Qiu Sui stepped forward and said respectfully, "After the young lady left, His Majesty started to renovate this mansion. It took more than two years, and now it is finally finished."
Many servants knelt on the ground, and when they saw Chu Qiao coming, they all kowtowed and greeted loudly.
Chu Qiao walked all the way in and saw that the hall had a sandalwood roof, crystal lamps, jade disks and agarwood, and gauze curtains like the sea. Huge luminous pearls were inlaid on the lamp holders, shining like the bright moon. The pillars of the hall are carved with colorful phoenixes and decorated with gold powder, which shine brightly under the candlelight.
On the gold-plated hollow red paper, there were a few slender magnolia flowers painted. The fragrance came to him, and he vaguely recalled the night many years ago when he childishly snatched the palace maid's headdress and inserted it along with a magnolia into her thick hair.
I hereby inform you that the Chu family is of a distinguished and famous family, with auspicious virtues inherited from the world, and that you are well-educated, well-mannered, respectful and humble. He is virtuous and gentle, respectful and open-minded, knowledgeable about the past and present and kind-hearted. I hereby issue this decree to confer upon him the title of Jin and to grant him eternal happiness in the future.
Below is Li Ce’s seal, but the title after the honor is not filled in.
Sun Di stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty had not yet decided on a title for the princess. He discussed it with his subordinates for a long time. The Ministry of Rites also proposed several titles, but Your Majesty was not satisfied with any of them, so they were left untouched. Originally, we wanted to wait until later to discuss it slowly, but we didn't expect that if we delayed, we would have no chance anymore."
Chu Qiao stood silently, the light was like a charm, faintly shining on her pale cheeks. The corners of her mouth were red, and her fingers were pinching the imperial edict with such force that her knuckles turned white.
The room was magnificent and filled with all kinds of rare treasures. They were the dowry he had prepared for her and had been there for many years.
Her eyes were a little hot, and her brows could not help but frown tightly. Her voice was as deep as a lake, and she said lightly: "Since the edict has not been issued yet, there is no need to mention the title of Princess."
Sun Di nodded and said, "Miss, you are absolutely right. It is late at night, you should go to bed first. I will take my leave now." After that, he turned and left.
The red door slowly closed, and the heavy sound was like thunder, rolling quietly across the ground.
Meixiang came over with a letter, frowned slightly, and said softly: "Miss, Master Zhuge has written to me again."
Chu Qiao's expression changed slightly. She took the letter in her hand but did not open it. The sweat from her palms seeped into the letter paper, making it slightly damp.
Meixiang frowned and said, "Miss, this is already the ninth letter. If you don't reply, Master Zhuge will be anxious."
Chu Qiao sat there silently without saying a word, her eyes fixed on the candlelight in front of the window, unable to come back to her senses for a long time.
Yanbei and Daxia have gone to war again. Four battles have been fought at Yanming Pass, and the battle line has expanded to the southern end of Batuha's territory. Zhao Yang colluded with the Lingnan Mu clan and the young prince Jing Han to take full control of the southwestern troops. They confronted Zhuge Yue and Zhao Che's northern troops at Phoenix Terrace, and the situation was fraught with danger.
The emperor had been ill for a long time and had not attended the morning court for a year. Wei Guang also claimed to be ill and did not take charge of government affairs. No one knew what this old fox was planning. The situation in Daxia has become a pot of boiling water. As long as a handful of firewood and charcoal are thrown into it, it will immediately boil over. At this time, no one can be careless or act rashly.
She understood this, and how could he not understand it?
Meixiang couldn't help but ask, "Miss, what are we doing now?"
Chu Qiao looked over slowly, her brows as cold as frost, and she said in a low voice, "Wait."
The new emperor's enthronement ceremony was held on the second day.
In the Imperial College Hall, a young child was sitting on a huge and magnificent dragon throne. A curtain was hung behind the throne, and two women in embroidered palace clothes were sitting behind it. They were the eldest prince's mother, Empress Dowager Yuan, and the Imperial Dowager Consort Zhan.
In the spacious hall, Zhan Ziyu, as the Grand Tutor and Regent, sat quietly in the hall, wearing a tall crown and a dark black court robe embroidered with six pythons and dragons. There was a faint smile on his lips, like a cold moon shining on the water, without any ripples.
