Indeed, there were almost no people left. Among the ranked concubines, only Consort Ye and Gao Jinxiu remained. However, the Emperor’s harem never lacked people. She need not despair, nor should she be happy too early.

National Uncle Wen’s whereabouts were unknown, and the atmosphere in the capital was somewhat delicate. The Fu family had been ransacked, and quite a few people were implicated and imprisoned. It was heard that Shi Fulong and General Lian had a falling out, and every day they led the Imperial Guards and elite troops from the Southern Camp to drill and compete in the outskirts of the capital.

Shen Guiyan didn’t want to ask whether those two old generals had truly fallen out. Right now, she desperately needed silver.

Fortunately, with fewer people in the harem, she reduced many harem expenditures. She quietly had Baoshan smuggle out some palace treasures to sell. After half a month of effort, she finally accumulated quite a bit of silver, and then bought a warehouse in the north of the capital.

Gu Chaobei was extremely busy and had no time to attend to other matters. After arranging the military deployment, he also sent invitation letters to some imperial princes, inviting them to come to the capital for entertainment—or rather, to protect the Emperor.

However, those old foxes were too shrewd. Seeing through his intentions, they were unwilling to stir this muddy water. Only Prince Xiao was heard to have come to the capital.

“Your Majesty, Prince Xiao has brought his son Ming Yu, and it seems they traveled together with Wen Shoushan and others,” the young Shen Guiwen stood in the Imperial Study, saying seriously. “Young Marquis Ming Yu is your cousin. Though not from the Late Emperor’s direct line, he is still of imperial blood. This minister believes that National Uncle Wen’s treasonous intentions are already clear as day.”

Gu Chaobei nodded. Knowing was one thing, but right now their side’s military strength was completely insufficient. If National Uncle Wen surrounded the city with his great army to install Ming Yu, what could he do?

“Pass down the order: the capital’s gates remain wide open, but those entering and leaving must have household registration. Without household registration, entry is forbidden.”

“Yes.”

With this order, the capital became even more tense. The common people walking the streets could feel that His Majesty’s forces were weak, insufficient to defend this capital.

“Yellow-mouthed child, not even fully grown, yet he presumes to fight against heaven,” Wen Shoushan sat in the military camp, looking at the secret report and snorting coldly. “This country is ultimately won on horseback. He dared to bully my daughter and kill my legitimate son, so don’t blame this old man for toppling him and properly teaching him the rules!”

Scholar Fu had already arrived at National Uncle Wen’s military camp. His family had been ransacked, his granddaughter had died miserably in the palace—he was now filled with hatred.

“The Emperor is frivolous and casual, occasionally serious about governance. This old man basically knows all his forces in court. General Yuwen still remains in the capital. The hundred thousand troops in his hands, plus the National Uncle’s people here, are enough to grind the capital to dust!”

National Uncle Wen looked at him. “You know the capital’s military deployment?”

Scholar Fu snorted coldly. “Before this old man was expelled from the capital, I still consulted with His Majesty and the various ministers. The Emperor can only use the tens of thousands of troops from the Southern Camp, plus the Imperial Guards and palace guards—altogether not even half of what the National Uncle has here. Distributed around the capital, he plans to lure the National Uncle into the capital, cut the great army in the middle, and close the door to beat the dog. Hmph! A child’s trick, treating everyone else as fools.”

Coming from Scholar Fu’s intelligence, National Uncle Wen deeply believed it. Since the capital’s situation was already like that, he no longer needed to hide. He directly raised the Wen family’s banner.

National Uncle Wen officially rebelled.

Shen Guiwu left the capital overnight to join forces with the Wen family army. Holding the military tally for twenty thousand troops, he was appointed vanguard by National Uncle Wen to attack the capital.

Gu Chaobei hastily responded to the battle, dispatching troops from the Southern Camp. Two days later, he would battle Shen Guiwu at Dedong Town.

Empress Dowager Nian was very worried and wanted to find Shen Guiyan to talk, since Shen Guiwu was also from the Shen family.

But the old lady turned the harem upside down without seeing Noble Consort Yan. She only received a message at Yonghe Palace saying that Noble Consort Yan had received His Majesty’s token and left the palace.

Ridiculous! With such a big belly, what was she doing leaving the palace? Empress Dowager Nian urgently sent people to pursue her.

Since His Majesty ascended the throne, there had been no interaction with the various princes. Thus, when the capital was in difficulty this time, the princes were unwilling to help. Shen Guiyan, holding her ball-sized belly, went to find Master Zhou.

In terms of eloquence and persuasive ability, Master Zhou was completely qualified for the work of an advocate.

“Please, Master, you must persuade the princes to assist His Majesty.” Placing the Emperor’s token in Master Zhou’s hands, Shen Guiyan said seriously, “The only one Guiyan can trust is you, Master.”

Master Zhou stroked his beard with a smile, nodding in agreement. “This old man can go, and can bring someone along.”

“Who?” Shen Guiyan asked curiously.

Xu Zhuangzhou walked out from the side and bowed to her. “This commoner pays respects to Your Ladyship Noble Consort.”

Xu Zhuangzhou, who had excellent martial skills, could just accompany Master Zhou on his journey. Shen Guiyan smiled and helped him up, nodding.

After leaving the academy, Shen Guiyan went to the capital’s largest grain shops.

Baoshan was somewhat dissatisfied, saying quietly, “Master, you are a dignified Noble Consort. How can you personally come deal with these people?”

Shen Guiyan smiled. “While this status can still suppress people, if I don’t hurry to use it, once the capital is in chaos there won’t be a chance.”

