The raging fire in the Taiji Palace was finally extinguished with the concerted efforts of everyone.
When Ruan Niang helped the Empress Dowager over, Wei Dongling was holding a lantern and rummaging through the corpses, looking for something. Seeing the Empress Dowager approaching, Wei Dongling quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
The Empress Dowager grabbed Wei Dongling's hand. Her eyes were glistening with tears as she said, "Wanlin, I'm so relieved you're safe! So relieved!" The aged Empress Dowager had witnessed so many deaths in the palace today that she couldn't see a single loved one around. Now that she finally saw Wei Dongling, she almost wanted to hug her and cry loudly.
Wei Dongling comforted her in a soft voice, "Grand Empress Dowager, the deceased are gone. We who are still alive have to take on more responsibilities. We must cheer up."
The Empress Dowager gently stroked Wei Dongling's face and said tenderly, "Wanlin, you've grown up. I can finally rest assured."
Wei Dongling:...
It turned out that the Empress Dowager had been threatened with a knife by Concubine Shu earlier. In the chaos, she met Ruan Niang, who stepped forward bravely to save her.
"Grand Empress Dowager," Wei Dongling said respectfully, "Please recommend some capable people to me. After dawn, we still need to bury my father in the imperial mausoleum, and the Ninth Prince has to ascend the throne before the spirit tablet."
The Empress Dowager nodded repeatedly, then waved to a eunuch behind her and introduced, "This is Eunuch Xu Shun, the steward eunuch who has served me for many years."
Xu Shun quickly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "This humble one, Xu Shun, pays respects to Princess Fifth."
Wei Dongling nodded and asked, "Eunuch Xu, please rise quickly. Now is a time when we need capable people. I'd like to ask you, if I appoint you as the head of the Inner Court Department, can you handle the job?"
"The Inner Court Department?" Xu Shun was terrified and quickly looked at the Empress Dowager's expression. He knew very well how powerful the Inner Court Department was. He was just a servant who served the Empress Dowager. How could he take on such an important responsibility?
Seeing the Empress Dowager nodding at him repeatedly and giving him an encouraging look, and Princess Fifth also nodding at him and saying, "If you're not sure, you can give it a try first. If you think you can handle it after a month, I'll officially reward you."
Xu Shun then gritted his teeth and nodded, saying, "This humble servant won't decline!"
The Empress Dowager then pointed to two steward nuns and told them to follow Wei Dongling and wait for her orders at any time.
Pin Hao led people to the dungeon to release the former commander of the Imperial Guards, General Fang. He had been thrown into prison and tortured because he refused to submit to the control of the Tenth Prince. When he saw Pin Hao coming with the order from Princess Fifth to pick him up, General Fang was both sad and happy. He was happy that he no longer had to suffer the unjust imprisonment, but sad because he learned that the Emperor he had served for more than a decade had passed away. General Fang knelt in front of the Emperor's spirit tablet and cried loudly for a long time, as if the sky had fallen. Then he was helped up to pay respects to Wei Dongling and the "Ninth Prince".
That night, everyone was injured to varying degrees, but they didn't have time to rest. They were in a hurry to prepare for the funeral the next day.
The entire Imperial Medical Office was mobilized to treat the injured soldiers one by one.
The Imperial Guards and the Inner Court Department joined hands with the city - guarding soldiers to clean up the tens of thousands of corpses on the open ground. General Cui also brought his men over to help.
Wei Dongling searched through the pile of corpses that had been carried over. Seeing that these corpses were about to be burned in a pile, she was panicked. She was afraid that Yu Zixi was among them. She was also afraid that if she wasn't careful, he would be thrown into the firewood pile as a corpse and burned to ashes.
The sky gradually brightened. One by one, the corpses were thrown into the fire and burned to ashes. The open ground in front of the Taiji Palace was gradually cleaned up. But Wei Dongling didn't find Yu Zixi. Her face turned pale and her lips trembled as she asked Cui Huan beside her, "Huanhuan, could I have missed him?"