The position of Empress Li Ce had been vacant in the harem for many years and he had no sisters or brothers. Now that he had passed away suddenly, the Empress Dowager was no longer around. For a time, the ministers in the court could only follow Li Ce's will and enthronize his eldest son Li Xiuyi as emperor. However, the eldest prince's mother, Concubine Yuan, was born a low-ranking laundry maid in the palace and was not qualified to rule the country from behind the curtain. Therefore, Concubine Ming, the highest-ranking concubine in the harem, naturally became the emperor's adoptive mother and assisted in the administration of the country.
The emperor was only six years old, and the empress dowager and the imperial concubine were in charge of government behind the scenes, so the imperial power naturally fell into the hands of others. However, Yuan was confiscated and entered the palace when she was young. She was born a palace maid and had no family or relatives. Therefore, the power of the Bian Tang Dynasty was suddenly controlled by the Zhan brothers and sisters who had been expelled from Bian Tang.
The changes in the government and the country are like the undercurrents flowing under an ice lake. There is no visible edge, but it is as surging as a tide and can kill people in an instant.
All the favorites of the previous dynasty, headed by Sun Di, were suppressed. They were all accused of being members of Prince Luo's gang and sent to the Shangliyuan for investigation. When Li Ce died that day, all the palace servants who accompanied him were beheaded, and all the wives, dancers, and low-ranking concubines were driven out of the palace and sent to Anhua Temple in Foshan to become monks.
The new emperor's new policies were implemented with swift and vigorous force, sweeping across the Tang court like autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves. A cold sword hung over the entire Tang Dynasty, and any unwilling voices would be ruthlessly eradicated.
Under such high-pressure politics, the old ministers who were originally hesitant and wavering also changed sides one after another. After the morning court every day, they gathered in front of the house of Regent Zhan Ziyu, huddling together like a group of carrion-eating jackals.
However, to Chu Qiao's surprise, under such circumstances, the first person to stand up and oppose was the Elder Liu who had repeatedly opposed Li Ce.
On the first day of September, in front of the Jinwu Palace gate, Lord Liu angrily denounced the Zhan brothers and sisters as traitors who were disrupting the government in front of Zhan Ziyu's carriage. He also said that the assassination of the late emperor in Roufu Palace that day was full of doubts and was probably done by the Zhan brothers and sisters. Zhan Ziyu and Zhan Ziming conspired to assassinate the late emperor and should be put to death. He then crashed his head into the tip of the knife of Zhan Ziyu's guard and died. Before he died, he shouted Li Ce's title of king, and blood splattered three feet away. He died on the spot.
Zhan Ziyu was sitting in the carriage at the time. He did not show up or utter a word from beginning to end. Only after the body of Elder Liu was carried away did he leisurely get off the carriage. He threw down three hundred taels of gold and silver notes to the nephews and nephews of the Liu family who came to collect the body, asking them to bury their old father.
Chu Qiao was having dinner when she heard the news. After Ping An told her carefully about this matter, her hand paused slightly and half of the lotus seed soup in the spoon spilled out. She pondered quietly for a long time.
After the incident of Lord Liu spread in the Tang Dynasty, it caused quite a stir. Students from all over the country gathered in Tangjing. The indignant students wrote tens of thousands of articles, which were passed on to the court and the public through people with connections, demanding that the Shangliyuan, the Sansifu and the military severely punish the murderer and restore peace to the Tang Dynasty.
However, two days later, Zhan Ziyu sent out the Central Army to launch a harsh crackdown on the students. For a time, the Shangliyuan Prison was overcrowded and filled with angry voices. The judge of the Shangli Court went to ask Zhan Ziyu with a sad face. The young regent, with his eyebrows high and a crown, said calmly, "Isn't there still room at Huangquan Slope on the outskirts of the city?"
The white-haired Sanchaoyuanpan suddenly felt a chill all over his body. Huangquanpo on the outskirts of the city was a mass grave, and the regent's implication was self-evident.
That afternoon, the prison cell of Shangliyuan accidentally caught fire, burning down most of the cell. Most of the prisoners inside were killed or injured. Young corpses were thrown onto the Huangquan Slope without even a coffin. They were exposed in broad daylight and became midnight snacks for jackals, tigers and leopards. The Shangli Court simply handed over two prison bosses who were drunk and derelict in their duties and dealt with the matter perfunctorily.
September 27th, strong wind, deep autumn.
