The Empress did not answer his question, but looked at him with disdain. "History is written by the victors. His Majesty lost, so he lost. Why delve into the reasons! Listen, the fighting outside is so fierce. Do you think this place can be protected? I beg His Majesty to write a decree to abdicate and announce it to the world."
Emperor Chenghua, however, said, "What? The fighting outside is fierce? Why can't I hear it? Empress, are you hallucinating?"
The Empress was confused and listened carefully. A moment later, a look of panic appeared on her face. Just now, there was shouting and killing outside, and the sound of charging filled the air. Now it seemed quiet outside, and no sound could be heard.
Could it be that they were captured?
How could this be possible? There were so few guards in the palace! How could they defend it?
Thinking of something, the Empress's face suddenly turned pale. She widened her eyes in horror and pointed a trembling finger at Emperor Chenghua. "It's you! You did this on purpose! You're trying to catch a turtle in a jar."
Emperor Chenghua remained as calm as before. "Since I ascended the throne, how many storms have I weathered? The Empress knows them all. I have always been cautious and diligent. Even in a high position, I walked on thin ice, daring not to slacken."
The Empress could barely stand. If not for the old wet nurse beside her supporting her, she might have fallen in public.
"In the past few years, my health has not been good, and I have fallen ill every now and then. Your Chen family, from top to bottom, began to plot. You instigated the Crown Prince to be greedy for money, took the imperial treasury's silver, and tampered with military provisions. Every single incident, I have recorded for your Chen family!"
The atmosphere in the hall was solemn. The wrath of an emperor could lead to a million corpses and a thousand miles of bloodshed. It seemed that His Majesty intended to purge the Chen family and settle the score.
Li Man'er bowed and said loudly, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger and take care of your dragon body."
"Heh," everyone thought, "this Ninth Princess Consort is indeed good at flattery."
The others followed suit. Their wavering hearts at first now became firm. As the saying goes, even the best plans can be overcome. The abilities of the Empress and the Chen family were not enough.
"We wish His Majesty to take care of his dragon body and prioritize the country and its people."
One leads to two, and three make a tiger.
Emperor Chenghua, who had felt nothing at first, now truly felt a tightness in his chest and shortness of breath. His expression changed. Forcing himself to bear the discomfort, he said to the Empress, "Considering that the Empress has been quite well-behaved for many years, I will grant you a complete corpse."
The Empress's expression changed continuously. Suddenly, she said to the guards in the hall, "Seize him!" Now she no longer hoped for a decree of abdication and yielding. As long as Emperor Chenghua was captured alive, they would have a chance to survive.
The guards hesitated, but their weapons did not lower. They understood what consequences awaited them if the rebels were defeated.
"If you don't capture him and use him as a shield, you can only wait to die. Only by capturing him alive can we have a way out!"
The Empress's voice was somewhat hysterical, but it was the truth.
Those guards, who were originally somewhat intimidated by Li Man'er, were now fearless. They rushed towards Emperor Chenghua in a swarm.
Since death was inevitable, they had to fight for it. If they won, their families would live. If they lost, it would be the extermination of their nine generations.
Li Man'er raised her arm and shouted, "Protect His Majesty." The royal relatives and nobles in the hall also moved towards Emperor Chenghua. The young and strong practitioners, using nearby objects as weapons, also wanted to earn merit by protecting the emperor.
These people were all showy but lacked substance, their combat effectiveness extremely weak. However, they could at least disrupt the enemy's formation and buy Li Man'er some time.
Li Man'er was carrying a weapon. She pressed the spring catch at her waist, and with a metallic clang, a cold, sharp sword was in her hand.
This soft sword had once been used against her, but now it had become her weapon to protect the emperor. Li Man'er's strength was displayed for the first time to the powerful figures in the capital.
When she was first conferred the title of Princess Anning, many people thought she merely relied on her background and that her journey to the northern desert to save her father had earned her a good reputation, thus resulting in her being made a princess. As for her contributions to the country and the pacification of the northern disaster, they were merely exaggerated pleasantries.
Therefore, many were unconvinced and cursed her behind her back. It was only after the news of Qi Yihan and Li Man'er's engagement spread that these people quieted down.
Now, they personally witnessed Li Man'er's agile movements, sharp techniques, and ruthless attacks, and they finally believed. Li Man'er used almost no flashy moves; every attack was a killing blow. The sword light in her hand was like the scythe of the god of death, capable of taking a life in the blink of an eye.
The hall was filled with the smell of blood. More than a dozen corpses lay scattered on the ground. Those remaining were injured to varying degrees, and no one dared to advance further.
Some people on Li Man'er's side also suffered minor injuries while fighting the guards to protect Emperor Chenghua, but fortunately, they were not serious. Li Qingshu was also standing in front of Emperor Chenghua, appearing extremely heroic.
"What, scared?" Li Man'er twirled her sword and then rested it on her back. "Who else is not afraid of death? Come and try."
My aunt's sword had not had enough to drink yet!
Just then, the hall door was suddenly pushed open heavily. All eyes turned towards the entrance. They knew that the answer behind the door concerned everyone's lives.
The Empress even ran forward a few steps. However, at this moment, the hall door was wide open, and Qi Yihan, holding a blood-stained spear, walked into the hall. In his other hand, he held two human heads.
The crowd screamed in terror. The Empress's pupils constricted, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.
Those two human heads were precisely those of her father and brother...
Everything was settled.
"What did you say? There was no rebel army entering the city?"
Li Man'er grabbed Huang Yuhe. "Keep your voice down."
Huang Yuhe covered her mouth in fright. "Really? Then all those people outside, fighting and killing, it was all an act?"
"It was a mix of truth and falsehood. King Lu did rebel, but his forces were merely a disorganized mob. They were scattered before they even reached Northern Zhili. Although King Lu's whereabouts are unknown, he will likely be apprehended soon. A few people cannot make much of a stir, let alone a stray dog like him?"
Huang Yuhe didn't understand these things, but for some reason, when the words came from Li Man'er's mouth, she believed them and thought they made a lot of sense.
"Then the troublemakers in the city..."
"They were impersonated by people from the Capital Garrison and the Northern Army," Li Man'er said with a smile. "I came up with this idea, isn't it amazing?"
Huang Yuhe thought, this isn't just amazing, it's beyond amazing. It's truly spectacular.
"By the way, if everything was fine, why did you bring me and Aunt to the Prince's mansion?"
Li Man'er said, "How many eyes were watching me? I had to deceive them."
Huang. Tool person. Yuhe: ...