rushed one after another to the Wenhua Hall where Emperor Qingxi worked.
This included the unfortunate Jiang Yunlin.
Since she became the emperor's son-in-law, Emperor Qingxi generously promoted her from the Hanlin Academy to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, where she was responsible for studying the classics and lecturing, and was allowed free access to the palace.
Holding her robe, she joined her colleagues from the Imperial Household Department in a game of survival against the rebels in the palace. They were quickly separated by the fierce Imperial Guards and forced to the end of a narrow alley.
Seeing the Imperial Guards' ferocious expressions and their step-by-step approach with their swords drawn, Jiang Yunlin, unarmed, couldn't help but feel a sense of impending doom.
She has come a long way to become the brother-in-law of Prince Heng, and avenging her family is just around the corner.
As a result, Prince Heng first brought about his own downfall and was stripped of his title. Before she could even rejoice for a few days, he actually managed to escape from prison and stage a palace coup?!
Bang!
Jiang Yunlin suddenly opened his eyes and saw the Imperial Guard bleeding profusely from his head as he slowly collapsed.
Behind them appeared the figure of Qi Xiuyuan, who was holding a large inkstone high.
"Are you alright?" Qi Xiuyuan quickly stepped forward, pulled her up from the ground, and looked her up and down anxiously. "Are you hurt?"
Jiang Yunlin was covered in dust and dirt, her hat had fallen off, and her hair was a mess. She just stared at him blankly and asked, "What are you doing here?"
Shouldn't he be in the Hanlin Academy?
It seems like the two haven't seen each other for a long time since she was transferred to the Imperial Household Department.
Qi Xiuyuan smiled wryly, "Grand Secretary Liu's rheumatism has flared up, so he sent me to deliver the documents to the Grand Master of Ceremonies."
Unfortunately, he was trapped in the palace as well.
Jiang Yunlin blurted out, "His rheumatism flares up for twenty days a month; he's just deliberately ordering people around."
Back when they were both at the Hanlin Academy, they often complained about him behind his back.
Qi Xiuyuan pursed his lips slightly and said in a low voice, "It's not exactly ordering me around; I came of my own accord."
Only in this way could he have the opportunity to come to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices openly and legitimately, and perhaps even have the chance to meet him.
Jiang Yunlin seemed to realize something. Despite the critical moment, she couldn't control her racing heartbeat, which was beating erratically.
She snapped back to reality when she heard the sounds of fighting in the distance, and instinctively grabbed Qi Xiuyuan's wrist. "We can't stay here any longer. Let's find a safe place to hide and wait for reinforcements."
She pulled Qi Xiuyuan and ran outside. Thanks to the two months she had worked at the Imperial Household Department, she was now much more familiar with the layout of the capital city than Qi Xiuyuan was.
Qi Xiuyuan was carrying a heavy inkstone, one corner of which was still stained with blood, as Jiang Yunlin dragged him through the palace. Every time he turned his head, he could see her tense face and bright eyes.
He couldn't stop himself from overthinking, but he just hoped they could keep running like this forever.
"stop!"
After turning a corner, the two unfortunately ran into a five-person squad.
The five men opposite them were all armed, brandishing knives and advancing step by step. Their eyes swept over the two men's official robes, and they demanded sharply, "Which government office are you from?"
Qi Xiuyuan stepped forward, blocking Jiang Yunlin's path, and said nervously, "We are from the Hanlin Academy, and we have come to the palace to deliver documents to the officials. Please, Your Excellency, have mercy and spare our lives."
Everyone likes good-looking people, and these imperial guards were no exception. Seeing that Qi Xiuyuan was dressed in a blue civil official's robe and looked like a weak and unassuming scholar, they didn't think he was a threat. So they were a little dismissive and waved their hand, saying, "Stay with us and don't run around."
The sharp-eyed imperial guard standing on the far left pointed at the inkstone in Qi Xiuyuan's hand and asked, "What is that?"
In his nervousness, Qi Xiuyuan dropped the inkstone and it fell to the ground, the sunlight revealing the bloodstains on it.
He stammered an explanation: "I picked it up..."
At this moment, another person recognized Jiang Yunlin behind him and exclaimed, "I've seen him before! He's Princess Lekang's husband!"
