Путешествие безумки по династии Сун

Глава 107

Chapter 134

The day finally arrived at the 25th of the tenth month of the sixth year of Jingxuan, a day destined to become one of the most sensational days in Jinghe's history.

From midnight, the entire capital was shrouded in a hazy, frosty fog. Just before noon, a sudden gust of wind swept through, instantly dispersing the smog. Only a few wispy white clouds remained, drifting faintly in the clear blue sky. The fiery sun peeked out from behind the clouds, its arrival undoubtedly bringing some warmth to the cold, dry air, and more importantly, hope and light to the people of the capital who had been trapped by the smog for over ten days.

At noon, with the tolling of a bell signaling the end of the curfew, the people rushed out to cheer, finally ending their miserable days of being confined to their homes! The whole city erupted in jubilation. For them, who became emperor seemed to have little impact. The problem was that if martial law continued for a few more days, they would run out of food and firewood.

Yes, that's the crux of the matter. What ordinary people need is actually very simple. They are hardworking and honest people. If you just give them a stable and harmonious living environment, they will naturally do their best to repay society. But there are some people who, for their own selfish interests, repeatedly break these small requests, making even going out to work a luxury for them. Even the simple and kind-hearted people cannot forgive such people.

When the people learned why they had been trapped in their homes for ten days, they were immediately filled with indignation. This was especially true of the scholars who had just seen a glimmer of hope in the Emperor's new civil service examination system, and the patriotic young men who were diligently practicing martial arts to defend their country. They could not accept the shattering of their hopes. They did not want an emperor who colluded with enemy states to attack his own people. They did not want to live a life without hope. With the encouragement of some, the entire city's population quickly surrounded the imperial city.

What was the scene like inside the imperial city? The enthronement ceremony, in which the former crown prince handed over his throne, was held at the ancestral temple of the imperial family, precisely at noon. The ancestral temple was located on the left rear side of the imperial palace, occupying a full third of the entire palace grounds. However, due to the Xuanyuan family's consistent adherence to a frugal lifestyle, this place, apart from being large, was not much different from the ancestral hall of an ordinary wealthy family. Inside, the ancestral tablets of the Xuanyuan family were enshrined. This was the place of worship that every emperor and new emperor had to pay homage to upon their enthronement. Normally, only a guard of about two hundred men and a few dozen palace servants were stationed here to add oil and incense.

Only when a new emperor ascends the throne does this place reveal its mystery and sanctity. Just like now, the entire ancestral temple is filled with a mysterious and eerie atmosphere. Another requirement for a new emperor's enthronement is that after paying homage to the ancestors, he must receive the kneeling obeisance of all the officials here. Only after gaining the approval of the officials is the ceremony considered complete. Just before the grand ceremony, all the officials, including the Prime Minister Leng, who had been labeled as reactionaries, were escorted to the temple by guards.

Xuanyuan was still dressed as a guard, following in the line of escorts. Upon reaching the temple, only officials and members of the royal family were allowed inside. Lady Leng and the Yangtian couple were naturally stopped outside by the guards. Xuanyuan followed Leng Xiang, who was carrying Yi'er, into the temple. As he passed Lady Leng, he inadvertently glanced at the guards escorting her. Receiving the look, the guards immediately struck pressure points on Leng Yangtian and the other two, quickly removing them from the ancestral temple.

Entering the main ancestral hall, Xuanyuan finally saw his elder brother, whom he hadn't seen for over six years. Clad in imperial robes, he was still dashing and debonair; were it not for the gloom and malice filling his deep, dark eyes, he would have been almost indistinguishable from his father in his prime. They looked remarkably alike. Thinking of his father, who had been driven to his death by his brother's anger, the lingering brotherly affection in Xuanyuan's heart, which had been painful to witness, seemed to begin to fade.

He was accompanied by Empress Dowager Shui and the Third Prince, along with court officials led by the two old men of the Shui family. Xuanyuan turned his gaze to the court officials, carefully observing their expressions. He noticed which faces showed schadenfreude upon seeing Prime Minister Leng and his entourage enter, which showed remorse and sadness, and which displayed indifference and detachment. He categorized and memorized their names one by one.

As they reached the center of the hall, the Crown Prince, a sinister smile on his face, approached the Leng Xiang entourage. Xuanyuan unconsciously took two steps back and lowered his head. It was not yet time to acknowledge him.

