Chapter 815 Storming the Palace (Third Update)
As dawn breaks in the east, the first rays of sunlight begin to appear.
The little princess woke up. Unlike adults, children don't want to stay in bed for a while after waking up. The little princess sat up in a daze and slid off the bed.
Huh?
Where is this place?
"Nanny?"
She went out barefoot.
Looking at the unfamiliar corridors and courtyard, she was completely bewildered.
Before she could cry out of fear, Xiao Jingkong came over after finishing his morning practice.
"Xiaoxue?"
The little princess turned around, looking adorably bewildered: "Jingkong?"
Jingkong came running over with a clattering sound.
Upon seeing her familiar friends, the little princess instantly forgot her fear.
The two little ones stood face to face, their little arms flapping behind their backs, like two excited little chicks.
"Minor Snow!"
"clearance!"
"Minor Snow!"
"clearance!"
The yard was filled with their chattering voices, while the aunt lay sprawled on the bed, utterly dejected.
When you return to Zhao Kingdom, be sure not to bring that little trumpet spirit back with you, or she'll ascend to heaven.
...
Gu Chengfeng slept until the afternoon.
He had given prior instructions, and sure enough, no one bothered him.
To be fair, his behavior was a bit out of character, since the Crown Prince always appeared to be very diligent, often working late into the night, and sleeping in was something he never did.
Even if it's strange, no one would guess that the crown prince has been replaced.
After waking up, Gu Chengfeng went to the Crown Prince's study and searched around for a while, hoping to find some evidence of the Crown Prince's conspiracy with the Han family, or the Han family's conspiracy to rebel, but he didn't find much.
Lady Han did not even inform the Crown Prince about the change of the monarch, presumably hoping that her son's hands would be clean. However, her son was no longer clean; from the moment he ordered the assassination of Xiao Heng, he had already become a vicious person.
Only Han was deceiving herself, believing that her son was still so innocent even after committing murder.
This is a tragic woman.
Despite possessing remarkable intelligence, she always manages to make mistakes because of her husband and son.
Gu Chengfeng clicked his tongue and said, "If I say you're stupid, you've come up with so many tricks; if I say you're smart, you're blind to the king and the crown prince."
At this moment, Gu Chengfeng did not realize that his aunt and Gu Jiao had unknowingly raised his standards for women of this dynasty.
They were born into a society where men were considered superior, and that women were expected to obey their husbands after marriage and their sons after their husbands' deaths. The fact that Han was able to harm the king was already a violation of her own long-held beliefs.
"Cluck cluck—"
On the windowsill, Xiao Jiu fiercely flapped its wings against the window, signaling to Gu Chengfeng that it was time to act!
What a fierce little commander!
Gu Chengfeng pursed his lips, changed into a set of dry clothes, and looked at himself in the bronze mirror again.
The reason he didn't give himself away despite saying so much was because Gu Jiao didn't put a mask on him, but a whole hood.
Making oneself look bruised and swollen is to prevent facial expressions from becoming unnatural.
The downside is that it's too stuffy.
Fine, for the sake of the greater cause, I'll bear with it!
Gu Chengfeng selected two Imperial Guards to accompany him into the palace, and also selected two eunuchs. The Imperial Guards could only enter the outer court, while the eunuchs could be brought into the inner palace.
He traveled to the palace by carriage, and when he passed a pastry shop, he took two eunuchs with him to personally select pastries for "his father, the emperor."
When the three of them came out of the pastry shop, the two eunuchs had been replaced.
The plan to rectify past wrongs doesn't have to be complicated or spectacular to show their capabilities. Sometimes, true wisdom lies in achieving the greatest victory at the lowest cost.
Although the "Crown Prince" had a bruised and swollen face, his features were still recognizable as those of the Crown Prince. With his voice, the token, the eunuchs from the Crown Prince's residence, and the Imperial Guards, no one doubted his authenticity along the way.
The fake king is holding court right now.
"Shall we go to the inner palace?" Gu Chengfeng asked.
One of the eunuchs, the king, said calmly, "He will go to the Zhonghe Hall after court."
Gu Chengfeng: "Oh."
That means I can't go to the harem anymore.
What a pity, I was hoping to properly appreciate the scenery of the Great Yan Imperial Palace.
A pair of palace maids passed by not far away.
Gu Jiao grabbed the king's head and pressed it down: "Can't you at least act like a eunuch?!"
She herself was quite stern and imposing.
The king, whose neck was nearly crushed: "..."
I suspect you did this on purpose, and I have evidence to prove it!
The three entered the Hall of Central Harmony.
Li Sande remained in charge of the Zhonghe Hall.
Whether Li Sande had been bribed by the Han family was unclear to the group, and they were all very cautious.
"You may leave," Gu Chengfeng said.
"Yes." Li Sande bowed and gave a strange look at the two eunuchs behind the "Crown Prince," feeling that something was amiss.
"Is there anything else?" Gu Chengfeng asked in a deep voice.
"Your Highness, I am fine. I shall take my leave now." Li Sande said awkwardly as he withdrew.
Even after everyone had gone far away, I couldn't help but wonder, those two eunuchs looked unfamiliar, were they newcomers to the Crown Prince?
Gu Jiao and the king had disguised themselves, but they did not wear human skin masks, so their faces were two unfamiliar faces made up.
Gu Chengfeng sat comfortably in his chair, drinking tea and eating snacks, while the king stood respectfully behind him, his lips twitching upwards.
He looked at Gu Chengfeng's smug back of the head and wished he could slap him across the face!
