Outside,
The bustling streets of the past were brightly lit by the flames,
The doors of every house on the streets were tightly shut,
They did not dare to light the weak candles,
And the streets that were filled with the flames of war were filled with blood,
The pillars of the surrounding stalls were pushed to the ground and were in a mess,
It was like the scene after a disaster.
And around the city,
From time to time, the shouts of battle could be heard.
"Brother Ning,
There are too many people attacking,
Are we still going to defend to the death? "The one who spoke was Ma Mingming.
He asked at the top of his voice,
His face was covered in dirt,
The brocade clothes on his body were also full of holes and torn into strips. How could he still have the delicate skin and tender flesh of a hedonistic young master?
Not only him, but the men surrounding Ning Heng all looked the same. They were dressed appropriately, but in tatters; their fingers were white, but covered in blood; their faces were dirty, but their gazes were firm. Even if Ning Heng said that they would defend to the death, no one hesitated, and they had the slightest intention of retreating.
Around them, there were also guards transferred from the various prefectures,
There were also commoners who volunteered to help.
Ning Heng was familiar with most of these faces,
There were childhood friends of his,
There were the young masters of the Ning family who were the tyrants on the streets,
There were the young masters of the royalist party, the resolute people who escorted them in and out safely, the colleagues of the Ministry of Works, the servants of the mansion, and the men of the relatives' families next to them.
Ma Mingming, Chen Poyu, Luo Chanqu, the young master of Minister Chang's family... the brother of his cousin-in-law... and so on.
Ning Heng also shouted back at him, "Are you stupid? We only have less than three hundred people. The enemy is outnumbered, so why the hell would we defend to the death! Did you forget that you have a wife and children at home? Let's drag those thieves all the way to the palace. There will naturally be people who will cooperate with us from the inside and outside! "
The people around him heaved a sigh of relief.
It wasn't that they didn't want to be brave and awe-inspiring, exchanging one life for the lives of the thieves. But as Ning Heng had said, although they were mostly a bunch of playboys, at their age, they already had someone they missed at home. They hadn't had enough of that warm and fragrant jade. Now that they didn't have to die, it was naturally better, wasn't it?
Even Ma Mingming, who despised Zhou Weiniang so much, had a faint thought at this moment.
"Go! Drag them back to the palace and load your crossbows. We'll kill some thieves even if we have to drag them back! "Ning Heng waved his hand and retreated slowly with his men. From time to time, he fired at the thieves who were chasing after them.
He couldn't help but rejoice that it was all thanks to these people's help tonight. Otherwise, the situation would have changed tomorrow.
The Wen Family didn't poison Khun to death immediately. Ning Heng originally thought that they had other tricks up their sleeves. He didn't expect that they would go all the way. They took advantage of the fact that they weren't fully prepared and attacked at night. Fortunately, the city gates were tightly shut and the leader of the city guards was the son-in-law of the Yue Family's aunt. Because of these connections, they were able to delay the thieves and wait for Ma Mingming and the others to arrive with weapons and set up an ambush ahead of time.
If there had been even the slightest mistake in today's matter, the Wen Family would have been like a hot knife through butter.
This batch of crossbows from the Ministry of Works had only been displayed during the Dragon Boat Festival two years ago. For the past two years, the people from the Ministry of Works had been mass-producing them. If it wasn't for this, they wouldn't have been able to fight against more than three thousand people with less than three hundred people. It was also because of their superior weapons that they were able to last until now and even catch the thieves off guard and kill many of them.
Ning Heng led his men and retreated all the way. The Wen family had suffered a loss earlier and were now on guard. They could not do anything about it at the moment.
Yueqiao didn't encounter any obstacles along the way. Then, the carriage stopped in front of the Yue Residence. The guard who had scouted the way earlier led her to a secret back door. He didn't enter but only said in a low voice, "Young Madam, I'll be outside. I've already contacted Lord Yue."
"Thank you very much." Yueqiao nodded, then pushed the door open with one hand and entered in a flash. After seeing her enter, the guard also hid in the shadows at the side, vigilantly observing the surroundings.
The inside of the Yue Residence was like the homes of ordinary people. It was dim and there were no candles lit. Borrowing the faint moonlight, Yueqiao carried her knife and walked along the quiet path. She followed the path all the way to a courtyard. Just as she was thinking whether she should go in or not, someone spoke from inside.
"Come in. There's no one in the residence now."
It was Yuehuai's voice. Although they hadn't seen each other for two years, Yueqiao could still recognize the voice at once.
