jdhmnovel Chapter 345: Chase
Chapter 345: Chase
In fact, Lu Guinian was very shocked at this time.
Zhao Fei's note was short and did not give any details. Apart from the fact that the Queen Mother had raised an army, it only said that she was being hunted by the Queen Mother and was secretly following the rebels.
He did not doubt the authenticity of the note. After all, the messenger had revealed the secret code used by him and Concubine Zhao to communicate secretly.
There was no doubt that the information given by Concubine Zhao was wrong. After many collaborations, they had already established a full trust and tacit understanding between them.
He wondered—
Given Zhao Fei's weakness, how could she escape from the Queen Mother's hands and follow the rebels?
How could you send someone to deliver a letter to him?
How many more surprises and shocks does this Concubine Zhao have in store for him?!
"Did your former general only discover the Nanding army?"
The Emperor's question about Concubine Hui interrupted Lu Guinian's thoughts. He quickly gathered his thoughts, putting Concubine Zhao behind him and focusing on the crisis at hand.
Nearly 100,000 troops are approaching the capital. To put it bluntly, not only is the throne changing, but even the dynasty is likely to change.
After all, there are not many troops inside and outside the city that can come to the rescue quickly. As far as Lu Guinian knows, there are less than 50,000.
By the time the troops from other places arrive to support the emperor, I'm afraid the emperor will no longer be around.
Where on earth did the Queen Mother gather so many people?
Concubine Hui replied, "My former retainer is now an escort. On his way back from escorting troops, he took a shortcut through the barren mountains and stumbled upon an army march. Coming from the Li family, he was very sensitive to marches, so he went to investigate. He discovered that it was the Queen Mother's Nanding Army, intending to attack the capital, and they were even carrying catapults! He also heard there was another army, but he hadn't yet discovered its exact location. He didn't dare delay and rushed to the capital to report the news. "Your Majesty, this is a matter of urgency. Judging by the time, I'm afraid the Queen Mother will be laying siege to the city soon!"
Lu Guinian offered a suggestion: "Your Majesty, it will be difficult to gather too many reinforcements in such a short time. It would be better to quickly close the city gates! I am willing to bring the order to seal off the Zhongqing Earl's residence, tie up the Zhongqing Earl's family and put them on the city wall, and persuade the Queen Mother to repent!"
A very sinister idea.
Concubine Hui glanced at him sideways, then said, "Your Majesty, if the Queen Mother regrets seeing her family, I am willing to put on my armor and ride out of the city to bring her back to the palace."
He actually agreed to Lu Guinian's hostage method.
He also had to go and threaten the Queen Mother in person.
It can be regarded as taking the blame for the emperor.
The emperor looked at the two of them, was silent for a moment, and smiled slightly.
"Concubine Hui's loyalty and bravery are quite in line with the legacy of the Li family. Lord Lu is also loyal to the core, and I am very pleased."
He changed the subject and said, "But don't worry, I have my own arrangements."
There was calmness and majesty between his brows, and the corners of his lips were slightly raised, as if he was smiling.
Lu Guinian was stunned.
"Your Majesty... could it be...?"
So the emperor's shock upon hearing his report wasn't due to the empress dowager's rebellion, but rather to the secret being known to him, a mere civil servant?
Concubine Hui was also surprised: "Your Majesty has already made arrangements?!"
The emperor just smiled and said nothing.
Concubine Hui made no secret of her irritation. She patted her chest and said angrily, "Your Majesty knew this long ago, and this caused me such a shock in vain that I even prepared to fight and die!"
He pressed the issue further, "Then, Your Majesty, have you made arrangements to ensure that the Queen Mother will not actually attack the capital and the palace? Have you placed troops in the army in Nanding, or have you made arrangements around the Queen Mother?"
The emperor did not answer.
Lu Guinian saw the opportunity and came to the rescue, saying to Concubine Hui, "Your Majesty, since His Majesty has made a plan, we, a civil official and a concubine, need not interfere in military affairs. It is my fault for disturbing Your Majesty today. I will write a calligraphy to Your Majesty someday to apologize."
Lu Guinian's behavior was widely criticized by the court, as he had implicated too many people. However, his calligraphy was universally praised.
If he was willing to sell his calligraphy for money, he wouldn't be chased and beaten by his wife.
Many people wanted to ask him for a calligraphy but failed.
Concubine Hui, however, did not appreciate it and snorted rudely: "Who cares about your calligraphy!"
Lu Guinian could only smile awkwardly.
Concubine Hui said boldly, "Your Majesty, since you don't want me to get involved in this matter, I will not interfere. However, Concubine Zhao is with the Queen Mother outside, so you must ensure her safety. If she returns with a single hair missing, I might be completely rude to the Queen Mother!"
After saying that, she bowed and took her leave.
Without waiting for the emperor's permission, he turned around and left.
This impetuous temper made the emperor shake his head helplessly.
Lu Guinian bowed and said, "Then I, your humble servant, will take my leave. I will not disturb your Majesty's important military affairs."
"Lord Lu, I have an errand for you."
"Your Majesty, please give me your orders. I will do my utmost to fulfill them!"
"Prince Rui is dead. You will decide on the rules for his conviction. You will impeach him in whatever way is appropriate. I will demand the results at court tomorrow morning."
"The minister obeys the order!"
Lu Guinian bowed and left Chenqian Palace.
The moment I walked out of the palace, I looked at the bright sky outside and just hoped that Fei Wan would return safely.
His future and honor still depend on her.
The more he jumped around in the previous dynasty, the more he needed someone to support him in the palace!
——Empress Zhao, please don’t make any mistakes.
Lu Guinian, who never believed in gods or Buddhas, silently chanted "Amitabha Buddha for blessing" all the way out of the palace.
And Fei Wan, who was still secretly following the Queen Mother's army, really got into trouble!
She was discovered!
Ma Xiaofeng had not returned from the Beijing news yet, so she rode alone on horseback, traveling through the mountains and forests far away from the army, following them all the way.
Everything was going smoothly. The army, focused on its rapid march, did not notice her presence, and the scout team sent out passed by her twice without noticing.
But just a quarter of an hour ago, she suddenly felt her hair stand on end.
Without time to think about it, I turned back subconsciously.
Then he saw a cold light flying towards him.
She dodged sideways, rolled off the horse, and ran into the grass.
Whizzing!
Two more cold lights.
If she hadn't stopped rolling and jumping, she would have been hit.
When I looked closely, I saw that they were several thin blades stuck in the nearby grass.
Immediately afterwards, her horse was attacked.
Another flying knife pierced the horse's buttocks, startling the horse so much that it neighed and ran out of the bushes, galloping towards the army in front at an extremely fast speed.
Fei Wan had no horse and didn't know where the person who attacked her was, so she had to run and hide in the bushes.
Soon they entered the depths of the forest.
Although she didn't see the unknown enemy, she knew that he was following her.
"Who are you? Why are you chasing me?!"
She found a thick and strong tree and hid behind it, gasping for breath and shouting.
The other party threw a flying knife at her in return.
Boom!
It stuck in the tree trunk where she was hiding.
"You could obviously kill me, so why didn't you just keep forcing me to run?"
Fei Wan suddenly gritted her teeth and walked out from behind the tree.
And he moved closer step by step towards the direction where the flying knife came from.