Chapter 1058
Waiting all night in vain
Chapter 1058 A Wasted Night
"Butler, butler, it's dawn, it's dawn!"
"What do you mean it's dawn?"
The next morning,
As the rooster crows at dawn, the faint morning light shines down upon the capital. Many vendors have already set up their stalls, steaming hot buns wafting an enticing aroma.
Many servants and young men were swallowing hard, trying to suppress their drowsiness. Lai Da of the Rongguo Mansion was also dozing in his carriage. He had arrived last night but hadn't seen the government office open, so he returned to his carriage to wait. Who knew he'd wait all night, lying flat in the carriage and sleeping soundly all night?
Meanwhile, the servant watching from outside leaned against the carriage curtain and doorpost, dozing off and making do for the night.
Until dawn,
He woke up when he heard commotion on the street, but when he saw the yamen gate, it was packed with sedan chairs and carriages, all crowded together and not leaving. Even the most reckless people from last night had gone back to their carriages to rest. It seemed that the military authorities were determined not to release him.
Looking around, it was already dawn, and many officials were already having their meals at street stalls.
"You two, one of you go to the street corner and buy some steamed buns to share. The other, go back and tell Grandma that the yamen hasn't released the people yet, and the officials from various prefectures are all waiting here."
Lai Da's mouth was parched; he hadn't drunk any water all night. Seeing that the two men in front of him were the same, he patted the driver on the shoulder.
"Don't rush back yet. Let's go over there and have a bowl of porridge to quench our thirst. Come on."
"Thank you, Steward Xie."
The two servants were filled with gratitude; they too had been eagerly waiting. Once the three were seated at the table, Lai shouted...
"Shopkeeper, four bowls of porridge and two steamers of buns, hurry up."
"Okay, just you wait, it's coming right away."
After a shout, the innkeeper served everyone four bowls of porridge and brought out two steamers of buns. Lai Da didn't stand on ceremony and started eating first. The remaining three then wolfed down their food. After drinking a bowl of porridge and eating two steamers of buns, everyone calmed down a bit. One of the servants asked in a low voice.
"Steward Lai, the gates of the yamen are not open. I wonder what the reason is. Master Bao stayed inside all night. I wonder how he is now."
He looked worried. His master had sent several of them to pick up the person, but they hadn't found him yet. He didn't know how he would be treated when they got back.
"Why are you worrying about these things? Just tell the truth when you get back. Besides, didn't you see how many people are in front of the yamen? Today, we have to take them back no matter what. Go."
"Yes, Butler Lai."
The group nodded, and one of them, who was quick on his feet, got up first and ran towards Ningrong Street. The other two returned to the carriage and continued to keep watch. At this moment, more and more officials from the capital were arriving.
The back gate of the Military Affairs Office
A sliver of light pierced the air, and Tongzhi Zuo Anhe, his face grim, strode in. Seeing that the main hall of the yamen was empty, he immediately roared in anger.
"Where are they all? Where have they all gone?"
This loud shout brought many of the guards back to their senses. The captain, still dazed, stood up from his chair and replied.
"Sir, I'm here, I'm here."
Ignoring his disheveled appearance, he rushed out of the side room. Zuo Anhe didn't give him time to react and asked...
Where is that kid?
"Reporting to Your Excellency, the young master is resting in the inner hall,"
Before he could say another word, Zuo Anhe, accompanied by his personal guards, hurried to the inner hall. As soon as he entered, he heard thunderous snoring. Passing behind the screen, he saw his son lying on the bed, snoring loudly.
He was instantly enraged. The entire mansion had been in chaos last night; how could he have slept soundly?
He walked over, reached out and pulled back the blanket, cursing.
"You unfilial son, get up!"
The person on the bed jolted awake, suddenly sitting up on the left, feeling that the person in front of them was so familiar.
"Dad, why are you here?"
"Hmph, why did I come? If I hadn't come, look what you'd done to the government office! You dared to arrest students from the Imperial Academy? You've got some nerve!"
Originally furious, Zuo Anhe softened when he saw his son's exhausted appearance. These days, he had been grateful for his son's help at the yamen, which had freed up his time to help Lord He with some tasks.
“Father, it’s not that I’m brave, it’s that the restaurant reported the case and came to our door. We have witnesses and physical evidence. If we ignore it and something serious happens, wouldn’t the Military Command be the one to suffer?”