She lifted the hem of her skirt and stepped in. After passing through the shady path, the path ahead suddenly became wide and spacious. There was a person standing beside the stone platform. His white clothes fluttered in the wind, his posture was elegant, and every movement he made was gentle.
His back was facing her. Before Yueqiao could say anything, he pointed at the bright moon in the sky and said to her, "Look, isn't this moonlight beautiful? I've thought of many things about our life after we got married, and one of them was admiring the moon together under the moon. "
That year, his heart was filled with joy and he couldn't sleep at night thinking about it.
"Brother Huai," Yue Qiao didn't know what to say. Logically speaking, the fate between them should have been completely severed after they talked about it more than two years ago. From then on, she was someone's wife, and he was already married. These infatuations from when they were young eventually flowed away from them like flowers in the mirror and the moon in the water. When they thought about it back then, it was just a shallow mark left in their hearts. She didn't think that Yuehuai would still remember it.
For a moment, her heart was complicated and only she knew the feeling.
"You don't have to feel bad," Yuehuai turned around. Under the moonlight, his face was like jade, but it carried a steadiness that had never been there before. His brows carried a bit of melancholy as he curved his mouth into a smile, "No matter what, we have the affection that grew up together."
He said it was easy and simple, but how could Yueqiao look at him as if he only had the affection of growing up together?
On the contrary, after Yuehuai examined her seriously, his gaze landed on the blade in her hand. He seemed to have nostalgia, "Xiaoqiao has always been a neat person, and he is still like this. I am ashamed of my inferiority."
Finishing, he laughed at himself and put away all of the past. He said seriously to her, "I know why you came to find me. The poison in His Majesty's body was provided to the Empress Dowager by the Wen Family. You want me to get the antidote for you?"
He already knew Yue Qiao's intentions like the back of his hand, so he could only nod.
Yuehuai was silent for a while. He didn't say anything to her like "Why should I get it for you" or "How will you repay me". Seeing the anticipation in her eyes, he struggled in his heart. In the end, he could only helplessly say, "I will try my best."
Hearing him agree, Yueqiao immediately breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you very much."
Yuehuai raised his hand to interrupt her, "I am just trying my best. After all, it was to poison His Majesty. How could the Wen Family leave such a handle on them? You … you shouldn't have too much hope."
Yueqiao knew, but his heart was still shrouded in a shadow. He nodded slightly, "I know."
If there was no antidote, it could only be said that it was fate.
And she had tried her best.
"Let's go. There is no time to lose."
Yuehuai walked in front, and Yueqiao hurried to follow.
In the midst of such anxiousness, the Wen family disciples had led the thieves to the foot of the Imperial Palace. Ning Heng and the others had just stepped through the palace gates when the gates closed behind them. The imperial guards who had been lying in ambush on top of the city gate tower took out their crossbows and shot wildly downwards, causing countless casualties among the Wen family's men.
"Quick, use the wooden battering ram to break open the palace gate!"
"Shields, shields!"
Above the dispirited crowd, shields were held high to protect the people who broke the gate. In a moment, the palace gate was broken open. The Wen Family soldiers, who had been caught off guard, were furious. The leading Wen Family member raised his saber and roared furiously, "Charge, charge in!"
The soldiers at the back shouted, "Charge!"
But when they rushed in, they found that the palace gate was empty. When they rushed on the solemn palace road, they suddenly heard voices on both sides.
"Bastards of the Wen Family, look here!"
"Bastards of the Wen Family, look here!"
"…"
On both sides of the city wall, Ning Heng led three hundred men and split them into two groups. They lay in ambush on the path of the Wen family army as they entered. A group of hedonistic playboys shouted and screamed at them savagely. The leader of the Wen family disciples raised his head and before he could even grit his teeth at Ning Heng and the others, he saw a row of wooden buckets on the wall. A bad feeling rose in his heart.
"Oh no, use the shields!"
On the wall, the playboys led by Ning Heng snickered.
"Too late!"
"You bastards, I've never been forced into such a mess. Today, I'll let you have a taste!"
Ning Heng waved his hand and said, "Begin! Pour!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the wooden buckets on the wall were immediately pushed down. The Wen family army below did not manage to escape. Many of them were drenched by the filth that poured out from the wooden buckets. Their entire bodies stank. That was not all. Just as the Wen family disciples who were leading the way were gritting their teeth and calling for their men to follow, the soldiers who were drenched suddenly swayed and fell to the ground.
Was, was this really not a small prank?
"First Brother Wen! I'm good to you, right? "Ning Heng asked on the city wall. His smug look was very hateful.
