On the ninth day of the sixth month in the fourteenth year of Jinghan's reign, it was an ordinary and busy day in Bianliang.
The weather was fine.
For many high-level officials of the Wu dynasty, it had only been a month since the death of the former Right Minister, Qin Siyuan, so this was also an important and special day. After the political struggles and wrangling in the early days, on this day, the basic structure of the Wu dynasty's political situation for a period of time had been determined. The appointment and transfer of many officials, as well as the clarification of the Yellow River defense line and the responsibility of resisting the Jurchens, would be determined on this day.
In a sense, this was a victory feast for the officials to divide up the fruits of victory. Although they had lost the struggle against the Jurchens, at least in another war, many people had won.
The morning court session began at the fifth watch period. The officials who were preparing to attend the court session would often leave at the third watch period and head for the palace. The frequency of the morning court session of the Wu dynasty was not fixed. Under normal circumstances, the court session would be held every five days. But recently, too many things had happened. In order to better organize the resistance against the Jurchens, the frequency had changed to two days, or even one day. Some officials complained incessantly, but today, not many people had such a feeling.
Ning Yi got up after midnight. After slowly practicing a round of boxing in the courtyard, he took a bath and changed his clothes, ate some porridge, and sat quietly for a while. Then, someone came to call him out. The carriage drove through the quiet street in the early morning and also past the former Right Minister's mansion. It didn't stop until it was close to the road leading to the palace gate. Ning Yi got out of the carriage. The driver was Zhu Biao. He wanted to say something but stopped on second thought. But Ning Yi's expression was calm. He patted him on the shoulder and turned to walk toward the distant palace.
At the foot of the palace, many officials, big and small, had already gathered. After arriving, Ning Yi stood far away on the roadside where no one paid attention to him. Not long after, Tong Guan, Cai Jing, Wang Ke, Li Yan, Zhang Bangchang, Li Gang, Qin Hui, Gao Qiu, Tang Ke, Wu Min, and so on also came one after another and gathered in different places outside the palace.
Everyone had their own circle, but of course, they did not stand together just because they belonged to a faction. First of all, it was their status. Cai Jing and Tong Guan were the two giants in the imperial court. Because of their different fields, there was little friction between them. Therefore, they got along quite well. Even if the high-ranking officials did not get along well with each other, they would get together and flatter each other after meeting each other.
The people in the Imperial Censorate were rather solitary. They did not like to form cliques. Even if they stood together, they would often keep a distance between them. Furthermore, they did not like to talk in large groups. At most, they would whisper to each other in pairs with solemn expressions. Next was Qingliu. Their positions might not be high, but they stood firm. Only those who stood firm would be appreciated by the higher-ups. Great Confucians often had long sleeves and were good at dancing. They had the demeanor of a scholar. They were round on the outside but square on the inside, and they were not afraid of being criticized.
There were several young officials or young generals of lower status who had been brought here. They were either the sons and nephews of large clans or new recruits with great potential. Under the warm yellow light of the lanterns, they were being led around to recognize people and greet them. Ning Yi stood at the side, lonely. When he walked past him, the first person to greet him was Tan Zhen.
"Coming."
He looked ahead and said coldly.
"Yes."
Ning Yi replied.
Then Tan Zhen walked over. He was followed by a general with a fierce expression. Ning Yi knew that this general was called Shi Yuanmeng. He was a young general under Tan Zhen's command who had received a lot of attention.
Today, they would all meet the emperor together.
"Coming."
Another voice rang out. This time, the voice was much gentler, but it carried a sense of exhaustion. It was Tang Ke, who had quietly come over after greeting several officials. Although as a peacemaker, he had once had a lot of conflicts and disagreements with Qin Siyuan. But in private, the two were still good friends who appreciated each other. Even though their paths were different, when Qin Siyuan was removed from office and imprisoned, he still did a lot of running around for Qin Siyuan's affairs.
After Qin Siyuan was sentenced to Lingnan, Qin Shaoqian, who was originally going to be sent to Samen Island to be exiled to the army and henceforth be separated from Qin Siyuan, was also because of his activities that his sentence was also changed to Lingnan.
