Chapter 487: Welcoming His Majesty Zhang Gong
Chapter 487: Welcome Your Majesty Back to the Palace (6k)
Follow me into the palace... Zhao Duan took a deep breath and said jokingly:
"Your Majesty, if you return to the palace in this state, I wonder how many people will be shocked. After today, what kind of storm will be stirred up in the Nine Provinces and Eighteen Prefectures?"
It hasn't been long since the empress was promoted. Except for a few people like Xuan Yin, Prince Jing, Prince Mu, etc. who either knew or guessed it, the vast majority of people in this world still don't know about it.
"I hope this storm can be settled as soon as possible." Xu Zhenguan said softly.
Even though she knew in her heart that it would not be easy to completely resolve the Rebellion of the Eight Kings.
The king and his minister walked out of the inn together. When they were going downstairs, they met the waiter coming upstairs.
The latter looked in astonishment at the man and woman, who were wearing dragon robes and official robes and had amazing looks and temperament. The kettle in his hand fell down the stairs with a "bang".
Not only him, but also the shopkeeper and the guests on the first floor were all under a spell, staring blankly at the departure of the emperor and his ministers.
Then, it was the turn of the pedestrians on the street to cast surprised looks.
Zhen Bao did this on purpose... She wanted to expose herself in public. Even if the people did not know her true face, they would always recognize the dragon robe that no one in the city dared to wear.
In order to calm the people, he announced his return in a high-profile manner.
However, just when the king and his minister had taken a few steps.
Suddenly, a shadow guard from the Imperial Palace came running over like crazy from the crowd in front of him and knelt on one knee in the street without any scruples:
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened. Li Yanfu has led a large group of warriors and has already attacked the palace..."
What? Zhao Duan was stunned, then turned his head and looked at Zhenbao, and they both saw each other's surprise.
"Hurry and come to the palace with me!"
Xu Zhenguan's expression changed slightly. He didn't bother to show off in public. He raised his hand, grabbed Zhao Duan and was ready to leave.
Zhao Duan suddenly said:
"Taking into account the time it takes to pass on the information, Li Yanfu has probably already rushed into the palace by now. I'm afraid it's too late."
Xu Zhenguan looked calm:
"It's not too late. He won't succeed that easily."
……
……
The imperial palace, the hall where court meetings were held.
Early in the morning, the ministers entered the venue one after another, and by this time almost everyone was there.
Ma Yan arrived late. When he stepped into the hall, he glanced around, but did not find Li Yanfu. He only saw Grand Tutor Dong and Yuan Li, each sitting on a chair with their eyes closed.
In the hall, only two people sat down, while the rest of the ministers stood to show respect.
"Grandmaster," Ma Yan walked up to Dong Xuan and whispered:
"I have something I want to discuss with the Grand Master."
After several days of busy work, Master Dong, who was tired and sleepy, tilted his head back and snored softly. But now he suddenly opened his eyes and asked in confusion:
"What's the matter?"
Ma Yan took out a letter from his sleeve and handed it to him:
"It's related to the recent abnormalities in the 'Xiangguo Mansion'."
Li Yanfu had not arrived yet, and Ma Yan knew that he was not good at the intrigues in the court, so he wanted to discuss and communicate with the imperial teacher who was temporarily in charge of the "cabinet" in advance.
"Oh?" Master Dong perked up, took the memorial, unfolded it with both hands and read it carefully, then his face trembled and his eyes fixed:
"Is there such a thing?"
Ma Yan nodded: "Although we haven't verified it accurately yet, we have to be on guard against the Xiangguo Mansion making small moves at this time."
Master Dong's heart sank, and he subconsciously looked towards the Imperial Censor who was resting with his eyes closed opposite him.
I remembered that Yuan Li mentioned to be careful of Li's party when the court was dismissed yesterday. Did he really come true? However, does Li Yanfu really dare to act wildly in the capital?
Dong Xuan was unsure, but compared to Yuan Li, who also needed to be on guard against, the words of the eunuch Ma Yan undoubtedly made him more confident.
It is almost impossible for Ma Yan to surrender to the Eighth King, just as the Dong family, which strongly supported the empress's ascension to the throne, has no way out.
"Mr. Yuan, come and take a look." The old tutor thought for a moment, called Yuan Li to come aside and talk to him, and handed the memorial to the latter.
