Wei Zhuo beat the drums to gather the generals. The generals hurriedly put on their armors and rushed to the main tent. In less than the time it took for two incense sticks to burn, they hurriedly returned to their respective camps and regrouped. The camp was in chaos.
Ge Fushun returned to his main tent and immediately ordered all the soldiers to assemble. He then lowered the tent flap and said to Yang Fan and the others, "Wei Zhuo suddenly issued an order to gather all the troops of the Flying Cavalry Left Guard and rush to Heng Street immediately."
Yang Fan and the others were stunned. Such an action was extremely rare even in broad daylight. Moreover, it was the middle of the night. What were they trying to do by bringing troops into the city and garrisoning the palace?
"Is Wei Clan going to start a mutiny?"
Just as this thought came to his mind, Yang Fan firmly denied it. Impossible! Although Wei Clan was at the height of its power, it was like a castle in the sky without any foundation. All its glory depended on Li Xian.
Wei Clan desperately needed Li Xian's name to nurture trusted aides and strengthen their foundation. They would never rashly revolt and become the enemy of the world. Even if Empress Wei was blinded by greed and wanted to rise to the top in a single bound, the entire Wei Clan would not agree.
Even if Empress Wei or the Wei Clan had a conflict with Li Xian or were eager to kick him away, the most appropriate solution was to imprison Li Xian and use the Emperor to command the feudal vassals. When the time was right, they could ascend to the throne.
Hadn't Empress Wei been learning from Wu Zetian? Wu Zetian had done this in the past. She had imprisoned her son, Li Dan, for eight years until everything was ready. Only then did the titular Li Dan abdicate the throne.
But now, Wei Clan was mobilizing troops into the city. If they were not trying to seize the throne, then what were they trying to do? Yang Fan found it hard to understand.
Ge Fushun said: "Wei Zhuo has the Tiger Seal of Chang 'an's Military Commander Wei Wen. There is no mistake about it. Right now, all the troops are being mobilized. I am afraid it will not be easy for the few of you to leave now. Why don't you follow me into the city first and wait for an opportunity to leave?"
When Yang Fan and the others arrived, they wore the uniform of the Imperial Army in order to deceive others, so there was no need for them to change. After Ge Fushun finished speaking, he glanced at Maqiao and said worriedly, "General Ma, I'm afraid your troops are also being mobilized. If you can't make it back in time, what should we do?"
Maqiao replied, "There's no harm in that. I've been on leave for the past few days, so I'm not in the army."
Yang Fan thought for a while and said decisively, "Then, you and I will pretend to be General Ge's bodyguards and enter the city together. We will act according to the situation!"
…
In the city of Chang 'an, teams of soldiers armed with spears hurried to and fro, full of killing intent.
The winged cavalry, ten thousand cavalrymen, thousand bull guards, and other imperial guards were stationed outside the palace gates. Along the way, Yang Fan estimated that there were at least forty thousand soldiers stationed around the palace. He couldn't help but feel apprehensive.
Along the way, Wei Zhuo held the transfer order of Chief Military Officer Wei Wen. Along the way, there were many imperial guards who stopped and questioned him. They would only let him pass after verifying the transfer order.
When they arrived at the street in front of the Gate of Heaven Influence, Wei Zhuo ordered loudly, "All troops are to station here. Without Chief Wei's order, no one is to enter or leave. Anyone who disobeys will be killed!"
Thousands of well-trained and elite Imperial Guards immediately moved. There was not the slightest noise on the long street, but the sound of hurried footsteps, the clanging of armors, and the clashing of swords and shields formed a strict atmosphere unique to military camps.
They were leaning against the Gate of Heaven Influence and facing the Vermilion Bird Avenue. Just as they finished setting up the Heart Moon Formation, a light carriage came speeding over. There were dozens of armors surrounding the carriage. Not every imperial guard could have that kind of exquisite Radiant Armor. Other than a few imperial guards, only the imperial warriors had it.
Even so, Wei Zhuo still personally led his men to stop and question the carriage. One of the cavalrymen handed him Wei Wen's order. After Wei Zhuo verified it under the torch, he whispered a few words to the cavalryman before turning back and shouting, "Open the palace gates!"
The heavy and tall palace gates opened with a bang. Wei Zhuo ordered again, "Remove the threshold!"
The threshold of the palace gates was long and tall. It was several feet wide and two feet tall. The wood was hard and sturdy, and the outside was covered with a layer of copper. It was extremely heavy. It took more than twenty burly flying cavalrymen to remove the threshold, allowing the carriage to drive straight in.
Yang Fan stood at a remote corner near the Hall of Governmental Affairs outside the Gate of Heaven Influence. Looking at the mysterious carriage, he muttered to himself, "Strange! Who is in the carriage? They can actually drive straight into the palace gates. "
Wang Maozhong looked around and stealthily approached Yang Fan. He whispered, "Great General, it seems … something big has happened."
Wang Maozhong's voice was somewhat nervous and sounded somewhat hoarse. Compared to the taciturn but resolute Li Yide, Wang Maozhong, who had been a slave in the Prince of Xiang's estate since childhood, was loyal and devoted, but lacking in courage.
Yang Fan smiled and replied, "There's no need for you to worry. The soldiers around the palace are in good order. Right now, those with Grand Steward Wei's order can freely enter and leave the palace. It's clear that no rebellion has occurred and that they are just guarding against something.
General Ge's soldiers are guarding the outside, making it very convenient for us to leave. If we want to leave, we can leave right now, but since we've run into each other, there's no harm in getting to the bottom of this. "
Wang Maozhong gave an embarrassed smile and whispered, "This lowly life of this lowly one is nothing. I'm just afraid that I'll ruin the Prince's plans. This lowly one truly doesn't know what to do in this situation. I'll follow Great General's orders."
