Everyone looked up at Chu Nanshan descending from the sky, their faces filled with surprise and joy. They couldn't help but kneel down and saluted, saying, "Greetings, Old Prince."
"Everyone, get up," Chu Nanshan said quickly. Seeing Yun Qianmeng not only unharmed but also protecting herself well, Chu Nanshan finally let go of the worry that had been weighing on his mind for a whole day and night. He promised Feiyang that he would bring Meng'er back. If he broke his promise, he was afraid he would never be able to face Feiyang again in his life.
"Qiao Ying, quickly help Meng'er to the side alley. Jiao Da is already waiting outside. Let's set off immediately." Chu Nanshan glanced coldly at the corpses of the guards from Prince Chen's Mansion scattered all over Meng Xin's cottage. A hint of anger and murderous intent emanated from his body, but time was pressing and Chu Nanshan could not afford to charge into the palace. He could only order his guards to lead everyone in the Chu Xiang Mansion to retreat as quickly as possible.
Qiao Ying was in charge of protecting Yun Qianmeng, carefully supporting her as they hurried out of Mengxin Cottage. She left the maids and servants behind to retrieve the bundles that had been hidden away, and then trotted out of Prime Minister Chu's residence, following the guards.
Glancing back at Chu Nanshan, who was following behind, Yun Qianmeng was filled with countless questions. However, she knew time was running out, and she didn't have time to ask any more questions. With Qiao Ying's support, she quickly exited the side door of Prime Minister Chu's residence. Sure enough, she saw Jiao Da waiting outside in a sturdy yet unassuming carriage, and they all immediately climbed in.
After Yun Qianmeng sat firmly, everyone heard the horses outside the carriage neigh, and the carriage began to gallop...
Prince Chen's Mansion.
"Your servant pays homage to His Majesty." The fact that Prince Chen had become emperor had long been known inside and outside the capital. When the steward of Prince Chen's mansion saw the current emperor return, he immediately stepped forward and knelt down to pay homage.
"Has the Concubine returned to the palace?" Jiang Muchen asked the housekeeper who was kneeling before him in a cold voice. Last night, he was busy forcing the emperor to abdicate, and only asked the guards to escort Concubine Yuande back to the palace. Only then did he ask the housekeeper.
Upon hearing this, the steward's eyes suddenly showed anxiety, but facing the current emperor, he could only tell the truth, "Your Majesty, the Concubine Dowager just led hundreds of guards to the Chu Xiang Mansion and has not returned yet."
"What?" Jiang Muchen was shocked and couldn't help but exclaimed. He was about to turn around and leave, but was stopped by Qu Yan who was following closely beside him.
Qu Yan's face was calm, but his half-closed eyes reflected a hint of coldness. He clasped his fists and bowed respectfully, saying, "Your Majesty, the Concubine Dowager's visit must have a profound meaning. Besides, the Chu Xiangfu Mansion is now full of women and children, so Your Majesty should stay away."
Qu Yan spoke with great righteousness, his face full of loyalty, and his words were full of his sincere loyalty for Emperor Dexi. He truly looked like a loyal minister.
But to Jiang Muchen, who knew how Qu Yan and Yun Qianmeng celebrated the festival, this was just a joke.
Jiang Muchen suppressed his anxiety, his face darkened slightly, his eyes gleaming with a savage light as he sneered, "Do you think I don't know what you're thinking?"
Having his thoughts exposed by Jiang Muchen, Qu Yan's heart trembled slightly, but his expression remained unchanged, showing no sign of wavering. He even lifted the front of his court robe and knelt in front of Jiang Muchen, saying with deep sorrow, "Although the Emperor inherited the Western Chu Kingdom according to the will of the late Emperor, the formal coronation ceremony has not yet taken place. How can bad rumors spread at this juncture? But the Empress Dowager is different. She will be the mother of the country in the future. The wives of all officials in the court are under the control of the Empress Dowager. It would be better for the Emperor to leave his position to the Empress Dowager so that there will be no room for criticism."
The most important point was that Concubine Yuande disliked Yun Qianmeng. What Emperor Dexi had done for Yun Qianmeng had long been intolerable to Concubine Yuande. Now that she wanted to eliminate Yun Qianmeng, it would be a win-win for everyone. Furthermore, having Concubine Yuande act would avoid a direct conflict between the ministers and Emperor Dexi, which would also be a boon for Jingqing's future entry into the palace.
Thinking of this, Qu Yan's body kneeling on the ground became heavier and heavier, and he refused to give in at all.