After so many years as a ruler, who would have thought that one day I would have to become a eunuch?
Gu Jiao gestured to him with her eyes to correct him, saying it was an old eunuch.
The king felt as if a thousand arrows had pierced his heart!
The king finally understood how difficult it was to be a eunuch. He had been standing hunched over for half an hour, and his old back was about to break.
Fortunately, perseverance paid off, and the fake king went home.
Li Sande went to pay his respects to the fake king and informed him that the crown prince had come to express his gratitude and was currently waiting in the side hall.
The fake king nodded solemnly: "I understand. Go and instruct the imperial kitchen that the Crown Prince will have lunch in the Zhonghe Hall."
Listening to this expert professional skills, Gu Jiao and Gu Chengfeng almost thought that the person next to them was the fake one.
The king gritted his teeth: "I mean it!"
Gu Jiao: "Oh."
Gu Chengfeng seconded, "Oh."
What does it matter whether you're genuine or not?
As long as we can beat the "ruler" of the Han family, that's all that matters.
The king again: "..."
The fake king entered the side hall.
He was accompanied by the newly promoted eunuch, Mr. Yu.
When Eunuch Yu saw the Crown Prince with a bruised and swollen face, he was slightly taken aback: "Your Highness, what happened to you...?"
Gu Chengfeng sighed, "Don't mention it. Last night I encountered a group of assassins, but fortunately I escaped unharmed. Today I came to the palace specifically to pay my respects to my father."
As he spoke, he cupped his hands and bowed to the fake king, saying, "Your subject greets Your Majesty."
This is the etiquette of the Great Yan Kingdom, and Shangguan Yan spent a long time teaching him.
The fake king nodded with an air of authority: "Yu Changbo, go and summon Imperial Physician Liang to examine the Crown Prince."
"Yes." Eunuch Yu turned and left, leaving Li Sande and several eunuchs from the Zhonghe Hall to serve him cautiously.
"Father," Gu Chengfeng said to the fake king, "I have come here today to report an important matter. Please dismiss everyone else."
The fake king nodded and said to Li Sande and the others, "You may all leave."
Gu Jiao also made a gesture as if she were to step down with the king.
Gu Chengfeng stopped the king: "Chief Steward Li, you stay. You are an important witness. There are some things that you must report to the emperor in person."
The king was openly and legitimately kept in a side hall.
Gu Jiao stood guard outside, making sure to close the door behind her. Li Sande smiled and said, "What's your name? I've never seen you before, but you look kind of familiar."
Gu Jiao smiled and said, "Eunuch Li has a good eye."
Li Sande was taken aback.
Inside the side hall, the fake king looked at Gu Chengfeng and said, "Qi'er, what do you have to report to me?"
The moment the name "Qi'er" was uttered, Gu Chengfeng got goosebumps all over.
The king stared coldly at the counterfeit before him, his face darkening with anger. "You audacious traitor! Kneel down before me now!"
The emperor's majesty shakes all directions; the roar of dragons and the howl of tigers are nothing more than this!
The fake king was stunned!
Outside the door, Li Sande stared at Gu Jiao in disbelief: "You...you...you are...Lord Xiao?"
Gu Jiao only knows two voices: her original female voice and her boyish voice.
Upon hearing the young voice, Li Sande immediately recognized it as the former "Xiao Liulang".
He looked at Gu Jiao, then at the tightly closed door. Xiao Liulang was a man from the Duke of Anguo's mansion, and a confidant of the Third Princess Shangguan Yan. How could he be involved with the Crown Prince?
Before he could figure it out, a fighting sound came from inside.
Li Sande hurriedly went inside to protect him.
Gu Jiao grabbed him: "Eunuch Li, it's been a long time. Let's catch up. Don't be in such a hurry."
"You, you all..."
"presumptuous!"
Before Li Sande could finish speaking, Han's stern shout came from not far away.
Han actually came out of the Cold Palace; she really couldn't wait.
Behind the Han family was a contingent of imperial guards. After Han Ye was removed from his position as deputy commander of the imperial guards, Han Fu, a member of a collateral branch of the Han family, took his place. However, due to the favor shown to him by the old master Han, his status was almost equal to that of the direct descendants.
Han said to the deputy commander Han beside him, "Hurry up and go in to protect the emperor!"
"Yes!" Deputy Commander Han accepted the order and led a large wave of Imperial Guards into the side hall, surrounding Gu Chengfeng and the two monarchs, the real and the fake one.
Madam Han walked over with a half-smile, glanced at Gu Jiao, and then looked at Gu Chengfeng inside the room, saying, "Do you really think I can't even recognize my own son?"
As she spoke, her gaze fell on the king, who was dressed as a eunuch, and a smile played on her lips.
"I was just looking for someone, and now it's like finding a needle in a haystack! Xiao Liulang, you've fallen for my trap!"
Gu Chengfeng's heart sank.
No way?
His superb acting skills didn't fool this old witch?
Then, haven't they walked right into a trap today?
Now, if they say that the one in their hands is the true ruler, I'm afraid no one will believe them—
After all, he was a fake crown prince; to say he brought the real king was hardly convincing.
It's over, it's completely over!
They have no chance of turning the tide!
Han took in Gu Chengfeng's panic, then laughed loudly, "Xiao Liulang, you're still too green to fight me! Today, none of you will leave here alive!"
Gu Jiao tilted her head slightly, crossed her arms, and looked at her: "Are you sure? Should we turn around and take a look?"
Here we go again at midnight. Rub your hands together, do you still have any monthly tickets left?
(End of this chapter)
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