Chapter 487: Welcome His Majesty Back to the Palace (6k)
Follow me into the palace... Zhao Duan took a deep breath and said jokingly:
"Your Majesty, returning to the palace in this state, I wonder how many people will be shocked. After today, what kind of storm will be stirred up in the Nine Provinces and Eighteen Prefectures?"
It had not been long since the empress was promoted. Except for a very small number of people like Xuan Yin, Prince Jing, Prince Mu, etc. who either knew or guessed it, the vast majority of people in this world still did not know about it.
"I hope this storm can be settled as soon as possible." Xu Zhenguan said softly.
Even though she knew in her heart that it would not be easy to completely resolve the Rebellion of the Eight Kings.
The king and his minister walked out of the inn together. When they were going downstairs, they met the inn waiter coming upstairs.
The latter looked in astonishment at the man and woman, who were wearing dragon robes and official robes, and had stunning looks and temperament. The kettle in his hand fell to the ground with a bang and rolled down the stairs.
Not only him, but also the shopkeeper and the guests on the first floor were all under a spell, staring blankly at the departure of the king and his ministers.
Then, it was the turn of the pedestrians on the street to cast surprised glances.
Zhenbao did this on purpose... She wanted to expose herself to the public. Even if the people didn't know her true face, they would recognize the dragon robe that no one in the city dared to wear.
This was done to calm the people and announce his return in a high-profile manner.
However, just when the king and his minister had taken a few steps.
Suddenly, a shadow guard from the inner court rushed over like crazy from the crowd ahead, kneeling on one knee without hesitation:
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened. Li Yanfu has led a large group of warriors and is heading towards the palace..."
What? Zhao Duan was stunned, then turned his head and looked at Zhenbao, and they both saw each other's surprise.
"Hurry and enter the palace with me!"
Xu Zhenguan's expression changed slightly. He didn't bother to show off in public. He raised his hand, grabbed Zhao Duan and was about to leave.
Zhao Duan suddenly said:
"Taking into account the time it takes to transmit intelligence, Li Yanfu has probably already rushed into the palace by now. I'm afraid it's too late."
Xu Zhenguan, however, looked calm:
"It's not too late. He won't succeed that easily."
…
…
The imperial palace, the hall where court meetings were held.
Early in the morning, the ministers entered the venue one after another, and by then almost everyone was there.
Ma Yan arrived late. When he stepped into the hall, he glanced around and did not find Li Yanfu. He only saw Grand Tutor Dong and Yuan Li, each sitting on a chair with their eyes closed.
In the hall, only two people sat down, while the rest of the ministers stood as a sign of respect.
"Grand Master," Ma Yan walked up to Dong Xuan and whispered:
"I have something I want to discuss with the Grand Master."
After several days of busy work, Master Dong, tired and sleepy, tilted his head back and snored softly. But now he suddenly opened his eyes and asked in confusion:
"What is it?"
Ma Yan took out a letter from his sleeve and handed it to him:
"It's related to the recent anomalies at the 'Prime Minister's Mansion'."
Li Yanfu had not arrived yet, and Ma Yan knew that he was not good at the intrigues in the court, so he wanted to discuss and communicate with the imperial teacher who was temporarily in charge of the "cabinet" in advance.
"Oh?" Grand Tutor Dong perked up, took the memorial, unfolded it with both hands and read it carefully. Then his face trembled and his eyes fixed:
"Is this really true?"
Ma Yan nodded: "Although we haven't verified it accurately yet, we have to be on guard against the Xiangguo Mansion making small moves at this time."
Grand Tutor Dong's heart sank, and he subconsciously looked at the Imperial Censor who was resting with his eyes closed across from him.
I remembered Yuan Li's words yesterday, at the end of court, about being wary of Li's faction. Was he right? But would Li Yanfu really dare to run wild in the capital?
Dong Xuan was unsure, but compared to Yuan Li, who also needed to be wary of him, the words of the eunuch Ma Yan undoubtedly made him more convinced.
It is almost impossible for Ma Yan to defect to the Eighth King, just as the Dong family, who strongly supported the empress's ascension to the throne, has no way out.
"Mr. Yuan, come and take a look." The old Grand Tutor thought for a moment, called Yuan Li to come aside and talk to him, and handed the memorial to the latter.
This scene was not surprising to the ministers.