Speaking of this, Zuo Fangzhong was furious. He had been leading his troops in a proper parade, but who would have thought that something would really go wrong? Not only did he have to come back early, but he was also blocked at his door all night.
"You acted impulsively. You've arrested people, and there will be a lot of trouble later. Release them today. Hmm, wait a moment. You stay here and don't go anywhere. Keep an eye on them, and serve them good food and drink. Make sure nothing goes wrong. We'll talk about it when I get back from the palace. Don't open the gates of the government office."
For some unknown reason, Zuo Anhe's attitude changed drastically. Remembering Lord He's worries yesterday, he knew that there would surely be a fierce battle in the court today. In that case, why not use this matter as an excuse to extricate Lord He from his predicament?
"Father, why have you changed your mind again? Yesterday, I said I would release them today. How can I go back on my word?"
Zuo Fangzhong felt a headache coming on. He had heard about what happened last night; it had been a commotion all night, and now the area outside the government office was packed with people. If they weren't released soon, it would be difficult to explain. He wanted to say something more, but then he saw his father had already walked out of the hall. He hurriedly got out of bed and chased after him.
"Father, Father, don't go!"
He stumbled and staggered to the front hall, followed by a servant boy who, carrying his shoes, called out.
"Young master, young master, shoes, shoes."
"Boom, boom, boom."
"Waaaaah! Waaaaah! Waaaaah!"
suddenly,
Above the capital, the sounds of drums and horns resounded, their powerful force soaring into the sky.
Outside the East Gate,
The crescent moon hung like a hook in the sky. The black banners of the Northern Prince Shui Rong's camp fluttered in the wind, and the gilded dragon-patterned banners stood high. A dark yellow banner of the Prince of Wei stood at the forefront. Forty thousand armored soldiers, like a tide, swept across the open field outside the East Gate. The banners of various troops stood in a dense forest.
"Reporting, Your Highness,"
The vanguard lieutenant dismounted, kicking up a cloud of yellow dust.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, the east gate is now under martial law."
Prince Bei Jing, Shui Rong, raised his hand to stop his deputy from reporting. His gaze swept past the endless army and landed on the city wall, where countless soldiers had already climbed up to defend the city. As if a restless energy arose, the soldiers then descended the wall in batches.
"Your Highness, the guards have changed shifts ahead; the Imperial Guards are coming."
Shui Rong leaned closer to King Wei and whispered something in his ear.
King Zhou Chong of Wei looked up and saw that it was indeed the case; the flags of the Military Command had been replaced with the banners of the Imperial Guards.
"In that case, the city gates will open soon. Your Highness, please come with me to the capital."
"Well,"
Immediately, a group of silver-armored soldiers escorted the two princes into the capital. As they passed in front of the main army, General Qi suddenly raised his arm and shouted.
"Victory! Victory!"
The 40,000-strong army roared in response, their gleaming armor reflecting the dazzling silver light of the rising sun, a sight that shook the hearts of the people. Many civilians, their faces filled with fear, quickly dispersed in front of the city gate. At this moment, the banner of the King of Wei became so dazzling.
at the same time,
Outside the West Gate,
Having prepared for some time, Prince Mu Shi of Dongping ordered his men to raise the banner of the King of Chu, with black armor and red tassels at the top, and a dark yellow cap hanging there as well.
Behind him, the 30,000 troops brought from Jiangnan were arrayed in a goose-shaped formation, and their armor was an unusual red iron armor. From a distance, it looked like a sea of fire, and the Jiangnan camp was a sea of blood.
"Your Highness, let's enter the city."
Mu Shi carried a red-tasseled spear, wore a fiery red armor, a moon-white outer robe draped over his back, and a cloud-patterned jade pendant hung at his waist, swaying gently with the warhorse beneath him.
"Very well, Your Highness, let's enter the city. The misty rain of Jiangnan is in full swing!"
Looking back at the soldiers of the Jiangnan camp, perhaps from the fierce battle, a chilling aura emanated from them; they were truly elite.
Mu Shi waved his hand, and a squad of red-armored cavalry rushed out to protect the King of Chu, shouting in unison.
"We must win, we must win."
The more than 30,000 troops immediately roared in unison, their voices shaking the surrounding fields and startling the birds roosting in the woods. This commotion had already alerted the military command at the city gate to Lord Wu, who was stunned and speechless. No one told him that the King of Chu was returning to the capital with his army.
"My lord, the time has come. Will the city gates still not open?"
