Chapter 485 The Eve of the Coup (5k)
In the inn room.
Zhao Duan was sitting in a chair with his legs crossed, stepping on Qin Qu's head with his boots, looking sarcastic.
"Who? How dare you attack the police? Let me go..." Qin Qu, who was being trampled underfoot, was furious and tried to struggle, but was horrified to find that the boots on his head were incredibly heavy. He turned to ask for help:
"Why don't you knock this thief down?"
Outside the door, a group of clerks came to their senses and made a move to rush in. Zhao Duan applied a little pressure with his boots and said indifferently:
"Let them guard downstairs."
Qin Qu screamed like a pig being slaughtered, and was so frightened that he immediately changed his words: "Get out! Go wait for me downstairs! Quick!"
This... The group of clerks looked at each other and had to retreat.
"Close the door." Zhao Duan ordered leisurely. After the door was closed, Qin Qu, who was lying on the ground with his buttocks raised and his hands on the ground, said with a slight tremor in his voice:
"Your Excellency, you should know that this is the capital."
Zhao Duan said calmly, "Answer my question first. Are you the Jinyi of the Imperial Court?"
Qin Qu was stepped on the ground and could not see the situation in the room clearly, but he keenly realized that this person was not someone to be trifled with, so he quickly put on his tiger skin:
"Although I'm not, but... I have a close personal relationship with Zhao Shaobao of the Imperial Court."
"Zhao Shaobao?" Zhao Duan sneered:
"So he's the lackey of that treacherous official. No wonder he acts so arrogantly and bullies the market. He deserves to be killed."
In the inner room, the empress, who was watching the show quietly, glanced at him.
Oops... I've pulled the wrong tiger skin... Qin Qu felt a chill in his heart, secretly groaned, and changed his words:
"However, that Zhao left Beijing a long time ago. I no longer have any contact with him. I'm not familiar with him."
Zhao Duan rolled his eyes, too lazy to waste words with this little guy. He raised his foot:
"Really?"
"Yes, yes, I have a personal grudge against that King Yan Zhao. He almost killed me back then. Please spare my life..." Qin Qu got up little by little and looked up at the face of the murderer.
Immediately, he felt as if his throat was being strangled, his eyes widened in horror, as if he had seen a ghost.
Zhao Duan casually took off his disguise mask, revealing his true face, with a half-smile on his face:
"Qin Qu, oh Qin Qu, do you still hold this officer's grudge?"
"Zhao...Brother Zhao?!" Qin Qu's eyes widened, his throat as sharp as a drake's. He rubbed his eyes fiercely, and when he confirmed that it was Zhao Duan in front of him, he was delighted at first, but then cold sweat poured down his face.
"No... No, I'm not... that..."
He was almost crying. His legs, which had just barely stood up, fell limply to the ground again, and his crotch was wet.
Zhao Duan pinched his nose and kicked him angrily:
"Well, I've been away from the capital for only a few months, and you're already acting like a tyrant, bullying others."
Qin Qu was kicked neither lightly nor heavily, but he burst into laughter and hugged Zhao Duan's thigh and started crying:
"Brother Zhao, you're back! I always say that good fortune comes naturally. Countless people in the city are hoping you won't come back, but Qu'er is the only one who remains loyal..."
He knew that if Zhao Duan wanted to kill him, he could have kicked him to death just now, so he immediately turned into a bootlicker.
"Okay, let go of your hands, shut up and stop howling. If you reveal my identity, believe it or not, I will throw you into the imperial prison." Zhao Duan looked disgusted.
Qin Qu finally let go, his face covered in snot and tears, crying and laughing, his spirits high:
"Everyone in the capital says that you, brother, were protecting His Majesty from the rebels. How come you're in the city?"
As he spoke, his small eyes finally noticed a veiled, noble-looking woman standing quietly in the middle of the room. She seemed to realize something and opened her mouth wide:
"Could this be, Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."
"I ask, you answer." Zhao Duan interrupted him and asked coldly:
"Tell me everything you know about the current situation in the city."
"yes!"
Qin Qu didn't dare to breathe, his heart beating like a drum, and he immediately told everyone what he knew about the situation.
When Qin Qu fought against Zhou Cheng of the Dali Temple, he was thrown into prison. After Zhou Cheng fell, he returned home to recuperate.
Later, as Zhao Duan's status rose, this dandy gangster also took advantage of the power of others and became very successful.
Because he was in the "Beijing circle" composed of powerful young men in the capital, he was well-informed, which saved Zhao Duan the need to go out and look for people. The emperor and his minister quickly got a general understanding of the situation in the city.
"...So, Xue Shence has already gone south to the Linfeng Dao Abbot, preparing to stop the rebels? And King Heng of Qingzhou has his troops stationed dozens of miles east of the capital, on the Qingzhou border? Are they being stopped by the Beijing troops?"