This scene was not surprising to the ministers.
Yuan Li read the memorial, his eyes fixed, and he exhaled deeply:
"The thing I was worried about finally happened."
He turned his head and looked at Ma Yan, his eyes sharp:
"This information is from a few days ago."
Ma Yan nodded:
"So, I think that if Li's party makes any move, it won't take too long. As the saying goes, things should be done in secrecy. Such a large-scale 'mobilization of troops' is too unusual. I suggest that we wait for him to enter the palace and question him face to face. No matter what his answer is, I will keep him under my supervision to avoid any trouble."
"You also think that Li's party might be restless? What would he dare to do? What could he do? The six imperial guards in the city are enough to suppress everything." Veins on Grand Tutor Dong's forehead throbbed and his breathing became slightly rapid.
Yuan Li suddenly said:
"Three years ago, the Xuanmen coup almost succeeded because of the betrayal of the then-chief Qi Yuchun."
Geek!
When this matter was mentioned, the other two felt a tightness in their hearts, and were dragged back to their original memories.
That day was a cold winter, with snow falling from the ground. Although it was different from today, the sky was just as gloomy.
It was after the Xuanmen coup that the empress ascended the throne and simply abolished the position of "Grand Commander". The six imperial guards were all at the same level, each responsible for an area and checking and balancing each other.
And when Yuan Li mentioned this at this moment, people couldn't help but think about the meaning behind it.
Master Dong's face trembled, and he gritted his teeth and said:
"In that case, we will wait for him to come and interrogate him on the spot. At this juncture, we don't know when His Majesty will return, so we must not allow any chaos!"
To act rashly against the prime minister of the dynasty is an act that itself carries great risks.
But Dong Xuan weighed the pros and cons and still made the same decision.
Yuan Li did not refute, but his eyes flashed. Ma Yan looked calm and turned to look towards the entrance of the hall.
With his cultivation level in the secular realm, he is not afraid of any waves caused by Li Yanfu as long as he arrives.
However, as the sand flowed in the hourglass in the corner of the hall, Li Yanfu had not appeared yet.
Inside the palace, the voices of the ministers' discussions died down at some point, and everyone noticed that something was wrong.
"It's been quite a while, why hasn't the Prime Minister arrived yet? If he is ill, Li Yinglong should also come, but neither the father nor the son has shown up." The Minister of War couldn't help but say.
"Send someone to pick him up, maybe he's delayed." The Minister of Revenue said calmly.
Ma Yan's thin face became more and more gloomy. Suddenly, his ears moved slightly and he looked up suddenly:
"wrong!"
The heavy palace door is extremely soundproof, preventing conversations inside the palace from being overheard by palace servants outside.
But at this moment, outside the thick palace door, there came the sound of horse hooves and shouts of killing, which were vague at first but gradually became clearer.
"Go out and take a look!" The old master also realized something was wrong and ordered the eunuchs in the hall.
The latter was about to push the door open with small steps, but suddenly, the door shook with a "bang", accompanied by a scream!
Ma Yan subconsciously reached for the knife at his waist, but found nothing!
Because he was attending a court meeting, he did not carry any weapons.
At this moment, the heavy palace door creaked and was pushed open fiercely from the outside!
A cold wind is blowing!
The bloody wind suddenly blew into the hall. A strong, bleak white light poured in from outside the door. Many civil officials subconsciously covered their faces with their sleeves and squinted their eyes.
The dense shouts and cries of killing were like raging waves, pouring into everyone's ears!
Thousands of imperial guards suddenly appeared in the Meridian Gate Square, surrounded the palace, blocked it off, and fought against the patrolling imperial guards who came from outside after hearing the news!
Those were the two guards, Yulin and Huben, who were alarmed!
The palace army guards were too far away and had not noticed anything unusual!
Inside the Imperial City, different teams of imperial guards were confronting each other? Fighting?!
what happened?
A group of ministers in the palace were stunned for a moment, unable to come back to their senses until Ma Yan's angry roar startled everyone: "Li Yanfu!? You want to rebel?!"
In full view.
Outside the palace gate that had been pushed back, on the long steps, Li Yanfu, wearing an iron helmet, soft armor, and a deep red robe, stood at the threshold.