The city gate captain asked somewhat nervously. The battle of Xihe County had shocked the world, demonstrating the immense power and prestige of the two princes. Now, they were returning to the capital with an elite army—what were their intentions? "Open the city gates, but the army is not allowed to enter. You stay here and watch over them; I will go down to greet them."
"Yes, sir,"
As the King of Chu's entourage slowly entered the city, Wu Shiqi was already waiting at the city gate.
"This humble official, Wu Shiqi, Assistant Magistrate of the Western City Military Command, greets His Highness Prince Chu and His Highness Prince Mu."
"Well, rise. Lord Wu is indeed diligent and conscientious, arriving here so early. Time is a bit tight, so Lord Wu, please come with us to court."
The King of Chu did not stop his procession. He left a message and headed towards the palace. Upon seeing this, Wu Shiqi quickly rose to thank him. However, when he looked up, he realized that the two princes had already walked quite a distance.
"Quick, keep up, keep up!"
He took two steps at a time, got into the carriage, and chased after them.
After the two princes arrived in the capital, the atmosphere in the city became noticeably more somber. The events outside the city were so loud that everyone heard about them, while the events inside the city were closely watched by officials who wanted to gain fame through this.
Marquis Luoyun's residence,
Inside the Zhu family mansion in the East Garden, after a month of mental and physical toil, only last night did I sleep peacefully.
Zhang Jinyu got out of bed lazily, changed her clothes with the help of Baozhu and Ruizhu, and went out of the hall.
"Someone, prepare water!"
"Young master, you're awake,"
Hearing the commotion inside, Baozhu quickly brought in her maidservant, dampened a piece of brocade cloth, and handed it over.
Zhang Jinyu hummed in agreement, took the item, washed her face, quickly rinsed off, and went to the front hall. Before leaving, she glanced back at the bed and asked a question.
"Where did Madam go?"
"Oh dear, my lord, Miss got up a long time ago and went to the backyard to pay her respects to the old lady. She also asked the kitchen to prepare a few of your favorite dishes."
As Baozhu spoke, she had someone bring over the food box, placed the food on the table, pulled over the pear wood armchair, and let the little maid insert the ebony hairpin into her dark hair.
Please wait a moment.
On the table in front of me were four dishes and a soup: stewed meat, jade shrimp, two steamed river delicacies, and plain white porridge.
Just as I picked up the bowl of porridge, about to take a bite...
"Master Hou."
Ningbian pushed open the door, and Fengchenpupu led his men in, barging in.
"My lord, there's been some activity at the western dock of the capital. The Prince of Dongping and the Third Prince arrived in the capital with their troops last night, and there's been activity this morning. The Prince of Beijing and the Second Prince also arrived last night and are now showing off their power outside the east gate. Scouts report that Qi Yun, the military governor of Ping'an Prefecture, and Yun Guang, the military governor of Chang'an County, are both outside the city."
He spoke in a hurry, and a gatekeeper had already come to report.
"My lord, the Prince of Jin's carriage will be waiting for you on the south bank of Qinghu Lake."
After speaking, Ning lowered his head and waited there.
Zhang Jinyu was slightly taken aback. She hadn't expected these people to return so early, but it turned out they all had the same idea. Good things shouldn't be enjoyed alone, so she quickly finished the bowl of white porridge in a few gulps.
He casually picked up a large piece of meat and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly, while his other hand tapped the table with his bony fingers.
"Since we're here, we might as well make the best of it. We can't help but appreciate the good intentions of the two princes. The capital is full of ghosts and monsters these days, and we might need their help."
Squinting, a hint of seriousness flashed beneath Chen Guang's eyes. It seemed the palace wasn't unprepared after all.
"We've already offended the princes within the Great Wall, so we can't afford to offend the nobles as well. The two princes have returned just in time. At today's court assembly, someone will surely submit a memorial. What they'll say and do is anyone's guess."
After moving his mouth a few times, he swallowed the meat. As the saying goes, nothing is bigger than a big belly; being full and satisfied is the right thing to do.
"Reporting, Your Highness, Prince Jin has sent word that Prince Dongping and Prince Beijing are displaying their power outside the east and west city gates and have escorted the two princes into the capital."
The person who came seemed to be in a hurry, kneeling before the table, clearly unhappy with the meal. Unbeknownst to them, Baozhu glared angrily at the kneeling man, then took the bowl and served the Marquis another bowl of porridge.
“My lord, no matter how anxious you are, you must fill your stomach. These dishes were personally ordered by Miss. Besides, we don’t need to go to the grand court assembly so early.”
