Chapter 90 [90] The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind...
【90】/First release
"King Jing!?"
"It's actually King Jing!!"
"His Royal Highness Prince Jing is still alive!"
When the court officials and their wives in the hall saw the young man who seemed to have descended from heaven, they all woke up from a dream and became shocked and agitated.
On the high platform, Emperor Wenxuan looked at Sima Jing in his black robe and silver armor, and a flash of surprise flashed in his eyes.
He is still alive.
Emperor Wenxuan subconsciously turned his head and looked towards Queen Dowager Zhao.
The words "Ajing is still alive" were not yet uttered when he saw the expression on Queen Mother Zhao's face and suddenly stopped in his throat.
It is undoubtedly a cause for celebration that Ajing is still alive.
However, the Queen Mother's face did not swell with tears of recovery, nor did she show relief, nor was there even a trace of a happy smile. Instead, she had the solemnity and solemnity that she had foreseen all this.
The Queen Mother...
Do you know all this today?
Did he know that Duke Su was planning a rebellion? Did he know that the late emperor had left behind a will? Or did he know that Ajing was still alive and had already returned safely to the capital?
Or, was everything that happened tonight a conspiracy between her, Sima Jing, and Duke Su, just to force him to give up the throne to Sima Jing?
Yes, she and her father had always been like this, favoring the youngest son.
I want to give Ajing everything that is good.
Ajing didn't want it, it was his turn just now.
In an instant, it was like a basin of ice water was poured over my head, and my heart suddenly turned cold.
Looking at the opposing forces in the hall again, Emperor Wenxuan pursed his lips, a deep gloom hanging in his eyes.
"Uncle Eight, why are you still standing there?"
Sima Jing looked at the Duke of Su, who looked as if he had seen a ghost, and the corners of his lips curled up in an increasingly sarcastic tone: "Could this edict be a fake? Or is it that Eighth Uncle is not truly upholding the late emperor's wishes, but is using the late emperor's edict as a cover to usurp the throne?"
As soon as these words came out, Duke Su came back to his senses with a start: "This old minister has absolutely no such intention!"
He looked at Sima Jing with a complicated expression. "I just didn't expect Your Highness to suddenly appear. When did Your Highness return to Chang'an? And how did you get into the Weiyang Palace?"
Clearly, the guards at all the major gates of the imperial palace had been replaced by his men, and black-armored soldiers were guarding outside the Weiyang Palace, yet Sima Jing suddenly appeared here out of nowhere like a ghost...
Without waiting for Duke Su to think about it, Sima Jing beckoned him again: "Let's not rush into reminiscing about the past. Eighth Uncle, please give me the will quickly. I'm so tired from holding it up."
Duke Su: “…”
He tightly grasped the bright yellow silk scroll in his hand. Although he was unwilling to give it, if he didn't give it to him, wouldn't his previous impassioned speech become a joke that contradicted himself?
"Since the late emperor intends to pass the throne to Your Highness, this edict should naturally be addressed to Your Highness."
Duke Su handed the scroll to Sima Jing. However, when Sima Jing grasped the other end, he did not immediately let go. Instead, he looked at Sima Jing intently and said, "Your Highness, please do not let down the late emperor's deep love and care."
Sima Jing looked at him, his thick black eyebrows slightly raised, "Of course."
As he responded calmly, the person holding the scroll loosened his grip.
Seeing this handsome young nephew slowly unfolding the will, Duke Su's face tensed and he clenched his fists in his sleeves.
He is gambling.
Bet on the ambition of the person in front of you.
No, there is no need for ambition. Just a little greed is enough.
After all, this is the throne.
How many people in this world can refuse the throne that is easily within their reach and without any effort?
Before they knew it, the hall became quiet.
After a long while, under the gazes of countless people, King Jing finally spoke: "Alas, this will is really..."
Everyone's heart was in their throat, and Yun Ran, who was standing behind him, also held his breath. The next moment, he raised his arms, and with a loud bang, he tore the will into two pieces.
"It couldn't be more fake."
