"You are all fine sons of my Great Yan Dynasty. If you surrender now, there is still hope. But if war breaks out, there will be no turning back."
Mu Yunsheng looked around at the soldiers he had brought and laughed, "Even now, His Majesty is still trying to persuade them to surrender. Marquis Yiyang is on his way. When the time comes, with His Majesty's men, will they be able to defeat Qianqian or Wanwan?"
"You shall see."
Ji Ying pointed casually.
Flags waved across the mountains and fields, and 20,000 elite troops peeked out.
The emperor, confident and captivating, asked, "Why do you all think I am going on a spring hunt?"
In the spring hunt, the whole world is the hunting ground. Who is the hunter? What is the prey?
Mu Yunsheng's face was grim, and he spat out a command through gritted teeth: "Kill!"
...
Wei Hanqing made many mistakes in his life, one of which was wrongly killing his eldest son, and another was wrongly killing his father, Old Master Wei.
The Wei family was once a family of loyal martyrs; otherwise, where would their illustrious military family have come from, and how would they have earned the imperial edict?
The old man refused to agree to his son taking such a risk for his wife and daughter. During the argument, Wei Hanqing stabbed the old man in the chest.
They've already killed them.
When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out.
Marquis Yiyang raised an army in rebellion, vowing to kill Ji Ying and rescue his wife and daughters. Five thousand soldiers charged into the battlefield.
Yang Ruo protected the Emperor and Empress, coldly watching the bloody battlefield.
Wei Pingxi was still asleep, having changed from sleeping nestled in Yu Zhi's arms to sleeping with his head on the table.
Yan Xiu would pinch her fair face from time to time, but Miss Wei didn't react at all.
If the Empress hadn't known beforehand from Yao Chenzi that she wouldn't wake up for at least two days and two nights, she would have thought something was wrong with her precious little darling who had been lost and found again.
Comprehending the highest martial arts and engaging in a prolonged battle with Gu Chenzi both require absolute focus and a desperate fight.
Wei Pingxi was so exhausted that he couldn't hear the deafening fighting outside.
Marquis Yiyang swung his sword at the cage used to imprison the ferocious beast, but failed to break the lock. Instead, the impact caused blood to flow from his tiger's mouth: "Ah Qing!"
Gu Chenzi was already a cripple, holding his woman tightly, ignoring Wei Hanqing's screams outside.
Yan Qing didn't even glance at him, her reaction was indifferent.
Young Master Wei charged forward, brandishing his sword: "Mother!"
His cry of "Mother" was heart-wrenching. Yan Qing looked up as if to show mercy, saw the bloodstains on his face and his anxious expression, and sneered in a low voice: "Useless."
She seemed to see the inevitable death of the father and son through the bloodshed before her.
She had a chance to survive if she had stayed put, but she insisted on coming to die, so she can't be blamed for it.
"Mother! Your son will save you!"
Wei San's eyes turned red, and he chopped off a man's head with a backhand.
The battle was fierce, and more and more people fell as the sun rose higher.
Ji Ying sat quietly under the canopy, watching as some people fell to the ground and others resisted stubbornly.
"Go and take Mu Yunsheng's head."
"yes!"
Yang Ruo's movements were lightning fast.
It would take a hundred Mu Yunshengs combined to have a chance of surviving against the second-best in the world.
But there is only one Mu Yunsheng.
So his head was removed and casually held in Yang Ruosai's hand.
Having witnessed the ruthlessness of the Grand Eunuch, Ji Qingyao swiftly appeared in front of Ji Ying—to catch the thief, first catch the king!
The person who referred to herself as a "servant" in front of Yan Hui was actually a hidden master who had been lying low for eighteen years.
A murderous aura swept over him, and before the guards could protect him, Wei Pingxi, still asleep, instinctively slapped out!
Ji Qingyao was sent flying backward, spitting out blood and turning deathly pale.
Fighting and killing, a lively scene, the spring breeze carrying the stench of blood.
With Mu Yunsheng dead, Wei Hanqing and his son captured, and Ji Qingyao seriously injured, the group was leaderless, and the scheme that had been in preparation for many years finally began to close.
After cleaning up the mess, Ji Ying returned to the palace.
In this round, Yan Qing suffered a crushing defeat, Gu Chenzi suffered a crushing defeat, and Yan Hui suffered a crushing defeat.
This defeat uncovered a long-standing case, revealing the secrets of the true and false princesses' origins.
