Chapter 97 Chapter 97 [End] ① ...
Grange.
Du Lingjing was the first to hear the news from the capital, saying that the bells in the imperial city were ringing loudly.
It was the Marquis who announced that the Queen had passed away.
Only after the Empress passed away, the Emperor's secret decree to enthrone the successor would take effect.
Du Lingjing's heart was beating like a drum, and almost at the same time, Jiang Fengchuan also sent someone to tell him that Dou Ge Lao also announced another edict from the emperor, which was the edict to enthrone Prince Yong Fengqi as the crown prince.
Both edicts were genuine. Once they were issued, an irreconcilable situation between the two sides was formed.
Chongping was too busy to come in person, so she could only ask Chongan to bring a group of people to protect her.
Du Lingjing asked Chong'an repeatedly, "How is the Marquis? Has the Marquis mobilized troops?!"
Chong'an nodded repeatedly, "The Marquis has ordered Prince Wei to ride back to Xi'an quickly."
He sent Wei Cong away, and indeed he was going to mobilize a large army to come to the capital. And he sat at the highest point in the capital, using his own strength to fight against the troops of the world.
But there are so many soldiers in the world, attacking him together, how can he deal with it?
Du Lingjing felt overwhelmed and asked about the situation in the capital.
There was some chaos inside and outside the capital of Chong'an. The civil-military struggle that had been triggered by the death of the Earl of Rongchang had not yet subsided. Many officials in the capital saw the increase in the number of soldiers and horses on the streets, and when they heard that Marquis Lu had announced the death of the empress while the emperor was away from the capital, they smelled a sense of uneasiness and began to angrily scold him for harboring evil intentions and eventually causing chaos in the country.
"It's not just the civil officials who are like this. The Zhou family of Jing'an Marquis' Mansion and the other two marquis' mansions that are in charge of the military, who stayed in Beijing, all sent urgent messages to the Marquis. Especially the Jing'an Marquis' Mansion, please think twice before you act."
The capital was in chaos like burning dry wood, but Dou Ge Lao in the palace also announced the edict to establish a crown prince.
Chong'an looked at Du Lingjing, "Madam, the Marquis has no choice but to do this."
Dou Ge Lao sent imperial edicts to various places, indicating that they were preparing to lead troops to protect Prince Yong.
At this point, neither side could give up and could only speed up preparations, and the war was soon imminent.
When Du Lingjing heard these words, she felt like her heart was about to jump out.
"My Lord, don't you know that these two imperial edicts are unusual? The emperor is the spy, and this is obviously a trap he set."
Chong'an lowered his eyebrows with sorrow, "My Lord, you know that the Imperial Concubine also said so. The Imperial Concubine also said that if possible, she would like to meet His Royal Highness Prince Yong."
"But," Chong'an shook his head slowly, "but the Marquis said that this is simply impossible. The two sides have been fighting for many years, and no one dares to guarantee that the other side will not suddenly do something."
The Marquis cannot guarantee that Dou Ge Lao can meet him sincerely, and the same goes for Dou Ge Lao.
The Queen and Prince Yong are the two most important people at the moment. Who would dare to gamble with them? After all, no one can guarantee such a thing.
Du Lingjing closed her eyes.
Even the secluded farm far away from the capital cannot protect against the raging summer heat.
Du Lingjing has always believed in the summer that if you calm your mind you will feel cooler. If you calm down and read or revise a book, the heat will dissipate without you noticing.
But at this moment, she couldn't sit still at all, her eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and sweat kept coming out of her forehead.
She looked out, "Are Mr. Liao and Mr. Chu here?"
Ruan Gong replied, "Not yet."
No... ...
It was like there was another scorching sun in the sky, scorching Du Lingjing's heart.
The emperor issued two edicts and disappeared.
The party of Prince Yong in the palace believed that it was the Lu family and the Jinyiwei who kidnapped the emperor, but from the perspective of the Marquis, it seemed that the people in the palace had trapped the emperor.
But neither is true.
This was the emperor's intention. He probably wanted to wipe out the civil and military forces that had been fighting each other for many years.
As for the Marquis.
When he ordered him to stay in Beijing to supervise the country, he had already planned to put him on a high platform.
He gave him soldiers and horses, and nailed him to a high platform. When both sides were defeated, the emperor would send troops to suppress him... ...he simply wanted to separate his head from his body.
