The King of Lu rebelled on New Year's Eve, launching a coup under the guise of purging the corrupt. He led thirty thousand elite soldiers to attack the imperial city.
The Emperor, well-prepared, intended to trap the King of Lu like a turtle in a jar. He mobilized the elite troops of the Capital Garrison outside the city, planning to surround and eliminate the King of Lu with the defenders inside the imperial city.
Unexpectedly, at the crucial moment, the Capital Garrison troops turned their allegiance, joining the King of Lu's ranks and ferociously attacking the city with great momentum.
These were rebels. Once they entered the city, the throne would change hands, countless civilians would be killed and injured, and another catastrophe would unfold.
Wealthy families sealed their gates, deploying all their household guards and soldiers.
At this time, many people were cursing the Iron Gallantry Manor and the Li family, with some even targeting Li Man'er.
Li Shu had previously been in charge of the left branch affairs of the Capital Garrison. Although he was now paralyzed, who knew if this incident was masterminded by the Li family.
There was a noble consort surnamed Li in the palace, and the Princess Consort also had a consort surnamed Li. It was hard to say!
It seemed that no matter how one looked at it, the Li family was the greatest beneficiary.
At this moment, Qi Yihan had already entered the palace. The Emperor had entrusted him with the task of guarding the imperial city, perhaps still trusting him.
Meanwhile, Li Man'er had also donned armor and, with the manor's guards, made arrangements for various parts of the manor.
"Old Sun, take your men to scout around. Make sure we have plenty of lamp oil and crossbows."
"Yes!"
"Also, don't forget to arrange for Miss Huang to be picked up. Once Ah Si and the others return, seal the doors immediately."
"Yes!"
At such a time, the Huang family was as good as sending themselves to their deaths. Li Man'er was worried about Huang Yuhe's safety and had sent Ah Si to fetch her.
Although the process of picking her up was not without difficulty, Ah Si successfully brought Huang Yuhe, Madam Liu, and their trusted confidantes into the manor.
Before they could even exchange a word, Huang Yuhe was taken away by Ah Si to be settled.
"Miss Huang, don't be afraid. Our Princess Consort is very skilled. Even if the enemy comes, they won't be able to break in."
Huang Yuhe was still a little worried and asked timidly, "She's just a young lady. Does she need to charge into battle?"
Ah Si led them to a safe place and instructed, "The rear courtyard has the last line of defense. I will find a few people to protect you. Miss Huang, I must go and help the Princess Consort."
"You go quickly. Don't worry." She was afraid at home, but now that Man'er had come to fetch her and they were at the manor, she suddenly wasn't scared anymore. Infinite courage blossomed in her heart.
Ah Si found Li Man'er, and the mistress and servant exchanged clothes.
Ah Si put on a mask and whispered, "Princess Consort, you must be careful."
Li Man'er patted her shoulder, saying nothing.
This was their destiny, which neither could escape.
Li Man'er left the manor, stopping and starting along the way, finally arriving at the imperial palace. She had a waist token and was the Ninth Princess Consort, so the guards immediately escorted her into the palace.
News of Li Man'er's entry into the palace was delivered to Emperor Chenghua's ears immediately.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Chenghua nodded slightly. She had arrived at the right time.
In the grand hall, it should have been a scene of laughter and joy, celebrating the New Year's Eve festival. However, due to the rebel attack, everyone was in a state of panic, anxiously hoping that the King of Lu would be swiftly defeated and quickly apprehended.
Alas, things did not go as planned. Not long after Li Man'er entered the palace, the imperial city was breached. The King of Lu led the rebels, dividing his forces into three routes. Two armies marched towards the palace gates, while the third attacked the wealthy families in the capital, with looting and destruction inevitably following.
In the grand hall, panic was rife. On everyone's faces and in their eyes, there was more or less a hint of worry and alarm.
Only one person remained calm throughout, as if all of this had nothing to do with her.
"Empress," Emperor Chenghua turned his head and asked loudly, "Are you dissatisfied with me for deposing the Crown Prince, or are you dissatisfied with me?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell silent.
The Empress, as dignified as ever, replied, "Your Majesty, why do you say such things? I am the Empress of the Great Zun Kingdom and naturally share the same heart as Your Majesty."
"Heh heh, well said, 'share the same heart.' You have been married to me for over twenty years, yet you have never truly respected me. In your heart, I am nothing but a despicable scoundrel!"
Those in the hall trembled. Li Man'er, however, calmly thought that the Empress had treated the Emperor like this for over twenty years, proving their marriage was clearly a facade. But the Empress had always been virtuous; if not for the Crown Prince being deposed, she probably wouldn't have taken such a desperate risk and committed such a universally condemned act.
The Empress actually bowed slightly, "Your Majesty is wise."
If Emperor Chenghua had not recovered his health, he might have been angered to death by her.
"Although the Crown Prince was mediocre, he was your legitimate eldest son and the bloodline of the royal family. For so many years, you have never truly cared for him, completely exhausting his filial affection for you. The Crown Prince was merely a target you set up. The person you always had in your heart was the son born to that woman."
The Empress was now showing signs of madness. Her past dignified demeanor was merely a mask.
"My son died at the age of nine. It was Concubine Chen who was responsible. Why did you not punish her?" The Empress's tears fell like raindrops. "After all these years, haven't we, mother and son, suffered enough grievances? Are you blind? Or heartless?"
"Presumptuous!" Emperor Chenghua's face turned crimson, his eyes bloodshot.
"Yes! I only regret being too late to be so presumptuous," the Empress exclaimed, snatching the golden crown from her head and smashing it fiercely onto the ground.
Everyone gasped and shrunk back, afraid of becoming a target.
The conflict between the Emperor and Empress was a fight to the death. The most terrifying thing was that the people in the hall would likely be buried with the loser by the victor.
"Today, I am no longer willing to be your Empress, nor am I willing to endure your pretense in silence," the Empress's face contorted. "The Crown Prince is already dead. You deposed him and made him a commoner, yet on the fourth day of his departure from the capital, he was killed by bandits. Bandits, hahaha, such powerful bandits."
"Concubine Chen, even now, you refuse to admit it?"
Concubine Chen slowly rose and said, "Sister, you have misunderstood. It truly wasn't me."
"Not you," the Empress smiled faintly. "You are from Xizhou. If it wasn't you, it was your master behind you in Xizhou. Isn't that right?"
Everyone was shocked again. Wasn't this Concubine Chen the sole daughter of Grand Tutor Ji? How did she become a Xizhou person? It turned out she was a spy.
The Third Prince's jaw dropped, "Mother Consort, is this... is this true?"
Good heavens, everyone's masks had been ripped off.
Li Man'er thought that although the situation had escalated a bit, it had its advantages. After Emperor Chenghua's death, neither the Third Prince, nor the Empress, nor Concubine Chen would be able to prevent the Seventh Prince from ascending the throne, and their plan would proceed more smoothly.
A guard rushed in to report, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the rebels have reached the city gates."
The show was about to begin.