Beside him were two masked guards on his left and right, and behind them were hundreds of knife-wielding guards dressed in red with white silk tied around their foreheads!
"Li Yanfu?!"
Master Dong stood up from his chair in shock, almost staggering, holding on to the armrests of the chair tightly. Yuan Li, who was sitting opposite him, was also almost out of control and was shocked.
A thought popped up in my mind:
coup?
Another coup after three years?
A once-in-a-lifetime, daring coup by a minister? !
"Ah..." The ministers suddenly became noisy and almost subconsciously stepped back, looking at Li Yanfu in disbelief as he stepped over the threshold and stepped onto the shiny floor.
Li Yanfu stood straight, and although he was old, he was as ferocious as a wolf king.
Every time he took a step forward, the ministers retreated several feet, and the red-robed guests behind him slammed the heavy palace door shut again, and the shouting and screaming outside almost died down all at once.
At this time, taking advantage of the chaos, several high-ranking officials of the Li Party went against the tide, stood behind Li Yanfu, turned around and smiled:
"Congratulations to the Prime Minister for entering the palace successfully. Now these rebels are all in our trap!"
Traitors? Us?
Hearing this word, many ministers who had not yet recovered from their shock looked bewildered.
Li Yanfu's eyes were cold and his tone was calm, leaving no room for doubt:
"Rebellion? No, Ma Yan, you are wrong. I am the loyal minister of the Yu Kingdom, and some of you are the traitors who colluded with the thieves to frame your majesty. Today, in order to save the Yu Kingdom, I have the courage to lead my servants into the palace to purge the emperor's side, eliminate the treacherous ministers, and restore peace to the Yu Kingdom!"
The ministers were shocked and Ma Yan's face turned pale!
Master Dong and others had wide eyes and their beards trembled with anger, while Yuan Li on the side seemed to understand something and gave a bitter smile.
All of this is so similar to what it was three years ago!
When the previous emperor passed away and the crown prince had not yet ascended the throne, the second prince Jianwen also led his followers into the palace and joined forces with Qi Yuchun under the banner of "clearing the imperial court."
Today, it was Li Yanfu who took over. The scale was also much smaller than before.
However, Li Yanfu's timing was better. In His Majesty's absence, the imperial guards in the capital and the Beijing camp outside the city only acted according to the orders of the cabinet, not any particular individual.
Therefore, Li Yanfu did not need to make a big move to the extent that Xu Jianwen did. He only needed to use thunder-like means to control Grand Tutor Dong and Yuan Li, and with the cooperation of Li's party officials, he could take over the cabinet and steal temporary control of the city.
He had thought of this a long time ago and tried to remind Dong Xuan and others, but Yuan Li, as the leader of the "Qingliu Party", was also not trusted.
The Li Party's rebellion came faster, more suddenly, more fiercely, and more quickly than expected, and there was no time to guard against it!
"What nonsense! Treason!"
Master Dong's face turned red and purple, and he stared at the prime minister who was forcing the emperor to abdicate:
"Your Majesty is right, you are the biggest hidden danger in the court!"
He regretted it!
If he had known that Li Yanfu was really so courageous, he would have imprisoned him as soon as he heard the news of His Majesty's disappearance, even if it meant risking turmoil in the court and the country!
But now, it's too late!
Who could have thought that Li Yanfu, who had always given in and endured the repeated suppression from the empress, and who had also endured humiliation and hardship during the reign of the previous emperor, would burst out with such fierce courage?
Now, it is obvious that part of the imperial guards in the palace have defected and formed an alliance with Li Yanfu. Even if only a part of the imperial guards are rebelling, it will take time for the imperial guards from the remaining camps to mobilize a large number of troops and rush over!
And will Li Yanfu give them time?
"Ma Yan! Take action! Capture the leader first!" Grand Tutor Dong suddenly shouted.
Nowadays, most of the generals are out of the city to fight the enemy. The strongest person in the palace is only Ma Yan. A warrior in the secular realm should be able to control the situation.
However, Ma Yan did not move. He clenched his fists and stared vigilantly at a masked guard beside Li Yanfu.
"Heh," Li Yanfu smiled. At this moment, he no longer concealed his wolfish ambitions, and truly exposed his true rebellious and ferocious appearance:
"Dong Xuan, are you old and confused? How dare I enter the palace today? How could I miss a brave general like Ma Yan?"
