They smoothly entered the Black Tortoise Gate, broke all the way to the Palace of Welcoming the Immortals, and then smashed open the main gate of the Palace of Welcoming the Immortals. It was like a pine cone being smashed open with its hard shell, peeling off layer after layer of pine oil that was difficult to peel off, and finally revealing the crispy pine seeds, just waiting for people to enjoy their delicacy.
The people Zhang Yi and Zhang Xuan usually controlled the palace by borrowing the power of the tiger. Even the prime minister and the princes and princesses had to get their approval before they could see the empress. But now that the empress was facing them with weapons, they could not withstand a single blow.
Zhang Jianzhi and Cui Xuanhui supported Li Xian, and Li Duozuo stood in front of them with his saber. Jing Hui, Huan Yanfan, and the others brandished their weapons and rushed to the front. They only cared about breaking into the rear palace. As for the weak resistance, they only cared about the soldiers they brought with them to clean them up. They did not entangle them at all. There was no other reason than that the key to the success of the mutiny was to control Wu Zetian.
Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong were sleeping when suddenly there was a series of rapid knocking on the door. A trusted aide who ran fast came to their lodgings in a panic and desperately slapped the door, shouting at the top of his voice, "Zhang Fengchen, something has happened. Someone is plotting a rebellion, Zhang Fengchen!"
Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong were awakened by the shout. Zhang Changzong removed the two slices of cucumber from his eyes and said in a daze, "What? Someone is plotting a rebellion? "
Zhang Yizhi reacted a little faster than him. He jumped down from the bed, grabbed a robe, and hurriedly wrapped it around his body. He did not even bother to put on his boots. He walked around the screen, rushed to the front, and opened the door. He anxiously asked, "What did you say? Who is rebelling? Where are the rebels now? "
Zhang Yizhi's face was covered with a layer of honey paste, which was neither white nor red. At this moment, it was already dry, and the cracked face made him look like a malicious spirit. Although the trusted aide who brought the news knew that the two brothers had the habit of applying cosmetics on their faces, and had occasionally seen them do it, he was still shocked.
The man unconsciously retreated two steps before calling out, "Zhang Fengchen, the Crown Prince has rebelled, the Prime Minister has also rebelled, and the Imperial Guards have also rebelled, they … they …"
Zhang Jianzhi and the confidant hurriedly looked towards the direction of the sound and saw a few palace maids and eunuchs fleeing into the courtyard in panic. Following closely behind them was a group of armed soldiers. Each of them was dressed in armor and held steel sabers in their hands. Some of them were holding torches, reflecting their murderous faces. Some of their faces were even stained with blood.
As soon as Zhang Yizhi saw this, he was scared out of his wits. He screamed, "Rebellion! There's a traitor! Sage, there's a traitor here! "He broke into a run and ran towards Wu Zetian's residence in the main hall. The trusted aide shouted as he chased, "Zhang Fengchen, wait for me …"
"Thief, don't run!"
Hearing the three words' Zhang Fengchen ', the Right Disbanded Cavalry Minister Li Zhan's heart was moved. He threw his saber, which turned into a long rainbow and pierced Zhang Yizhi's back with a' pu 'sound. Zhang Yizhi ran three steps forward and stumbled to the ground. Seeing this, his trusted aide let out a strange cry and turned around to run, but his head hit the wall, making him dizzy. Xue Sixing rushed forward, raised his saber, and cleaved him cleanly into two halves on the ground.
By this time Zhang Changzong had put on his clothes and ran out of the door in panic, shouting along the way, "Who's rebelling, who's rebelling? Wulang, who's rebelling … Ah! "
Zhang Changzong ran into the courtyard, and as soon as he saw the courtyard full of soldiers, each one of them holding steel sabers, he was so scared that he let out a strange cry. Just now, Zhang Yizhi had fled very quickly, so no one had seen his face. Now, under the light of the torches, they could clearly see the ghost-faced monster. Everyone jumped in fright and only then did they react.
Xue Sixing and Huan Yanfan rushed forward at the same time, wanting to hack Zhang Changzong to death. Both of them had the same thought in their minds. Although the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne was due to the merit of assisting the dragon, there were also differences in the merit of assisting the dragon. Whoever killed the Zhang brothers would naturally have the greater merit.
In the end, Zhang Changzong saw two sharp sabers and swords coming at him and was so scared that his legs turned to jelly and he actually knelt on the ground. The two men's sabers and swords missed and looked at each other in shock. It wasn't good for them to attack immediately, otherwise, it would be too unsightly.
