It was not that Xu Lingyue had to figure out Mu Nanzhi's identity. It was just that this' elder 'who had suddenly snuck into the Xu Manor and was then brought to the Imperial Palace displayed a noble and arrogant air that even the daughters of noble families could not compare to.
She was so ordinary, but why was she so confident?
Of course, Xu Lingyue was also curious.
Anyway, she had nothing to do at home. Apart from making robes and boots for her father, her second brother, and reading books, there was nothing else for her to do.
In the past, there was a little girl at home who would pester her. Since her younger sister went to Nanjiang, the house was much quieter.
Occasionally, she would read the Taoist books of the Human Sect and study the heart sutras of the Human Sect. When Xu Qi 'an first entered Jianghu, in order to deal with her mother's "forced marriage", she used her eldest brother's name to successfully enter the Human Sect. She became a registered disciple of the Lingbao Temple and cultivated under a Kun Dao.
She asked her brother at that time and he agreed.
When she had nothing to do, she liked to find something to do. Coincidentally, this woman named Mu Nanzi came.
"Aunt Mu, let me go with you."
Xu Lingyue stood up and said softly,
"You may not know where Fengqi Palace is. I have been to the Imperial Palace once and can lead the way for you."
Mu Nanzi waved her hand, "No, I will go by myself."
She thought, "When I was in the Imperial Harem, you were not even born yet."
Xu Lingyue reminded her,
"Then don't offend Empress Dowager."
Mu Nanzhi waved her hand again and walked out as she spoke.
"Don't worry."
She thought, "When I was 14 years old, I overshadowed Empress Dowager. Why should I be afraid of this old woman?"
Xu Lingyue looked at Mu Nanzi's back and was lost in thought.
After a quarter of an hour, aunt came out of the backyard with a pot of pocket-sized bamboo in her arms. Her beautiful face was full of smiles.
"Hey, where is your Aunt Mu?"
Aunt was about to share the beautiful bamboo with her sister. She looked around and didn't see anyone.
"She went to Fengqi Palace to make trouble for Empress Dowager."
Xu Lingyue said softly.
Aunt was startled when she heard this. She hurriedly placed the bamboo in her arms on the stone table and said anxiously,
"Trouble the Empress Dowager? She's just a commoner girl, yet she provoked the Empress Dowager. Isn't she tired of living? "
Xu Lingyue said softly,
"Mother, is Aunty Mu a fool?"
Auntie was taken aback.
"Look at what you're saying. You're the fool. You're no different from Lingyin."
She poked Xu Lingyue with her finger.
Xu Lingyue said with a wronged expression,
"Since I'm not a fool, Aunt Mu naturally knows what I'm doing. Mother, haven't you noticed? Aunt Mu is very familiar with the Imperial Palace. Those messy official titles, such as the eunuch with the Palm Seal and the eunuch with the Bingbi, I can just open my mouth.
"If I'm not wrong, she's either a relative of the royal family or a concubine in the harem."
"Really?" Auntie's mouth gaped open in disbelief.
"If she was an imperial concubine or a relative of the emperor, why would she come to our house? You silly girl, you only know how to let your imagination run wild."
The stupid girl Xu Lingyue sighed and lost interest in discussing with her mother. She rested her chin on one hand and stared blankly at the pocket-sized bamboo.
Auntie said,
"Mother will go to Feng Qi Palace to take a look. I cannot let your Aunt Mu offend the Empress Dowager. Mother now knows that the Empress Dowager does not dare to offend Mother."
As she spoke, she glanced at her daughter's elegant and refined face. Her eyes were big and bright, her facial features were well-defined, her cherry lips were small and her skin was delicate and white. She had already grown into a slender and elegant woman.
"When the weather gets warmer, Mother will pick an ideal husband for you. It's time for you to get married." She said.
"Aiya, Mother, you better leave quickly. If you're slow, your good Older Sister will be sentenced to death by the Empress Dowager." Xu Lingyue said impatiently.
"Help Mother to put the bamboo in the flowerbed and let it bask in the sun." Auntie hurriedly walked out of the courtyard with her skirt flying.
Xu Lingyue rested her chin on her hand and narrowed her eyes.
Hearing about the marriage between Eldest Brother and Princess Lin An, her reaction was so intense. No matter if this Aunt Mu was an imperial concubine in the harem or a relative of the royal family, her relationship with Eldest Brother was not ordinary.