Zhao Duan frowned. "What about the court? Who makes the decisions?"
Qin Qu said, "Grand Tutor Dong, with the leadership, has been calling court meetings almost every day these days. However, the morale of the government offices below is low, rumors are spreading among the people, panic is widespread, and prices are soaring.
The government office was severely understaffed, so the imperial court delegated some of its powers to some temporarily recruited clerks to help with the work. I was given the task of checking the identities of those entering the city.
Zhao Duan sneered: "Taking an errand? You're just trying to make some money while the chaos is going on."
The dandy young man prostrated himself on the ground, not daring to refute.
Zhao Duan was too lazy to pay attention to him. He turned around and exchanged glances with the empress, and both of them relaxed.
Although there was turmoil in the capital, the court functions continued as usual and the worst situation did not occur.
Xu Zhenguan walked lightly to the prostrate dandy and said sternly, "Has there been any unusual movement in the Prime Minister's family?"
No...it's a bit beyond the scope to ask him this...Zhao Duan complained.
Qin Qu hesitated for a moment, not daring to raise his head, and said:
"Your Majesty, I dare not speak nonsense about the Prime Minister."
He had already confirmed the identity of the woman in front of him, and his adrenaline was soaring that he didn't dare to overstep the line.
"However... I've been investigating the city these past few days and have indeed made some discoveries. Yesterday, an unidentified person entered the city. The relevant records were erased, but the subordinates witnessed him being secretly taken away by a steward from the Young Lord's residence...
Also, a few days ago, farmers from the suburbs of Beijing started coming into the city... It was quite unusual at this time. When I checked, I found that these people didn't look like farmers, but like retired soldiers... I don't dare to delve into the details."
Zhao Duan and Xu Zhenguan were both stunned, and their eyes fixed at the same time!
This guy, did he really discover something? Zhao Duan frowned:
"You didn't report what you said to the imperial court?"
Since Qin Qu has accepted the task, he should report the summary to Ma Yan.
Why do you say “dare not explore deeply”?
Qin Qu choked and said cautiously, "I haven't had time to report it yet."
Oh, was it too late, or was he just pretending to be blind and not seeing it? Zhao Duan sneered.
He knew this guy too well, and after a little thought, he knew the whole story:
During his inspection, Qin Qu did notice something was wrong, but because he was afraid of the Prime Minister's Mansion and did not want to get involved in the bloody storm among the upper class, he deliberately concealed it.
After all, the last Dali Temple case taught him a profound lesson.
This is a strategy for a small person to protect himself. Especially since the whereabouts of the Empress and Zhao Duan are unknown, and Qin Qu is extorting money at this time, why doesn't he want to make a fortune as soon as possible and think of a way to escape?
If you don't have confidence in the court, why report it? Is it just to cause trouble?
Qin Qu was like this, and the other clerks in the city who were responsible for inspections and shared tasks probably had the same intention. In this case, the so-called inspections became just an empty shell.
Ma Yan, who is in charge of the imperial court, has limited staff and is likely unaware of these unusual movements that have occurred in secret.
Ultimately, if the court machine is demoralized, no matter how wise or capable the ministers sitting in high positions are, they will become blind, deaf, and dumb.
As for Qin Qu's decision at this time, one reason was that he wanted to atone for his sins, and the other was that since the Empress and Zhao Shaobao had returned, there was naturally no reason for him to escape again.
"Li Yanfu..." The empress's heart sank.
"Your Majesty, are you worried that the Li Party might be plotting in secret?" Zhao Duan understood.
The Empress nodded, then shook her head: "It needs further confirmation."
Zhao Duan's heart moved, and he glanced at the lackey on the ground:
"You go first. You know what to do, right?"
Qin Qu's blessing came to his mind:
"I will handle it and will not reveal a single word about Your Majesty and the Grand Protector. Just think of myself as being driven out by two powerful men. If I reveal even a single word, my entire family will be executed!"
"Go away." Zhao Duan said:
"Remember this when you get home. When the chaos in the city is over, return all the money you extorted from anyone intact. Otherwise, you know the consequences."
"Yes! Don't be negligent!"
Qin Qu was overjoyed. He stuck his butt out, lowered his head and walked out of the door. After closing the door, he let out a long breath. He was almost soaked all over.
There was a look of joy in his eyes, and he was somewhat proud:
Now in this city, I am probably the only one, Qin Qu, who knows that Your Majesty has returned, right?
He walked downstairs triumphantly, and faced a group of "outsourced employees" from the imperial court. He pretended to be dejected and said, "Let's go, let's go."
"Uh, Mr. Qin...who's upstairs..." someone asked.