No chance for him to live...
Du Lingjing suddenly shed two lines of hot tears.
She recalled that in the fourteenth year of Hongqi, after the Yongding Army had experienced a brutal battle in which it was betrayed by a spy, all the generals died, and the only person left in the Lu family was the thirteen-year-old eldest grandson Lu Shenru, who had not yet fully grown, except for the seriously ill old Marquis Lu.
The thirteen-year-old boy had to suppress the pain of losing his father and relatives, and let his grandfather, who was plagued by injuries, do his best to support him. He took on the responsibility of his father who had passed away young, and led the remaining troops of the Yongding Army, which had almost been completely defeated.
The old and seriously ill grandfather and the immature grandson must lead the Yongding Army in the northwest out of this dilapidated and weak predicament.
Du Lingjing couldn't tell how difficult it was for the grandparents and grandchildren to come this far.
But how can the people defending the country at the border feel at ease when there are spies in the court who harmed them in the past?
At the age of seventeen, the boy received instructions from his grandfather to leave the northwest and secretly come to the heart of the Central Plains to investigate the deeply hidden spies.
But he could never have imagined at that time that the power of the spy chief would be so huge that it was unmatched by any civil or military official in the court.
His body was covered with dense wounds and he was nearly dead at one point. He only managed to save his life by relying on the skills he had acquired over many years of training on the battlefield. He staggered into the Mian Building and hid there.
Such a hot summer day, such a narrow and stuffy attic compartment.
He hid inside and didn't even dare to turn on the light, hoping to get through the entire summer and do his best to heal the wounds on his body that were on the verge of festering.
But in that stuffy and unbearable Mian Building, he actually fell in love with the girl in the library.
Coincidentally, the two families actually had an old verbal engagement, which was of no use to them. However, the girl's father took a fancy to him and wanted to marry him as his son-in-law.
He looked again at the girl who came to the library to read books every day, and she turned out to be his wife.
She doesn't know.
But when she found out, she turned against him.
She doesn't want him, no matter whether he loves her wholeheartedly or not, and she can even wait for her for as long as he wants because of the existence of other people.
But she just didn't want him, with a cold face, and drove him out of Mianlou before his injury healed...
Du Lingjing covered her eyes, but tears still fell through her fingers.
If it weren't for the misunderstanding that followed, he would have refused to talk about these things and would have treated them as if they had never happened. He would have kept them sealed deep in his heart for the rest of his life.
He was just driven away by her, and she didn't know what kind of broken heart he was in when he left that night.
The dim light of the stars and the moon shone on him, but his wounds were still unhealed.
Not long after he left, he encountered a spy again, so he and his second brother went to investigate.
This time, neither brother escaped.
His second brother stood in front of him and died with a sword piercing his throat in order to save his elder brother.
He was unable to speak for seven days and nights, and his voice became hoarse. His grandfather finally couldn't stand the blow, and the following year, the old general who had fought at the frontier died suddenly in grief.
That year, he was eighteen years old and inherited the title, becoming the Marquis of Yongding, whose ancestors had been dedicated to their duties and cautious to the end.
Without any elders standing in front of him, he, the young marquis, would be the one standing in the front.
His sister in the palace, his young nephew, the Yongding army that was in panic because of the brutal battle... ...they all depended on him.
He must stand firm and cannot show any weakness. They use their flesh and blood to keep him in a high position and safe, and he must also use all his strength to hold up a broad sky for them.
In the fifth year of Yin You's reign, the emperor's crown prince died and the situation in the court changed drastically.
He left the northwest where he grew up and stepped into the capital city full of dangers.
That year, the court was full of old ministers, the emperor was in hiding, and Yongding Marquis Lu Shenru was just twenty years old.
In the past five years, he has gone from initially waving the whip to establish his authority and gain a firm foothold, to now being able to deal with those senior ministers in the court with ease.
For many nights, this general who was capable of leaping a thousand miles with a sword in hand had to sit in front of a cold and hard desk, reading page by page those endless letters and memorials.
People who wanted to see him lined up outside the mansion. He was a noble and powerful official admired by the world, but he was also a prisoner nailed to a high position and unable to move.
But he would never think again that the spy back then still wanted to take his life.
The spy he risked his life to investigate was the emperor whom all the civil and military officials devoted their talents to serving...
*
In a secret courtyard.
