Xue Poye had put on the silver rainforest armor and was fully armed. He was standing at the top of the Chaoyang Gate of the Imperial Palace, looking at the square below the city with a dull look in his eyes.
The three Habayashi battalions have been deployed. Although the Habayashi Guards only have less than 5,000 people, which is much less than the garrison, the imperial palace is countless times smaller than Kyoto City, so 5,000 Habayashi is enough to deploy defenses.
At the Nine Gates of the Imperial Palace.
Listening to the noisy sound of fighting outside the city, Xue Poye knew that that sound would soon appear in the palace.
"Your Majesty, the Queen Mother is here!"
Xue Poye was startled: "Queen Mother?" He immediately waved his hand and said, "Hurry up and greet the Queen Mother with me!"
Behind him, Gong Yangyue, Zhao Tianda, Pan Zhenhai and other generals immediately followed and rushed to greet the Queen Mother.
To this day, Xue Poye has never seen the most powerful woman in the Chu Kingdom.
The moment Xue Poye saw the Queen Mother, at least based on her appearance, he sincerely admired the temperament of this most powerful woman in the Chu Kingdom.
Temperament is not something that just comes and goes. It is something that commemorates the cultural characteristics of the family and extends to the individual. The so-called acquired temperament always has a bit of something funny about it.
Superficial traces.
The Queen Mother's temperament is obviously something she was born with.
Graceful and gorgeous, although she was over sixty years old, her every move was full of nobility and courage. From her, Xue Poye immediately thought of the eldest princess who conquered the country and the city.
Xue Poye was convinced that when she was young, the Queen Mother must have also been a beauty who captivated all sentient beings.
The beauty has aged, but the temperament has accumulated more deeply. The prince beside the Queen Mother is completely a foil, a cowardly and incompetent young man to a vigorous old man.
The Yulin guards bowed respectfully before the old man.
The Queen Mother glanced at the empty square under the palace, raised her hands and said: "Get up, you are generals, save your strength to kill the enemy, instead of kneeling down for an old and useless old man like me."
"I don't dare!" Xue Poye and others stood up and lined up on both sides.
"You...are Xue Poye!" The Queen Mother stared at Xue Poye and asked slowly. This is not because the Queen Mother has a keen eye for people. It's just that Xue Poye's clothes are exactly those of the deputy general guard of Fenghuoying. She knows a little bit.
Anyone with common sense can see that.
"It's Wei Chen!" Xue Poye said respectfully.
A smile appeared on the Queen Mother's face and she said: "Young hero, you are brave and knowledgeable. No wonder the emperor would like you. The emperor still has eyes for you." She stared at Xue Poye and nodded thoughtfully.
The firelight on the top of the city was not very bright, but Xue Poye saw the prince's strange look in the dim firelight.
The prince's eyes held an extremely resentful look, and this look was aimed at Xue Poye.
The prince's foreign treasury was suppressed by Xue Poye in Jiangnan. This kind of hatred will not be forgotten by a narrow-minded person like the prince. Not only that, once the prince gains power, he will definitely deal with this kind of hatred.
Xue Poye sighed secretly. He really didn't understand whether it was wrong or right for him to go to great lengths to protect the imperial court and this pig-headed prince.
Now it seems that the Holy Emperor is about to die. No matter who succeeds or fails, the prince and the fourth prince will not have a good political future.
Damn it, I’ll still lead my wife and brothers to run away when the time comes.
This last dedicated effort is a reward for His Majesty the Emperor's original trust and appreciation.
"Xue Poye, tell your soldiers not to be afraid of any enemy. The great Chu Kingdom has a prosperous national destiny that cannot be shaken by a small person. The country has God's blessing and good fortune... The imperial court is always the final winner!" The Queen Mother said firmly,
With incomparable majesty, he said in a deep voice: "After suppressing the rebellion, you and your soldiers will receive great rewards."
"I am loyal to the country, but I only ask for the safety of the Queen Mother, the safety of the Prince, and the safety of the court. I do not ask for rewards!" All the generals knelt down and said in unison.
Xue Poye thought about the sentence "The imperial court is always the final winner" in his heart, and he was filled with emotion. This sentence should be said as "The winner is the final imperial court"!
