The soldiers were very guilty. They didn't dare to look into Ban Han's eyes. They were all grown men, but standing in front of Ban Han, they were like quails that had done something bad.
Ban Han was wearing small leather boots and a silver hedgehog soft armor. Her hair was tied up with a gorgeous jade crown. She was valiant and had an imposing aura. If a woman who didn't know her gender saw her, they might fall in love at first sight and never forget her.
Patter patter.
Ban Han held the sword at her waist and walked in front of the soldiers. She circled around them. "It's late at night. Why aren't you men sleeping? What are you gossiping about?"
The young soldier in Silver Armor was still young and couldn't keep his cool. "Princess, we're just trying to help the common people."
"Oh, I see." Ban Han nodded in understanding. Then she sniffled. "What are you roasting?"
"It's … it's a cheap thing that was brought in from a small country outside the border. It's easy to grow. But if you eat it, it's easy to do indecent things. So not many people grow it." The young soldier in Silver Armor took out a black round thing from the fire. "But it's good to eat it occasionally."
"Did any of your ancestors work under my grandfather?" Ban Han felt that this young soldier looked familiar. He seemed to be one of her grandfather's soldiers.
"Princess, this soldier's grandfather had the honor of being a vanguard officer under the Grand Marshal." At the mention of Ban Han's grandfather, the young soldier's eyes lit up. "I didn't think that Princess would still remember him."
"When I was very young, your grandfather came to my residence as a guest." Ban Han remembered that he was a very energetic old man. He also brought her many small things that could only be found in the south. "Grandfather said that your grandfather was a very great general."
These words of praise made the young soldier in Silver Armor feel as if he had drunk honey. He couldn't help but straighten his chest. His blood was boiling and he was ready to go into battle right now.
"But right now we're in the military camp. Generals, you don't need to call me by my title. Just call me General Ban." Ban Han squatted down and reached out to peel the sweet thing's shell. But it was very hot. She couldn't help but shake her hand. "Even though I'm not as good as my grandfather, but I still know the rules of the military. Please don't be prejudiced against me just because I'm a woman."
The generals watched as she poked the sweet potatoes with her fair fingers like a curious child. This made them unable to call out the word 'general'.
But because of this scene, they, who were originally nervous because they had spoken ill of the imperial court.
"General Ban." Because Ban Han had the halo of being a descendant of a famous general, the young soldier in Silver Armor, who worshipped Ban Han's grandfather, naturally called Ban Han General. "Just now, my words and actions were inappropriate. It had nothing to do with you generals."
"You're right." Ban Han tasted the soft inside of the sweet potato. It was very sweet. It was a very good thing. "Who would be willing to harm their own innocent compatriots?"
The generals didn't think that Ban Han would say such words. They looked at Ban Han in surprise. After a while, the oldest general said: "Junzhu is exaggerating. We just said a few words of complaint. We definitely wouldn't dare to rebel."
He was worried that Ban Han would say this on purpose to get them to speak the truth.
"It doesn't matter what you want to say. Anyway, the person sitting above." Ban Han put down the sweet potato and wiped her mouth. "Ever since we were young, we haven't gotten along well. The hatred between us can last for three days and three nights. If you want to scold him, then scold him. Listening to you scold him, it'll also relieve my anger."
Hearing this, the generals looked at Ban Han with some sympathy.
His family had been left in the capital as hostages. They had enjoyed glory for more than a decade. Now, they had been stripped of their titles. No wonder they liked it when they scolded the current emperor.
"I've wanted to scold him for a long time." Silver Armor scolded. "His Majesty has just ascended the throne, but he can't wait to indulge in pleasure. In the past two years, there have been disasters. The people have no fixed place to live, and there are starving people everywhere. He and those evil officials in the imperial court only want to enjoy themselves. What are the people in their hearts?!"
He was so angry that he slammed his fist on the ground. "I'm not satisfied to work for such a person!"
The others fell silent. They were all people with a conscience. Who would be willing to stain their swords with the blood of the people? It was just that they couldn't disobey the emperor's orders. They had no choice.