Seeing the little girl's anxiety, Zhang Jinyu couldn't help but chuckle. She took the bowl of porridge, took a sip, and
"Yes, you're right. It's better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early. It's not too late to leave after you've finished this bite."
Then, he resumed eating heartily. The person kneeling below wanted to say something, but Ning Bian glared at him, frightening him so much that he quickly kowtowed and retreated. After finishing a few bites of meat and feeling full, Zhang Jinyu put down his chopsticks, took a brocade cloth, and wiped his mouth.
at this time,
The sky outside was gradually brightening, and the morning bell had already rung three times; it was almost time.
"Ningbian, accompanied by two hundred golden-armored guards, all on horseback, went to the south bank of Qinghu Lake."
"Yes, my lord,"
Ning Bian agreed loudly, turned around and went out of the room to make the arrangements. Inside, Zhang Jinyu was wearing a soft gold-threaded armor, over which was a gold leather armor with a breastplate. After finishing, she stepped out of the room and headed straight for the mansion gate.
Outside, two hundred personal guards were already in position. Zhang Jinyu didn't say much, took the reins, mounted his horse, spurred it, and galloped off with his men.
"drive,"
"drive."
As the cavalry swept through the streets, the common people gave way, and even many official sedan chairs swerved to avoid them. Especially at the bend in the road, the vanguard captain waved a crimson command flag and shouted orders.
"Make way, make way,"
This shout startled many people, causing them to back away.
Upon reaching the corner of West Street,
Two vermilion carriages from Ronggu Mansion were moving forward when the chestnut horses pulling them reared up, startled by the imposing aura of the golden-armored cavalry. The carriage shafts creaked under the weight, perhaps due to the carriages' age and disrepair. The driver and servant, terrified, frantically pulled on the reins, though perhaps not too forcefully.
Before the naked eye, the carriage suddenly tilted and overturned, its axle breaking. As the carriage scattered, Jia She was thrown to the ground, his head hitting the threshold, leaving him bruised and battered. He was somewhat terrified, cursing under his breath.
"You dog of a servant, how do you drive a carriage?"
The coachman pulled on the reins with all his might to control the horse, and several servants rushed into the carriage to help the master up and return.
"Master, it has nothing to do with us servants. It was caused by those cavalrymen passing by and startling the horses,"
At this moment, Jia She, supported by others, walked out and happened to see a large number of cavalry galloping away.
"Which damned bastard is blind?"
Before he could finish his tirade, the carriage behind him suddenly broke apart, a pillar swept forward, and the force of the wind tore a hole in the magistrate's official robes.
"Rebellion! Rebellion!"
Still unable to contain his anger, he saw two servants beside him and kicked them.
"My lord, spare my life! It's all my fault!"
The servant was kicked to the ground and knelt down begging for mercy. A crowd of onlookers had already gathered. Just then, the carriage in front stopped, and Jia Zheng quickly got out.
"Brother, important matters are at hand. Today is the grand court assembly, with all civil and military officials present. We cannot delay!"
Reminded by Jia Zheng, Jia She finally came to his senses, but with his official robes torn, how could he dare to face the Emperor?
"Second brother, come with me. You can go to the court assembly alone. I will ask the Ministry of Personnel for leave. It would be extremely disrespectful to meet the emperor dressed like this."
Pointing to the hem of his official robe, where a large tear had appeared, Jia Zheng nodded helplessly.
"That's the only way. The cavalry that just passed by were from the Marquis of Luoyun's mansion."
The two dared not delay and boarded the carriage. Who else but Marquis Luo Yun could possess such imposing power among that elite cavalry? Jia She, his face filled with resentment, cursed.
"He's too arrogant, downright domineering, riding his horse through the streets. If the censors find out, they'll surely impeach him."
"Brother, don't be upset. It seems that Marquis Luoyun has urgent business. When we just left the manor, we heard drums and horns sounding outside the city. It should be that a large force is returning to the capital."
Jia Zheng offered words of comfort, saying that with the princes returning to the capital, the imperial family would be involved, and even if he didn't want to deal with these matters, he would inevitably run into them.
"So what if they're back? Do they think they can even enter the city? I've heard that those princes have entered the capital. Marquis Luoyun offended them. Hmph, they won't get away with it."
Jia She lifted the hem of his shirt, examined the tear, and then put it down hard. A slight smile involuntarily appeared on his lips. But Jia Zheng was startled. How could this be?
(End of this chapter)