"Xue Poye, the war is about to begin, what else do you want?" The Queen Mother stared at Xue Poye and asked slowly.
Xue Poye said hurriedly: "Wei Chen does not have any request...!" He suddenly paused, glanced at the Queen Mother, and said: "Empress Dowager, Wei Chen has received so much kindness from the Holy One that he has been devastated. Even after his death, he will not be able to repay the favor.
, Wei Chen... Wei Chen wants to worship the Holy One before the war...!"
Thinking that no matter whether the war was won or lost, he would have to leave at the last moment. If possible, he would take this opportunity to pay homage to some emperors. After all, the two of them had admired each other.
"Xue Poye, can you see my father whenever you want?" The prince couldn't help but said: "You are just a small deputy chief guard of the Yulin Forest, and you are not qualified to pay homage to my father."
"Shut up," the Queen Mother said coldly.
Just like a mouse hearing a cat's cry, the prince immediately shut his mouth, but still glared at Xue Poye fiercely, his eyes full of hatred. This look was also seen by the generals behind Xue Poye.
, couldn't help but secretly worry about Xue Poye.
Xue Poye smiled faintly without any expression, and his face was still respectful.
"It's rare for you to be so loyal." The Queen Mother looked at Xue Poye and said softly: "Your Majesty is in the Lin Temple of Daode Palace. You... go back!"
…
The Queen Mother's generosity made Xue Poye very happy. Although he knew that this was because the Queen Mother wanted to use him to protect the palace, but no matter what the reason was, he could pay homage to His Majesty the Emperor at this time. This... was already
enough.
The Daode Palace is located behind the Qianqing Palace. It is solemn and solemn, and extremely quiet. This is a very special palace. It belongs to the royal palace. If someone from the royal family dies, the body will be parked here to receive the chanting and prayers of Taoist priests.
and the worship of ministers.
There are more than a dozen palaces in the Daodegong, large and small. According to different status, the palace where the corpse is parked is also different. The corpse of His Majesty the Emperor is parked in the main hall, Delin Temple.
The place was already full of Taoist priests, white flags were fluttering, and it was all white. The queens and concubines in the harem gathered in front of the mourning hall, crying and crying.
Although the royal family has a special status and holds funerals on a grand scale, many of the routines are not much more complicated than the funerals of ordinary people. The entire Lin Temple was immersed in mourning.
Under the guidance of the eunuch sent by the Queen Mother, Xue Poye came to Lin Temple wearing armor. His arrival aroused confusion among the concubines in the temple.
Now that the rebels are approaching the city outside Kyoto, and the generals are fighting to the death, why does such a young general come here? And according to the rules of the Chu Kingdom, this general’s status does not seem to qualify him to come alone.
Pay homage to His Majesty the Emperor.
Xue Poye stared at the huge yellow curtain of Lin Temple, with the huge word "Chu" written on it, with flying dragons and phoenixes, showing the domineering power of the great Chu Kingdom.
It's just that Kyoto is in crisis now, the Holy Emperor has passed away, the mourning hall is filled with cries, and the big "Chu" character looks so lonely and helpless.
Hundreds of harem concubines knelt down in front of the mourning hall. At the front was a beautiful woman with an elegant temperament. Although she was wearing concubine's clothes, her graceful figure could not be concealed. She was the only one in the entire Lin Temple.
Standing.
There were Taoist priests on all sides. Next to the mourning hall, an old Taoist priest with a long beard and eyebrows sat with a calm expression on his face.
Xue Poye didn't know these two people, but he could guess their identities.
This stunningly beautiful woman, if you guess correctly, is most likely the queen of the Great Chu State, the so-called "Queen Xuan Min".
Her posture is absolutely perfect, and every movement seems to be impeccable. In other words, she may be the incarnation of so-called "beauty" in this world. Standing in front of the Hundred Palaces, she has an aura of calmness and authority.
As for the old Taoist priest, he may be the national preceptor.
The eunuch who led Xue Poye rushed over, knelt down on the ground, and said respectfully: "The Queen Mother, the Queen Mother has specially sent a favor and ordered the Deputy Chief Guard of the Yulin Camp, Mr. Xue, to come and worship the Holy One. He is waiting now!"
