The Juliang Pass garrison, which had always been strict in military discipline, once again started a riot.
Since the crime of Prince Ding was made public, the Juliang Pass garrison has not had a peaceful day, and tens of thousands of people have been making trouble every day. At first, the garrison commander severely beat the leader, but it did not suppress the rioters. Instead, it aroused greater conflicts and more people joined the riot. The law does not punish the masses. He only has a few trusted subordinates and cannot resist tens of thousands or even 200,000 people.
The garrison commander looked at the soldiers standing densely under the city wall and shouting slogans with a headache. The deafening shouts were like a landslide and tsunami, and spread for dozens of miles.
"Prince Ding is innocent, the treacherous ministers framed him, and the incompetent monarch is unjust!"
"Prince Ding is innocent, the treacherous ministers framed him, and the incompetent monarch is unjust!"
The garrison commander paced back and forth in anger: "It's really a rebellion, a rebellion, dare to insult His Majesty in public! Do you really think that you can't kill them just because there are so many people?"
However, it really couldn't be killed. If Juliang Pass was opened, I'm afraid that Beiliang would take the opportunity to attack. Although the two countries have been at peace for the past few years, they still have to be on guard. The 200,000 defenders of Juliang Pass are veterans who have fought with Prince Ding for seven years in Northern Liang. They are all brave and good at fighting, and they are all elite soldiers. Prince Ding left these soldiers to guard the fortress at Juliang Pass. Once Juliang Pass mutinied, Dingjing would be in danger.
"Sir, these soldiers are just shouting, it doesn't matter." A soldier said.
However, as soon as the voice fell, there was a sound of banging on the city gate.
"Let's fight back to Dingjing and rescue the prince!"
"Fight back to Dingjing and rescue the prince!"
As soon as the crowd changed their orders, they became more excited and more motivated, and they banged on the closed city gate like a crushing force.
The guard was shocked: "What are they doing? Are they really going to rebel?"
"Sir, let's run away quickly and go back to Dingjing to report to His Majesty first!"
The guard just wanted to run away when he saw a familiar figure walking up the stairs.
"Shen, Lord Shen!" The guard immediately crawled over and knelt down to salute, "Sir, those soldiers are going to rebel!"
Shen Jinghong frowned and said, "Useless things, get out!"
The guard rolled to the side, and then he saw that the person standing behind Shen Jinghong was actually Prince Ding Liu Yan!
Liu Yan had not seen the sun for several days, and his face was a little pale. Even though he looked sick, he still had an extraordinary appearance, handsome and elegant. He looked at the commotion under the tower with a complicated expression. Shen Jinghong said beside him: "You also saw it. Is this the scene you want to see? Can you bear to let others bleed for you? Don't you feel guilty for letting the enemy country take advantage of the opportunity to enter? You are a sinner, so why should you be afraid of death?"
Someone under the tower soon discovered the appearance of Prince Ding. For a while, everyone shouted Prince Ding one after another and stopped hitting the city gate.
"Your Highness Prince Ding! Your Highness Prince Ding is out!" Everyone cheered and shouted to Liu Yan on the tower, "Prince Ding is innocent! Prince Ding is innocent!"
Liu Yan made a gesture to silence the soldiers, and everyone shut up instantly, with only the echo of his voice.
"All soldiers, listen up, withdraw the troops!" Liu Yan waited until the surroundings were quiet before he gave the order loudly.
Although everyone didn't understand why, they still subconsciously followed the order when they heard it. All the swords and guns fell to the ground in an orderly manner.
Liu Yan took a deep breath and quietly looked at the neat queue in front of him, and the soldiers' eyes of respect for the new incumbent.
"What are you doing, forcing the emperor to abdicate, or rebelling?"
"Who are you? Are you an enemy or a traitor!"
"What are your responsibilities? Is it internal fighting or defending the city?"
Liu Yan asked three questions in a row, causing many people to lower their heads, but some people looked up at Liu Yan with anger and dissatisfaction on their faces, but they didn't dare to speak.