The news that the empress in the capital had passed away and the edict to appoint a crown prince in the temporary palace had been announced had all reached this place.
The emperor, who had been planning for many years, strolled leisurely in the shade by the water, fanning himself.
He thought about the civil and military officials before him. All of those who could stand before him were the proud sons of the emperor.
Just like Dou Ge Lao.
Dou Ge Lao also became famous at a young age, but he was too arrogant and even dared to criticize the late emperor.
He knew why Lord Dou had changed his mind. He looked down on the late emperor, and he looked down on himself, an emperor who was "not capable of doing anything important", even more.
He, Dou Ge Lao, is waiting for a wise ruler, a wise ruler who can make him famous in history.
Instead of waiting for this wise ruler, it would be better for him to cultivate him personally.
The emperor wanted to laugh when he thought of this.
Dou Ge Lao, who was so arrogant, wanted Feng Qi to become a wise minister who would be famous throughout the ages. Unfortunately, Dou Ge Lao had chosen the wrong person. If he followed Feng Qi, he could only become a treacherous minister who would mislead the prince!
Elder Dou is like this, and the Lu siblings are even more glorious. They were born different from others, and they are even more different from him who hides in the dark and dares not even reveal his true identity.
They are as bright as stars.
Miss Lu Huairu, so many people wanted to marry her, but he wanted her to be his humble concubine.
The monks and Taoists all said that she was born with a phoenix fate, destined to be the mother of the country. But he didn't believe it, and his successor could only be Fengxiang, so the end of Miss Lu's phoenix fate would only be to fall into the deep cold palace and end her miserable life.
As for her younger brother Lu Shenru, he was the eldest grandson of the Lu family and was the center of attention.
When the situation he had been planning for many years came to an end, Lu Shenru would not survive.
He wanted to watch the loyal and virtuous foundation of the Lu family destroyed by this eldest grandson who was the center of attention.
As soon as he could wipe out the restless civil and military forces in one fell swoop, he would hang Lu Shenru's head under the city gate tower.
Marquis Lu, who was considered the most high-spirited man in the eyes of the world, could only end up as a treacherous minister who brought chaos and harm to the country in his eyes.
He has already written the fate of these proud sons of heaven.
As for himself, a son of illegitimate blood who was despised by the previous emperor, an emperor who was not favored by any of the civil and military officials, he tried his best to be a wise and enlightened emperor before he died of illness.
The struggle between civil and military affairs that his ancestors and fathers had been unable to end would soon end in his hands.
Why is he not considered a wise emperor? !
He couldn't help laughing when he thought about it.
But the laughter caused his chest to vibrate, and he started coughing and gasping.
He doesn't have much time left, so he has to make this happen quickly.
He also had to watch these proud children die tragically in front of his face.
*
Capital city.
Lord Lu, who hadn't slept for two nights, wanted to take a nap, but found that he couldn't close his eyes at all.
He simply gave up resting and wiped with his fingertips a coral hairpin that he had just had someone bring back from home.
He liked to see her wearing the red coral headpiece he gave her. It would look even better if she was willing to wear bright and colorful clothes for him.
He rubbed the red coral hairpin again and again with his slightly calloused fingertips.
He had to admit that it had only been a few days and he missed her.
But now that she has gone to the Jiang family, she probably won't miss him so soon.
The man smiled meaninglessly, holding her coral hairpin in his hand.
If he was defeated this time, then the day he left the house and entered the palace would be the last time he saw her in this life.
The last side...
The man smiled again and placed the coral hairpin, which was warmed by his fingertips, on his chest.
At this time, news came from outside the capital that Lord Dou had made further moves.
Dou Ge Lao, as the crown prince, ordered the troops from Henan and Shandong provinces to go and protect the emperor.
The man stood up after hearing this.
He walked out of the hall and gave orders in a solemn voice.
"The Queen has passed away. Immediately go and announce the Imperial Edict to confer the title of Queen on the Imperial Concubine."
He lowered his voice and looked across the entire capital city.
"From this moment on, the capital is sealed off!"
*
Grange.
Du Lingjing hasn't waited for anyone yet.
But he picked up a black and hard stone from under the ridge outside the door.
She scrubbed the hard black stone clean and held it in the center of her palm.
But every time she looked at the black stone, she couldn't help shedding two tears.
He was a stubborn man who refused to give in easily. After leading troops in battles for many years, how could he not fight for himself and the Yongding Army?