Qin Qu kicked him and said unhappily:
"You've run into someone with a strong background. Don't ask too much. You can't afford to offend him. Be careful not to know too much. You might die without knowing how."
The clerks no longer dared to ask any more questions.
When serving in the capital, these low-level servants fear the most that they might accidentally offend some powerful person, so not asking too many questions is the basic rule.
…
In the room.
"Your Majesty, what you mean is..." Zhao Duan closed the door and turned to ask.
Xu Zhenguan thought for a moment, then turned his fair palm over, revealing an exquisite leaf-like musical instrument in his hand.
She walked straight to the window, placed the white porcelain "leaf" on her red lips, and blew gently.
No sound was heard, but Zhao Duan could clearly feel the slight ripple in his heart.
Xu Zhenguan put down his leaf instrument and looked towards the street with his lacquered eyes:
"This is a way to summon the inner city's secret guards. I need more manpower to confirm the movements of the Li Party."
So, you already have a channel to get the news... Zhao Duan complained in his heart and said seriously:
"Your Majesty did not return with much fanfare, but instead entered the city quietly. He wanted to first find out who the troublemakers in the city were, and who they might be collaborating with the rebels."
Two words popped into his mind: fishing!
I wondered if Zhenbao was planning to take advantage of this opportunity to catch all the unstable factors and hidden rebels in the court?
"This is indeed a good opportunity, but if these people don't jump out in a short time, we can't keep waiting. As long as His Majesty doesn't show up, the local will to resist will not be strong enough." Zhao Duan analyzed calmly.
He believes that the current conditions are not suitable for fishing.
Because the losses caused by continuing to lie dormant may be greater than digging out a few termites.
"No," the empress shook her head and looked at him with clear eyes:
"I will only be hiding in the city for one day at most. Tomorrow morning, no matter what the outcome, I will enter the palace to hold court and stabilize the situation.
However, I do need this day to find out as much as possible about who in the court may be colluding with the rebels. At this point, I can still afford to wait for a day."
one day……
Yes, if the empress shows up immediately, and waits until she stabilizes the situation before sending people to investigate, many traces will disappear.
Therefore, waiting for one more day will not affect the overall situation and will allow us to identify as many hidden dangers as possible within the court.
After all, many times, the damage caused by a traitor in the court is far greater than losing a city.
However, she didn't dare to wait any longer, so she chose to officially return early tomorrow morning.
"By the way, about the Shenlong Temple..." Zhao Duan suddenly spoke.
Xu Zhenguan shook his head and said calmly:
"Xuan Yin has already left the capital."
Zhao Duan was stunned. After Zhenbao entered the city, had he already quietly explored it with his spiritual sense?
He stopped talking, waiting for the Imperial Guards to appear, looking at the crowded streets outside, thinking that there shouldn't be any trouble on the last day.
…
…
Throughout the day, everything in the capital was as usual, and almost no one knew about the empress's return.
After dusk, the number of people on the streets gradually decreased, and when the wisps of smoke from cooking gradually disappeared into the darkness, night arrived.
"Little Cabinet Minister" Li Yinglong, along with two trusted aides, waited quietly in the darkness, his feminine face showing a mixture of excitement and anxiety, and he kept hesitating.
This was a quiet street, and his car was parked in front of a closed pharmacy.
Suddenly, the lights in the pharmacy came on. The young elder was startled and walked over wearing a cloak.
In the thick darkness of the night, the door of the drugstore opened and two figures walked out one after the other.
A man holding a lantern followed behind, his eyes alert and fierce, undoubtedly a master.
The man walking in front had steady steps, but his whole body was hidden in a pitch-black hood.
"Father, everyone is here and waiting for you." Li Yinglong urged in a low voice.
The dim lanterns swayed, and in the dim light, the majestic face of Li Yanfu was faintly visible:
The hair and beard at the temples were connected into one, as rough and hard as a hedgehog's fur. The lavender eyebrows were like two twisted scars welded to the eye sockets. The cold gaze swept across, making people terrified.
At this moment, Li Yanfu didn't look old and weak as he did in front of outsiders. He was clearly strong and healthy!
"Stop talking nonsense." Li Yanfu scolded expressionlessly, stepped into the carriage, and the young cabinet minister followed closely behind him.
Soon, the wheels rolled and sped along the cold and quiet streets that were almost covered with a veil.
Inside the carriage, a smile appeared on Li Yinglong's feminine face:
"If anyone saw my father's attitude during the day, they would definitely not guess that you had made arrangements long ago."
Li Yanfu hummed, his face only a silhouette in the darkness, unclear, but his muffled voice was deep and powerful:
"At this moment, countless people in the capital are watching my father. It would be extremely difficult to hide my tracks without revealing anything.
So, the best thing is to be open and show them everything.”