Ban Han looked at these angry generals and let out a long sigh. Perhaps this was the reason why the Ban Family had been willing to protect the border for generations. Some of them were illiterate, some of them were vulgar, and some of them had even committed unforgivable mistakes. But most of them were full of passion. They shed their blood for the people. They didn't understand romance, nor did they understand poetry, but they knew who their swords should be pointed at.
A general's success was built on the bones of thousands of people. The change of dynasties, the struggle between countries, the people who suffered the most were always the people.
At that time, she didn't understand why her grandfather was full of emotion when he talked about his comrades. Now, she understood.
If her grandfather hadn't been schemed against on the battlefield and was seriously injured, perhaps he would have guarded the border for many years until he could no longer pick up a sword. Then, he would have lived a peaceful life.
The sweet potato in her hand began to cool. She handed it to the young general. "What's the name of this?"
"It doesn't have an official name. Everyone calls it sweet potato." The young general in Silver Armor pulled out a few more from the fire and distributed them to the others. They had a big appetite. The porridge they ate at night wasn't enough to fill their stomachs, so they always tried to stuff something into their stomachs.
Whether it was prey they hunted or grasshoppers they caught, it was all food that they could swallow.
Ban Han sat cross-legged with these generals and talked about the weather and topography of various places. If the young ladies in the capital saw this, they would definitely not believe that this was something that Ban Han would do.
Princess Fule had always paid attention to enjoyment in life. This was something that almost everyone knew. She had good food and clothing, and when she went out, she rode in a luxurious carriage. Sitting cross-legged on the cold ground and talking with a few stinking men was undoubtedly a scene of red rain.
When Rong Xia came over, Ban Han had already eaten more than half of the sweet potato in her hand. Her white cheeks were stained with ashes. She looked embarrassed but cute at the same time. However, Rong Xia felt that his heart was being squeezed by something. It was very uncomfortable.
He remembered that Huahua had said that she admired generals and soldiers. However, she didn't want to be one because the life of a general was too hard. She couldn't bear it.
But now, she was wearing the cold Silver Armor. She didn't have any exquisite jewelry or perfect makeup. She was even eating something black with the generals and soldiers. This made him feel so uncomfortable that he couldn't breathe. He wanted to give her the best, the most honorable, and the most beautiful. He didn't want her to suffer.
"Rong Xia, you're here?" Before Rong Xia came close, Ban Han was the first to turn around. She waved at Rong Xia.
The generals who were sitting cross-legged stood up and saluted Rong Xia. In the beginning, they looked down on Rong Xia because she was just a scholar and didn't know how to fight. However, along the way, Rong Xia had subdued all the troublemakers. The generals and soldiers were also full of respect for Rong Xia.
A cultured person was a cultured person. They couldn't help but admire her ability.
"Generals, please make yourselves at home. There's no need to pay attention to these rules in the army." Rong Xia copied Ban Han and sat cross-legged beside her.
The generals looked at each other and also sat down.
"What are you eating?" Rong Xia saw that Ban Han was eating the half-baked thing with relish. She reached out and put some in her hand.
The sweet potato was a little cold. It was not as soft as before, but the sweetness was not reduced at all.
"This thing …" Rong Xia's expression changed slightly. "What's its name? Is it easy to plant?"
"This is called sweet potato. It's said that it's easy to plant." The young general in Silver Armor scratched his head and smiled embarrassedly. "I secretly brought these in to fill my stomach. I don't know how to plant them."
"It's okay." Rong Xia smiled. Although there was a rule in the barracks that prohibited bringing things in, there wasn't enough food to go to war outside. As long as the generals and soldiers didn't disturb the people outside, if they secretly brought in food to fill their stomachs, many people would turn a blind eye to it. "It's good that you know its name."
This thing tasted good. If it was easy to plant, it could also alleviate some of the people's hunger.
After eating the sweet potato, Rong Xia wiped the corners of her mouth. "Generals, you are all veterans in the army. I have heard about your characters. Today, there's something I have to tell you."
The oldest general immediately said: "Marshal, please speak."
Rong Xia felt in her chest and took out a golden seal. "Prince Ning is leading troops to force the emperor to abdicate. His Majesty and the Crown Prince are trapped. I want to suppress the judge and save His Majesty and the Crown Prince. I ask all generals to lend me a hand. "
"Tiger Tally of the Three Armies?!" The old general immediately cupped his fists and said, "Seeing the Tiger Tally is like seeing the National Protector Commander. I am willing to listen to Marshal's orders."
