Writing the first few chapters was too exhausting. These two days have made me tired. I need to take a break.
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Looking at the empress' body on the ground and the pool of flesh and blood, everyone was shocked speechless. Ye Zhong said a few words in a low voice. He then turned his horse around and began to chase toward the city gate. The Qin family's strength was still very powerful. He had to quickly communicate with the soldiers in all directions and attack to the end. Secondly, the empress had died in front of him. For his own safety, it was best to hide as far away as possible. It was best to leave the matters of the royal family to the Great Prince and the Duke of Danbo to handle.
The empress' suicide as she fell from the city gate was outside of many people's expectations. Although the Crown Prince's army had been defeated and the empress' fate would not be good, no one had thought that the outwardly gentle but inwardly useless empress would, in the last moment of her life, summon such courage.
At this time, the killing on the palace walls had not ended. The Qin family's rebel army was still stubbornly resisting. Fan Xian and the Great Prince's trusted subordinates were concerned about the empress dowager and officials' safety. They also did not ignore the empress' existence. However, they did not have the extra energy to guard against the mournful leap.
The empress jumped down and died in front of tens of thousands of people. This scene was shocking to the core.
The Second Prince stared at the empress' body in a daze like an idiot. Suddenly, he began to tremble from the tips of his toes to the top of his head. His entire body was enveloped by coldness as he trembled endlessly. He didn't know what kind of end he was about to face. Unconsciously, he raised his head and looked. After confirming that his birth mother, Lady Shu, was safe, he collapsed to the ground.
At his side, Dingzhou soldiers had already helped him up. Respectfully and warily, they surrounded him in the center, terrified that something would happen to him. The Second Prince's face was expressionless, but his gaze was unfocused. He thought to himself, Things have already gotten to this point. If someone wants to die, who can stop them?
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The Qin family's army had already retreated. The Dingzhou army continued to give chase. Jingdou was filled with the sounds of killing, particularly the group of rebel soldiers with the dragon flag. They moved with extraordinary speed through the long streets, passed by Zhengyang Gate, which Zhang Deqing personally guarded, and sped out of Jingdou.
Zhang Deqing's face was ashen as he watched the scene in front of him. He didn't know what he was feeling. Loyalty was a belief that needed to be upheld for a lifetime. Even if it wavered at the last moment, the loyalty of the first half of his life would become a foundation for treachery. He knew he had no chance to turn things around. He also didn't have the courage to use the 3,000 soldiers of the city gate department and the nine city gates to help the Qin family slow the Dingzhou army.
The city gates could only guard against the people outside the city. How could they guard against the people inside? Zhang Deqing let out a long, gloomy sigh. He took one last look at Zheng Yang Gate, which seemed to flash with a golden light under the blazing sunlight. He led his personal guards, followed the dragon flag, and followed the rebel army as they began to flee.
Zhengyang Gate didn't even have time to close when the Dingzhou army led by Gong Dian charged over. Turning into a yellow dragon, they gave chase.
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The fleeing Crown Prince used the dragon flag as a smokescreen. He was surrounded and protected by the few remaining generals of the Qin family as he arrived at Donghua Gate. The old Qin Master and Qin Heng were both dead. At this moment, the rebel army was like a group of dragons without a leader. Fortunately, the family generals the old Qin Master had sent to protect the Crown Prince were still alive. At such a critical moment, they had thought of this escape method. They intended to leave the capital and head north to meet up with the Northern Expedition Camp in Cangzhou.
However, the Crown Prince's heart had long become dim. Since there was foreshadowing in the capital, perhaps Governor Yan was already dead. Where could he escape to? He still didn't know that his mother had fallen to the city walls and died. He took a deep breath and forcefully raised his spirits a moment later. He thought to himself that if his father had truly died, with his aunt's help, he might be able to rise again.
After all, he was the Crown Prince. The world was named Li and not Fan. Even if he controlled Jingdou, he might not be able to control the world.
However, the glimmer of fighting spirit that he had raised with great difficulty was instantly shattered by the two tightly shut city gates in front of him. The Crown Prince and the generals looked with ashen faces at the city gate guards waiting with arrows on the stone steps on either side of Donghua Gate. They looked at the white-clothed official beside the general and their hearts tightened.
The Crown Prince recognized the white-clothed official. He knew that he was the third-ranking figure in the Overwatch Council, Yan Bingyun, whom his father greatly admired. However, he had already received news that when he was trying to convince Zhang Deqing, he had already been taken down by his aunt's people and rescued by someone else. How had he come here?
"Crown Prince, please wait."
Yan Bingyun's white robes were still stained with blood from Ling Chen's fatal attack. He coughed with a serious expression.
