Chapter 118 The Overall Situation Will Be Decided
Chapter 118
When they heard that Concubine Zhang was coming, the smiles on Meng Yuning and Cai Yuezhao's faces disappeared instantly, and they both looked at the Queen Mother at the same time.
Cai Yuezhao lowered her voice and said, "Empress Dowager, it's already this late, what is she doing here?"
The Queen Mother's face darkened. "I had intended to let her stay a few more days, but I didn't expect her to be so impatient and come to me on her own."
Upon hearing this, Cai Yuezhao excitedly grabbed Meng Yuning's sleeve and whispered in her ear, "Ah Ning, the Queen Mother is about to take action against that vicious woman. Watch carefully."
Meng Yuning's heart was also shaken. She remembered the rare fierce look in Qi Jingyan's usually calm eyes when he mentioned Concubine Zhang.
He never judged others lightly, but when it came to Concubine Zhang, he described her with eight words: "Her heart is as vicious as a snake and scorpion, and she is ruthless and cruel."
This eight-character comment is exactly the same as the description of Concubine Zhang in the original book. It is precisely because of such a vicious mother that the Third Prince was raised to be such a despicable and shameless person who regards human life as worthless.
When Qi Jingyan met with misfortune and the queen died unjustly, it was all manipulated by this mother and son and the Zhang family behind the scenes. They successfully took advantage of Emperor Kangwen's suspicion and fabricated evidence to frame Qi Jingyan.
Over the past few years, she had witnessed with her own eyes how Qi Jingyan and Yi'er struggled to recover step by step from their desperate situation. She had long hated Concubine Zhang, one of the main culprits.
Now she was finally going to see this vicious person with her own eyes, and she might even witness her being executed tonight. Meng Yuning felt her heart pounding.
Sensing Meng Yuning's emotional fluctuations, the Queen Mother gently placed her warm palm on the back of her hand, patting it soothingly. Then, she removed the last trace of warmth from her face, her voice as cold as ice: "Send her in."
"Yes." The eunuch's voice responded from outside the door, and then the door of the palace opened and a figure hurried in.
Eunuch Song, who was waiting on the side, glanced at Concubine Zhang, then looked at the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother nodded, and Eunuch Song walked out quietly. When he passed by Concubine Zhang, he did not forget to bow and salute.
Concubine Zhang's hair was slightly disheveled, and her usual exquisite makeup was gone, only panic could be seen in her eyes.
She paid no attention to Eunuch Song. She quickly walked to the Empress Dowager, glanced at Cai Yuezhao and Meng Yuning, who were sitting on the couch with the Empress Dowager, and then knelt down. Her voice trembled slightly, "Your Highness, I pay my respects to the Empress Dowager."
The Queen Mother lowered her eyes and glanced at her. She did not ask her to stand up as usual. She simply said, "Why did you disturb me in the middle of the night?"
Concubine Zhang knelt on the cold tile floor, her voice filled with anxiety that could not be concealed even if she tried to hide it. "Empress Dowager, do you know what happened to His Majesty? I was worried about you and wanted to go to Chengming Palace to visit His Majesty, but I was stopped outside the palace by the Imperial Guards."
What she said was half true and half false. In fact, she had received news that Song Tian from the Empress Dowager's palace had taken the Empress Dowager's seal and personally ran to the city gate to pick up Prince Shen and bring him into the palace.
The person who was supposed to die on the road suddenly entered the palace without any warning. The news was like thunder, which shocked her so much that she couldn't sit still.
She immediately ordered her confidant to leave the palace quickly to inform the third prince. Without even bothering to put on her makeup, she hurriedly put on her clothes, tied her hair into a bun, and rushed to Chengming Palace.
Unexpectedly, she could not enter Chengming Palace, where she had been able to enter freely in the past, today.
The Yulin guards, holding long spears, stood in front of her with expressionless faces. Their tones were cold and tough, and they kept saying "We are following the orders of King Shen", completely ignoring her, the imperial concubine.
The Jinwu Guards who were supposed to be guarding the front of the palace were nowhere to be seen, and the remaining Jinwu Guards were all suppressed by the Yulin Guards. No one dared to step forward to clear the way for her, and no one argued for her.
The eunuchs guarding the palace gates were all replaced by faces from the Cining Palace. No matter how harshly she scolded them, they just lowered their heads and remained silent. No one paid attention to her anger, and no one was afraid of her punishment.