Wei Pingxi was still fast asleep.
The old woman was invited to the palace.
If a mere servant's words cannot punish the Empress Dowager, then what about the charge of rebellion?
The rebellion, coupled with the confusion of the imperial family's bloodline, compounded the crime, and the Empress Dowager's lineage was eliminated.
After years of planning, Ji Ying's wish finally came true.
Wei Hanqing knelt in the Golden Hall and learned that his daughter had been strangled to death by the Empress Dowager's men after birth. He spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted.
Nian Jiaojiao is still recounting what happened back then.
Yan Hui sat steadily in the carved chair, lamenting that the tide had turned.
Ji Ying was more difficult to deal with than she had imagined.
The depth of their cunning is unprecedented.
She suddenly remembered how many years ago, the obedient and innocent fourth prince called her "Mother" in a clear and crisp voice.
Having witnessed his obedient and innocent nature, Yan Hui lowered her guard, disregarded the child, and obeyed the late emperor's edict by sending him to sit in that chair.
In the third year of Ji Ying's reign as Empress, she finally discovered who had killed her son.
"You win."
"The Empress Dowager didn't even argue?"
Yan Hui lost the joy of the rest of her life, but she didn't want to lose her composure.
The victor is king, the loser is villain; there's no point in arguing about it.
Whoever has the superior skills will have the last laugh.
The main hall was packed with people.
Some were horrified by the assassination attempt at Liuyun Hunting Ground, some were shocked by the secret of the 'real and fake princesses', and some felt a deep sense of fear about the Empress Dowager's rebellion.
Fortunately, the emperor's strategy was one step ahead.
Yang Ruo bowed and approached: "Your Majesty, Princess Yunzhang requests an audience."
"Announce!"
Ji Rong, dressed in magnificent robes, entered the hall and bowed deeply, saying, "Ji Rong, the daughter of a sinner, pays her respects to Your Majesty and Your Highness."
She referred to herself as a "sinner woman," and Ji Ying's gaze darkened: "What does Your Majesty have to say?"
"I request to be demoted to a commoner, and I hope Your Majesty will spare my mother's life."
"As a son, how could I kill my mother?" He walked step by step to Yan Hui: "Back then, Empress Yin was demoted to a concubine by Father Emperor on the grounds of 'violating the harem.' Was that something you did?"
"It is indeed me."
"Was the death of Queen Yin also your doing?"
At this point, there was no need to hide anything, and Yan Hui chuckled, "That's right."
The courtiers were greatly alarmed.
The leader, Grand Tutor Yan, shouted, "What a vicious woman!"
The truth has come to light. He has avenged himself on the murder of his mother and the abduction of his daughter. Ji Ying smiled and said, "Fine. It's good that you admit it."
The dust has settled.
Princess Yunzhang's position remained unchanged, while Marquis Yiyang and his son were sentenced to immediate execution.
Empress Dowager Yan moved out of Fushou Palace and was imprisoned in Changming Hall for the rest of her life. Ji Qingyao, the fake princess, was given a white silk ribbon to hang herself.
Lady Wei and Gu Chenzi were imprisoned together in a dark and sunless water dungeon.
The emperor found the title 'Princess with beautiful face' unlucky and did not intend to continue using it.
Yao Chenzi's judgment was wrong; someone slept for seven days straight and was almost becoming a sleeping immortal.
It's laughable that Wei Pingxi, who had been sleeping like a little pig, was carefully moved around during those days, registered in the clan genealogy, and allowed to return to his ancestral home while still fast asleep.
When Wei Pingxi woke up, he had become Ji Pingxi, was given the title "Changyang", and was granted the fief of Wanning. The princess's mansion was being built in a great deal of activity.
Yu Zhi stayed by her side day and night, asking Yao Chenzi, who was standing nearby, "Divine Doctor, why hasn't Xi Xi woken up yet?"
Yao Chenzi was speechless. After hesitating for a while, he said, "Maybe he's just lazy."
Lazy pigs love to sleep the most.
"His Majesty has arrived! Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!"
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Chapter 74 Princess Changyang
In the capital, after the officials left, the people gathered around to look at the notice posted on the wall.
The densely packed characters looked quite lively. Those who couldn't read asked a kind scholar to explain them to them. And wow, the explanation was even more exciting than listening to a storybook!
"So it turns out that Queen Yin was framed!"
The speaker was an old woman leaning on a cane.