… …
In the Hall of Sweet Dew, Empress Wei quietly sat on the imperial chair that Li Xian had once sat on. Her face seemed to be carved from a piece of white jade. There was no color, no expression. Her eyes, under the light of the lanterns, flashed with a lifeless light.
The Hall of Sweet Dew was the emperor's palace. She did not dare to return to the Hall of Politics. The Hall of Politics was the empress's palace. Empress Zhangsun had once lived there, Empress Wang had once lived there, and Wu Zetian had also once lived there.
Empress Zhangsun had been a virtuous empress of a generation, but she had died young. Empress Wang had been deposed and banished into the Cold Palace. In the end, she had been cruelly tortured to death by Wu Zetian. As for Wu Zetian herself, she had changed from empress to emperor, and then from emperor back to empress. In the end, she had died a miserable death.
Every empress before Empress Wei had lived a brilliant life, whether they succeeded or failed, but … there had never been an emperor who had died in the empress' palace. Empress Wei did not dare to stay there. She was afraid to see those eyes that had died with everlasting regret.
"Niangniang, niangniang … …"
A female official trembled as she called out a few times, her trembling voice rising. Empress Wei appeared extremely calm on the surface, but inside, her mind was a mess. Only when the female official called for the fifth time did she startle out of her daze: "What?"
"Niangniang, Shangguan Zhaorong has arrived."
Empress Wei abruptly stood and said urgently: "Quick! Invite her in! "
A moment later, Shanghai Wan 'er quickly walked into the hall.
She had been hurriedly received from her home, and the carriage only stopped in front of the Hall of Sweet Dew. On the way, the doors and windows were tightly shut. She did not know why she had been summoned to the palace, and could not see the situation outside. She only felt from the shouts of commands and the sounds of the army seals being handed over that something major had happened.
She had experienced Heaven and Ming Tang, the two peerless and vast palaces, being burned to ashes by a fire. She had experienced the Shen Long coup d 'état, and the Crown Prince's rebellion, but she had never encountered such a strange situation.
Shanghai Wan 'er had thought that Emperor Li Xian had summoned her in the middle of the night, but when she hurriedly walked into the hall, she was shocked to see Empress Wei's anxious and joyful expression. Shanghai Wan' er's heart instantly sank, and she had a bad feeling.
"Wan 'er greets Empress. Why has Niangniang summoned me in the middle of the night? "
Just as Shanghai Wan 'er finished speaking, Empress Wei charged forward and gripped her hand. Wan 'er felt that Empress Wei's hands were ice cold, without any warmth. Empress Wei said in a trembling voice: "Wan' er, His Majesty … … has passed away!"
… …
Under Wan 'er's shocked gaze, Empress Wei hurriedly explained to her how the Emperor had passed away: The Emperor had spent the night in the Empress' palace, a chronic illness had suddenly occurred, and he had died. Speaking of it, if she hadn't been provoked by Yang Jun, it would have been the truth.
But that was not the important point. Li Xian was not the husband or father of a normal family, he was the Emperor of the Tang dynasty. He had died, and the most important thing was how to deal with the aftermath: who would be the new Emperor.
Wan 'er quickly calmed down. She had experienced the great change of Emperor Ze Tian. This Son of Heaven who feared his wife, a cowardly Emperor, did not have a high position in her heart, and so could not cause greater waves in her heart.
She calmly said to Empress Wei: "What does Niangniang plan to do?"
Empress Wei nervously clutched her wrist and slowly walked in the hall: "Before you came, aijia had been thinking about this matter. To prevent the news from leaking and causing some unpredictable change, aijia has already sent fifty thousand Imperial Guards to protect the entire palace, forbidding entry and exit for safety. "
Wan 'er nodded slightly and said: "Niangniang's actions are very appropriate."
Empress Wei might have come from a noble family, but what noble families learned were the four arts, calligraphy, poetry, and songs, and not the laws and regulations of the country. After she became Empress, she had some understanding of these areas, but compared to Wan 'er, she could not compare.
To say nothing of other things, if she left Wan 'er, she would not be able to write a posthumous edict that suited Li Xian's style and could be trusted by the world, much less the more complicated government affairs. Hearing Wan' er's approval, Empress Wei's panicked mind immediately relaxed.
Empress Wei continued: "Aijia thinks that there is only one important matter: who will inherit the position of Son of Heaven. The Emperor died suddenly and did not have a Crown Prince in his lifetime. According to the rules, aijia and the officials must discuss it together.
But the country cannot be without a ruler for a day. Qiao Wang is far away in Lingnan, and it will take at least a month for him to return. Also, his talent is mediocre, how can he be worthy of great responsibility? Aijia thinks that we can only make Chongfu the Crown Prince to inherit the throne. "
Wan 'er's eyes flashed, and she directly asked the most important point: "The Fourth Imperial Son is still young. If the Fourth Imperial Son is made Emperor, who will assist him?"
Empress Wei took a deep breath and puffed out her chest: "Aijia is Chongfu's mother, the current Empress, no! Aijia is about to become the Empress Dowager. Naturally, aijia will be the regent. "
Wan 'er asked "assist", and Empress Wei replied "regent." The difference of one word was like the difference between heaven and earth.
Wan 'er looked at Empress Wei's nervous and excited expression, and seemed to see that Wu Meiniang of the past. They might have too many differences, but at least in this moment, the expressions on their faces were unusually similar.
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