The leaders did not dare to enter without permission. They all wanted to wait for the other party to take the lead. In the end, none of them were willing to move. After a long time, the smoke and dust dispersed. The scene in the hall was clearly revealed. The four walls were splendid, the dragon throne was brilliant, and there were still bright yellow curtains hanging everywhere. But the first thing that attracted everyone's attention was that the hall was empty. There was no trace of Shunzhi.
One of the leaders could not hold back and rushed into the hall. Other than a few paintings and calligraphy that were swaying in the wind, there was nothing else. He was so angry that he kicked the table over and said, "Preposterous! How could the Emperor not be here? "
A young eunuch came up to him and whispered, "The Emperor was reading in the hall just now. He told everyone not to disturb him. Even if he wanted to escape, he couldn't have gone far! "That person was delighted." That's right! The Emperor must be hiding nearby! Pass down the order, let everyone search the palace. Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we must find him! "
Another person with a protruding mouth and monkey cheeks, who was also one of the leaders, said, "This kid ran very fast. I wonder if he brought the imperial jade seal with him? The rest of you search the hall! "Another person laughed sinisterly and said," If we find the imperial jade seal, we won't need that kid anymore. In order to prevent him from talking too much … "He stretched out his hand and made a cutting motion in front of his neck. This suggestion was echoed by the majority of the people.
Shunzhi was in a hurry as he walked along the palace walls and small paths. Although he had taken off his dragon robe, his inner clothes were still very luxurious. Not to mention, there were not many people in the palace who did not recognize him. Who knew who he would fall into? Along the way, he covered his face with his sleeves. He still did not dare to be careless, his eyes constantly looking around.
While he was shouting outside the hall, he escaped through the secret passage hidden behind the paintings and calligraphy. The Forbidden City was once the imperial palace of the Ming Dynasty. It was unknown which emperor built a secret passage in advance to prevent a coup d 'état. In case he could not keep the throne, he could at least save his life.
Whether this secret passage was useful to the people who built it was unknown. But now it was a great help to Shunzhi. He had already expected that the situation was not good, but he did not expect the rebellion to come so quickly. First, there were a few officials with radical views who kept stirring up trouble in court. Later, there was a change at the border, and the soldiers who were sent as reinforcements never returned. This group of people even took this opportunity to make a fuss about the matter of their defeat and questioned him repeatedly, as if all of this was his responsibility alone.
Seeing him avoid answering the question several times, the crowd became even more aggressive. First, they doubted his attitude of accepting the challenge and instigating it. Gradually, they began to question his political views and whether he really had the talent to rule the country and was qualified for the throne. In the end, he directly asserted that he was not qualified. He even listed all the trivial matters that had happened in the seven years since he ascended the throne. Every failed battle could be used as evidence. Even if he won, it was due to the efforts of his strategists. But he did not know how the defeat did not count as the strategists' incompetence. Shunzhi was also amazed by their ability to track down details.
And when all the civil and military officials in the imperial court came to a consensus, they would force him to hand over the Imperial Jade Seal and formally abdicate. At first, it was only a superficial deterrence. But today, with such great fanfare, leading an army to attack the Palace of Heavenly Purity to force him, this was the first time.
Just as he was pondering how to resist, several imperial bodyguards suddenly appeared in front of him. The sharp-eyed ones saw him on the spot. Judging from the ecstasy on these people's faces, they were the rebels sent out to capture him.
Shunzhi wanted to leave, but it was too late. The first person immediately opened his mouth and shouted, calling his companions to come and contribute. But before he could shout, his mouth remained the size of an egg, frozen in midair, motionless. Then his body convulsed and before he could say half a word, he fell face up to the ground, as if he had died of a sudden illness.
His companions were startled. One of them mustered up the courage to check on his injury, the others checked the surroundings to see if there was anyone lying in ambush, and the others continued to deal with Shunzhi. This division of work was extremely clear, but each person had just assumed a stance, without waiting for the official action, the same thing happened to the first person, falling to the ground and dying.
