Chapter 258
“We were being watched, and things outside were not right. I suspected something had happened to His Highness. Yue Chen, what should we do?”
In the main camp, the two scouts they had sent out had vanished without a trace. The original plan was to incite rebellion in Zhao Cheng, then wait for Chu Lishu to send a message, after which they would return to the capital to support Chu Lishu and stabilize the situation. But now, not only was there no news whatsoever, but there were also many eyes watching their movements from outside.
This ominous feeling was causing great anxiety.
Yue Chen thought for a moment and said, “I’ll go and investigate personally. You stay here.”
Huo Luo was about to protest, deeming it too dangerous, but considering he was a general and couldn’t leave the army, he had no choice but to let Yue Chen go. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Fine. You watch out for your safety. I’ll send trusted aides to escort you.”
Just as the two were about to act, a decree suddenly arrived from outside. It was proclaimed as a decree, but in reality, it was jointly issued by the temporary regent Concubine Xu and the Empress Dowager.
The two knelt down to receive the decree, their hearts roiling with shock. How could it be that those two had jointly issued the decree?
The content of the decree was even more startling.
Why would the Tianheng Kingdom suddenly provoke at such a time? This could be an unheralded assault, otherwise, Qi Cí’s side wouldn’t have failed to notice any signs.
The decree demanded that they lead troops to defend against foreign invaders, and it also indicated that once the court was reorganized, the newly appointed Grand General Zhao Cheng, would soon come to help reorganize the army of the Great Zhou troops.
Just as the news of the invasion from Tianheng Kingdom was sinking in, they were stunned to hear that Zhao Cheng, who was supposed to be manipulated, had ascended to the position of supreme commander of the three armies.
The two could no longer fathom what exactly had transpired within the capital.
And right after the decree was announced, Xu Wenze appeared. He had originally intended to stop Concubine Xu from harming Chu Lishu, but he learned that all the troops sent by Concubine Xu had been annihilated, and when Concubine Xu tried to send more troops, they couldn’t be found anywhere.
Xu Wenze didn’t have time to feel relieved before being summoned by Concubine Xu to issue the decree together. He knew what Concubine Xu meant. They were old acquaintances, and Concubine Xu probably believed that his presence would help soothe the other party’s emotions and make them understand the current situation, preventing any reckless actions. However, Xu Wenze felt that he had lost face to face his old friend.
As Xu Wenze finished recounting everything that had happened, the tent fell into a deathly silence. Suddenly, Huo Luo stood up and grabbed Xu Wenze by the throat.
“Conspiring to seize power, colluding with foreign enemies! And holding our family members hostage? Your father and sister are involved in such things, what about you… Can we trust you?” Huo Luo’s voice was sharp.
Shocked by all that had transpired in the capital, the expressions on the faces of the two men changed completely. They now understood that Chu Lishu’s plan had failed, his fate uncertain, and Lin Qingyang was imprisoned in the capital. Their influence in the capital was under surveillance, manipulated, and eliminated.
It was almost a complete collapse.
Duke Wei Guo, their elder, Xu Lanxin, strictly speaking, was their childhood friend, around the same age. One was an ordinary nobleman, the other a gentle and virtuous lady.
Never did they expect the venomous snake to be right beside them. They were supposed to be the closest to this family, yet they failed to guard against it for His Highness… It was their fault.
Xu Wenze didn’t struggle, he just looked at the two with self-blame. “If only I had known everything earlier, I would have tried to stop them.”
He could accept family members vying for favor, even scheming and plotting in the imperial court, and he was willing to help secure a place for his family in the palace.
But now, everything done by Duke Wei Guo’s residence was something he couldn’t face.
But… he was powerless, after all, both of them were his family.
“That’s enough, Huo Luo,” Yue Chen said in a deep voice. “Blaming Wenze won’t change anything. Let him go.”
When Huo Luo released Xu Wenze, his arm was still trembling slightly. He knew naturally that it wasn’t Xu Wenze’s fault, but the anger couldn’t be expelled. If it were Concubine Xu standing in front of him right now, he would not hesitate to break her neck.
“Is it for the throne? Just for the throne, she’s so ruthless, and her child hasn’t even been born yet!” Huo Luo’s eyes were red with anger as he roared.
“In her eyes, aren’t we also vying for the throne?” Yue Chen sneered.
“We’re different, we are…” Huo Luo gritted his teeth fiercely but couldn’t bring himself to say it.
They were fighting for something that should have belonged to that person, for the light and justice in their hearts.
Yue Chen’s voice turned cold. “Now that we know Tianheng Kingdom’s attack is just to assist Concubine Xu, why should we waste our energy making a trip? Let’s stay here. What can Concubine Xu do to us then?”
