All the guards who can serve in front of the emperor are outstanding in martial arts and are also very good at arresting people.
It was an accident that Ji Zimu suddenly broke away when he was paying his respects in front of the emperor today. It was impossible for this to happen again. The two guards skillfully pressed the acupoints on Ji Zimu's arms and waist, and used their other hand to quickly hold his mouth tightly, and half-lifted and half-carried him back to Ciqing Palace where the princes lived.
As soon as he arrived at the place, he used his strength to push Ji Zimu inside, and then conveyed his orders to the eunuch guarding the gate and the imperial guards who followed behind him.
Ji Zizhi, Ji Zimu's younger brother who was three years younger than him, was anxiously waiting and rushed over: "Big brother!!"
Ji Zizhi hurriedly supported his brother and glared at the imperial guards. But before he could say anything, Ji Zimu held his hand tightly and said in a hoarse voice: "Let's go back."
Ciqing Palace is a complex of large and small palaces, and is the residence of the princes. At this time, the lights were just coming on, and one could faintly see that the windows of some places were slightly opened. Ji Zimu did not want these half-brothers to laugh at his brother, so without waiting for the eunuchs and the imperial guards to arrest and urge him, he pulled his brother and turned around and walked quickly towards his residence.
The night wind was cold and tears rolled down his face. He and his two brothers were now motherless.
And my father became an emperor overnight, high above everyone else.
Bitterness and pain are like drinking the water, only you know whether it is cold or warm.
Walking along the large flower bed, the eldest prince was tactful, and the eunuchs and the imperial guards were also happy to follow him from a distance.
Ji Zimu and his brother walked quickly inside. Passing by a small rockery, they could faintly hear the eunuchs gossiping behind them, "…The imperial decree has been issued, so of course the Xu family will not disobey it."
"If you ask me," the voice was obviously lowered, "... in the future, I'm afraid that Empress Xu's son will be the crown prince."
“No way!”
"Oh, no? Just wait and see..."
Ji Zimu clenched his fists, half of which was filled with hatred. He wished he could rush into the rockery and drag out the two idle eunuchs to beat them up, but the other half felt ice cold, as if he had been stabbed in the vitals. His heart was suddenly pressed into ice water, and half of his body was freezing cold. He was unable to move to the side and could only walk forward mechanically, stiffly.
He tasted blood and his teeth were bleeding from being bitten.
The night was as cold as water, and the wind sounded like a whip, hitting him again and again.
…
Ji Zimu was taken back to the bedroom to reflect on his mistakes.
Yang Yanzong on the other side got the news.
It was a very detailed process, not even the expressions of the people were missed.
Yang Yanzong took a glance and laughed. He was just telling the truth in advance. The child would have hard times ahead.
Ji Yuanhao had many concubines in his backyard, and many of them gave birth to children. In the past, he was just a marquis, but with Ren as his pillar of support, naturally everyone behaved themselves.
But now that Ren is gone and Ji Yuanhao has ascended the throne to become emperor, everyone's mind has become active.
For example, Defei, who gave birth to two sons and two daughters, gave birth to Ji Yuanhao's third and fifth sons respectively. She was not much younger than Ji Zimu, and she also had a father and brother at home. She was sent to the latter's harem because her father and brother surrendered to Ji Yuanhao. Over the years, her father and brother have worked hard, and now they are Ji Yuanhao's more capable elders. Father and son served in the same court, so she was named Defei as soon as she entered the palace, and now she is still temporarily in charge of the harem.
This Defei was smart and had been keeping an eye on the Ji Zimu brothers for a long time. The youngest son was being raised by Ji Yuanhao himself, so she couldn't reach him, but the two older ones were outside.
As for the new concubines, Ji Yuanhao summoned them into the harem to win people's hearts, so no matter how busy he was, he had to find time to favor them. Several of the new concubines are already pregnant, and the oldest one is already eight months pregnant. It has been confirmed that she is pregnant with a boy.
