The Emperor's death
There was a burst of suppressed crying outside the palace. Qi Zhaoyi was still unwilling to give up. She brought a few young palace maids, held a bowl of ginseng soup, and knelt at the door of the palace.
"Sister, I know His Majesty doesn't want to see me, but I'm really worried.
This is the ginseng soup I made myself. I beg you to have mercy on me and let me bring it in to moisten your majesty's lips!"
Fuyao looked up and met the imperial concubine's gaze for a moment, then she slowly stood up and walked to the door.
She looked at Qi Zhaoyi lying on the ground, her tearful face full of "concern" and "helplessness".
People only see Concubine Qi as virtuous, gentle and docile in their daily lives, but who knows what kind of vicious heart is hidden under this mask.
"Qi Zhaoyi is thoughtful."
There was no joy or anger in Fuyao's voice.
"It's just that my father is unconscious now and can't even take soup.
He knows your intentions."
She paused, then changed the subject.
"But you are so thin, kneeling like this, if you get cold, or catch a cold later, what will we do?
Get up and go back to your Changchun Palace.
Don't take a single step without my permission."
This is blatant house arrest.
Although Qi Zhaoyi felt unwilling in her heart, she could only express her gratitude with tears in her eyes and leave.
As soon as she left, Xu Jing immediately stepped forward.
"Crown Princess, Deoksugung Palace has been cleared and no news can get out.
Any action of Concubine Qi cannot escape our sight."
Fuyao nodded, nothing could go wrong during this period.
Even if Concubine Qi is innocent, this is the only way to deal with her.
Her gaze returned to the tightly closed door of the inner hall.
Time has become the most precious thing at this moment.
Even if Your Majesty can hold on for a while, the Crown Prince is leading the troops outside. If he learns that his father is critically ill, the morale of the army will surely be in chaos.
She must keep this secret until the prince returns triumphantly or takes complete control of the situation.
"Pass on my orders."
Her voice was not loud, but every word was sonorous.
"From today on, I will personally be in charge of Deoksugung Palace.
All the palace servants were replaced by the old staff of the Eastern Palace, who were required to keep their mouths shut and their hearts upright.
If anyone leaks the news, bring him to justice!"
"Yes, sir!"
Xu Jing took the order and immediately made arrangements.
The imperial concubine sitting on the couch looked at Fuyao quietly at this moment. She suddenly felt that the young lady she had always thought of had grown up in an instant.
She was not as fragile as she imagined. She could provide shelter for this huge palace when the prince was away.
She was the one who could stand shoulder to shoulder with her son, and the imperial concubine couldn't help but smile.
The night is getting deeper.
When the imperial physician came out of the inner hall again, his steps were hurried and his face was ashen.
He knelt before the Imperial Concubine and the Crown Princess, trembling so much that he could hardly speak.
"Your Majesty, please forgive... forgive my guilt. His Majesty's pulse is gone. I'm afraid... I'm afraid he won't survive the night!"
Hearing this, the imperial concubine's eyes turned red.
"All matters from now on will be decided by the Crown Princess."
After saying that, he stood up and went into the inner hall.
Fuyao slowly closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she saw a silent abyss.
She knew that the real war had just begun from this moment.
She ignored the imperial physician kneeling on the ground and whispered a few words to Xu Jing.
Xu Jing took the order and left. A moment later, dozens of silent guards appeared outside De Shou Palace, surrounding the entire palace.
The imperial concubine walked into the inner hall alone.
At this time, the official on the bed was dying.
Seeing her come in, he suddenly looked up.
The imperial concubine stopped beside the bed and looked at him silently, with no expression on her face.
The official tried to open his mouth.
"In my life, I have finally failed you, but you gave me the most outstanding son."
As soon as he finished speaking, he passed away.
The flickering candlelight illuminated the official's lifeless face.
She reached out her hand and gently closed her half-open eyes.
"Your Majesty, go with peace of mind."
The concubine whispered so low that no one could hear her.
"This turbulent country, Chenyu will definitely protect it for you."
Outside the palace, the darkness before dawn is thickest.
And in this lonely palace, a secret that could shake the government and the country was firmly pressed in the cracks of time.