Xu Wenze dared not meet Yue Chen’s gaze. “She said that Yu Suoxi was just lending some help out of whim, that they don’t have a partnership. So who knows, the next moment, Yu Suoxi might take advantage of the chaos in the Great Zhou and actually attack. Then it would be…”
Will it be another three cities?
Yue Chen couldn’t help but admit that he had underestimated Concubine Xu. In terms of psychological warfare, he truly admired her.
With so many lives at stake on the gambling table, they couldn’t afford to back down. Coupled with the fact that their family members were being held hostage, it seemed like Concubine Xu was completely stifling any thoughts of rebellion.
Yue Chen pondered for a moment. “Let us leave, but we want to take Lin Qingyang with us. Everything has failed, our family members are being held hostage, we can’t overturn the situation. So, leaving him behind alone serves no purpose.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Wenze could only shake his head. “I don’t know why my sister is so wary of Lishu, but now that Lishu has escaped, my sister will be even less likely to let Qingyang leave. Qingyang, like your family members, has already been taken into the palace. And… Qingyang said he couldn’t leave the capital for some reason. At that time… when Mu Huichun left, he actually had the chance to take the risk and leave, but he didn’t… perhaps he had other plans. Moreover, the palace is heavily guarded now. Even if Big Brother Huo wants to sneak in and rescue someone, it’s impossible. You may not believe what I’m saying, but I really don’t want you to take unnecessary risks.”
Xu Wenze had said everything he needed to say and couldn’t bear to stay any longer. Before leaving, he added, “I don’t know what can change the situation, but I’ll do everything I can to protect others.”
After Xu Wenze left, the two remained silent for a long time, trying to process the overwhelming emotions.
Finally, Yue Chen spoke up, “It’s okay. Concubine Xu won’t harm Lin Qingyang. Chu Lishu was rescued, as long as they are safe, there is still hope. His Highness has overcome so many difficulties before, he can do it again this time. Moreover, Lin Qingyang is still here. He won’t let himself fail.”
“Exactly! His Highness won’t lose, and he won’t be defeated! I believe in His Highness. We’ll wait for His Highness to come back,” Huo Luo said, immediately igniting a spark of hope.
“Huo Luo, let’s head to Tongjia Pass.”
“Will we really… fight for her?” Huo Luo was unwilling, truly unwilling, but the safety of the Great Zhou couldn’t be gambled with.
“Someone is watching us, and we can’t stay still. Besides, this is His Highness’s country. We need to guard the borders and protect the Great Zhou until His Highness returns. Moreover, Qi Ci and Ning Ziheng are at the border, and they still don’t know anything. Let’s meet up with them first and then discuss our next steps. Plus, if His Highness is fine, he should come to the border to find us. Also, Huo Luo, halfway there, I’ll take people and head back to the capital directly. I’m worried about the situation in the capital, and His Highness might return directly. We’ll stay in contact at all times. You need to be careful,” Yue Chen said decisively.
Huo Luo stared at Yue Chen for a moment, but ultimately didn’t oppose the plan. “When we come back next time, His Highness should have recovered. If they see His Highness, they’ll be even more scornful.”
“What they’re doing won’t stabilize the court,” Yue Chen murmured. “Do you think Xu Lanxin is this kind of person? Is the throne really that important to them? They don’t even understand the weight of responsibility it carries.”
“All I know is that Xu Lanxin is no longer the person we used to know.”
Yue Chen suddenly froze. “No… You might not have noticed when we were kids, and I’m almost forgetting it too. When we were very young, Xu Lanxin wasn’t the gentle and delicate young lady. She was competitive, intelligent, and resolute. Later… I thought she changed as she grew up, but she hasn’t changed at all. This is the real her. But how did I forget when she started hiding it?”
“Is that so? All I remember is that she wasn’t so ruthless back then.”
After all, they played together when they were young. The impression was still there.
It’s true that Xu Lanxin had intervened in situations where she saw injustice. Even though it was Huo Luo who stepped forward to fight in the end, anyone who could play with Yue Chen and Huo Luo must have had the temperament to pass in this aspect.
But why did she become like this?
Ten days after the Huo family’s army set off for Tongjia Pass, Yue Chen returned halfway. He found Chief Steward Hai outside the city, then spent half a month re-entering the capital and hiding in Mr. Cao’s house. With Mr. Cao’s help, Yue Chen now fully understood the current situation.
At this time, the court had entered a rather eerie period of stability.
The most absurd abdication in the history of the Great Zhou Dynasty occurred: Concubine Xu became the Empress Dowager, and the former Empress Dowager became the Grand Empress Dowager.
The five-month-old child in Concubine Xu’s womb succeeded to the throne as the emperor.
Such absurdity had only occurred a few times in the history of the Great Zhou court, and after the lessons learned from bloodshed, it tended to quiet down. Some ministers who refused to comply had their families kept as hostages in the palace until they yielded and recognized Concubine Xu as the ruling Empress Dowager.