At that moment, she felt that she, the imperial concubine, was a joke. She felt deeply humiliated, and at the same time, she felt powerless and panicked.
What made her even more terrified was that the eunuch she sent to deliver a letter to the third prince was unable to even leave the palace and had to return in a hurry.
He trotted all the way to Chengming Palace and reported to her that all the palace gates were under martial law and the security was extremely strict. Even the extremely secret dog hole under the weeds on the back wall of the cold palace was guarded by armed men.
He was almost captured, but luckily he was smart and saw something was wrong from a distance, so he turned around and left, thus escaping.
After hearing this, Concubine Zhang felt more and more that something was wrong, and she hurriedly sent people to the Twelve Ancestral Halls in the Inner Court to try to contact those who had been at her disposal in the past.
But all the people she sent out were stopped without exception. She was like being trapped in an invisible giant net, unable to move forward.
In desperation, she had to force herself to remain calm and hurried to the Cining Palace, just wanting to find out some truth from the Empress Dowager's few words.
The Queen Mother's eyes were as cold as ice. She looked at her scrutinizingly for a long while, then suddenly sneered, "I am curious."
"In the past, when His Majesty was ill and bedridden, even feeding him soup or delivering medicine required constant urging and pleading before you even took a step forward. The disgust on your face was unconcealable. Why, tonight, in the dead of night, are you suddenly 'missing' His Majesty?"
Concubine Zhang's cheeks burned at the Empress Dowager's words, but she had no intention of arguing. She only asked, "Empress Dowager, why did His Royal Highness Prince Shen suddenly return to the capital?"
The Queen Mother didn't answer her immediately. Instead, she picked up the teacup beside her, slowly and leisurely brushed off the foam, took a sip, and then glanced at her calmly: "Why did Prince Shen return to the capital? Doesn't Concubine Zhang really not know?"
This was like a blow to the head, choking Concubine Zhang, who was speechless for a long time. She had not expected the Empress Dowager to be so blunt, not even bothering to hide her feelings.
While she was angry, she suddenly felt a chill on her spine and thought to herself, this is bad.
Although the Queen Mother had suppressed her in every way in the past, whenever Prince Shen was mentioned, she would at least put in some superficial effort to maintain that false peace.
The Queen Mother is so straightforward tonight. Could it be that Prince Shen is going to take action tonight?
Impossible! He just returned to Beijing tonight, and he's going to take action tonight? So hasty? So reckless? Is he ready?
However, thinking back to the predicament she had just faced outside Chengming Palace where she was unable to move, she shuddered suddenly and felt more and more that her guess was right.
She was worried that the Third Prince was being kept in the dark, so she didn't dare to stay any longer. "It's late at night, and I dare not disturb the Queen Mother's peace any longer. I will take my leave now."
Before she finished speaking, she hurriedly stood up, bowed hastily, turned around and walked away quickly as if she was escaping.
Seeing Concubine Zhang turn around and leave, Meng Yuning's heart tightened, and she subconsciously hugged the empress dowager's arm tightly, blurting out, "Grandmother!"
In a hurry, she didn't even realize that in the past few years, she had been with Qi Jingyan and Yi'er day and night, and always heard them talk about the "Imperial Grandmother". She had unknowingly regarded this kind and powerful empress dowager as her grandmother.
The Queen Mother was slightly startled when she heard this, then smiled kindly. She gently patted the back of Meng Yuning's hand with her backhand. When she spoke again, her voice was much softer, and there was even a barely perceptible smile: "Noble Concubine Zhang, there is no need to go back."
These light words sounded like thunder in the ears of Concubine Zhang.
Her steps suddenly froze, she slowly turned around, and forced herself to speak calmly: "I don't understand what the Queen Mother means."
The Queen Mother said nothing more, but placed the teacup on the table with a gentle touch, "Come here."
The voice was not loud, but it carried a biting chill, and was particularly clear in the silent hall. Meng Yuning and Cai Yuezhao were cheered up when they heard it, and Concubine Zhang shuddered all over.
The Empress Dowager continued, "Noble Concubine Zhang, in collusion with the Third Prince and outsiders, poisoned Your Majesty and is guilty of treason. Arrest them immediately, give them twenty strokes of the cane, and imprison them in the Heavenly Prison to await trial!"