Sima Jing said this expressionlessly, then threw the imperial edict on the ground, discarding it like a worn-out shoe.
Duke Su's pupils suddenly shrank, but he feigned composure and shouted, "How dare you destroy the late emperor's will!"
"Even now, Uncle Eight is still being stubborn?"
Sima Jing scoffed, raising his arm slightly: "Come here, arrest this traitor who forged the imperial edict and forced the emperor to abdicate!"
As soon as he finished speaking, without waiting for Duke Su and the others to react, they heard a loud sound of weapons clashing.
A large number of imperial guards poured into the dark night, and countless black-clad secret guards appeared around the hall like mushrooms after rain, instantly surrounding the black-armored soldiers brought by Duke Su.
While everyone was still immersed in the shock of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it, they saw King Jing draw the long sword from his waist and put it directly on the neck of Duke Su.
Duke Su's face turned pale in an instant, and he was horrified: "A Jing, what is this doing? I am your uncle, and I am doing this to help you!"
"help me?"
Sima Jing's eyes were like torches, and he sneered at him, "At the beginning of this year, you first spread rumors in Chang'an City, using the names of fairies and bodhisattvas to praise the princess and kill her, pushing my Jingwang Mansion into the forefront of public opinion. Later, during the Imperial Examination, you sent assassins to deliberately stir up trouble, inciting the people and scholars. At the same time, you spread rumors that Your Majesty was suffering from a hidden illness and that the eldest prince had a tainted bloodline, attempting to confuse people and destabilize the court..."
“I didn’t…”
Before Duke Su could finish his words, a bloody mark appeared on his neck. Sima Jing said coldly, "Wait until I finish speaking, then it's not too late for you to deny it."
With a sharp blade at his neck, Duke Su's elegant and upright face turned purple, but he could only endure it in anger.
"Upon learning that I was going to Jiangnan to inspect the salt industry, you secretly colluded with the Rongdi tribe and sent assassins to assassinate me—"
"Of course, I know you didn't intend to kill me. You simply wanted to sow discord, causing suspicion between me and the Emperor, turning against each other and ultimately destroying each other, so you could sit back and reap the benefits. But despite all your calculations, you forgot that those who are not of my race must have different hearts, and you underestimated the cruelty and greed of the Rongdi people. You wanted to seize the throne, but they wanted to stir up trouble, so they could take advantage of the situation, fish in troubled waters, march straight in, and seize my territory!"
As soon as he finished speaking, there was an uproar in the hall.
“That’s how it is!”
"How audacious! They even colluded with the enemy!"
"Your Highness, Prince Jing, kill this thief!"
If the conspiracy to usurp the throne was ultimately an internal struggle within the Sima family, the ministers would have judged the situation and protected themselves.
But if it involves secret communication with the enemy country, then he is the most despicable traitor and everyone has the right to kill him!
Especially since there were many military generals present. The two countries had been fighting for hundreds of years. Which side had not lost a few lives on the battlefield, and which side had no blood feud with the Rongdi people?
Seeing that Duke Su, a member of the royal family, had committed such an unforgivable crime of betraying his ancestors and treason, several generals ignored the swords of the black-armored soldiers and overturned the table to rush forward.
But before he could move forward, he was arrested by the black-armored soldiers.
Seeing the chaotic scene and the imminent fight, Sima Jing frowned slightly.
So noisy.
Just as he was about to open his mouth to scold, he was gently poked in the lower back.
Although he didn't turn around, he knew that Yun Ran must be shaking his head at him, telling him to be patient.
"Okay, shut up."
Sima Jing, trying his best to hold his temper, scolded him. When everyone around him quieted down again, he glanced at Duke Su again and said, "I have all the accounts of the disaster relief funds you've embezzled over the years, the secret letters you've sent to the Rong and Di tribes, the private soldiers you've maintained in the suburbs of Beijing, and the spies the Rong and Di tribes have planted in my court. I have a complete grasp of them."
"At this point, I advise you to stop resisting and stop as soon as possible, lest you bring the innocent people in your house, young and old, to hell with you."