Seeing this, the generals following behind Jiang Muchen also followed Qu Yan's example and knelt at Jiang Muchen's feet, pleading, "Your Majesty, the King of Chu is rebelling, and the Princess of Chu, as the wife of a traitor, must be treated the same way. It is most appropriate for the Concubine Dowager to take action, so that the King of Chu can understand who is the master of the world!"
These generals were not fools. After seeing the luxury of the palace and the prestige of becoming Beijing officials in the future, the first thing they thought of was how to make the emperor always value them.
Throughout history, apart from working wholeheartedly for the emperor, the only other option left was marriage.
However, the entanglement between Emperor Dexi and the King of Chu and his wife is a headache. If Emperor Dexi takes the Princess of Chu into the harem in the future, their daughter will have no place to stand. It would be better to use Concubine Yuande to get rid of the Princess of Chu, which will not hurt the relationship between the monarch and his subjects.
Thinking of this, all the ministers believed that Qu Yan's persuasion to Emperor De Xi at this time was absolutely right, and they followed suit, hoping that Emperor De Xi could turn back and not get involved in matters between women.
Jiang Muchen coldly looked at his subordinates who had followed him for many years. Although he knew that there were many who sincerely advised him, there were also many who had other thoughts. With a cold smile, Jiang Muchen said gloomily, "If anyone stands in my way again, they will be charged with treason!"
After he finished speaking, Jiang Muchen withdrew his gaze, turned around and ran down the stairs, took his mount, jumped on it, and galloped towards Prime Minister Chu's residence.
"Your Majesty..." Seeing this, the group of generals behind him suddenly looked anxious and shouted at the top of their lungs, but they still couldn't expect Jiang Muchen to turn back.
Even if it weren't for the emperor's face, Jiang Muchen's status was so noble that he couldn't bear the slightest harm. If something went wrong and the Sea King, the Chu King, or even the Yugan Emperor retaliated, the first to suffer would be these followers.
Without saying a word, everyone quickly got on their horses and followed Jiang Muchen.
Qu Yan stood up with a gloomy face, but his mind had already turned a thousand times. Then he adjusted his expression, put away the great disappointment in his eyes, and followed the crowd to mount their horses, following Jiang Muchen and rushing towards Prime Minister Chu's residence.
After a burst of rapid galloping, before the horse's hooves had even stopped, Jiang Muchen had already jumped off the horse and rushed towards Prime Minister Chu's residence with a whip in hand.
Dozens of corpses of Chu Xiangfu's guards and Concubine Yuande's guards were lying at the gate of Chu Xiangfu. At this time, the gate of Chu Xiangfu was locked and there was not even a servant at the gatehouse. The smell of blood and the gloomy atmosphere made people feel uneasy.
Looking at the solemn yet silent Chu Mansion in front of him, the anxiety that had been lingering in his chest gradually faded away. A gleam of light flashed in his cold eyes. He looked around the outside of Chu Mansion quietly, and then called for help. Although he did not break down the door of the Mansion, he wanted to see what tricks Yun Qianmeng, who was now trapped in a jar, could play.
"Hang..." The sturdy gate of the Prime Minister's Mansion opened with a loud noise under the strong impact of the wooden stakes...
Jiang Muchen, however, was cautious and didn't immediately step into Prime Minister Chu's residence. His cold, sinister eyes shot straight towards the residence, but found no one inside. Even after the door was thrown open, no one came out to criticize. The eerie atmosphere immediately made Jiang Muchen frown. He then signaled to the guard beside him, asking him to lead a team of city defense troops into the residence first.
The guard took the order and waved for the city defense soldiers behind him to follow. He then carefully stepped into the Chu Xiang Mansion. However, after walking around the front hall of the Chu Xiang Mansion, he found that the mansion was empty. He was very puzzled. The guard quickly ran out of the mansion and half-knelt in front of Jiang Muchen to report, "Your Majesty, everything is normal in the front yard of the Chu Xiang Mansion, but there is no one in sight."
Hearing this, the wrinkles between Jiang Muchen's brows became more pronounced, but countless speculations were already brewing in his heart. Either Yun Qianmeng had captured his mother and then gathered all the guards from the Chu Xiang Mansion to protect Meng Xin Xiaozhu. Or, the guards from the Chu Xiang Mansion escorted Yun Qianmeng to the Fuguo Mansion or the Yun Xiang Mansion for refuge.