Even though the two of them were in different places in Lingnan, at least the distance between them was much shorter. If they worked in private, they might be able to meet again.
But unfortunately, these efforts were all meaningless.
"Yes."
Ning Yi replied with a single sentence.
"Don't think too much about today's matter." Tang Ke said, "Old Qin has left. Do your work well and don't let him down."
"Yes."
After Qin Siyuan left, many things, including the black materials that he gave to Tong Guan to save his life, were left to Ning Yi. Tang Ke didn't complain about this. To a certain extent, he probably regarded Ning Yi as the successor of Qin Siyuan.
After a while, Tong Guan also seemed to inadvertently come over during a gap in a conversation. He looked at him a few times and said, "Did you remember what I told you two days ago?"
"Yes."
"Good." He nodded and said, "Do your best."
He didn't wave his hand to ask Ning Yi to come over. He took the initiative to come over, not to lower his status, but to minimize the impact. But being able to show such behavior still attracted a lot of attention for Ning Yi. There were also people in the crowd that Ning Yi was familiar with, such as Li Gang. The white-haired old man with a straight face glanced at him from a distance and didn't look at him anymore.
On the one hand, Li Gang's position as Prime Minister had begun to be overthrown. On the other hand, when Qin Siyuan had an accident, Li Gang might think that after the fall of the Qin Family, the remaining forces should cling to him and help him achieve great things. Later, Ning Yi turned to Tong Guan. He had always looked down on this eunuch. Maybe he thought that Ning Yi's behavior was also a slap in his face, so he didn't pay much attention to him.
Some of the officials noticed Ning Yi and started to discuss. Someone said, "That was left behind by the Qin Family …" Then, they gave a few general comments about Ning Yi's situation. After that, most of the people around understood the situation. A merchant was summoned to the Golden Hall to quell the influence of the Right Minister. It was a full stop and had little to do with his own situation. Some people had been in contact with Ning Yi before. Seeing that he didn't look surprised, they didn't pay attention to him anymore.
On the fifth watch, the West Splendid Gate opened and everyone entered the Palace. Behind the West Splendid Gate was the Right Gate of Heaven. After the Right Gate of Heaven was the long palace wall and road. On the side were the Heroes' Gathering Gate, the Huangyi Gate, the Hanging Arch Gate, and then the Zichen Gate that they had to enter. There were two gates here. Ning Yi and the others went through a total of three body searches. Everyone stood in the square in front of the Zichen Hall. Then the officials entered one by one.
Ning Yi and the others, a total of seven people, stayed in the corner of the square outside, waiting for the summons inside.
Half of the fifth watch had passed by now. The discussion inside began. The morning wind blew, bringing with it a slight chill. The Wu Dynasty's control of officials was not strict. Some of them came from large families. They whispered to each other, and the nearby guards and eunuchs didn't think much of it. Some people looked at Ning Yi, who had been standing there in silence, with disgust on their faces.
Because of their connections or contributions, it was an honor for them to be summoned by the Emperor at the last moment. With such a person mixed in, their quality was immediately pulled down.
Ning Yi raised his head. The sky was already turning slightly white. White clouds were like cotton, and early morning birds flew across the sky.
As the people who controlled a country, they woke up earlier than the people who were controlled. But at this time, the cities outside should have gradually become lively.
On the ninth of the sixth month in the fourteenth year of Jinghan, Bianliang City, the last day of Jinghan's court.
The weather was clear.
*****
Tie Tianying led the bailiffs under his command through the early morning wilderness. Using clues, he went to the house of an informant that Zong Feixiao had arranged.
By the time he passed, the sky was already bright. The house had been empty for several days. No one was there. Tie Tianying kicked open the door, looked at the dust in the house, and said, "Search."
Not long after, one of the bailiffs found something and handed it to Tie Tianying. After seeing it, Tie Tianying's expression suddenly changed. Then, the Iron Cavalry followed, galloping out.
It was seven in the morning.
The Wu Ruiying camp was doing their morning exercises. Li Bingwen, with a few bodyguards, passed by the front of the drill ground and saw the people of Lu Liang not far away, communicating as usual. Han Jing, who was familiar with him, was looking up at the sky with his hands behind his back. Li Bingwen also smiled and went over, looking a few times with his hands behind his back. "Brother Han, what are you looking at?"