After the black-clothed man who had saved his life placed him in a safe area, he had disappeared without a trace. No one knew where he had gone. Yan Bingyun was unable to personally participate in the events that happened in Jingdou during this half a day. Through one of the remaining channels, he watched everything nervously. When there was a strange movement in the square, he had already arrived at Donghua Gate.
No yamen was united. Even if Zhang Deqing had been the commander of the city gate guards for twenty years, it was impossible for him to command all of his subordinates to be of the same mind in today's situation, especially when the rebel army had been defeated.
Yan Bingyun knew he was taking a risk, but he liked the feeling of taking risks. Furthermore, he felt that after making a big mistake, he had to make up for something and do something for Sir Fan junior.
Fortunately, he succeeded this time. The city gate guards successfully blocked the Crown Prince at Donghua Gate. The Emperor's strict control over the city gate guards made the Commander of Donghua Gate stand firmly by Fan Xian's side after learning the specific situation. Perhaps, he stood on the side of his own glory, splendor, and wealth. If the Crown Prince was allowed to lead his troops out of Jingdou and contact the soldiers in the wilderness, who knew what changes would happen in the future?
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The rebel army wholeheartedly wanted to break out of the city and did not give Yan Bingyun much time to negotiate. Without asking the Crown Prince, the generals of the Qin family began to prepare for battle. Hearing a military order, the rebel army bravely charged toward Donghua Gate. Arrows flew in unison from both sides, and there were heavy casualties.
Not long after the battle began, the Crown Prince's face paled. He heard a thunderous roar coming from behind him. It was the Dingzhou cavalry.
A flag fluttered in the wind in the streets of Jingdou and quickly approached Donghua Gate. There was a large "Ye" written on the flag.
Ye Zhong had personally led the troops here. To his surprise, he found that Donghua Gate was already closed. The rebel army the Crown Prince was in was blocked in front of the not-so-wide city gate. Densely packed, they took up half the main street.
He took a deep breath. He knew that Donghua Gate could not be held for much longer. Raising his right arm, he prepared to carry out the bloodiest part of the Jingdou incident. He had not expected that the rebel army's violent attack on Donghua Gate would gradually slow.
After Ye Zhong caught up, the Crown Prince's head had been lowered the entire time, resting on his chest. No one knew what he was thinking. Then, he slowly raised his head. His eyes were filled with a dimness and relief.
He opened his mouth and said, "Surrender."
Everyone fell silent. They looked at the Crown Prince with disbelief, anger, grief, hopelessness, and confusion. They didn't know why he had suddenly lost all will to fight.
The Crown Prince's gaze slowly swept across the faces of the generals and soldiers who followed him loyally. He knew that if he fought to the death, it was not impossible for him to kill his way out of the city. However, this matter had progressed to this point. The Crown Prince was tired, tired, tired, and hopeless. So what if he killed his way out of the city? From Jingdou to Cangzhou was thousands of li away.
Was he going to let these thousands of soldiers die one by one in this endless pursuit? Was he going to let the army fight, kill, and set fire to the fertile land of the Qing people?
The Crown Prince turned his horse's head and looked at Ye Zhong in the distance through the forest of spears that filled the street. "General Ye, I don't want to leave."
Ye Zhong furrowed his brows slightly. He didn't understand why the scene in front of him had occurred. No matter what, he would never have guessed the change in the Crown Prince's mentality. He always thought the Crown Prince had other thoughts. Since the Crown Prince had spoken, it seemed that there was a chance. Ye Zhong didn't want his Dingzhou army to pay even more casualties.
"Your Highness is wise."
Li Chengqian's position as Crown Prince had already been stripped by Fan Xian in the Palace. However, Ye Zhong still said it out of habit.
Li Chengqian laughed bitterly and then said, "I have a condition."
"Please speak, Crown Prince."
"I want to see Fan Xian. He must promise me one thing."
Li Chengqian's face immediately became cold. It wasn't because he understood something. As a son of the Li family, as the Crown Prince who had been raised as the next ruler for many years, he faintly guessed what kind of fate the hand in the sky wanted to mold in Jingdou. He didn't want to submit to that fate. At the very least, he wanted the hand to be hit by some small pebbles when it was molding clay figurines.
Ye Zhong was silent for a moment. He then said, "I don't know where Duke Fan is right now."
A strange light flashed through Li Chengqian's eyes. He immediately guessed something. His expression became ugly. He began to worry about the safety of certain people. He thought to himself that his condition had not yet fallen into Fan Xian's ears. Would it be too late?
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Ye Zhong was lying because he could guess where Fan Xian was.
