Before leaving Beijing, Chu Yuanchen said that he would be back soon.
He told her that his trip was not for Minzhou, but for the emperor and Zheng Zhongming.
He said: The Zhenbei Palace is now handed over to you.
The corners of Sheng Xiyan's mouth curved up into a faint smile, and her beautiful almond-shaped eyes seemed to be filled with starlight, brighter than the stars in the sky.
She protects the Zhenbei Palace very well!
As soon as Chu Yuanchen arrived, the morale of the guards of the Zhenbei Palace was immediately boosted. Originally, the imperial guards were coming in an endless stream, and although they had been arranged early, everyone's spirits were tense and exhausted. But now, it was as if they had eaten and slept enough, and one person could easily beat a hundred.
The guards turned defense into offense.
The imperial guards were immediately attacked from both sides.
Wherever Chu Yuanchen's sword went, blood splattered everywhere, and no one could withstand a single round.
"My Lord!"
Chu Yuanchen broke through the encirclement of the imperial guards alone. He dismounted, threw away the reins, and said, "I leave it to you." Then he hurried into the main hall.
"Madam, mother."
Chu Yuanchen bowed to the lady and Jingle. Jingle winked at him. He quickly rushed to Sheng Xiyan and hugged her tightly.
Sheng Xiyan was startled by him, then, somewhat embarrassedly, she pushed him lightly.
Chu Yuanchen was not willing to let go, but hugged her even tighter.
Jingle waved to Jiaoyang. She tilted her head to look at Sheng Xiyan, then walked over obediently, thinking: Let him go today!
Finally, Chu Yuanchen let her go, raised his hand and rubbed her head, and said, "I'm back."
He believed that his elder brother would be able to arrange everything, but even though he believed it, he was still extremely anxious outside and just hoped that his elder brother would come back as soon as possible.
He couldn't feel truly at ease until he saw with his own eyes that they were safe.
Chu Yuanchen's peach blossom eyes were full of smiles, and he said, "Ayan is awesome! You guard the palace well."
Sheng Xiyan couldn't stand being praised the most. The smile on her face was obviously happier. Her eyes were full of affection and smiles. She was delicate and adorable.
Chu Yuanchen almost couldn't help wanting to kiss her. He struggled for a long time, and reluctantly let her go. He held her hand again, and they walked to Jingle together. He smiled and said, "Mom, don't worry."
The lady also looked relieved and said, "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."
Jingle and the lady knew that Chu Yuanchen had a plan in advance, but neither Xiao Shuo nor Chu Yuanchen could accurately predict every move of Zheng Zhongming and the emperor, so they just set up a plan and then responded to the situation. Therefore, Chu Yuanchen could not tell them everything in advance.
Before today, they actually didn't know how far Chu Yuanchen would go, but they believed in him, just as Sheng Xiyan believed in him.
Even though they were surrounded by the imperial guards and faced danger today, they believed that Chu Yuanchen would not let them fall into despair.
All they had to do was wait, delay as much time as possible.
"I brought 3,000 people back to Beijing," Chu Yuanchen quickly explained the situation, and said, "The Zhenbei Army will be able to control the capital very quickly. They are familiar with this job."
She stared at him intently, her heart beating faster. She suddenly felt that Chu Yuanchen was particularly handsome. He had obviously been traveling a long way, had a messy beard on his face, and was covered in dust, looking dirty.
However, Sheng Xiyan just thought he was particularly, particularly handsome.
Chu Yuanchen was so perceptive that he naturally noticed her gaze. He turned around and smiled at her. His beautiful peach blossom eyes blinked at her lightly, and his eyes were so charming that they moved around.
Sheng Xiyan's earlobes were red and hot. They were already married, so why did she blush when he looked at her?
It must be Chu Yuanchen’s fault!
Thinking of this, she looked back righteously, pursed her lips and smiled softly, and her long eyelashes trembled slightly.
Chu Yuanchen's eyes were full of smiles. He took her hand and held it tightly in his palm.
"Your Majesty, all the imperial guards have been captured!"
Han Qianzhi came in on a four-wheeled cart and reported that even though he had difficulty moving, he did not avoid the fight just now, but instead commanded the guards to fight back in the corridor.
Chu Yuanchen nodded slightly and praised: "Not bad."
Han Qianzhi immediately became angry and said, "Your Majesty, the imperial guards are a bunch of rubbish. More than a thousand of them fought against a few dozen of us, but they still couldn't take us down. As soon as the reinforcements arrived and Zhang Hen died, they surrendered after a short while."