But not all desperate efforts can be successful...
Du Lingjing held tightly in her hand the black stone she had picked up from the door.
Just then, the two gentlemen finally arrived.
Mr. Liao stepped forward and said to her, "We had just left the capital not long ago when we heard that the Marquis had sealed off the capital."
He sealed off the city.
Du Lingjing took a breath.
She had no time to wipe her tears, so she invited the two men into the yard and told them everything she knew, gained, and guessed.
"I'm afraid this is the conspiracy of the person on the throne."
Both gentlemen were shocked, but they could see the current situation clearly. The emperor had allowed the two sides to fight for many years, and now it was impossible to make peace, but if they did not make peace, both sides would die.
Du Lingjing whispered, "I can speak for the Marquis and the Queen. But for Lord Dou, I would like to ask you two gentlemen to go there on my behalf."
She said that Mr. Liao was politically inclined to have Prince Yong succeed to the throne.
Dou Ge Lao also knew about this, and had wanted to win him over to work for Prince Yong, but Liao Xu was saved by the Marquis, and he could not stand against the Marquis, so he simply stopped getting close to the two sides.
Originally, he was in the most embarrassing situation in the court, but at this moment, he was the best candidate to speak for both parties.
As for Mr. Chu, Du Lingjing asked him directly, "Father should know Mr. Dou, right?"
Chu Mu nodded.
"Yes, I do. Before your father passed the imperial examination, he met the exiled Dou Ge Lao, and they had a very pleasant conversation. At that time, the girl was still in the womb of the late wife, and she was taken care of by the old lady of Dou Ge Lao's family."
He said, "The elder once told me that Dou was much older than him and guided him a lot. He was his 'big brother'."
After Chu Mu finished speaking, he looked straight at Du Lingjing.
"If the young lady wants to persuade someone, Chu Mu can go to the deceased elder on her behalf and try his best to go to the elder Dou to have a try."
Upon hearing this, Du Lingjing stood up and was about to greet him, but Chu Mu quickly supported her.
Mr. Liao also stood up.
"Liao's life was first saved by the Marquis in the deep mountains of Baoding, and then saved by Jingniang who risked her life to save her from an arrow."
He said, "I am a minister who dares to disobey the emperor's orders. Now the emperor is plotting to harm the loyal officials and generals. Even if I have to sacrifice my life, I will save the loyal officials from danger."
"Jingniang is very intelligent. She can see through the key points at a glance. She is not trapped by her position and can think of the best solution. How can we two let you down? Don't worry."
Both gentlemen accepted Du Lingjing's entrustment.
Du Lingjing saluted solemnly.
"Thank you!"
... ...
The two of them went to the palace from time to time.
Chong'an and Changpu stopped making noise and looked at the lady from left to right. Changpu couldn't help but ask a question.
"Can you two gentlemen convince Mr. Dou?"
Du Lingjing said she didn’t know, “but whether it will work or not, we have to give it a try.”
She took out the black stone from her sleeve again.
Could she just watch her, helplessly, step into danger step by step?
He also wanted to go to Jiangnan. If possible, she would accompany him to Jiangnan...
She looked outside, but Chong'an said another sentence.
"But Madam, even if Lord Dou is willing to make peace with the Marquis, he still has to consider His Royal Highness Prince Yong."
Du Lingjing glanced at him and asked, "Are you saying that the queen wanted to see Prince Yong before?"
Chongan said yes, "But that's impossible."
Du Lingjing was pregnant and was gradually finding the summer heat unbearable.
But she didn't care about all that and just called someone.
"Go and ask Master Liu to come over."
Not long after she finished saying this, Jiang Fengchuan arrived at her yard.
He looked her over. "You asked me to come here?"
Du Lingjing didn't want to chat with him, she just said, "Don't say irrelevant things."
The young man raised an eyebrow.
Du Lingjing asked him directly.
"You are by the side of His Royal Highness Prince Yong. Have you ever heard about the rift between His Royal Highness and the Imperial Concubine?"
She always felt that the matter was not that simple. To make both mother and son feel so disappointed, there must be something that was not made clear.
This incident between mother and son was the beginning of the current situation.
If it is not resolved, how can we make peace?
Du Lingjing asked Liu Lang and saw that he raised his eyebrows even more.
She heard him say.
"I really know a thing or two."
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