The new and old concubines are watching covetously. The harem seems calm on the surface, but in fact everyone is waiting for an opportunity.
But Ji Yuanhao was extremely busy, and the man was in charge of external affairs while the woman was in charge of internal affairs. He had been busy with external affairs for so many years that he had formed a habit of leaving the internal affairs completely in the hands of Ren. Even if he remembered to ask, that was all.
There are some secrets about the inner palace and the harem that men don't understand.
In this undercurrent situation, if the Ji Zimu brothers were ever disliked by their father, there would definitely be countless overt and covert means waiting for them.
Yang Yanzong saw it clearly, so he said that the hard days were yet to come.
——However, this child is somewhat wild and fierce, and Yang Yanzong doesn't mind spending a little more time to arrange it, as it may come in handy in the future.
…
However, for Yang Yanzong at the moment, Ji Zimu’s matter is just a trivial matter.
He quickly finished the task and put the secret report down. A Kang picked it up, lit it, and threw it into the brazier again.
A flash of orange flame rose up and quickly engulfed the small piece of paper.
There was already a thick layer of paper ash in this rather large fire tray.
Tonight, Akang did not follow Yang Yanzong to the main courtyard. While Yang Yanzong was accompanying Su Ci, he was ordered to take out some secret letters and files from recent days and burn them.
Yang Yanzong stared at the fire pan, stood up, opened a secret door, and took a few things from a secret compartment in a hidden corner. He put the rest of the letters and files into his arms, "burned them all."
Akang and Azhao were horrified: "Master?!"
This secret door and secret compartment were built by Yang Yanzong who specially sought out a master of machinery and spent a lot of effort. Even Akang and Azhao didn't know how to open it. Storing inside were top-secret letters and plans from Yang Yanzong and the southwest and northwest.
This suddenly caught fire and was cleaned up. Is it time to prepare to start the plan?
Didn’t you say it would take two to three years? What’s going on? It’s been just over a year now.
Yang Yanzong said calmly: "He made Xu's daughter the new queen."
Akang and Azhao's hearts were beating like drums. They didn't dare to ask any more questions. They hurried forward, carefully picked up a thick stack of information and letters, and burned them carefully in the brazier.
A dim light was lit up again, illuminating Yang Yanzong's profile. He sat and stared for a moment, then stood up and pushed open the window.
The night wind blew in, and Yang Yanzong's robe fluttered. He looked indifferent as he looked into the distance at the towering palace hidden in the night.
Akang and Azhao’s guess was absolutely correct.
The moment he learned that Ji Yuanhao had established a new office, he immediately decided to move the plan forward!
Yang Yanzong knew very well why Ji Yuanhao was so eager to control the court and win over the Northern Army generals.
Of course he couldn't wait for the other party to free up his hands to deal with him before taking action!
…
After Akang and Azhao finished burning everything, Achuan also came back. The three of them looked solemn.
Yang Yanzong ordered Ah Chuan: "You go in person and secretly order Feng Tiexiong and Qin Yuan to make plans in advance and arrange everything in the southwest and northwest as soon as possible. The sooner the better!"
"yes!"
Ah Chuan gave a loud voice, received the order and left in secret.
The dim moonlight shone through the half-open window onto Yang Yanzong's sculpture-like profile.
His brows were deep and his eyes were as dark as a deep pool, carrying an indescribable awe-inspiring look.
On the porch in front of the house, there were black figures standing solemnly. Some of them had faces visible, but most of them were hidden in the darkness. These were his personal soldiers who would guard him without hesitation regardless of life or death.
The three-foot-wide bluestone path leading forward has a fork. If you go left, you will leave the outer study courtyard directly, while if you go right, you will lead to the secret passage in the corner room.
Day and night, countless of his trusted subordinates, such as Li Shengen, Sun Yingjie, Su Di and others, as well as Yang Yanzhen, Achuan, Asheng and so on, all entered and exited from the two roads in front of him. Many of them have followed him since they were teenagers, and have been fighting for him through thick and thin, risking their lives for him for more than a dozen years.