The imperial army had been unable to capture the city after a long siege and their morale had long since declined.
"Mom, I'll leave three hundred people here."
What Chu Yuanchen said also meant that he was leaving again.
Of course not leaving Beijing, but...
"Zheng Zhongming should be back soon!" He smiled and said meaningfully, "I'm going to wait and see."
Just as Chu Yuanchen said, Zheng Zhongming was indeed about to arrive in the capital.
He rode on a tall horse, galloping all night long, looking ferocious and with a fierce look in his eyes.
He didn't expect that Xiao Shuo would actually ignore the Zhenbei Palace. Even if Xiao Shuo really didn't care about the Zhenbei Palace, why did the Zhenbei Army do the same? !
Zheng Zhongming could think that Xiao Shuo saw that the overall situation was set and did not want Chu Yuanchen to compete with him for power, so he wanted to use his own hands to get rid of the Zhenbei Palace. What about the Zhenbei Army? Aren't the Zhenbei Army Chu Yuanchen's confidants?
Zheng Zhongming really couldn't understand it.
The only thing he knew was that his whole plan was ruined by the Zhenbei Army, which did not play by the rules.
He calculated everything, including people's hearts, even Wei Xiu's fickleness, but he didn't calculate Zhen Bei's army.
When the Zhenbei Palace was in trouble, they did not go to rescue it, but instead followed Xiao Shuo and went crazy. It was simply stupid. Even now, Zheng Zhongming still couldn't suppress the anger and resentment in his heart.
He couldn't help but think of the time in Chonghua Palace again.
The Chonghua Palace was flooded, and the Zhenbei Army broke into the main hall. Whether it was intentional or accidental, they overturned the candles, and thick smoke filled the air. It was pitch black everywhere, and the entire Chonghua Palace was suddenly in chaos.
Zheng Zhongming realized at that time that he had lost.
However, he did not give up.
It doesn't matter if he fails in the garden, there is still the capital. He has laid two lines from the beginning and regarded the capital as his retreat.
He had hesitated to go to the side hall to take the emperor away, but finally gave up. Zheng Zhongming had to return to the capital faster than Xiao Shuo, otherwise he would lose the opportunity and he would not have time to take care of the emperor.
Xiao Shuo is not in the capital today, and all the important officials are also gone.
This was his best chance, his only chance.
After Zheng Zhongming left the garden, he immediately ordered people to release pigeons to deliver a letter to the capital.
One was to inform the imperial guards that he would be back soon, and the other was to have someone capture Jingle.
Zheng Zhongming really didn't believe that with Princess Jingle in hand, these Zhenbei troops would still side with Xiao Shuo!
The garden was about an hour away from the capital city. By galloping, this distance could be shortened to more than half an hour. Soon, Zheng Zhongming saw the city wall not far away. There were flickering torches on the wall, as if showing him the way.
Zheng Zhongming brought about ten thousand people on this trip, all of whom he secretly mobilized.
When they were almost in the capital, a scout came galloping over and reported: "Commander-in-chief, everything in the capital is stable and there is nothing unusual."
Zheng Zhongming nodded.
He has returned as quickly as possible, and no matter how fast Xiao Shuo is, he cannot arrive earlier than him.
And in the capital, he had already arranged everything.
He was on guard against Xiao Shuo, and Xiao Shuo was also on guard against him.
He couldn't possibly mobilize the imperial army to surround the capital ahead of time, as it would be too obvious. However, he still had three thousand troops!
Xiao Shuo thought he was smart and wanted to change the defense of the capital to the Three Thousand Camps. In fact, he had expected this and had already deployed his confidants in the Three Thousand Camps.
If he followed the original plan, after getting rid of Xiao Shuo, he would blame Xiao Shuo for the emperor's death, and then support the son of King Zhao as the king, and then replace him when the time was right. Even if Zhao Wang's wife Zhao did not give birth to a son, it didn't matter, as he could make the baby a boy if he wanted it to be one.
Now, he only needs to occupy the capital as soon as possible and eliminate the emperor's followers, and he can also achieve his goal.
Zheng Zhongming arrived at the foot of the city wall and looked up at it. It was too dark and he could not see the faces of the people on the wall, but he could still recognize their armor.
He raised his hand to signal for the city gate to be opened, and after waiting patiently for a while, the city gate opened.
"Go into the city."
Zheng Zhongming gave an order and led his troops into the capital.