The Imperial Son-in-Law and the Junior Scholar are not on the same level at all. The leading Imperial Guard narrowed his eyes dangerously, "You dare to lie to me?"
Knowing there was no way to avoid it, Jiang Yunlin pushed Qi Xiuyuan aside and stepped out, saying, "I'll go with you, but he is indeed just a minor scholar. Let him go."
"No, I have to stay with you!"
Qi Xiuyuan and Jiang Yunlin started arguing, one wanting to leave and the other wanting to stay, until their faces were red with anger.
The imperial guards crossed their arms and watched the spectacle with great interest.
"Enough!" The head of the Imperial Guards, annoyed, drew his sword and swung it. "No one is leaving. Third brother, go and tie them up."
The third brother had just taken two steps forward when a whooshing sound pierced through his back.
He looked down in disbelief at the arrowhead protruding from his chest, his knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground.
"Who goes there—"
The remaining imperial guards turned to face the enemy, but only saw a flash of silver light, and within moments their throats were slit, and they all fell to the ground.
Wei Shao stepped over the haphazardly lying corpses of the Imperial Guards and strode forward, his face filled with concern: "Are you injured?"
Jiang Yunlin's eyes widened in surprise, "...Sister, brother-in-law?"
Wei Shao casually wiped the blood splattered on his face and smiled faintly: "I heard that Prince Heng led a coup? Don't worry, the troops from the North City Camp will be here soon. As for the others, are they imprisoned?"
Jiang Yunlin was in a daze, and pointed in a direction, "I just heard them say that they seem to have been locked up in the Jinshen Hall in the west."
Wei Shao nodded, "You guys shouldn't wander around outside either, it's not safe. Find a place to hide, it'll be over soon."
"Brother-in-law, where are you going?" Jiang Yunlin called out to Wei Shao's retreating figure.
Wei Shao didn't even turn his head: "To save the emperor."
The two stood still, watching Wei Shao charge forward without hesitation, swiftly dispatching the Imperial Guards who seemed to appear out of nowhere, as easily and effortlessly as cutting melons and vegetables.
Qi Xiuyuan spoke Jiang Yunlin's mind.
"Isn't everyone saying that Consort Wei is in poor health, weak and unable to take care of himself?"
If this is what you call weakness, then what are the two of them?
"Brother Jiang, where do we go next?" Qi Xiuyuan asked. "You're more familiar with the terrain, do you know where it's safe?"
A light shone in Jiang Yunlin's eyes.
"Why are you still hiding? Of course, you should go with the prince consort to rescue the emperor!"
She grabbed Qi Xiuyuan and ran towards the Wenhua Hall, her voice carried on the wind, tinged with a strange excitement.
"Brother Qi, this is a great achievement that's already been made, why not take it!"
...
In Consort Lin's palace.
Princess Heng and the Crown Prince's wife were "entrusted with important responsibilities" and took on the task of guarding the female relatives, but neither of them showed much joy at their impending rise to prominence; instead, they appeared more bewildered and fearful.
The incident happened suddenly, and no one had consulted with them at all. How did a perfectly normal trip to the palace to mourn the dead escalate into a forced abdication?
Princess Heng was in a state of turmoil, regretting that she should have let Princess Rongcheng get the key to the secret box, while still clinging to a sliver of hope.
Since ancient times, wealth and honor have been sought amidst danger; what if you succeed?
The Crown Princess's feelings were much more complicated than hers. She was also a lady from a prestigious family, and was the eldest grandson's wife carefully selected by Emperor Qingxi. She was always dignified, virtuous, and dutiful.
Since marrying into the Prince Heng's mansion, she has coldly observed the daily behavior of her father-in-law and husband. In short, they "do not look like rulers" and have no imperial bearing at all.
If one could simply live a peaceful and uneventful life as a prince, that would be fine; at least one would never have to worry about food or drink and would enjoy the riches and honors of the imperial family.
But they were so blinded by greed that they wanted to force the emperor to abdicate? And they even chose to launch their attack while their birth mother's body was still warm and her body was lying in the coffin.
The Crown Princess felt that the traditional Chinese moral education she had received since childhood had been greatly impacted.
Is this something a son or grandson should do?
From the moment Princess Rongcheng smashed the cup as a signal, the Crown Princess had a premonition that everything was going to end.