"Haha, Prime Minister Leng, you've truly rendered meritorious service! Thank you, Prime Minister Leng, for educating my child." The Crown Prince said to Prime Minister Leng with a sarcastic smile. Then he turned to a eunuch accompanying him and said:

"Hurry up and take the Crown Prince to prepare." The eunuch glanced smugly at the Prime Minister, then took the child, whose pressure points had been sealed, from the Prime Minister's hands. He turned and walked towards the side hall.

"The auspicious time has arrived. The incense table is ready. We invite Your Majesty the Empress Dowager and the Crown Prince to burn incense and offer sacrifices to our ancestors!" the official from the Directorate of Ceremonial announced loudly.

The Crown Prince gave the Cold Prime Minister a strange smile, then turned and walked towards the incense table. He took the lit incense from Empress Dowager Shui and solemnly bowed three times and nine times before the ancestral tablets.

After the ceremony, the eunuch in charge of ceremonies announced again:

"Please, Empress Dowager, crown the Crown Prince and bestow upon him the Imperial Seal of the State!"

After the Empress Dowager and the Crown Prince exchanged a smile, just as they were about to pass the imperial seal to the new emperor, it was noon. Suddenly, a deafening clap of thunder rang out. Everyone present was stunned. The Empress Dowager trembled violently, and the imperial seal slipped from her hand.

"Ah!" Everyone exclaimed in shock as the Imperial Seal of the State was in danger!

Just then, a familiar figure suddenly appeared out of thin air. With a casual wave of his hand, the jade seal, which was three inches off the ground, suddenly spun around as if it had grown wings and flew straight into the newcomer's hand.

"Wow! That was close!" Everyone's tense hearts finally settled down, and they couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Then, all the eyes that had been fixed on the Imperial Seal of the State involuntarily turned to look at the face of the newcomer.

"Your Majesty?" The ministers kneeling on the ground trembled in shock once again.

Xuanyuan tossed the imperial seal in his hand, his sharp gaze sweeping coldly over the kneeling ministers. He turned to the equally shocked Crown Prince and said:

"Brother, how have you been?"

"You're not dead?" After a moment of surprise, the Crown Prince quickly composed himself, his eyes filled with hatred and rage. It was as if someone else was vying for his throne, not the other way around. He sneered at Xuan Yuan Yunli and said sharply:

"Hmph! I owe you my good fortune, brother. Very well! You have usurped my throne and empire for six long years. Today, I will take it all back with interest."

Yunlu calmly turned the jade seal in his hand, glanced at it for a moment, then suddenly looked up to meet the hateful gaze directed at him. He asked softly:

"Brother, there is something I have never understood. This question is very simple for you, and only you can answer it for me. If you can give me a satisfactory answer today, then this jade seal in my hand will be yours. Moreover, I will personally write the edict of succession for you."

These words immediately caused an uproar throughout the hall. Even the Prime Minister Leng, who had entered with him, was astonished! The Prime Minister Leng couldn't help but worry in his heart whether the Emperor had softened his heart again upon seeing his elder brother.

"What is it that you don't understand? Is it the way of governing a country? Haha, someone like you, who is full of dreams of chivalry, would naturally not understand such profound things!" After a moment of stunned silence, the Crown Prince suddenly seemed to have figured it out and laughed loudly.

Xuanyuan Yunlu remained indifferent, as if it were none of his business. He glanced disdainfully at the dragon robe adorned with soaring golden dragons on the Crown Prince's body, then tossed the Imperial Seal of the State in his hand. He asked in his usual detached and unconvinced tone:

"I do not believe I have ever intended to compete with my brother for that dragon robe and the imperial seal. And from what my brother just said, it seems you think so too. Because my dream has always been in the martial world, not in the imperial court."

The Crown Prince didn't understand what he was asking. He looked at Xuanyuan with suspicion, wondering if he was still as foolish as before? Was he really going to give up the throne to him? If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have waited so patiently for six years!

At this moment, Xuanyuan suddenly changed the subject, his tone becoming extremely cold and sharp as he questioned:

"But what I can't understand is, why did you, as the Crown Prince six years ago, collude with the Western Ping Kingdom and deliberately open your country's gates to allow their iron cavalry to trample on my Jinghe people and country at will? What benefit did this bring to you, the Crown Prince of Jinghe?"