Duke Su was about to argue, but when he heard Sima Jing completely expose his past, word by word, he was so shocked that he couldn't speak clearly. "How did you find out?"
"There's no such thing as an impenetrable wall. Do you really think you're the only smart person in the entire royal family and court, and everyone else is a fool?"
Sima Jing pursed his lips and snorted softly, his eyes glancing over the chaotic scene in the hall, his brow furrowed. "It's getting late, this farce should end. Quickly tell your men to surrender. Perhaps the emperor will show mercy and give you a lighter sentence, sparing your relatives."
These words were spoken not only to Duke Su, but also to the rebels present.
Of course, he could have just ordered the Plum Blossom Guards in the hall to kill all the rebels without any more words.
But the scene of blood flowing like a river would surely scare his princess.
never mind.
Just be patient and waste a few words.
Sima Jing suppressed the coldness in his eyes, but he increased the strength in his hand holding the long sword. The blade instantly penetrated half an inch deeper. The pain made Duke Su's lips turn white. He trembled and said, "A Jing, are you crazy? What good will it do you to do this!"
He said, "Yes, I do have selfish motives, but, if you are willing to cooperate with me, the throne will be yours! Don't you want to be emperor? When your father was alive, he had high hopes for you. If Sima Ji hadn't interfered, you would have returned from Rongdi long ago. Why endure a few more years of hardship in Rongdi?"
"As for those rumors, it's true that I spread them, but the rumors that were unfavorable to you were all written by Sima Ji. It was him...ah!"
Before he could finish his words, the sword flashed and a sharp pain in his shoulder made him scream.
Yun Ran, who was standing behind, was also startled by the shout. He leaned over to look and saw that Sima Jing had pierced Duke Su's shoulder with a sword.
Blood dripped down the sword, and the air was instantly filled with a bloody smell.
Yun Ran looked at the bright red blood and his eyelids twitched.
no.
The sight of blood makes me uncomfortable.
She quickly retracted her head, poked Sima Jing's back with her finger, and whispered, "Your Highness, don't kill him. Put him in jail and let the law take care of him."
She knew that a man like Duke Suguo deserved to be cut into pieces, but she didn't want Sima Jing to have a life on his hands.
Sima Jing also understood what she meant, nodded lightly, and then drew his sword.
He once again placed his hand on Duke Su's neck and delivered his final ultimatum: "When you ordered the siege of the palace, your eight thousand private soldiers had already been trapped in the camp outside the city by the Imperial Guards, and they all surrendered half an hour ago. At this moment, your trusted associates outside the palace have also been surrounded by the Plum Blossom Guards. As for those Rongdi spies who infiltrated the Southern and Northern Yamen, they have been brought to justice and are tied up in various precincts, awaiting their fate."
After a pause, as if thinking of something, he looked at Duke Suguo and said, "Don't even think that the Rongdi people will come to rescue you. Two months ago, I had people spread the news that the Rongdi people had ill intentions and were colluding with the powerful officials in the court. I think the generals at all the major checkpoints have strengthened their defenses and are ready to fight the enemy. Unless the Rongdi people are truly ready to go to war with the Jin Dynasty, otherwise..."
He curled his lips slightly: "You are just a useless abandoned pawn, no one will help you anymore."
"How could it be, how could it be..."
Duke Su's eyes flickered violently as he looked at the ghostly face before him. He felt as if he had just seen a ghost, and it was unbelievable. "Why did you take precautions so early?"
Sima Jing was too lazy to talk to him anymore.
In fact, if Yun Ran had not insisted on getting involved, he would have just wanted to throw all these messes to Emperor Wenxuan and Queen Dowager Zhao.
The princess has such a strong sense of responsibility that she forces him to be a diligent "good man".
Now that he had said everything that needed to be said and explained everything that needed to be explained, he just wanted to go back home with the princess to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival while the moonlight was still good.
Thinking of this, Sima Jing glanced sideways at the black-armored soldiers in the hall: "Duke Su is full of evil, and his fate is lost. Considering that you have been deceived by him and led astray, I will give you three breaths."