Shunzhi knew there was a martial art master secretly helping him, but he did not dare to let down his guard. Who knew if that person also came for the Imperial Jade Seal? It was not entirely impossible that he intended to clean up the opponent and take it all for himself.
Since he knew the opponent's skill was not bad, if he moved his feet, he was afraid he would end up like those people. Shunzhi stood still. No matter what happened, it could not be worse than the current situation. Sure enough, someone pulled his arm and led him into a hidden narrow path between two palace walls.
Shunzhi also saw the person who had just saved his life. Since succeeding the throne, he had experienced a lot of trouble, so he could be said to be calm in the face of change. But when he saw the young man in front of him, he was still so surprised that he could not close his mouth. "Xuan Shuang? How could it be you? "
The Xuan Shuang turned his back to him and said, "Right now the palace is full of rebel forces, busy to kidnap you back to their master to receive a reward. Let's go, I'll take you to a safe place to hide first. " He could not help but tease, "Huang Ama, I really did not expect that one day when you stir up trouble, the battle formation is not smaller than mine."
Shunzhi could only smile bitterly. After following him for a while, he tried to find something to talk about. "Xuan Shuang, aren't you afraid Zhen will suspect that you are the mastermind behind today's coup? I remember you announced to Zhen that you will definitely take back the position of Crown Prince with your own hands and take revenge on me, the Huang Ama, who does not know how to appreciate you. "
The Xuan Shuang snorted coldly and said, "That's also reasonable. Do as you please, it's nothing more than a clean slate. But forgive me for saying something unpleasant, but right now even you are a stray dog being hunted down. Even if you have all kinds of suspicions in your heart, what can you do to me? "
Without waiting for Shunzhi to answer, he seemed to still feel indignant. "Whether you believe it or not, I want to tell you one thing, I am not that despicable. It's true that I want the throne, but as for taking revenge on you, I never said that! You are talking nonsense out of thin air, don't think I will buy it. Besides, I said that I will take back the throne 'with my own hands', not by inciting others to create chaos and reap the fruits of others' work. "
"That's right," Shunzhi said, "Zhen was just joking with you because the atmosphere was too tense. Having said that, Zhen really did not misjudge you. Among all my sons, you are still the most reliable. "
The Xuan Shuang crossly said, "You don't need to flatter me. In any case, I have my own plans. What's the big deal?" Shunzhi could not tell whether he was really angry or just joking with him. He said, "Last time Zhen told you that there are some high-ranking people in the Palace who are not content with their lot. I am afraid the situation has changed. Zhen was right."
The Xuan Shuang did not know whether to laugh or cry. He really did not know whether to respect or mock Shunzhi for finding joy in the midst of misery. "So what if you were right? Do you have the ability to guard against it? This can't be considered something to be happy about. If you were not so soft-hearted, you would have dealt with those who showed signs as early as possible according to law. You would rather kill the wrong person than let them go. You would not have been forced into such a passive position by others. "
Shunzhi faintly said, "That group of people each have their own factions and powers. They are inextricably linked. It really has reached the point where 'pull one hair and the whole body will be affected' realm. Although Zhen was aware of it at that time, there was nothing Zhen could do to stop it. Originally, Zhen thought that as time dragged on, there might be a chance to find a good plan. Who would have thought … they could not even wait for half a moment. They really wanted to take the risk out of desperation and go to this step … "Right now, his expression did not have much resentment toward the rebels. On the contrary, he felt pity for their daring and presumptuous behavior.