“I know you are trying to save me, but you are soldiers of the State of Chen, not my soldiers! It is the people of Chen, not me, who support you! You can only fight for the people, not for me. You must not start a civil war for me and put your country in danger! What you are guarding is the gateway to the State of Chen. If you disperse, the State of Chen will be in chaos!”
“Those standing here have been with me for three years, five years, or even my brothers who have fought side by side with me since the first day I joined the army. Don’t you understand your duty after all these years? You are not my, Liu Yan’s private army, you are His Majesty’s army, the people’s army. You must always remember this, be loyal to the emperor, love the people, do not commit treason against your country or the army, do not harass the people. As for me…”
“It’s not worth it for you to do so.”
"I am guilty and I should admit my guilt and be punished. You are also criminals for disobeying the emperor's order and causing trouble. Not only have you committed a serious crime, but you will also bring disaster to your family!"
Liu Yan sighed deeply, listening to the sound of the wind sobbing in his ears, and said after a long time: "Go back. If you remember the old friendship, help me guard... the beautiful mountains and rivers of Chen."
Liu Yan closed his eyes and could not see anything, but the suppressed sobs were particularly clear in his ears. He turned his head without nostalgia, turned his back to the soldiers who were loyal to him, and walked out of everyone's sight step by step.
Shen Jinghong had Liu Yan sent back to the Tiger Prison, and then returned to the palace to report.
Liu Chen asked with a gloomy face: "Has the riot in Juliang Pass been suppressed?"
Shen Jinghong replied: "Your Majesty, the criminal Liu Yan has confessed his crime and was escorted back to Hulao Prison. The riot in Juliang Pass has also been quelled. How does Your Majesty plan to deal with Liu Yan?"
Liu Chen closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said with difficulty: "He has made contributions to the State of Chen...Give him a poisoned wine. My father also died after drinking the poisoned wine, so let him pay for his father's life in the same way."
Shen Jinghong bowed and accepted the order.
Not long after Shen Jinghong left, Liu Chen heard the eunuchs anxiously report: "Your Majesty, the Princess Zhenguo has entered the palace!"
Liu Chen stood up suddenly.
Shen Jinghong led the eunuchs and walked quickly towards Hulao Prison with the poisoned wine in his hand.
Of course he knew that the Princess Zhenguo had entered the palace. From the day Mu Zhuohua left Beijing, he knew that she would invite the Princess Zhenguo back. It was because she was worried that the Princess Zhenguo would be in Dingjing that something unexpected would happen that Princess Roujia took the Princess Zhenguo away from Dingjing in the name of sweeping the imperial tomb. Unexpectedly, Mu Zhuohua still used the excuse of being ill to leave Beijing in disguise to chase the carriage of the Princess Zhenguo. It could be a big deal or a small matter for a Beijing official to leave his post without permission, but Liu Chen was reluctant to punish Mu Zhuohua severely. Shen Jinghong's real target was Liu Yan, and it didn't matter what happened to Mu Zhuohua.
He had asked the spies in Juliangguan to keep a close eye on him a few days ago. Once the carriage of the Princess Zhenguo entered Beijing, a pigeon would be sent immediately. He knew that the Princess Zhenguo would definitely save Liu Yan, and he had to kill Liu Yan before the Princess Zhenguo took action. By then, even if the Princess Zhenguo was furious, Liu Chen would explain the reason to her.
Shen Jinghong calculated the time. After Princess Zhenguo entered the palace, she should go to see Liu Chen first. As long as he moved faster, Princess Zhenguo would not be able to catch up and stop him.
Shen Jinghong hurried to the Dali Temple, but saw that everyone in the Dali Temple stood at the entrance of the Tiger Prison with strange faces. His face turned cold and he asked sternly: "What are you doing here?"
An official hurriedly stepped forward and replied: "Sir, Mu Zhuohua... She held the token of Princess Zhenguo and went down to the Tiger Prison to see Liu Yan."