The queen turned her head, and Xue Poye really saw the queen's face this time.
It was a face that did not exist in this world, just like God carefully carved a woman's face to the most perfect state.
Gorgeous but not coquettish, elegant but not vulgar, elegant but not greasy.
Xue Poye felt his heart beat suddenly. Under the empress's eyes, which were like water and jade dew, he knelt on the ground unconsciously and said respectfully: "Xue Poye, my humble minister, pays homage to the empress!"
The queen said calmly: "Go, the Holy One has mentioned you to me on weekdays, saying that you are a loyal minister...!" Her expression was very calm, without the pained expressions of other concubines, and she even seemed very calm.
Very calm.
Perhaps at times like this, the queen should be the one who keeps calm. To lead the harem, one always needs to be different.
But Xue Poye had some doubts deep down in his heart. The queen seemed to be only around thirty years old, maybe even younger than the eldest princess, but the calmness she showed seemed to be over fifty... well... even
Approached the Queen Mother.
In the depths of her eyes, Xue Poye couldn't even see a trace of sadness.
Kneeling in front of His Majesty the Emperor's tomb, behind the huge yellow curtain, is His Majesty the Emperor's crystal ice coffin. That resolute Emperor is now lying quietly in the ice coffin, no matter how talented he was during his lifetime.
Wei Lue may rule the world, but at this moment, he is no different from ordinary people.
Xue Poye did not see the ice coffin, so he could only pay homage to it to show his respect for the emperor.
The era of Emperor Deqing has passed, which means that the future of Xue Poye, who has just started his political career, is ruined. Without any backer, Xue Poye's political path has also come to an end.
The beautiful era of monarchs and ministers has disappeared with the departure of Emperor Deqing. Xue Poye will face an extremely dangerous future.
A month ago, Xue Poye would have never imagined that it would be like this situation.
Maybe this is life, an unpredictable life.
…
Under the guidance of the eunuch, Xue Poye completed the worship process. He was about to stand up when he suddenly heard a strange sound coming from behind the yellow curtain.
, I’m afraid I will also ignore the past.
It seemed to be a coughing sound.
Xue Poye's hair stood on end. He knew that there was His Majesty the Emperor's coffin behind it, and there was no one else there. This sudden cough...could it be a ghost? Although the Lin Temple was brightly lit, it was the light of a lantern after all, and
They are all white paper cages. Instead of the scorching light of the sun, there is a burst of gloomy light.
"Perhaps it's the footman." Xue Poye took a deep breath and stood up.
With his peripheral vision, he noticed some inappropriate details. At this time, among the group of crying concubines, many were secretly looking at him. Although they were crying, there was no sadness in their eyes.
These concubines actually went to admire other men in front of the emperor's spirit.
Xue Poye let out a long sigh in his heart, and couldn't help but sympathize with His Majesty the Emperor. Although His Majesty the Emperor sits thousands of miles away and controls the life and death of countless people with one hand, the deep love between husband and wife that many common people can enjoy seems to be in the Emperor's eyes.
His Majesty did not enjoy it.
When His Majesty the Emperor was alive, these concubines must have been extremely sharp-tongued and eager to express their loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor. But as soon as His Majesty the Emperor passed away, they began to think about other men.
Perhaps this is the emperor's sadness.
"My condolences, Queen!" Xue Poye walked to the Queen's side and said respectfully: "I have military affairs to attend to, so please leave first."
The queen glanced at Xue Poye and said calmly: "Mr. Xue, go away."
As the eunuch left the Moral Palace and looked up at the night sky, listening to the noisy shouts of killing outside the city, Xue Poye quickened his pace.
…
…
The rebels' tiger-headed hammers had opened a hole in the large bronze gate of the south gate, and a large hole appeared. However, the garrison held on to the city gate and shot arrows from the hole, killing and wounding the rebels who were attacking the city.
Not light.
After a fierce battle, the garrison tried their best, but still could not prevent the rebels from ascending to the city. The city was covered with blood. The soldiers on both sides were like wild beasts, trying their best to kill each other like wild beasts.
The roar resounded throughout the city gate.
The swordsman used his shield to cover his body and tried to get in through the hole in the gate. However, as soon as he got close, he was hooked by the garrison's hook and was chopped into pieces in an instant.