Before he finished speaking, the palace door opened wide, and four imperial guards strode in with the chill of the night. The clanging of their armor instantly dispelled the warmth in the palace.
Meng Yuning and Cai Yuezhao exchanged glances, unable to conceal their surprise and admiration. The Queen Mother's move was truly powerful. They had been in the palace the entire time and had no idea when the Yulin Guards had arrived.
Seeing the Imperial Guards approaching her, Concubine Zhang was horrified. She turned around abruptly and rushed to the Empress Dowager's throne, saying in a shrill voice, "Your Majesty, I am innocent."
The Queen Mother said: "Whether it is unjust or not, you can talk about it in the prison later."
Two Yulin guards rushed forward, one on the left and one on the right, capturing Concubine Zhang. No matter how hard she kicked and struggled, she could not break free.
The villain was captured, and Meng Yuning felt the blood rushing in her chest. She clenched her fists and silently shouted in her heart, "Well done!" She really wanted Yi'er and Qi Jingyan to see this scene with their own eyes.
Concubine Zhang's arms were tightly bound behind her back, her hairpins drooped, her pearls dangling in disorder. She no longer cared about her manners, struggling to raise her head and look at the empress dowager sitting on the throne, tears welling in her eyes as she pleaded for mercy.
"Her Majesty, be wise. Your Majesty is now seriously ill and unable to recover, and Prince Shen's legs are crippled. How can they shoulder the responsibility of governing the country?"
"Look around you. Among all the princes, only the Third Prince possesses both literary and military skills, and is capable of shouldering this important responsibility!"
"The Third Brother has always been kind and filial. If he were to ascend the throne, he would surely honor you as the Grand Empress Dowager, visiting you morning and night, and showing you every bit of filial respect. Why would you want to kill me and my son?"
The Queen Mother looked as if she had heard some ridiculous joke. The corners of her lips curled up slightly, but there was no smile in her eyes.
"Filial piety?" she repeated coldly, "You wolf cub, capable of murdering your brother and father, how dare you mention 'filial piety' in front of me?"
Concubine Zhang burst into tears: "Empress Dowager, that's all a misunderstanding. The third child is also your grandson. She is very filial to you..."
The Empress Dowager's gaze was like a blade, and she interrupted Concubine Zhang: "I'm afraid my old bones can't bear such 'filial piety'."
After that, without giving Concubine Zhang any chance to quibble, the Empress Dowager stopped looking at her and simply waved her hand lightly: "Take her away."
The four Imperial Guards responded in unison, picked up the limp Concubine Zhang, and dragged her out of the hall without mercy.
When they arrived outside the Cining Palace, they blocked Concubine Zhang's mouth with a handkerchief, tied her to the torture bench, and beat her with the cane twenty times in a quick and decisive manner, until she passed out. Then they dragged her up and sent her straight to the Heavenly Prison.
The heavy palace door closed again, completely isolating the biting cold wind and the solemnity in the courtyard. Sparks crackled softly in the charcoal basin, and the warm air quietly returned.
The Queen Mother turned to look at Meng Yuning. Her previous majesty was gone, and her eyes were filled with kindness. She asked with concern, "Good boy, were you scared just now?"
Meng Yuning smiled and shook her head, "Thank you for your concern, Queen Mother. I am fine."
Seeing her calm demeanor and clear eyes, showing no sign of fear at all, the Queen Mother's eyes deepened with relief. She gently patted the back of her hand and praised her in a gentle voice, "You remain calm in the face of danger. You are very brave, An Ning."
Meng Yuning smiled and thought to herself that this was nothing compared to the dangers she had encountered on her way south.
Cai Yuezhao, who was standing by, immediately came forward and pouted in a feigned grievance, "Your Majesty the Queen Mother is partial to me. I was very calm just now. Why don't you praise me?"
The Queen Mother pretended to be disgusted and stretched out her hand to push her face away: "You are a naughty monkey who goes up the mountain to hunt tigers and down the river to catch turtles. What else in this world can scare you?"
This sentence made Meng Yuning and Cai Yuezhao laugh out loud. Seeing the two girls laughing so happily, the empress dowager couldn't help laughing as well. Nanny Tao, who had been silent beside them, couldn't help laughing too.
As if nothing had happened just now, the hall returned to its previous joyful atmosphere.