Han Jing tilted his head and smiled at him.
Li Bingwen laughed heartily.
"Oh, right, where is Chief Lu?"
"She's busy."
"Oh, haha."
Li Bingwen was just trying to make conversation, so he didn't mind.
Bianliang City.
Lu Hongti walked through the palace gate with two attendants.
The morning court was still being held in Zichen Palace. After entering the Imperial City, the palace eunuchs and maids took away her weapons, searched her, and then brought her to wait near the imperial study. Several experts were specially arranged to guard the area.
Sunlight poured in from outside the room, and the nearby palace was quiet. The palace maids served tea and snacks. Hongti sat there quietly with her eyes closed. The palace guards outside the door occasionally glanced at her, weighing her character.
Outside the palace, a girl named Watermelon stood on the roof, looking up and breathing in the morning air.
This is the capital …
Father … Uncle Sheng Gong … Seventh Uncle … Aunt Baihua … and all the dead brothers … Do you see this …
The streets were bustling and peaceful. Not far away was the towering palace wall.
…
After the deaths of Qin Siyuan and Qin Shaoqian, their graves were placed in the suburbs of Bianliang City.
The sun was already high in the sky. Tie Tianying's cavalry rushed over, panting. He looked at Qin Shaoqian's tombstone, pointed, and said, "Dig it up."
The constables were slightly stunned, then went to dig up the grave. They didn't bring any tools, so they weren't fast. One of the constables rode to a nearby village and found two hoes. Not long after, the grave was dug up, and the coffin was carried out. After it was opened, the air was filled with the stench of a corpse. The corpse that had been buried for a month was already rotten and deformed, and even had maggots.
Tie Tianying's hands trembled. He knew he had found Ning Yi's weakness, so he could act. The note in his hand said, "Qin Shaoqian is suspected to be alive." However, the corpse in the coffin was already severely rotten. He forced himself to take a few glances. According to Ning Yi, Qin Shaoqian's head had been chopped off and then sewn back together. At that time, no one could have examined the corpse too carefully. After taking a few glances and seeing that it was indeed Qin Shaoqian, they believed it to be the truth.
At this time, there were clues, but it was difficult to use the corpse as evidence. He covered his mouth and nose and took a few glances, then said, "Cut off his clothes. Cut off all his clothes." Two constables suppressed their disgust and came over to do it.
Nothing could be seen from the rotten corpse, but then Tie Tianying discovered something. He grabbed a stick from a public servant's hand and pushed aside the two rotten and deformed legs of the corpse …
…
In Zichen Palace, Du Chengxi was reading out the promotion and transfer arrangements of the officials loudly. Even the people in the square outside could hear it. A tall eunuch came over. The Wu dynasty had Tong Guan leading the troops, and there were also several chief eunuchs who had accomplished great things. Thus, it wasn't strange for there to be such a tall eunuch in the palace. However, as he came over, the imperial guards nearby stopped him.
"Eunuch Hou, what's the matter?"
"Boss Du is inside serving the Emperor. In a while, these people will enter. This is the first time they have attended court. Boss Du is worried and afraid that something bad will happen, so he took some time to have me come over to take a look and see how these people's etiquette is going. I still have matters to attend to, so I'll leave after asking. "
The imperial guard nodded. Eunuch Hou walked over and asked the seven people in front of him one by one in a low voice. His voice wasn't loud. After asking the questions, he had someone go through the general etiquette once before waving his hand. However, when he asked the fourth person, that person's performance wasn't quite up to standard. Eunuch Hou flew into a rage. "Come over here, come over here!"
He pulled that person to the side, where the imperial guard could see him if he tilted his head. He had the person repeat the etiquette twice, then personally corrected him. That person was so anxious that his ears turned red. The imperial guard looked at him and turned his head away. He was on duty in the palace, so there was no need to watch people make a fool of themselves.
Eunuch Hou still had matters to attend to and couldn't see any problems. After the person repeated the etiquette several times without any problems, he was released. After a while, when he asked the last person, that person also made a slight mistake. Eunuch Hou called that person out and reprimanded him.