Ban Han looked at the old general in confusion. Just now, this person had acted very cautiously. Now, Rong Xia casually said a few words, and this person couldn't wait to loyally lead the way. Was this person hired by Rong Xia?
"I am willing to listen to Marshal's orders!" The hot-blooded young general in Silver Armor was the second to speak.
"I am willing to listen to Marshal's orders!"
Ban Han: Wait, this is to overthrow the current Emperor. Aren't you guys agreeing too casually?
Ban Han didn't know that after Prince Ning ascended to the throne, he suppressed the generals everywhere. The generals who were already low in status couldn't even get a salary now. The soldiers under them were also starving. Therefore, in the hearts of the generals, Fengning Emperor was a hopeless and incapable ruler.
In addition, Rong Xia already had people in the military camp, so it was very easy for Rong Xia to control the military camp. Although these soldiers weren't very educated, it didn't mean they were stupid. Since Rong Xia dared to say this out loud, it meant that he was certain they would agree.
As for not agreeing … …
No one wanted to think about what would happen if they didn't agree.
In the court, Prince Ning drowsily listened to the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue arguing over food. He rubbed his forehead and said impatiently, "It's only food. The army will pass by so many places. Just collecting some food will be enough for them to eat and drink. Do you want me to personally deliver it to them?"
"Your Majesty!" Minister Zhou Bingan quickly said, "How can we easily collect food from the provinces and counties … …"
"Official Zhou, the entire world belongs to me. What's wrong with the people donating some food for the soldiers?" Jiang Luo coldly interrupted Zhou Bingan, "Or do you think my orders are useless?"
"I … … understand." Zhou Bingan took a step back and didn't speak again.
The court instantly quieted down. The officials who still had a conscience felt their hearts turn cold at the Emperor's words. Now that there were riots everywhere in the court, it was time to calm the people. Yet, the Emperor was still collecting food. Did he think that there weren't enough people rebelling?
If the court had properly calmed the people after the drought instead of sending troops to suppress them, how could things have gotten to this point?
As an Emperor, he viewed the people as weeds. How could such a person be fit to be the ruler of a country?
Three days later, there were officials who planned to enter the palace to save the Crown Prince. However, they were exposed and Fengning Emperor was exposed. That day, he beheaded more than a dozen officials. More than a dozen officials were sent away. The head of the instigator was even hung at the entrance of the market for public display, attracting countless people to watch.
Minister Zhou Bingan claimed that he was sick and resigned. Fengning Emperor didn't ask him to stay. He didn't even give him an honorary title. He agreed to his request on the spot.
After Zhou Bingan resigned, Zhang Qihuai and Zhao Weishen followed in his footsteps. The only officials with a conscience left in the court finally left the court. The entire Daye dynasty was like a building that was about to collapse. Any random storm was enough to destroy the dynasty.
However, Jiang Luo was still in a drunken stupor. Power, wine, and women made him lose his last shred of rationality. He was like those famous fatuous Emperors in history. He didn't know what day it was and thought that the entire world was under his control.
Now that there was no Empress in the palace, Xie Wanyu, who was once Prince Ning's concubine, had an awkward status. Although the people in the palace called her Niangniang, she had no rank or rank. She lived an awkward life in the palace. The other concubines in the palace didn't dare to cause trouble for her because they were backed by the Empress Dowager.
Although His Majesty was absurd, he still had to give some face to the Empress Dowager. However, the Empress Dowager didn't want to see His Majesty. She spent her days in Fu Ning Palace eating vegetarian food and praying. It was as if His Majesty's glory and glory had nothing to do with her. Even the imperial edict that His Majesty conferred her the title of Empress Dowager was thrown out of Fu Ning Palace by her.
Although Xie Wanyu wasn't liked by His Majesty, the Empress Dowager niangniang would occasionally see her. Just based on this, the other concubines in the palace didn't dare to provoke her.
"Niangniang," The palace maid who was dressing Xie Wanyu saw her dark and gloomy appearance and couldn't help but say, "You should dress more brightly."