From a lonely and courageous heart to today's determination.
He has to find a way out for everyone behind him, right?
His confidants, his subordinates, his father, brothers, wife, and everyone behind him from top to bottom.
He is a son, a brother, a husband, a father, and a leader.
As for other things, he couldn't care too much about others, but he absolutely could not let go of these.
He will get away with them safely!
…
Three months later, Achuan and Feng Tiexiong returned.
The two men were dusty and exhausted, but their eyes were bright. When they saw Yang Yanzong, they immediately knelt on one knee and said, "Master, I am glad to have fulfilled your mission!"
Feng Tiexiong's voice was steady but with a hint of excitement. He calmed himself down and said in a deep voice, "We have finally taken the last five passes, including Tieshan Pass, Feijin Pass, Qingwu Pass, Yangshan Ferry, Pizhoukou, Miaochong, Wuning and Chenshan!"
The so-called "taking down" does not mean occupying it by force, but means taking down the main general or governor who can play a decisive role, or having deployed appropriate personnel, and waiting for the order to do so, they will be able to take the above-mentioned passes or key points in their hands in the blink of an eye.
Feng Tiexiong's eyes were bright, and he said loudly: "Everything is ready in the southwest and northwest. We are just waiting for the master to lead the troops to evacuate!"
"very good!!"
Yang Yanzong was very happy and bent over to help Feng Tiexiong and Achuan up.
He immediately took out a roll of map from the long tube, brushed away all the debris on the large desk, and spread out the map.
It was a very detailed map, which covered the entire territory of Daqing. Yang Yanzong's sharp eyes fell on the southwest and northwest.
Yang Yanzong was not a person who was willing to suffer loss. When Ji Yuanhao proclaimed himself emperor, he was not a member of the royal family. As a powerful person who the other party would definitely want to get rid of as soon as possible, how could he allow himself to be slaughtered?
The territorial map in front of us shows the Southwest and Northwest. Both places cover a vast area, but they are surrounded by mountains and have many natural passes.
Following these key passes and certain places that require attention, the entire Southwest and Northwest can be separated from the territory of Daqing.
At the age of twelve, Yang Yanzong followed his father to fight in the southwest, and then traveled all the way to the northwest and the Northern Army, rising step by step and rising rapidly.
Many things were actually arranged naturally in the past, but they became clearer day by day and have completely taken shape in the past few years.
Yes, he is not from the royal family, and he has no way to compete with Ji Yuanhao for the throne. It is too difficult. In the Yangdu Imperial Capital with dangerous terrain and surrounded by troops, the failure rate of usurping the throne is almost 100%.
Of course Yang Yanzong would not be so stupid.
However, he is a person who never suffers any loss. Even if he suffers a loss for a while, it is only for a better counterattack or more benefits.
He has come to where he is today step by step, and no one can take away what belongs to him!
Southwest, and northwest.
Since the time when the Kun family came to power, Yang Yanzong had been making preparations for both scenarios. He did not necessarily have to stay in the capital, the center of the imperial court.
This is just one of his development paths.
If this way doesn't work, he has another way!
Now, the southwest and northwest are almost ready. Few people around him have seen Qin Yuan and Feng Tiexiong, and even Yang Yanzhen may not know them. However, these two people are Yang Yanzong's staunch confidants.
The two men followed the order and spent several years, from point to surface, and Yang Yanzong's people and interest chain quietly and silently spread through the two places.
To date, the last eight important passes and key points have finally been successfully arranged.
Yang Yanzong nodded and looked around inch by inch. Now that the southwest and northwest had been arranged, the next step, which was the most crucial step in the entire plan, was to lead the troops to evacuate!
Yang Yanzong has been running his business for many years, half of which is in the southwest and northwest, and the other half, of course, is in the capital.