The other six people looked at this person mockingly. Eunuch Hou saw that his kneeling was not up to standard, so he personally knelt on the ground to demonstrate it. Then, he glared at the others. They hurriedly turned their heads away. The imperial guard smiled and also turned his head away.
…
Outside Bianliang City, in front of Qin Shaoqian's tombstone, Tie Tianying looked at the rotting corpse in the coffin. He used a wooden root to separate the corpse's legs.
"This … is a eunuch?"
He stood there in a daze for a while. His body, which was originally hot, was now gradually cooling …
What was he trying to do …
In the distance, the sound of horse hooves shook the earth and came over …
West of Bianliang, near the Wan Sheng Gate, Du Sha walked out of the inn with a long saber on his back. More and more people were walking into the crowd and heading toward the city gate …
Inside the city, not far from the Liang Gate. Zhu Biao sat in Takeshi's shop that had been closed for a long time. He closed his eyes and rested with his long spear lying on his lap. Hunchback Chen and the others were either standing or sitting. Most of them were quiet. In the courtyard, someone was carrying a few boxes in and placing them in front of the closed window on the first floor. This quiet and busy atmosphere was a perfect contrast to the bustling city gate outside.
At a certain moment, Zhu Biao pushed open the door with his spear on his back.
The tip of the spear was sharp and bloodthirsty.
The blue bird had arrived, and the sun shone down on the city.
…
In the Imperial Palace's Zichen Palace, after the announcement of the imperial edict and some words of thanks to the Emperor, seven people were summoned inside. Ning Yi walked to the side. His steps were simple and his face was calm. After entering the gate, the Zichen Palace was solemn and spacious. Many officials stood on both sides. Cai Jing, Tong Guan, Li Gang, Qin Hui, who had just been promoted to the Right Minister, Wang Chi, the Minister of War Tan Zhen, the Minister of Justice Zheng Sinan, the Minister of Rites Tang Ke, the Minister of Personnel Yan Daozhang, the Minister of Revenue Zhang Bangchang, the Minister of Works Liu Juyuan … In addition, there were Gao Qiu, Cai You, Wu Min, Geng Nanzhong, and many other high officials.
The smoke of sandalwood rose in spirals. Directly in front of them was the Emperor, Zhou Zhe. These people were at the top of the pyramid of the Wu Dynasty.
The seven people knelt in unison not far from the gate.
After the announcement of the imperial edict, it was almost the end. Except for those who recommended them to come in, not many people cared about the seven people who came in at this time. Everyone was chewing the joy in their hearts and thinking about their own careers. This time, Qin Hui was the happiest. He occasionally glanced at Li Gang, who was not far away. At this time, the position of Minister of the Left would not last long. Yan Daozhang had been promoted to the Ministry of Personnel, which gave him a great advantage. It was also because he was Cai Jing's henchman that he got his turn this time.
But except for Yan Daozhang, Cai Jing's faction had suffered a loss in this contest of power. But it didn't matter. Cai Jing's power was already too great, and the emperor did not like it. Suffering a loss was taking advantage. Tong Guan's faction had obtained the greatest benefits from participating in the defense of the Yellow River. At this time, he was still digesting all the results in his heart. With this, he could carry out the next part of his plan.
Zhou Zhe stood up in front of them. His voice was slow, steady, and deep.
"Ever since I inherited the throne, I have sought the prosperity of the Wu Dynasty and the peace of the country. Along the way, I have trembled with fear and tread on thin ice. I understand the difficulties of ruling a country, but you may not understand. I can give you honor and power because you work for the country. But along the way, there have always been great disasters that have damaged my foundation. Before me, there was Wang Gaojin, in the middle, there was Lu Zhiping, and behind me, there was Qin Siyuan! "
The names he mentioned were all the Prime Ministers who had been convicted after he ascended to the throne. Now was the time to come to a conclusion. Since he had started, it was impossible for him to stop for a while. Below him, the seven people knelt, and the others stood, listening quietly.
