Chapter 1028
Meeting in Xie Yuting
Chapter 1028 Meeting in Xie Yuting
Xie Yuting of Tengshu Pavilion,
The breeze from the Qing Lake was very warm, with a hint of coolness and moisture. The sparkling lake surface set off the stunning looks of the two princesses.
From outside the pavilion,
Princess Yongcheng's reply was particularly harsh, especially the last sentence: "A widow is lonely and unbearable." It is indeed lonely and unbearable.
"Oh, it's still my good sister who dares to speak and act. She wants a man, but she has to accommodate her sister. I don't know if Prince He feels sad for what my sister has done."
Thinking of He Yisheng, the princess couldn't even remember what he looked like, but she could never forget the title of the most talented young man in the capital. Such an arrogant man could become a royal consort and endure things that ordinary people could not endure. How could those students from the academy do this?
Perhaps she heard the mockery, Princess Yongcheng Zhou Ying was not angry, she smiled slightly, walked over by herself, sat down in front of the eldest princess, and said;
"Look at what my sister said. A consort is a consort, and a favorite minister is a favorite minister. It's rare for someone to recommend himself. If his family is clean, it's also a kind of enjoyment. It seems rare to my sister. If my sister has it, I also have it there. Who knows, my sister may be reluctant to give it up when the time comes."
As she spoke, she leaned forward and looked through the veil at her still dignified sister. She felt that she was not pleasing to the eye. She didn't know what she would look like when she got on the bed. Would she still be so dignified and strict?
"Sister, you really have good intentions. Don't have such thoughts. No matter how good those favorites are, I think my sister is happy in her heart. How can a sister take away someone's love? But it's a little strange today. Why did you choose this time instead of earlier? Could it be just for those people just now?"
Zhou Xiangxue shook her head and looked at the imperial sister in front of her. She was still the same, stupid and unaware. She was complacent after getting the benefits in front of her. She still didn't learn her lesson after suffering so many losses.
"Sister, you are joking. Today, sister invited me here, so how could I dare to come empty-handed? I thought about it and brought a lot of cakes to sister when I got to the street corner. It is a token of sister's love. In addition, sister also heard that sister has not been out for a while. If you have something on your mind, please say it out. Don't hold it in and hurt yourself."
Seeing how calm her sister pretended to be, Zhou Ying felt unhappy. After so many years of fighting, everyone knew each other's background. In a fit of anger, she snatched the cloud cake from Yao's shop from Liu Yue's hand and put it heavily on the table. With a "bang", the tea bowl on the table was shaken and made a loud noise.
"Look at what my sister said. I was blessed by the emperor and was able to return to the city to fulfill my filial duties. Naturally, I dare not show my face outside and cause unnecessary trouble. Besides, all the princes are going to the capital now. We, as sisters, are a bit of an eyesore. If we meet a prince who is unhappy, we are afraid of being in trouble. I wonder if my sister has any idea. We two sisters are weak, if..."
Zhou Xiangxue put down the tea bowl, showing a trace of kindness, and actually reached out to open the package of cakes, took out a piece of cloud cake, and put it into her mouth. This action startled Zou Xiao behind her and wanted to stop her, but he was a step too slow. Even Zhou Ying was a little surprised. She didn't expect that the emperor sister would really eat what she took. Her mind turned,
Think about what the imperial sister did today. It's not that simple. When the princes enter the capital, they will definitely take some actions.
They wanted to meet the retired emperor, but was it really possible for them to meet him? After all, she had submitted memorials many times to inquire whether she could go to Changle Palace to pay her respects, but she had never received a response. Was it really useful to practice Taoism?
Seeing the expectant look in the eyes of the imperial sister, she suddenly smiled softly, reached out and took a piece of cloud cake and put it into her mouth, and asked with a smile;
"This is really rare. I don't know if my sister is sincere or not. If you and I join forces and let those princes know, I'm afraid they won't be able to sleep well, right?"
His eyes flickered, and the meaning of his words was self-evident. Rather than saying that the prince was uneasy, it was the person in the palace who was the cause of the unrest.
"It's not safe, and we two sisters have lost our positions. As for the emperor, we two sisters can't even enter the palace gate now. Even if we want to say something or think about something, it's useless. What do you think, sister?"
