The wind blew in through the carved window, and blew off a piece of bright yellow rice paper with a light dragon pattern on it. It turned out to be the paper used by the emperor to draft imperial edicts.
Chu Qiao walked into the hall, stepped over the imperial edict, looked indifferently at the shadow in the deep veil, and said in a deep voice: "I am here to take your life."
Zhan Ziyu smiled slightly and said calmly, "I didn't expect it would be you."
"I never thought that I would meet you again in this situation. It is not easy for you to climb to such a high position in five years from a humble background."
Chu Qiao said calmly, her expression indifferent, without a trace of emotion.
Zhan Ziyu smiled and said, "Are you trying to comfort me? Not bad, it's not easy to be praised by the world-famous General Xiu Li."
Chu Qiao said calmly: "What other wishes do you have?"
A trace of loneliness suddenly flashed across Zhan Ziyu's face. He frowned slightly, and then said unwillingly, "I will never be satisfied if I don't kill all these Bian Tang nobles who are full of benevolence and morality." Zhan Ziyu smiled and said, "General Chu, why can the Li family rule this country, but I can't? Didn't the Li family seize this world from the previous dynasty? Why are they the orthodox of the world, and I am a traitor?"
There was a hint of solemnity between Zhan Ziyu's eyebrows. He raised his head slightly, looking at the high roof, showing the intention of a tyrant, and said lightly: "Besides, what's wrong with me taking back what the Li family owes me?"
Chu Qiao remained unmoved and said calmly, "That is the grudge between you two. It has nothing to do with me."
She walked forward slowly, her footsteps like drums in the dark night, echoing throughout the walls of the hall.
"You killed someone I cherish, so I will kill you in revenge."
The sharp sword was pulled out of the scabbard inch by inch, flashing the cold light of the moonlight, like a pool of bright stars, shining coldly on Zhan Ziyu's face, drawing a bright white light and shadow.
"What else do you have to say?"
"Let my sister go. She is just a woman. Everything she did was for me."
Chu Qiao looked at him for a long time without saying a word, a trace of bitterness rising slowly in her heart. The wind outside blew in from far away, blowing the hems of their clothes, like dark ink.
"I'm sorry, I can't do that."
A pool of blood suddenly spurted out, splashing on Chu Qiaoxuan's inky black clothes, quickly seeping in and condensing into a dark shadow.
Chu Qiao bent down and picked up the head from the ground. The man's black hair was combed meticulously, his face was as white as jade, his eyebrows and eyes were gentle, as if he was just asleep, but the broken neck was covered in blood, and it looked hideous.
Chu Qiao threw the head into the arms of a guard and said in a deep voice, "Hang the head on the palace gate for the central army to see." After that, she walked out of Lingxiao Palace, jumped on her horse, and said to the people around her, "Let's go to Roufu Palace."
I don't know when the moon came out from the clouds, casting a dim and clear light. The Lingxiao Palace gradually became cold and quiet. The armored soldiers left in a hurry, leaving behind corpses on the ground. The crows in the sky cried, and their black wings looked like flags of death. In the empty hall, the headless corpse was still sitting quietly on the golden python dragon throne, looking eerie and terrifying.
The battle of Roufu Palace had ended at this time. Tie You and Sun Di came together, both of them had blood on their bodies, which showed how fierce the battle was.
Chu Qiao jumped off her horse and said to Sun Di, "I'm sorry for wronging you."
Sun Di smiled and said, "It's okay, but the food in the prison is too bad. I've lost a lot of weight because of hunger."
"Girl, Concubine Zhan has been captured." Tieyou said in a deep voice.
Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows slightly, "How is the Emperor?"
Tieyou frowned slightly, "I was just a little frightened."
"That's good." Chu Qiao breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Then why are you so sad?"
"Empress Dowager Yuan is dead. When we rushed in, she thought it was Concubine Zhan's men. Before we could say anything, she ran into a wall and died."
