Volume 1 Chapter 116: Qingyan

  It turned out that after being deceived into the side hall, Wan Sui saw Taiyi and had not yet arrived, he realized that this was Anqing Hou's conspiracy, so he urgently ordered Shen Zhongjie to go out and adjust troops to prevent Anqing Hou from using Cao Xianggong's death to force the palace.

  Anqing had originally planned to capture Wan Sui in the side hall, forcing him to write an edict abdicating in favor of his own great-grandson, and hadn't intended to use too many people. As long as Wan Sui was under control and the edict was in hand, it wouldn't matter even if Shen Zhongjie brought a large number of troops bursting in.

  To capture Wan Si in the side hall, his only concern was Shen Zhongge. He was thinking of how to use Zhen Shi Niang outside the side hall to lure Shen Zhongge out. Seeing him take the initiative to go out, he was naturally overjoyed and ordered the people outside to let him pass all the way, waiting for him to return before blocking him again. As for other eunuchs sent by Wan Si to deliver messages, including Wen Qing, they were all quietly detained as soon as they left the side hall.

  Not a single message could be leaked from the side hall, and Gu Zong's old man deliberately confused people, causing everyone to panic suddenly.

  Shen Zhongjie led the troops back, saw the great chaos in the palace, and the emperor was trapped in a side hall, cut off from the news. He thought that there were only four guards beside the emperor, and he suddenly realized that he had fallen into the "Tiger Leaving the Mountain" plan. He couldn't help but suppress the rioting officials, Shen Zhongjie ordered people to surround the main hall, and he himself led people to rush to the side hall to rescue the emperor.

  Zou Ge and Gu Ding were not allowed to rush out, relying on being heavy ministers, Shen Zhongjie did not dare to kill them, personally led the guards to guard outside the side hall, saying that they would only be allowed in after Shen Zhongjie took out the imperial edict.

  Shen Zhongge was born a jinx, never touching meat or fish. He had been confined to the side hall since he was a child and his eyes were already red with rage. With a wave of his hand and a slash of his knife, he slaughtered all the ghosts and gods in his way, leading the charge and carving out a bloody path as he charged forward.

  This guy is really ruthless!

  The treacherous minister's evil words misled the crowd, and anyone who was knocked unconscious would be bound up; afterwards, there would naturally be a way to deal with them, but how could he say kill and have them killed?

  Doesn't he know what settling accounts after autumn means?

  For the first time, Zhen Shi saw Shen Zhong's ruthless side, and after being shocked, she secretly worried about him, "After all, he is an official of the imperial court. Will he offend heaven by beheading first and reporting later?" Her eyes quietly turned to Wan Si.

  The eyebrows of the ten thousand years did not move at all.

  "Shen Ai Qing, calm down. I have already issued an edict. If anyone dares to spread rumors and deceive the people outside, they will be beheaded without trial!" The voice was stern and cold, causing everyone present who was sober to tremble with fear.

  "Your Majesty, I thank you." Shen Zhongge stood up. "Please wait a moment, Your Majesty. Let me clean up the outside first and then escort you to move your residence."

  "No need!" Wan Sui suddenly stood up, "I want to see for myself, the clear sky and clean air. Who dares to stir up trouble without reason!"

  "Long live...!" Xiao Yu and Shen Zhongqiu spoke in unison. Xiao Yu glanced at Shen Zhongqiu and said, "As the ancients said, a thousand pieces of gold cannot be used to buy a life that is about to be lost. Please, Your Majesty, wait here for now, until General Shen has calmed the situation outside, then you can leave without delay."

  "I'll go out, who dares to hijack me and force the palace again!" With Shen Zhongge here, Wan Sui's confidence is now full.

  Since the emperor's mind was made up, Shen Zhongjie had no choice but to steel himself and order his elite troops to come forward and escort him.

  The crowd surged forward on the Longevity Walkway, near the side hall entrance. Shen Zhong's gaze fell on Zhen Shiniang, who was still motionless, and he felt a bit perplexed in his heart.