"After three breaths, if you don't surrender, you will be killed without mercy!"
As he spoke, he signaled the Plum Blossom Guards to tie up Duke Suguo, sheathed his sword, and counted slowly, "Three!"
The black-armored soldiers looked at each other.
"two--"
Duke Suguo had his mouth gagged and his hands tied behind his back, looking dejected.
"one!"
A long sword clattered to the ground, and the black-armored soldiers knelt on the ground: "Please have mercy, Your Majesty!"
Even if there were one or two troublemakers, they were quickly subdued by the Plum Blossom Guards.
Before those troublemakers were killed, Sima Jing pulled Yun Ran into his arms and pressed her head against his chest.
Yun Ran's forehead suddenly hit the cold and hard silver armor, which made him feel uncomfortable.
But the sounds of weapons clashing and swords scraping through flesh in her ears also immediately made her realize what was happening.
Someone is still dead.
The long eyelashes trembled twice, then slowly drooped.
She actually knew that death was inevitable.
He also knew that Sima Jing had minimized casualties to the greatest extent possible.
This is the best result right now.
She sighed softly in her heart and thought to herself that tomorrow she would burn some incense and recite some sutras for those who sacrificed in this palace coup, wishing them a speedy rebirth and hoping that they would not get involved in these intrigues in the next life and live a peaceful life.
After thinking about it for a long time, Sima Jing finally released his hand that was pressing on the back of her head.
Yun Ran raised her eyes and met his beautiful black eyes that were calm and composed.
"It's okay," he said.
The tone was so gentle as if he was coaxing a child.
Yun Ran didn't say anything, pursed his lips and looked back.
As expected, there was no bloody scene. The bodies had probably been dragged away.
Sima Jing raised his hand, shielding her half a step behind him. His face hardened again as he glanced at the bound Duke Su and the black-armored soldiers on the ground. He said indifferently, "I am but a subject, and I have no right to show mercy."
As he spoke, he turned to look at the seated Emperor Wenxuan and bowed, "I am sorry that I was late in escorting Your Majesty and frightened you. The rebel Sima Yi and his followers have all been captured. I beg Your Majesty to make their decisions!"
Under the brilliant candlelight, Emperor Wenxuan's expression was indescribably obscure.
From a distance that was neither far nor near, he stared closely at the tall figure in the hall who was bowing his head in submission. All kinds of emotions were churning in his heart, and he felt a mixture of various feelings.
He wanted to say something, but his throat seemed to be strangled by an invisible hand.
Just like when he woke up after falling into the water, his mother pinched his shoulders and asked him with red eyes: "Why did you and Ajing go to the stern?"
His throat seemed to have lost all feeling and he couldn't make a single sound.
"Emperor? Ji'er——"
A familiar voice sounded from beside him, and Emperor Wenxuan suddenly came back to his senses. Turning around, he saw Queen Dowager Zhao looking at him with a frown, silently signaling him with her eyes.
Emperor Wenxuan suddenly had the illusion that everything before his eyes was an illusion.
His soul seemed to have detached itself from his body, silently standing by, coldly watching his body play the role of "monarch", mutely praising King Jing's bravery and loyalty, ordering the imperial guards to imprison Duke Su and the rebels, and calming the ministers' emotions, telling those who needed to leave to leave and those who needed to seek the imperial physician to seek the imperial physician...
He gave orders skillfully and numbly.
My eyes are blurry, my head is dizzy, and my chest feels stuffy.
An unprecedented fatigue seeped out from the gaps between my bones and flowed through my body along the blood. Gradually, it seemed that even my heart became weak and powerless.
He wanted to lie down and rest.
Suddenly, his arm was held softly. He shuddered and looked again, only to see the Queen's gentle face filled with worry.
"Your Majesty, are you alright?"
“…I’m fine.”
Emperor Wenxuan patted the back of Empress Zheng's hand and forced a comforting smile.
Looking back at the hall, most of the officials had left, with only a few loyal ministers left.
