"Oh?" The emperor's question contained some other emotions.
But Lu Anyuan had no choice. If he lied and said that she was resting in the outer palace, his father would find out it was a lie once he checked, which would be even more troublesome.
The hall was originally quiet, and this conversation had long been heard by the ministers. Madam Jing looked at the person sitting in the first seat with a vigilant look on her face, and Old Man Xu was even more surprised that Yan'er was not there!
Oh no! Then what I just said is bad news!
I just wanted to give the emperor an vent to vent his anger and let him demonstrate the majesty of Da Xia. Now if the emperor suspects Yan'er, then wasn't it intentional for me to not let him call for reinforcements just now?
Old Man Xu's clothes were instantly soaked with cold sweat, and he cursed Xu Yiyan in his heart for being so ignorant. Why didn't he tell her before leaving the team? Why did she have to go to the outer palace to call the imperial physician for her illness? And this Lu Anyuan, too, was spoiled like this, and something bad must have happened!
Lu Anyuan was always polite in front of his father. He knew, of course, that the second prince was making trouble out of nothing and framing him in front of the emperor. However, if he said more now, he might be wrong. After all, compared to himself, his father trusted his second brother just as much.
After the emperor asked that question indifferently, he did not respond and just gestured for everyone to leave listlessly. As for the so-called "rebels" at the foot of the mountain, he did not take them seriously at all.
The crowd gradually dispersed, and even the Second Prince followed the Emperor out. Madam Jing stepped forward and helped Lu Anyuan, who was still half-kneeling, to his feet. Before she could ask a question, she was interrupted by an even more anxious voice.
"Your Highness, what is going on? Why did Yan'er leave halfway?" Old Man Xu rushed to the front from the middle of the banquet table, looking a little delirious at the moment.
"General, it was indeed an accident today. Yi Yan was not feeling well when she went out, and I was afraid that something might happen to her, so I asked her to go down for a walk. I didn't expect such a thing to happen." Lu Anyuan didn't say that Yi Xing insisted on leaving. He also knew that Yi Xing had an inexplicable hatred for the old general, and there was really no need to intensify the conflict at the moment.
"This is so against the rules!"
Madam Jing was very attentive, so she finally understood the reason. Her heart tightened, "The official road to Nanshan is right at the foot of the mountain. Yi Yan hasn't returned yet. Is it because she discovered the rebels and tried to find a way back to the city to call for help?"
She didn't mention another possibility, which was that Yi Yan might have been bumped into by that group of people and was directly "cleaned up".
"Maybe." Lu Anyuan responded lightly, but he felt that the possibility was not high.
If he returned to the capital now, everyone from the Empress Dowager and the Emperor to the Governor of Jingzhao would have left the city. Yixing couldn't just rush into the camp of the Longwu Guard to call for help, so they were probably hiding, or maybe he was thinking about how to reunite with them on the mountain with his shadow guards.
Madam Jing frowned, and seeing that there were no outsiders in the hall, she spoke directly: "General, Yuan'er, the so-called assassin rebels are here in a strange way. Everyone knows that the emperor is in the outer palace, and the defense is extremely strict. How dare they attack the mountain without tens of thousands of troops?
I see that our emperor doesn't take these people seriously at all. Would you like to persuade your father not to be so careless?"
What Madam Jing said was exactly what Lu Anyuan was confused about. He knew that his second brother could not conjure up tens of thousands of troops out of thin air, so what was his confidence in daring to assassinate the emperor so rashly?
"I'm going to see Father."
"No!" Old Man Xu held Lu Anyuan down and said, "The emperor suddenly asked about Yan'er just now. I'm afraid he thinks you and your wife are involved in this matter. If you go over and remind the emperor to be careful now, wouldn't it seem like you're trying to cover up something and going too far? This is inappropriate!"
"Is the safety of His Majesty more important, or Yuan'er's suspicion? If His Majesty really had an accident in the outer palace this time, and so many people saw him questioning Yuan'er, wouldn't those who have ulterior motives directly confirm his guilt?" Madam Jing's voice was originally soft, but now she was anxious and her tone took on a sharpness.
"I'd better go, Emperor..."
"No, my aunt is right. I saw my second brother follow father just now. He may not say anything now. I have to go see father!" Lu Anyuan figured it out, shook his clothes and ran away. Father Xu didn't catch up with him.
The long nights in the Outer Palace were always bleak and cold, especially today, when the already bright moonlight cast a pale white across the mountainside. Lu Anyuan looked back down the mountainside and could even see rockets being fired from both sides. It seemed that his father had underestimated the scale of the rebels below, and he had also underestimated his second brother's abilities. It was no wonder General Xie had barged into the banquet just now to ask his father if he wanted help. It seemed that the officials of our Great Xia were a little overconfident.
He quickened his pace and came to the Lizheng Hall where his father handled affairs. He was invited in only after being informed.
"Your son pays homage to His Majesty the Father."
"stand up."
Lu Anyuan stood up and saw that there was no one else in the Lizheng Hall. Even the second prince who had followed his father just now was not in the hall.
"Yuan'er, have you seen the rebels at the foot of the mountain?"
"I saw it, but it was far away and I couldn't see the number of people clearly."
"Hmph, let me tell you, there are 30,000 elite soldiers!" After the emperor said this, he stood up from his seat angrily, flicked his sleeves violently, and had an expression of being made fun of on his face.
"How did the emperor know?" Thirty thousand? With such a big commotion, even if his own people didn't get the news, how could the guards at the passes along the way be blind? How could they let these people in?
"How did you know? I sit in the well every day. Do you think I'm blind? Let me ask you, some people say these soldiers are yours, and your good wife left the team to mobilize troops. Do you believe it?"
Admit it? Then I must be mentally ill!
Lu Anyuan fell to his knees and said, "Father, please do not listen to slanderous words. Yi Yan hasn't returned yet, and I am very worried about her. If she is trapped among the rebels, I am not sure. I told you how many troops I have when I raided the Sun Mansion last year. Please understand!"
Although Lu Anyuan was nervous, he was not afraid. With so many people, he didn't know what supplies they needed. Any casual check would reveal that they were not his. Therefore, his father was just testing him.
"You're being honest. Stand up." The emperor finally calmed down after pretending to be angry. "Your father-in-law might actually be powerful, but his influence is in the northern border. If troops from the northern border can be dispatched without a trace and reach the emperor's feet, then every official from Miaozhou to the capital should have their eyes gouged out and used them as balls!"
Lu Anyuan felt a chill down his spine. At least up to now, he had not officially used any of General Xu's power. However, in his father's mouth, General Xu was a man who could mobilize 30,000 elite troops to attack the capital at any time.
No wonder Yixing always said to keep a distance from the old general. It turned out that in his father's mind, he had already possessed the ability to "rebel".
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