Zhou Xiangxue sighed, like a resentful woman, and ate the cakes and drank some tea to accompany them. The taste was really unique. No wonder the people in the capital rushed to buy them.
"Sister, now you remember how kind I am. You have eaten the cakes and drank the tea. Since you asked me personally, I should give you some face. If you agree, I wonder if you can find a way to knock on the door of Changle Palace. We can at least go there to show our filial piety."
Zhou Ying did not pay any attention to him and asked directly how to get to Changle Palace to see if there was any way to enter and meet the retired emperor.
"Sister, what are you talking about? If you can really enter the palace, can I still talk to you here? I heard that Jia Zhen of Ningguo Mansion practiced Taoism. I don't know why so many Taoists suddenly came to the capital. I don't know how the emperor thought of practicing Taoism. If you want to enter the palace, it won't be difficult. I don't know if you are willing to cooperate."
Zhou Xiangxue had been busy these days and had thought of many ways to get in, but Xia, the chief steward of Changle Palace, had always stopped her from entering. This had aroused her suspicion. She wondered if the retired emperor was ill or if it was an order from the emperor. If so, she could not get in no matter what she did.
Zhou Ying had thought about this before. Since the emperor's request didn't work, she could try the Yangxin Palace.
"I understand what you mean, sister. Since we can't go, it's not easy for others to go in either. So why don't we find a time to pay respects to the emperor? We've been in the capital for so long, but we haven't been to the palace to chat with the emperor's wife. I really don't know the etiquette."
"Sister is well-educated and polite. You should go to the palace to talk to the emperor's sister-in-law. It will be a good day in a few days. Why not choose an auspicious day in the next few days? Go earlier and come back earlier."
Now that the purpose has been decided, it is better to go sooner rather than later. First, go to the harem to test the waters, and then go to the emperor to pay respects. I think what is going on in the palace cannot be hidden from the two of them.
"Okay, since my sister has decided, let's go back and calculate a date. After breakfast, the two of us sisters will go to pay our respects to the Empress's sister-in-law."
"That's settled then,"
The two girls smiled at each other, with a hint of cunning in their smiles.
suddenly,
Zhou Ying stood up, smashed the tea bowl in her hand against Xie Yuting's stone pillar, waved her sleeves, and turned to leave. Before leaving, Zhou Xiangxue was not idle either. She took the bag of cloud cake and threw it hard in the direction Zhou Ying was leaving. This scene frightened the guards and maids around, and they all lowered their heads and dared not speak, leaving the yard even quieter.
"Ohh Ohh ohh!"
"Quick, all troops, speed up and rush to the north gate."
"The general has ordered the army to speed up."
On the official road south of Runan City, the victorious imperial army was rapidly approaching the South City Gate.
In the attic,
The few female leaders of the Taiping Sect who stayed behind stopped to watch. Under the smoke and dust, there were all black-clad soldiers. Although they couldn't see the whole picture clearly, the sight of such a powerful army still frightened the women to the point of paleness.
"Sister Chu, the army outside the city is about to arrive. How can we meet those generals of the court, especially the Marquis Luo Yun? You and I are both women. The court and the bandits are just different names. Most of the women in the city are survivors. Which one has not been defiled by those bandits? If we fall into this situation again, we might as well die."
Anxious words came from the mouth of the woman in leather armor behind him. Although her face looked dirty and there was a centipede-shaped birthmark on her forehead and face, her swaying figure and her dry, waist-length hair still showed her previous appearance.
"Yes, Sister Chu, the people of the Taiping Sect are bandits, and the people of the court are official bandits. Soldiers and bandits are one family, and this has existed since ancient times. Although we took advantage of the instigation of Hall Master Tian and stayed here, we may have just escaped from the wolf's den and fallen into the tiger's mouth again."
It was said by a woman with a dignified tone and a very heroic appearance. Even with heavy armor, it was difficult to hide her superior appearance. Unfortunately, like the woman just now, she had a hideous birthmark on her face. In addition, she had some martial arts skills, so it was possible that she would follow in the footsteps of those women.