Outside the window, the sky gradually brightened, and the shouts of the rebels could be heard faintly in the distance again, but inside Deoksugung Palace, it was eerily quiet.
This is the third day since the prince left. Fuyao is very worried whether he has reached his destination.
Although there were shouts and cries of killing outside the city, she did not feel afraid at all, and there was a determination in her eyes that she had never had before.
Just after the hour of Chen, the charcoal brazier in the side hall of De Shou Palace crackled, and Fu Yao pressed her hand on her bulging belly.
A few pieces of snow drifted in from the window and landed on the silver hairpin at her temples.
That was the hairpin that Qing Ning put on her this morning, saying that since it was New Year's Day, it was time to add some joy.
But at this moment, the whole hall was silent, and only the sound of the night watchman could be heard, which sounded very much like the heavy sigh of the imperial physician when he was taking the patient's pulse.
"Princess."
Qing Ning came in through the curtains, holding a cup of ginger tea in her hand and frowning,
"Word spread outside that Marshal Yang was killed in action!
The Privy Councilor Zhao Qun locked up the residence of Zuo Pushe Fan Zhong, accusing him of collaborating with the enemy.
Generals Ma and Wu have not returned from suppressing the rebellion, and the Palace Army is leaderless. I'm afraid the soldiers will disperse."
The teacup fell to the ground with a clang.
Fuyao stood up by holding the corner of the table. The baby in her belly kicked her suddenly, causing her eyes to ache.
Yang Yide, the commander-in-chief of the Palace Guard who had served for ten years, collapsed under the city wall on New Year's Day.
"The Palace Front Army must not be in chaos!"
She bit her lip lightly.
"Have Li Shang and his imperial guards blockade the area around Deoksugung Palace!"
Then she looked at Xu Jing standing on the side and grabbed his sleeves.
“Go to the tower.
I am the Crown Princess, the mother of the unborn heir to Yu'an City. How dare they disperse?"
The wind on the city wall was stronger than that in Deoksugung Palace, but the Crown Princess remained calm in the face of danger.
Fuyao held Xu Jing's arm and went up step by step. The baby in her belly was rolling restlessly in the bumpy ride.
Looking up, I saw that half of the Qiantang Gate had collapsed, and the rebels' black flags were fluttering on the city wall.
The corpses of Lan Jun were piled up layer by layer, and the blood dyed the snow purple and black.
She looked at the rebel flags fluttering in the distance. The wind of the first lunar month carried the smell of blood into her nose. She could faintly hear the shouts of soldiers and the cries of the people below the city.
"Mom! Stop pulling me!"
“Save my child!”
"Qing Ning, distribute my crane cloak to the soldiers on night watch."
Her voice was tense, but she managed to hold her body steady.
"Then have the kitchen prepare some ginger soup and send it down through the east corner gate."
Before he finished speaking, there was a loud bang, causing bricks on the city wall to fall down.
The arrow tower of Nanweng City was hit by the rebels' catapults. The moment kerosene was poured onto the wooden beams, flames shot up into the sky.
Fuyao saw a soldier defending the city in silver armor rushing forward, knocking down the rebels who were climbing up the ladder with the spear in his hand, but the next moment, a wolf-tooth arrow pierced his throat.
"Deputy Lin!"
Xu Jing roared and tried to rush down, but Fuyao grabbed his sleeve.
"Wait a minute!"
She bit her fingertips and wrote a few words on the handkerchief.
"Have Shao Shaoqing mobilize the divine arm archers to guard the gap in the arrow tower!"
"Princess!"
The captain guarding the city knelt down,
"Marshal Yang is gone, and the soldiers said they would retreat to the inner city."
"retreat?"
Fuyao's voice was trembling, but very clear.
“Where to retreat to?
Retreat to the people's homes?
Retreat into the swaddling clothes of a premature baby?"
She pulled open her cloak, revealing the moon-white maternity dress underneath.
"I am carrying the blood of the Lan Nation, and each of your wives and children also carries the blood of the Lan Nation!
If you retreat today, tomorrow the rebels' iron hooves will crush your very doors!"
There were sobs from the crowd.
