In this deep palace, everyone has his or her own sorrow and cruelty. Her eyes are too weathered and she can no longer see the decay beneath the prosperity.
When they returned to Yingge Courtyard, Yan Xun was drinking in Meilin's pavilion. He had always been calm over the years and rarely drank except on necessary occasions. Chu Qiao stood in the corridor, looking at the young man in a clean blue shirt, and suddenly felt a pang of pain in her chest. She suddenly remembered an afternoon many years ago when the boy woke up from a nightmare, grabbed her hand, and asked fragilely, "Ah Chu, when can I get drunk without worry?"
At that time, they were too weak and didn't even have the courage to drink a sip of wine. But now, although they have such courage, they have also shouldered more responsibilities, which makes it impossible for them to hold the golden cup with peace of mind anymore.
Sure enough, Yan Xun only drank two cups and then stopped. The cold winter has passed, the plum forest has gradually withered, the breeze blows, the flower trees are swaying, the plum blossoms are colorful, the man in the green shirt has flying black hair, his eyes are closed, his head is tilted back, his brows are slightly furrowed, and he lets the white plum blossoms fall on his face. The breeze blows, and the sleeves flutter like bird wings.
Chu Qiao did not walk over, but just stood quietly in the distance, looking at the person who had been side by side with her for many years.
There are some feelings that others cannot understand, and some hatred that others cannot bear. Even if they are as close as they are, she can never bear the bone-eating hatred for him.
Perhaps all she could do was just watch him from afar, waiting for the rain to come and then hand him the umbrella in her hand.
The most noble woman in the empire let go, leaving behind a huge rock that smashed into the seemingly calm lake.
To everyone's surprise, Concubine Shu, the most powerful concubine in the harem, did not naturally take over Muhena Yun's position. After a brief moment of rejoicing, countless arrows of suspicion were immediately aimed at the Wei family, and Concubine Shu became the biggest suspect. Officials from the Secretariat, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the large temples and monasteries walked into the Shuyun Hall like a revolving lantern. The seven-day investigation yielded no results, but it did not clear Concubine Shu of suspicion. With the deliberate connivance of some people, Concubine Shu's status in the harem plummeted, and the Wei clan was also affected. They were also criticized by many writers in the Censorate, and the situation was not optimistic.
At the same time, Concubine Xuan of Lanxuan Palace came to power out of nowhere. She served in the emperor's bedchamber for three consecutive days and was canonized as a noble concubine on the fourth day. She became the highest-ranking concubine in the harem except for Noble Concubine Shu. She also acted as the agent of the phoenix seal and was fully responsible for coordinating the funeral ceremony of Empress Muhe, as if she had become the number one person in the harem.
Concubine Xuan is different from the original Concubine Yuan, and also different from Muhena Yun who came from a declining aristocratic family. The favored woman, nicknamed Lanxuan, also has a dazzling surname. She was born into an ancient clan that has been passed down for hundreds of years and has a strong family backing. Her full name is Zhuge Lanxuan.
The wind changed, and the Zhuge family rose in power, becoming one of the major families on par with the Wei family in an instant.
The birthday of the Emperor of Daxia was destined to be a bumpy one. After the funeral of Queen Muhe, there were only three days left until his birthday. On the same day, the Emperor would marry his most beloved daughter to the Prince of Yanbei, completing this marriage that had attracted national attention.
All the bows and arrows were drawn to their full strings in an instant. There was a tense and tense atmosphere in the air.
On May 17, fierce cavalrymen trampled the tranquility of the imperial capital. The birthday envoys from the Batuha family in the northwest arrived late. Batu's youngest biological brother, Barei, burst into tears as soon as he entered the city. He threw himself on the statue of the Mother of the Nation in Ziwei Square and cried snot and tears. Then he was summoned to Shengjin Palace. Because of his loyalty and patriotism, the honorable Emperor decided to summon him in person.
That evening, Zhuge Yue and Wei Shuye, the young master of the Wei clan who had just returned to the capital, both received letters printed with the Northwest Goshawk.
Zhuge Muqing looked at it for a long while, and finally put it aside, shaking his head slowly and said, "Just say that the young master is ill and can't go out."
Zhuge Yue frowned and stepped forward and asked, “Father, why?”
Zhuge Muqing said in a deep voice: "We have achieved our goal, so we should not create any more trouble. Our family power is not stable yet, and Lan Xuan still needs time in the palace."
"If we make this happen, the emperor will value us even more."
Zhuge Muqing slowly frowned and said in a deep voice: "Yuer, don't you understand? Whether the emperor values us or not does not depend on how much contribution we make to the country, but on how strong the Zhuge family is. General Meng has served the country for generations, but he is still just a general. He has no fiefdom or financial resources. The separation of power between the aristocratic family and the imperial power is irreconcilable. Your father has told you this many times."
"But……"
"There is no need to talk about this matter any further. From today on, we will close the door to visitors and wait for the results in three days."
Zhuge Yue was forcibly interrupted by Zhuge Muqing. In fact, what he wanted to say was, if that idiot Barre could not accomplish his goal, and Yan Xun really escaped from the imperial capital alive and returned to Yanbei to ascend the throne, then what would happen to the imperial capital? What will happen to Daxia? What will happen to the whole world? What kind of disaster and misfortune will be caused if they let the tiger go for their own benefit?
He wanted to say that his father was old and could only see the gains and losses and interests of each family, but could not see the overall situation of the world. If the country no longer exists, how can the Zhuge lineage survive?
If he really left, what about her? Will he also leave the imperial capital and go to Yanbei?
Fortunately, although Barre is a fool, there is Wei Shuye. The Wei family has lost power, and if they want to gain a foothold, they have to seize this opportunity.