"Okay, what you said makes sense, but in this situation, Marquis Luo Yun must take over Runan City. We only have this last chance to deal with those evil spirits of the Taiping Sect. Although we have concealed our identities and pretended to be cunning, who can guarantee that we will not be targeted by them next time? How many of our sisters are still innocent? They can live or die."
Chu Minjun was born into a wealthy family in Runan. Unfortunately, when the family left, she was the only one left behind. If it weren't for a secret letter and a token left by her mother, she would not have known that her mother was a member of the White Lotus Sect. When she first learned about this, she was extremely surprised. Fortunately, when the bandit army entered the city, she was only focused on chasing the government soldiers, so she escaped. Later, she met the White Lotus Sect's leader Tian. If it weren't for him, it would be fine.
"Yes, I will listen to you, sister, but I don't know how to meet the world-famous Marquis Luo Yun," Tan Ling was puzzled. It was easy to deal with the two armies facing each other, but now the offense and defense have shifted. How can he answer this question?
"This is easy. Bring all the armored slave soldiers under the city to the top of the city wall, then beat the drums to cheer them on. After the imperial officers and soldiers stop, Zhu Jin, you will accompany me to lead the troops. If it succeeds, you and I can be freed. If it fails, we can also be freed."
Chu Minjun's eyes condensed, and she immediately scolded him, with a somewhat relieved tone. All the women on the city wall had red eyes and nodded heavily.
"Yes, I'll listen to my sister."
immediately,
A large number of women, almost forcing themselves to wear armor, climbed up to the top of the city wall, and then the drums were beaten so loudly that it shook the sky.
This move,
The army heading north naturally noticed something. Zhang Jinyu was riding on his horse, looking at a large number of bandits climbing up the city wall not far away. Although he couldn't see clearly what they looked like, he thought the bandit commander was also a brave general. He didn't know what to do, and wondered what the specific defenders in the city were like.
Looking more closely, although there are a large number of defenders, there is always a feeling that something is weird, but I can't quite put my finger on what it is.
"My Lord, something is wrong on the top of the city wall."
Ning Bian was observing carefully, and when he saw the Marquis frown slightly, he immediately asked,
"Well, it's an indescribable feeling. Don't you think those soldiers on the top of the city have a weird feeling?"
Zhang Jinyu pointed at the bandits on the top of the city wall. Although they were standing in an orderly manner, there seemed to be something missing on the top of the city wall they were defending.
Ning Bian looked up immediately after hearing the Marquis' words. The South Gate of Runan City was no smaller than the gate of Linshan County City. The towering towers were even more precipitous. Moreover, the rolling logs and stones on the city walls were already piled up. Although there were no crossbows or other weapons for defending the city, it would be difficult to capture it without the help of siege equipment if a fight really broke out.
But the Marquis felt strange, where did it come from? Was it because there were too few guards, or was it because the city defense was not well prepared? After looking for a while, he did not feel anything strange.
"My Lord, there is nothing unusual about the enemy troops on the city wall, and the things used to defend the city are also reasonable. There are no sharp weapons used to defend the city. I don't see anything wrong with that."
Ning Bian followed behind him and shook his head, not noticing anything unusual. But Zhang Jinyu touched his chin, but when he stretched out his hand, he didn't touch his chin, but felt the cold armor. After touching it, a sudden idea flashed in his mind. Could there be something wrong with the armor? But judging from the style, it was the one worn by the imperial army.
"No hurry, go call those sect leaders over. They know the ins and outs of the martial arts world."
I thought of those sect masters who were still following me. It would be a waste if I didn't use them.
"Yes, Lord Marquis,"
Ning Byeon waved his hand and asked the soldiers around him to pass on the order.
After a while,
The guards rode fast horses to the back of the team and gave the order:
"Masters, the Marquis invites you,"
"Yes, I'll go right away."
The four sect leaders were a little confused. Now that the enemy was at the gates of the city, they could clearly see the figures on the city walls. They would not attack the city gates at this time, would they?
His heart tightened, and he could not help but squeeze the horse's belly, and rode to catch up. When he arrived in front of the marquis, he immediately clasped his fists,
"I pay my respects to you, Lord Marquis,"
"Well, there is no need for so many formalities. I called you here for no other reason. But I feel that there is something strange on the tower of Runan City. The four of you are all highly respected people in the martial arts world. Take a look and see if there is anything wrong."