Yuan Li read the memorial, his eyes fixed, and he exhaled deeply:
"The thing I was worried about finally happened."
He turned his head and looked at Ma Yan, his eyes sharp:
"This information is from a few days ago."
Ma Yan nodded:
"So, I believe that if Li's faction makes any move, it won't be delayed for too long. As the saying goes, secrets are key to success. Such a large-scale 'mobilization of troops' is highly unusual. I suggest that we wait for him to enter the palace and confront him face to face. Regardless of his response, he will be placed under my supervision to prevent further trouble."
"You also think that Li Dang might be restless? What would he dare to do? What could he do? The six imperial guards in the city are enough to suppress everything." The veins on Grand Tutor Dong's forehead throbbed, and his breathing became slightly rapid.
Yuan Li suddenly said:
"Three years ago, the Xuanmen coup almost succeeded because of the betrayal of the then-chief, Qi Yuchun."
Click!
When this matter was mentioned, the other two felt a tightness in their hearts and were dragged back to their original memories.
That day was a cold winter, with snow falling from the ground. Although it was different from today, the sky was just as gloomy.
It was after the Xuanmen coup that the empress ascended the throne and simply abolished the position of "Grand Commander". The six imperial guards were commanded at the same level, each responsible for an area, and checking and balancing each other.
And when Yuan Li mentioned this at this moment, the meaning behind it could not help but make people think about it.
Master Dong's face trembled, and he gritted his teeth and said:
"In that case, we should wait for him to arrive and interrogate him on the spot. At this juncture, His Majesty still doesn't know when he will return, so we must not allow any chaos!"
To rashly attack the prime minister of the dynasty is an act that itself carries great risks.
But Dong Xuan weighed the pros and cons and still made the same decision.
Yuan Li did not refute, but his eyes flashed. Ma Yan looked calm and turned to look at the entrance of the hall.
With his worldly realm cultivation, he is not afraid of Li Yanfu causing any trouble as long as he arrives.
However, as the sand flowed in the hourglass in the corner of the hall, Li Yanfu still did not appear.
Inside the hall, the voices of the ministers' discussions had died down at some point, and everyone noticed something was amiss.
"It's been a while, why hasn't the Prime Minister arrived yet? If he is unwell, Li Yinglong should also come, but neither the father nor the son has shown up." The Minister of War couldn't help but say.
"Send someone to pick him up, maybe he's delayed." The Minister of Revenue said lightly.
Ma Yan's thin face became more and more gloomy. Suddenly, his ears moved slightly and he looked up suddenly:
"wrong!"
The heavy palace door is extremely soundproof, preventing conversations inside the palace from being overheard by palace servants outside.
But at this moment, outside the thick palace door, there came the sound of horse hooves and shouts of killing. It was vague at first, but gradually became clearer.
"Go out and take a look!" The old master also realized something was wrong and ordered the eunuchs in the hall.
The latter was about to push the door open with small steps, but suddenly the door shook with a "bang" and was accompanied by a cry of surprise!
Ma Yan subconsciously touched the knife at his waist, but found nothing!
Because he was attending a court meeting, he did not carry any weapons.
At this moment, the heavy palace door creaked and was pushed open fiercely from the outside!
A cold wind blows!
The bloody wind suddenly blew into the hall, and a strong, bleak white light poured in from outside the door. Many civil officials subconsciously covered their faces with their sleeves and squinted their eyes.
The dense shouts and cries of killing were like raging waves, pouring into everyone's ears!
Thousands of imperial guards suddenly appeared in the Meridian Gate Square, surrounded the palace, sealed it off, and fought against the patrolling imperial guards who came from outside after hearing the news!
Those were the two guards, Yulin and Huben, who were alarmed!
The palace guards were too far away and had not noticed anything unusual!
Inside the Imperial City, different Imperial Guards were actually confronting each other? Fighting?!
what happened?
The ministers in the hall were momentarily stunned, unable to recover until Ma Yan's furious roar startled everyone: "Li Yanfu!? Are you planning a rebellion?!"
In full view of the public.
Outside the palace gate that had been withdrawn, on the long steps, Li Yanfu, wearing an iron helmet, soft armor, and a crimson robe, stood at the threshold.
Beside him were two masked guards on his left and right, and behind them were hundreds of sword-wielding guards wearing red clothes and with white silk tied around their foreheads!