Today's morning court was slightly different from usual. It was entirely presided over by Regent Zhan Ziyu, and Zhan Ziming was the only one behind the curtain. The imperial physician said that the emperor had caught a cold and could not attend court today. The empress dowager was also taking care of the emperor, so today's morning court was entirely presided over by the concubine dowager.
Before the ministers could react, the eunuchs carried up a magnificent golden throne from the back of the hall. On it was engraved a nine-tailed bright yellow python dragon. At first glance, it looked almost exactly like the Panlong Throne.
The eunuch was ordered to come forward and sing praises to Zhan Ziyu, then he took out the emperor's decree, saying that this seat was built by the emperor himself, out of pity for Zhan Ziyu's illness, and that he could sit on it when he went to court in the future. He also gave the Lingxiao Hall in the Jinwu Palace to the Regent to save him from the suffering of daily travel.
Zhan Ziyu tried to refuse for a while, but finally sat down reluctantly after being persuaded by everyone. All the ministers bowed in submission and looked up, only to find that the regent throne was almost as high as the imperial throne, shining brightly with golden light.
That night, after Chu Qiao put down the letter, she took a deep breath and said to Tie You, "Go back to the palace to see the emperor. He is almost there."
Three nights later, a huge noise suddenly came from the Jinwu Palace, startling everyone who was awake or asleep. High-ranking officials and common people rushed out of their rooms one after another, stood in the courtyards of their homes, and looked up towards the source of the sound. I saw a brilliant light and red shadows in the direction of the Jinwu Palace, as if there was a big fire somewhere, and there were constant shouting and screaming, which was shrill and ear-piercing, like the crying of ghosts.
For a moment, everyone was shocked and pale. The timid man hugged his wife and children and hurried into the house, closing the doors and windows tightly, for fear of being caught in the disaster. Only some high-ranking officials in the court and the public looked at the palace gate in shock, muttering, "I'm afraid the situation is about to change again."
At three o'clock in the morning, the palace gate was breached. Lu Yunxi's robe was covered in blood. He rushed out with a sword, followed by three thousand fierce wolf soldiers. He said to Chu Qiao in front of Tai'an Gate in a deep voice: "Miss, we have captured Lingxiao Palace."
Under the pitch-black sky, Chu Qiao was wearing a black robe embroidered with a golden phoenix. Her face was as white as jade, and she was beautiful and sharp. Behind her was a sea of 10,000 soldiers from the Xiuli Army. He Xiao had a calm expression, sitting upright on his warhorse, guarding her closely. A white flag with red clouds fluttered above everyone's heads. The night was dark and windy, with dense clouds and no stars or moon. The blood-red light of the torches shone on Chu Qiao's face, making her look like a cold sword, with no expression visible.
"Enter the palace." A faint and cold voice sounded, like a knife scratching through frosted sand, sharply piercing everyone's eardrums.
A strong wind blew, fluttering the corners of Chu Qiao's clothes. She raised her thin chin, narrowed her eyes slightly, tapped the horse's belly with her feet, and drove the horse into the magnificent palace.
When the last guard of Lingxiao Palace fell, the fire in the West Palace had been put out. Du Ping'an rushed forward with a group of soldiers. There was a tenacious light flashing in the young boy's eyes, as if he had grown up overnight.
Tens of thousands of guards stood behind Chu Qiao. The bright torches illuminated half of the sky and reflected the corpses on the ground.
Chu Qiao rode her horse up the white jade steps. The plaque of the Regent's Palace, which the palace people usually didn't dare to look up at, was thrown to the ground and trampled by horses' hooves, making bursts of shattering sounds.
A palace eunuch who was good at observing people's words and expressions hurried forward, knelt on the ground, and shouted loudly, "The general is welcome to dismount." Chu Qiao gave him a cold look, then actually stepped on his back to dismount from the horse, and walked step by step towards the majestic palace gate.
The palace gate suddenly opened, and a cold wind with the scent of sandalwood blew towards her, blowing up Chu Qiao's black cloak. The sword at her waist was like cold ice, and the chill immediately pierced into the deepest part of her heart. Zhan Ziyu sat alone in the empty and cold hall. It seemed as if he was still on the bow of a river boat many years ago. A man in blue sat alone on a wooden wheelchair, facing the surging river, with a clear moon in his eyes. His eyes were as cold as a mountain spring, and he asked in a mellow voice: "Who's over there?"