Shen Jinghong was shocked: "She didn't go to see His Majesty with Princess Zhenguo?"
"We don't know either..." Everyone whispered.
Shen Jinghong walked down the Tiger Prison with a frosty face.
The first thing Liu Yan heard was a burst of anxious footsteps. The footsteps of that person were heavy and urgent. For some reason, he reminded him of Mu Zhuohua, but he changed his mind and smiled bitterly - was it because he missed her too much and had hallucinations?
However, he soon heard the sound of the prison door opening. He raised his head suddenly and looked at the door.
"Liu Yan!" A familiar voice called out softly, and a soft body fell into his arms. Liu Yan reached out to catch her and held her in his arms.
"Zhuohua..." Liu Yan squinted his eyes. The firelight stung his eyes a little, but he was reluctant to close his eyes. He looked at the trembling girl in his arms with greed. Her hands tightly hugged his shoulders and buried her face in his neck.
"Fortunately, fortunately... I finally caught up." Mu Zhuohua panted with lingering fear. She raised her head, carefully stroked his face, and stared at his face carefully. "Are you injured? Did they torture you severely?"
Liu Yan looked at her gently and noticed that she looked haggard and dusty.
"No, I'm not injured, but you've lost weight." Liu Yan looked at her thinner face with some distress, "What have you done outside these days?"
"As soon as I heard that something happened to you, I ran to the royal villa to ask Princess Zhenguo to save you. Unexpectedly, Princess Zhenguo went to the imperial mausoleum, so I disguised myself and followed her. I didn't dare to stop to rest along the way, for fear that I would not be able to save you in time. Fortunately, Princess Zhenguo listened to my plea and immediately turned back to Beijing. When I arrived at Juliang Pass just now, I saw that the soldiers guarding the city had red eyes. I thought you had..."
"I'm fine." Liu Yan comforted her in a gentle voice.
"His Majesty has announced your seven crimes to the world, and you say it's okay? What does His Majesty mean? Doesn't he trust you the most?"
"Zhuohua." Liu Yan interrupted her, "His Majesty knows what happened on the night of the fire in the palace."
Mu Zhuohua's pupils shrank when she heard this, and she froze. After a long while, she stammered: "But, but...it's not your fault, right?"
"He doesn't think so. The more he trusts me, the more hurt this matter will be to him..." Liu Yan sighed lightly, "Zhuohua, this matter is of great importance. Don't intervene, and His Majesty will not vent his anger on you."
"You don't have to worry about me now, but think about how to get rid of the crime!" Mu Zhuohua gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing, and countless thoughts in his mind raged like a storm. The more critical it is, the more he cannot panic. "I have to rescue you from here first."
A low voice suddenly sounded: "I'm afraid I can't let you have your wish."
Mu Zhuohua was startled and turned to look at the door.
Shen Jinghong walked in, followed by the eunuch holding a wine cup. His smile was cold as he stared at Mu Zhuohua: "Liu Yan is guilty of a heinous crime. His Majesty has issued an order to give him poisoned wine and execute him immediately."
Mu Zhuohua said anxiously: "I have the token of the Princess Zhenguo. How dare you!"
Shen Jinghong smiled and said: "The Princess Zhenguo is indeed noble, but compared with the imperial edict of His Majesty, the token of the Princess Zhenguo is naturally more respected. You can come in with the token, but you can't take him out with the token."
Shen Jinghong took a step back and said to the eunuch: "Send Liu Yan on his way."
Hearing this, the eunuch lowered his head and stepped forward.
Mu Zhuohua looked at the wine cup, gritted his teeth, and suddenly unloaded the thing on his back to the ground. The thing was very heavy and hit the ground with a loud noise, which scared everyone. Mu Zhuohua pulled open the silk cloth covering it, revealing the sword case inside. She opened the sword box and used both hands to lift the heavy black iron sword inside. Her hands were shaking, but her eyes were cold and resolute as she looked directly at Shen Jinghong: "The token of the Princess Zhenguo is not heavy enough, what about the Sword of Zhuxie of the Princess Zhenguo? Which is more important, the imperial decree or the Sword of Zhuxie!"