Zhang Changzong's body was like a sieve, and he called out in a trembling voice, "Generals, what crime does Changzong deserve to be executed? As long as I live, Changzong is willing to repay you with everything I have. Generals, spare my life! Spare my life! "
Huan Yanfan laughed coldly and shouted in a deep voice, "You, this thief, have bewitched the Emperor and brought disaster to the country and the people. Don't you deserve to die? Today, I, Huan, will uphold the law of the country and enforce justice on behalf of the heavens! "
As he spoke, he raised his sword high. Huan Yanfan's official rank was higher than Xue Sixing's, and he had also said such beautiful words. Xue Sixing couldn't argue with him and could only watch as Huan Yanfan's sword chopped down and Zhang Changzong's head fell to the ground.
Among these people, regardless of whether they were civil officials or generals, most of them were skilled in archery and horsemanship. However, when it came to fighting on foot, none of them could compare to Yang Fan. If Yang Fan wanted to fight for merit, based on his skills, none of these people would be able to compete with him. However, Yang Fan followed behind Crown Prince Li Xian and didn't even draw his saber.
Today was to protect the Crown Prince and execute the Second Zhang. If anything happened to the Crown Prince, it would be a big joke. This was a matter of life and death, so Yang Fan naturally couldn't let anything happen to the Crown Prince. Thus, he followed the Crown Prince from beginning to end and protected him.
As for fighting for merit, first, he wanted the benefits of the entire Succession Hall, and the Succession Hall's benefits were his benefits. As for his personal power and fame, if he was suddenly promoted, he would be in danger of being lonely at the top. Second, although he and the Second Zhang were mutually using each other, they had never shed all pretense of cordiality. If he had to personally act, he couldn't do it.
Inside the Emperor's sleeping palace, Wu Zetian was old and sleepy. The noise outside had already woken her up. Zhang Yizhi's dying cry was clearly heard by her. Wu Zetian's heart tightened. Propping herself up, she shouted, "Quickly light the lamps! Who is causing trouble? "
Inside the sleeping palace, there were palace maids serving throughout the night. There was also a lamp left on. When the palace maids heard the noise outside, they were as flustered as ants on a hot pan. However, serving the Son of Heaven, they had long been accustomed to doing things according to the rules and did not dare to act without orders. At this time, when they heard Wu Zetian's order, they hurriedly lit the few lamps in the hall one by one and quickly retreated to Wu Zetian's side.
Although the Son of Heaven was very weak, in their hearts, she was still like a mountain, like an abyss. She was still a powerful and invincible existence. Standing by her side, they could always feel more at ease.
At this moment, the supervisor of the Welcoming Immortals Palace ran in, trembling all over. As soon as he came in, he fell to the ground. Although Wu Zetian's sparse white hair was draped over her shoulders, and she was wearing a small white dress, unlike her usual grand and dignified appearance, she still exuded an imposing aura. "Who is causing trouble? Speak!"
The Welcoming Immortals Palace Supervisor knelt on the ground and only kowtowed. His forehead hit the ground with a 'peng peng' sound. Unexpectedly, he did not dare to say a single word.
Wu Zetian was furious. Before she could ask again, the door curtain opened and Li Duozuo, Li Zhan, and Xue Sixing, three people holding blood-red knives, rushed in. Their eyes swept around sharply. Seeing that there was no threat in the sleeping palace, they flashed to the left and right. Zhang Jianzhi and Cui Xuanhui supported the Crown Prince and rushed in. Behind them followed Jing Hui, Xue Sixing, Yang Fan, and a large group of imperial guards.
Seeing that there was no danger in the room, Li Duozuo and the others put away their knives. Together with Zhang Jianzhi and the others, they respectfully saluted Wu Zetian. When Li Xian saw his mother, it was like a mouse seeing a cat. His claws immediately went numb. When he saw everyone salute him, he came to his senses and hurriedly followed. However, although his reaction was fast, he was still half a beat too late.
When Wu Zetian saw this, a trace of contempt flashed through her old eyes. She said in an awe-inspiring voice, "It was you who caused trouble?"
"Your Imperial Majesty!"
Zhang Jianzhi solemnly clasped his hands toward Wu Zetian. In a deep voice, he said, "Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong rebelled. Under the Crown Prince's orders, we entered the palace to execute the two rebels. We were afraid that this news would be leaked, so we did not dare to foresee it. Today, thanks to the spirits of our ancestors, the two rebels have been executed. We know that we violated the rules of the palace and should be punished with ten thousand deaths. We apologize to Your Imperial Majesty! "
When Wu Zetian heard the words' two rebels have been executed ', she couldn't help but feel miserable. Her breathing also became hurried. She took a few breaths, forcefully suppressing the agitation in her heart. Turning her fierce gaze toward Li Xian, she coldly said, "Xian' er, hello! You've truly grown up. Your wings have hardened! "
Li Xian's body trembled. His knees went soft, and he knelt on the ground. In a trembling voice, he said, "This child knows his crime!"