"Another one …"
Xu Lingyue sighed and looked at the pocket-sized bamboo in front of her.
She gently waved her sleeves and a breeze dragged the potted plant. It steadily floated over a distance of more than ten meters and landed in the flowerbed.
Speaking of which, she had recently learned to control objects, but she did not know what level it was. After all, she had not been to the Lingbao Temple for a long time. She had been blindly figuring it out by herself based on Renzong's cultivation method.
The seventh grade of Taoism – eating air!
…
The Imperial Palace was very big. It was so big that Auntie was panting and sweating all over before she arrived at Feng Qi Palace.
She easily entered the harem and no one stopped her. Firstly, with her status, who dared to offend the people in the harem? Secondly, the harem was a forbidden place for men but not for women.
Thirdly, since the Empress ascended the throne, the harem had become less important.
Although men were still not allowed to enter, it had become a retirement place for the old concubines.
Just at the entrance of Feng Qi Palace, Auntie saw Mu Nanzi putting her hands on her waist and coming out valiantly, looking like a little hen that had won a battle.
"Lingyue said that you came to Feng Qi Palace."
Auntie greeted her and said with concern:
"Is there anything wrong?"
"What could be wrong? Coming here is like going home. Shangguan wasn't my match back then, and he still isn't my match now. "Mu Nanzi snorted.
She came to ask the Empress Dowager to cancel the engagement, but the Empress Dowager didn't agree. One was the arrogant and confident Flower Goddess, and the other was the stubborn Empress Dowager. So, they quarreled and ridiculed each other.
In the end, Mu Nanzi won.
The Flower Goddess had never lost a quarrel with a woman. She took off her bracelet and tiptoed to subdue all the women in the world.
Coupled with the vulgar language she learned during her travels, the Empress Dowager was very angry.
After Mu Nanzi finished speaking, she suddenly realized that she had gotten carried away and spilled the beans. She quickly looked at Auntie.
Auntie heaved a sigh of relief.
"That's good, that's good. By the way, who is Shangguan?"
She didn't notice at all … Mu Nanzi was relieved. She regretted not meeting her earlier and felt that Auntie was a friend that she could confide in.
"It's okay. Let's go back." Mu Nanzi pulled Auntie back.
The smile on her face gradually disappeared and she looked depressed.
Although she won the quarrel, she didn't achieve her goal. The Empress Dowager didn't agree to cancel the engagement. Of course, she also knew that her identity and power couldn't influence the Empress Dowager's decision.
"Let's wait for Xu Ningyan to come back …" The Flower Goddess secretly decided. She didn't go far when she saw Huaiqing, who was wearing the Emperor's clothes. She was riding a big carriage and was slowly approaching.
"Your Majesty!"
Auntie was a well-behaved lady, so she quickly bowed.
Huaiqing nodded softly and said, "Yes." Then, she looked at the Flower Goddess coldly.
The Flower Goddess rolled her eyes.
They passed each other and Huaiqing entered the Phoenix Palace in a big carriage. With the help of the palace maids, she got off the carriage. She didn't need the eunuch to announce her arrival. She walked all the way into the room and saw the Empress Dowager sitting by the table with a livid face.
"What's wrong with that woman? Didn't she die in the Northern Region? "
Seeing her daughter, the Empress Dowager questioned loudly.
"Mother, did you eat a barrel of gunpowder?"
Huaiqing knew what was going on, but she pretended not to know. She said lightly, "She didn't die in the Northern Region.
"She didn't die in the Northern Region. She followed Xu Qi 'an back to the capital and became his mistress."
The Empress Dowager had already expected it, but she still felt it was ridiculous and unbelievable after hearing it from her daughter.
Mu Nanzi was much younger than her, but she was older than Xu Qi 'an by seventeen or eighteen years. How could he keep Mu Nanzi as a mistress?
Another reason why the Empress Dowager felt conflicted was that Mu Nanzi used to be Yuan Jing's concubine, so she was of the same generation as her. In the eyes of the Empress Dowager, Xu Qi 'an was of the same generation.
Another reason why the Empress Dowager felt conflicted was that Mu Nanzi used to be Yuan Jing's concubine, so they were of the same generation. In the eyes of the Empress Dowager, Xu Qi 'an was a child.
This was very uncomfortable.
"So, I should just break off the engagement." Huaiqing revealed her true intentions.
