"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!" Song Yuan hurriedly supported him.

These insects are green or the color of dead leaves, with narrow and long front legs and transparent hind wings. Tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of insects gather together, and their flapping wings make a dull buzzing sound that almost deafens the ears.

It's a locust!

There has been no reports of locust plagues in Gyeonggi Province. Where did so many locusts come from?

"Ling, Lingnan Palace!" Someone shouted in panic, and everyone's expression became subtle.

These days, since who knows when, all kinds of rumors about Lingnan Palace have spread throughout the streets and alleys of the capital, and those almost forgotten past events have become clear again.

Locusts… On the day when the ancient city of Zhan was burned down by fire and the Xue family was wiped out, there was also a locust plague that covered the sky and the sun.

Now, it's exactly the same as that day!

Before they could think carefully, dark clouds rushed towards them madly, as if they would completely swallow them up in the next moment.

Song Yuan shouted in surprise: "Someone come! Quick, protect the car!"

"Royal brother!"

Qin Wei hurriedly drew the sword from his waist and slashed at the locusts.

The locusts were too small, and he didn't kill many of them with this blow of the sword. Instead, more locusts flew onto his body.

Locusts usually do not bite people, but during a locust plague, they will sometimes stay on people and gnaw at their flesh. If there are so many locusts, if each one bites a person a few times, it can really bite a person to death.

Qin Wei was bitten several times in a short period of time. He swung the sword harder in pain, but it was of no use.

The eunuchs used a canopy to block the emperor's way, and the Jinyi Guards formed a human wall. Others were not so lucky. The ministers either covered their faces with their sleeves or fled in all directions. The scene in front of the Shili Pavilion was in chaos.

In the chaos, Xiao Shuo gave orders in an orderly manner: "Jinyi Guards, escort the emperor back to the capital." His eyebrows were gentle, but every word he uttered carried an unquestionable aura.

"Yes, Lord Governor."

The accompanying Jinyi Guards quickly clasped their fists in response to the order. Song Yuan took out a cloak from somewhere and covered the emperor's head with it.

The horses had already been frightened by the locust plague and were in a panic. After finally pacifying a few of them, Song Yuan quickly helped the emperor onto the horse.

Xiao Shuo said gently, "Your Majesty, please return to the capital first. I will take care of the rest."

The emperor nodded quickly and grabbed the reins with his stiff hands.

At this moment, the emperor seemed to have returned to the time more than 20 years ago, under the ancient city of Zhan. Just like now, he was fleeing frantically for his life during the locust plague, and it was Zheng Zhongming who risked his life to rescue him.

And now it was Xiao Shuo! The emperor was deeply moved.

Xiao Shuo was still calmly ordering, "Imperial Guards, light the torches!"

"Burn!"

The emperor felt relieved. He stepped on the horse's belly, shouted "Go!", and galloped towards the capital.

Once the emperor ran away, the ministers had no time to care about anything else. Those who had horses got on them, and those who didn't had to rely on their own legs to escape madly.

Regardless of whether they bite or not, these clusters of insects are really creepy to look at.

Xiao Shuo and Chu Yuanchen exchanged glances quickly, and the latter nodded slightly, curled the corners of his mouth, and smiled at him.

The guards quickly lit torches and waved them to burn the locusts. In the chaos, no one noticed the eye contact between the two men.

The emperor leaned on the horse's back, urging him on.

All he could think about was Zhan Ancient City. That day, he was bitten by locusts several times. The wounds had clearly healed long ago, but now they seemed to be hurting again.

The emperor subconsciously slapped himself randomly.

"Your Majesty!" Eunuch Song rode his horse behind the emperor and shouted in surprise, "The locusts are still following us."

The emperor turned his head to take a look, his face filled with fear.

Most of the locusts had been stopped by the imperial guards, but there was still a small group that kept following the emperor closely. Their speed was no slower than that of horses, and in just a short while, the buzzing sound was already close to the emperor's ears.

The emperor did not dare to look back. He held the reins tightly with one hand and then whipped the horse hard. The horse felt pain and spread its hooves to run forward desperately.