There was a look of disdain in his eyes:
"Or do you think that I can't even find a worldly-level expert around me?"
As the words fell, the masked guard on his right side behind him suddenly took off his mask, revealing a man's face that was also branded with tattoos.
"Kong Wu!" someone in the crowd exclaimed.
Many people were awakened and recalled this name: a death row prisoner who had been thrown into the Tianlao prison and was also one of the generals in the army.
"Isn't he dead?" The Minister of War's face changed.
The man named Kong Wu smiled, ignored the others, took a step forward, and locked his aura firmly on Ma Dugong:
"Ma Yan, long time no see. You should still remember me, right? When I was wanted, a group of imperial priests came together to capture me. Ha, you were among them. It's ridiculous. If you weren't outnumbered, how could you have captured me?"
Ma Yan stared at him intently and shook his head.
"When I took over the Imperial Prison, I looked through the files and felt that the timing of your death was strange. You died in prison during the Xuanmen coup. Now it seems that Li Yanfu took advantage of the chaos in the capital at that time and no one had the time to pay attention to the Imperial Prison, so he replaced you and kept you as a captive."
Kong Wu did not deny it, and touched the tattoo on his face with a somewhat crazy smile:
"I thought I was dead, but I didn't expect to be able to come back now. Haha, I heard that you have entered the worldly realm. Not bad, now you are finally qualified to fight with me. You can try to see if you can kill Li Xiang at this distance. Will you succeed first, or will you die first?"
Ma Yan's face was solemn, as if facing a powerful enemy!
As one of the priests who participated in the capture of Kong Wu, he was well aware of this guy's fighting ability.
Even if he was practicing the secret teachings of the royal family, without any weapons, he could at most tie with Kong Wu. If he wanted to kill someone in front of him, his hope was slim.
Li Yanfu smiled and looked down at the old master:
"Dong Xuan, you are too old and your brain is no longer useful. Kong Wu is holding Ma Yan back, and I have hundreds of followers behind me, all of whom are skilled fighters. With just one order, we can kill you all in a few breaths.
However, I am a merciful person and will only punish the main culprit. Apart from you, Dong Xuan, and Yuan Li and a few others, I am not willing to start a war if the rest of them are willing to turn from evil to good."
The ministers were silent!
The hall was quiet, with a sense of uneasiness. Faced with the life-and-death crisis, many ministers hesitated.
However, facing the threat, Grand Tutor Dong was unexpectedly calm, so calm that it was somewhat abnormal.
"Li Yanfu, you have indeed deceived almost everyone. I admit that I underestimated you too much, but..."
The octogenarian Master Dong suddenly smiled: "Do you think you can deceive His Majesty?"
Your Majesty? Li Yanfu's heart moved and he sneered:
"Stop being so mysterious. Your Majesty's whereabouts are unknown and he is probably thousands of miles away from the capital."
"That's right," Dong Xuan sighed softly, "but who said that when His Majesty went south to offer sacrifices to the gods, he really took all the masters in the palace with him?"
As the words fell, suddenly, four female officials walked out from the corner of the hall that had been almost ignored.
They were extremely inconspicuous, wearing the same style of robes for low-ranking female officials, with their brows decorated with plum blossom makeup, imitating Mo Chou.
Every time there was a court meeting in the main hall, there would be some eunuchs and female officials in the hall to record the meeting, maintain order, and tidy up benches, tables, chairs and other miscellaneous items.
No one ever cared.
However, at this moment, as these four female officials walked, they seemed to have shed their disguises, their temperament suddenly changed, and they tacitly reached from their waists and pulled out four soft swords that glowed with cold light!
At the same time, an aura of at least divine power came towards them. The four men moved in unison, and their swords stabbed towards Li Yanfu from four angles, following the directions of the stars!
The sword is sharp!
Ma Yan's eyes moved, and at the same time he lunged and punched at Kong Wu!
"Outsiders only think that the Imperial Palace gathers eunuchs to practice the secret teachings of the Imperial Family and serve as worshippers. But has anyone ever thought that are there really only men serving as worshippers in the Imperial Palace? Is there no female worshippers in the palace?"
Grand Tutor Dong's voice echoed in the hall.
In Li Yanfu's pupils, the four soft swords rapidly enlarged.