  Corpses littered the ground, blood flowing like rivers. It was really not suitable for a weak woman like her to see, but leaving her here... a weak woman. In the dead of night, facing a corpse... Shen Zhongjie thought of summoning a team of soldiers to protect Zhen Shiying, but in front of the Emperor, it would be too obvious if he were to mobilize troops to protect his own wife, really, really, somewhat too much...

  Just as he was hesitating, Wanxiang said, "Zhu An, you four protect Madame Shen here and wait."

  Under such a powerful enemy, Wanxiang actually let his personal guard protect Zhen Shiniang, Xiao Ye was stunned for a moment, and then nodded at Zhen Shiniang with a smile.

  Zhen Shining, in her own way, won the favor of Wan Si.

  Zhu An is the first guard beside Wan Sui, with him around, Zhen Shi Niang is absolutely safe. Shen Zhong Ge heard this and his expression slightly lightened, blurting out, "...Your subject thanks Your Majesty."

  "It's not like I'm protecting you, what are you thanking me for?" Wan Sui let out a cold hum and didn't say another word.

  Zhen Shi Niang came back to her senses just as she was about to thank him, only to find that everyone had already left the side hall.

  Seeing the outside in a mess, Shen Zhongjie was still uneasy and quietly instructed the guards beside him to adjust another team of elite soldiers to guard the side hall.

  Although he knew that Zhen Shi Niang was a discarded woman, after An Qing Hou's downfall, she might also be divorced by Shen Zhong Ge, but without Zhen Shi Niang, these people would not die or be seriously injured, and it would be difficult to say whether they could keep their lives safe, Zhen Shi Niang was also considered their savior, Zhu An showed special respect for Zhen Shi Niang.

  Jian Zhen's daughter sat down, and he personally ordered someone to bring in tea, then stood behind her with a respectful attitude, as if serving the emperor.

  Making Chrysanthemum anxious, they were after all the emperor's personal bodyguards.

  An unusual quietness in the palace, Autumn Chrysanthemum pulled Zhen Shiniang, hinting her to let the guards go out and gather some information.

  Zhen Shining just patted her hand.

  Sitting in the chair that Wan Shou had just sat in, at this moment, Zhen Shi Niang suddenly felt the mood of Wan Shou at that time.

  Surrounded by strong enemies, isolated from news, even the eunuch Fu Gonggong who was beside him had gone and never returned... That kind of boundless fear on the brink of despair... isn't it unbearable?

  Similarly isolated from the news, but at this time Zhen Shining didn't worry at all. The journey of Wan Sui looked ominous, but Anqing Hou had already been defeated. As long as the people outside saw Wan Sui coming out safely, they would immediately surrender and the rest was just cleaning up the battlefield. She just needed to wait patiently, Shen Zhongbo would come to pick her up after he finished his work.

  Her heart was at peace, and Zhen Shiniang's face was calm and serene.

  Zhu An couldn't help but secretly admire her, as outside a unprecedented palace coup was unfolding, the Emperor himself was in grave danger, and they were all on edge, yet she remained so calm and composed, like an immovable rock in turbulent waters.

  Just now, they stood behind Wan Si, and could feel the tension that was hidden beneath his calm exterior.

  But this woman didn't have any of that, she was so calm and serene, as if the outside was just a rehearsal for a palace coup, it even made their tense heartstrings relax.

  The four of them couldn't help but look at each other, with a hint of unhidden confusion in their eyes.

  Such a woman, Zhen Ai doesn't even have time to cherish, why does Shen Zhongqiu want to abandon her?

  At the fourth watch of Hai time, Shen Zhongge brought in Hong Lian, "......The smoke and fire have been cancelled, you don't need to pay respects to Concubine Shen, I'll send someone to escort you back to the manor first."

  I had expected this outcome. Zhen Shining stood up, "General..." Her voice paused for a moment. She had originally planned to return to Wutong Town early tomorrow morning, but now that Cao Xiangye was dead, there would definitely be a funeral tomorrow. Should she go with Shen Zhongjie to the Cao Mansion to pay her respects?

  But when the immortal guard says these...

  After experiencing such a fright, no one is not afraid.

  Seeing her hesitate, Shen Zhongqiu thought that Zhen Shiniang was afraid and wanted to escort her personally, so he explained in a rare instance, "I still have to escort the emperor tonight." Remembering Xiao Ye's words that she had been taken as a hostage and nearly lost her life, Shen Zhongqiu's voice unconsciously softened, "You wait for me at the manor first, I'll return early tomorrow morning."