Shili Pavilion was only a dozen miles away from the capital, and the people in the capital were all eagerly awaiting the return of the emperor and the prince of Zhenbei. They were whispering to each other and talking excitedly.

At this time, the crowd suddenly became agitated for some reason. Sheng Yan, who was sitting in the private room, stretched his neck to look for a while, but it was too noisy outside and he couldn't hear anything clearly, so he said, "Sister, Princess, I'll go down and ask."

Then he ran out quickly.

He wandered around below and soon came up again, shouting in disbelief, "They said that when the Holy Chariot went to pick up the Prince of Zhenbei, locusts appeared. Sister, are there really locusts?! Could it be that the spirit of the King of Zhenbei appeared?"

A hint of pride flashed across Sheng Xiyan's eyes, and she smiled as she said, "Whether it's true or not, we'll know when the Holy Driver comes back."

She was sitting by the window, sipping hot tea and looking calm and relaxed.

"That's right." Sheng Yan felt that everything his sister said was right, and added, "By the way, sister, I just saw cousin Rou, she is in the private room next to us. She saw me too."

What Sheng Yan didn't say was that Zhao Yuanrou looked down upon him at the time and said: How could there be a locust plague in the capital for no reason? Someone must have tampered with it to deceive some ignorant people.

Although what he said didn't sound wrong at first, Zhao Yuanrou's look of "you are all fools" still made his fists itchy. But his sister said that you can't be rough with girls, so he just ignored her.

How could there be such an annoying person? It wasn't like I went to talk to her myself!

"Sister, are these locusts man-made?" Sheng Yan asked wildly, "...Maybe the locust plague in Zhan Ancient City was also man-made. If someone really led the locusts over, would there be a chance to save the people in Lingnan Palace?"

He was a little disappointed, and was about to think further when suddenly a voice came from the street outside:

"The Holy Chariot is back!"

Sheng Yan's attention was immediately drawn over there, and he did not forget to call his friend Chu Yuanyi.

The view from this private room was indeed good. At a glance, one could clearly see the bright yellow canopy and dragon flags already outside the city gate. However...

Why are the canopy and dragon flag tilted?!

No, it's not just the canopy and the dragon flag, why are even the people toppling over?!

Sheng Yan was stunned. He nudged Chu Yuanyi with his elbow and said, "Is that the emperor?"

Sheng Yan pointed at the bright yellow figure on the horse's back in shock. After three breaths, he realized that this behavior was a bit outrageous and quickly put down his hand.

Chu Yuanyi also stretched his neck, looked carefully for a while, and nodded: "It seems so."

The emperor was sprawled on the horse's back in an ungraceful manner, his dragon robe was wrinkled into a ball, and his cloak was half hanging and half dragging. If his hands had not been holding the reins tightly, he would have fallen off the horse at any time.

Not only the emperor, but also the court officials who had been in dignified and neatly dressed as they accompanied the emperor to Shili Pavilion more than half an hour ago were all hanging on the horses in a mess. Their faces were pale and full of fear, and they looked back from time to time, as if some ferocious beast was chasing them.

Not only Sheng Yan, but even the soldiers in front of the city gate were shocked. If it weren't for the bright yellow dragon robe, they would have wanted to grab the man and interrogate him.

The soldiers hesitated for a few moments before quickly making way. The emperor's white horse rushed into the city like the wind and galloped towards the imperial city.

Just as the white horse passed the Yunlai Tavern, it suddenly neighed, raised its front hooves high, and then paced back and forth in panic. No matter how the emperor whipped it with the whip, it refused to move forward another step.

Even the ministers' horses seemed to have been greatly frightened, and some were thrown off their horses and fell heavily to the ground.

The people around were almost stunned.

That’s the emperor!

That’s Mr. Guan!

What is this?!

The wind picked up again, and before we knew it, the sky gradually became gloomy and darker.

"It's a Tengu!"

Suddenly someone screamed, and the sharp, panic-stricken sound cut through the sky.

"It's a solar eclipse!"

Everyone raised their heads upon hearing the sound and looked up at the sky with horror.

It was September and the sun was still very scorching at noon. You should not be able to look directly at the sun overhead, but at this moment, the sunlight was not dazzling at all. The orange-red sun looked like something had taken a bite out of it, leaving a large piece of black.