Wu Zetian coldly snorted and shouted, "Since the Zhang brothers have been executed, what are you still standing here for? Quickly return to the Eastern Palace! "
Li Xian hurriedly said, "Yes! This child will … "
"Wait!"
Zhang Jianzhi shouted, interrupting Li Xian's words. He cupped his hands and said, "Your Imperial Majesty! The Crown Prince can no longer return to the Eastern Palace! His Imperial Majesty has entrusted his beloved son to Your Imperial Majesty for more than twenty years. We have not forgotten the great kindness of Taizong and the Imperial Majesty. We have sacrificed ourselves to serve the Crown Prince to punish the traitors. Today, Your Imperial Majesty wishes for Your Imperial Majesty to pass the throne to the Crown Prince, to comply with the will of the heavens and the will of the people! "
When these words came out, everyone was stunned. Everyone was stunned. Even Cui Xuanhui, Li Duozuo, Jing Hui, Wang Tongjiao, and Yang Fan were stunned. This was because this wasn't the plan they had originally agreed upon. Yang Fan thought, Zhang Jianzhi is indeed an old fox. I've also fallen for his tricks!
Huan Yanfan loudly said, "Master Zhang's words are reasonable. The Crown Prince is already old, and the will of the heavens and the will of the people belong to the Crown Prince. Your Imperial Majesty, please pass the throne to the Crown Prince, to comply with the will of the world and the will of the people! "
Everyone was stunned by Zhang Jianzhi's words just now. Only Huan Yanfan remained calm and collected. At this time, he was the first to respond. Yang Fan's mind flashed. This decision was probably planned by the two of them beforehand!
At this time, everyone suddenly understood. Zhang Jianzhi wanted these officials who had supported the Crown Prince to break into the palace to take the greatest share of the credit for bringing the emperor to the throne!
According to their plan, they would first put the Emperor under house arrest tonight and be closely watched by the soldiers who had participated in the rebellion. Tomorrow, they would publicly announce the execution of the second Zhang under the Emperor's edict. Then, they would use the Emperor's name to purge the second Zhang's loyal followers. After a month or two, the Emperor would abdicate the Crown Prince.
This way, they could avoid the turmoil in court to the greatest extent, and the various factions could also use this time to coordinate their relationships. To put it bluntly, they could distribute the political benefits. But now, Zhang Jianzhi had suddenly sternly and righteously forced Wu Zetian to hand over power. This way, the greatest credit would naturally go to them.
The Prince of Xiang, who was maintaining order in the Nine Cities, and Princess Taiping, who was working with Shanghai Wan'er to maintain order in the palace, naturally also had credit. But compared to these people who had directly supported the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne, they were still a level lower. As for the Wu clan, there was no need to mention it. They were trying to push aside the relatives of the emperor and establish the power of the officials!
Once they understood this point, all the civil and military officials rushed forward and said in unison, "May Your Majesty hand over the throne to the Crown Prince, in accordance with the will of the heavens and the will of the people!"
Wu Zetian coldly looked at them. When she saw Li Zhan, Wu Zetian was somewhat surprised. "Li Zhan, We have not treated you and your father poorly. I didn't think that you would do such a thing."
Li Zhan lowered his head in shame. Wu Zetian then looked at Cui Xuanhui and said, "The other Prime Ministers were all promoted by us. Only you were personally chosen by us. I didn't think that you would also appear here today."
A Prime Minister was a Prime Minister. Whether it was in terms of adaptability or mental fortitude, Li Zhan couldn't compare. Cui Xuanhui righteously replied, "It is precisely because Your Majesty has appreciated and promoted this subject that this subject is willing to sacrifice my life to repay the Son of Heaven! This subject believes that killing the traitors and protecting the Crown Prince is the best way to repay the Son of Heaven and serve the court! "
Wu Zetian was so angry that a fire rose in her heart. She immediately felt dizzy. She hastily supported herself with one hand on the bed and the other on her forehead. Only then did she stabilize her mind and prevent herself from fainting. When Zhang Jianzhi saw this, he immediately knelt down and said in a clear voice, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your permission!"
"You … cough, cough, cough …"
Wu Zetian angrily pointed at Zhang Jianzhi and violently coughed. Her face swelled red and she couldn't speak.
When Cui Xuanhui, Li Duozuo, and the others saw this, they immediately knelt down and said in unison, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your permission!"
Yang Fan also knelt down with the others. Looking at the furious, helpless, haggard, and despairing Wu Zetian, he suddenly thought of the first time he saw the Empress. That year, that day, that time … It was like a dream!
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