These words caused another wave of astonishment! Apart from the Leng Xiang and his entourage, who already knew the truth, and the few old men of the Shui family who remained largely expressionless, everyone else, even the Crown Prince's trusted guards standing imposingly around the ancestral hall, were stunned into silence. Immediately, all eyes, filled with bewilderment and suspicion, turned to the somewhat bewildered Crown Prince.

Because of the stark contrast between Xuanyuan Yunlu's tone and the content of his question, the Crown Prince was clearly caught off guard. However, having received specialized training in political maneuvering from a young age, the Crown Prince naturally wouldn't show his emotions. After only a moment of surprise, he immediately retorted with even sharper words:

"You're talking utter nonsense. What does the war six years ago have to do with me? If anyone is to be accused of treason, it would only be you!" The Crown Prince grew increasingly agitated, pointing at Xuanyuan Yunli and addressing the crowd watching him.

"Don't forget that he was the one who led the troops to fight back then. Why don't you ask him how he managed to escape from the 50,000-strong army of Xiping, stepping over the corpses of more than 20,000 Jinghe soldiers? Anyone with a brain can see the suspicious points! How did he manage to escape from the enemy's 50,000-strong army? There is only one answer: he betrayed those 20,000 soldiers to save his own life. At the same time, he also betrayed the interests of several border cities of Jinghe."

What does it mean to turn the tables and shift the blame? What does it mean to distort the truth and reverse right and wrong? Those who know the truth are all amazed by this person's incredible ability to twist facts; he truly deserves to be called a king. However, if Jinghe really falls into the hands of such a king, I'm afraid none of them will have a good life!

Those unaware of the truth naturally turned their questioning gazes to Xuanyuan Yunlu. However, his expression remained calm and unmoved. It was as if the person accused of betraying his country to save his own life had nothing to do with him. Was this what they called being upright and honest? Yes, why was he so agitated in refuting something that had nothing to do with him? A wise person would think this way.

"Further words are unnecessary. After you gentlemen have seen these things, you will have your own judgment on right and wrong!" It seems Xiao Jie was right; his elder brother has reached a perverse level. Xuan Yuan Yunli shook his head helplessly, a bitter smile unconsciously flashing across his lips. He slowly took out a stack of letters from his robes and tossed them to the ministers kneeling on the ground.

Then, in a chillingly cold voice, he said to the prince:

"If you only wanted to get rid of me because you didn't like me, and after sending out countless assassins who all failed, you thought of using the Xiping army to do those heinous things, then it is indeed my fault! I shouldn't have let you down again and again because of our brotherhood."

Xuanyuan's words grew increasingly harsh, his voice increasingly cold:

"When you first poisoned me, or when you first pushed me into the lake, or when you first put poisonous snakes on my bed, or when you first sent assassins to kill me after forcing me out of the palace, I should have eliminated you first. If I had eliminated you then, the soldiers wouldn't have sacrificed themselves in vain."

Forced back several steps by Xuanyuan's words, the Crown Prince realized his crimes were about to be exposed. Suddenly, his face darkened, and a cunning glint flashed in his eyes. He burst into laughter:

"Haha, Xuanyuan Yunlu, you disregarded brotherhood first! Then don't blame me for not giving you face. Ask yourself honestly, do you even deserve to be emperor? Leaving aside the fact that you completely lack the skills of a ruler to govern, your body, which is like a eunuch's and cannot touch women, makes you unworthy to wear this dragon robe!" With that, the crown prince addressed the ministers who were examining his incriminating evidence:

"You've all been fooled by him, you know? He's not a real man at all. He's been forbidden from touching women since he was a child. At his coming-of-age ceremony, his father forced a naked woman into his bed. Guess what happened?" The crown prince paused deliberately, waiting to draw everyone's attention before continuing with his loud laughter:

"Haha, and he was so scared he vomited for three days and three nights! Do you know why he left the palace to venture into the world? That's even funnier. As his elder brother, I'm ashamed for him. Do you know why? It's because he couldn't resist the temptation of his junior sister, but he was impotent. So he ran away alone. Later, his junior sister couldn't stand the loneliness and came to seduce me. As a result, the eldest prince, Yi'er, whom you all acknowledge, was born. And he, on the other hand, has always used his true love for his junior sister as an excuse to refuse to expand his harem. Now he wants to use my son to silence public opinion and cover up the fact that he is impotent. My dear ministers, you are all upright and honorable men! Do you really want a fake man, who is no different from a eunuch, to lead your future and Jinghe's?"