The Qingfeng Baishun and other battalions currently stationed in Suiping Camp were all his old trusted battalions, which he personally brought up back then. The battalions led by Yang Yanzong when he forced the old emperor to abdicate were the Qingfeng Baishun and other battalions.
In addition, there are the Left Guard, nearly half of the Northern and Southern Armies’ Thirteen Guards, and a part of the Beijing Camp forces that have been gathered in the palm of the hand in recent years.
All in all, even if we exclude some unstable ones, there are still tens of thousands of soldiers and horses.
Now, openly or secretly, Yang Yanzong can almost control nearly one-third of the military power in Yangdu and the capital area.
These are of vital importance and must not be given up. They are the foundation for stability after we take over the southwest and northwest!
The key next step is how to arrange all this quietly and silently under Ji Yuanhao's nose, suddenly evacuate the camp at the agreed time, and successfully retreat to the outside of Qingwu Pass in a forced march.
Yang Yanzong said: "Send a message and ask Li Shengen and others to come see me in the next few days."
His eyes were sharp, like a knife drawn from its sheath.
Akang Azhao took a deep breath, suppressed his agitated emotions, and replied in a deep voice: "Yes!"
The night is deep and the sky is as dark as ink.
The closer it is to the end, the more critical it is, the more careful you must be and you must not panic!
Akang and Azhao adjusted their mood slightly, quickly regained their composure, and walked out quickly after receiving the order.
…
Three months is neither long nor short. In the blink of an eye, the ice and snow melted and spring went and summer came.
The sun shines brightly above the red walls and golden tiles of the palace.
Today, the imperial palace is decorated with red and colorful ribbons as the whole country celebrates. The solemn ceremony and grand banquet fill the whole day with harmonious couples and joy everywhere.
Today is the auspicious day for His Majesty the Emperor to marry the Queen.
Three months is a little short, but the throne has been vacant since His Majesty the Emperor ascended the throne, and there are no auspicious days in the second half of the year, so it is understandable that the interval is a little shorter.
Although the time was a bit tight, the ritual system was not short at all. The Ministry of Rites and the Twelve Bureaus were extremely busy, taking care of everything from bestowing money and betrothal gifts to the three books and six ceremonies. Each time, the emperor personally reviewed and added to or deleted things, taking it very seriously without any disrespect.
There was a ten-mile red carpet, cannon salutes blasted, and a sixteen-man carriage with golden and red phoenixes was carried all the way from Duke Xu's mansion into the palace.
The main gate of the palace was opened, and the empress entered. After offering sacrifices to heaven, earth, the state, and the ancestral temple, the emperor and empress performed the solemn ceremony of husband and wife, and the phoenix carriage was finally sent to the newly renovated Changqiu Palace.
There was a grand banquet in the palace that day.
There were sounds of joy, laughter and congratulations, and the party lasted until late at night when the banquet ended.
The drunken emperor was helped to the warm room behind the Yongle Hall. Ji Yuanhao's face was flushed, but his eyes were clear.
The noise gradually faded away, but the sight of red ribbons and colorful decorations remained.
He stood in front of the palace gate for a long time. The imperial steward Wei Jin asked cautiously: "Your Majesty?"
The Queen is still waiting for you in Changqiu Palace?
Ji Yuanhao came back to his senses.
Rubbing his temple, he slowly stepped out of the palace.
He went to Fengxian Hall, burned a stick of incense for Ren, stood there for a long time, and finally turned around and went to Changqiu Palace.
The new queen was a pretty and bright girl. Her every move, every frown and smile showed the grace and demeanor of a lady from a noble family. She was also very gentle and considerate. While she served him shyly, her beautiful eyes were full of affection.
After a night of spring breeze, the next morning, Ji Yuanhao accompanied the new queen to dinner, and held her hand and smiled: "From now on, the harem is entrusted to you."
The handsome emperor in his prime years smiled warmly and used the word "you" instead of "My dear Zi Tong". There was a silent closeness in his simple and plain words.
Empress Xu was delighted and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your trust."
