Internal strife
Li Ling's fief was in Runan, but he seemed to have no intention of returning. He led his army and remained stationed in Yongye. Qin Ziyou, seeing Li Changying's increasingly bad temper, asked her when she would return to the capital.
For the past few months, she had been searching for the treasure that Madam Lu had hidden. She had dug up the former Lu mansion three times, but to no avail. She had been holding her breath in resentment.
"We're not going back! We're staying in Yongye! Father said no one should go back until the treasure is found!" She slammed her hand on the table and scolded him, "You're not going back either. Don't keep running to that wretched village. Come with us to search!"
Qin Ziyou thought it was nonsense. He said with a sarcastic look, "If there really was a treasure that could rival the wealth of a country, the Lu family could have established themselves as kings back then. How could they have ended up like that?"
Li Changying was speechless.
Qin Ziyou didn't want to wait any longer. He packed his things, preparing to return to the capital first. Changying stood up and stopped him, saying, "Don't go back yet. Father has already sent people to pick up your family and take you to Runan." She paused for a moment and then added, "Your mother and your maternal grandfather are going with you too."
He was puzzled, and a sense of unease rose in his heart: "Why go to Runan?"
Li Changying opened his mouth as if to speak, but still didn't want to tell him too much. He only said, "There are changes in Pingdu. Send them to Runan first to avoid being affected."
Qin Ziyou asked, puzzled, "What change?"
Li Changying refused to say anything more: "It's none of your business. Once there's a change in Pingdu, the entire Northwest will be ours!"
A strange emotion rose in her heart—guilt, a sense of being in the wrong. She dared not stay with Qin Ziyou any longer and quickly walked away.
When Lu Chang and Jing Wan returned to Jinning City, the steward reported that Lord Yuan had come to the mansion before they left, but after not finding them, he left with Miss Wuxia.
"Lord Yuan left a letter!" The steward handed it over, and Lu Chang opened it and read it.
Jingwan couldn't see what was written on the letter, but she noticed that Lu Chang's expression grew increasingly solemn, and even his breathing became softer.
His hand holding the letter trembled twice, but he quickly calmed down. He supported himself on the small table with one hand to keep from falling. Jingwan saw him slowly close his eyes, and the frown lines between his brows became even more pronounced.
When he opened his eyes again, the fear he had felt earlier had completely vanished, and Lu Chang regained his usual composure. He held Jing Wan in his arms, resting his chin on her shoulder, and murmured, "Jing Wan, the world is truly about to turn upside down..."
Yuan Cheng originally only planned to send Ling Yu back to the palace while he headed south. However, upon arriving in Jinning, a spy reported that the passes of Zhongzhou were wide open and tens of thousands of foreign cavalry were heading south towards Pingdu!
"The Qiang and Rong people, all the nomadic peoples on the border, are crossing the Yan and Bing prefectures and heading towards Pingdu! Their numbers are simply too great, their cavalry are endless, and their infantry are even more numerous! They are burning, killing, and looting all the way, and the Central Plains are in danger! In less than a month, Pingdu will also be in danger!"
Yuan Cheng immediately sensed something was wrong! The alliance between Li Ling and Yang Fujin had completely collapsed!
After Li Muyun left, Yang Fujin attempted to conquer the Northwest, repeating the actions of the late emperor. However, the tragedy of cutting off the natural barrier could not be repeated. Yang Nancheng, whom he sent, was only stripped of his military command, and the former Northwest border troops were forced to retire and return to their fields.
In order to kill Li Muyun, the armies of Yan and Bing prefectures were stationed in the northwest, resulting in no soldiers in the central prefecture. Yang Nancheng did not trust the people in the northwest, and with Yang Fujin's tacit approval, he transferred 10,000 Shence Army soldiers to the northwest. Now, the Shence Army and the Imperial Guards in Pingdu together number only about 50,000.
It's more accurate to say that there are 50,000 useless people than 50,000.
