First Concubine

Chapter 256: Conspiracy to usurp the throne (6)

The strong man picked up the stiff Leng Youru and entered the inner room with a smirk. Not long after, the sound of clothes being torn was heard in the inner room, and the others smiled maliciously.

 “Boss! Please be more considerate of me!”

“She is a pregnant woman, please take it easy! Don’t kill her, brothers have nothing to play with!”

 “That’s right! Boss, you...”

Before he finished the third sentence of ridicule, he stiffened and fell straight to the ground. Several people turned around, but they didn't even get a clear look at each other before their necks were wiped with a sharp sword. Zhuge Liuyun nodded to Brother Hao and strode into the room. At this time, Leng Youru's clothes had been torn apart. His snow-white arms and slender jade legs were all exposed to the cold air. The strong man was squinting. Staring at her beautiful figure...

 “You bastard!” Zhuge Liuyun was so angry that he pierced the opponent with his sword. Leng Youru was so frightened that she had no idea what was happening with her eyes closed. Zhuge Liuyun pulled down the curtain to cover the body on the ground, then took out the clothes from the wardrobe and put them on one by one for Leng Youru. Finally, he took the shaking Leng Youru into his arms and said, "Youru, it's me. I am Liuyun."

Leng Youru then opened her eyes, and with a cry, she fell into his arms and cried loudly. The depression accumulated in her heart was released bit by bit.

Zhuge Liuyun felt distressed and scared. He couldn't imagine what would happen if he was a step too late. With Cen'er by her side, he felt more at ease, but he thought that the people living in the other house for a long time were short of daily necessities, and she had a mysophobia, so she couldn't use ordinary things, so he planned to go back to his house to get some of her things. He was not aware of the fighting at the city gate, but he heard the guards running uniformly from the city to the north. He secretly felt that something was wrong, so he came directly to the other courtyard. Unexpectedly...Cen'er is not here, those people...

Brother Hao walked in. He was not injured, but the right side of his face was scratched on the ground. He looked at Leng Youru, who was crying like a child, and patted her shoulder gently.

Zhuge Liuyun touched the injury on Brother Hao's face distressedly, and Brother Hao smiled nonchalantly, "It doesn't hurt."

Zhuge Liuyun said softly: "Let's go home."

Leng Youru nodded. She didn't know what she thought of, but she grabbed the corner of Zhuge Liuyun's clothes.

 Zhuge Liuyun asked: "What's wrong?"

Leng Youru lowered her eyes and said, "Take Shangguan Qian back to the house." The general's house... is probably not safe either.

Shangguan Qian took the bow and arrow, looked at the increasingly thick black air above the palace, bit her finger, dyed the arrowhead with blood, drew the bow to full length, and shot out at the black air.

One arrow, another arrow, and another arrow, creating a gilded color in the gray sky. Looking from a distance, it looks like a gorgeous meteor shower. Every time she shoots an arrow, she will grow a bunch of white hair.

 The cold wind blew in her face, causing her clothes to fly, like a passion flower blooming in the ice and snow, shining with blazing light.

"Stop, madam! Please, I beg you, slave! Don't use the forbidden technique anymore...you will die..." Mother Gong knelt on the cold floor, hugged Shangguan Qian's skirt, and burst into tears.

Shangguan Qian pointed the arrow in the direction of the palace again.

Gong’s mother immediately got up and opened her arms to stop her, “If you want to shoot, shoot me first!”

Shangguan Qian shook her head, drew her full bow, and shot arrow after arrow toward the palace.

Gong’s mother squatted down, held her head and cried loudly.

The carriage of the palace slowly drove into the alley. Unseen by them, a dilapidated house was cracking inch by inch. The heavy snow piled on the roof, accelerating the cracking speed. However, just when it was about to collapse, all the cracks miraculously stopped. As the carriage drove away from the alley, everyone heard a loud bang and the house collapsed into pieces. Brother Hao opened the curtains and looked at the mess. His eyes widened in disbelief, "Oh my god! Fortunately we walked fast!"

Leng Youru frowned suspiciously. In fact, they walked very slowly.

After receiving the imperial edict, Zhuge Yu rode a sweaty horse from the east of the city to Kunshan. The strong wind was like a knife, constantly cutting his skin, and his nose and ears were so cold that he lost consciousness. Finally, he arrived at the Kunshan military base at dawn. He led an army of 100,000 people and quickly returned to the capital.

"General! From Kunshan to the capital, Jingyang Road is the closest. If we go all out, we can reach the capital tomorrow night, but it has to pass through two canyons. The snow is so heavy, and my subordinates are afraid that the mountain will be blocked by the snow. If we get trapped halfway, Halfway there, it would be impossible to get out for several days and nights, and it was so cold that everyone might freeze to death. The other road was the official road from Beijing to Youzhou, which had to bypass a small town. It is conservatively estimated that we will arrive in the capital in seven days." The military advisor pointed at the map and analyzed rationally, "Let's take the official route!"