"Li Yanfu?!"
Grand Tutor Dong stood up from his chair in shock, almost staggering, holding on to the armrests tightly. Yuan Li, who was sitting opposite him, was also almost out of control and was shocked.
A thought has already exploded in my mind:
coup?
Another coup after three years?
A once-in-a-lifetime, daring coup by a minister?!
"Ah..." The ministers suddenly became noisy and almost subconsciously stepped back, looking at Li Yanfu in disbelief as he stepped over the threshold and stepped onto the shiny floor.
Li Yanfu stood straight, and although he was old, he was as ferocious as a wolf king.
Every time he took a step forward, the ministers retreated several feet, and the red-robed guests behind him slammed the heavy palace door shut again, and the shouting and screaming outside almost died down in an instant.
At this time, taking advantage of the chaos, several high-ranking officials of the Li Party went against the tide and stood behind Li Yanfu, turning around and smiling:
"Congratulations to the Prime Minister for his successful entry into the palace. Now all these rebels are in our grasp!"
Traitors? Us?
Hearing this word, many ministers who had not yet recovered from their shock looked bewildered.
Li Yanfu's eyes were cold and his tone was calm, leaving no room for doubt:
"Rebellion? No, Ma Yan, you are wrong. I am the loyal minister of the Yu Kingdom, and some of you are the traitors who colluded with the thieves to frame Your Majesty. Today, to save the Yu Kingdom from collapse, I have the audacity to lead my servants into the palace to purge the emperor's side, eliminate the treacherous ministers, and restore peace to the Yu Kingdom!"
The ministers were shocked, and Ma Yan's face turned ashen!
Master Dong and the others had wide eyes and their beards trembled with anger, while Yuan Li on the side seemed to understand something and gave a wry smile.
All of this is so similar to what happened three years ago!
When the previous emperor passed away and the crown prince had not yet ascended the throne, the second prince Jianwen led his followers into the palace and joined forces with Qi Yuchun, raising the banner of "clearing the imperial court."
Today, it was Li Yanfu who took over.
The scale is also much smaller than it was back then.
However, Li Yanfu's timing was better. When His Majesty was away, the imperial guards in the capital and the imperial camp outside the city only acted according to the orders of the cabinet, not any particular person.
Therefore, Li Yanfu did not need to make a big move and reach the level of Xu Jianwen. He only needed to use thunder-like means to control Master Dong and Yuan Li. With the cooperation of Li's party officials, he could take over the cabinet and steal temporary control of the city.
He had thought of this a long time ago and tried to remind Dong Xuan and others, but Yuan Li, as the leader of the "Qingliu Party", was also not trusted.
The Li Party's rebellion came faster, more suddenly, more fiercely, and more unexpectedly than expected, leaving no time to guard against it!
"What nonsense! Treason!"
Dong Taishi's face flushed purple, and he stared at the Prime Minister who was forcing the emperor to abdicate:
"Your Majesty is right. You are the biggest hidden danger in the court!"
He regretted it!
If he had known that Li Yanfu was really so courageous, he would have imprisoned him as soon as he heard the news of His Majesty's disappearance, even at the risk of causing unrest in the court and the country!
But now, it's too late!
Who could have thought that Li Yanfu, who had always given in and endured the repeated suppression from the empress, and who had also endured humiliation and hardship during the reign of the previous emperor, would burst out with such fierce courage?
Now, it is obvious that some of the imperial guards in the palace have defected and formed an alliance with Li Yanfu. Even if only a part of the imperial guards have rebelled, it will take time for the imperial guards from the remaining camps to mobilize a large number of troops and rush over!
And will Li Yanfu give them time?
"Ma Yan! Take action! Capture the leader first!" Grand Tutor Dong suddenly shouted.
Nowadays, most of the generals have gone out of the city to fight the enemy. The strongest one in the palace is only Ma Yan, and a warrior in the secular realm should be able to control the situation.
However, Ma Yan did not move. He clenched his fists and stared vigilantly at a masked guard beside Li Yanfu.
"Heh," Li Yanfu smiled. At this moment, he no longer concealed his wolfish ambitions, truly exposing his true, unruly and ferocious appearance.
"Dong Xuan, have you become senile and insane? How could I, the Prime Minister, have the audacity to enter the palace today? How could I have overlooked a formidable general like Ma Yan?"