No, she didn't want to be dragged down by this family of idiots!
The Crown Princess turned her head and glanced at the Princess Consort of Heng, who seemed to have calmed down and was trying her best to suppress the upward curve of her lips, as if she was imagining the wonderful vision of becoming the Empress.
She sighed silently to herself and gave up her plan to win over Princess Heng.
Well, like mother, like daughter...
The Crown Princess began to discreetly observe the noblewomen of various families who had shrunk into a flock of quails, and then her eyes met Shen Lingyue's bright gaze.
Those were women from the Pei family of the Marquis of Changning's residence?
The Crown Princess had witnessed the conflict between Princess Rongcheng and Shen Lingyue. A thought suddenly crossed her mind, and she clutched her lower abdomen, letting out a soft groan.
Princess Heng finally came to her senses and asked her daughter-in-law anxiously, "What's wrong?"
The Crown Princess's eyes reddened, and she whispered, "Mother, my period hasn't started yet this month, but I'm afraid I'm already pregnant..."
Is it true? So the baby was startled and the pregnancy was aggravated?
Princess Heng panicked for a moment and said, "Then go lie down in the side hall for a while. I'll watch over things here, so it'll be alright."
"Yes, thank you for your hard work, Mother." The Crown Princess looked apologetic, as if she couldn't share her burdens.
Princess Heng waved her hand dismissively, "What's so hard about this?"
Anyway, there were still so many soldiers guarding the palace gate. Seeing the women so afraid that they didn't dare to breathe and their faces turned pale with fright, Princess Heng felt extremely proud and gratified.
Once she becomes empress, won't all these people have to kneel before her and kowtow three times and nine times?
Supported by a palace maid, the Crown Princess slowly walked towards the side hall. As she passed by Shen Lingyue, she imperiously ordered, "You, come in and massage my legs."
The women around them all stared wide-eyed.
Seriously? What did the Marquis of Changning's family do to offend the Prince Heng's family? First it was the Princess of Rongcheng, and now the Crown Princess is causing trouble?
Meng Wanyin, who had been protected by her two daughters-in-law, couldn't hold back any longer when she heard this. She clenched her fists and shouted, "You, you're going too far!"
"I'm bullying you, so what can you do about it?"
The Crown Princess snorted coldly, raising her chin haughtily. "Madam, I advise you to be sensible. Can't you see who's in charge here from now on?"
—If Prince Heng's coup succeeds, this Crown Princess will soon be promoted to Crown Princess. Who would dare to mess with her?
In an instant, the other families who had originally wanted to stand up for the Marquis of Changning's family all quietly shrank back. Some even gave Shen Lingyue meaningful glances, signaling her to quickly lower her head and back down, so as not to drag her whole family into trouble.
Shen Lingyue couldn't understand it either. She wasn't familiar with this Crown Princess, so why had she been targeted?
Could it be that she wanted to stand up for her sister-in-law, the Princess of Rongcheng?
"Okay, I'll go with you."
When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Shen Lingyue was quite philosophical about it; survival was the most important thing.
Anyway, she doesn't believe that Prince Heng can succeed... If he does succeed, she'll write the character "Chen" backwards!
Just as Shen Lingyue was following the Crown Princess toward the side hall, Yan Yi entrusted Meng Wanyin to the care of a female relative she knew and quickly caught up with her.
"etc."
Yan Yi grasped Shen Lingyue's hand and said to the Crown Princess in a neither humble nor arrogant manner, "My sister-in-law has never learned how to serve others and doesn't know her own strength. It would be bad if she hurt the Crown Princess. If you don't mind, why don't I do it instead?"
Shen Lingyue was immediately anxious upon hearing this. How could she let Yan Yan suffer this injustice for her?
She blocked Yan Yi's way, forcing a smile, "It's just massaging legs, I know how, I really know how, let me do it."
The Crown Princess smiled as she watched the two of them arguing over the food. "Alright, let's do it together then."
Upon entering the side hall, the Crown Princess instructed the palace maid to stand guard at the door, and said with a half-smile, "The two ladies of the Marquis's residence are going to massage my shoulders and legs, but it's best not to let outsiders see."
