Chapter 129 Minglan was captured (I)

After the three members of the Qi family entered the palace, they thought they would be taken to the Queen's Kunning Palace, but unexpectedly, the eunuchs took them directly to the Funing Palace where the emperor lived.

Duke Qi and Qi Heng supported Princess Pingning on the left and right, and the father and son looked at each other. There were heavy guards outside the Funing Palace, which made the father and son feel indescribable uneasiness.

The three did not wait outside the palace for long before they were invited in.

Inside the palace, the Queen sat at the top with a stern expression. The emperor was not seen in the palace, which made Qi Heng and his son realize that the situation might be beyond their imagination.

Seeing that Princess Pingning was in a bad mood, the Queen asked with concern, "Did you suffer?"

Princess Pingning felt her mother's concern and tried her best to suppress the sourness in her nose. She tried her best to calm down and said in a calm tone, "The imperial edict came at the right time. My daughter has not suffered any grievances. She was just a little frightened. It will be fine after a while."

"I have always known that these princes are eyeing that position, but I didn't know that Prince Yong was so bold and presumptuous that he dared to put the Duke and the Princess under house arrest!"

The Queen's eyes were wide open, and her pupils flashed with uncontrollable anger.

"If Minglan hadn't told me and asked for that imperial edict, would I have lost you?" The Queen's words were full of double meanings.

Duke Qi felt the pressure from the Queen and knelt down hurriedly, "Duke Qi is loyal to Your Majesty and the Queen, and the King of Song, and I have no second thoughts. I was determined to die in Prince Yong's Mansion, and it was the imperial edict that saved our family. I am deeply grateful."

Qi Heng also knelt down with Duke Qi. Princess Pingning was a beat slower to react, "Minglan asked for an imperial edict?"

The Queen was very satisfied with Duke Qi's statement, and her attitude softened, and she also wanted to talk about family matters.

"Minglan is a very interesting girl. I often feel lonely in the palace, so I often call her to chat with me and relieve my boredom. His Majesty has been getting sicker recently. I serve him every day and worry about the government affairs. I am inevitably depressed, so I thought of calling her to cheer her up. When the girl first came, she just entertained me and made me happy. When I felt better, she expressed her love to me."

"I know that there have been endless arguments in the court recently about the succession, and several princes who are expected to compete have been making small moves and trying their best to build connections, but it is really hateful that Prince Yong is so blatant. Just as Minglan said, Prince Yong is not a wise monarch. But he is young and strong, while Your Majesty is old, and the people in the court are unsettled. Your Majesty and I can only do our best to deal with it. Duke Qi, you are Pingning's husband, and Pingning is my daughter. You should share the worries between me and Your Majesty."

"Yuanruo, you have always been smart. If you pass the exam this time, you will be a capable minister of the Song Dynasty in the future! As for Prince Yong, you don't have to worry. He will not get everything he wants."

…

The night fell quietly, and the last rays of sunset in the sky also disappeared into the deep blue curtain. Lanterns gradually lit up in the streets and alleys, and the light and darkness intertwined, making the city of Dongcheng somewhat mysterious. The candles in the shops and the lights in the distance complemented each other, illuminating the bluestone-paved roads. There was an endless stream of pedestrians, the cries of merchants, the bargaining of customers, and the occasional sound of stringed instruments in the distance, which should have been a vivid picture of the market.

However, this tranquility and peace did not last long. Suddenly, a rapid and heavy sound of horse hooves broke the silence of the night, accompanied by the frightening sound of golden swords clashing, as if the door of hell was suddenly pushed open, and an ominous atmosphere quickly spread. A group of thugs, wearing night clothes and black veils, took advantage of the cover of night and quietly poured into this bustling street like ghosts in the dark night.

The people on the street were instantly awakened from their laughter and joy, and shock and fear quickly spread among the crowd. The cries of children and the screams of women came one after another, and people threw down their belongings and fled in all directions, looking for corners where they could shelter themselves. The panicked shop owner hastily closed the wooden door of the shop with a heavy banging sound, trying to isolate the chaos outside the door, but the sound of broken porcelain and panicked footsteps could still be heard from the shop from time to time.

A carriage had just entered the street and was spotted by the gang of thugs before it could turn around. The gang of thugs with black veils on their faces no longer lingered in the crowd and shops, and rushed straight towards the carriage like well-trained people.

Minglan listened to the footsteps coming from outside getting closer and closer in the carriage, and the sound of weapons colliding filled Minglan's ears like a devil's sound. She tightly grasped the hem of her clothes, took deep breaths, and tried to keep herself calm.

The coachman had already run far away, and Minglan could feel the pressure outside getting stronger and stronger.

The gangsters outside suddenly fell silent, waiting for the leading man to give orders. When the man tilted his head, a group of people laughed and rushed towards the carriage.

Minglan secretly cried out, why haven't the imperial guards shown up yet? Where's Zheng Xiao? Where's Lin Yunting? Why haven't they shown up?

With a swish, light shone into the dark carriage. It turned out that the curtain was cut by a sword. The sword blade flashing with a cold light appeared in front of Minglan.

"Oh! This girl is pretty. Take her back and let the brothers taste her!"

Laughter rang out, and shameless and obscene words came into Minglan's ears. Minglan was in danger, but the people who should come still didn't come!

The group of people laughed enough, and some of them began to reach out to touch Minglan. Minglan tried her best to hide in the carriage, which made the thugs laugh even more, and their words became even more unbearable.

Suddenly, the leading man spoke, "Oh no, there are horse hooves, it should be the imperial guards! It seems that there is no resistance over there! Retreat!"

The leading man gave an order and ordered another person, "Tie her up and deal with her after we leave the city!"

The man stretched out his hand to chop Minglan's neck, and Minglan suddenly screamed and fell to the side.

The man sneered, "That's easy!" He picked up Minglan and threw her to the horse's back. The pain brought by the violent collision made Minglan almost scream. Thinking of her current situation, she gritted her teeth and endured it. Minglan felt that the man also climbed onto the horse.

The shouts of killing could be heard from behind. The man who gave the orders left some people behind and led a small team to rush out of the city with Minglan. Wherever they passed, there was no obstruction. The city gate was wide open and there was no obstruction.

After running out of the city and a few miles, this group of thugs met up with another group of thugs. Minglan tried hard to suppress the churning in her stomach and quietly opened her eyes a little. She saw that the other side also had a person on one of their horses.

The two groups of people gathered together and discussed loudly, not caring whether the two powerless women would hear them, not to mention that they should be unconscious.