Jedi Strikes Back
Inside and outside Hengwu Courtyard, the atmosphere was as heavy as iron. The few dozen remaining guards gripped their weapons, their eyes fixed warily on the gate. The air was thick with the solemnity of impending battle. Lu Qinglan stood in the courtyard, her figure erect and her face as calm as water. Only the dagger clutched in her sleeve betrayed her inner resolve.
At this critical moment, the sound of rapid, yet not panicked, horse hooves approached from afar, breaking the suffocating silence. A guard rushed in, his face filled with an expression of incredible joy:
"Princess! Duke Weiguo! Duke Weiguo and his personal guards are heading towards the Jingji camp!"
"Also! News has come from the Cavalry Battalion that Lieutenant General Lin, along with several generals loyal to the imperial court, launched a sudden attack and subdued Han Kui, who was attempting to mobilize troops to take over the Nine Gates! There's a standoff going on within the Cavalry Battalion right now, but it hasn't completely gotten out of control yet!"
Wei Zheng made a move! Lin Wanru's cousin also took action!
Lu Qinglan's tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and she almost collapsed. A lifeline! Her gamble had paid off! Wei Zheng hadn't sat back and watched. His prestige within the military had become the cornerstone of stability in the capital! And the power of the Lin family had also played a role at a crucial moment!
But this isn't enough! Since the Fifth Prince's family dared to launch this attack, they must have a backup plan!
"Where is Zhao Tieshou?" Lu Qinglan asked sternly.
"I'm here!" Zhao Tieshou appeared beside her like a shadow.
"Immediately take a team of your most capable men and find a way to sneak out of the palace. Your target is the Jingnan Marquis's villa!" Lu Qinglan's eyes gleamed coldly. "No need to storm. Simply create chaos and spread the word that the Fifth Prince has colluded with border generals, smuggled military equipment into the capital, and is plotting a rebellion. The emperor is furious, and the Duke of Weiguo has led his troops to quell the rebellion! We must muddy the waters thoroughly!"
Attacking the heart is paramount! The Marquis of Jingnan is far away in the southwest, and his power in the capital is limited, relying entirely on momentum. If his subordinates knew that the conspiracy was exposed, the emperor was still alive, and Wei Zheng had already taken action, their morale would surely be weakened!
"I obey your command!" Zhao Tieshou did not hesitate, gathered the men together, and quickly disappeared into the shadow of the mansion.
"Fuyu!"
"The servant is here!"
"Go to the warehouse immediately and take the copies of the evidence we've prepared concerning the Fifth Prince's secret dealings with Elder Yang, as well as their collusion with the remnants of the late Concubine De's family. Select the most crucial ones and send them to... to the offices of the renowned and upright Censors of the Metropolitan Censorate! Quickly and secretly!" Lu Qinglan continued to give orders. She intended to bring disgrace upon the Fifth Prince's family, even in the court!
"Yes!" Fu Yu also took the order and left.
Command after command, like precise arrows, was fired at vital points across the capital. Like a supreme chess player, Lu Qinglan, in a seemingly hopeless situation, placed a crucial move that turned defeat into victory. She was no longer merely on the defensive; she was actively attacking, determined to completely shake up this murky waters!
After arranging all this, Lu Qinglan took a deep breath and turned her gaze back towards the palace. She could try her best to influence the situation outside, but the final outcome still lay within the palace, with Xiao Jingche, and with the final decision of the seriously ill emperor.
She had done everything she could. Now, all she could do was wait.
Time slipped slowly in the suspense. Sporadic clashes of weapons and shouts began to emanate from the streets; it was clear that Zhao Tieshou's men were causing chaos near the Jingnan Marquis's villa. In the distance outside the palace, the dull sounds of a large troop movement could be heard, seemingly heading towards the Jingji camp.
Every minute and every second is like torture.
I don’t know how long it took, maybe an hour, maybe two hours, but when the sky was completely bright and the sun was at its zenith, a solemn and solemn bell sound suddenly came from the direction of the imperial palace!
Dong-dong-dong-dong
The bells rang continuously, nine times in total!
Nine gongs! Is this... a national mourning?! The emperor has passed away?!
In an instant, the entire capital seemed to freeze. All the fighting and chaos seemed to have stopped at this moment.
Lu Qinglan's heart sank. The emperor, hadn't managed to make it? What about Xiao Jingche? Was he safe in the palace? The will... what did it say?
At this moment when everyone was holding their breath and heaven and earth were mourning together, the heavy main gate of the imperial palace - Chengtian Gate, slowly opened with a dull creaking sound!
A solemn procession of imperial guards, dressed in mourning attire, slowly emerged. Leading the procession was none other than the Cabinet's Chief Minister, Gu Zhao! He held a roll of bright yellow silk aloft, gleaming in the sunlight.
Gu Zhao walked steadily to the high platform outside Chengtian Gate. Facing the crowd of civil and military officials with different expressions and the anxious soldiers and civilians below, he unfolded the silk and read aloud in a sad and clear voice:
"The late emperor's will! The seventh prince, Jing Che, is benevolent, filial, intelligent, and possesses both virtue and talent. He is worthy of inheriting the ancestral temple. He is hereby decreed to succeed me as emperor!"
Xiao Jingche! It's Xiao Jingche!
The will is finalized! The status is finalized!
Lu Qinglan felt a massive surge sweep through her body, nearly knocking her off her feet. It worked! They did it!
However, Gu Zhao's voice did not stop, he continued to read:
"...However, after my death, scoundrels inside and outside the capital colluded with border generals, smuggled armor and weapons, and intended to cause chaos, bringing disaster to the country and the people! The fifth prince, Jingming, formed a clique for personal gain and coveted the sacred artifact. His crimes are so heinous that he was demoted to a commoner and imprisoned in the clan residence! Jingnan Marquis Zhou Bo, who commanded his own troops and participated in the rebellion, was stripped of his title and escorted back to the capital for severe investigation! All those who colluded with the rebellion will be severely punished according to the law!"
In the will, he actually directly denounced the crime of treason against the Fifth Prince's family! This was undoubtedly the most thorough denial of them, and also the strongest support for the new emperor Xiao Jingche!
Beneath the platform, after a brief silence, there was a thunderous roar of "Long live!" Many officials who had been wavering at first now knelt on the ground and kowtowed towards the palace.
Inside Hengwu Courtyard, the guards erupted in cheers of survival. Fu Yu and Lin Wanru embraced and wept.
Lu Qinglan slowly closed his eyes, then opened them again. There was no more excitement in them, only endless fatigue and a hint of cold clarity.
They won this round. It was a thrilling and tragic victory.
But she also knew that from this moment on, nothing would be the same.
Xiao Jingche became the emperor, and she became the queen.
The trajectory of her past life seemed to overlap again, but she would never forget the taste of that poisoned cup.
A new identity means a new battlefield and a new crisis.
The Jedi counterattack won them a chance to breathe, but the road to the pinnacle of power is never smooth.
She looked up at the open palace gate, which symbolized supreme power.
There will be her next battlefield.
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