Chapter 268 A sudden rescue?
To Shangguan Jin's surprise, the streets suddenly became quiet when dawn broke.
Apart from the Imperial Guards who had rebelled and were shot dead by Lian Qianli and his men at the gate, there was no one else there.
All the shops on the street were closed, and there wasn't a soul in sight.
Even the most uninformed people know from last night's commotion that something big has happened in Beijing.
Such a big thing happening right under the emperor's nose must be related to that position.
So, for safety's sake, it's best to stay home and keep your doors and windows closed...
They'll come out to celebrate once the new royal family ascends to the throne...
Shangguan Jin looked at all of this and was completely baffled.
Has the fighting ended on both sides of the palace? Or did they both perish?
If you were going to die together, why didn't you say so earlier!
Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves and a cacophony of footsteps came from outside.
Shangguan Jin was startled.
A short while later, Butler Shen came over to report.
"The city defense battalion dragged away all the dead people from the street."
There was no disturbance to the residents.
"Madam, do you think the matter in the palace is settled?"
Shangguan Jin shook her head.
It won't end so quickly. The palace gates are tightly closed now; who knows what's happening inside!
If Empress Xu wins, what she needs to do now is to quickly inform the families she has good relations with and make all necessary preparations.
What if Empress Dowager Zheng wins?
It is estimated that all the Imperial Guards are now present in front of the Changsheng Marquis's residence and the Dingguo Duke's residence.
Then arrest them all.
But now no one from either side has come out.
The palace gates remained tightly shut.
Therefore, Shangguan Jin determined that the two sides were still deadlocked.
As for when the final showdown will take place, stay tuned for the next episode...
No, the result will be announced tonight.
......
The situation in the palace was just as Shangguan Jin had imagined. At the entrance of Empress Xu's palace, Empress Dowager Zheng was still sitting there.
The secret guards still kept the Empress's palace well protected.
The imperial physicians continued to treat Emperor Xiao Jing.
Empress Xu had never hoped so much that Emperor Xiao Jing would wake up soon.
The Crown Prince also watched with a sullen face as the imperial physician administered acupuncture to Emperor Xiao Jing.
Empress Dowager Zheng also wore a solemn expression.
Although she had brought over most of the families of noble families in the capital, a few stubborn ones...
"Your Majesty need not worry. Once the Eighth Prince ascends the throne, if those people dare to resist again, it will be considered treason."
"We're short-handed right now, so it's best to be cautious," Duke Anguo advised from the side.
Empress Dowager Zheng nodded.
Yes, we don't have enough manpower. If the Marquis of Changsheng's mansion and the Duke of Dingguo's mansion kill some more, how will I lead the Eighth Prince to the throne?
What she's worried about now is finding the missing seventh prince and that Wu Youde.
If the emperor can't get his hands on the military tally, his throne is definitely not secure.
Once today is over, the emperor will pass away, and the secret guards will be withdrawn, leaving the empress with no power to reverse the situation.
But while the situation inside the palace is under control, what about outside the capital?
Without the military tally, everything else is just empty talk.
If someone were to take the military tally and go to the Imperial Guard camp, then...
Empress Dowager Zheng dared not think about it; she turned to the Duke of Anguo and asked in a low voice.
"Has Wu Youde not been found yet?"
"No! We've searched the entire palace, but we just can't find it."
"Your Majesty, is there some secret passage in the palace that we don't know about? Otherwise, how could that old eunuch have vanished as if he had disappeared?" Duke Anguo asked.
Empress Dowager Zheng gritted her teeth in resentment.
There must be a tunnel, she just doesn't know where it is...
"Perhaps Wu Youde was hidden by Empress Xu, and after the emperor died, Empress Xu was severely tortured."
"The most important thing now is to keep the palace gates tightly shut and not let anyone in, no matter who it is," said Empress Dowager Zheng.
Upon hearing this, Duke Anguo thought it was also possible.
Otherwise, how could Empress Xu be so calm!
"The palace gates have always been tightly closed, guarded by Empress Xu's people. I was afraid of trouble, so I never let anyone attack the palace gates."
Empress Dowager Zheng nodded and said nothing more, simply sitting in her chair and waiting.
The eighth prince beside her suddenly cried a few times.
As these two cries rang out, even the timid members of the noble families who had been escorted into the palace by the Duke of Anguo began to sob softly.
Empress Dowager Zheng was even more annoyed upon hearing this.
"What are you crying for! The emperor isn't dead yet! You'll have your share of crying when he dies."
"Shut up, all of you!" Empress Dowager Zheng shouted at the people behind her.
Everyone immediately fell silent...
Empress Xu watched the scene outside from inside the palace, feeling anxious.
However, she felt somewhat relieved to see that none of the families brought in were from the Changsheng Marquis's or the Dingguo Duke's households.
Fortunately, they should be able to come up with a solution.
After all, if they failed here and Empress Dowager Zheng succeeded in seizing power, the first thing she would do to settle scores with these two households would be to settle scores with them.
But where did Wu Youde go?
Empress Xu wondered if Wu Youde might have secretly run away from the palace...
Also, the Seventh Prince should be in the Duke of Dingguo's mansion!
What she needs to do now is to keep the palace gates tightly closed before His Majesty passes away, so as to prevent any accidents from happening at this time.
The nearest troop is the Imperial Guard Camp; even if the message is delivered, it will take at least six hours to reach the capital...
Hopefully, His Majesty wasn't there yet at that time...
"Your Highness, don't panic, things will definitely take a turn for the better," Empress Xu said solemnly.
The Crown Prince, thinking that Empress Xu had some other tricks up her sleeve, quickly nodded.
......
The two sides remained locked in a standoff, neither saying a word.
The commander of the secret guards was also constantly checking on Emperor Xiao Jing's condition.
He frowned; His Majesty's breath seemed to be growing weaker and weaker.
......
Soon, the day passed, and as night slowly fell, everyone perked up.
His Majesty's breath grew weaker and weaker.
Everyone's spirits were on the verge of collapse.
Looking at the dark sky, Empress Dowager Zheng felt a little relieved.
Once the sun rises again, the emperor will ascend to heaven...
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, Your Excellency the Duke, the palace gate... the palace gate..." A young eunuch rushed in to report in a panic.
"What's wrong with the palace gates? What happened?" Empress Dowager Zheng glared angrily.
"The palace gates are wide open, and a group of soldiers who appeared out of nowhere have rushed in!" the little eunuch shouted.
Empress Dowager Zheng, Duke of Anguo...
Empress Xu, who had been staying in the palace the whole time, was overjoyed.
It must be someone from Changshenghou's side, or perhaps from the Imperial Guard...
"Who is leading this?" Empress Dowager Zheng asked angrily.
"The leader is...it is...the King of Qin!"
Everyone...
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