"What did you say!" The Empress Dowager's face turned pale. She grabbed the armrest of the beautiful couch in anger and said, "How could it be possible? They are all living people. How could they suddenly disappear? Don't try to fool me with this nonsense!"
"Empress Dowager, please calm down! This servant really isn't lying. Lord Sun, Lord Li, and the other lords and their families really disappeared overnight! "
"They are people, not birds. How can they all fly away?"
The Empress Dowager got up angrily and paced back and forth. After a while, she suddenly stopped and looked at the eunuch in horror.
"Who did you say was the one who went missing?" His mind raced as he asked in horror, "Are those missing the ones who surrendered to the Yan Dynasty?"
The eunuch thought about it and turned pale. He trembled in horror and stammered, "Empress Dowager … yes …"
The Empress Dowager thought that she was sensitive to the matters of the imperial court. She just didn't have the chance to participate in it before.
Now that she thought about it, she suddenly understood.
"The County King of Yan and his father-in-law called Gu something, are they all gone?"
"Yes, Empress Dowager."
The Empress Dowager vaguely felt that there was a huge conspiracy behind it. She forced herself to calm down and said, "Ask Prince Li to come to Ci 'an Palace."
"Yes." The eunuch breathed a sigh of relief as if he had been pardoned. He stood up and bowed before leaving.
The Empress Dowager said again, "Ask Marquis Qingyang to come here as well."
"Yes."
After the eunuch left, the Empress Dowager paced back and forth for a while in frustration. Her mind was filled with the matters of the imperial court.
She didn't know when the Tatan would mobilize their troops.
Now the ministers of the Yan dynasty had also mysteriously disappeared.
She didn't know if Li Qitian was still alive after being buried in the underground palace …
After these days, the Empress Dowager had been freed from the panic and fear when she first received the news. Li Qitian's existence was indeed a mountain that supported her prosperity. But she couldn't rely on others forever.
If she wanted to ensure the glory of the family, she could only rely on Li Qitian. It was better to take this opportunity to let the Zhou family have the opportunity to seize power. After all, the Li family could only have the surname of Li.
She loved and worried about her son.. But now that things had come to this, she couldn't solve the problem even if she cried herself to death.
Someone had to be in charge of such a large country. Could it be that waiting for the world to fall into chaos before she, the Empress Dowager, was willing to take action?
The only thing lacking was that it was too difficult to manage a country, fight with the court officials, and pacify the internal affairs.
The Empress Dowager's mind was in a mess. One moment, she was worried about Li Qitian, and the next moment, she was worried that the loss of more than half of the surrendered officials was a huge conspiracy. She was afraid that she could not cope with it.
Not long after, a chamberlain came in from outside the door to reply: "Replying to the Empress Dowager, Prince Li, Marquis Qingyang, and Eldest Princess Anyang have arrived."
"Let them in."
The Empress Dowager sat upright with her back straight, looking dignified and aloof.
The three people entered the Grand Hall. Prince Li and the Marquis of Qingyang both performed a grand salute, saying: "Greetings, Empress Dowager."
Only Li Helan bent his knees and quickly walked towards the Empress Dowager.
"Imperial Mother! Is there good news on the mountain? "
The Empress Dowager saw that Li Helan had come uninvited and acted so casually in front of Prince Li and the Marquis of Qingyang without showing any special respect. She was somewhat displeased and walked past Li Helan, saying to Prince Li and the Marquis of Qingyang: "The two of you are excused, please sit."
Seeing the Empress Dowager's grave expression, Li Helan knew that he had encountered something bad. He hesitated and said: "Imperial Mother has something to say to younger cousin and younger uncle. Daughter will take her leave for now."
The Empress Dowager gave a long "en" and raised her hand to dismiss Li Helan.
The Marquis of Qingyang observed the Empress Dowager's expression and saw that she was displeased. There must be something troubling her. He stood up and saluted: "If the Empress Dowager has anything to say, as younger brother, I will not hesitate to go through water and tread on fire!"
Prince Li saw the Marquis of Qingyang's display of loyalty and hurriedly stood up, saying: "The Marquis of Qingyang is right. Now that Your Majesty's whereabouts are unknown, all the more reason for us to work together to overcome this difficult situation. "
The Empress Dowager nodded in satisfaction, "Sit down. I have just received a piece of news and am unable to think of what to do, so I am telling you. The surrendered officials who came to the court on the Dayan have suddenly disappeared along with their families overnight. Do you know of this matter? "
The Marquis of Qingyang shook his head and looked at Prince Li beside him.
Although Prince Li was supervising the state, the relationships in the court could not be figured out in a short period of time. The things he knew were things that had already been made public. Naturally, he did not know of this news.
Seeing the two's blank expressions, the Empress Dowager sighed: "Previously, I heard the Emperor say that the County King of Yan and his father-in-law were originally imprisoned in the imperial prison, but they have disappeared. Now, the officials of the Yan dynasty have also disappeared.
There must be something fishy about this. I would like to discuss this matter with you. What should we do about it?
The Marquis of Qingyang said: "Could it be that these people from the Yan dynasty have become disloyal? They can't have disappeared overnight. They must have taken advantage of the chaos in the court to sneak away. "
"I think so too. If these people have escaped, they must have some ulterior motive. That is why they have all fled together. Now that the County King of Yan has disappeared, could they be thinking of rebelling? "
Prince Li heard the word "rebelling".