Ye Dao clenched his fists and looked unusually serious.
In the Battle of the South Gate, the rebels had lost thousands of people. There were corpses everywhere at the base of the city wall, including those of the rebels and the corpses of the garrison that fell from the top of the city. When added together, it was extremely miserable. But this was not the end.
On top of these corpses, new corpses are still being added and piled together.
"They can't last much longer!" Seeing the fierce situation and the rebels gradually gaining the upper hand, the fourth prince couldn't help but sneered.
Nearly 20,000 people went to attack less than 5,000 people, and they had advanced siege weapons. The garrison could support it for more than three hours, which was already the limit. The 5,000 garrison at the top of the city now occupied less than 3,000.
People, and their bows, arrows and boiling oil have been exhausted. If they fight again, they can only fight with swords and guns. What the rebels are least afraid of is a battle with swords and guns.
A fast horse galloped forward with a flag behind it. It was the military herald.
"Your Royal Highness, General Ye, the North Gate has been breached and the Beilin Camp is advancing into the city," the herald reported.
The fourth prince said coldly: "I was overtaken by the Beilin Camp... This damn Xuanyuan Chou actually delayed my time here."
"Your Highness, the Beilin Camp is also your subordinate. It is the joy of Your Highness that they have invaded the city." Ye Dao said calmly: "As for Xuanyuan Chou and the garrison... they are soldiers worthy of respect...!"
Under the command of Liu Guogong and Liu Tuo, the Beilin Camp broke through the North Gate of Kyoto. This was expected. The North Gate of Kyoto's four gates had the weakest defense, and Beilin Camp's 20,000 troops also invested in it.
The north gate is naturally easier to break than the other three gates.
Although there were still many garrison troops at the north gate engaged in a final desperate struggle with the rebels who invaded the city, the disparity in strength between the two sides was too great, and they could not speak for too long. Some died, some were wounded, and some were captured.
There is no resistance in the entire North Gate.
"Father, are we advancing into the palace?" Liu Tuo's handsome face was full of pride. The four-pronged army broke through the north gate first. This is always a proud thing.
Liu Guogong looked at the large number of residential houses in front of him. It was unusually calm there. There was no pedestrian in the whole street, just like an empty city.
"No, divide the troops into two groups, attack the east and west gates, and wait until all the armies have broken through the city before attacking the palace." Liu Guogong stroked his beard and said calmly, paused, and said slowly: "Remember, don't attack too hard if you have a strong force.
Just make a noise, the garrison is at the end of its game, so it won't take much effort."
Liu Guogong's meaning is very clear. Since the North Gate has been captured and the alliance mission has been completed, there is no need to sacrifice the lives of soldiers to attack other city gates. After all, Beilin Camp is their foundation, and the sacrifice of every soldier is of great significance to them.
Generally speaking, their strength has been weakened.
Liu Tuo was a little confused and said: "Father, the palace is right in front of us. Why don't we take advantage of the situation and seize it? At least we can scare them."
Liu Guogong sighed, shook his head and said: "My son, you are still too young." Pointing to the large area of residential houses, he said: "It seems peaceful there, but I feel that there are dangers hidden everywhere. You can see that during the siege,
, in addition to the Kyoto garrison, are there other armies? If the court had no other preparations, then where did the thousand people from Kyoto Prefecture and the Metropolitan Procuratorate go? There is also the Habayashi camp, and there are still four to five thousand people in the three major Habayashi camps.
So far, we haven’t seen anyone.”
"What does father mean...?" Liu Tuo frowned.
"Under these tranquility, there is hidden the final killing move of the imperial court. Of course we will not let our soldiers become the victims of these killing moves." A faint smile appeared at the corner of Liu Guogong's mouth: "These soldiers are the ones we will fight with Liu in the future.
The basis for Zifu's negotiation conditions, each one is a treasure. Wait, wait for the Fourth Highness to break the city. Maybe if we break the city first, the Fourth Highness will already have complaints. How can we let him have any more complaints... Remember,
We are the army of His Royal Highness, haha...!"
Liu Guogong's voice was very powerful, but it was soon drowned in the rumble of horse hooves.dd