He frowned and asked the queen, "Where is Prince Jing?"
Upon hearing this, Empress Zheng looked at him in astonishment, "Brother Jing and Ranran left two quarters of an hour ago."
After a pause, he said, "Before they left, they asked for your permission, and you nodded in agreement. Your Majesty, are you really... okay?"
"Oh, I see."
Emperor Wenxuan nodded, as if he hadn't heard the second half of the empress's words, and looked around: "Where is Yu'er?"
"Yu'er is sleepy. I asked Mother Fu to take her back to Fengyi Palace to rest."
Empress Zheng replied softly, looking at Emperor Wenxuan with growing worry. "Your Majesty must be tired after so many things happened today. Why don't you send the Prime Minister and the others back first, and discuss the Duke Su's treason tomorrow morning?"
Emperor Wenxuan was silent for a moment, his gaze falling on the torn edict in the middle of the hall, then looking at the empty hall, which was now deserted.
The dark figure was clearly gone, but it seemed like a shadow, still there.
"you go."
Emperor Wenxuan ordered the chief eunuch beside him: "Pick up the imperial edict."
The chief eunuch was slightly startled, but he did not dare to delay and went there immediately.
Upon seeing this, Empress Zheng felt nervous. She was worried that Emperor Wenxuan was having too many wild thoughts and was getting stuck in a dead end. She was also concerned about his current gloomy face and absent-minded look.
But no matter how she persuaded him, Emperor Wenxuan still took his trusted ministers back to the imperial study and discussed how to deal with the rebels overnight.
Queen Zheng returned to Fengyi Palace, but she could not feel at ease.
The full moon in the sky was big and bright, and its bright white light was so dazzling that it made her feel very upset.
After pacing back and forth in Fengyi Palace for several times, she finally couldn't bear the inexplicable heart-wrenching emotion, so she ordered her people to come and hurried to Jiashou Palace.
Such a big thing happened tonight, and Queen Mother Zhao couldn't sleep either.
Upon learning that the Queen requested an audience in the middle of the night, Queen Dowager Zhao frowned.
After hesitating for a while, he let the person in.
"Mother, mother—"
As soon as Queen Zheng saw Queen Dowager Zhao, she took two steps at a time and knelt down beside her legs.
This sudden action startled Queen Mother Zhao, who quickly supported her and asked, "What are you doing?"
Empress Zheng did not get up, but raised her pale, thin face and pleaded with trembling tears, "Please, mother, go to the Purple Palace and persuade His Majesty."
Queen Mother Zhao's eyes flickered: "What happened to him?"
Empress Zheng shook her head, as if she was embarrassed to speak. "When Your Majesty and I parted, I saw that his face was ashen and his eyes were hazy. I was really worried. But Your Majesty insisted on discussing matters with the ministers. I really couldn't persuade him. So I had to disturb you, Your Majesty, and ask you to go to the Purple Palace to persuade him..."
"Mother, His Majesty has always respected you the most. If you go and persuade him, he will definitely listen. I beg you."
Seeing that the queen came in the middle of the night just for this matter, Queen Dowager Zhao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Then he thought that Empress Zheng was making a big deal out of nothing. Treason was a serious matter. It was perfectly normal for the emperor to discuss state affairs with his ministers overnight. Why would she come crying in the middle of the night?
Seeing her like this just now, Queen Mother Zhao thought that the emperor had come to his senses and wanted to cause trouble for Ajing.
"The Queen..."
Queen Mother Zhao frowned and was about to warn the Queen to be calm and steady, but her eyes fell on the Queen's thin little face, which looked like a pear blossom in the rain, and she was choked for a moment.
This was the first time the Queen had seen her lose her composure like this in all the years she had been in the palace.
Are you that worried?
That's all.
Also a good wife.
"Alright, alright. You're the mother of a country after all. It's inappropriate for you to cry like this."
Queen Mother Zhao took out a handkerchief, bent down and wiped Queen Zheng's face, then said, "Anyway, I am old and don't sleep much, so I will go with you."