Yang Fujin had been wielding power for many years, and the army was also a place for him to amass wealth. How could the army that once guarded the capital be a match for the nomadic cavalry!
Yang Fujin was still in Pingdu, and Yang Nancheng had no reason to let foreign tribes in. These enemy troops entered Zhongzhou silently in only one place: Yongye and the area to its east, which Li Ling now occupied. It was close to the eastern border, and if Li Ling wanted, foreign tribes could enter the heart of the Central Plains from there.
Thinking of this, Yuan Cheng was in great turmoil. He could no longer wait for Lu Chang to return, so he hurriedly wrote a letter and left.
Knowing that he was usually so composed, Wuxia realized that his panic must be due to an emergency, so she followed Yuancheng northward back to Pingdu.
But they were too late. While the Rong and Qiang tribes were still on their way to Pingdu, a peasant uprising broke out in the capital. The thousands of laborers who had been mobilized to repair the dikes and build boats could no longer bear the insults and beatings from the officials and supervisors over the past few months. They united and killed the supervisory official by the river, raised torches, and carried hoes to storm the capital!
"The palace is full of treasures. Rather than letting the barbarians capture it, we should rob it first. Whether we become rich and powerful or turn into bandits depends on today!"
The number of conscripted people was only a few thousand, which was originally insignificant. However, people who fled from Yan and Bing prefectures also joined in. A few days ago, the court increased taxes, causing widespread resentment. Due to the attack by the Hu people, even ordinary people in Pingdu rose up in rebellion. The iron and arrow shops in the Weaving Workshop were emptied instantly, and a huge flow of people headed towards the palace!
Yang Fujin hurriedly dispatched the Imperial Guards and the Shence Army to quell the rebellion. While inwardly cursing Li Ling for his injustice, he was also afraid that the Hu people would actually attack. He quickly sent a messenger to convey the emperor's decree, ordering Yang Nancheng to lead troops to intercept and kill the Hu people and protect the safety of Pingdu.
In order to quell the internal strife, the emperor, on the advice of his officials, decided to send a member of the imperial clan to negotiate peace with the people.
Li Zheng, who had just been summoned back to Pingdu, was pushed in front of everyone.
The emperor made him make an empty promise to a group of red-eyed refugees. As soon as he left Zhengde Gate, Li Zheng knew that his death was imminent.
He turned around and couldn't help but glance at the magnificent palace where he had lived for many years.
If my father hadn't passed away so early, and if he hadn't been brought to the palace by the late emperor, he would be old enough to have children calling him "father" by now.
Before the barbarians even attacked, Pingdu was already in chaos! Soldiers and civilians clashed, hoes still covered in mud from digging the irrigation ditches mingling with blood—white and red, a thick, pungent stench. The swords and spears that once guarded the capital were now pointed at the very people they had once protected, hacking and stabbing indiscriminately, friend or foe alike. Blood splattered on faces and hands, the heat still lingering on the skin.
Everyone was in a bloodthirsty frenzy! Whose father, whose son, whose brother, whose husband—who cared anymore! In the end, even women and children joined the fight; a chopstick or a kitchen knife became a deadly weapon.
Those killed by arrows, those hacked to death, and innocent children trampled to death—the Imperial Street was littered with corpses and vengeful spirits.
The agonizing cries of those on the verge of death, the emboldened shouts of those fighting the enemy, and the exhilarating cries of those who had gone mad with killing—all mixed together, making it look from the city gates like a horde of demons devouring people!
The court officials who entered the palace early still managed to survive, but their residences outside the palace had long been trampled by the people. Their families and servants fled as much as they could, and those who could not escape were killed by the angry crowd.
"Slay the eunuchs! Slay the treacherous concubines! Kill the tyrannical emperor! Charge!" The people's voices resounded through the sky!
Inside the Hall of State Affairs, the emperor, trembling with fear, sat in the center!