The newlyweds smiled and talked for a quarter of an hour before Ji Yuanhao got up and went to the imperial study. Empress Xu wanted to see her off, but she was not feeling well, so he smiled and asked the palace maid to help her back.
After some considerate and gentle words, Ji Yuanhao drank a cup of tea before striding back.
As I stepped out of the gate of the Changqiu Palace, the sun was high in the sky, and the golden sunlight directly shone on the large square and the white marble platform, the golden tiles and the red walls, which were so bright that it was dazzling.
Ji Yuanhao stood in front of the palace gate for a moment. He had mixed emotions. Somehow, he suddenly recalled the scene before Ren's death, and a feeling of bitterness suddenly rose in his heart.
The bitterness rushed straight into his eyes, making him feel that today's sunlight was particularly dazzling for a moment.
Ji Yuanhao's Adam's apple rolled up and down for a moment, and he closed his eyes for a moment. Finally, he suppressed his chaotic thoughts and let out a long breath.
He looked down at the majestic palace and thought, everything will go smoothly soon!
Ji Yuanhao stood for a while, then strode away towards the rising sun.
…
After Ji Yuanhao left court every day, before summoning his ministers, he would first summon someone in the side hall where he changed his clothes.
Either Chen Yang or Zhao Ying, these two people, one the chief and the deputy, have been responsible for all the intelligence work under his command for many years.
Ji Yuanhao married a new queen, so there was no morning court today. However, after he returned to Shangyang Palace, the first thing he did was to see Chen Yang who had been waiting for a long time.
"how?"
Chen Yang cupped his hands and said, "My Lord, I have nothing to say for now."
Ji Yuanhao nodded slightly.
Normally, Chen Yang would have stepped down.
But today, Ji Yuanhao pondered for a moment, and said: "Keep a close eye on him, his trusted confidants in the army and the court, his family, and some people in the dark, we must not be careless in the slightest!"
"yes!"
Who was being targeted? Without a doubt, it was Yang Yanzong.
Ji Yuanhao knew Yang Yanzong too well. He would never be a loyal subject to him! As a king, he became highly wary of Yang Yanzong from the moment he changed his position and ascended the throne.
Of course, he knew that he couldn't be impatient. Now was not the right time. If he was impatient, it would provoke Yang Yanzong's counterattack, which would lead to turmoil in the court and the country's instability!
So he and Yang Yanzong became brothers, he treated Yang Yanzong with great kindness, he had no intention of going against his oath, and he would never do anything that would cause misunderstanding between them.
He is so cautious.
However, Ji Yuanhao took over the throne with his own body. If he were Yang Yanzong, would he just sit there and wait for death after he had secured the throne and everything was ready?
If it were Ji Yuanhao, he would certainly not do that, absolutely not!
Therefore, Ji Yuanhao had such a strong sense of urgency. On the one hand, he had to do it. On the other hand, after he issued the decree to establish the queen, his vigilance against Yang Yanzong was beyond the limit.
On the surface, everything seemed normal, but in reality, the surveillance on Yang Yanzong was comprehensive and relentless.
But even so, Ji Yuanhao couldn't rest assured. He knew Yang Yanzong's ability very well, and he absolutely couldn't let the other party take the initiative, otherwise, the consequences would be unpredictable.
He had imagined countless possible actions that Yang Yanzong might take, and secretly arranged defenses for them one by one.
But thinking too much makes me even more uncertain.
Ji Yuanhao narrowed his eyes, thought for a long time, and finally waved his hand and whispered to Chen Yang: "Also, send him a message, telling him to report immediately if he notices anything unusual!"
"Be careful."
Ji Yuanhao always felt uneasy. He married the daughter of the Xu family as his queen. Based on his intuition, he always felt that Yang Yanzong was likely to make some moves. After thinking it over, he even made a hidden move that he had arranged with great difficulty.
"Find a good opportunity." That person must not be discovered.
"yes!"