Cui Huan shook her head and said, "You haven't closed your eyes all night. How could you have missed him? Moreover, we've all been watching!"
Pin Hao and Jing Zhe came to report that they had checked all the injured soldiers overnight but still couldn't find Yu Zixi. They did find General Qi, who was on the verge of death, and the imperial doctors were still trying their best to save him.
Uncle Li and Luo Xunlong almost searched every corner of the palace, but Yu Zixi seemed to have vanished into thin air. He had completely disappeared without a trace.
Wei Dongling was extremely anxious. Where on earth had Yu Zixi gone? Was he alive or dead? If he was dead, why couldn't they find his body? Did someone secretly take him out of the palace?
Wei Dongling quickly asked Uncle Li, "Where is Zixi's master, He Jingyao?"
Uncle Li wiped his nose and said, "His leg was broken, and he was thrown into the prison of the Ministry of Justice."
Wei Dongling:...
Wei Dongling then asked, "What about Prince Xuan?"
Uncle Li spread his hands, indicating that he hadn't seen him. General Fang stepped forward and said, "Prince Rui attempted to rebel and deserved to be executed. As his descendant, Prince Xuan has been imprisoned."
Wei Dongling was extremely shocked when she heard this. The Imperial Guards were quite efficient this time! She quickly led people to the prison to pick up Murong Xuan.
Murong Xuan, with a bruised face, was quite embarrassed. He hesitated for a long time and covered his face with his sleeve, not daring to show his face. It wasn't until Wei Dongling praised him several times, saying that his facial injuries couldn't cover up his handsomeness at all and that he was extremely handsome for stepping forward bravely in times of crisis.
Only then did Murong Xuan carefully put down his sleeve and finally agree to go with Wei Dongling.
Cui Huan was quite speechless. She and Miss Wei, as women, had never been so concerned about their appearance. Miss Wei was even more straightforward. She dared to swagger around in men's clothes without wearing any makeup. And Brother Long in her family was a man who wouldn't even blink at a scar on his head! How could Prince Murong Xuan be so different? Just because his eyes were bruised and his face was swollen like a pig's head, he became so delicate?
Wei Dongling was worried that Murong Xuan might be depressed because his father had died in the palace due to his treachery. She kept tugging at Murong Xuan's sleeve and said, "There are so many things to do in the palace now. Brother Xuan, you can't hide here and enjoy a few days of leisure. You have to help me take charge of the overall situation!"
Murong Xuan looked at Wei Dongling with a doting look on his face and nodded in agreement.
When the sky was fully bright, the ruins in front of the Taiji Palace were finally cleaned up by everyone working together. Some of the civil and military officials who hadn't had time to escape from the palace the day before all huddled in the Taiji Hall to take shelter. There weren't too many casualties.
The Imperial Guards went from house to house early in the morning to pick up the remaining important officials who had escaped from the palace.
The late Emperor's funeral was held as usual. Wei Dongling supported the Empress Dowager to go and read the late Emperor's edict. Luo Xunlong, the "Ninth Prince", had his head wrapped tightly. He went to ascend the throne before the spirit tablet. It was said that he had injured his face during the chaos last night.
Wei Dongling twitched the corner of her mouth and whispered to Cui Huan, "What's wrong with your Brother Long? Wasn't he fine just now?" How could he have injured his face in the blink of an eye?
Cui Huan said speechlessly, "Brother Long said he was afraid that someone with sharp eyes would notice something amiss, so he asked Ruan Niang to wrap his head like this."
Wei Dongling: He didn't need to be wrapped up like a mummy, did he?
Under the guidance of Minister Liu of the Ministry of Rites, Luo Xunlong led the court officials to kowtow respectfully to the late Emperor. In this way, he successfully took over the imperial power. All the officials, guards, and relatives on the scene paid the grand courtesy of subject and sovereign to the new emperor, which meant they recognized him as the "acting emperor" to handle the state affairs.