Palace shocking changes
The midsummer of the fifteenth year of the Jinghe reign was exceptionally sweltering. The cicadas' cacophony was disturbing and unsettling. An invisible, suffocating low pressure seemed to hang over the Forbidden City. The director of the Imperial Hospital had become a near-permanent resident of the palace, and the visits of the princes and important officials to pay their respects to the emperor had increased noticeably. Each of their faces wore a perfectly balanced expression of sorrow, their eyes concealing an undisguised anxiety and calculation.
The atmosphere within the Seventh Prince's residence was equally solemn. Although Xiao Jingche now exercised some of the emperor's authority, reviewing memorials and receiving ministers, every step he took was treading on thin ice. He knew that he was only one step away from the highest position, but also stood on the edge of a precipice. One misstep would lead to eternal damnation.
Lu Qinglan was even busier. Not only did she have to assist Xiao Jingche in handling confidential relationships that were inconvenient for his staff to handle, but she also had to keep a close eye on any developments in and around the capital. Yunshang Pavilion's information network was operating at full capacity, and Zhao Tieshou's men were constantly monitoring several key targets for nearly twelve hours.
Late that night, Lu Qinglan had just finished processing a batch of secret letters sent from the border through the Shen Chong channel (mainly about the movements of the remnants of the Northern Di and the border appeasement situation), when Fu Yu hurried in with a nervous look on his face, even forgetting to perform the greetings.
"Princess! News has come from the palace... the palace. His Majesty... His Majesty has vomited blood and fainted. The imperial physician is doing his best to treat him, but... but the situation seems very serious!"
Here it comes! Lu Qinglan's heart tightened, and the pen in her hand "slapped" onto the paper, spreading a mess of ink. She forced herself to calm down and asked in a deep voice: "Is the news accurate? Where is the source?"
"It was... the young eunuch we placed next to Feng Bao's apprentice who risked his life to deliver the news. It should be correct." Fu Yu's voice trembled. "The palace gates are now locked, but I'm sure everyone in the government has received the news."
Lu Qinglan immediately stood up: "Where is His Highness?"
"Your Highness has been urgently summoned to the palace!"
Xiao Jingche was urgently summoned to the palace! This was expected, but entering the palace at this moment could bring unpredictable consequences! If the emperor were to pass away at this moment, Xiao Jingche would be in the palace, close to the emperor, and in a position of righteousness, which would naturally be advantageous. But what if the emperor was simply seriously ill, or... what if this was a trap set for him? The palace is now a hodgepodge of forces, with various forces intertwined. Although Concubine De is dead, the remnants of the Third Prince's faction, the forces of other princes, and even those old ministers who are dissatisfied with Xiao Jingche could seize the opportunity to cause trouble!
"Immediately let Zhao Tieshou mobilize all the spies in the palace to ensure the safety of His Highness in the palace! At the same time, let all the guards in our mansion be on alert. No one is allowed to enter or leave without my permission!" Lu Qinglan gave the order quickly, his tone firm.
"Yes!" Fu Yu took the order and left quickly.
Lu Qinglan paced alone in her study, her mind racing. The emperor was critically ill, and the struggle for the throne had shifted from undercurrent to full force. With Xiao Jingche in the palace, there was little she could do. At this moment, the military movements in the capital, and even within the region, were crucial!
She quickly walked to the desk and spread out a simplified map of the defenses of the capital and its surrounding areas. The commanders of these key nodes, their positions and backgrounds, flashed through her mind.
"Someone come!" she called out to the door.
A trusted guard came in.
"Take my token immediately and go to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. Meet the Duke of Wei and say only one thing: 'The wind is blowing, and the green duckweed is spreading. Please guard the gates carefully.'" Lu Qinglan handed the guard a non-standard jade token engraved with a distinctive cloud pattern. This was one of the emergency communication signals she and Wei Zheng had agreed upon. "Guard the gates carefully" reminded him to control the influence of his former subordinates in the capital, remain in place, and wait and see what happened.