When Empress Zheng heard this, she burst into tears of gratitude: "Thank you, mother."
Soon, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law arrived at Zichen Palace in the dark night.
Emperor Wenxuan was discussing arrangements for the Rongdi spies with his important ministers when he was stunned for a moment when he heard the palace maid report that Queen Mother Zhao had arrived.
"Why is the Queen Mother here?"
Emperor Wenxuan stood up to greet her, but he did not dare to look Queen Dowager Zhao in the eye.
Queen Mother Zhao also knew that tonight's incident happened suddenly and not only involved state affairs, but also family affairs.
As the eldest son, I have always been sensitive and suspicious.
"I heard you were still discussing politics so late at night. I was worried, so I came to check on you."
As Queen Mother Zhao spoke, she looked at the emperor's face and saw a faint gray-green color between his brows, and her heart sank slightly.
"It's getting late. There are so many complicated matters to deal with when plotting rebellion that there's no need to rush. How about this? You go and rest for two hours, so that Prime Minister Liu and the others can catch their breath."
Queen Mother Zhao spoke softly, holding Emperor Wenxuan's hand with a loving expression, "You are young and strong and can handle it, but Prime Minister Liu and the others are old, so we should be considerate of them. What do you think?"
Emperor Wenxuan looked at the soft, warm hand.
Suddenly I was dreaming again.
Ever since the big fight in Zichen Palace in May, the relationship between mother and son has reached freezing point.
But at this moment, he actually had the illusion that "his mother still cared about him."
Emperor Wenxuan felt a sour taste in his throat again.
Queen Mother Zhao didn't wait for him to say anything, and immediately ordered the palace maids to arrange a resting place for the ministers. She then personally helped Emperor Wenxuan to the bedroom and watched him lie down on the dragon bed.
Under the dim candlelight, Queen Mother Zhao looked at her eldest son lying on the bed, as if she were one of the countless loving mothers in the world. She said in a gentle voice, "Go to sleep. There is always work to do, and tomorrow will be just as busy."
This beautiful scene made Emperor Wenxuan panic. Like a child who had done something wrong, he looked at Queen Mother Zhao beside the bed and said, "Mother, I..."
"Stop talking."
Queen Mother Zhao seemed to have guessed what he was going to say. A hint of darkness flashed across her eyes, but she quickly regained her gentle composure. "Don't think about anything now, don't say anything. Close your eyes and go to sleep."
Emperor Wenxuan: “…”
He knew from a young age that his mother had a pair of very beautiful eyes.
Every time those eyes looked deeply into his, he could not disobey her orders.
I can only try my best to do better and make her more satisfied.
The candlelight in the palace lantern burned quietly, and the bedroom was silent.
After a long time, Queen Mother Zhao got up from the bed. Before leaving, she looked at the emperor's tightly furrowed brows while he was sleeping, and paused for a moment.
This child.
From childhood to adulthood, I have been most concerned.
Sighing in her heart, she bent down and tucked the corner of the quilt for him, then she lowered the curtain and left with light steps.
Outside the bedroom, Queen Zheng was still waiting, despite being sleepy.
When he heard the footsteps, he hurried to meet them: "Mother."
Queen Mother Zhao glanced at her eldest daughter-in-law, who had lost a lot of weight in the past few months, and said in a slightly slower tone, "He's asleep."
Empress Zheng heaved a sigh of relief, her eyes red as she knelt before Empress Dowager Zhao, "Thank you, mother."
Queen Mother Zhao didn't say much, she just looked up at the round moon like a white jade plate in the sky.
It is said that raising a child for a hundred years brings worries for a thousand years.
The one in the palace who was quite obedient has rested, but I don’t know what has become of the most troublesome troublemaker outside the palace.
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The author has something to say: Sima·Tortoise·Nine: ...
Countdown to the end of the main text~ Little red envelopes will continue to drop in this chapter.
I've added a new pre-collection of "Grassroots Little Princess" (sorry for the bad name), and those who are interested can collect it in advance! [Hug]
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