"Why should I break off the engagement?" The Empress Dowager said lightly,
"Xu Qi's personal morality is not good, but since he and Lin 'an are in love, it's better than giving her to someone he doesn't love. Besides, in today's Daibun, who is more worthy of Lin 'an than him? "
Huaiqing's face darkened slightly, and her tone became colder.
"Those who don't know will think that Lin 'an is my mother's child."
The Empress Dowager's tone was equally cold.
"She is a pure person, more likable than you."
There was another very simple reason. She hoped that lovers could get married. Just looking at them, she was very satisfied, as if it made up for the regret of that year.
Huaiqing glanced at her and said expressionlessly,
"I'm not a pure person, so even if I'm very unhappy now, I still have to tell you one thing!"
The Empress Dowager looked at her.
Huaiqing said lightly,
"Yesterday, Duke Wei was resurrected. Before he died, he had already thought of a way out for himself. For five months, Xu Qi 'an has been trying to find ways to collect materials, refine magic tools, and recall his soul.
"He won't come to see you for the time being. He said that he hoped to come to see you easily, instead of carrying the hatred of the country and family as he did in the past."
After that, Huaiqing turned and left.
The Empress Dowager sat by the table in a daze, with no expression on her face. Two lines of tears slipped silently down her cheeks, endlessly.
…
A mighty heavy cavalry passed through the border of Yuzhou and entered Qingzhou.
Nangong Qianrou was not in a hurry. After ordering the team to change to the flag of Yunzhou, they advanced south at a moderate speed.
The heavy cavalry could not run long distances, and they could only last long if they moved slowly.
But the purpose of Nangong Qianrou ordering the team to slow down was still not to save the strength of the horses, but to wait for someone.
"General Nangong, it's a long way to Yunzhou. Our marching speed is slow, it's better to change to the waterway. "
The experienced deputy general urged the horse to catch up with Nangong Qianrou, keeping pace with him.
With the speed of the heavy cavalry, it would take at least half a month to travel from Qingzhou to Yunzhou.
From the border of Yunzhou to the city of White Emperor, it would take another three to five days.
This did not include the time to conquer the city of White Emperor.
Nangong Qianrou said lightly,
"Don't rush, walk slowly."
The deputy general wanted to say something but finally chose to believe in Nangong Qianrou and Duke Wei.
Nangong Qianrou did not speak anymore. He walked while looking around. Since entering Qingzhou, there was no sign of human habitation along the way.
In just five months, the Central Plains had become so desolate and miserable. Even the somewhat cold-tempered Nangong Qianrou was filled with emotions.
At noon, the slowly moving heavy cavalry suddenly sensed a huge shadow shrouding them.
Nangong Qianrou raised his head and squinted. He was not flustered, but the corners of his mouth slightly curled up.
The huge Wind Boat landed in front of the heavy cavalry. There were seven people standing on the side of the boat, one of whom had his back to the common people.
Nangong Qianrou looked at the cold and expressionless person and smiled.
"Long time no see!"
Yang Yan nodded slightly.
The deputy general suddenly realized and patted his head.
"So you're waiting for help."
Nangong Qianrou raised the corner of his mouth.
"Do you think Duke Wei didn't think of the loophole you could think of?"
As long as the heavy cavalry left the abandoned military town and was seen by more than three people, the Art of Hiding Heavenly Secrets would be automatically removed. At that time, his foster father would remember that he had left a heavy cavalry behind.
With his foster father's wisdom, as long as he remembered the heavy cavalry, he would fill in and make up for all the loopholes in the plan.
For example, the lack of siege weapons, the slow marching speed, and so on.
Nangong Qianrou had followed Wei Yuan for so many years, so he had confidence in Wei Yuan.
Yang Qianhuan stood with his hands behind his back and his back to the heavy cavalry.
He said calmly, "Ten thousand people will be transported in three batches. They are estimated to arrive in Yun Province before dusk tomorrow. However, we are not going to the City of White Emperor."
Nangong Qianrou frowned.
"Not the City of White Emperor?"
He had already learned from Huaiqing's guard captain that the line of five hundred years ago had proclaimed themselves as the emperor in the City of White Emperor during winter.
Yang Yan was not a talkative person. He glanced at Chen Ying who was beside him.
The latter smiled and said, "It's impossible for Yun Province to have Extraordinary Masters. Moreover, the main force of the army is going to the north to conquer Feng Province. Even if there are many soldiers left to defend, there won't be too many. The latter said with a smile, "They must have taken precautions against taking drastic measures. So, based on the situation in Yun Province, what kind of measures would they have?"