His Majesty liked these flowers and powder. Her niangniang was clearly the first wife, but she had fallen to such a state. It was truly hateful.
"Why should I dress him?" Xie Wanyu smiled coldly, "I think this is very good."
"Niangniang," A young taijian ran in and knelt in front of her, crying bitterly, "Lord Xie Dalang has passed away."
Xie Wanyu's eyelids trembled. Her cheeks were deathly white, but not a single tear fell. She touched her dry cheeks and said in a trembling voice, "I know. You can leave."
"Niangniang, my condolences." The taijian used his sleeve to wipe the corners of his eyes, covered his face, and left.
Hearing the sobs in the room, Xie Wanyu said sternly, "What are you crying for? What's there to cry for? You're not allowed to cry."
"Niangniang!" Xie Wanyu's dowry palace maid knelt in front of her, "Don't be like this. If you're sad, just cry it out."
Xie Wanyu slowly shook her head: "What's there to cry about? If there's someone to blame, blame it on …"
If there's someone to blame, blame it on ourselves. One wrong step led to many wrong steps, and we ended up like this.
She turned her head to look at herself in the mirror. Her voice was hoarse as she laughed, "Today's clothes are exceptionally suitable."
She stood up with the support of the table. The dark grey skirt swept across the chair. It was like a long shadow that couldn't be dispersed, blocking the hearts of the palace maids.
Xie Wanyu walked out of the palace gates. Not far away, she heard the singing of a woman and the laughter of a man. The joy was like a paradise on earth. She walked in the direction of the sound and saw Jiang Luo and a woman seeking pleasure under the peach blossoms. The two's posture was intimate. It was so absurd that people couldn't bear to watch.
Engaging in debauchery in broad daylight, it really was using the earth as a bed and the sky as a blanket. If the heavens had eyes, how could such an animal be the emperor?
She turned and left, not looking at the man and woman behind her again.
"Your Majesty, that seems to be the Empress?" The concubine in Jiang Luo's arms said frivolously, "When she saw you, why didn't she come to greet you before leaving?"
"What Empress, it's just something that zhen doesn't want to see," Jiang Luo stole a kiss on her neck, leaving a red mark, "It's right that she didn't come, so she won't spoil zhen's appetite."
This concubine instantly laughed. She proudly raised her chin. So what if she was the first wife, so what if she was the daughter of a noble family? Right now, she couldn't compare to a woman who came from a brothel. It really was laughable.
There were people at court who discovered that after the expeditionary army reached Zhongzhou, they stopped advancing. The rebel army was clearly in front of them, but they didn't move. What did this mean?
After a sycophantic official heard this news, he immediately went to Jiang Luo to complain about Rong Xia. Jiang Luo was so angry that he sent out three imperial edicts reprimanding Rong Xia. He also hinted in the edicts that if Rong Xia didn't immediately advance, then the Ban Family remaining in the capital would immediately lose their lives.
But before these three imperial edicts could be sent out, there was an urgent message that came from eight hundred li away.
Marquis Cheng'an led an expeditionary army that was said to be one hundred thousand and rebelled. He also raised the banner of righteousness, saying that Fengning Emperor had persecuted the Retired Emperor and the Crown Prince. No, the Retired Emperor's intended successor wasn't the Fengning Emperor, but the Crown Prince. The most shocking thing was that not only did Rong Xia have the Three Army Tiger Tally, but he also had the imperial edict that the Retired Emperor had given to the Crown Prince.
The imperial court was caught off guard by Rong Xia's actions. Jiang Luo wanted to kill the Ban Family to vent his anger, but he was stopped by the courtiers. If Rong Xia really attacked the capital, the Ban Family would still have a bargaining chip to negotiate with Rong Xia.
"What bargaining chip?!" Jiang Luo was so angry that he smashed all the memorials on the imperial table. "Rong Xia is a hypocrite. He doesn't care about the Ban Family's life or death. Why would he change his plans because of the Ban Family?"
"Zhen was deceived by him!"
What deep feelings for Princess Fule? What infatuation? These were all for him to see.