There was a look of disdain in his eyes:
"Or, do you think that I can't even find a worldly-level expert around me?"
As the words fell, the masked guard on his right side suddenly took off his mask, revealing a man's face that was also branded with tattoos.
"Kong Wu!" someone exclaimed in the crowd.
Many people were awakened and recalled this name: a death row prisoner who had been thrown into the Sky Prison and was also one of the generals in the army.
"Isn't he dead?" The Minister of War's face changed.
The man named Kong Wu smiled, ignoring the others, and took a step forward, his aura firmly locked on Ma Dugong:
"Ma Yan, long time no see. You should still remember me, right? When I was wanted, it was a group of imperial guards who joined forces to capture me. Ha, you were among them. It's ridiculous. If you weren't outnumbered, how could you have possibly captured me?"
Ma Yan stared at him intently and shook his head.
"When I took over the Imperial Prison, I once looked through the files. I felt that the timing of your death was strange. It was during the Xuanmen coup, and you died mysteriously in prison. Now it seems that Li Yanfu took advantage of the chaos in the capital at that time, when no one had the time to pay attention to the Imperial Prison, to replace you and keep you in captivity."
Kong Wu did not deny it, and touched the tattoo on his face with a somewhat crazy smile:
"I thought I was dead, but I didn't expect to be able to come back now. Haha, I heard that you have entered the world realm. Good, now you are finally qualified to fight me. You can try to kill Li Xiang at this distance. Will you succeed first, or will you die first?"
Ma Yan's face looked solemn, as if facing a powerful enemy!
As one of the priests who participated in the capture of Kong Wu, he was well aware of this guy's fighting ability.
Even if he was practicing the secret teachings of the royal family, without any weapons, he could at most tie with Kong Wu. If he wanted to kill someone in front of him, his hope was slim.
Li Yanfu smiled and looked down at the old master:
"Dong Xuan, you are too old, your brain is no longer useful. Kong Wu is holding Ma Yan back, and I have hundreds of followers behind me, all skilled fighters. With just one order, we can slaughter you all in a few breaths.
However, I, the Prime Minister, have a merciful heart and will only punish the ringleaders. With the exception of you, Dong Xuan, and a few others like Yuan Li, I will not engage in riots if the rest of them are willing to turn from evil to good."
All the ministers were silent!
The hall was quiet, with a sense of unease. Faced with the life-and-death crisis, many ministers hesitated.
However, facing the threat, Grand Tutor Dong was unexpectedly calm, so calm that it was a little abnormal.
"Li Yanfu, you have indeed deceived almost everyone. I admit that I underestimated you too much, but..."
A smile suddenly appeared on the face of the octogenarian Grand Tutor Dong: "Do you think you can deceive His Majesty?"
Your Majesty? Li Yanfu's heart moved and he sneered:
"Stop being so mysterious. Your Majesty's whereabouts are unknown, and he is probably thousands of miles away from the capital."
"That's right," Dong Xuan sighed softly, "but who says that when His Majesty went south to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth, he really took all the masters in the palace with him?"
As the words fell, suddenly, four female officials came out from the corner of the hall that had been almost ignored.
They were extremely inconspicuous, wearing the same style of robes for low-ranking female officials, with their eyebrows modeled after Mo Chou and embellished with plum blossom makeup.
Every time there was a court meeting in the main hall, there would be some eunuchs and female officials in the hall to record the meeting, maintain order, and tidy up benches, tables, chairs and other miscellaneous items.
No one ever cared.
However, at this moment, as these four female officials walked, they seemed to have shed their disguises, their temperament suddenly changed, and they tacitly drew out four soft swords that shone with cold light from their waists!
At the same time, an aura of at least divine power came towards them. The four of them moved in unison, and their swords stabbed towards Li Yanfu from four angles, following the directions of the stars!
The sword is sharp!
Ma Yan's eyes moved, and at the same time, he lunged forward and punched towards Kong Wu!
"Outsiders only think that the Imperial Palace is a place where eunuchs are trained in the secret teachings of the royal family and serve as worshippers. But has anyone ever considered that the Imperial City's worshippers are really only men? How could there be no female worshippers in the palace?"
Grand Tutor Dong's voice echoed in the hall.
In Li Yanfu's pupils, the four soft swords rapidly enlarged.