As soon as he saw the city, he asked, "Where is Du Lin?"
He looked around and found that Du Lin did not come to greet him, and frowned slightly.
"Master Zheng. Who are you looking for?"
When Zheng Zhongming heard this familiar voice, his heart suddenly turned cold.
He subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound and saw a young man in black armor walking slowly down from the city wall. The young man was not wearing a helmet, and his long crow-feather-like hair was tied into a ponytail behind his head.
He stood on the steps, looked down at Zheng Zhongming, and said with a smile: "Master Zheng, long time no see."
Chu Yuanchen!
Zheng Zhongming's face was full of disbelief. At this moment, he was even more shocked than when he discovered that the Zhenbei Army obeyed Xiao Shuo's orders.
It’s Chu Yuanchen, it’s actually Chu Yuanchen!
Why is Chu Yuanchen here!
"Master Zheng." Chu Yuanchen's smile faded, his eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he said word by word, "Those who do not surrender will die!"
Many soldiers immediately emerged from the city walls and shops on both sides of the street, each of them holding a bow and arrow, and all their arrows were aimed at Zheng Zhongming below. Under the light of the torches, the sharp arrows emitted a thick white light, which made people feel terrified.
Zheng Zhongming's face turned pale immediately. This was not fear, but a fear from the bottom of his heart. He had been planning for a long time, but every move was anticipated by others and their retreat was cut off. It was as if there was a pair of eyes hidden in the void, watching his every move, every word and deed.
Zheng Zhongming suddenly understood why Xiao Shuo was so calm and composed when he was in the garden. It was because Chu Yuanchen was in the capital!
Zheng Zhongming couldn't help but think, if he was not in a hurry to return to the capital, but returned to the barracks first and then led his troops to force the palace, would they not have the opportunity to wait for him?
if……
Zheng Zhongming gave a bitter smile. He was in such a hurry to return to the capital just to be one step faster than Xiao Shuo.
It was Xiao Shuo who made him think that as long as he was faster, he could occupy the capital and wait for the opportunity.
Zheng Zhongming pulled the reins tightly, his mouth pursed into a straight line, and he remained silent for a long time.
Chu Yuanchen walked down the stairs slowly and said with a smile: "I will count to three. If you don't surrender, I will kill you."
"No surrender!"
Zheng Zhongming let out a loud shout.
He refused to accept the defeat, he had not lost yet, he still had five army camps.
The loyal young general raised his heavy shield to guard him and said, "General, the city gate is not closed. I will escort you out of the capital."
Zheng Zhongming looked back and saw that the city gate was not closed tightly, leaving a thin gap that was big enough for several people to pass through.
He was secretly delighted and nodded solemnly.
If he could fight his way out of the encirclement, he might be able to fight these two men.
The two of them didn't take action for a long time, wasn't it because they were afraid of the Five Army Battalions under his control? ! At worst, he could retreat to Yizhou and divide the world into two.
He glared at Chu Yuanchen and said, "You colluded with Xiao Shuo and plotted to commit crimes. This governor must arrest you to rectify the government!"
Chu Yuanchen listened to him with a smile and said, "One, two, three... attack."
A sharp arrow shot out from the darkness, cutting through the night. The arrow flew past Zheng Zhongming's ear, leaving a thin blood mark on his cheek, and pierced through the head of the personal soldier beside him, and blood splattered all over Zheng Zhongming's face.
Killed with one arrow.
Countless arrows poured down like rain, shooting at the imperial guards below.
Zheng Zhongming brought with him all his personal soldiers who were loyal to him. They held up heavy shields and formed a human wall around Zheng Zhongming, protecting him as he retreated out of the city.
The soldiers without heavy shields swung their swords at the arrows, sparks flying everywhere.
The streets of the capital were filled with the sound of weapons colliding, chaotic and loud, making people's ears feel stuffy and buzzing. There was also the sound of sharp arrows piercing flesh, shouts and screams, and the strong smell of blood filled the air and spread in the wind.
In terms of numbers, the 3,000 cavalrymen of the Zhenbei Army were far inferior to the imperial guards under Zheng Zhongming, but they occupied the high ground and had ambushed in advance, catching the imperial guards off guard. After several waves of attacks, most of the imperial guards were killed or wounded, while the Zhenbei Army remained unscathed.
The Zhenbei Army had countless achievements in defeating the strong with the weak and the many with the few. Now that they had the upper hand, they would never allow the enemy to fight back.
