Chapter 24: The Emperor and His Ministers Have Already Met with the Right Time (24)

The Shen family doesn't have so many strict rules. Just lock the door at night. There's no need for people to stay awake and stare at the door all night.

And now, it's far from time for the servants to go to work.

Shen Minghuan reached out and knocked on the door of the Shen Mansion. Shen An realized it belatedly and slapped his head to react: "Master, please wait a moment, I'll drive the carriage for you."

Shen Minghuan turned the folding fan in his hand, "No carriage today."

He opened the door and walked out first.

Shen An followed hesitantly, "Is the place where the master is going close? It's cold, so let's go by car."

"Cold?" Shen Minghuan smiled softly, "It won't be cold soon, Shen Xiaoan, look--"

Shen Minghuan tapped Shen An's forehead with his folding fan, indicating that he should look up at the sky in the distance.

A half-moon was hanging high in the sky, as ordinary as every morning at dawn.

"Nothing special." Shen An muttered.

However, just as he finished speaking, a fire suddenly burst out in the sky.

It was a flaming arrow, fiercely piercing the dark night sky, like a signal.

Immediately afterwards, fires ignited in all directions of Yanling City, spreading from outside the city to the inside.

——Three seconds after Shen Minghuan said "Look", Yanling City was as bright as day.

Such a grand and magnificent scene is rare in a lifetime. Shen An watched it all happen in a daze, even forgetting curiosity and fear.

At this time, many armored and majestic soldiers suddenly appeared around magically, and no one knew where they came from.

Before Shen An had time to be alert, he saw the leading soldier leading a horse and walked in front of Shen Minghuan.

He knelt on one knee, raised his hands above his head and handed the reins to Shen Minghuan, and said respectfully: "Lord."

Shen An silently swallowed the scream that was about to come out of his mouth.

——As expected of their master! He couldn't be startled and act like a stranger, which would make the master lose face.

Shen Minghuan jumped on the horse, his sleeves fluttering, showing his high spirits and his ease as if he was about to ride the wind.

"Go back, Shen Xiaoan, just send him here." Shen Minghuan on the horse was less bookish and more fierce. The flickering fire in the city was reflected in his pupils, making him look gentle and cold.

He pulled the reins and rode away.

The soldiers who had come out inexplicably also rode on the horses that had appeared inexplicably, and followed Shen Minghuan in an orderly manner.

Of course, He Zhang couldn't find them. They had never entered the city, but were hiding outside the city, waiting for Shen Minghuan's signal at any time.

"Master!"

Shen An was stunned for only a moment, and when he came to his senses, the streets were empty.

*

Although he didn't know whether the news that Shen Minghuan was going to rebel was true or false, Luo Xiuyuan was "forced" to make a lot of preparations just in case.

As soon as night fell, Qu Zhengcheng used Qinggong to climb into the Lingwang Mansion. He and Luo Xiuyuan sat opposite each other in silence, waiting for the news from outside.

Before the news of Shen Minghuan leading troops to break into the palace gate came, he heard that He Zhang surrounded the Ruiwang Mansion.

Qu Zhengcheng breathed a sigh of relief.

He was almost certain that this was part of Shen Minghuan's plan, but perhaps because he had waited too long, he was not worried, but felt relieved that "it's finally here".

"Your Highness, do you believe it this time? Shen Minghuan is ambitious, and the second prince is just a chess piece of his! He has never been loyal to the second prince from beginning to end. His goal from the beginning was the throne." Qu Zhengcheng was indignant.

Luo Xiuyuan was helpless. He didn't think there was anything wrong with this, but he didn't dare to say, "But what is the purpose of He Zhang surrounding the Ruiwang Mansion?"

Luo Xiuqi has been detained in the palace. If he confiscates his property, there is no need for the trap camp, right?

Thinking of this time when my uncle and He Zhang were suddenly allowed to bring 300 soldiers into the capital, and He Zhang's daily patrols as if he was looking for someone...

Luo Xiuyuan frowned. When he was investigating this matter, he found that there seemed to be the shadow of Kou Guo. Could it be that there was something wrong with his intelligence, and Luo Xiuqi was the mastermind behind it?

Or... Luo Xiuqi was related to Kou Guo?

Because of the uninvited guest who was not welcome, only a dim light was lit in the house.

The two of them were thinking carefully with their eyes down, and suddenly the sky was bright.

"Daylight... No!" Qu Zhengcheng woke up from his complicated thoughts, and he strode to the window with a serious expression.

Three seconds later, he turned around and said bluntly: "Your Highness, let's run away."

They thought of the worst possibility, that Shen Minghuan used some means to control a small part of the soldiers of the Xianzhen Camp through Zhuo Feichen in just one day, and used this as his capital to seize the throne.

No matter how much Qu Zhengcheng calculated, he felt that the number could not exceed 500.

Gu Chenglin and He Zhang are both rare generals. Even if the emperor is playing tricks, their control over the military camp is not too weak.

In one day, if the opponent is not Zhuo Feichen, Qu Zhengcheng does not even think that the opponent has the ability to bribe the soldiers of the Xianzhen Camp.

Therefore, Gu Chenglin has already prepared for battle with his 300 soldiers, waiting for Luo Xiuyuan's order.