Zhang Jinyu waved his hand. These were just empty formalities. He disliked them the most. After all, business was more important. The four of them did not dare to neglect them. They sat up straight and looked up at the city gate tower.
Now that they were closer, many people could see clearly that the rows of soldiers and the things guarding the city were all in the right positions. There was nothing strange about them. Qin Hao looked again and again, but didn't see anything strange. He glanced at the others. Song Wenshan also had an embarrassed look on his face. However, the two people from Xuanbing Palace and Lingfeng Pavilion were still observing. Did they really see something or were they just pretending?
The same thought was shared by Song Wenshan of the Iron Palm Gang. He looked around and saw that everything was the same. Could it be that there were not enough soldiers and there were not that many bandits in the city, so they set up a false formation?
While the two were thinking wildly, Tang Weifeng had already been touched. Everything on the city wall was normal, but there was something wrong with the soldiers guarding the city. They were like people wandering around the world. They looked fierce on the outside, but they were actually good-for-nothings. On the contrary, those who did not show their true colors were probably third-rate warriors. Therefore, the strange feeling of the Marquis came from those soldiers guarding the city.
Perhaps she had an idea, so she looked at Sect Master Fang of Xuanbing Palace, only to see that she had also gained something. She was shocked, thinking that she was really an extraordinary woman. As the master of a sect, she must have some means.
Zhang Jinyu did not continue to look at what was happening in the city. Instead, he looked at the four sect leaders. They were still wearing the same cloth that they used to wrap themselves around the world. Except for a pair of eyes, even their hair was covered. It was a bit strange. I wonder if the four people can tell what was going on.
"Ladies and gentlemen, have you gained anything? Can you see anything strange?"
"Well, I am a rough man and I really can't tell what's going on. I have checked the city walls, the city walls, and even the ground. I don't see any traps or hidden weapons. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
Qin Hao from the Tiger Roar Sect had some embarrassment in his eyes. He really didn't see what was special about it. They were all guarded by soldiers. He looked in the sky and on the ground, and there was not even a trap. How could there be any difference?
"Well, it's okay, Master Song, how about you?"
Zhang Jinyu continued to ask, as long as there are no traps on the ground, they will send troops to test it out when they return. However, Song Wenshan was stunned by the question from the Marquis. What he wanted to say just now was finished by Qin Hao. How could he repeat it? He hesitated for a long time and replied with a red face,
"My Lord, I have seen the bandits gathering at the city gate. Although there are guards on both sides of the city walls, they do not appear to be densely packed. They should be the bandits defending the city, and there are not that many of them."
"That's right. Although the key to defending the city lies in the city gate, the city walls on both sides are still the key points of defending the city. If the city walls are lost, the city gate will certainly be lost. As for whether there are too few or too many soldiers, it is still impossible to decide now. Sect Master Tang, can you see anything?"
Zhang Jinyu was not angry, and explained casually that after all, the battle in Linshan County City was extremely difficult, and the number of bandits hidden by the Taiping Sect in the city was unexpected.
"My Lord, I did notice something strange, but I don't know if it's right. It's said that some people in the martial arts world don't have any martial arts skills, but they are still prosperous. The enemy army on the city wall is fully equipped with weapons and armor, but it's precisely because of this that I feel something is strange. Those soldiers seem a little weak. I didn't notice anything else."
Yes, it was a feeling of weakness. Whether it was the White Lotus Rebellion Army or the Taiping Rebellion Army, they all had a fierce and murderous aura, but the soldiers on the city didn't seem to have that feeling.
Zhang Jinyu squinted his eyes and took a closer look. It was indeed the case. Even the sound of the drums seemed a little quiet.
"Master Fang, you are a woman, and you are very sensitive. Have you noticed anything?"
"My Lord, I do see something strange, but it's a bit shocking, and I don't know whether I should say it or not."
Fang Bihua's eyes flashed with something strange and a bit of disbelief. After being surprised, she asked back. This time, everyone was surprised.
"Oh, that's interesting. Just tell me, I'll forgive you!"
(End of this chapter)