Even though Zheng Zhongming had his own personal soldiers who were willing to die to protect him, he was still shot in the arm by a sharp arrow.
The heavy shield protected Zheng Zhongming as he kept retreating, while a team of less than a hundred people firmly protected him.
The street in front of the city gate was in chaos. People kept dying, some were wailing, and some were trying to escape but were blocked by arrows falling from the sky.
In the face of the overwhelming victory, it seemed that everyone ignored Zheng Zhongming.
Zheng Zhongming took the opportunity to leave the capital and fled.
He brought a full 10,000 people back to the capital, but now he has less than 200 people around him to help him escape.
"Walk!"
After he escaped from the capital, he could still hear the sounds of weapons and fighting coming from inside. He didn't dare to look back at all. He could only ride his horse and gallop forward madly, fearing that Chu Yuanchen would bring people to chase him.
There was only one thought in his mind: to get to the barracks, just to get to the barracks.
So, when he rode his horse into a valley, he didn't even have time to ask anyone to go in and take a look, he just rode straight in.
Until he was blocked by a group of cavalry.
The one who was riding on a sharp horse, holding a spear, and leading this group of cavalry was the Earl of Wu'an.
He looked at Zheng Zhongming, sighed softly, and called out, "Master Zheng." Then he said, "Surrender, you lose."
Wu Anbo had complicated feelings. Zheng Chongming used to be a good fighter. During the time of the previous emperor, Zheng Chongming had made many contributions. In the first two years after the emperor ascended the throne, Zheng Chongming also led the imperial army to fight on the battlefield.
Otherwise, even if he had the emperor's personal support, he would not be able to hold the position of the governor of the Beijing camp if he did not have any ability. Over the years, he not only held the position firmly, but also controlled the entire imperial guards in his hands. This alone shows that he is capable.
But then...
The lives of military officers should be spent on the battlefield; the extravagance of the capital will only make them useless.
This is the case with Zheng Zhongming. After being in the world of fame and fortune for so long, he probably doesn’t even know how to set up the sandbox.
Otherwise, when he "escaped" from the capital, he should have thought about why he was able to escape...
Zheng Zhongming looked at Wu Anbo in disbelief, then looked behind him and saw that they were surrounded.
These people are like insects caught in a fly trap, unable to move forward or backward.
Chu Yuanchen!
Zheng Zhongming's eyes went dark and his heart ached as if a hand was pinching it. He covered his chest with his hands and swayed from side to side.
He lost, miserably.
The winner becomes the king, the loser becomes the bandit.
He couldn't help but look towards the direction of the capital, his eyes empty and lifeless.
After Zheng Zhongming "escaped", the morale of the imperial guards was greatly reduced, and they soon surrendered. After the Zhenbei Army captured the imperial guards, they quickly took control of the entire capital.
There was no large-scale street fighting and the capital was taken smoothly.
Far from panicking, the people in the capital city ran out of their homes one after another, cheering and celebrating, as if it were New Year's Day. The only thing missing was firecrackers. Even when Chu Yuanchen personally led his troops to the palace gate, they spontaneously lined the streets to welcome him.
It didn't look like they were going to force the emperor to abdicate, but rather like they had just returned from a victory.
When the Zhenbei Army arrived at the imperial city, the students who were still waiting in front of the palace gate immediately burst into enthusiastic cheers.
They were originally meditating here, but later they heard that the King of Zhenbei had returned, so the meditation turned into waiting.
"The Zhenbei Army is here!"
"The King of Zhenbei is back."
“We won!”
They looked so happy that people who didn't know them might think that the Zhenbei Army was recovering lost territory.
Chu Yuanchen sat on the back of the black horse, bowed to them and said, "Thank you!"
This "thank you" is worth a thousand gold.
Chu Yuanchen put down his hand, pulled the horse rope again, and said loudly: "My Zhenbei Palace has done everything we can for Darong. We have tried our best. The Zhenbei Palace has a clear conscience."
He put away his usual nonchalant smile and said seriously, "I have been fighting for the sake of great glory, but now, the emperor wants to kill everyone in my Zhenbei Palace."
"One hundred and thirty-seven members of the Chu family died fighting for Darong. The Chu family has never done anything to let Darong down!"
"It's Darong, it's the late emperor, it's the emperor, I'm sorry Chu family."
When these words were spoken, everyone felt deeply moved.
Some of these students had rushed over from the gate of Zhenbei Palace. They had heard Zhang Hen say with their own ears that it was the Emperor's decree to execute all the members of Zhenbei Palace. They also told all these words to others.