With the Grand Empress Dowager at the helm, supported by the newly appointed Prime Minister, who was none other than Duke Wei Guo acting as regent, and with Grand General Zhao providing protection, everyone could only go with the flow.
However, while stability prevailed within the capital, selfish motives emerged in the various provinces. Rebel factions emerged, neighboring small countries harassed, royal relatives rebelled, and the Great Zhou fell into great turmoil. Only Tianheng Kingdom remained quiet and inactive, perhaps out of a genuine lack of interest in intervening, or perhaps due to the credit earned by Huo Luo for his military actions at the border. It provided Great Zhou with a chance to catch its breath amidst the sudden changes.
Xu Lanxin indeed possessed skill and capability. While she struggled to maintain stability, she continuously rooted out potential threats. These threats were originally intended to be addressed by Chu Lishu after his ascension to the throne, indicating Xu Lanxin’s foresight.
However, being pregnant, Xu Lanxin was overwhelmed. Therefore, she directly allowed two young men to enter the cabinet and assist in governance: Xu Wenze and Lin Qingyang.
As a result, those who originally followed Chu Lishu were quite suspicious of Lin Qingyang. They didn’t know whether he stayed behind as a spy or if he genuinely intended to assist in governing the country. Everyone could see that both the Empress Dowager and Xu Wenze treated Lin Qingyang with great care. However, they were also openly hunting down Chu Lishu, with wanted posters distributed throughout the Great Zhou. Chu Lishu was directly labeled a rebel. Meanwhile, Lin Qingyang was earnestly helping with governance and continued to reside in the palace.
Rumors spread that Lin Qingyang was homosexual, so naturally, he wouldn’t be inclined to have a close relationship with the Empress Dowager. However, many people began to suspect that his relationship with Xu Wenze wasn’t so straightforward, especially since the rumors about Lin Qingyang’s pursuit of Xu Wenze were well-known throughout the Imperial Academy.
“Hmm… Maybe he’s gained favor with the Empress Dowager’s brother. Otherwise, how could he…”
Just after the court session, a minister was mocking when suddenly he was bumped into by a guard.
The guard was young and gave the minister a cold glare. The minister was about to retort when he noticed the guard stopping in front of Lin Qingyang, unexpectedly offering him an umbrella.
Lin Qingyang stepped out and greeted the guard with a smile. “Why are you out here? Weren’t you supposed to rest and recover from your injuries?”
“I’m just stretching my muscles, let’s go,” Lu Shi said with a stern face.
“Just stretching your leg bones? Aren’t you going to find Little Sister Huo? She’s bored,” Lin Qingyang said leisurely. But then he added, “I’m not going back; I have to go to the study.”
Lu Shi clicked his tongue. “Why do you work so hard? Do you know what others say about you? You… Just wait.” Despite his words, he obediently held the umbrella for Lin Qingyang.
Lin Qingyang smiled and absentmindedly touched the pouch at his waist, containing a cylindrical object.
“I’m fine, don’t listen to gossip.”
After being brought into the palace that day, Lin Qingyang completely gave up resistance and was directly confined to the Wenbo Pavilion. Not long after, Xu Wenze brought in Lu Shi, who had just been treated. Lin Qingyang was overjoyed and wished to personally care for him. Soon, Lu Shi was able to move again and, upon learning about the situation outside, was extremely angry. Lin Qingyang initially wanted to send Lu Shi away, but he insisted on staying by Lin Qingyang’s side.
He said, “Since I know our master is safe, I won’t leave. Our master worries about you the most, so I can’t let you be alone in the wolf’s den. Protecting you is more important than going to find our master.”
With Xu Wenze’s help, Lu Shi finally succeeded in becoming Lin Qingyang’s personal bodyguard. Xu Lanxin turned a blind eye to this, not wanting to make things too difficult for them.
Lin Qingyang couldn’t help but admit that having Lu Shi by his side revived his spirits. With Lu Shi around, he felt motivated to do anything.
At that time, during the turmoil of the Great Zhou court, Xu Lanxin was short-handed and asked Lin Qingyang for help. Despite not shining as brightly as Chu Lishu, Lin Qingyang was already a capable administrator. When he heard Xu Lanxin’s request, Lin Qingyang couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. He thought, “I’m not personally going to kill you because I’m afraid of being eliminated by your Shadow Guards first. Why would you even think of asking me for help?”
However, not long after, he realized the reasoning behind it. The future of Great Zhou belonged to Chu Lishu. If he left the kingdom in shambles, it would only harm Chu Lishu. Furthermore, if he got closer to the center of power and gained more understanding, he could also be helpful in the future.
Lu Shi advised Lin Qingyang to wait for Chu Lishu to come and rescue him, without enduring any hardship. However, Lin Qingyang always felt guilty about the past and wanted to do more, even if it meant clearing some obstacles for Chu Lishu’s future. With this in mind, Lin Qingyang joined the cabinet to assist Xu Wenze. At the same time, he was also working on another matter.