His heart skipped a beat when he heard the word "rebelling". He had been stumbling around in his job as regent and had not even had a chance to gather power. Was he going to make a fuss about the Yan dynasty wanting to restore the state?
The Tatan rebellion had already occurred in the north. If another Yan dynasty appeared in the south, wouldn't Da Zhou be attacked from both sides?
The County King of Yan frowned deeply.
The Marquis of Qingyang was even more worried than the County King of Yan.
If the Yan dynasty really caused trouble, wouldn't he, the newly appointed commander of the Tiger Army, have to lead the army into battle?
"Don't think like that, Empress Dowager. Everything has to be thought of in a positive direction. The people of the Yan dynasty have already been subdued. If the County King of Yan is willing to be a County King in our court, he must be someone who is afraid of death. Even if he escapes, he won't be able to cause much trouble. As for the surrendered officials of the Yan dynasty,
I see that Your Majesty has not given them any important positions. Their departure won't cause much trouble for us. We can just send people to the south to track them down. "
The Empress Dowager trusted her brother. Thinking about it carefully, she said: "If that's the case, then send people to track them down. Do it quietly and don't alert the enemy. "
"Yes. Leave this matter to me, Empress Dowager. "
The Empress Dowager thought about it and said: "Also, send people to find out how many surrendered officials of the Yan dynasty were, who escaped, and who else is in the capital. Capture them all and interrogate them strictly. These people are most likely spies left in the capital by the Yan dynasty. "
"Empress Dowager is wise. Among the civil officials of the Dayan court, isn't the most capable one Pang Zhixi's father-in-law the Pang Zhixi? We don't know if he escaped or not, but we'll go investigate later. "
The Empress Dowager nodded. Thinking carefully, she felt that she had not overlooked anything and quietly relaxed. She put on a smile and said: "The court is in turmoil. This is the time when I need all of you to work together. You didn't disappoint me. In the future, when the Emperor is rescued and the country is stable, I will not forget your good deeds. "
Marquis Qingyang cupped his hands, "Many thanks for the Empress Dowager's promotion!"
Prince Li also followed suit and bowed. However, his heart was beating like a drum.
If Li Qitian was alive and saw that he was supervising the country, he didn't know what would happen to him …
If that was the case, it would be better to let Li Qitian sleep in the underground palace.
Thinking of this, Commandery Prince Li made some arrangements for the excavation of Mount Chongshan.
The two of them chatted with the Empress Dowager for a while. Most of the time, they were encouraging the Empress Dowager with words and painted a beautiful blueprint for the future of Da Zhou.
However, at this moment, a chamberlain scrambled in from outside and said in a shrill and panicked voice: "Empress Dowager, there is news from the north! The Minister of War, Official Wang, requests an audience! "
When the Empress Dowager heard this, she felt her hair stand on end.
Could it be that the Tatan had attacked?
The Empress Dowager hurriedly said: "There is no need to be so cautious now. Please invite Official Wang to Ci 'an Palace to see me!"
"Yes!" The chamberlain turned around and ran. It was obvious how urgent the situation was.
The Empress Dowager really couldn't stay calm at this time.
First, Your Majesty was buried in Chongshan, and many of the important officials in the court were killed or injured. Then, the Yan dynasty's surrendered officials left. The Yuchi Yan must be up to something. Now, the thing they were most afraid of had happened. The Tatan had actually started to attack!
The Empress Dowager felt that she couldn't bear the pressure at all.
"Empress Dowager, the Minister of War, Official Wang, has arrived."
The chamberlain outside the hall announced, and a tall man around 40 years old quickly walked in.
After seeing the Empress Dowager bow, Wang Zhi did not waste any time and anxiously said: "Empress Dowager, the Tatan Utejin Khan personally led the army and launched a surprise attack. Of the four passes in the north, Tian Yu Pass, Tian Lang Pass, and Tian Shu Pass have already fallen! The Dragon Legion Commander Kang Qiong has retreated to Heaven's Gate and sent an urgent letter asking for reinforcements! "
When the Empress Dowager heard this, her head buzzed. She felt dizzy and nearly fell to the ground.
Kang Qiong was the Dragon Legion Commander that Your Majesty personally chose, and he couldn't beat those Tatan barbarians?
"When did this happen? How did the Tatan break through three passes without any warning? "
"Empress Dowager, General Kang said that Utejin Khan launched a surprise attack and caught us off guard."
The Empress Dowager thought about the positions of the three passes. After a long while, she let out a sigh of relief.
"Don't panic. Heaven's Gate is a dangerous place, and the Dragon Legion Army is not weak. If they retreat to Heaven's Gate, as long as our reinforcements arrive in time, it will be fine."
"Empress Dowager is right." Prince Li nodded and praised.
Wang Zhi said, "Empress Dowager and Prince Li, please make a decision quickly. Long delays have many dreams. "
The Empress Dowager slowly nodded and looked at Marquis Qingyang with trust.
However, Marquis Qingyang felt the hairs on his back stand up.
"Empress Dowager, if the Tiger Army goes to the north, what will happen around the capital?" Marquis Qingyang cupped his hands and said, "If someone dares to come around the capital, we won't be able to protect them."
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