Shui Xinyuan was in the room on the top floor of Xishenguan, sitting motionless on a rickety chair.
Lin Bojian was still watching at the door.
Chunxiang was walking around restlessly holding her lute in her arms. She suddenly stopped, stood by the railing of the terrace, looked outside, and yelled.
"Empress...Empress! Look...there are many people there!"
Shui Xinyuan turned around and saw that dusk was gradually closing in, and she didn't notice that the room was getting dark as well.
"……What's wrong?"
"Look! It must be the emperor..."
Shui Xinyuan jumped up, ran to the railing, looked in the direction of Chunxiang's finger, and found people and horses gathered on the hill in the distance.
……emperor……
Shui Xinyuan closed his eyes hard and held on to the stone wall tightly.
Lu Fusu did not give up on himself. Once he came here... he had to face pain.
"...We have sent envoys over and submitted our conditions."
Lin Bojian crossed his arms at the door and said.
"We don't think it can be resolved after one or two talks. We should negotiate several times. Although we have no intention of using force immediately, if there is still no progress in the negotiations after three days, a sword fight may be unavoidable."
"...I want to see Shui Qiancheng."
"Not yet."
"Why?"
"Anyway, we will leave here sooner or later. When we return to the capital in triumph, you can chat slowly."
"I'll take him away before then."
"That's why I can't let you meet."
Despicable... Chunxiang muttered.
"...Do you want to eat something first? You haven't eaten or drank."
"I don't dare to eat the food here."
"Even if you don't eat, that girl will always eat, right?"
"I don't want to eat either! I would rather starve to death than eat!"
"..."
Lin Bojian sighed and said no more.
Shui Xinyuan gave Chunxiang the only chair to sit on and stared at the camp on the hill.
She was hungry and thirsty, but the sadness made her chest feel tight.
There was a firelight in the camp, maybe a bonfire was burning.
The distance is very far and the firelight is very small.
After the sun went down, Shui Xinyuan still stared at the firelight.
…
On the first night when the queen was kidnapped, all the officials stayed at the Rising Sun Palace. On the second night, everyone went home first, and all the officials except Zhongshu Sheng and Yu Shijian left.
The emperor kept sending messengers back to the palace to inform him that the queen was under house arrest in Xishen Pass. The mastermind was from Liuzhou, but people from Xuzhou joined her.
"...Are Lin Bojian and Bai Zikui really involved in the rebellion?"
"These two people can't be found anywhere. They are definitely involved in the case."
Zhuge Ciyun sat on the chair, straightened his body, and patted his waist.
"That's outrageous. It's almost time for the army to come back with the Minister of War, right?"
"It's been raining in Shifeng County for a while, which may delay the time."
The officials who had not had a good rest for two consecutive days were suppressing yawns.
Perhaps it was because Zhuge Ciyun, the most powerful official here, was calm and unhurried, so there was no tense atmosphere at the scene.
"...Is this all the content of the letter?"
"These are the only situations at the moment."
"Have a cup of tea?"
"Then have a drink!"
The officials sitting at the table moved their necks and stretched their bodies. At this time, they heard the footsteps of a group of people.
"……are you back?"
"may be."
The door was kicked open, and the soldiers who rushed in were neither wearing military armor nor the attire of the Forbidden Army. They were accompanied by...
"...How come these people came first?"
Seeing the man in gold clothes with a silver phoenix embroidered in a fancy dress... Zhao Jisheng, his servant, Zhuge Ciyun touched his forehead impatiently.
"Don't move! I'm arresting you for treason!"
Who is plotting rebellion? Several officials couldn't help asking, but officials including Zhuge Ciyun still stood up.
The more than thirty soldiers under Zhao Jisheng all held unsheathed swords in their hands.
Zhuge Ciyun looked at the several princes and nobles behind Zhao Jisheng. They were all people who escaped the disaster when Lu Wuxian rebelled. There was only one person who was neither a prince nor aristocrat and had nothing to do with Lu Wuxian's previous affairs.
"Isn't this Su Xinzhuo?"
"That's right, Mr. Su predicted our good fortune and you tried to rebel."
"...What an amazing statement."
Zhao Jisheng's dress made Zhuge Ciyun feel completely ridiculous, and now he feels even more ridiculous.
"So? Apart from adjusting His Majesty's inspection schedule, letting the officials in Liuzhou do some hard work, deceiving the army and causing us trouble, is there any good omen?"
"Your Majesty's destiny will soon be exhausted, and a new emperor will soon ascend the throne."
"I heard that you found a chess piece suitable for being a puppet. Congratulations!" Zhuge Ciyun shrugged disapprovingly and asked, "You said you wanted to arrest us. Do you know how many people are here? Is the cell too small?"
"Zhuge Ciyun, just tie you all here. Everyone else will be locked up here too! Anyone who dares to act rashly will be beheaded!"
The soldiers tied up Zhuge Ciyun and threatened other officials with swords.
Outside the open door... Forbes held his breath and observed the garden on the corridor railing, and then disappeared into the darkness.
The censor doctor in the censor prison and several supervisory censors were also controlled by Zhao Jisheng's soldiers just now. Uncle Fu was originally going to come here to report the news, but he was a step too late.
Most of the supervisory censors are away, but in this case, even if they come back, they cannot report the situation to them.
Most of the forbidden troops in the city are following Zhuge Qing to prepare for the war. Although the Zhuge family has been notified and the Zhuge family will send their own soldiers, it may be difficult to leave here considering that some of the forbidden troops may be bribed by Zhao Jisheng.
"..."
Uncle Fu left the garden of Rising Sun Palace and pondered for a moment.
Qing'er is still in Chunying Palace.
Although she couldn't leave the palace, if Qing'er said she wanted to go home, it might not arouse suspicion and she could leave smoothly.
Uncle Fu immediately walked out of Chunying Palace, but in his desperation, he did not consider Qing'er's character.
"...Zhao Jisheng actually dared to tie up my father-in-law. It's so audacious!"
Qing'er was so angry that her smile froze and she stood up suddenly.
"Aren't you satisfied that they kidnapped Shui Xinyuan? Okay...then I'll teach them a lesson."
"Husband...ma'am, wait a minute!"
"Uncle Fu, you're not going to tell me to just sit back and watch, are you?"
She glared at Fu Bo and said that Fu Bo knew that he had informed the person who should least have been informed, but it was already too late.
"But, but, madam, you can't fight them alone, you should go back to Zhuge's house immediately..."
"I'm sorry, I won't go back until Shui Xinyuan comes back."
"but……"
"Zhuge Qing also went on an expedition."
Qing'er clenched her fists.
"Since he is fighting hard, I will fight too. I will never let anything he cherishes be lacking."
"lady……"
"But I can't fight them alone. Uncle Fu, come with me."
Qing'er briefly told the maids standing by what Uncle Fu had said, told them that she was going to the workshop, and then came to the corridor.
"Jiaofang? Are you going to find a palace concubine...?"
"Besides them, who else is trustworthy?"
"But it's too messy."
"grandfather!"
Qing'er stopped and looked back at Uncle Fu.
"Although I am no longer a court servant, I have not forgotten the attitude that a court servant should have... We are the emperor's court servants, and we are with this country at all times."
"..."
Fu Bo shut up and Qing'er started walking again.
"Although I'm just a gardener..."
Uncle Fu caught up and gasped.
"What do you want me to do?"
"Don't worry, I will ask you for help."
Qing'er and Fu Bo ran all the way to the classroom.
The clouds dispersed and the full moon gradually revealed its face.