"Go to Concubine Lin again and ask her to write to her cousin, the lieutenant commander of the Cavalry Battalion, in the name of the Lin family, asking if there have been any unusual movements in the camp today and asking him to ensure the stability of his troops."
"yes!"
Orders were issued one after another, and Hengwuyuan, like the core of a precision instrument, began to operate in an orderly manner in the night. Lu Qinglan knew that she had to stabilize the situation in the capital for Xiao Jingche, to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the chaos to launch a mutiny, or to block the news and forge an imperial edict to usurp the throne!
Time slipped away in the anxious wait. Outside the window, the night was as dark as ink, even the chirping of cicadas seemed to have faded. The entire capital held its breath in this dead silence.
About two hours later, when it was almost dawn, a burst of hurried horse hooves sounded from afar, breaking the silence of dawn and heading straight for the Seventh Prince's Mansion!
"Princess! There's news from the palace!" A guard, drenched in dew, practically rolled off his horse and rushed into Hengwu Courtyard, breathlessly reporting, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty has awakened!"
Wake up? Lu Qinglan's heart trembled. This might not be good news! When the emperor wakes up, what will be the first thing he does? Establish a crown prince? Or... settle accounts?
"How is Your Highness?" she asked anxiously.
"Your Highness is fine! After His Majesty woke up, he immediately summoned Your Highness, the Chief Minister of the Cabinet, Lord Gu Zhaogu, and... the Chief of the Imperial Clan, Lord Zongzheng! They are still having a private conversation in the bedroom!"
Summon Xiao Jingche, Gu Zhao, and Zong Zheng! This lineup is almost the standard for entrusting an orphan to someone else and agreeing on a crown prince! Lu Qinglan's heart settled down a little, but he still didn't dare to relax. As long as the imperial edict was not issued, anything was possible.
At this moment, Zhao Tieshou, also dressed in night clothes, flashed into the room like a ghost, with an extremely solemn expression.
"Princess, there were unusual movements late at night at the Fifth Prince's residence and Old Master Yang's residence! Several carriages quietly left the back door of the Fifth Prince's residence, dispersing in different directions. At Old Master Yang's residence, someone holding a token attempted to knock on the door of the Deputy Commander of the Jingji Camp's residence at night. They were secretly intercepted by our people, creating an 'accident' and were unsuccessful!"
As expected! The Fifth Prince's faction had taken action! They wanted to mobilize their forces and control the situation while the Emperor was either on his deathbed or had just woken up, when the situation was still unclear!
"Can you find out where the carriage went?"
"One of them went to... Marquis Jingnan's villa in Beijing! The other one went to the western suburbs... Huangjue Temple!"
Marquis Jingnan! Huangjue Temple! Marquis Jingnan is the Second Prince's uncle, holding military power in the southwest. What are his intentions now, in his villa in the capital? Huangjue Temple is an imperial temple, possessing a distinguished status. Its abbot is on good terms with many of the old princes of the imperial clan. The Fifth Prince is now sending people to Huangjue Temple... Lu Qinglan's mind flashed with inspiration. Yes, he wants to win the support of those old princes of the imperial clan who are on the sidelines or even dissatisfied with Xiao Jingche!
"Keep a close eye! Especially the Jingnan Marquis's villa and Huangjue Temple! Report any news immediately!" Lu Qinglan felt a little tired, but his eyes became sharper. This game had reached its most critical moment.
The sky gradually brightened, and the dawn broke. News from the palace was still strictly suppressed, but the oppressive feeling of impending storm enveloped the entire capital.
Lu Qinglan stood in front of the window, looking at the red sun in the east that was struggling to break through the clouds.
The palace was in turmoil, and the world was turned upside down overnight.
She knew that when the sun rose fully, it would be the moment that would decide the fate of countless people, and she was ready to face any storm.
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