"Ning Heng!" The eldest grandson of the Wen Family on the horse glared at him and said ruthlessly, "I'll wait for you to beg for mercy! Let's go! "
As soon as he left, a group of people surrounded Ning Heng and asked him what they should do next.
"Rendezvous with the Imperial Guards!" Without First Brother Wen, Ning Heng's face darkened.
First Brother Wen could still speak ruthlessly after losing so many people. The Wen Family had been glorious for two dynasties, so they must have more than three thousand people in hiding. In order to fight against Empress Dowager, the Imperial Guards didn't dare to come to support them. They were afraid that Khun and the Imperial Concubine of the Embroidery Palace would be killed. The thirty thousand people stationed outside the city were the Emperor's private soldiers. They could only be mobilized with the Emperor's permission. Chen Zhen hadn't ascended to the throne yet, so the thirty thousand soldiers didn't listen to him.
Otherwise, the Wen Family wouldn't dare to force the Emperor to abdicate!
When they arrived, the Imperial Guards and the Wen Family soldiers were fighting fiercely.
From afar, the Wen Family soldiers had increased a lot. The Imperial Guards not only confronted the Wen Family soldiers, but also spread out on the rooftops, holding crossbows and opening the way for the Imperial Guards below.
Ning Heng and the others followed closely behind. It was definitely impossible for them to face an experienced soldier head-on, so they could only hide in places where no one could reach and use all their underhanded moves, throwing whatever underhanded moves they could. For a moment, the two sides were locked in battle.
Behind the Wen Family soldiers, the Wen Family's bloodline was there.
Elder Ge Wen, Empress Dowager Wen, the Wen Family's masters and descendants, and the court officials and palace maids who supported the Wen Family in the Imperial Court. It was a large group of people.
Someone tried to persuade them, "What do you want? The Imperial Concubine and her son poisoned His Majesty. Now the Empress Dowager wants to clean up the family. It is very righteous. Why do you still want to stop them?"
Someone even sneered and said, "Isn't that right? Put down the butcher's knife, and when the Second Prince ascends to the throne, he may spare your lives. If you work for the Ning family, you may lose your life. Even if you don't care about yourself, what about your family? "
Ning Heng stuck his head out from behind a pillar, threw a handful of poison powder, and scolded, "Get lost! Shameless bastards, it's not certain who will win. If you surrender now, I can still spare your worthless lives! "
At this time, Ning Xiaohou was no longer a person to be feared.
Immediately, someone disdainfully said,
"You still think you're a big shot?"
"Exactly. Let's see who's going to die first!"
Judging from the current situation on the battlefield, the Crown Prince's side was in a slightly weaker position. Although they had sufficient ammunition, they did not have any resupply later on. They were truly caught off guard by the Wen family's attack. Although they responded appropriately, their preparations were slightly lacking.
In the current situation, as long as they showed any signs of fatigue, they would not be far from losing.
The merit of following the dragon was enough for everyone to take the risk.
Until a long, long time later, so long that even Ning Heng's face had aged, the scene today was still vivid in his mind.
At that time, from late at night until sunset, everyone was exhausted. When he gave it his all, he still remembered some people slashing at him.
However, the expected pain didn't come.
He opened his eyes. In front of him, a petite woman was holding a knife. Her eyes were indifferent, and she was cold and arrogant. With a roundhouse kick and a knife in her hand, she was very domineering. Her bright clothes were like a beam of light in the darkness, dancing constantly.
She stood in front of him.
And he couldn't be more familiar with her cold and arrogant eyes.
At this moment, she looked at him coldly and said in a tough tone, "Why are you still standing there? Either find a place to hide, or guard behind with a knife."
Anyway, she didn't let him face her directly.
Ning Heng didn't feel that he was being looked down at at all. At this moment, his heart was full of joy. He didn't even ask why she was here. He just held the knife handle and nodded hard, "Wife, don't worry. I won't be a burden to you!"
This scene was seen by people from afar. The playboys who had been following Ning Heng all the way were shocked at first. It was rare that they didn't think that Mrs. Ning had a tight grip on them.
After all, at this moment, they also wanted a domineering wife!
Ma Mingming gave him a thumbs-up from afar, "Brother Ning, you can do it."
Seeing that it was only a woman who came to help, the Wen Family immediately laughed.
"It's just a woman. Can a woman have three heads and six arms?"
"It's a pity that such a beautiful woman is going to die."
"…"
Ning Heng was very angry. When he was about to say something, he saw the door of the Embroidery Palace behind him open with a squeak. Two clothes trailed at the door frame. Then, Khun, who should have been poisoned and lying on the bed, woke up. Although he looked a little weak and was supported by the Crown Prince, he looked much better.