Chu Qiao frowned tightly upon hearing this. She didn't expect Yuan to be so cowardly. She had worked so hard to arrange a way out for them and their son, but she died without saying a word.
"Miss," Sun Di stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "The evidence of the Zhan brothers and sisters assassinating the late emperor, forming a clique for personal gain, plotting to assassinate the emperor, and attempting to support Prince Rong is all here. Tomorrow they will be announced to the world to expose their crimes."
Chu Qiao took it slowly. It was only a few pieces of paper, but she felt it weighed more than a thousand pounds.
"Let me out! You bunch of slaves! Let me out!"
A heart-wrenching scream was suddenly heard. The magnificent Roufu Palace was now in ruins, burned by fire, and filled with rubble and dust. Zhan Ziming, dressed in a bright red phoenix robe, was struggling with two strong palace women, trying his best to escape from the bedroom. Her eyes were red, and there was no trace of the elegant beauty on her face.
Seeing Chu Qiao, Sun Di and others, she suddenly froze, staring at her with her eyes fixed, "Where is my eldest brother?"
Chu Qiao said slowly without changing her expression: "Dead."
Zhan Ziming seemed to have expected this day to come. After a long time, she suddenly laughed bitterly, her voice was shrill, like a nighthawk in the sky, her eyes turned gray, she looked at Chu Qiao with deathly aura, and said in a deep voice: "You killed him?"
"yes."
"Okay, okay, the person he likes is really good. No wonder he is sincere to you alone among the three thousand beauties in the palace."
Chu Qiao looked coldly at this beautiful but crazy woman, her eyes were vicissitudes and pity, as if she could see through her beautiful appearance to the depths of her heart.
"What are you going to do with Rong'er?"
"He is not only your child, but also Li Ce's child. I will treat him well."
Zhan Ziming nodded dejectedly and smiled bitterly: "Okay, my hands are covered in blood, and I even killed him. If it weren't for my brother, I would have wanted to die long ago. You do it."
At that moment, Chu Qiao seemed to see her broken heart through her sad smile. Her childhood admiration for her brother made her obey Zhan Ziyu's arrangements without hesitation. However, after entering the palace, she gradually fell in love with Li Ce involuntarily. Perhaps she herself was not even aware of this love until she assassinated him according to the plan, and then she understood her own heart. Outside the Yixin Palace that day, her sadness did not seem fake. It was a pity that of the two men she loved in her life, one had never loved her and the other was unable to love her. In the end, she became a joke of fate.
"Give Concubine Zhan poisoned wine and white silk."
Chu Qiao turned around sternly and strode out of the hall. The wind outside blew in with a whistling sound, and the night spread like a thick tide. The main gate of the Jinwu Guards was brightly lit, but the shouts and sounds of killing gradually faded away. A sharp sound of a gong swept across the cold night sky. The smell of endless battles, the smell of countless killings, the smell of countless dying souls, all came in an instant, turning rain and clouds into rain, surrounding her from all sides.
She held a silver sword in her hand and wore a blood-stained black robe. Behind her was a dazzling sea of fire, and black-armored warriors stood on her left and right. Her eyes were so cold, fixed firmly on the end of the world. Over there, in the very distant north, there was a rolling cold silence. Her eyes were unblinking, as if she was looking at someone, but in the end, they were drowned in the void, leaving no trace.
"Concubine Zhan is dead--" the eunuch shouted out a long and graceful funeral tune in a hoarse voice.
At this moment, the sunlight penetrates the dark clouds, the sky is about to brighten, and this long night will eventually pass, but what will be needed to dispel the darkness in the heart?
Fate was like a desolate fire that burned her to pieces. All her beautiful wishes and expectations for the future would eventually be blown away by the fire. From then on, she will strip away all her weakness, sadness, kindness, goodness, and her yearning for beautiful things, and become truly strong to protect everything she cherishes.
Anyone who dares to infringe even an inch will pay a heavy price.