In Jingdou, which had basically become a sea of blood, regardless of whether it was the rebel soldiers or the people who had accepted Fan Xian's power as regent, they had all lost track of him. Ever since the old Qin Master was assassinated, Duke Fan, who was in charge of Jingdou's affairs, could no longer be found.
The Crown Prince, who had made up his mind in front of Donghua Gate, guessed Fan Xian's whereabouts at the first instant. Ye Zhong was able to guess it because he had personally told Fan Xian the address. The Crown Prince was able to guess it because he cared deeply about everything there and the people there.
Fan Xian was in Taiping Courtyard.
Dressed in black, he stood on one side of Liujing River and looked at the scenery on the other side. His entire person merged into the shadows of the trees. If one didn't look carefully, it was impossible to see him. This was already the outskirts of Jingdou. After he killed Qin Ye, he had used his fastest speed to take advantage of the chaos in Jingdou to cross the tall city walls and come here.
In this royal courtyard were his wife, Lin Wan 'er, who he cared about the most, Da Bao, and the Eldest Princess, who had single-handedly planned the Dong Mountain incident and the Jingdou rebellion.
Fan Xian was not unfamiliar with Taiping Courtyard. More accurately, he was extremely familiar with it. This manor had been his family's property 20 years ago. It was where his mother, Ye Qingmei, had lived after coming to the Qing Kingdom.
After the Ye family was destroyed, this manor had been taken back by the royal family. However, the Emperor had always sealed up Taiping Courtyard and used internal guards to watch it, forbidding any member of the royal family from entering. Only then did its reputation gradually disappear.
During the summer and autumn of the fourth year of the Qing calendar, Fan Xian had once taken his sister to look across the river. At that time, the river wind caressed their bodies, making them sigh.
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Fan Xian didn't understand why the Eldest Princess would choose Taiping Courtyard as her residence for directing Jingdou matters. At this moment, he had no time to think about this. How to safely rescue Wan 'er and Da Bao was the most important thing.
Although Wan 'er was the Eldest Princess' own daughter, Fan Xian could not guarantee that after personally seeing so many years of planning come to such a tragic end, that crazy woman wouldn't become unrecognizable to her own family.
During these 10 days, he had always known what kind of situation Wan 'er was in, but he still had no way to solve it. He also did not reveal a glimmer of worry in front of others. Only he knew how Wan' er and Da Bao's safety affected his emotions.
Standing on this side of the river and looking at the other side, Fan Xian's heart throbbed slightly. Only now did he understand that Wan 'er was more important in his heart than he had imagined.
Wu Zhu had once personally told him about the layout of the rooms in Taiping Courtyard. Furthermore, Wu Zhu had once gone deep into the courtyard to retrieve something. After Fan Xian came to the other side of the courtyard, he carefully examined the defenses of the quiet and secluded courtyard. It was much weaker than he had imagined. It looked like the Overwatch Council and his ceaseless attacks on Xinyang these years had indeed had some effect. The aces by the Eldest Princess' side had been greatly reduced.
While the sounds of killing shook the heavens in Jingdou, the Taiping Courtyard on the outskirts of the capital was completely silent. This sharp contrast made it so that Fan Xian did not dare to move lightly.
When Taiping Courtyard was first built, its location was special. It was actually built on a small peninsula in the middle of Liujing River. There was only one passageway into the courtyard. The surrounding riverbanks were all relatively lower and shallower. Fan Xian observed for a long time from the treetops and branches. He found that his line of sight was blocked by the courtyard walls. It was impossible to see the situation inside.
The design of the courtyard walls was very clever. It was not very high, but it just so happened to block all the lines of sight from the outside.
Fan Xian's lips tasted bitter. He knew that even if he brought in a sniper rifle, it would not be of much use. Thinking of this, his heart couldn't help but thump. He thought to himself, when my mother designed this courtyard, did she ever think of defending against a sniper rifle?
However, there was no courtyard in the world that could not be attacked. Otherwise, the Ye girl would not have disappeared from the Qing Kingdom 20 years ago. Fan Xian was just a bit afraid of harming the innocent. He didn't attack forcefully because he knew that Li Yunrui's move had indeed caught him where it hurt.
He didn't think for long on this side of the river. Fan Xian's expression calmed. Taking a deep breath, he turned toward a bridge in the bamboo that he had once passed. Like he was taking a stroll, he walked to the front door of Taiping Courtyard.
Behind the bamboo forest on the wall, many people suddenly appeared and surrounded Fan Xian in the center. These were the Eldest Princess' personal guards. They looked at him with faces full of shock. They had long recognized his identity and didn't understand why he would appear like this at such a time.
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