Li Yinglong smiled and said:
"Father is right. If a servant of our Li family comes to the capital, he will always be noticed. If he doesn't come, it will appear fake.
The more restless and angry I am outside, the more it will appear that you are hesitant to make a decision. This way, I can dispel the vigilance of many people in the court and catch them off guard."
Li Yanfu was too lazy to talk nonsense with him. The old man's voice was a little vague in the darkness:
"The matter was done in secrecy. After the meeting tonight, I'm afraid it will be difficult to conceal it any longer."
Li Yinglong was also silent for a moment, then said seriously:
"But for such a major event, if you, father, don't show up in person, I won't be able to control the situation and gain people's trust.
But tomorrow, there will be no need to hide these things anymore. We, father and son, have been acting for so long. I have been pretending to be an irritable young minister for so long, and you have been pretending to be sick for so long. It is finally over.
The empress was seriously injured and on the run, and that abominable Zhao Du'an was also not in the capital. Furthermore, Xue Shence, the biggest obstacle, was forced to lead the troops in Linfeng. Even the capital's camp outside the city was being held back by Prince Heng of Qingzhou...
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If you miss it, you’ll never get it again.”
At this moment, how could he still be immature at all?
The father and son both had the same fierce look in their eyes and brows, as if they were cut from the same mold.
…
"Prime Minister, we're here."
At this time, the carriage stopped in an alley, and the father and son got off and entered a yard in the alley.
When I pushed open the window of the room covered with black cloth, I saw that the whole room was full of people sitting around a table, and the candlesticks on the table were emitting dim candlelight.
The faces in the room were reflected, most of whom were pillars of the "Li Party" and powerful officials in charge of a government office in the court.
There were also a few unfamiliar faces, including two generals whose appearances would surely be very familiar to Zhao Duan if he were here.
It turned out to be the military officer in charge of the Jinwu Guard and Qianniu Guard among the "Twelve Guards" of the imperial guards that protected the imperial city!
"Prime Minister!"
"The Prime Minister is here!"
Everyone in the room stood up, looking excited.
Li Yanfu stepped into the room, lifted his hood with both hands, and smiled slightly:
"Please sit down, everyone who is gathered here tonight is a brother and sister. There is no need for formalities."
"Prime Minister, you are so polite!"
After everyone was seated in a circle, Li Yanfu, who was sitting at the main seat, lowered his eyes and glanced at the map of the entire capital spread out on the table. He said calmly:
“Tonight’s party cannot be delayed too long, so I won’t waste any more words.
Now everything is ready. Tomorrow morning, when all the ministers gather in the palace, we will raise an army in the name of 'clearing the imperial court'. At that time, the imperial guards patrolling the main gate will be the Jinwu and Qianniu..."
The two commanders whose names were called straightened their backs—they were a little nervous, but there was no fear in their eyes.
The empress disappeared, and five rebel armies were approaching the capital. Everyone with a discerning eye knew that the Kingdom of Yu was about to change its master again.
At this time, they believed that it was a wise move for them to join the "Li Party" supported by the Huai River and Jiancheng clan.
As long as he takes control of the capital and then chooses a prince to assist him in ascending the throne, he will be considered a dragon follower!
“…At that time, this Prime Minister will personally lead troops into the palace to control Dong Xuan, Yuan Li and others, and take control of the Xiuwen Hall.
Now that the imperial court is leaderless, all orders within the city, big or small, are controlled by the Xiuwenguan. As long as I control this new cabinet, I can immediately use the cabinet's power to control the defense of the capital. When the time comes, with everyone's support, great success will be achieved! "
Li Yanfu pressed his hand hard on the "Imperial Palace" on the map and spoke in a deep voice.
Everyone at the gathering was excited and put their hands on Li Yanfu's hands one after another, forming a high pile.
Finally, Li Yanfu placed his free hand on the top of the "palm mountain" and pressed hard:
"After tomorrow, a record will be left in the annals of history. Three years ago, there was the Xuanmen coup, and tomorrow, there will be the 'revolution to purge the monarch'!"
…
…
On the same night, at Zhao's house.
The night was cool as water, and the entire Zhao family mansion was silent, with only the chirping of summer insects and the silent noise of flying insects circling around the bamboo lanterns on the eaves.
Eugene was wearing a silk inner garment and emerald green embroidered shoes. The back of her feet, which were white with a hint of pink, were exposed, and she was almost wearing slippers.
Holding an exquisite lotus lantern in his hand, he pushed open the door and walked out of the bedroom, coming to the steps under the eaves of the back house.
She bit her plump lips and carefully covered her daughter with a thin blanket, who was also wearing thin clothes and hugging her knees on the steps under the corridor, staring blankly at the lonely and dim stars in the night sky.
"Mom?" The girl Zhao Pan turned her head and whispered softly.
…
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(End of this chapter)
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