Zhuge Yue slowly raised his head and murmured, “Please don’t let me down.”
On the second day, Wei Shuye led eighteen warriors into Old Batu's residence in the imperial capital. The warriors in the northwest waited for a whole day but did not see any sign of Zhuge Yue.
Barre and Wei Shuye were not very reserved when they met for the first time. They had had the opportunity to work together in the Southwest Camp. As soon as he sat down, General Barre immediately explained his purpose. The young upstart of the empire pulled the corner of his mouth slightly, smiled evilly and said: "The Zhuge family gave up the great opportunity to serve the country. It seems that this opportunity to get promoted and make money is destined to fall on you and me."
Wei Shuye's face was gloomy, and he seemed unwilling to get entangled with Barredo. He went straight to the point and said in a deep voice: "I am stupid. I see that the general is so confident. Do you have a thorough plan?"
Barre smirked, "Of course."
May 18th, late at night.
The girl stood in front of the map and repeatedly pondered the action for the night after tomorrow. Finally, she said in a deep voice, "Everything has been arranged properly. The only thing I am still worried about is going to the ancestral temple in the south of the city to ask for orders."
Yan Xun raised his eyebrows and motioned for her to continue.
"According to the ritual, you need to go to the ancestral temple to worship your ancestors, and then follow the ceremonial officer back to the palace to marry the princess. Although the people who will protect you on this road are officers and soldiers assigned by the Ministry of Rites, they are not reliable. If someone intercepts you on this road, there will be a disaster."
Yan Xun looked at the map and said in a deep voice, "This place is open and close to the Southwest Town Government. It is full of good and bad people. If a rebellion breaks out, we will need to send out a large army. Besides, the Southwest Town Government has a close relationship with us, so they may not have the courage to do so."
Chu Qiao shook her head and said slowly, "We must be completely prepared for everything. The more impossible the situation, the easier it is to go wrong. We need to be prepared for all possible changes. Besides, you and I know that the Southwest Town Envoy is not loyal to Yanbei, nor is he loyal to you. We have to be on guard."
Yan Xun nodded, picked up the map, and began to plan the possible battles and responses.
Chu Qiao also took out paper and pen and began to write at the desk.
After an incense stick of time, they both stood up at the same time, exchanged papers, took a look at them, and immediately smiled.
burn one's boats! A decisive battle!
If Emperor Xia dares to resort to this despicable strategy, then the entire Zhenhuang Imperial Capital will come to see him off!
Two days passed without any incident. Early in the morning of May 20th, the entire Zhenhuang City was plunged into grand joy. Bright red brocade stretched all the way from Zijin Gate to Jiuwai Street all the way to Dongcheng Gate. The Emperor of Daxia made his public appearance, and the officials, vendors, common people and civilians of the imperial capital blocked the streets. Under the command of the imperial guards, they kowtowed and shouted "Long live the emperor", presenting a picture of prosperity and magnificence.
On Emperor Xia's birthday, all prisoners except those who had committed homicide were pardoned. The Ziwei Square was densely packed with pardoned prisoners kneeling. As soon as Emperor Xia's carriage approached, these people immediately shouted "Long live the emperor" and kowtowed to thank the emperor for his grace.
Civil and military officials and envoys from various foreign lands knelt in front of the Purple Gold Gate, and later followed the motorcade in the parade, enjoying the worship of the people.
The parade continued into the afternoon, and a grand banquet was held in Shengjin Palace. In the evening, the sky was filled with fireworks and colorful lanterns. Countless kabuki performed gorgeous dances in the square, and the vast vocal music spread throughout the imperial city. The people cheered loudly, the noise was astonishing.
However, just as waves of cheers were heard from Ziwei Square, on the road to the Ancestral Temple in the south of the city, a group of people in gorgeous clothes walked slowly according to etiquette.
Different from the jubilation in the inner city, the restricted area of the ancestral temple in the south of the city was still immersed in silence. The cheers coming from afar made the place seem even more dead silent.
The moonlight was dim, and bright red palace lanterns flickered on both sides of the road. Yan Xun, dressed in bright red auspicious clothes, sat in the carriage, eyes slightly closed, quietly waiting for the opportunity.
The car drove for a while and suddenly stopped. Yan Xun opened his eyes, frowned slightly, and the last trace of hesitation in his heart immediately disappeared.
There was silence in the carriage, and there was an eerie silence outside, as if everyone had instantly forgotten where the carriage came from, its purpose, and where it was going. Of course, they didn't know that the people in the carriage had already left quietly without anyone noticing.
Behind a tall house, the warriors' horses all had their hooves wrapped in cotton cloth and quickly moved forward to meet the man who was coming at a very fast speed. Ah Jing dismounted, brought the warhorse to Yan Xun, and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, everything is ready."
Yan Xun nodded silently, jumped on his horse, and galloped towards the Southwest Town Envoy at the other end of the long street. There, the empire has a field army drawn from Yanbei, which has been guarding the imperial capital for a long time. The number of troops is over 10,000.
Although they are not his own people, Yan Xun has decided to drag them on board just because they all come from the same Yanbei origin.
Now, he was going to ask for help.
Suddenly, a flash of knife appeared!
Amid the shouts and cries of killing, the guards of the ancestral temple drew their swords. Each of them was agile and nimble. They were not guards of the ancestral temple at all, but clearly experienced soldiers.
"Yan Xun has rebelled! Traitors must be killed!" The assassins roared and rushed over waving their swords. The defense line hastily formed by the ceremonial officers was as fragile as a paper lantern and was broken in an instant. The ceremonial officer in charge only then reacted and shouted, "There's an assassin!"