Li Mao also hurried to Chancellor Lu’s side, bowing deeply toward the Grand Princess’s carriage. Taking advantage of the moment when he bowed with lowered eyes, Li Mao said to Chancellor Lu: “Grand Princess has emerged unharmed, it seems… the situation within the palace has been decided.”
Chancellor Lu remained silent, but Li Mao secretly speculated in his heart, wondering whether Princess Zhenguo had gained merit for protecting the throne this time… or had achieved the merit of supporting the dragon.
Wei Zhong, driving the carriage, turned back to speak to Grand Princess inside the carriage.
Grand Princess closed her eyes, fingering the Buddhist prayer beads hidden in her sleeves, her voice unable to conceal deep exhaustion: “No need to stop the carriage. Imperial Teacher Old Tan’s carriage is right behind us. Let Imperial Teacher Old Tan explain to the officials. We’re returning to the mansion.”
Grand Princess was tired – whether from advanced age and failing strength…
Her heart was even more exhausted to the extreme.
Imperial Teacher Old Tan’s carriage followed closely behind. A eunuch from the palace held an umbrella as he helped Imperial Teacher Old Tan down from his carriage. Chancellor Lu quickly stepped forward: “Imperial Teacher, is His Majesty well?”
“Imperial Teacher! How is His Majesty?” Li Mao also hurried forward, wanting to know whether the Emperor was dead or alive.
In the blink of an eye, the officials gathered outside Wude Gate had surrounded Imperial Teacher Old Tan.
“Everyone! Everyone…” Imperial Teacher Old Tan’s aged voice was strong as he spoke loudly, “Please be at ease, everyone. Thanks to Princess Zhenguo and General Fu’s timely rescue, His Majesty and the Crown Prince are safe and sound! Today’s great chaos at Wude Gate – His Majesty asks that all ministers return to your mansions first. The court will convene tomorrow morning.”
Fu Ruoxi?! Li Mao’s eyebrows twitched.
“Yes!” Chancellor Lu bowed sincerely in acknowledgment.
“Chancellor Lu, Chancellor Li, Minister of War Shen Jingzhong, Dali Temple Minister Lu – His Majesty is unwell, and from today, will entrust court affairs to the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince commands… requesting that the four of you proceed to the Crown Prince’s mansion. When palace affairs are concluded, His Highness will immediately return to the Crown Prince’s mansion to discuss the aftermath of this matter with the four ministers…” Imperial Teacher Old Tan continued.
“This humble minister receives the command!” Chancellor Lu quickly responded.
“This minister receives the command…”
Just as Li Mao, Minister of War Shen Jingzhong, and Lu Jin finished speaking, prison wagons holding the main culprits of this rebellion were escorted out from Wude Gate under heavy guard.
Some Imperial Guard generals cursed at Bi Heng, not understanding how their rescue of the throne had become a rebellion. But Bi Heng remained silent, only tightly covering his continuously bleeding chest, leaning against the prison wagon with an ashen complexion.
Among the Nandu generals, some faced death fearlessly, others were like frost-beaten eggplants, only hoping this incident wouldn’t implicate their nine generations of family.
Prince Liang was also thrown into this prison wagon, crying and wailing that he had been deceived by Prince Xian and knew nothing.
As soon as the prison wagon emerged from Wude Gate, Prince Liang saw Li Mingrui following closely behind Li Mao.
Prince Liang quickly stretched his hand out from the prison wagon, calling Li Mingrui’s name: “Mingrui! Mingrui, save me! Please go speak to Father Emperor – I truly know nothing, I truly thought we were entering the palace to save Father Emperor and Crown Prince Brother! Mingrui, believe me! Even if I had the greatest courage, I wouldn’t dare rebel and commit patricide! Mingrui… you and I have a deep friendship, you know my character! “
Li Mingrui, who had been keeping his head lowered, clenched his palms. In such a public setting, regardless of anything else… Prince Liang was still an imperial prince. Given the Emperor’s temperament, if he publicly ignored Prince Liang, the Emperor would later make his father Li Mao suffer.