"Your Majesty …"
"It's Your Majesty …"
"Didn't you say that Your Majesty was poisoned?"
The Wen Family army panicked the moment Khun appeared. No matter how the Wen Family comforted them, it was useless. Empress Dowager Wen, who had always been calm, changed her expression at this moment.
Her mind was in a mess. When she was about to speak, Khun spoke first.
Emperor Kun looked at her, his gaze no longer as respectful as before. "Mother Empress, oh Mother Empress, we have always treated you courteously, never neglecting the tributes that we paid to the Emperor. Who would have thought that the mother and son of the royal family were not sincere at all?"
These words directly pointed out that Khun's poisoning had something to do with the Empress Dowager.
Empress Dowager Wen panicked for a moment, but soon she calmed down, "Your Majesty, if you hadn't gone too far, how could a mother do such a thing?"
Khun sneered and swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth.
Since ancient times, the royal family had no true feelings. Father and son, mother and son, brothers …
"Father …" The little Crown Prince's call brought Khun back to his senses. He patted his father's hand with relief.
God was still good to him. He had a considerate wife and a satisfactory son. He dared not ask for anything else.
From the moment Khun woke up, the Wen Family knew that the situation was over. In just a few words, the soldiers stationed outside rushed over. The leader cupped his hands and saluted, "Your Majesty, I am late."
"No!" Deity Kun looked at the ashen-faced members of the Wen Clan and said, "Beloved subject, you came at the right time. Detain these rebels and traitors."
After saying that, he turned his face and waved his hand.
"Yes!"
The leader quickly led his men and brought the rebellious courtiers away, leaving behind a ground full of cries for help. Even the members of the Wen family were forcefully brought away. Elder Ge did not say a word. His old face looked even worse. He only said one sentence, "How did Your Majesty wake up?"
If it wasn't for Khun's sudden awakening, the outcome of this battle would not be known.
However, that poison was personally planted by him, and the antidote was hidden especially well. Just who was it that could cure such a domineering poison?
Khun waved his hand.
From the palace, a person walked out slowly.
The Wen Family looked at the person who came out in shock. They could not believe it!
"Ah, so that's how it is!" Pavilion Elder Wen was dejectedly detained and did not speak again.
Darkness fell slowly, and dawn came slowly.
In just one night, the city of Jin Ling returned to normal. In the morning, Khun showed up in the court, but he gave all the power to the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince was still young, but he was experienced in dealing with government affairs. He had the style of Khun.
His first decree was to summon the officials who had been sent out with political achievements to fill the vacancy caused by the rebellion of the Wen Family.
His second decree was to give titles to those who resisted the rebels. They were either given gold or a small official position, allowing them to display their talents.
The once profligate young masters of the streets of Jinling City all changed and became meritorious people. Fifth Young Madam Ning, who had always been known as the most evil woman, was conferred the title of a first-class madam because she saved Emperor Kun and killed the traitor. Her title was' Bridge '. Later, she was called Madame Bridge.
When the dust had settled. The Empress Dowager was trapped, the Empress was deposed, and the Crown Prince took over the government affairs. On this day, in the prison of the Dali Monastery, a man in plain clothes stood in front of the traitor Wen Family.
"You still have the face to come here!"
Wen Cen was the first to react. She threw herself into the cell and bared her teeth at him, "You traitorous bastard! You used my Wen Family to step on you. Don't think that you can have a meteoric rise. Without my Wen Family, you are nothing!"
The rest of the Wen Family did not say anything, but their eyes were filled with hatred.
The man paused and looked at the embarrassed faces of the Wen Family, "I have resigned."
"Ha!"
"Then why are you here?" Elder Ge sat on the withered grass and raised his eyes. His face was gloomy, "I don't understand. The Wen Family has treated you well and I have trained you with all my strength. Why did you betray the Wen Family?"
Yue Huai's face was filled with guilt. "I have failed to live up to Pavilion Elder's nurturing." He paused for a moment before continuing, "His Majesty has already shown mercy. The disciples of the Wen family who did not participate in this rebellion will only be demoted to commoners. Fourth and Sixth young masters will be safe and sound while the rest will be exiled to the frontier fortress …"
Pavilion Elder Wen interrupted him and only asked one question, "This old man is only asking you why?"
The Wen Family was the mother family of the Emperor after all. He was not surprised by the verdict.
Yue Huai didn't dare to meet his eyes and turned his head away. After a while, he sighed. "If it's said that studying hard for ten years is the ideal of a scholar, then I'm no exception. However, there's always something more important than being an official."
