Chapter 146 Ask the Crown Prince to Rescue the
Emperor Minglan nodded with a firm look, "That's right, I have something very important to see him."
"He is the person you are looking for!" The girl said with a hint of smile, raised her hand gently, and pointed to the father and son who were walking slowly.
Minglan heard it and looked in the direction she pointed, and saw a middle-aged man in a Confucian robe and a moderate temperament, looking at her with a gentle look, and the young man next to him had a more serious face, looking at her with a wary and curious look. Minglan couldn't believe that the person in front of her was the one she was looking for. She turned around to look at Gu Tingye, and Gu Tingye nodded slightly at her.
Without a moment's hesitation, Minglan strode towards the father and son. Zhao Ceying saw her rushing towards him with a bloodstained knife on her body. He was afraid that she would harm Zhao Zongquan, so he quickly drew his sword to protect Zhao Zongquan. Unexpectedly
, when Minglan rushed to a step away from them, she suddenly knelt on the ground and bowed deeply.
"Your Highness Sheng Minglan greets His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!" As soon as these words came out, the air around them seemed to freeze, and everyone was stunned.
Zhao Zongquan waved his hands repeatedly and dodged in panic, "The young lady and I have never met before, and we have no grudge against each other. Why do you want to speak so wildly and frame me? I dare not accept such a great gift from the young lady!"
Gu Tingye also stepped forward quickly, looking at Minglan in confusion, "Minglan, what do you mean?"
Before he finished speaking, Minglan took out the blood-stained edict and the heavy military token from her arms, raised her hands high, facing Zhao Zongquan, "Your Highness, please have a look, this is the blood edict written by His Majesty himself, which appoints you as the crown prince. Prince Yong launched a rebellion this morning to force the palace, and His Majesty specially gave you the military token, ordering you to immediately raise troops to rescue the king from danger!" As soon as
these words came out, it was like thunder out of a blue sky, shocking everyone present. Zhao Zongquan took the blood edict with shaking hands. After confirming that it was correct, he exchanged a complicated look with Zhao Ceying and Gu Tingye. The emotions in his heart were difficult to describe - this sudden change was both a surprise and a joy.
Minglan saw Zhao Zongquan taking the blood edict and the military order, and urged him again anxiously: "Your Highness, the rebels are approaching the imperial city. When I came, they had already broken through the Daqing Gate. The situation is urgent. Please send troops quickly to relieve His Majesty!" Her words were sonorous. "
Prince, His Majesty is still waiting for you!" Minglan's eyes were filled with pity.
Gu Tingye and Zhao Ceying looked at each other and knelt down as well. "Please, Prince, obey the imperial edict and rescue the emperor!" Gu Tingye and Zhao Ceying
exchanged glances, with undercurrents surging in their eyes. Gu Tingye was the first to kneel down and shouted, "I earnestly ask Your Highness the Crown Prince to follow the Holy Will, obey the imperial edict and rescue the emperor, and protect our Song Dynasty!"
The girl standing beside Gu Tingye saw him do this, and then she also knelt down on the ground, her voice firm and crisp, "I am willing to..." Follow His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to face the national crisis. Please accept the imperial edict and come to the rescue!"
Although Zhao Ceying's heart was in turmoil, he tried his best to maintain a calm expression on his face. He bowed slowly, his tone full of pleading: "Your Highness the Crown Prince, we earnestly request you to obey the order and come to the capital immediately to ensure the safety of the country and comfort the people." After he finished speaking, the rest of the guards around him followed suit and requested Zhao Zongquan to accept this blood edict and come to the capital to rescue.
Zhao Zongquan looked at the people kneeling down and faced the people kneeling down in front of the wheat field. He felt mixed emotions. After sighing softly, he finally made up his mind and nodded in agreement: "I will obey your order."
Seeing this, Minglan's eyes flashed with joy and reminded again: "Your Highness, time is running out. Please quickly mobilize the troops and rush to Bianjing to save the mansion!"
Zhao Zongquan heard the words and immediately set off, leading everyone back to the city, quickly gathering troops and preparing to go. With an order, the army rushed towards Bianjing with the momentum of thunder and lightning.
In the imperial city of Bianjing, Prince Yong had led the rebels to attack the Funing Palace.
The emperor had already dismissed all the palace maids and eunuchs and ordered them to flee. At this time, only he, the empress, the concubines, and a loyal eunuch were left in the hall.
The heavy door of the hall was pushed open, and Prince Yong walked in with his arrogance. He saw the emperor sitting sickly at the top, and the empress and the concubines standing on each side, all glaring at him.
"Prince Yong, you are ambitious. His Majesty has treated you well, but you repay kindness with resentment and do such a treasonous thing. It is really unacceptable to heaven!" The empress was furious and took the initiative.
Upon hearing this, Prince Yong laughed out loud, and his laughter was full of pride and arrogance. "If it weren't for your Majesty being stubborn and refusing to follow the will of heaven and appoint me as the crown prince, how could we have encountered the disaster today? You have no sons to inherit the throne, so you should have appointed a successor long ago, but your Majesty has been slow to act. I have many sons and many supporters, and choosing me to succeed the throne is in line with the will of the people and the trend of the times!"
After he finished speaking, he changed the subject and pointed his eyes at the empress. "You are nosy and insisted on investigating me at this time. You actually found the place where I hid my weapons, so I had to take action in advance. But do you think you can stop me like this? In the end, I was one step ahead. Although the imperial guards surrounded my palace, they could not trap a real dragon like me. Today, I will not only take back everything that belongs to me, but also let the people of the world know who is the real king!"
Facing the arrogance of Prince Yong, the emperor was shaking with anger, but his innate majesty and momentum did not diminish in the slightest. "You are not worthy of being a king! You only have selfish desires and power in your heart. You don't care about the suffering of the people at all, and you don't have the talent to govern the country. How can the country of Song Dynasty be handed over to you!"
The emperor's words angered Prince Yong. Prince Yong stepped forward angrily, and the tip of the sharp sword was against the emperor's chest. If it went one inch further, it would pierce his body. "Old man, you dare to be stubborn! Do you think anyone can save you now? Those who know what's going on should quickly write down the edict of succession and hand over the jade seal. Otherwise, I will let all the people in the imperial city be buried with you!"
When it really came to the moment of life and death, the emperor was relieved, and his heart returned to peace like a miracle. He slowly closed his curtains, unwilling to witness Prince Yong's almost crazy attitude again. "You dare not! Aren't you afraid of what the censors will write about in the history books? If you dare to kill the emperor, you will be cursed for eternity. Your throne is not legitimate and you will not be able to convince the people!"
Although Prince Yong was angry, the emperor's words hit the nail on the head. What he longed for was a legitimate throne and a glorious name that would be praised by future generations, not a bad reputation that would last for thousands of years. So, the sword that was held high trembled and was unable to fall. Just when he was about to retract the sword, a sharp sword shot from behind him and shot towards the emperor's face at an astonishing speed.
Prince Yong was stunned, his eyes widened, full of disbelief, and turned around abruptly.