His cricket cage was still lying to one side, but he no longer had time to play with it. He could faintly hear the wailing from outside the palace, which terrified him. His legs under the table were trembling uncontrollably!
"Father, what should we do? If those traitors storm the palace, we'll both be doomed!"
Soldiers kept reporting the battle situation. When the emperor learned that Zeng Yong, the commander of the Imperial Guards, was fighting fiercely outside the palace, holding back the civilians at the palace gates, he seemed to grasp at a lifeline. His eyes widened, and he hurriedly said, "Go tell Zeng Yong that if he wins, I will appoint him Grand General! His descendants will be honored for generations! And what about your Imperial Guards?"
Show mercy! Kill those traitors! I will reward them handsomely!
Yang Fujin stood calmly beside the emperor, but only he knew how panicked he was inside. He wasn't afraid of the rebels outside the city; the army inside the city could handle those mere commoners. What he feared were the barbarians who were rushing towards Pingdu.
The only hope is Yang Nancheng. If he cannot intercept and kill the Hu people, Pingdu will truly be doomed!
Half of Yang Fujin's face was hidden in shadow, his eyes filled with coldness. If Yang Nancheng couldn't stop him, then shouldn't he consider his own future?
Despite the sweltering heat of May, the Hall of State Affairs was so cold it made one break out in a cold sweat. The ministers dared not leave the palace; it was the only place that could shelter them.
Some palace servants were so terrified that they packed their belongings in preparation for fleeing when the city gates were breached by the people. When they were caught and brought before the emperor, the emperor was both angry and afraid. He drew his sword and stabbed the servants repeatedly.
More and more holes appeared in his body, and blood kept gushing out. His imperial robes were hanging down to his shoulders, and his face was splattered with blood. He was holding his sword and panting heavily!
"Where is my sister? Where is she? Come find her quickly!"
The palace servants quickly left and ran towards Qingyun Palace.
At that moment, Dong Qingying was holding Shen Xun, sitting on the bed. The child didn't know what was happening, but the tense atmosphere in the palace affected everyone, and no one could laugh out loud. The fear of the family tragedy years ago had left a deep shadow in her heart, and she could only tremble in Qingying's arms.
Qingying was also scared, but looking at the child in her arms, she felt she should act like an adult. She simply held the child in her arms, took out the picture books that she had read countless times, and looked at them with the child to calm her mind.
Beneath her fingertips were soft lines and elegant small characters. Touching the painting, she felt as if the person was right beside her. Just thinking about it like that helped her dispel much of her fear.
When the palace maids arrived, she knew she had no choice but to leave.
Ah Xun held onto her arm, not wanting her to leave.
Qingying patted her head and instructed Wutong, "Take good care of her." Wutong dared not cry, and could only nod frantically.
During this period, she dressed very simply, without applying any makeup, and her long black hair was casually tied up with a osmanthus hairpin, without any other decorations.
As soon as she entered the Hall of State Affairs, the Emperor pulled her over and made her sit next to him.
"Sister, can you hear what those traitors are shouting? They want to kill you and me!"
Seeing his pale face and trembling lips as he spoke, Qingying responded with silence, lowering her head and remaining completely still.
After Li Muyun's burial, she no longer wanted to deal with the emperor. Compared to living, what was so scary about death? It was just... she still greedily wanted to see him one last time.
The emperor didn't care about her attitude. But if he really had to die, he didn't want to die alone. He wanted to take Dong Qingying with him to the grave, and even after they became ghosts in the underworld, they would continue to be his ghosts.
After three days of fierce fighting outside the palace, the Pingdu army emerged victorious, but tens of thousands of civilians died at the palace gates. Corpses piled on top of each other, limbs scattered everywhere, some already infested with maggots and rotting.
When the news of the rebellion being quelled reached the Hall of State Affairs, everyone could finally wipe the cold sweat from their brows. Unfortunately, before the emperor could even get a good night's sleep, the sound of iron cavalry rang out, and the already battered capital suffered another devastating blow.
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