Nangong Qianrou pondered for a moment and suddenly said,
"Hiding in the mountains, occupying a dangerous pass, and depending on the terrain, they can resist ten times the number of troops."
He looked at Chen Ying and said, "Tsk, tsk.
"Boy, your brain is quite useful."
Chen Ying grinned.
"It was said in the brocade pouch left by Duke Wei. I don't need to use my brain. Whatever Duke Wei says, I will do. Wasn't it the same when we fought against Jingshan City? We never lost anyway. "
As he said, he patted the side of the ship and said with a smile,
"Yang Qianhuan is in charge of finding people. We will use this magic artifact to land directly and destroy the nest of the rebels in one fell swoop."
Yang Qianhuan went with the flow.
"Holding the moon and plucking the stars, there is no one like me in the world.
"Don't talk nonsense, come up quickly."
His tone was a little anxious. He couldn't wait to return triumphantly and urge the historian of the Hanlin Academy to write this battle into the history of Daibun.
He had even thought of a name:
"Xu Although Arrogant, Xu Bi Huan — Yang Qianhuan Ends the Rebellion in Yun Province."
Xu could be Xu Pingfeng or Xu Qi 'an. One word had two meanings.
…
The next day, in the capital.
The sky was just beginning to brighten, and the cold wind blew on their faces. It was not as cold as it was half a month ago.
The civil and military officials passed through the Meridian Gate, crossed the Jinshui Bridge, and stood according to their positions. The officials entered the throne room.
The Empress did not let the officials wait for long. Soon, she was wearing a dragon robe and a crown. She was majestic and elegant. With the help of a eunuch, she slowly ascended to the throne.
After the report, Huaiqing narrowed her eyes and looked at the officials in the hall.
"Yesterday, I ordered Yang Gong and the others to withdraw from Yongzhou and retreat to the capital. I will have to trouble you to help with the defense."
Her tone was cold and slow, as if she was talking about a trivial matter.
But to the officials, it was like a bolt from the blue.
In an instant, panic and anger surged in their hearts, almost engulfing them.
They were angry that the Empress was arbitrary and self-opinionated.
Retreat to the capital?
But what if they couldn't protect the capital?
How could they just give up the huge Yongzhou?
Wasn't this supporting the enemy?
"How can Her Majesty be so muddle-headed?" Qian Qingshu was shocked and angry.
"Tens of thousands of soldiers fought with their lives to defend Yongzhou and defeat the enemy's elites. How can we give it up to the rebels?"
"Does Her Majesty want to repeat what happened five hundred years ago?" The radical people spoke in a harsh tone.
"Muddle-Headed, muddle-headed!" The professional hatchet man was merciless and angrily rebuked.
"Does Her Majesty want to give up the foundation of the ancestors? How can Her Majesty face the ancestors? "
They were on the verge of scolding a fatuous ruler and saying that women were indeed useless.
You can't blame the dukes for having a nervous breakdown, because the enemy is already at their doorstep. In the past, the rebel army of Yunzhou was very aggressive. After attacking Qingzhou, they moved on to Yongzhou. The dukes are well-educated, so they are all calm.
But this was because they hadn't reached the capital yet, whether it was Qingzhou or Yongzhou.
Now, there was no retreat. Once the capital was conquered, everything was over. It was a matter of vital interests and safety.
There were also some people who were angry that Huaiqing didn't discuss things and acted arbitrarily on such an important decision. It was a disaster for the country!
"Everyone, please calm down!"
The Empress's clear eyes hid a hint of mockery. The reason why she hid it in advance was to let the officials in the capital go all out. This way, they could unite the people and gather financial and material resources.
Of course, the premise was to let the civil and military officials see the hope of victory.
Otherwise, they would be playing with fire.
Inside the hall, the hubbub died down.
The officials were still full of resentment, fear, and worry. Those who were less aware had already begun to think about how to surrender to the enemy in the future.
The Empress said faintly,
"I want to introduce an old friend to you."
"Introduce" and "old friend" were contradictory terms, which puzzled the officials.
The Empress looked at the door of the Throne Room and shouted,
"Xuan, Wei Yuan!"
The officials suddenly turned their heads and saw a man in green stride across the high threshold under the dark sky. His temples were white and his eyes contained the vicissitudes of time.
He walked across this long carpet as if he had walked through a long period of time and arrived in front of the officials again.
This man was back!
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