A young soldier wiped his face,
"The Crown Princess is right. My mother is still waiting for me to go back to Qinghefang to eat glutinous rice balls."
"There will be dumplings."
Fuyao said loudly, then she turned her head to look at Xu Jing.
"Now that Marshal Yang has been killed, I appoint you as the commander-in-chief."
Qing Ning was holding a handkerchief and was about to run towards the city, but at the corner she ran into a group of men in black crossing the horse path.
She screamed and pushed Fuyao away,
"Crown Princess, be careful!"
A cold light flashed, and a short blade went straight for Fuyao's heart.
Qing Ning rushed forward and blocked the fatal blow with his thin body.
The blood splattered on Fuyao's cloak, which looked very much like the twin lotus flowers she embroidered on the eggplant bag during the Lantern Festival last year.
"Lime!"
Fuyao hugged her tremblingly, but only felt a pool of warm blood.
Suddenly, she heard the conversation between her and Qing Ning on the day when the prince went to war.
"Tell me, after the war, when the prince comes back, can you accompany me to Lingyin Temple to see the plum blossoms?
And your Ma Chong, I will definitely let him marry you."
At that time, Qing Ning's eyes turned red.
"Of course, Crown Princess. When the Crown Prince returns triumphantly, I will make you the most dazzling lanterns and cook you the sweetest porridge."
"Princess!
The rebels' battering ram has arrived!"
Xu Jing's eyes were red as he tore off his cloak and wrapped it around Qing Ning's body. He turned around and picked up the Mo Dao.
"I will lead the remaining troops of the Palace Guards and defend the city at the risk of my life!"
Fuyao looked at his receding figure and suddenly remembered what the prince said a few days ago.
"If a ruler is to protect his people from wind and rain, a wife should also be the backbone of her family and country."
She wiped her face and took out the tiger talisman from her waist. It was a token given to her by the prince before he went to war.
"Order Li Xian, Minister Li, to quickly dispatch the prison guards from the Ministry of Justice to escort Zuo Pushe Fan Zhong to the city wall and force him to reveal the rebel army's deployment map on charges of treason!"
When Li Xian, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice, and several old jailers were escorting the bound Fan Zhong up to the city wall, they saw Fu Yao standing in front of the embrasure directing the archers with the divine arm to adjust the angle.
"Fan Zhong!"
She shouted sharply,
"You colluded with Xindong and sold me the city defense map.
Now the rebels' battering ram has arrived. If you don't tell the truth, I will tear you into pieces and hang your head on the city gate!"
Fan Zhong's face was pale, and cold sweat was dripping down his forehead.
"Crown Princess, please understand!
This old minister is wronged! It was the Jiedushi Zhao...”
Before he could finish his words, an arrow hit his shoulder.
Fuyao sneered and signaled Li Xian to hold his confession above his head.
“Soldiers!
The rebels have lost their composure!
If we can hold on for another half an hour, reinforcements will arrive!"
The rebels under the city seemed to have sensed something was wrong and the rhythm of the battering ram slowed down.
Fuyao took the opportunity to mobilize the remaining archers and ordered them to shoot at the rebel standard-bearer.
But at this moment, a muffled sound came from the direction of East City. Yang Yide's deputy general was afraid that he could not hold the gap. Fuyao looked at the flames rising into the sky.
"Princess!"
Xu Jing rushed back covered in blood.
"I'm afraid the East Gate can't be defended!"
Fuyao clenched the tiger talisman tightly and looked at the sky in the distance that was illuminated red by the flames.
She knew that there would be no Tusu wine and no reunion dinner this New Year, but at least she wanted to keep this city alive.
"Pass the order down. All civilians must retreat to the foot of the Imperial City. Women, children, and the elderly must be escorted by the Imperial Guards to the Imperial Ancestral Temple for temporary shelter."
Her voice was soft, but firm as stone.
"I will personally go and appease the people."
The snow fell heavier and heavier, falling on her unmade-up face, on Qingning's gradually cold body, and on the shoulders of the soldiers who were still fighting.
But the flags on the city walls were still fluttering, and the word "Lan" embroidered on them was brighter than ever under the reflection of blood and fire.
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