"Guo Yan used 30,000 Imperial Guards to fight against a 100,000 rebel army. Do you think he can last for seven days?" Zhuge Yu asked back.

The military advisor looked troubled, "But my subordinates heard that the emperor also summoned the Yan family army to Beijing to serve the king. If nothing else happens, the Yan family army has arrived now."

Zhuge Yu threw the brush in his hand into the pen holder, "Do you think they can successfully let the Yan Jiajun and Guo Yan meet?" The Yan Jiajun has 30,000 and the rebels have 100,000. Even half of it is enough to deal with them. The key is, he It is suspected that the imperial edict will fall into the hands of the third prince before it can be sent out of the capital.

The military advisor nodded, "The general is rightly worried. This battle has come unprepared and inexplicably. How could the Third Prince have the courage and strength to raise an army to rebel? Then again, it won't help if we are trapped. ah!"

 Zhuge Yu fell into deep thought. Suddenly, a scream came from the soldiers outside the door, "The snow has lightened up, the snow has lightened up! The sun has come out! Everyone, look!"

The sky was still filled with scattered white snow, but a ray of morning light from the east broke through the thick fog and illuminated the earth instantly. Zhuge Yu's eyes lit up, "Take Jingyang Road and return to Beijing!"

On the evening of the next day, Zhuge Yu's 100,000-strong army arrived in the east of the city and formed an encirclement with Guo Yan. They defeated the third prince's army to pieces. "firewood" concept, withdrew troops and fled. Yunli immediately ordered a pursuit to take advantage of the victory and must bring the third prince to justice. Zhuge Yu didn't even have time to say goodbye to his family, so he led his army to chase the third prince south. Not long after he set off, Shangguan Qian chased after him on horseback. The breeze blew her bamboo hat, and it was hard to tell whether it was the snow-colored gauze or her hair full of silver that was floating behind her head.

As soon as the two of them walked away, the latest news from the palace came from behind: the emperor had a headache and was ill, so he specially appointed the emperor's eldest son Yun Si as the crown prince. The Queen Mother was worried about the Emperor, and she also fell ill. In addition, the Queen Mother was pregnant, so the Emperor ordered that Concubine Li handle the affairs behind the curtain and assist the infant Prince in supervising the country.

This earth-shattering news is simply more surprising than that blizzard battle. There were constant memorials in the court questioning Concubine Li and the prince, but the number of memorials defending Concubine Li and her son was even greater.

"The country cannot live without a king for a day. The prince is the eldest son of the emperor. Why not represent the royal family at court in times of national calamity? And the imperial edict said that it is not that the emperor does not allow the queen to supervise the country, but that the queen is pregnant. , It is really not suitable to work hard, so I asked Concubine Li to perform the duties on my behalf. When the Empress is better, this authority will be returned to the Empress!" Shui Hangge said sternly.

Concubine Li looked at the civil and military officials with tears in her eyes, and said with a sincere expression: "Yes, I and the Queen are sisters, and I am deeply loved by the Queen Mother. I feel so deeply that I endured being criticized verbally and written, even If you don't believe me, you can take the risk of being infamy for thousands of years and see if I will continue to occupy this position after the emperor or the empress returns to normal!"

Guo Yan said coldly: "There are many pregnant women, and there are also many who can work in the fields! Officials present, are your wives pregnant, so you immediately ignore the servants of the government?"

 Everyone was whispering.

“Yes, pregnancy is not a big deal. It’s not the Queen’s first pregnancy.”

"Yes, the Queen often attended various activities when she was pregnant with the little princess, and I never heard that the Queen was ill."

 …

Concubine Li's smile faded and her eyes became cold, "General Guo! Are you suspecting that I am falsely passing on the imperial edict? If I have such ability, why not mention my status? I am now ranked in the second rank. , both the first-class and the first-class ones are empty! Furthermore, the imperial edicts have been submitted to the Grand Master and the Grand Tutor for review. They are the Emperor’s handwriting and are genuine seals. This is a period of turmoil, so you don’t want to think about it! How to stabilize the Great Zhou Dynasty, but it will embarrass us, an orphan and a widowed mother! You... you are really a good pillar of the Great Zhou Dynasty!"

Many officials lowered their heads, but Guo Yan was still doubtful, "How can your one-sided words count?"

"A one-sided statement?" Concubine Li raised the bright imperial edict in her hand and said in a cold voice, "Those who despise the imperial power shall be killed according to the law! Anyone who does not allow me to take the prince to supervise the country is disobeying the edict! I want to see it, you guys How many of these people are not afraid of losing their heads!”

 “Concubine Yan has arrived—” The eunuch’s sharp voice sounded outside the Jinluan Palace.

Concubine Li's eyes sharpened, "Without my instructions, how can the concubines of the harem set foot in the Jinluan Palace privately? Give me..."

Before the words "Drag down" were uttered, all the civil and military officials in the court knelt down in front of Concubine Yan, "Long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor!"

It was Concubine Yan who held the Shangfang Sword given by the Supreme Emperor in both hands and stepped into the hall with a solemn expression.

 (End of this chapter)