"Aunt!" A weak voice suddenly came, and the child's small figure immediately threw into Chu Qiao's arms. The emperor cried so hard that his face turned red. He cried and said, "My mother is dead! Aunt, Yi'er's mother is dead!"
The child is still so young, with handsome features, but he is full of Li Ce's shadow.
She squatted down and hugged the child tightly in her arms. Her whole body was cold, except for a warm spot in her heart.
This is Li Ce’s child, this is Li Ce’s kingdom, and this is Li Ce’s home. He has protected her for so many years, and now it is her turn to protect him.
"Don't be afraid, Yi'er, you still have your aunt."
"Miss." Meixiang stood quietly at one side, holding a child in her arms.
Chu Qiao stood up and walked over slowly, only to see that it was Zhan Ziming's son Li Qingrong.
The child who was canonized as King Rong at birth was sleeping soundly at this moment, completely unaware of the bloody storm that had been set in motion in the world because of his birth. His father and mother died one after another, leaving behind this devastated land and a precarious country.
"Miss, look how soundly the Third Prince is sleeping."
Meixiang likes children, and she smiled and held Prince Rong in her arms to show Chu Qiao.
Chu Qiao reached out to take it, but the child was startled awake. He yawned impatiently and looked at Chu Qiao with half-opened eyes. He looked like a replica of Li Ce.
Chu Qiao's eyes became hot and she almost cried. She held the child tightly in her arms, her cheek against his little face, her heart filled with emptiness.
"Sir, Elder Liu's son Liu Yuanzong is at the Tai'an Gate with his civil and military officials, asking what happened and whether the Emperor is okay."
Chu Qiao raised her head, her eyes suddenly cooled, and she said to He Xiao in a deep voice: "Tell all the adults that Regent Zhan Ziyu and Concubine Zhan conspired to murder the emperor and usurp the throne. Empress Dowager Yuan died in the chaos, and the emperor is safe and sound. The evil leader has been executed. You don't have to worry."
He Xiao left, and soon, a cry of "Long live" praising the emperor was heard outside the palace gate.
The guards reported: "Liu Yuanzong was the first to express his loyalty, and all the civil and military officials in the court submitted. The fighting at the South Gate, North Gate, and Ganguang Gate has stopped, and the rebellious central army soldiers have been captured and are waiting for your Excellency's decision."
The palace gates were wide open, and beneath the jade steps stood solemnly all the civil and military officials and generals. A red sun rises high in the sky, illuminating the bright world. Chu Qiao held Prince Rong in her arms, and led the Emperor hand in hand, as they walked up the white jade imperial road step by step.
The voice of "Long live the emperor" resounded throughout the palace. The rising sun, with a faint golden color, sprinkled on her dark black robe. On the white flag with red clouds, there were faintly two large watermarked characters "Xiu Li". The wind blows, and the world becomes empty and desolate.
"Auntie," the emperor called out crisply, pointing to the golden throne opposite him and wincing a little, frowning and saying, "I don't want to sit there."
Chu Qiao squatted down, gently touched his face, and whispered: "Yier, that is a seat built with the blood and bones of thousands of people. It is your destiny. Your father and mother died for it. The Tang Dynasty rests on your shoulders. All the ancestors are watching you from the sky. You have a responsibility here and cannot retreat."
The emperor was frightened by her words, and he grabbed her and asked, "What about my aunt? Doesn't my aunt want me anymore?"
Chu Qiao helped him onto the throne and said calmly, "Aunt will help you, but there are some things that you have to bear by yourself in the end."
Chu Qiao turned around, and all the civil and military officials and soldiers bowed down in unison. The shouts of "Long live the emperor" resounded in their ears, scaring away the birds flying in the sky.
The officials did not know who they were worshipping at the moment, the young son on the throne, or the young woman who held the power of the Wolf Army and the Xiuli Army. All kinds of sinister plots were swirling in the government and the country, just as they had been for thousands of years, without a moment of peace and tranquility.
When dust returns to the abyss and the dust settles, the chess piece has been played and there is no room for regret.
Li Ce, don't worry.