Use it for what? Baoshan didn’t understand at all.

The capital’s four major grain shops had stores of tens of thousands of bushels. The normal grain price in the capital was one tael of silver per bushel. Shen Guiyan had only brought three thousand taels in banknotes today.

However, after personally visiting each grain shop, all the stored grain went into the warehouse in the north of the city, and she still had one thousand taels left.

Baoshan was stunned. Long after they left, her mind was still filled with the conversations between her mistress and the grain shop owners.

“Permit me to take grain on credit. I will pay a deposit first, then offset the interest with tax payments, settling monthly. The grain shops that release grain need not pay taxes for the next year.”

Taxes had always been merchants’ greatest concern. Upon hearing they wouldn’t need to pay taxes, and with the imposing presence of a dignified Noble Consort above, several grain shops readily released the grain.

Only one shop refused, but it didn’t matter. Shen Guiyan had already issued imperially bestowed plaques to the three grain shops that released grain. Compared to them, they had more competitive advantage. The last shop would understand in due time.

Running back and forth, her child was also obedient, motionless in her belly. Only occasionally when she was too tired would it kick her once, reminding her it was time to rest.

Returning to the palace, Empress Dowager Nian’s expression was very displeased. “You’re with child. Even if you don’t think of yourself, you must think of the child in your belly. Running around outside—what does that look like?”

Shen Guiyan obediently stood still after being scolded and sincerely apologized.

But the next day she went out again just the same.

Court affairs were temporarily delegated to Prime Minister Gu to handle. Gu Chaobei went to the Southern Camp and put on a general’s uniform.

“Does His Majesty intend to personally take the battlefield?” Baoshan asked Zhuiyun with a frown.

Zhuiyun sighed helplessly. “This bitter battle, His Majesty says he must personally go.”

But how insignificant people were on the battlefield, like a drop in the ocean. If something happened, what would their mistress do?

Shen Guiyan heard the news that Gu Chaobei planned to personally lead the campaign. She wasn’t too agitated, only honestly stayed in the palace and began personally making armor for him.

In the great battle two days later, Gu Chaobei faced off against Shen Guiwu. After all, he was a young emperor without practical battle experience. Gu Chaobei retreated in defeat to the capital, and Shen Guiwu won a great victory.

“Truly worthy of being my fierce general,” Wen Shoushan was extremely pleased and held a banquet to celebrate for Shen Guiwu.

Scholar Fu frowned looking at Shen Guiwu, saying quietly to National Uncle Wen, “For the National Uncle to trust this person so much, is it truly safe? He’s from the Shen family. The Shen family’s entire household is still in the capital.”

Wen Shoushan laughed with a snort, looking at him sideways. “Do you know what this boy requested of me?”

“What?” Scholar Fu didn’t understand.

“After we attack into the capital, he wants me to order the entire Shen family executed, as his reward.”

Scholar Fu was shocked and turned to look at Shen Guiwu once.

That was too ruthless.

In the second battle, the Emperor didn’t come. General Lian took the field, but still Shen Guiwu won. The third battle was the same. Wen Shoushan watched happily and allocated eighty thousand of his men under Shen Guiwu’s command, wanting him to circle around from the northeast of the capital, then attack from both sides together.

He sent a signal to Yuwen Changqing. Yuwen Changqing had also left the capital and would soon join forces with him.

In less than half a month, the capital was already under siege from all sides.

Gu Chaobei tried on armor in Yonghe Palace—silver-black light armor, with the heart area thicker than other parts.

“Worried about me?” Looking down at Shen Guiyan, he asked softly.

Shen Guiyan fastened his cloak for him and pressed her lips together. “This concubine will naturally worry. This concubine will wait in the palace. If Your Majesty wins, this concubine will celebrate for Your Majesty. If you lose, this concubine will go with Your Majesty.”

Gu Chaobei took a deep breath and lowered his head to place a kiss on her forehead.

The capital’s common people fled, and the city was already empty. The Emperor deployed the palace guards throughout the capital to investigate traitors and patrol back and forth.

This battle seemed unwinnable. When Shen Guiwu reached his position and formed a three-sided attack on the capital with Yuwen Changqing and Wen Shoushan, it was already half a month later.

National Uncle Wen was full of confidence, already thinking about directly ramming open the city gates and sitting on the imperial throne.

However, when he led fifty thousand men there, he was entangled by the Southern Camp and Imperial Guards at Dedong Town. As if they had known his marching plan all along, the Southern Camp brought thirty thousand men, the Imperial Guards only three thousand, yet they blocked him so he couldn’t move an inch. Retreating east, he even fell into their prepared pit traps.

Wen Shoushan’s expression changed. He felt this must be coincidence. Having lost half of his fifty thousand men, he hurriedly retreated.

The people behind didn’t pursue relentlessly but returned to assemble at the great camp outside the capital.

All the forces were used to deal with him, so Yuwen Changqing and Shen Guiwu’s side should have gone smoothly, right?

Returning to the military camp, he received letters from Yuwen Changqing and Shen Guiwu, both asking him, “Why didn’t we attack the city today?”

Wen Shoushan was dumbfounded. They had agreed to attack today—who said not to attack?

“What’s going on? Go investigate immediately!”

The scout reported, “General, both General Yuwen and General Shen received your secret letters saying not to attack the city today, so neither side took action.”

His secret letters? Wen Shoushan’s face turned iron-blue as he cursed, “Despicable brat!”

It must be Gu Chaobei’s conspiracy, sending people to deliver fake secret letters, disrupting his marching plans.

“Pass the order: rest for three days before attacking. No matter what messages you hear about not attacking, don’t believe them!”