Undeniably, the Crown Prince cleverly diverted the ministers' attention from the evidence against him to the Emperor's private affairs. The ministers then realized why the Emperor always looked like he wanted to devour someone whenever someone mentioned expanding his harem or taking concubines. Then, they all unanimously cast disdainful glances at Xuanyuan Yunli.

Is the Emperor a eunuch? This question is certainly eye-catching. For these conservative courtiers, having a man who isn't a man rule them is far more unacceptable than having an arrogant tyrant. In their eyes, even if the Crown Prince did collude with the Western Ping Kingdom, that's all in the past. Besides, the empire belongs to him; he's willing to cede territory and cities to other countries—what can they, as his subjects, say? But if the Emperor is impotent, then the Jinghe royal family will undoubtedly face the danger of having no heir. Comparing the two, these opportunists naturally shifted their focus back to the Crown Prince.

Seeing the situation take a dramatic turn, the Crown Prince couldn't help but reveal a smug smile. His self-satisfied gaze inadvertently fell on Xuan Yuan Yunli, and the Crown Prince's smile instantly froze. Xuan Yuan Yunli remained calmly accepting the crowd's contempt. It was as if the people were not despising and mocking him, but rather he himself was mocking himself. Suddenly, the Crown Prince pointed at Xuan Yuan Yunli as if possessed and shouted:

"Why do you always put on such an aloof, indifferent act? You were like this when you were little, and you're still like this now that you're grown up. Do you know what I hate most about you? You look just like your mother. She's always like this, acting like she's the only one who matters. But so what? That's all just a facade. Do you know how many times she's cried her heart out under the covers? Do you know how she's secretly followed Father to other women's palaces to spy on them? Since she clearly cares, why doesn't she fight back? With her abilities, none of those women could stand against her! But she insists on pretending to be superior..."

"Slap! Slap! Slap!" Before the prince could finish his rant, Xuanyuan's fist was already aimed at his face. After three crisp sounds, Xuanyuan withdrew his fist and coldly warned:

"You are not allowed to disrespect the Empress Dowager! The Empress Dowager only cares about the Emperor's heart. She disdains competing for favor with others. She disdains an incomplete relationship. So she torments herself while also tormenting the Emperor. You are just as clueless about relationships as the Emperor, so you are not qualified to comment on the Empress Dowager."

"Hmph! I'm not worthy! And you? You're a monster, neither male nor female!" the Crown Prince sneered, mocking him. He then turned to the assembled court officials and questioned them sharply.

"Is there anyone else who is willing to be ruled by this androgynous monster? If not, stand up."

Before the Crown Prince had even finished speaking, more than half of the ministers had already risen and sided with him. Even the ministers who had stood by him through thick and thin in the palace, who had fought alongside him, mostly stood up. In the end, only the Prime Minister and a few of Xuanyuan's agents planted in the court remained on the ground. Including Xuanyuan, there were only about ten people in total.

Despite the sudden division within the court, Xuanyuan Yunlu remained indifferent and cold. He seemed completely unconcerned about the ministers' fates. However, everyone could see that he cared only about one person: the Prime Minister. Just as the ministers moved towards the Crown Prince, he leaped to the Prime Minister's side, personally helping him up from the ground. He then instructed the other ministers:

"You are responsible for protecting Lord Leng. No matter what happens later, you must ensure Lord Leng's safe arrival at Qingfeng Residence. Understand?"

"Your Majesty, we obey the decree!"

“No, your mission should be to protect the Emperor,” the Prime Minister Leng immediately retorted.

"Haha, truly loyal and righteous! But it's alright, I'll let you all travel together, at least you'll have company on the road to the Yellow Springs!" the Crown Prince laughed wildly. Then, he suddenly pulled the Empress Dowager and the Third Prince aside and quickly retreated to the wall. He waved his hand towards the roof and commanded:

"Fire arrows! Leave no one alive!"

Xuanyuan and the others immediately surrounded Leng Xiang and protected him.

Those civil officials who feared bloodshed closed their eyes. Meanwhile, those who gloated watched with wide eyes as the people in the arena were riddled with arrows from all directions.

But why is there no movement?

"Release the arrows!" the crown prince roared once again.

Silence! Silence! The entire ancestral temple fell into a deathly silence.

Suddenly, a chubby figure came running in through the doorway, panting and shouting.

"Your Majesty, are you alright? This old servant has already taken down all the people outside as you instructed."