……
……
Outside the palace, there was a solemn and murderous atmosphere.
The fighting in the Meridian Gate Square was perfectly blocked by the high palace walls.
The South Gate controlled by the rebellious imperial guards looked very normal from a distance.
People outside the palace would never imagine that at this moment, inside the high palace walls, an event that could change the world is taking place.
There was also a solemn and murderous atmosphere on Suzaku Street outside the imperial palace.
An official from the Li Party was ordered to lead a group of death squads disguised as patrol officers to wander the streets and drive away outsiders who might approach the palace.
To ensure that no news leaked out of the South Gate before the coup was over.
"Who is it? Stop!"
This Li Party official was riding on a tall horse, holding a long whip in his hand, when he suddenly noticed that two figures were approaching rapidly at the end of Suzaku Street.
The other party seemed to be walking, but his speed was extremely fast, as if he could shrink the distance into an inch. He was still far away one moment, and much closer the next.
There was no time to think. This official, who was not a pillar of the Li Party, but was able to participate in this major event, which showed that he had a considerable position and power in the court, rode his horse to stop him.
The whip in his hand trembled, and he lashed at the air in the direction of the two people in front of him, shouting angrily:
"The palace ahead is a vital area. Anyone approaching without permission will be killed!"
In the past, he would not have been so domineering and arrogant, but this was because this was a major event that could not afford to fail, and also because... once he succeeded, his future would be limitless.
Perhaps it was because he had already imagined the bright prospects of himself rising to prominence as a meritorious official after the new emperor ascended the throne, so the whip he swung became more fierce.
However, the whip did not hit the air, but was suddenly grabbed by a hand.
A man and a woman, who were clearly quite a distance away, suddenly appeared in front of the horse.
Zhao Duan casually grabbed the horsewhip and pulled it with an indifferent expression. The official on horseback stumbled and fell off his horse, attracting a group of "officials" behind him to run over as if to protect their master.
"Bold and unruly people..." Although the official had realized something was wrong, he still cursed subconsciously and tried to get up. Then he finally saw clearly what the man and woman were wearing, and he was stunned.
The man was wearing a scarlet official robe that was only worn by officials of the fourth rank and above in the imperial court. The embroidery pattern on the chest was rare and vaguely of the standard only worn by officials of the third rank.
Which third-rank official is coming?
But shouldn't they all be in the palace at this time? Could they be military officers?
But when he caught a glimpse of the golden dragon robe next to him, he was completely frozen.
Who in this world could wear a dragon robe? Even if it had four claws, only princes and other nobles were eligible. Moreover, he took a quick glance and saw that the dragon on the sleeve of the dazzling golden robe seemed to have... five claws?
A five-clawed golden dragon... a third-rank official robe... a man and a woman...
The Li Party official suddenly raised his head and saw the faces of the man and woman, who were indifferent but recognized by all the civil and military officials in the court.
The Prince's Guardian, Zhao Duan.
The current empress is Xu Zhenguan.
Zhao Duan threw the whip on the ground, and walked towards the city gate with the empress, one in front and one behind.
This core official of the Li Party fell to his knees with a thud. He felt dizzy and his hands and feet were cold. He suddenly went crazy and knelt down and kowtowed desperately, leaving a large pool of scarlet blood on the stone slab.
The empress, dressed in a dragon robe, walked towards the closed South City Gate.
Zhao Duan saw the door creak open, as if pushed by some invisible force.
On top of the city.
The rebels of Jinwu Guard and Qianniu Guard were like petrified, standing still in fear and disbelief. They tried to shout and escape, but were horrified to find that their bodies were restrained.
Then, the invisible big hand squeezed the armor, and blood seeped out of the armor. Silently, all the rebels on the city wall died.
The corpses lay straight and limp, like steel tombs.
The hole in the city gate was a little dark.
After walking out, Xu Zhenguan's frosty face was bathed in the warm sunshine, and he squinted his eyes and looked at the hall in the distance.
The shouts of killing echoed in Zhao Duan's ears, but he raised his head and looked at the gray sky.
I found that a straight and long line had appeared in the clouds at some point, as if cutting the sky in two halves, and through the crack, brilliant sunlight was shining.
Zhao Duan suddenly became very angry and shouted, "Your Majesty, please return to the palace!"
(End of this chapter)