The emperor pulled the reins to comfort the frightened horse. He looked up when he heard the words. His pupils slowly contracted and his face showed not only fear but also shock.

"It's a solar eclipse!"

More and more screams rang out throughout the capital, and people ran around in all directions. The imperial guards struggled to maintain order, but they were unable to control the panicked crowd.

The imperial guards had to use their bodies to form a human wall to prevent them from rushing into the streets and crashing into the emperor.

In a shop along the street, someone took out a copper gong and started knocking on it.

Again and again.

The shrill sound of bronze bells and various screams mixed together, creating a chaotic mess.

If the emperor had not left the capital, the imperial guards would have already guarded and cleared the area, and the capital would have been out of control by now.

More and more people took out their gongs and struck them hard, hoping to scare the Tengu away. However, the scorching sun in the sky was eaten away by a piece, leaving only half.

Then, another piece was missing.

The sky was getting darker and darker. It was almost noon, but it felt like night had already fallen. There was only a ray of sunlight left, and it was shining through with difficulty in the darkness.

Finally, darkness fell completely.

This is a darkness darker than the night, and panic is spreading in this darkness.

Before the darkness completely fell, Sheng Yan ran to Sheng Xiyan's side. At this moment, he held her sleeve tightly and said, "Sister, don't be afraid. Our teacher said that the solar eclipse is a celestial phenomenon. It's nothing to worry about..."

He spoke a bunch of incoherent things, and Sheng Xiyan felt warm inside.

This eclipse had also appeared on this day in the previous life, but she had never mentioned it to Chu Yuanchen. However, it was obvious that there were some things that she didn't need to say at all, and they had already made arrangements.

That’s Chu Yuanchen and Xiao Shuo!

In the previous life, Chu Yuanchen died, and Xiao Shuo was able to turn the Darong Dynasty upside down by himself.

And in this life, Chu Yuanchen is still alive!

"Take off your outer robes and light a fire."

A gentle voice was heard in the darkness. The voice was not loud, but it seemed to have a unique penetrating power. In the darkness and chaos, it reached the ears of every imperial guard.

It’s Xiao Shuo.

The imperial guards all carried flint with them. When they heard this, some of them immediately took off their outer robes and lit the fire with the flint.

The flames danced in the darkness, and the firelight had a gentleness that could soothe people's hearts.

Soon, more and more fires were lit, and the light not only dispelled the darkness, but also seemed to dispel the uneasiness in the hearts of the people.

"Your Majesty, are you okay?"

Xiao Shuo came up to the emperor, took the reins, and calmed the restless horse for him.

To the emperor, his appearance was like a bright light in a lonely boat in the dark night. His eyes widened and he quickly called out, "A Shuo." His voice trembled.

Xiao Shuo comforted him and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. The locusts have been burned to death."

The emperor's mind was in a mess, and he could not help nodding: "A Shuo, you are still the most reliable."

The darkness continues.

The emperor was in a daze and looked up at the sky subconsciously.

Of course he didn't believe that there really was such a thing as a celestial dog. It was just a solar eclipse, but how could it be such a coincidence?

The emperor was almost unable to hold the reins again.

Chu Yuanchen had just returned to Beijing when the solar eclipse and locust plague occurred. If these were all coincidences, then it was all too coincidental...

"Sacrifice my heroic spirit, the heroic spirit will never die!"

In the darkness, a loud shout came from the direction of the city gate, startling the emperor so much that he almost fell off his horse.

Hundreds of voices gathered together and became one again: "Heroic spirits are immortal!"

Enlightening and awakening.

There was a faint light falling overhead, and the sun finally shone a little, casting a tiny ray of light into the darkness.

The people were surprised and delighted. They immediately remembered that it was the cry of "The heroic spirits are immortal" that drove away the Tengu, and they couldn't help but look in the direction of the sound.

What came into view were black military flags, surging white banners, a pitch-black coffin, and a beautiful young man in silver armor.

At this moment, everyone's voice seemed to be swallowed up, the whole street was silent, they stood there in a daze, only the words "Sacrifice to my heroic soul, the heroic spirit will never die" seemed to still echo in their ears, lingering for a long time.