"Don't come in, Eunuch Fu!" Xuanyuan shouted.

"Arrest him for me!" the Crown Prince roared at the same time.

Eunuch Fu stopped immediately, but before he could turn around, two guards rushed up and pinned him down.

"Protect Prime Minister Leng!" Xuan Yuan Yunli shouted, then flashed towards the door. Before his feet even touched the ground, the soft sword in his hand had already slit the necks of the two guards holding down Eunuch Fu. *Sizzle!* Blood stained Eunuch Fu's clothes, but not a drop touched Xuan Yuan's. Xuan Yuan pulled Eunuch Fu to his feet and leaped back to Prime Minister Leng's side. All of this was done in the blink of an eye.

The ministers had always known that the Emperor had practiced martial arts since childhood and enjoyed the world of chivalry. However, few had ever witnessed his true abilities. Now, having witnessed his lightning-fast movements and swordsmanship that killed without shedding blood, they began to worry that they might be killed in an instant, just like the two guards.

Seeing that the guards were stunned by Xuanyuan's skills, the Crown Prince immediately threw out bait to provoke them:

"What are you standing there for? Attack them all! Whoever can stab any of them with a single sword strike will be rewarded with a thousand taels of gold. Whoever kills one will be promoted three ranks and receive an additional ten thousand taels of gold!"

Immediately, the guards, who were willing to risk their lives for money and official positions, swarmed towards Xuanyuan and his eleven companions. Xuanyuan and the other nine formed a circle back to back, tightly protecting the martial arts-illiterate Eunuch Fu and Prime Minister Leng within this circle.

Xuanyuan, his long robes billowing, moved with unrestrained grace. His tall figure moved with the agility of a dragon soaring and a phoenix dancing. With a swift draw and thrust, his sword shot forth with earth-shattering force, instantly unleashing a continuous barrage of sword shadows. Like roaring dragons, they surged forth with overwhelming power, aiming straight for the throats of the swarming attackers…

Chapter 135

When Xiao Jie led the Longmen members directly to Qingfeng Pharmacy through the secret passage, she witnessed Madam Leng, Yang Tian, and Xing Yue, all immobilized by pressure points, being escorted into Qingfeng Residence by several guards. She drew her pistol, just as she was about to pull the trigger, a short guard at the front spotted her and excitedly called out to her:

"Miss! You're really back!"

A gunshot rang out, and everyone was stunned by the sudden accident.

"That was close!" Leng Jie sighed inwardly. Her back was already drenched in cold sweat. Upon hearing the other person's scream, she immediately shifted the gun a few inches to the left. The bullet grazed the other person's hair. If she had been half a second faster, or the other person even half a second slower, her bullet would have struck the other person between the eyebrows. Then, she wouldn't even have had a chance to regret it. Thinking of this, Leng Jie involuntarily shuddered and quickly put the gun away. After suppressing the horror in her heart, she directed her anger at the other person. Her face darkened instantly, and she shouted at the person who was already frozen in fear:

"Qing'er, are you looking for death?! Why are you dressed like that and still holding my mother hostage?"

Qing'er finally recovered from her shock. Her two dark, grape-like eyes stared pitifully at Leng Jie, darting around a couple of times before tears of grievance streamed down her face. She sobbed, "..."

"Miss, you're bullying me."

"You almost scared my heart to pieces, and you still say I bullied you." Leng Jie had already run to Qing'er's side, gently patting her tear-stained face and teasing her. At the same time, she released the pressure points on Madam Leng and her two children, who were staring at her with wide eyes but unable to speak. However, even though the pressure points were released, the three of them still stared at her blankly. Leng Jie raised her hand and waved it in front of them, calling out affectionately:

"Mother! Brother! Xingyue! Your pressure points have been released. You can speak now!"

"Xiao Jie! You look so beautiful and dashing! And what was that hidden weapon you used just now? It was amazing!" Duanmu Xingyue exclaimed in amazement.

Was her outfit beautiful? Leng Jie unconsciously glanced down at the simple yet sophisticated knight's attire she had personally crafted from wool back in Beifeng. No wonder she had attracted so many admiring glances along the way. It was all thanks to this outfit!

But what Madam Leng and Leng Yangtian saw in her eyes was not her strange clothes, but her face—a face that bore a striking resemblance to Madam Leng.

"Miss! You and Madam look so alike!" Qing'er also noticed this obvious "secret" and exclaimed in surprise.