Seeing the empress dowager pressing her fingertips lightly on her forehead and a look of fatigue between her brows, Meng Yuning quietly pulled Cai Yuezhao's sleeve, and the two of them stood up together.
Meng Yuning said softly, "The Empress Dowager has been busy all night, please go to bed early."
The Queen Mother was indeed tired, so she nodded in agreement and then gently warned, "I'm afraid there won't be peace in the palace tonight. You two should rest in the side hall and don't move around."
"Yes." The two of them responded obediently, and after paying their respects, they returned to the side hall.
The two of them lay side by side on the brocade couch again. Meng Yuning asked with some concern, "Sister Zhao, the Queen Mother just said that things are not going well in the palace tonight. Do you think there will be any problems with His Highness?"
Cai Yuezhao chuckled and patted her shoulder: "Silly An Ning, your prince returned to the palace with such fanfare, just to stir up trouble."
Meng Yuning was startled at first, then smiled: "Sister Zhao is right."
Cai Yuezhao leaned closer and lowered her voice, "A Ning, think about it. The Empress Dowager has always hated Concubine Zhang so much, but she has endured it until now. She chose tonight to launch an attack. It's clear that everything is ready and the overall situation is about to be determined."
She held Meng Yuning's hand and said firmly, "So, don't worry. Your Highness must have a foolproof plan, which is why he chose to enter the city and return to the palace tonight."
Meng Yuning felt a little relieved, but she couldn't help but sigh: "I understand the reason, but I don't know what they are doing now."
Although they had only been apart for two hours, she felt as if she hadn't seen him for several days and actually missed him a little.
Of course, she also missed Yi'er.
Over the years, from the beginning when she would hold Yier, who was like a little ball, to sleep every night, to later when Yier slept in a separate bed, she would coax him to sleep every night before leaving.
This companionship night after night is indispensable to Yier and equally precious to her. She can hardly fall asleep without hugging the adorable little guy.
She clasped her hands together and bowed towards the sky.
God bless, I hope this storm will subside soon and life can return to normal soon.
---
While the Empress Dowager was dealing with Concubine Zhang, the lights inside and outside the Yiku Palace were on, and the palace doors were wide open.
The Yulin Guards, armed with weapons, drove all the palace servants serving in the Yiku Palace into the courtyard and placed them under arrest.
Eunuch Song brought a dozen eunuchs into the hall in a hurry and turned the house upside down. Finally, they found that a floor tile under Concubine Zhang's couch was loose. After prying it open, they dug out a sandalwood box.
Opening it, he found a thick account book with three striking characters on its cyan cover: "Hundred Flowers Book." Eunuch Song carefully returned the book to its box, hugged it tightly, and rushed out of the palace. Escorted by a team of imperial guards, he trotted all the way to Chengming Palace.
After entering the palace, he held the box in both hands and handed it to Qi Jingyan: "Your Highness is very clever. This thing really is hidden in Concubine Zhang's palace."
Qi Jingyan took it, pulled out the account book, flipped through a few pages, and nodded slightly: "That's it."
---
Outside the Third Prince's mansion, the Third Prince was surrounded by dozens of Tiger Guards holding spears.
His eyes were filled with murderous intent, and he pointed his whip at the Tiger Guards. His voice was filled with murderous intent: "Who are you? How dare you block my path and trespass into the Prince's residence! Leave immediately, and I will spare your lives."
Before he finished speaking, the sound of horse hooves was heard, and the surrounding Tiger Guards all made way for a passage. Cheng'an Marquis Yu Yunheng, dressed in armor, sat upright on his horse and slowly walked out from the twilight.
He held up a scroll of bright yellow imperial edict and said in a loud voice, "Your Majesty has ordered us to search the Third Prince's residence. Your Majesty, please cooperate."
This trick again? The Third Prince sneered, his eyes filled with sarcasm, "Your Majesty has long been unable to speak or write. Where did you get this imperial edict? Could it be a forgery?"
Marquis Cheng'an's expression remained unchanged, his voice as deep as a bell: "Forging an imperial edict is a grave crime of deceiving the emperor. I would never dare to do that."
The Third Prince extended his hand and said, "In that case, let me verify its authenticity."
Marquis Cheng'an shook his head slightly and carefully placed the imperial edict in his arms. "This edict was given to me by your majesty. Without your majesty's personal approval, I cannot hand it over to anyone else."