The soldiers guarding the city looked at each other, not knowing whether to fight or not.

The captain of the city gate waved his hand and ordered them to retreat.

The soldier looked at him hesitantly: "Captain?"

"The army of the Crown Prince of Chu is staying outside the city. Only two hundred people and a coffin entered the city, just as the rituals set by the Ministry of Rites did." The captain of the city gate asked, "Why do we have to stop them?"

Soldier: “…” That seems to be true.

The captain of the city gate continued, "The emperor left the capital to welcome the prince of Chu, and now they are just coming back one after the other."

Soldier: “…” This makes even more sense.

So they put away their weapons and retreated to both sides. Chu Yuanchen, carrying the coffin and the two hundred people who were with him, went straight into the city gate.

All the people stared blankly at the pitch-black coffin. They had all heard that this was the coffin of Lingnan King Xue Chongzhi.

Chu Yuanchen and his companions were silent, carrying the coffin and riding their horses slowly forward.

The white flags fluttered in the wind, and the people around seemed to see the soldiers on the battlefield far away fighting bravely, not fearing death, fighting the enemy with all their might, and never retreating a single step until they died on the battlefield.

Xue Zhongzhi had lived a life of war and battle, but for the past twenty years or so, he had received nothing but suspicion and abuse, and he couldn't even keep his clothes and clothes in his cenotaph!

Some people's eyes were red and moist.

It was getting light.

Someone in the crowd shouted “The heroic spirits are immortal”, and then more and more voices spontaneously joined in.

Finally, the last dark shadow that was blocking the sun completely disappeared, and the bright sunshine shone on the earth.

The darkness is dispelled by the sun, and light returns to the world.

The streets of the capital were completely boiling at this moment. Sheng Yan's face was filled with excitement, and he and Chu Yuanyi talked non-stop. He was so excited that he almost wanted to jump off the street.

Sheng Xiyan's heart was also beating fast, and she could not take her eyes off Chu Yuanchen. The corners of her mouth unconsciously curved upwards, and her clear black and white almond eyes were bright and beautiful.

"Sister! Is that the Prince of Zhenbei?!"

Sheng Yan called out excitedly, but when his sister ignored him, he pulled Chu Yuanyi beside him, pointed at the young man in silver armor, and asked, "Yuanyi, is that your brother? Look quickly."

"Yes! He's my eldest brother!" Chu Yuanyi nodded vigorously and waved his hand, fearing that the people below couldn't see him.

“Brother!”

Chu Yuanchen heard the voice and looked up at them. His bright peach blossom eyes fell on Sheng Xiyan's face and he revealed a faint smile.

Sheng Xiyan's heart was pounding, and she couldn't help but say in her heart: How come he is so handsome!

She responded with a brilliant smile, looking very excited.

Jingle said, "Isn't Chen good-looking?"

Sheng Xiyan said without thinking: "It looks good!"

There was a smile on her lips and pear-shaped vortices on her cheeks, which made Jingle's hands itchy and she couldn't help but want to pinch them.

Chu Yuanchen rode past on his horse, and the emperor was right in front of him, staring at him in a daze.

One of them looked listless and panic-stricken.

A high-spirited and energetic person.

When their eyes met, the emperor's heart skipped a beat.

His reason told him that this was all a trap set by Chu Yuanchen. But even if the solar eclipse could be seen from the sky, what about the locusts?

Where do locusts come from?

Moreover, Chu Yuanchen's arrival time in Beijing had been changed again and again, from September 23 to September 28, so why did the solar eclipse happen on this day!

"This time when the Crown Prince of Chu brought his coffin to the capital, perhaps the heavens would have some inspiration, just like what happened in Zhan Ancient City that day, with dark clouds covering the sun and locusts flying across the city..."

For some reason, the emperor remembered Sheng Xiyan's words, and in a trance, he seemed to have returned to more than 20 years ago.

That day, he personally gave the order to sprinkle kerosene...

Fiery red flames, black locusts, and a darkness that seemed to swallow people up.

All of this turned into the pitch-black coffin in front of him. He shuddered and began to be unable to trust his own reason, but he was even more unwilling to believe that it was really ghosts and gods at work.