Zhou Zhe said, "The battle with the Jurchens was done in haste. The Jurchens were strong, but our Wu Dynasty also had loyal and righteous officials who fought wave after wave. This is what I am gratified about, but also what I am heartbroken about! I have issued an edict to reflect on myself. If you and I had really done our best to defend the city, would the blood of so many loyal officials really have to be spilled? I am the emperor, and you are the officials. These principles must be carefully thought about! After the Jurchens died, Qin Siyuan was executed. He deserved it, but you … "
His words were filled with grief and indignation. At this moment, everyone heard a voice, but they thought it was an illusion.
It was someone sighing.
"Sigh, Zhou Zhe …"
Among the kneeling people, Shi Yuanmeng felt that he was hallucinating, because he felt that the merchant beside him had actually stood up. How was this possible?
Zhou Zhe also saw Ning Yi stand up. He still hadn't realized the identity of that figure, and even the scene in front of him was a little strange. In this golden hall, someone actually dared to stand up while kneeling? Am I seeing things …? But this is the first time they meet face to face.
There wouldn't be a next time.
In the majestic Zichen Palace Hall, for the first time in centuries, there was a deafening bang. There was an explosion of flames. No one knew what had happened. On the golden stairs, the Emperor's body sat crookedly on the Dragon Throne in the next moment. The smoke from the sandalwood incense dissipated. He looked in front of him in disbelief. He looked at his leg. Something had pierced through there. It was densely packed, and blood seemed to be seeping out. What was going on?
Ning Yi's steps had already passed through the crowd. His gaze was calm as if he was doing something he had practiced a million times. In front of him, Tong Guan, who had a high status as a martial artist, was the first to react. He shouted, "Brat!" His fist, which was as big as a vinegar bowl, swung towards Ning Yi's face.
He had spent half his life in the army and had been stained with blood countless times. Although he was old, he still had his authority. The person in front of him was just a merchant who usually bowed and scraped in front of him. But at this moment, there was no fear or evasion in the young scholar's eyes. There wasn't even an expression of contempt. The figure seemed slow but was actually fast. Tong Guan's fist punched out, and the other caught it with one hand and swung out with a slap.
That slap landed on Tong Guan's face. The five fingers smashed down, and it was as heavy as a metal pancake. The mind of this prince, who had conquered Yan Yun and was famous throughout the world, buzzed.
Tong Guan's body flew in the air, and his head smashed onto the golden stairs. Blood splattered everywhere. Ning Yi had already stepped onto the golden stairs and left him behind …
Time was pushed back.
A little earlier, on the drill ground of the Wu Rui Camp.
The morning exercise had not ended. Li Bingwen led his personal guards back to the front of the army. Not long after, he saw the Lu Liang people pulling the warhorses over and distributing them to their people. Some people were already preparing to mount the horses. Li Bingwen wanted to go over and ask something, but more hoofbeats sounded, as well as the clanking of metal on armor.
The heavy cavalry, known as the "Iron Buddhas", lined up in two rows and came from different directions. The one at the front was Han Jing.
Li Bingwen subconsciously waved his hand and summoned the nearby personal guards. He also told the other soldiers of the Wu Rui Camp to be on guard. "Brother Han, what are you doing!"
Han Jing did not answer. Only the heavy cavalry continued to press forward. Dozens of personal guards retreated to the vicinity of Li Bingwen. The rest of the soldiers of the Wu Rui Camp looked at all of this in confusion.
"Push!" Only a cold word was uttered.
The heavy cavalry's "push" word was to get into formation and charge.
The people who had some friendship in the past were facing each other with their swords.
The sun had just risen. The heavy cavalry pushed back and forth twice in front of the drill ground in front of tens of thousands of people. In some other places, there was also blood flowing.
Then, Han Jing rode his horse and stepped onto the high platform in front of the drill ground. Below, Li Bingwen and all the personal guards had been turned into corpses. The Lu Liang cavalry was already in formation nearby, ready to go!
"You have seen it! After the battle of Xia Village, the people in the imperial court have gone against the law. If the Jurchen come again, the Wu dynasty will be destroyed! We will not accompany you any longer! But the emperor is immoral, and the people have mobilized to attack him — "Han Jing's voice sounded." Today, Lu Liang mobilized the army not to rid the emperor of evil, but to kill the incompetent emperor. And after today … "
On the drill ground, the voice was like thunder. "After today, we will rebel! Your country will perish — "
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