Three hundred versus five hundred. Although the number is a little less, with the tacit understanding between Gu Chenglin and the soldiers of the Xianzhen Camp and their familiarity with the terrain of Yanling, they may not be without the ability to fight.

However, who outside is five hundred? Five thousand is possible!

Three hundred versus five thousand. There is no need to fight at all with such a huge gap.

——But where did Shen Minghuan get so many people?

"Li Lan? No."

Qu Zhengcheng widened his eyes and murmured absentmindedly: "Is he colluding with Kouguo?"

Luo Xiuyuan also walked to the window, watched carefully for a moment, and said while thinking: "Let's go to the palace."

He said bitterly: "I hope we can make it in time."

Five thousand is enough to be called a large army. It is as vast as a sea, rushing to the palace from all directions.

The guards of the palace can't hold on for long.

Luo Xiuyuan had no feelings about the word "rebellion" before. He also felt that his father was not suitable to be the ruler of the world. If so, it was right for someone else to be the ruler.

But today he suddenly realized that Shen Minghuan's rebellion might not be just forcing the emperor to abdicate, but there was also a possibility of regicide.

Luo Xiuyuan could not sit idly by.

This was not out of loyalty or love. He was not blindly loyal or filial. The intimacy between blood relatives had long been worn away by the emperor's assassinations.

He just couldn't stand by and watch the evil deeds.

"No, going to the palace now is to die." Qu Zhengcheng said earnestly, "Your Highness, have you forgotten how many times the emperor wanted to kill you? And even if you go, you can't save him."

Luo Xiuyuan pursed his lips, "Sir, I know."

If the country is unjust, you should keep a useful body to help the world.

He would not be so stupid as to try to prove justice with his life. Blood can never wash away sins.

But before that, at least we have to give it a try.

"I have observed that these soldiers were originally outside the city and just came in from the four major gates. It is conceivable that the gates must have fallen into their hands and we can't get away."

"With He Zhang's loyalty, he will definitely go to the palace to rescue the emperor in this great change, but he only has 300 soldiers from the Xianzhen Camp."

Luo Xiuyuan said: "Although 300 is a small number, it is one of the few forces we can fight for now, but the premise is that we have to stop He Zhang first."

"But..." Qu Zhengcheng hesitated and sighed, "Too dangerous."

Luo Xiuyuan smiled, "Sir, leaving the city is the most dangerous. I promise you that we will not enter the palace, but only observe the situation outside the palace."

"Leaving the city is seeking death, and staying in the Lingwang Mansion is waiting to die. It is better to go out, which is safer. What do you think, sir?"

Qu Zhengcheng thought for a while: "That makes sense."

Things have come to this point, it can't get worse. Luo Xiuyuan was his disciple and the master he was loyal to. He should trust him and follow him.

*

Rui Wangfu was close to the palace. He Zhang dropped everything and entered the palace as soon as he realized something was wrong.

In order to pursue speed, he didn't even bring the 300 soldiers of the Xianzhen Camp with him. He only left them with a message: "Stay where you are."

I don't know if he was too anxious or did it on purpose.

The guards of the palace were a mob. They had already lost their composure before Shen Minghuan's army arrived.

He Zhang was prepared to force his way in with his own skills, but he didn't encounter any obstacles along the way.

The emperor was awakened by the shouting of the palace people outside. He was about to get angry, but he suddenly calmed down when he saw the unusual light outside the window.

Perhaps since many years ago, when he first used the Lingchi punishment to kill the old official who asked him to reduce taxes, and then searched his house and only found a box of broken books, he vaguely knew that there would be such a day.

Later, he tried to use more stringent policies to protect his rule. Some people were dissatisfied, so he had to kill them.

The emperor could guess that people in the world didn't have a good opinion of him, but it didn't matter. Don't say it, let alone let him hear it.

He was the master of the world, and others had to pretend to be terrified.

When He Zhang broke into the Daming Palace where the emperor lived alone, the emperor had already changed into complicated and solemn court clothes.

He sat upright on the golden chair, looking at the door calmly, his eyes were majestic without anger.

He Zhang knelt down, "Your Majesty, please leave with me!"

A trace of surprise flashed across the emperor's eyes. He thought it would be a thief, but it turned out to be He Zhang who came to save him.

——He Zhang actually came to save him.

"Leave?" The emperor repeated these two words, and then sneered: "I am the Lord of Daqi, there is no reason for me to be a dog that has lost its home!"

The noise at the door suddenly quieted down, and someone said leisurely: "You can't be the Lord of Daqi just because you want to; you can't stop being a dog that has lost its home just because you don't want to."

Shen Minghuan approached from the door, raised his head slightly, and read the words on the palace plaque: "Daming Palace."

He chuckled, "My name is on both, it seems that this is destined to be my territory."

"Shen Minghuan, is it you?" He Zhang only knew that someone in the capital had started a rebellion, and then rushed to the palace, but he didn't know who the leader of the thief was.

But if you think about it carefully, the thousands of soldiers who appeared out of nowhere did not belong to Daqi, they could only be from Kouguo.

The second prince colluded with Kouguo, and it was not surprising that Shen Minghuan, as the second prince's lackey, could drive this army.

When the emperor heard He Zhang's angry curse, he looked up at the elegant young man under the steps, and said word by word with murderous intent: "Shen, Ming, Huan!"