Li Mingrui quickly bowed deeply toward Prince Liang: “Your Highness, please be at ease. His Majesty is wise and divine. If Your Highness is truly wronged, His Majesty will certainly restore justice to Your Highness!”
After speaking, Li Mingrui bowed deeply toward Prince Liang again.
“Bah!” The fearless Nandu general spat at Prince Liang, “Coward! When Prince Xian raised troops to enter the palace to help you ascend the throne, weren’t you quite supportive? Wasn’t it you who worried that Princess Zhenguo would bring the Anping garrison back to the capital, making Prince Xian divide his forces to go to the Bai mansion to capture the Bai family women… as a precaution to threaten Princess Zhenguo? Now that Prince Xian has died for you, you’re pushing all the blame onto Prince Xian?! Keep dreaming your spring dreams! See if we Nandu Army agree! Bah! Coward!”
“Brothers!” The Nandu general gritted his teeth and looked at the generals whose gazes swept over the Nandu troops, “Even if we die! We must die like men! When we initially raised arms with Prince Xian, we knew success meant titles and fiefs; failure meant family destruction and death! It was nothing more than risking our lives! We gambled and lost… but we must be able to afford the loss! Lose with… backbone! Don’t learn from this Prince Liang – what a fucking coward!”
General Xiao Wang was also in this prison wagon. He looked at Prince Liang, who was still crying and shouting that he knew nothing, and couldn’t help thinking of Liu Ruofu. He hadn’t expected their princess to marry such a useless wretch!
Now that their uprising had failed, he hoped Prince Xian’s people had already heard the news and sent Liu Ruofu out of the capital to take refuge!
If not…
General Xiao Wang looked at the tearful Prince Liang. If Prince Liang truly didn’t know of Prince Xian’s rebellion, the Emperor might spare Prince Liang’s life, and naturally would also spare Liu Ruofu’s life for the sake of the imperial bloodline in her womb.
Otherwise, both Liu Ruofu and the child in her womb would probably not survive.
In the large prison wagon, except for General Xiao Wang, the other generals were filled with righteous indignation. As people about to die, they didn’t care that Prince Liang was still a prince, and cursed this opportunistic, lying scoundrel to their hearts’ content.
Only after the sounds of Prince Liang’s crying and the Nandu generals’ curses had faded into the distance did Li Mingrui straighten up, his hands hidden in his official robes, clenching tight.
Prince Liang had just said they had a deep friendship – this was a threat…
Meaning he possessed the handwritten letters between his father and the Second Prince from back then.
Li Mingrui gritted his teeth. The fire at Prince Liang’s mansion back then… hadn’t been able to burn those letters completely clean.
Moreover, up to now, both Princess Zhenguo and Prince Liang claimed to have letters in their possession.
It seemed he could no longer harbor such wishful thinking, and search slowly. Li Mingrui decided he must personally meet with Princess Zhenguo Bai Qingyan once. As long as he could confirm that his father’s handwritten letter was truly in Princess Zhenguo’s hands, the Li family joining the Crown Prince’s faction wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.
Li Mingrui looked toward Wude Gate. He would wait for this matter to settle!
After Li Mansion’s strategist Cai Ziyuan went to Shuoyang to apologize, he had completely disappeared without a trace. No one knew where Cai Ziyuan had gone.
·
Yongding Gate.
Liu Hong stood atop the high wall, with archers already prepared beside him. He looked at the captured rebels below the high wall, looking around and waiting for Yongding Gate to open, his hands at his sides clenching continuously.
The Emperor had ordered Liu Hong to silently execute these ten thousand plus rebels within the palace gates, then quietly dispose of the bodies.
Liu Hong had pleaded for mercy, but the Emperor said… one betrayal means never again trustworthy, and soldiers who couldn’t be used were just wasting Jin’s provisions by staying alive.
Originally Liu Hong had wanted to plead further, but the Emperor’s attitude was resolute, shouting hoarsely for execution, while the Crown Prince also spoke up from the side, telling Liu Hong not to further oppose His Majesty. Liu Hong could only emerge from the great hall.