…
…
Outside the palace, there was a solemn atmosphere.
The fighting in the Meridian Gate Square was perfectly blocked by the high palace walls.
The South Gate, which was controlled by the rebellious imperial guards, looked very normal from a distance.
People outside the palace would never have imagined that at this moment, inside the high palace walls, an event that could change the world was taking place.
There was also a solemn and murderous atmosphere on Suzaku Street outside the imperial palace.
An official from the Li Party was ordered to lead a group of death squads disguised as patrol officers to roam the streets and drive away outsiders who might approach the palace.
To ensure that no news leaked out of the South Gate before the coup was over.
"Who are you? Stop!"
This Li Party official was riding on a tall horse, holding a long whip in his hand, when he suddenly noticed that two figures were approaching rapidly at the end of Suzaku Street.
The other party seemed to be walking, but his speed was extremely fast, as if shrinking the distance into an inch. He was still far away in the previous breath, and much closer in the next breath.
There was no time to think. Although this official was not a pillar of the Li Party, he was able to participate in this major event, which showed that he had a considerable position and power in the court. He rode his horse to stop him.
The whip in his hand trembled, and he lashed the air in the direction of the two people in front of him, shouting angrily:
"The palace ahead is a very important area. Anyone approaching without permission will be killed!"
In the past, he would not have been so domineering and arrogant, but this was because he could not afford to fail in this important matter, and also because... once he succeeded, his future would be limitless.
Perhaps it was because he had already imagined the bright prospects of his own rapid rise to prominence as a meritorious official after the new emperor ascended the throne, so he couldn't help but swung the whip more fiercely.
However, the whip did not hit the air, but was suddenly grabbed by a hand.
A man and a woman, who were clearly quite a distance away, suddenly appeared in front of the horse.
Zhao Duan casually grabbed the horsewhip and pulled it with a calm expression. The official on horseback stumbled and fell off the horse, attracting a group of "officials" behind him to run over as if to protect their master.
"Bold and unruly people..." Although the official had realized something was wrong, he still cursed subconsciously and tried to get up. Then he finally saw clearly what the man and woman were wearing, and he was stunned.
The man was wearing a scarlet official robe that was only worn by officials of the fourth rank and above in the imperial court. The embroidered pattern on the chest was rare and vaguely resembled the standard worn by officials of the third rank.
Which third-rank official is coming?
But shouldn't they all be in the palace at this time? Could they be military officers?
But when he caught a glimpse of the golden dragon robe next to him, he froze completely.
Who in this world could wear a dragon robe? Even if it had four claws, only princes and the like were qualified. Moreover, when he took a quick glance, the dragon on the dazzling golden robe's sleeve seemed to have... five claws?
A five-clawed golden dragon… a third-rank official robe… a man and a woman…
The Li Party official suddenly raised his head and saw the faces of the man and woman, who were indifferent but recognized by all the civil and military officials in the court.
The Prince's Guardian, Zhao Duan.
The current empress, Xu Zhenguan.
Zhao Duan threw the whip on the ground and walked towards the city gate with the empress, one in front and one behind.
This core official of the Li Party fell to his knees with a thud. He felt dizzy and his hands and feet were cold. He suddenly knelt down like a madman and kowtowed desperately, leaving a large pool of scarlet blood on the stone slab.
The empress, dressed in a dragon robe, walked towards the closed south gate.
Zhao Duan saw the door creak open, as if pushed by some invisible force.
On the city wall.
The rebels of Jinwu Guard and Qianniu Guard stood there in terror and disbelief as if petrified. They tried to shout and escape, but were horrified to find that their bodies were restrained.
Then, the invisible big hand squeezed the armor, and blood seeped out of the armor. Silently, all the rebels on the city wall died.
The corpses lay straight and limp, like steel tombs.
The city gate hole was a little dark.
After walking out, Xu Zhenguan's frosty face was bathed in the warm sunshine, and he squinted his eyes and looked at the hall in the distance.
The shouts of killing echoed in Zhao Duan's ears, but he raised his head and looked at the gray sky.
I found that the clouds had cracked into a long, straight line at some point, as if cutting the sky in two. Brilliant sunlight shone through the crack.
Zhao Duan suddenly swelled up his energy and shouted, "Your Majesty, please return to the palace!"
(End of this chapter)
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