Even for someone as smart as Minister Wen, when he thought of what had happened in the palace a few days ago, a mocking smile appeared on his face. The unwillingness and doubts in his heart were all dispelled. "What a waste of your extraordinary talent and the fact that I have wholeheartedly promoted you. Yet, you still can't resist the charms of a beauty.
Many heroes could not escape. He thought that he was an exception. He did not expect that he still could not escape. He could not escape …
Yuehuai ran away.
However, he did not regret what he did.
There was always something more important than being an official, or even more important than him. Unfortunately …
Yue Huai was originally a member of the Wen family and was supposed to go to prison as well. However, he realized his error and made a great contribution. His merits and demerits offset each other. Now that he was no longer an official, he sold his residence and did not bid farewell to anyone. He wore a green robe and sat on the ox cart as he slowly left the city.
Jin Ling City was as prosperous as before. After he left the city, he looked back. Gradually, the city became smaller and smaller in his eyes until he could not see it anymore. He leaned against the ox cart leisurely. When he was about to take a straw hat to cover his face and take a nap, a horse carriage stopped by the side of the road in front of him. There was a woman standing beside the carriage. She looked so familiar.
The woman looked back and smiled at him, "You left without saying goodbye?"
Yuehuai stopped the ox cart and asked, "Why are you here?"
"You are the one who said that we grew up together." Yueqiao asked, "If that is the case, why did you leave without saying goodbye?"
"I … …"
In terms of eloquence, Yuehuai could never compete with her. He only looked at her gently, "Now that everything in Jin Ling City is over, I am not an official anymore. Of course, I will stop and go."
"You are not going back to Yue Family Village?"
"It is said that reading ten thousand books is not as good as walking ten thousand miles. Wait for me to walk around, then I will go back."
His face was calm, and there was no longer a trace of melancholy in his gaze. Moon Bridge nodded. "That's right."
After that, there was a moment of silence between the two.
Yuehuai was the first to break the silence. He looked at the sky and said, "It is getting late. I have to hurry. You should also go back."
Yueqiao wanted to ask him to write a letter to tell her that he was safe, but he swallowed the words.
She was also afraid that he was pretending to be calm.
"Okay, take care." However, she also believed that as time slowly passed, all the pain would subside. In this life, they were not fated to be together. She only hoped that in the next life, if they were fated to be together, they would be together again.
The ox cart slowly started to move again. Slowly, slowly, it disappeared from her line of sight.
Lu Ya walked to her side and said, "Madam, don't worry. Didn't you say that young master Yuehuai is full of talent? Wait until he sees the mountains and rivers, then he will be able to teach people and become famous."
Yueqiao's eyes looked far away, "Yes, there will be a day like that."
"Let's go back."
The carriage was unimpeded and quickly entered the city.
Outside, there was no longer the panic from a few days ago. The faces of the commoners were full of smiles, as if nothing had happened. Even the bustling of the pedestrians could be heard clearly by her.
"Just now, that tea stall asked too much. This prince only drank a sip of tea and he charged me fifty taels! This won't do, this prince will go find him to settle the debt. "
"Aiyo, this prince, that tea is expensive. It has already been paid. Let's quickly go back. Laoye just said that we can't cause any trouble when we just arrived in Jin Ling."
"Am I afraid? Am I afraid? It's just a small tea stall. Do you know who I am? "
"But that tea stall owner is amazing. He saved His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince, and was even rewarded …"
"… A tea stall?"
"I will not lie to this prince. This Jin Ling city is very deep …"
Yueqiao smiled gently. Then, the hustle and bustle gradually quieted down. When the coachman said that they had arrived, Lu Ya immediately opened the curtain and helped her out of the carriage.
When the master and servant were about to go back to the mansion, they saw Ning Heng holding Ning Shu 'er at the door and looking at them with a smile.
"Madam, it's young master and young master."
"Mother, mother, carry me!"
Ning Heng walked closer with Ning Shu 'er in his arms. When they were only an inch apart, Ning Shu' er threw himself into her arms and hugged her neck. Yueqiao patted him and asked, "Why are you here?"
Ning Heng walked side by side with her, "Of course, Shu 'er misses you."
Of course, he also missed her.
He was afraid that his wife would not come back. Fortunately, she came back. Ning Heng did not say anything. When he saw her get out of the carriage, his worried heart finally returned to its place.
Which man was as generous as him to let his wife see her ex-fiancé?
No one!
"I also miss Shu 'er …"
The family of three walked on the corridor in a harmonious atmosphere. From time to time, they looked back with their eyes full of smiles, which made people feel sweet for no reason. The maids and masters passing by all showed a knowing smile.
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