Chapter 287 Don't Hate
Father!
She couldn't bring herself to say those two words, because in the past ten years or so that she had looked up to Chu Yang, to this supreme emperor, her own father, she had seen him not only pacify the Southern Chen Dynasty but also lead his army across the grasslands. Beyond his heroic and valiant appearance, which was like that of an immortal, he was also a kind and gentle father who gave her endless love and shielded her from all the storms of the world.
Chu Yang, her father, is perfect!
How could such a perfect father and a perfect emperor be associated with "a heinous crime"?
Before she could even finish her sentence, Princess Xinyue immediately shook her head instinctively and said, "No, Mother, you're definitely not talking about Father, are you!?"
"..."
Empress Jiang looked at her tenderly, her sorrow deepening in her eyes.
After a long silence, she finally whispered, "No, it's him."
"..."
“New Moon, your father has made a grave mistake, an unforgivable mistake. His empire may collapse at any time, and this great dynasty may end in the hands of someone else… Your mother’s wisdom cannot see that far ahead. The only thing I can do now is to protect my children, to protect you and Fei’er.”
Princess Crescent shook her head desperately, tears streaming down her face like broken pearls, soon soaking their clasped hands. The cold, damp feeling made her heart feel even heavier and more distressed.
She murmured, "Mother, I don't understand... Father is so good, he's so good, why would you say these things? How could he possibly make a mistake?"
Empress Jiang gave a wry smile.
She gripped her daughter's hands even tighter, almost soaking her palms with her tears. The salty taste made her voice even more bitter as she spoke. She said, "It's too late to say all this now, Xinyue. You will understand what kind of person your father really is in the future—of course, he is a good father, and you should never doubt that."
"..."
"Now, all I can tell you is that you and Fei'er have to leave."
"..."
“Fei’er is still young, and he won’t understand what I’m saying to him. So, as his older sister, you need to comfort him along the way and not let him be afraid. And you, what you need to do is take care of yourself.”
"..."
"In the future, no matter who owns the world, you must remember one thing—"
Princess Crescent Moon seemed to feel more and more that ominous feeling was like a tangible black hand gripping her heart and even her life. She had never felt her life was so dark at this moment. The only thing she could hold on to was the hands of her mother, who had gently cared for her for more than ten years.
She asked, trembling, "What?"
Empress Jiang said, "Don't hate."
"...!"
Princess Crescent Moon was slightly startled.
"Don't hate?" What does that mean?
What should you not hate? Who should you not hate?
Her life was filled with happiness and joy. Even when she tasted the bitterness of love, it was only bitterness, never hatred. She couldn't even understand how time could evoke such emotions. But now, her mother was teaching her—don't hate.
"I--"
She wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say. Empress Jiang just looked at her gently and said, "Have you remembered?"
Princess Crescent Moon looked somewhat bewildered, and could only nod instinctively: "I'll remember."
Empress Jiang smiled with relief: "In that case, I can let you leave with peace of mind."
Princess Crescent Moon looked puzzled: "Mother, where do you want my brother and me to go? We have never left you or Father."
“From now on, you must get used to leaving this palace and your father.”
Empress Jiang smiled gently, then said solemnly, "I want you to take Fei'er and go with Feng Chen."
"Second Brother!"
Upon hearing Yuwen Ye's name, Princess Xinyue almost instinctively smiled, her tear-streaked face brightening slightly. Although she had been terrified today, she was still a sensible young woman, and even just hearing the name of her beloved was enough to comfort her distraught state.
She asked hurriedly, "He...wasn't he off to war?"
"yes,"
Empress Jiang nodded and said, "But, your mother has already entrusted you and Fei'er to him."
"..."
"As long as you stay in Dongdu, he will come to pick you up and protect you."
Princess Crescent Moon opened her eyes wide and asked, "Then, when will he come?"
Empress Jiang looked up and glanced at it.
Although the inner hall they were in had only one tightly closed window, the dim light from outside still shone through the window paper, suggesting that it was probably much darker than before and that it was almost time for the city gates to close.
Empress Jiang said, "He should hurry—"
A deafening roar suddenly interrupted her.
The two people inside the inner hall were startled, not knowing what had happened, only to see the huge windows tremble with a loud rumble.
What's going on? Is it thundering?
But it's winter now, how could there be thunder?
Empress Jiang composed herself and immediately called out to the outside, "Someone come here!"