Such a shameless act was completely beyond the Third Prince's expectations. His chest heaved violently, his knuckles whitened from clenching, and he gritted his teeth and said, "I never expected that the dignified Marquis Cheng'an would actually do such a despicable and sneaky thing."
Marquis Cheng An, however, didn't care at all, and even had a faint smile on his lips: "The winner is the king, the loser is the bandit. The method is not important, as long as it works."
As he spoke, he suddenly spurred his horse half a step closer. His voice was low, but every word was clear: "By the way, if I remember correctly, these words were said by you, Your Highness, when the Crown Prince was wrongfully imprisoned, in the Heavenly Prison, personally 'teaching' the Crown Prince."
The Third Prince's pupils suddenly shrank, and he instantly recalled the scene in the Sky Prison that year when Qi Jingyan was hung on the rack with iron chains, covered in bruises all over his body, while he was sitting leisurely on a chair, holding a teacup and drinking tea slowly.
The Third Prince's face suddenly turned as gloomy as iron. He instantly understood why, despite his repeated attempts to win over the Cheng'an Marquisate over the years, the Cheng'an Marquisate had remained impervious to any leaks and always acted as if it was solely loyal to the Emperor.
He originally thought that the father and son of the Yu family were rare loyal ministers, but who would have thought that they would secretly defect to Qi Jingyan.
The Third Prince's eyes were filled with rage at being fooled, and he couldn't help but sneer, "Very good, very good, Marquis Cheng'an, you and your son have put on a good show."
"Marquis Cheng'an, I am a prince, and I am ordered to govern the country. You..." His voice suddenly turned harsh. Just as he was about to scold Marquis Cheng'an for insubordination, he heard the shouting and screaming in the mansion gradually subsided.
The Third Prince was extremely anxious and did not want to get entangled. He raised his whip and pointed directly at the soldiers surrounding him, and stepped forward step by step: "Get out of here."
However, the Tiger Guards, who were usually respectful and obedient to him, now had a stern look in their eyes, and the spears in their hands did not move at all, with the sharp blades still pointing directly at him.
The third prince was furious and swung his whip at the nearest Tiger Guard. The Tiger Guard turned the tip of his spear and then kicked the whip in the third prince's hand, sending it flying into the air.
The Third Prince lost all face and screamed, "Come here, kill them without mercy!"
The voice echoed in the night wind, but there was dead silence behind him, and no one came forward for a long time.
He turned back angrily, only to see that the soldiers he brought with him had already been surrounded, with swords pointed at each other, completely isolated from him.
He was furious and shouted loudly: "Shadow Three!"
The night wind swept through the long street, but still no one answered.
He suddenly remembered the figure lying in a pool of blood in the study, and a look of regret appeared on his face. If he had known that he would be in trouble now, he should not have killed that waste so easily.
He hastily changed his words, his voice already carrying a barely perceptible hint of panic: "Ying Qi!"
But still no one answered.
In a dark alley not far away, two secret guards held Ying Qi's arms tightly, and another covered his mouth tightly from behind.
Behind them, more than ten black shadows stood silently, watching the third prince being trapped in front of them, and no one moved at all.
The three of them tried to persuade him, their voices lowered to a whisper: "Your Highness, the situation is hopeless. Why would we go and die in vain?"
"Over the years, brothers have risked their lives for him, but he has treated us like dirt. He has never considered us human. He beats and kills us without asking why."
"Now that Prince Shen has returned to the capital, the Third Prince is doomed to fail. Why don't we take advantage of the chaos and escape?"
Since childhood, he had been instilled with the idea of loyalty to his master, to live and die for his master. The strong sense of mission in his heart prompted Ying Qi to struggle violently, and he made an indistinct sound: "Let me go, I will go by myself, you go."
The three men held him down tightly, still trying to persuade him earnestly: "Don't be stupid. Why is his life a life, but ours is not a life?"
"Why don't we run away, find a small place with beautiful mountains and rivers, hide our identities, marry a wife, have a few children, and live a stable life?"
The youngest's voice was choked with sobs. "Seventh Brother, please, this is what Third Brother longed for most when he was alive. Now that he's gone, can we live out his dream for him?"
Thinking of the bloody and ruthless scene in the study, and the Shadow Four and Shadow Five who were killed by the Third Prince...