Now that Chu Yuanchen had said this, even among the scholars who valued etiquette the most, no one thought that he was being disobedient, but instead secretly applauded.
After all the things that have happened in recent days, the emperor has already lost the support of his people.
Chu Yuanchen looked around, taking in everyone's expressions, and said, "Since Darong can't accommodate the Chu family, then the Chu family should also fight for themselves!"
"The entire family of Lingnan Palace and Pingliang Palace has been wiped out, and there is no bloodline left." After Chu Yuanchen finished speaking, he looked towards the palace gate, "The Chu family only wants to fight for a place to survive!"
"Attack!"
Chu Yuanchen waved his hand, and the Zhenbei Army launched a fierce attack directly towards the imperial city!
The entire capital city is now under the control of the Zhenbei Army, and they only need to capture the imperial city.
The imperial guards were almost stunned. They were completely helpless against the attack of the Zhenbei Army.
The students watched this scene with excitement. One of them looked up and said with emotion: The weather is going to change!
Yes, things are going to change!
But it is from night to day.
By the time Prince Li and his men rushed back to the capital, the situation had already been decided.
They finally rushed back from the garden, exhausted and dusty. As soon as they stepped into the capital, they realized something was wrong.
The young general waiting near the city gate saluted Xiao Shuo respectfully and said, "Master." Then he said, "Your Majesty, please enter the palace."
Enter the palace?
Prince?
The young general was wearing the standard armor of the Zhenbei Army, which made people think that he was a member of the Zhenbei Army.
Prince Li couldn't help but ask, "Is it the King of Zhenbei?"
"yes."
Prince Li's heart skipped a beat. Looking at the quiet streets of the capital, he felt even more uneasy.
Zhenbei King Chu Yuanchen is back.
Chu Yuanchen wants to see them!
Moreover, it was in the palace...
The meaning was too obvious. They had only been away from the capital for half a day, so how come even the sky had changed when they came back?
The defense of the capital city won't be lost so easily, right? !
Prince Li looked at Xiao Shuo with tears in his eyes, "My Lord Governor..." The others had almost the same expression. They wanted to cry, but couldn't. They were completely undecided.
Xiao Shuo looked calm.
From the beginning to the end, whether Zheng Zhongming was threatening him with an imperial edict or the imperial guards were drawing swords against him, Xiao Shuo remained calm and composed, with a calmness that could calm others.
His calmness also soothed everyone's hearts.
Anyway, it should, probably, probably won't take their lives.
In other words, if their lives were to be taken, there would be no need for them to enter the palace, right?
With trepidation in their hearts, everyone followed the young general into the palace.
The guards in front of the palace gate have been replaced by the Zhenbei Army. Inside the palace, there is a guard post every three steps, all of which are guarded by soldiers of the Zhenbei Army. The entire palace is quiet, without any extra sounds.
The Zhenbei Army was so well-trained that it looked like they were very experienced in forcing abdications, which was why they were able to control the situation in such a short period of time.
In fact, King Zhenbei had little experience in forcing abdication, but he did have some experience and practice in causing the destruction of a country and taking over the palace of another country.
Chu Yuanchen was sitting in the Zhanghua Palace, waiting for them leisurely.
Of course, Chu Yuanchen was not the only one in Zhanghua Hall. Civil and military officials, Qin clan members, royal relatives, and nobles and powerful officials were all there. They stood with their hands behind their backs, and most of them looked panicked.
Today, major events in the capital city happened one after another. First, the Zhenbei Palace was besieged, and then the students led the people to cause trouble.
Most of them did not dare to interfere. After all, the imperial guards were holding the imperial edict, and all the influential people in the capital had gone to meet the emperor. They could not make the decision even if they were asked to do so.
Later, the King of Zhenbei came back.
They thought everything was finally over, but the King of Zhenbei abdicated after fighting a battle with Zheng Zhongming!
Later, several soldiers from the Zhenbei Army "invited" them here. The other party was very good-tempered and did not use violence, but they had no choice but to come.
Finally!
Now that Governor Xiao had arrived, it was like they suddenly had a backbone, and their anxious hearts were calmed down a lot.
In this hall, apart from the armchair where Chu Yuanchen sat, there was only one chair. Xiao Shuo walked straight over and sat down without any hesitation.
Seeing that everyone was present, Chu Yuanchen smiled and said, "I called you all here because I have something to tell you."
"Now, the capital has been taken by me. What do you think we should do?"