However, the latter assumption was unfounded. On the way here, he hadn't received any reports from the city defense forces regarding the escape of the women from Prime Minister Chu's residence. Furthermore, Yun Qianmeng was known for her courage and foresight, and would never do anything that would implicate others. Therefore, it was highly likely that everyone was hiding in Mengxin Cottage.
"Your Majesty." At this moment, a city defense soldier hurriedly ran out of Prime Minister Chu's residence. Before he even knelt, he spoke, "Your Majesty, I found a corpse in Mengxin Cottage..."
A strong wind blew past everyone. Before the city defense soldier could finish his words, Jiang Muchen had already rushed into the Chu Xiang Mansion...
"Quick, protect the emperor..." Several generals were very anxious and glared at the reckless city defense army. Then they all followed Jiang Muchen's footsteps with swords in hand, protecting him in the middle to prevent any hidden weapons from being shot out from Prime Minister Chu's mansion.
But the closer they got to Mengxin Cottage, the stronger the smell of blood became, causing Jiang Muchen to frown suddenly. The coldness in his eyes was instantly broken, replaced by unprecedented tension and worry.
His steps became faster and faster. When Jiang Muchen arrived at the door of Mengxin Cottage, he only saw guards wearing the uniforms of Prince Chen's Mansion lying in the yard. Anger instantly rushed to Jiang Muchen's chest, and he rushed into the house without saying a word.
The furnishings in the house remained the same, and the tea on the table still emitted a faint aroma, but there was no one in the house.
Jiang Muchen turned around and stepped out of the house. His eagle eyes swept over the corpses on the ground. Seeing that someone was still alive, he immediately walked over, grabbed the guard's collar and asked in a cold voice, "Where is the Concubine Dowager? Where is the Princess of Chu?"
The guard fainted after being hit by an arrow in the shoulder. When he finally woke up, he saw his master. He didn't dare to neglect him in the slightest. He endured the wound and answered Jiang Muchen's questions, "The Concubine Dowager led me and others to the Prime Minister Chu's residence, but unexpectedly, she had a disagreement with the Princess of Chu. The Princess of Chu ordered the guards hiding on the roof to shoot arrows. The brothers were killed by the Princess of Chu, and the Concubine Dowager disappeared."
"Idiot." After hearing the guard's report, Jiang Muchen became furious. He instantly swung the long whip in his hand towards the guard, leaving a bloody wound on his body.
Although Jiang Muchen was furious at the moment, he was still calm. Yun Qianmeng would certainly not do anything that would implicate others, but now she disappeared without a trace. If she was not still hiding in Prime Minister Chu's mansion, where else could she hide in such a big capital city?
Jiang Muchen tried hard to suppress the shock and anger in his heart, and various possibilities were churning in his mind. There were people like Old Lady Gu in the Prince of Fuguo's Mansion. The old lady was very old, and Yun Qianmeng would naturally not disturb her.
The Yun Xiang Mansion is full of women, children and the unmarried Yun Yan. Yun Qianmeng is probably worried that the city defense army will violate military discipline and violate Yun Yan, and will not choose the Yun Xiang Mansion.
Then, in the entire capital, the only place where Yun Qianmeng could hide without any worries was the Prince Chu’s Mansion, which now had no owner.
Jiang Muchen made up his mind, his expression darkened, and he ordered in a cold voice: "Search this Prime Minister Chu's residence thoroughly for me. Even if you have to dig three feet underground, do not let go of a single inch of land."
After he finished speaking, Jiang Muchen quickly turned around and left. He jumped onto his horse and led a column of city defense troops towards the direction of the Prince of Chu's Palace...
A group of ministers looked at each other in surprise as they watched Emperor Dexi hurriedly leave...
"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and follow us! If something happens to the Emperor, we can't afford it." Having boarded Prince Chen's ship, they couldn't let anything happen to him, no matter what. Qu Yan immediately clarified all the interests at stake and addressed everyone, then he himself was the first to leave Prime Minister Chu's residence. However, not seeing Yun Qianmeng now, Qu Yan felt relieved, his expression now more relaxed than before.
When Jiang Muchen and others arrived at the Prince of Chu's Mansion, they saw a scene similar to that at the Prime Minister of Chu's Mansion. Although there was no corpse at the door of the Prince of Chu's Mansion, the solemn and peaceful appearance ignited a raging fire in Jiang Muchen's eyes.
He raised his right hand without a word, and the city defense soldiers understood and knocked open the sturdy gate of the Prince Chu's Mansion. Jiang Muchen rushed in first...