When he arrived at the study, Xu Wenze was already busy working. During this time, Xu Wenze could still smile at Lin Qingyang, but he showed no such warmth towards his family. Apart from diligently handling government affairs, his demeanor was entirely depressed. Lin Qingyang and Lu Shi couldn’t bear to reproach him for his increasingly melancholic appearance and weight loss. However, Xu Wenze reproached himself internally.
“I thought you would come after lunch.”
“You didn’t eat either, did you? I plan to finish this and then go back to rest. I don’t want to see the Empress Dowager.”
With Lu Shi standing guard outside, Lin Qingyang rolled up his sleeves and prepared to work.
“Are you going to work on that all night again?”
“Not all night. Working on that… helps me clear my mind,” Lin Qingyang said with a smile.
“Your hands… why are they so red? I noticed it when I was in court earlier. Are you injured?” Xu Wenze asked with concern when he saw Lin Qingyang revealing his reddened palms as he picked up his pen.
Lin Qingyang hesitated for a moment, his expression somewhat uncomfortable. “Oh, I accidentally got ink on them,” he replied. The redness on his palms was the residue left after wiping away the red ink.
Every day, he couldn’t help but stamp himself with an imprint, looking at the four characters ‘Crown Prince Yuan Ran’ in the palm of his hand. It was only then that he felt there was hope for a new day.
He just couldn’t let anyone else find out, so he would wipe it away after stamping.
As Lin Qingyang just took his seat, Xu Wenze suddenly leaned in and said, “I just heard that another group sent out by my sister was wiped out, but it seems Chu Lishu should be safe.”
Lin Qingyang paused for a moment. “Thank you.”
Since there was no indication of progress from the system, Chu Lishu might not have awakened yet, or he might not have formulated a new plan. Lin Qingyang wasn’t sure, so all he could do was wait. However, with so many people dispatched by Xu Lanxīn unable to stop Chu Lishu, there must be skilled individuals protecting him.
Inside, the two of them continued their conversation while handling their tasks. Before long, there was a cough from outside, a signal from Lu Shi that someone was approaching, prompting both of them to halt their discussion.
Lin Qingyang tidied up and got up to leave.
Lu Shi stood at the door, casting a cold glance at the person passing by.
As Lin Qingyang reached the doorway, he coincidentally encountered the person coming out from inside.
Lin Qingyang’s expression was somber, and he didn’t offer any courtesy. He simply stepped aside to let them pass, intending to leave after they entered.
Xu Lanxin didn’t pay attention to Lu Shi, just giving Lin Qingyang a glance, but the man with the severed hand following behind Xu Lanxin glanced at Lu Shi out of habit, as if finding him familiar.
While outsiders often said that Lin Qingyang and Xu Wenze were Empress Dowager Xu’s right-hand men, the one truly handling important matters was someone who never showed themselves, a person without an official identity – Xie Yiqing.
Xie Yiqing was someone Lin Qingyang had only known as the sole descendant of the Xie family and the owner of the Golden Phoenix Pavilion, known for business acumen similar to that of Lin Qingyang’s Cousin Liu.
But Lin Qingyang never imagined that, in other aspects, Xie Yiqing was also quite formidable. In Lin Qingyang’s view, Xie Yiqing’s abilities were on par with Yue Chen’s. If it weren’t for his status as a criminal, preventing him from entering the court, he probably would have risen through the ranks long ago.
What’s even more strange is his relationship with Xu Lanxin. Despite being five years older, he was engaged to Xu Lanxin in their childhood. However, this engagement was called off when Xu Lanxin turned thirteen. After that, trouble befell the Xie family.
This time, it was said that Xu Lanxin obtained support by leveraging Xie Yiqing’s influence to threaten the empress dowager. For this, Xie Yiqing even had his hand severed by Xu Lanxin. However, at this moment, Xie Yiqing willingly assisted in governing the court affairs. Initially, both Xu Wenze and Lin Qingyang thought there might be some romantic involvement between the two, but it seemed not to be the case.
However, Lin Qingyang learned that while Xu Lanxin imprisoned Xie Yiqing, she would discuss state affairs with him. It was perplexing how a detained person could still help analyze the situation, especially when Xie Yiqing was revealed to be a crucial individual to Chu Lishu, a fact known to Xu Lanxin.
Despite Xie Yiqing’s apparent freedom of movement, it seemed that he was still coerced, possibly due to being administered a type of poison that required regular antidote consumption. Hence, he and the empress dowager were still effectively under coercion.
As Lin Qingyang was about to leave, Xulan Xin suddenly called him back.
“You’ve been writing a document lately, seeking to exonerate Crown Prince Yuan Ran?”
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