When Shen Jinghong and the eunuch saw the word "Zhuxie" on the sword, their faces suddenly changed and they knelt down.
Liu Yan was also shocked: "Zhuohua, how did the Sword of Zhuxie get on you?"
Mu Zhuohua smiled: "The Princess Zhenguo is going to see His Majesty. I am worried that someone will harm you, so I asked the princess for a talisman. We will split up and come to Tiger Prison to save you first."
Shen Jinghong's face was as dark as water. He knew that at this moment, there was no chance to kill Liu Yan.
After all the calculations, he missed the Sword of Zhuxie!
The Princess Zhenguo actually gave the Sword of Zhuxie to Mu Zhuohua to save people, and Mu Zhuohua, she dared to ask for it?
Princess Zhenguo came to the imperial study accompanied by Princess Roujia. Liu Chen suppressed his anger, stepped forward respectfully and greeted her, "Greetings, Imperial Grandaunt."
"No need to waste words. Your Majesty knows that I don't like those polite formalities." Princess Zhenguo's face was tired, but her eyes were bright and she looked at Liu Yan sharply, "I heard those rumors on the way. Your Majesty, why did you treat Prince Ding like this? Don't you know what kind of person he is after living with him for so many years? He can't possibly rebel. You must have been deceived by treacherous officials!"
Hearing this, Liu Chen smiled coldly and said, "Imperial Grandaunt, I was indeed deceived, but it was by my uncle. After living together for so many years, can I really see a person's true heart? I have a reason to kill him!"
"Then I want to hear what reason can make you cut off your closest relatives!"
Shen Jinghong looked at the frail Mu Zhuohua holding the heavy sword under the heavy burden, his hands shaking constantly, and couldn't help but sneered and said: "Put the sword away, I can't kill Liu Yan at the moment, but you can't take him away."
Mu Zhuohua finally couldn't bear the weight of the Zhuxian Sword, and put the Zhuxie Sword back into the sword box, his hands still shaking slightly.
"The Princess Zhenguo has gone to plead with His Majesty, you wait for the imperial edict!" Although Mu Zhuohua knew that there was little hope, he still said stubbornly.
Shen Jinghong sneered and didn't reply.
Mu Zhuohua returned to Liu Yan, sat beside him and snuggled up to him, but his eyes were fixed on Shen Jinghong.
Shen Jinghong looked at the two of them coldly, and at this moment, hurried footsteps were heard outside the Tiger Prison, and everyone held their breath and looked out.
The eunuch beside Liu Chen came forward to deliver the decree, saying, "Your Majesty has ordered that the execution be postponed, the prisoner shall continue to be detained, and he shall not be released from Tiger Prison!"
Shen Jinghong and Mu Zhuohua both breathed a sigh of relief.
It was a bad thing for Shen Jinghong and a good thing for Mu Zhuohua that Liu Yan survived.
It was a good thing for Shen Jinghong and a bad thing for Mu Zhuohua that Liu Yan went to jail.
This decree was a mixed blessing for both of them, but Mu Zhuohua and Liu Yan knew in their hearts that Princess Zhenguo had failed to persuade Liu Chen to withdraw his intention. It must be because Liu Chen had told the story of Liu Yan forcing Emperor Zhaoming to death, which shook the balance in Princess Zhenguo's heart. She did not completely believe what Liu Chen said, but she did not have the confidence to interfere too much with his decision. Now that Liu Yan's death sentence has been suspended, she just wanted to give him some time to find out the truth herself.
Mu Zhuohua grasped this glimmer of hope, hugged Liu Yan tightly, and said in a hoarse voice: "I will find a way!"
"Zhuohua..." Liu Yan sighed softly. Now he couldn't even hug her back. "Take good care of yourself."
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