Ying Qi seemed to be persuaded and gradually stopped struggling. Only when he was completely motionless did the three men slowly let go.
Ying Qi was silent for a long time. Suddenly, he faced the direction of the Third Prince, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed three times: "Master, I'm sorry."
The rest of the people showed surprise and followed suit, kneeling down and kowtowed.
When Ying Qi stood up again, his eyes were filled with determination. He raised his hand and whispered "Let's go". He led the dozen or so people and walked under the moonlight, like the shadows of geese, silently disappearing into the night and disappearing without a trace.
The third prince shouted loudly, from "Shadow Seven" to "Shadow Nine", and then from "Shadow Nine" to "Shadow Thirty-One".
But no matter how he called out, all he got in response was the dead silence of the night sky and the barely audible chuckle of Marquis Cheng'an.
He suddenly understood something, and the rage in his chest erupted like a volcano. He roared, "Ah!" and suddenly drew the sword from his waist, slashing at the Tiger Guards in front of him without hesitation: "Waste, I will kill you!"
Marquis Cheng'an had been waiting for this moment. His eyes flashed, and he raised the imperial edict above his head, shouting loudly: "The Third Prince has disobeyed the order, arrest him immediately."
The Tiger Guards rushed forward, and several long spears pressed down, forcing the Third Prince to his knees on the ground. No matter how he screamed and struggled, the Tiger Guards remained indifferent. It was not until he collapsed to the ground due to exhaustion that several Tiger Guards came forward with ropes, tied him up tightly, threw him on the carriage, and headed straight for the Heavenly Prison.
Marquis Cheng'an held up the imperial edict and shouted, "The Third Prince has been executed. The rest of you should surrender immediately. If you can atone for your crimes, you may be spared the death penalty."
The Tiger Guards shouted in unison, their voices echoing throughout the mansion like a tide: "The Third Prince has been brought to justice..."
When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. In just a moment, the guards of the palace who were still resisting stubbornly put down their weapons, and the sound of clanging was endless.
Soon, several Tiger Guards came out quickly carrying the golden chair with a carved dragon. Behind them, two people carried a wooden frame with a bright yellow dragon robe on it. A five-clawed golden dragon embroidered with gold thread was baring its fangs and claws, which was extremely dazzling under the firelight.
Marquis Cheng'an sneered, "You will suffer the consequences if you bring trouble upon yourself."
He winked at his attendant beside him, who understood and raised his hand to the sky. A flare whizzed through the quiet night sky, bursting into a bright red spark.
Outside Chengming Palace, Mu Feng saw the red in the night sky and immediately clapped his hands and laughed.
He walked briskly into the hall and hurried to Qi Jingyan. He lowered his voice, but could not hide his excitement: "Your Highness, Marquis Cheng'an has been dealt with."
Qi Jingyan was leaning in his wheelchair, resting his eyes.
Yi'er was nestled in his arms, covered with a little tiger-head quilt, and had fallen asleep.
After hearing Mu Feng's report, Qi Jingyan opened his eyes, turned towards the dragon bed, and said calmly, "Your Majesty, the man who plotted to usurp the throne has been arrested and brought to justice."
Ever since Emperor Kangwen knew that Qi Jingyan could not cure him, he had become disheartened and his eyes were ashen. When he heard these words, his eyes did not move, as if he did not hear anything.
Qi Jingyan gently touched Yi'er's head and continued, "But having said that, the third brother's courage and insight far surpass mine. He really dared to commit patricide and treason. One day I will personally interrogate him and find out the truth about his actions. I will then report everything to Your Majesty."
Emperor Kangwen's eyes finally turned slowly towards Qi Jingyan, glaring at him angrily. Although he didn't say anything, Qi Jingyan understood his expression. "What you are doing now is no different from treason."
Qi Jingyan met that gaze and chuckled softly, his voice carrying a hint of nonchalant coolness: "Your Majesty, you have misunderstood. This cannot be considered treason. At most, I am acting on behalf of Heaven."
Emperor Kangwen's chest heaved violently several times, and in the end, he didn't even want to look at him again. He turned his head to the side and closed his eyes tightly.
Qi Jingyan nodded slightly and said considerately, "Out of sight, out of mind. This is fine."
---
The night is as dark as ink and everything is silent.
Almost at the same time, Yu Xiao, the son of Marquis Cheng'an, holding the bright yellow imperial edict, led the elite imperial guards to surround the residence of Zhang Kui, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, like an iron barrel.