The Xuan Shuang was speechless. He could not even fathom his father's true thoughts. After all, an emperor's thoughts could not be guessed using common sense. This principle was applicable to any emperor. It seemed that his blind sympathy had been used at the wrong time. He said, "Today's operation was initiated by Prince Shuoying's group and …"
"Don't say it, Zhen does not want to hear it," Shunzhi said. Hearing his evasive words, the Xuan Shuang was filled with a sense of righteous indignation. He said, "You made them run away in dire straits. Why can't you be ruthless? If you don't want to hear it, could it be that you can pretend nothing happened? "
The smile on Shunzhi's face was far more miserable than his father's. It was a kind of deep depression, but on the surface he had to force a happy expression. He said, "Even if I did hear it, could it be that I could pretend nothing happened? No matter how loudly the leader shouted, he was no more than a chess piece of someone else. Why should I know his surname and what his name was? As for the identity of the mastermind behind him, you and I both know very well. Why should I listen to you repeat it? "
The Xuan Shuang was startled. He flicked his fingers repeatedly, using his evil internal energy to kill several Imperial Bodyguards who were tailing them. Not only did he sympathize with his father, but he also admired him. His heart was even more unsatisfied. He said, "Emperor Ah Ma, where did you hide the Imperial Jade Seal? Don't worry, I won't openly covet it. I just want you to hide it properly, don't let those greedy fellows beat you to it. "Shunzhi said," You don't have to worry about this. Zhen can ignore other things, but the importance of the Imperial Jade Seal, Zhen is very clear … "
After two more Imperial Bodyguards fell down, an enchanting and gorgeous woman in scarlet stood in front of them. Her sleeves swayed gently, her body was adorned with gold and jade ornaments, adding to her magnificence, but she could not avoid the suspicion of being pretentious. She stood there gracefully, without waiting to speak, she gave the person in front of her an invisible pressure. The Xuan Shuang's fingers were raised in the air, but they were unable to move. In the end they drooped down powerlessly, just like a proud little rooster who had lost a battle. He hung his head dejectedly and sullenly.
The woman in scarlet smiled gently. She picked up the fragrant handkerchief and struck it with her palm symbolically. She said, "Wonderful, truly wonderful! Sure enough, the most touching thing in the world is the deep affection between father and son. The Xuan Shuang, not bad. You were able to single-handedly rescue your Emperor Ah Ma from being surrounded by an inescapable net. It seems like your martial arts have improved quite a bit. Well done! But it's enough to send him to this place. Next, I ask Your Majesty to move to the Snow Song Palace and let chenqie show you the freshly harvested tea leaves. "
The Xuan Shuang clenched his fist and hit his forehead repeatedly, whispering. It could be said that he had miscalculated. He should not have underestimated this long-planned operation. This was the first time he had felt so ashamed that he wished he could dig a hole in the ground to hide his burning face. He wanted nothing more than to dig a hole in the ground to hide his burning face for the time being.
Shunzhi did not comfort him. He stood behind him and did not stop him from blaming himself. He only said, "It doesn't matter. Zhen knows that you are not accomplices. That's enough." The Xuan Shuang was so moved that his eyes were brimming with tears. He did not know if it was because Emperor Ah Ma could trust him or because he was sighing over his pitiful innocence.
Shen Shiyun smiled and said, "Why does Your Majesty have to speak so righteously? It's as if you are going to die. Chenqie only wants Your Majesty to temporarily take refuge in the Snow Song Palace. I don't have the slightest evil intention. Is Your Majesty unwilling? " Her frown and smile, although it was a gentle invitation on the surface, revealed a resolute determination that made people have no choice but to go. The Xuan Shuang was suddenly startled and shouted, "No! I … I will go with you … "
Shen Shiyun said, "Servants, Lord Baylor Ling is very tired. Take him away to rest." Two maidservants appeared from behind her. They pulled the Xuan Shuang's arm and dragged him away. The bones in the Xuan Shuang's body shook violently. With his strength, it would not take him much effort to kill these people. Shunzhi swept his indifferent gaze over him and said, "It's all right. We are going to take refuge anyway. It doesn't matter where we go. Please, Noble Consort Yun. "
Shen Shiyun smiled sweetly and turned around to lead the way. She did not forget to explain, "Right now the Palace is full of pursuers. Taking a sedan chair is too conspicuous. Your Majesty will have to suffer." Shunzhi smiled faintly, thinking that it was possible that she did not want him to fall into the hands of his political enemy. But later on, he let her do whatever she wanted. There was no difference between them. He only said, "Noble Consort Yun is considerate."
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