The Prince of Chu's Mansion was deserted, just like the Prime Minister of Chu's Mansion. Walking all the way into the backyard of the Prince of Chu's Mansion, there was not even a single person in sight. Jiang Muchen's face suddenly turned ashen and ugly, and his face was full of anger as if it would explode at any time, making people afraid to approach him.
"Your Majesty, be careful..." A gust of wind blew through the air. Before anyone could react, they saw arrows shooting from all directions in the Chu Palace garden where Jiang Muchen was standing...
'Dang, dang...' All the city defense troops and generals rushed forward, protecting Prince Chen in the middle, and kept waving the long swords in their hands to shoot back the hidden arrows. In the silent courtyard of the Prince Chu's Mansion, except for the sound of weapons clashing, there was only a strong smell of blood lingering above the Prince Chu's Mansion.
"Search for me. After the search, seal up the Prince of Chu's Mansion and the Prime Minister of Chu's Mansion. I want to see how miserable they are when they have nowhere to stay!" Jiang Muchen's face was already ferocious as he squeezed these words out from between his teeth.
The whip in his hand lashed fiercely on the pillar of the Chu Palace, leaving a deep mark. However, Jiang Muchen ran out of the Chu Palace without stopping, got on his horse again, and rushed towards the city gate...
"Greetings, Your Majesty." When the generals saw Emperor Dexi coming to the city wall, they all saluted.
Jiang Muchen, however, had no intention of enjoying the treatment of an emperor. He looked outside the city with his cold eyes through the city wall, and saw Han Shaomian leading 50,000 troops to confront Hai Chenxi's subordinates.
The 200,000 troops led by Chu Feiyang were so far away from the capital that they could not be seen.
"That idiot." He punched the city wall, and the originally intact knuckles were immediately torn into pieces, leaving blood.
I missed the opportunity to keep Yun Qianmeng by my side this time. I don’t know how long I have to wait before I can encounter such a good opportunity again.
If his guess was correct, his mother was probably in the hands of Yun Qianmeng and others at this time, which was equivalent to setting up another obstacle for him.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. I will do my best to rescue the Concubine Dowager." Seeing Emperor Dexi so upset, General Dingyuan quickly stepped forward and promised to the death.
"Hmph, Chu Feiyang is truly a formidable opponent. My defenses were so tight, yet he managed to kidnap my mother and Yun Qianmeng right under my nose. His wolfish ambitions deserve the death of heaven and earth." A sinister sneer crossed Jiang Muchen's stern face. His voice suddenly dropped, and he spoke in an icy voice, "Pass on my order. Proceed according to the original plan. I will seize the entire Western Chu kingdom in my own hands as quickly as possible, leaving Yun Qianmeng with nowhere to escape."
All under heaven belongs to the king, Yun Qianmeng, where are you going to escape to?
However, Jiang Muchen still felt regretful in his heart. He should have sent someone to capture Yun Qianmeng when he was forcing the emperor to abdicate. Now he missed such a good opportunity. How could he not feel regretful?
"Yes, I obey your command." General Dingyuan obeyed the order and ran down the city wall quickly.
At this moment, Qu Yan, who was standing behind Jiang Muchen, slowly stepped forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, we now control the capital. In my opinion, Your Majesty should immediately ascend the throne and inherit the throne. Secondly, most of the people in the capital are relatives of the emperor. In order to gain the submission of these noble families, Your Majesty should recruit concubines as soon as possible and connect these families with the royal family. Then you won't have to worry about them turning against you at the last minute. Moreover, the Sea King has held the legitimate sons and daughters of those aristocratic families hostage. If Your Majesty gives them appropriate rewards now, I believe they will definitely lean towards Your Majesty, which will be more helpful in defeating the Sea King and King Chu."
"There is no need to mention this matter anymore. I don't have the mood for it right now. Let's talk about it after rescuing the Concubine Dowager and Yun Qianmeng." Unexpectedly, Jiang Muchen rejected Qu Yan's proposal without even thinking about it.
Qu Yan felt anxious, but once the emperor spoke, if he objected, he would be disobeying his order, so he could only swallow his fear and anxiety.
Especially since the Emperor had just clearly said, "Rescue the Concubine Dowager and Yun Qianmeng."
The concubine wanted to rescue her, but Yun Qianmeng was the wife of the enemy general Chu Feiyang, so how could she use the word "rescue"?
What's more, Yun Qianmeng is still the Princess of Chu, but the emperor already calls her by her name. This is really Sima Zhao's intention.
