Ning Que and the Empress did not react to the sudden ambush.
It was not because they were brave, but because they dared to leave the Tang army to come to the Northern Military Camp. Naturally, they had a basic trust in the general.
The sound of podaos colliding with each other was loud and shrill. After the initial shock and panic, the cavalry battalion that was responsible for escorting the Empress and her entourage immediately began to organize defense and counterattack.
On both sides of the street, many archers had been lying in ambush. Those Tang soldiers who tried to ambush the convoy were subdued in a very short time.
During this process, the Empress's expression did not change. She just held the Sixth Prince, looked down into his eyes and whispered something to him.
Ning Que kept his head down until the end of the battle. The two Tang generals were shot by arrows and fell off their horses, but they refused to surrender. They killed themselves with their swords. Only then did he raise his head and look out of the window.
…
…
The carriage finally arrived at the General's Mansion.
Xu Chi, the Wilderness Suppressing General of the Tang Empire, had already led the generals to kneel at the stone steps in front of the mansion to welcome them.
Before General Xu Chi could apologize, the Empress had already led the Sixth Prince out of the carriage. She looked at Xu Chi who was kneeling at the stone steps and said calmly, "It's really not easy to walk to the General's Mansion."
Xu Chi did not make any excuses or apologize. He respectfully led the Emperor's coffin into the mansion and then invited the Empress and the Prince to the back house to have a rest.
Ning Que was no longer beside the pine coffin. He sat in the study and drank tea.
Not long after, Xu Chi pushed open the door of the study and walked in.
Ning Que had met three of the four Great Generals of the Tang Empire, but he had never met Xu Chi. But according to the Empress's description and Han Qing and other generals' supplement, he was already very clear about this general's temperament.
"The two generals who rebelled had nothing to do with the Gushan Commandery. They were the former subordinates of the Northern Military Camp."
Xu Chi said straightforwardly.
Ning Que said, "It has nothing to do with the Gushan Commandery, but it doesn't mean it has nothing to do with Hua Shanyue or the Princess, unless you insist that it's your relationship."
Xu Chi said after a moment of silence, "I heard that Mr. Thirteen and the Princess were very close."
Ning Que said, "I also heard that General Xu Chi was most loyal to the former emperor."
"The rescript of the West-Hill Divine Palace has been spread all over the world. I think Mr. Thirteen has already seen it. It's inevitable that the morale of the army is a little shaken. That's why today's assassination happened."
Xu Chi said, "I understand what you meant. But since the Empress is really a member of the Devil's Doctrine, then the Sixth Prince can't inherit the throne or return to Chang 'an."
Ning Que asked, "Why?"
Xu Chi said, "Because the West-Hill Divine Palace will not allow a descendant of the Devil's Doctrine to rule the Tang Empire."
Ning Que said, "Idiot, the West-Hill Divine Palace is already attacking the Tang Empire."
Xu Chi was silent. He suddenly asked, "There is one thing I want to know."
Ning Que said, "General, please go ahead."
Xu Chi said, "It is said that … the death of the former emperor has something to do with Her Majesty."
Ning Que said, "What an idiot. His Majesty has been suffering from an old illness for many years. As his most trusted general, you must know this. Even if it had something to do with Her Majesty, it was many years ago. His Majesty didn't even care about it. Do you think you are qualified to hate him for his Majesty?"
Xu Chi frowned slightly, but it was obvious that he looked a little more relaxed.
After thinking for a long time, he looked at Ning Que seriously and said, "You persuade the Empress to stay in the Northern Military Camp with the Sixth Prince. I can guarantee that as long as I am alive, I will keep them safe."
Ning Que looked at his eyes quietly and did not say anything.
Xu Chi responded to his gaze calmly, without any change in his expression.
Ning Que suddenly said, "Although I have said it before, I can't help but repeat it. I really want to know if the rumor is true. Is the general really loyal to His Majesty?"
Xu Chi said, "I am willing to prove it with my life."
Ning Que said, "You don't have to use your life. You should now be very clear that the former Emperor passed the throne of the Tang Empire to the Sixth Prince. The edict in Chang 'an must be fake. "
"Then what do you think we should do now, Mr. Thirteen?"
Xu Chi said in a cold voice, "Let the Empress bring the Sixth Prince back to Chang 'an to fight for the throne with the new emperor? Let the Tang army split and even fall into a civil war? "
"If it were any other time, I would not hesitate to carry out the real edict of His Majesty and help the Sixth Prince to ascend the throne even if the Tang Empire fell into a civil war. I don't care if the Empress is from the Devil's Doctrine or not, but not now."
Xu Chi looked very serious and said, "Now the whole world is fighting against the Tang Empire. The cavalry of the Golden Palace is invading the south, the army of the West-Hill Divine Palace is marching north, the Qinghe County has rebelled, and the Northeast Border Military has been destroyed. The Tang Empire is surrounded by enemies on all sides and is in a precarious situation. At this critical moment, the Tang Empire cannot afford any internal strife!"
Ning Que said after a moment of silence, "What do you think we should do, general?"
"In the face of foreign enemies, the Tang Empire needs unity most. I can't watch you and the Empress lead tens of thousands of soldiers of the Northern Battlefront Army south to Chang 'an. These soldiers should be bathed in blood in the Northern Frontier instead of wasting their lives in the internal strife. So I want you to persuade the Empress to stay in the Northern Military Camp with the Sixth Prince."
Xu Chi stared into his eyes and said, "If you think this is a betrayal to the former emperor, then I can promise you that once the Tang Empire survives this crisis, the Northern Battlefront Army will still support the Sixth Prince."
Ning Que frowned slightly. He had to admit that the general's words made sense. And the Tang Empire did need tens of thousands of soldiers returning to the south to fight against the invasion. However …
The door of the study squeaked and was pushed open from the outside.
The Empress walked in and looked at the two. She said calmly, "I want to go back to Chang 'an."
Without hesitation, Xu Chi knelt in front of her and kowtowed repeatedly until his forehead bled.
His voice seemed to be in extreme pain as he said in a trembling voice, "Your Highness, I have been loyal to His Majesty all my life, but now I do not dare to carry out His Majesty's posthumous edict. My heart is filled with guilt, and I fear that I will not be able to eat or sleep in peace for the rest of my life. However, in this dangerous situation, the Tang Empire cannot fall into chaos. Your Highness, please reconsider!"
The Empress looked at him and smiled. She said, "If I bring the Sixth Prince back to Chang 'an, will Chang' an fall into chaos? Or would the Great Tang fall into chaos? The general overestimates the strength of us orphans and widows. "
Xu Shi was stunned. He did not understand what the Empress meant.
"The tens of thousands of Tang soldiers returning to the south were originally your Northern Battlefront Army. They had followed His Majesty to the battlefield. How could they return to Chang 'an with me?"
The Empress said, "I will leave these cavalrymen to you. Only my son and I will return to Chang 'an. I think the general will not worry about anything in this way, right?"
Xu Shi was shocked speechless. He thought to himself that the new Emperor had already ascended to the throne and the Princess was in charge of the country. Under such circumstances, if the Empress brought the Prince back to Chang 'an, it would be no different from suicide.
Ning Que suddenly looked at the Empress and said, "I will go back with you."
…
…
(This is the last chapter of the scheduled release. When I was releasing it at night, my hand shook and I pressed the button to release it immediately. It scared me so I unblocked it immediately. I hope no one will subscribe again. Well, I will continue to write and try to release it every hour on time.) (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian.Com to vote for me. Your support is my biggest motivation.)
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