"He doesn't care about the Ban Han at all. What he wants is Zhen's throne." Jiang Luo gritted his teeth and went to the place where Emperor Yunqing was being held. The Emperor Yunqing had already been tortured by Jiang Luo to the point that he didn't even look like a human anymore. The once high and mighty Emperor only had two or three eunuchs to serve him. He also had to endure Jiang Luo's abuse from time to time. Emperor Yunqing was already so angry that he couldn't move and couldn't even speak.
"Your illegitimate son is finally preparing to rebel and attack the capital," Jiang Luo sneered. "Tell me, is he here to save you or to fight with me for the throne?"
Emperor Yunqing's eyes widened. He shook his head fiercely, but he couldn't say a word.
"Pfft," Jiang Luo suddenly crazily smashed all the tea sets on the table to the ground. "He's just a bastard. He wants to fight with Zhen? That's just wishful thinking!"
Emperor Yunqing watched Jiang Luo leave without looking back. His throat made heavy breathing sounds.
"Your Majesty," Wang De's hand was still wrapped in gauze. He went forward to help Emperor Yunqing up. "How are you?"
Emperor Yunqing stretched out a trembling hand and pointed in the direction Jiang Luo left. His eyes were full of anxiety.
"Your Majesty, please calm down," Wang De wiped his tears. "Marquis Cheng'an will definitely come to save us."
Emperor Yunqing's eyes widened, but he couldn't speak. Wang De didn't understand what he meant. In the end, he fainted from anger.
The Imperial Court originally thought that Rong Xia would fight with the other rebel forces. The two sides would kill each other and the Imperial Court would reap the benefits. Who knew that Rong Xia's expeditionary force didn't have any conflict with the rebel forces. Instead, the rebel forces seemed to have gone crazy. They suddenly respected Rong Xia as their leader and all of the rebel forces fell into Rong Xia's hands.
Rong Xia only had fifty thousand expeditionary forces. They also didn't have enough food. No matter how you looked at it, these rebel forces shouldn't be led by Rong Xia. What ability did Rong Xia have to be able to coax these rebel forces into submission?
The useless people in the Imperial Court were still confused. Zhou Bingan, Yao Peiji, Zhang Qihuai, Zhao Weishen, and the others faintly guessed a possibility.
"Could these rebel forces be related to Marquis Cheng'an?" Among the four of them, only Zhang Qihuai didn't have much of a relationship with Rong Xia. Therefore, he didn't have any scruples when he spoke. "Otherwise, how could there be such a coincidence? These rebel forces came aggressively, but when they met Rong Xia, they bowed down to him. The expeditionary force didn't have enough food and equipment, so where did Marquis Cheng'an get the confidence to suddenly rebel against the Imperial Court? "
The only possibility was that the rebel leaders in Dongzhou, Xizhou, and Xuezhou were mostly Rong Xia's people. They were waiting for the day Rong Xia came.
"This …" Yao Peiji opened his mouth but couldn't say anything. He turned his head and looked at Zhou Bingan. The Zhou family and the Ban Family had a good relationship. If Marquis Cheng'an rebelled, it was hard to predict whether the Ban Family who stayed in the capital would be able to keep their lives. It was a pity that the four of them were now nobodies. They didn't have any face in front of the Fengning Emperor. Even if they wanted to help, they were powerless.
He owed the Ban Family a great debt of gratitude, so he couldn't just watch the Ban Family die without doing anything.
Zhao Weishen shook his head. "The people imprisoned in that courtyard might not be from the Ban Family."
He had been secretly communicating with the Ban Family for many years. As early as the day Rong Xia led the army out of the city, he received a golden goose sent by a stranger.
The goose flew south, so why would it stay in the capital?
When Yao Peiji heard Zhao Weishen's words, he actually breathed a sigh of relief. "It's good that it's not them. It's good that it's not them."
But how did Zhao Weishen know?
He had doubts in his heart, but he was too embarrassed to ask. He just changed the topic. "What does Marquis Cheng'an want to do?" He caused such a big commotion, and even took out the Imperial Edict and the Three Armies Tiger Tally personally written by the Emperor. Was it really just to save the Emperor and the Crown Prince?
"The Three Armies Tiger Tally …"
Minister Zhou Bingan was Emperor Yunqing's confidant. He knew some of the secrets of the Imperial Court. "It was lost 20 years ago."
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