The ministers gradually calmed down from their panic. They straightened their messy hats and clothes. Some of them looked at the Minister of Rites, wanting to ask how the next ceremony should proceed.

The Minister of Rites has been in tears for a long time. It has come to this, who knows what will happen next!

He pretended not to see the broken jars and pots, and just wanted to hide somewhere where no one was around and cry.

"emperor."

Chu Yuanchen clasped his fists and said, "I have brought the remains of the King of Xianlingnan back to the capital. Before he died in battle, the king said that if he died, he would become a heroic spirit and continue to guard the land of Darong."

emperor:"……"

Chu Yuanchen had said these words before when he was in Shili Pavilion, but when he said them again now, they seemed completely different from what he had just said.

Just now, Chu Yuanchen seemed to be recounting the whole experience to him, but now, his sharp edge was revealed, and the whole person was like a sword unsheathed, sharp and unstoppable.

He carried the blood and energy of someone who had fought his way out of a sea of ​​blood and corpses. The emperor was so frightened by his invisible hostility that he dared not look directly at him.

The emperor's Adam's apple moved, and he said with difficulty: "My dear Xue...you have made great contributions to the country."

The emperor finally uttered these words.

Since the time of the previous emperor, trumped-up charges have been leveled at Xue Chongzhi.

They said he colluded with Nan Huai, that he deserved to die, and that he deserved it.

The late emperor lamented the loss of his close friend, but at the same time he turned a blind eye to these rumors.

Rumors unknowingly become the "truth", and more and more people go from being skeptical to believing it to be true.

Yes. If Xue Zhongzhi was really innocent, why didn't the late emperor clarify the matter?

If he is really innocent, why is everyone saying this?

If he was truly innocent, why was even his cenotaph dug up?

The late emperor used this rumor to show his deep love and great grace!

Chu Yuanchen showed a sarcastic smile on his face. He raised his hand to support the coffin and said lightly: "Your Majesty, I didn't hear it clearly."

emperor:"……"

He didn't want to be forced by Chu Yuanchen. He really wanted to say that Xue Zhong deserved his death, but he couldn't say it.

The defenses in his heart had been completely broken down by the series of events that had just happened. Facing the pitch-black coffin, he inexplicably felt guilty and panicked.

The emperor tried hard to control his expression and said solemnly, "Mr. Xue has made great contributions to the country. It was because he fought against Nan Huai that his entire family was killed. I am deeply saddened."

"Let the body remain in the Huangjue Temple, and let the Ministry of Rites choose an auspicious date for burial."

The emperor's words determined the right and wrong of that year.

Xue Zhongzhi did not collude with Nan Huai, so he should not be suspected, questioned, or slandered.

He has made contributions to the country.

The people around heard it, and many of them looked ashamed. Some of them couldn't even raise their heads in front of the black coffin.

The emperor took a deep breath, and his throat felt fishy and sweet, as if something was about to burst out.

Back then, the late emperor was willing to give up his close friend Xue Chongzhi for the sake of the prosperity of his country, but he also built a cenotaph for him to be buried with great honor, so that he could be worshipped forever for generations to come.

Unfortunately, the rumor about locusts became more and more intense. In order to quell the rumors among the people, Yu Shizhe requested the late emperor to conduct a thorough investigation.

The late emperor had no choice but to suppress these rumors by accusing Xue Zhongzhi of colluding with Nan Huai.

But now, all the efforts of the late emperor have been burned to ashes.

The emperor's chest heaved, and he said with difficulty: "I will go there in person to bury Mr. Xue."

The emperor thought he had made a huge concession and Chu Yuanchen should stop, but Chu Yuanchen did not thank him, nor did he back down.

His hand was still on the coffin, and he looked at the emperor with sharp eyes, and continued: "When Xue Zhongzhi's tomb was destroyed, the late emperor did not hear about it or do anything about it. People spread rumors that Xue Zhong was guilty of his death, but the late emperor did not investigate or punish him. Yu Shili submitted memorials to the late emperor asking him to investigate thoroughly, but the late emperor was unmoved."

"Is it possible that the late emperor did not make mistakes?"