He did not order anyone to pass on the message, but just glanced coldly. The armored soldiers behind him immediately swung their swords and chopped at the vermilion lacquered gate of Zhang Mansion with clangs and clangs. Wood chips flew everywhere and a big hole was chopped out of the door. Then several people raised their feet together and kicked hard, and together they kicked the heavy solid wooden door down.
A young master of the Zhang family, who was always ignorant of his own limitations, arrogant and tyrannical, was the first to rush out, leading a group of servants armed with sticks and knives.
When he saw his own door was ruined like that, he immediately flew into a rage, jumped up and down, pointed at Yu Xiao and cursed.
"You bastard, open your dog eyes and see clearly. This is the family home of Concubine Zhang, the home of the Third Prince's maternal grandfather, and the home of Grand Secretary Zhang. How can you be so presumptuous?"
Murderous intent suddenly appeared in Yu Xiao's eyes. Without saying a word, he drew his sword and swung it.
A flash of cold light flashed by, and the cursing of Zhang's grandson stopped abruptly. The head fell to the ground with a look of astonishment, and rolled away for a long distance.
The servants who usually followed the young master Sun to bully others and act tyrannically were all terrified when they saw their master's head and body separated.
After a brief moment of dead silence, someone uttered a shrill scream: "Oh no! Someone's been murdered! The young master has been killed."
Everyone woke up as if from a dream, dropped their sticks and swords, and fled in all directions like headless flies.
"They are all bad guys, kill them." Yu Xiao waved his hand, and the soldiers rushed in directly, chasing them and chopping them. The flash of the knife made blood splatter everywhere.
The people in the Zhang Mansion, who had been so arrogant just now, brandishing swords and sticks, shouting and calling for war and killing, suddenly burst into tears and chaos.
In less than two quarters of an hour, except for the dead servants, all the more than 200 members of the Zhang family were taken outside the door, tied up with ropes on their hands and feet, and made to squat on the ground.
Box after box of gold, silver and jewelry were carried out of the mansion, and in just a moment, they had piled up like a mountain.
Everyone gasped in shock: "Wow, the Zhang family's wealth is almost as much as the national treasury."
Yu Xiao sneered and glanced at Yu Shi. Yu Shi raised his hand and released two flares.
Outside Chengming Palace, Mu Feng saw the signal blooming in the night sky, his eyes filled with a smile that almost overflowed: "It's done, it's done."
He beamed with joy and rushed back into the palace: "Your Highness, the young marquis has also been settled."
Qi Jingyan raised the corner of his mouth slightly, and stood up with the sleeping Yi'er in his arms. He carefully placed him on the soft couch by the window, tucked him in, and then walked out: "You guys stay here, I'm going to the Cining Palace."
Although the entire palace is now under control, Mu Yun is still worried about His Highness acting alone, so he orders Mu Jiang to follow with ten Yulin guards.
Emperor Kangwen, who was sitting on the dragon bed, heard the noise and turned his head with difficulty. He watched Qi Jingyan stand up and walk out steadily. His eyes were wide open, and his face was full of horror and disbelief.
Mu Yun took two steps forward, bowed, and respectfully explained to Emperor Kangwen: "Your Majesty, our prince's leg is sometimes better and sometimes worse."
But when it is good or bad depends entirely on His Highness's mood.
Emperor Kangwen was furious: "..." Rebellious sons, all of them are rebellious sons!
The gates of the Cining Palace were closed. Qi Jingyan signaled Mu Jiang and others to wait outside, while he swiftly climbed over the wall and entered.
Mu Ying, Mu Li, and the Yulin guards in the courtyard drew their swords immediately upon hearing the sound. When they saw that the person coming was Qi Jingyan, they relaxed their expressions and put away their swords and retreated.
Qi Jingyan walked quickly to the side hall window, knocked twice on the window frame, and said in a gentle voice: "A Ning, are you asleep?"
Meng Yuning was worried about Qi Jingyan and Yi'er, and was tossing and turning in bed. Upon hearing the sound, she sat up immediately, slipped on her slippers, ran to the door, opened it, and looked happy: "Yunzhou? Why are you here? Is everything okay?"
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The author has something to say: I will be out all day tomorrow, so I will take a day off. See you the day after tomorrow night~
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