Thinking of this, Qu Yan couldn't help but sweat on his forehead. If Yun Qianmeng was really captured by the emperor, wouldn't Qu Jingqing have no chance at all?
Looking at the expressions of the other ministers, after hearing Emperor Dexi's words, "He actually abducted my mother and Yun Qianmeng right under my nose," they all broke out in cold sweats and looked at each other in bewilderment. The Princess of Chu was the Prince of Chu's legal wife, but now, in Emperor Dexi's words, she had become his. It seemed that the Princess of Chu's position in the Emperor's heart was unmatched.
It seems that everyone understands the relationship.
Wiping the cold sweat from his head vigorously, Qu Yan's mind was in turmoil, but his expression was loyal.
The carriage sped along the rugged road for two full hours.
It was already late at night, and a bright moon had quietly risen in the sky. The light became dim and obscure under the moonlight, and the mountain road obviously became more difficult to walk on.
"Girl, are you tired? Can you handle it?" Chu Nanshan sat on the horse and led everyone towards the exit of the valley, but he was worried about Yun Qianmeng's health.
"Grandpa, I'm fine, don't worry about me." Yun Qianmeng held on tightly to the inner wall of the car to prevent herself from being thrown out of the car by the impact, and at the same time spoke calmly to reassure Chu Nanshan.
At this moment, a black figure ran towards the crowd. Under the silver moonlight, the man had a stern face, cautious yet anxious expression. He kept whipping the horse with the whip in his hand, trying to make the horse run faster.
"Fei Yang." Chu Nanshan was the first to recognize the person and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
After hearing Chu Nanshan's voice, Yun Qianmeng in the car straightened up without thinking, walked quickly to the door of the car, lifted the curtain with one hand, and looked at her husband who was coming towards her with tears in her eyes.
Chu Feiyang had already raised his head when Chu Nanshan spoke. When he saw the man who rushed out of the carriage regardless of danger, his cold gaze instantly turned into deep affection.
"Meng'er." Chu Feiyang felt relieved. He put one hand on the horse's back and used the power of the horse's back to fly into the air. He touched the saddle with his toes and flew towards Yun Qianmeng in an instant.
The speed of the carriage did not slow down at all, but Chu Feiyang had already landed steadily on the carriage. He stretched out his long arms and took Yun Qianmeng, who was standing at the door, into his arms. The missing piece in his heart was instantly filled, allowing Chu Feiyang to put down the heart that had been hanging in the air for a long time.
However, before the two of them could talk in detail, Chu Feiyang's eyes had already caught sight of the unconscious Concubine Yuande in the car. A cold smile curled his lips, and Chu Feiyang gently asked Yun Qianmeng, "Did Concubine Yuande go to the Prime Minister's Mansion to cause trouble for you?"
Jiang Muchen was a cautious and careful person and would never allow his mother to wander around the capital at such a critical moment. So the only thing that was certain was that Concubine Yuande walked out of Prince Chen's Mansion on her own and went to Prime Minister Chu's Mansion to cause trouble for Yun Qianmeng.
But Concubine Yuande was too anxious. She wanted to get rid of Yun Qianmeng immediately, but she forgot that the capital was full of dangers and she could die if she was not careful.
This time, it was Concubine Yuande who miscalculated, and the reason for her miscalculation was nothing more than a loving mother's heart for her son. This was why Concubine Yuande lost her usual calm and cautiousness, allowing Yun Qianmeng to take advantage of this opportunity.
Worrying too much leads to confusion, that's probably what it means.
However, looking at Chu Feiyang and Chu Nanshan who had come to pick him up rashly, wasn't he also worried and confused? What if Jiang Muchen had set a trap outside the Chu Xiang Mansion earlier? I'm afraid that today, my grandfather would also fall into danger because of his panic to save himself.
Thinking of this, Yun Qianmeng's back was already soaked with cold sweat. She didn't want Chu Feiyang, who was already carrying everyone on his shoulders, to know about the dangerous situation at that time. She only picked out unimportant things to reply: "Thanks to Grandpa for arriving in time. Now, with Concubine Yuande in our hands, I believe that Prince Chen will take his mother into consideration and will not dare to act too drastically."
Yun Qianmeng avoided the main point and did not mention Concubine Yuande's aggressiveness or the fact that her life was on the line just now.
Yun Qianmeng immediately suppressed the excitement she felt when she first met Chu Feiyang. The most important thing at this moment was to analyze the current situation and find the best way out.
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