As soon as the door closed, the Crown Princess acted out of character. Her stomach pain disappeared, and she stopped bending over. She quickly walked to the back window, carefully opened a crack, and peered out.
Once she was sure there was no one watching outside the back window, she quickly waved to the two of them.
"You must escape from here quickly and try to send a message out to call people in to quell the rebellion."
Shen Lingyue's eyes widened.
So you promised to endure humiliation and hardship to massage the enemy's shoulders and back, but why did the enemy turn against you first?
Could this be a trap?
For example, as soon as she and Yan Yi jumped out of the window, they were caught red-handed by the Princess of Rongcheng and her men, and then executed on the spot.
"What are you waiting for? It'll be too late if you wait any longer."
The Crown Princess gave a wry smile. "Do you really think Prince Heng can succeed?"
Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi both shook their heads.
The Crown Princess thought for a moment, then took out a token from the Heng Prince's residence from her sleeve. This was something she usually used to help the Heng Prince's wife manage the household affairs, and she put it into Shen Lingyue's hand.
"Take this. If you encounter the Imperial Guards on the road, tell them you are my men and are here to deliver a message to the Crown Prince... Whatever the reason, they shouldn't dare to make things difficult for you."
Shen Lingyue carefully put away the pair of cards, then climbed over the window and took Yan Yi's hand.
Yan Yi turned her head and asked again, "Why did you let us go?"
The Crown Princess tightened her grip on the window frame and whispered, "I just want to live on with my child."
She knew her actions were madness, but she had to think of herself and her two young children in the household.
They cannot be buried with this family of lunatics.
...
Princess Rongcheng probably thought that these women, who were too weak to even kill a chicken, couldn't accomplish anything great. Apart from a symbolic group of people guarding the main hall, the rest of the room was empty.
Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi successfully slipped out of the palace, but were momentarily at a loss.
"Who should we ask for help?"
—Thank you for the invitation. This is my first time participating in a palace coup event. Could you please tell me what the next steps are?
Or rather, how do I navigate without getting lost?
Yan Yi looked up at the position of the sun in the sky and silently calculated the time in her mind.
"Anyway, let's head south first and figure out a way to sneak out of the palace."
The palace was eerily quiet, and a suffocating smell permeated the air. Occasionally, one could see palace servants lying motionless on the roadside, their fate unknown.
Shen Lingyue tried her best to avoid looking at the bloodstains spreading beneath them. She was like a frightened bird, carefully pulling Yan Yi away as if they were playing some kind of haunted house escape game.
She asked in a trembling voice, "Why did the Crown Princess choose the two of us?"
Do they have the words "savior" written on their faces?
"Perhaps it's because we have a grudge against the Princess of Rongcheng."
Yan Yi could only think of this reason: "Among all the women in that room, we are probably the ones who least want Prince Heng to succeed."
Shen Lingyue silently encouraged herself, "Keep going, keep going, keep going! Saving the emperor is just around the corner!"
Soon, we arrived at Ganqingmen Square.
Once you pass through this gate, you've officially moved from the inner palace to the outer court.
Shen Lingyue stopped in her tracks, listening to the distant sounds of battle ahead, and asked Yan Yi, "What do we do now?"
They're all fighting like mad. Even if they show off the name of the Prince Heng's Mansion, what if the other side doesn't take them seriously?
Yan Yi stood on the high ground and looked into the distance for a while. Then, uncertainly, she said, "It looks to me like Prince Heng's men have been driven back?"
The two sides in the battle were clearly wearing different military uniforms. One side was the Imperial Guards who had been bribed by Prince Heng, while the other side looked like they were dressed in the uniforms of the Northern Camp outside the city.
The Zhou family was a military family, and Yan Yi had heard about it from a young age and had met them a few times.
"The reinforcements have entered the palace so quickly? It seems the old emperor still has some tricks up his sleeve."
Shen Lingyue quickly hid the token given to her by the Crown Princess, just in case people thought they were accomplices of the rebels.
The two mustered their courage and walked forward a little further. When they saw the silver-armored general charging ahead, a force to be reckoned with, they stared in astonishment.
How could it be Consort Wei?
Yan Yi immediately changed her mind.
"No need to leave the palace, let's go directly to His Majesty."
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Author's Note: Jiang Yunlin & Yan Yan: We're here to save the day! [Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers]
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