Immediately, the eunuch Lu and the palace maid Yuan Cui rushed in, both looking somewhat panicked, clearly startled by the loud noise. Empress Jiang asked, "What was that sound just now?"
Yuan Cui said, "This servant does not know, but it sounds like it's coming from the east."
"East?"
Empress Jiang frowned. She had lived in the Ziwei Palace for almost ten years, and apart from thunder, she had never heard such a loud rumbling sound in the Eastern Capital. So she immediately ordered Eunuch Lu: "Quickly send someone to find out what happened and report back immediately."
Eunuch Lu accepted the order and ran out.
Empress Jiang thought for a moment, then asked Yuan Cui, "What time is it now?"
Yuan Cui replied, "Your Majesty, it is just past 3:45 PM."
"Shenshi...three quarters...?"
That is, the time when the city gates are usually closed.
For some reason, a sense of foreboding washed over her. Just then, Princess Xinyue, still shaken, gently tugged at her hand and whispered, "Mother, what happened?"
Empress Jiang thought for a moment, but did not answer her immediately. Instead, she turned to Yuan Cui and said, "Send word immediately to summon Prince Zhao here. Also, bring over all the luggage that I had prepared for Xinyue and Prince Zhao."
Yuan Cui accepted the order and hurriedly went downstairs.
Princess Crescent Moon grew increasingly uneasy and said urgently, "Mother!"
Empress Jiang grasped her daughter's hand in return. Although her hand was cold, it was unusually strong and calm at this moment. She said, "Don't worry, we'll talk about it when the news comes. Your mother is here."
Princess Crescent Moon could only nod hastily and instinctively.
However, it was King Zhao, Chu Chengfei, who arrived first. Although he also heard the loud noise, he had no sense of danger and excitedly ran over to them, saying, "Mother, sister, I just heard thunder! Thunder in winter!"
His innocent and cheerful words echoed through the palace, only serving to accentuate the somber and oppressive atmosphere.
A little while later, their luggage was delivered.
Since it wasn't a trip, the luggage wasn't piled up like in the past with large bags and boxes. Instead, each person only had two or three bundles, containing not only necessary clothes and items, but most importantly, money.
Empress Jiang handed a box about a foot square to Princess Xinyue and said, "You can lose any other luggage or anything else, but you must keep this with you at all times. You must not lose it under any circumstances. Do you understand?"
Princess Crescent Moon could only nod instinctively, take the box, and hug it tightly.
Just then, heavy footsteps sounded outside. At that moment, it was like a verdict. Everyone held their breath and looked up to see Eunuch Lu, with two pale-faced eunuchs, stumble in and kneel before Empress Jiang: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"
Empress Jiang immediately said, "Speak, what is it!"
"The rebels! Liang Shide's rebels are here! They're attacking the city!"
"What?!"
At that moment, Empress Jiang felt another loud bang explode above her head, but she immediately realized that it was not a real sound.
It was the sound of the sky collapsing.
Everyone around panicked, their faces filled with extreme fear. Princess Xinyue immediately cried out, "Mother, Mother, what should we do?"
Empress Jiang immediately asked, "How many soldiers are left to guard the city?"
With a mournful face, Eunuch Lu said, "His Majesty's departure has taken almost all the garrison troops from Luoyang, leaving less than 20% of the Eastern Capital's garrison. They are currently resisting—"
Before he could finish speaking, another eunuch rushed in to report: "The city gate has been breached!"
Empress Jiang stood up abruptly, exclaiming in disbelief, "The city gates have been breached? How could it be so fast?"
Although she was not knowledgeable in military affairs, having experienced the battle of Yanmen County, she understood to some extent that the fortified city of Dongdu was far superior to that of Yanmen County. If even Yanmen County could withstand the Turkic army's relentless attacks for so many days, how could Dongdu have fallen so quickly?
The young eunuch exclaimed in panic, "There are spies within the city, and they've killed all the soldiers guarding the city gates. Now, the east gate is wide open; the rebels have probably already entered the city!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Chengfei burst into tears.
He didn't really understand the meaning of these words, but he had the innate sensitivity and perception of a child. When the danger came crashing down, he was the first to have a mental breakdown, and his wailing cries pierced everyone's ears.
Princess Crescent Moon also burst into tears: "Mother..."
Empress Jiang's face turned pale, but she took a deep breath and immediately ordered in a deep voice, "Quickly, have horses prepared and send the princess and Prince Zhao out of the city!"
A young eunuch received the order and immediately ran out.
Princess Crescent Moon asked, "Mother, what about you?"
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