…
In the hot summer, she can't use ice basins or eat watermelon, but it doesn't matter, she can still eat honeydew melon, cantaloupe, grapes and even sugarcane.
Su Ci was wearing a cool ice silk summer shirt, lying on the windowsill, eating a honeydew melon while watching Xiao Yaer and the maids catching cicadas with long poles.
He stuck it once, but missed. He stuck it the second time, but still missed. So he tried the third time. The guard on duty couldn't stand it anymore, so he picked up a long pole and jumped onto the tree. He stuck a bunch of them in two or three times.
The audience clapped and cheered loudly.
Su Ci chuckled and joined in the fun. The master didn't mind the noise, and the people below started to make even louder noises, already starting to discuss the eighteen ways to eat summer cicadas.
Su Ci knew that cicadas were edible and that cicada shells were used as traditional Chinese medicine, but when she thought about the appearance of the cicada, she decided to give up and just eat the melon.
She was watching happily when she heard a steady and familiar sound of footsteps behind her. Su Ci didn't even need to look back. She leaned back following the sound and landed steadily in a broad embrace.
The weather was too hot and Yang Yanzong's forehead was covered with sweat. Looking at her star-like eyes as she looked up, he couldn't help but lower his head.
Yang Yanzong hugged her, leaned over and covered her overly bright eyes with his hands, and the two kissed for a long time.
Their lips and tongues intertwined, licking and sucking gently. He casually closed half of the window to block the view on that side. The wind blew in from the other half of the window, bringing with it the sweet scent of melons and fruits.
Su Ci was pregnant and easily aroused. Yang Yanzong saw that her eyes were half closed and her cheeks were flushed. He could not help but chase after her and gently suck on her tender red tongue.
After the two of them washed up, it was already dusk.
Su Ci changed into a brand new nightgown. Yang Yanzong half-knelt on the bed and kissed her bulging belly carefully: "Did this little thing bother you today? Was it well behaved?"
After three months, Su Ci's morning sickness gradually stopped. Now it is almost six months. Although her limbs are still relatively slender, her abdomen has obviously bulged, and it is as round and bulging as a small winnowing basket.
Su Ci smiled, "I'm being good," she said coquettishly, "It's just that we all miss you!"
How could Yang Yanzong not miss her and her mother?
He hugged the big baby and the small baby in his arms. He was reluctant to let go. He kissed them again and again and just snuggled with them until the end. He still had to say what he had to say.
"Ci'er, you and the child have to go there first in the next two days."
Two months have passed since Feng Tiexiong arrived in Yangdu. Yang Yanzong had already made a lot of arrangements silently before that. Everything was quiet and orderly and ready.
Everything is ready, just waiting to evacuate.
However, no one can guarantee that this process will be absolutely smooth, so before that, Yang Yanzong has to arrange for Su Ci to leave.
Su Ci was not surprised. She had always known Yang Yanzong's plan: "So soon?"
"Okay, I'm available anytime."
"Well, I will arrange a substitute for you at home. Don't worry about this. Take good care of the baby and don't lose weight."
At the last sentence, he frowned and bit her lips.
Other people gain a lot of weight when they are pregnant, but she has not changed at all and is almost six months pregnant. If the old doctor hadn't repeatedly emphasized that both mother and child were safe, he probably wouldn't have been able to sit still.
Su Ci chuckled, hugged his neck, and said in a long tone: "I know——"
"So when do I leave tomorrow? Or the day after tomorrow?"
"The day after tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, I will make some arrangements. After you leave Yangdu, you can rest for a day in Yixian Village, and then slowly head west..."
"Yeah, yeah, I know everything—"
…
The main courtyard is warm and sweet, making one nostalgic and reluctant to leave.
But no one knew that on that night, there was a person who hesitated again and again, and finally wrote a piece of paper quickly.
"The Su family will secretly leave Yangdu on the day of Guisi."
This hand rolled up the narrow note into a small ball, twisted a little wax into a wax ball, and waited until dawn to send it to the general on the way to work.
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