  Zhen Shiniang swallowed back the words on the tip of her tongue.

  A coup occurred in the palace, but the common people outside were unaware of it. Fearing that it might trigger a riot, Wan Sui sealed off the news from the outside world early in the morning and secretly strengthened the guard to prevent too many people from gathering. Zhen Shiniang was in greater danger, so Shen Zhongjie selected only four guards with high martial arts skills, led by Rong Sheng himself, to escort Zhen Shiniang back to the General's Mansion.

  Out of the palace gate, Hong Lian suddenly remembered that Shen Zhongge's large cloak was still in her arms, "The general will be cold when he returns to the mansion tomorrow." She jumped off the carriage and found Rong Sheng to send it over.

  Rong Sheng looked up at Zhen Shi Niang with some hesitation.

  Zhen Shining suddenly thought of Shen Zhongke's blood-stained long shirt, and was about to ask Rongsheng to go back and get a clean set of clothes to send in together. But then she thought that after all, Shen Zhongke's food and clothing were not her concern. If she stopped him now, it would only make Honglian go back and quarrel with the old lady, making their already strained relationship even more awkward. Swallowing her words, she said to Rongsheng, "It's fine, they can escort him, you can go."

  She's just a worthless woman, apart from Anqing Hou that madman, no one else would bother to abduct her.

  While Hong Lian got off the carriage, Qiu Ju quietly told Zhen Shi Niang, "...Just now, Xiao Da Ren called me over and asked if the poison could be cured. I told him that those people would wake up after sleeping for six hours." There were a total of eight antidotes, excluding their master and servant, only enough for Xiao Yang Wan Sui and four guards, even Zheng Ge Lao was knocked unconscious, "Xiao Da Ren also asked me to tell you that Wan Sui has already covered up the matter, saying that the soldiers who rushed into the side hall with General Cao were just the spirit of Cao Xiang Ye, scaring An Qing Hou Zheng Ge Lao and several other old ministers into a coma, they have been sent to the inner palace for rest..."

  This is equivalent to suppressing the truth of Anqing Hou's rebellion!

  In his past life, he had seen many palace coups, even sons plotting against their fathers were beheaded. This emperor was really good to his father-in-law, not killing him and thus ending the matter peacefully.

  This politics is really not something she can handle.

  Zhen Shiniang smiled self-deprecatingly, "If not for Lord Cao's last entrustment, who knows how this matter would have turned out? It's not an exaggeration to say that the Emperor's presence intimidated everyone."

  In fact, she didn't know that even if there was a last testament from Cao Xiang Gong, Xiao Yu and Wan Si had no intention of bringing her in. Declaring her entry into the imperial palace at that critical moment was all An Qing Hou's sudden idea, thinking it would be better to lure her into the palace and control her himself, so he forced Wan Si to declare her entry.

  This is fate.

  If it weren't for Zhen Shiniang being summoned in, today's coup would have been successful thanks to Anqing Hou.

  One move on the chessboard goes wrong, and the whole game is lost. Anqing Hou calculated a thousand times, ten thousand times, but the only thing he didn't calculate was that Zhen Shiniang not only had Shen Zhongjie's weakness, but also a folk god doctor, a master of medicine.

  Chrysanthemum's eyes sparkled, "...the general's prestige is really loud, and the slaves ran past, those guard soldiers were respectful to the slaves."

  It's just a child, and when someone gives him a good face, he gets so excited. Zhen Shiniang couldn't help but smile and shake her head, and under her influence, the gloomy mood also brightened up. She opened her mouth to ask what Xiao Ye had said, but seeing that Hong Lian had already gotten on the carriage, she closed her mouth again.

  Chrysanthemum also put away her smile and sat up straight.

  PS: The college entrance examination has ended, and my son said that the science comprehensive exam was the only one he finished in the past year. He is very happy but also very nervous, and his heart has been racing for a long time. I don't know how his grades will be ten days later, and his mood will settle down after writing this article. It's a bit late, so I'll write another chapter to make up for it, (*^__^*) hehe...