The Gao family secretly gloated and became even more arrogant.
"Liang Xuguang doesn't have the guts to violate the ancestral precepts. As long as his troops stay put, the capital is surrounded by our Gao family's army. We hold the knives. We can take anyone's life if we want, and make anyone the emperor if we choose."
Gao Zhao daydreamed blissfully. "If we support the Second Prince to ascend the throne, Father will be the Grand General Protecting the Country, and as his brother-in-law, I'll surely be a first-rank official. A clown like Liang Wentao will just wait to be raided and dismissed from office!"
Gao Tianyu was initially rather cautious.
He understood that once the Crown Prince ascended the throne, the Gao family would surely be purged.
If the Second Prince ascended the throne, the Gao family would hold absolute power in the court.
By then, even the Jinning Duke's Mansion, which commanded 200,000 troops, would be overshadowed by the glory of the Gao family.
He couldn't resist such a temptation.
Rather than waiting for death, it was better to take a desperate gamble.
The Crown Prince had no available troops at his disposal. Given the current situation, it was favorable for the Second Prince.
Their chances of winning were very high.
On the third day when the emperor failed to attend court, there were stirrings in the court.
All the officials, big and small, were in a panic and restless.
Today's morning court session was exceptionally long and lasted until afternoon.
The Crown Prince ordered the imperial kitchen to send in food. After they finished eating, they continued to discuss state affairs.
It wasn't until evening, when night fell, that none of the officials could go home.
No one dared to raise an objection and they silently waited.
Everyone knew in their hearts that the emperor probably wouldn't survive this night.
During the break, the Crown Prince received a secret letter from Liang Yuzhou.
"Gao Tianyu's 'illness' has miraculously recovered. He can walk briskly and is secretly mobilizing troops. Except for the north gate, the other three city gates in the capital are all guarded by the Gao family's army. Additionally, 3,000 elite soldiers have entered the Chunling Villa."
The Crown Prince scanned the officials below.
Gao Zhao had asked for leave today, saying he needed to take care of his father. Neither father nor son had come to court.
Li Luxiang came out from the Yangxin Palace and gave the Crown Prince something.
The tiger tally to mobilize the Golden Feather Guards.
Gao Tianyu and Gao Zhao were busy mobilizing troops for defense, preparing to surround the imperial palace.
A spy reported, "All 8,000 Golden Feather Guards have been mobilized. All the entrances and exits of the imperial palace are strictly guarded."
The Golden Feather Guards were the emperor's personal army. They were extremely powerful and could fight a hundred with one.
Gao Zhao didn't take it seriously. "We have 50,000 troops. Are we afraid of 8,000 of them?"
The Gao family's army had experienced many battles and their strength couldn't be underestimated either.
Lu Siming ignored the ban. He put on a suit of armor, mounted his horse, and looked confident.
"Although the Golden Feather Guards are few in number, their combat power is remarkable. If the two sides engage in a fight, the situation will be very stalemated."
What he wanted was a crushing advantage. He wanted to cut through the mess quickly and make Lu Sihong completely give up resistance and surrender the throne.
The longer the time dragged on, the more variables there would be.
He had read military strategies. Subduing the enemy without fighting was the best policy.
"The Crown Prince, the King Rui, Liang Yuzhou, Liang Wentao and others are all gathered in the imperial palace tonight. The defense of the Eastern Palace must be very weak."
Lu Siming muttered softly, with a sinister smile like a venomous snake on his face.
In the Eastern Palace, there was the person he had been longing for day and night.
...
There were 1,000 guards in the Eastern Palace tonight.
All the secret guards had also been dispatched.
Zhou Sheng and Zhou Yan guarded the front gate.
The capable generals of the Crown Prince guarded the back gate.
The entire imperial palace was in a solemn and solemn atmosphere.
There was no sound of talking, only hasty footsteps that quickly faded away in the cold late night.
In the bedroom, Song Wanchu accompanied Cheng Simian.
The maids who knew martial arts, such as Lv Yi, Ying Lan and Xia He, guarded the bedroom door.
They were the last line of defense for the Crown Princess and the County Princess.
Both Cheng Simian and Song Wanchu had already put on plain clothes according to their respective identities.
Next, they could only wait quietly.
Cheng Simian's body was constantly shaking and her hands and feet were cold.
Song Wanchu was calmer than her. She held her hand and comforted her softly, "It'll be okay."
Cheng Simian took a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly.
Lu Sihong, you must ascend the throne smoothly...
Suddenly, the sound of striking the cloud gong came from outside.
In the imperial palace, the cloud gong was used to announce a death.
If the emperor passed away, the cloud gong would be struck nine times.
One strike, two strikes, three strikes...
The two held each other's hands tightly, held their breath and silently counted one by one.
Seven strikes, eight strikes, nine strikes.
The sound of the cloud gong stopped, and the shrill and loud voice of the eunuch sounded.
"The emperor has passed away! The emperor has passed away! The emperor has passed away!"
The voice came from afar and got closer.
Cheng Simian and Song Wanchu supported each other and walked out of the main hall. They knelt down facing south.
As far as they could see, all the eunuchs, maids and guards knelt down one after another.
"Farewell to the late emperor. May you rest in peace."
After three kneels and nine kowtows, the first ceremony was completed.
Next, if the Crown Prince ascended the throne smoothly, the first imperial edict would come to the Eastern Palace.
It would summon the Crown Princess and the County Princess Yuening into the palace to see off the late emperor.
The two silently prayed in their hearts, hoping for the arrival of the imperial edict.
Suddenly, the ground under their feet began to tremble.
It was as if thousands of horses were galloping past.
Immediately afterwards, the sound of battle cries rang out.
Cheng Simian's eyes were cold and sharp. "So soon? The emperor's body is not even cold yet, and Lu Siming can't wait to rebel!"
Song Wanchu suddenly grabbed her arm, her voice tense. "Something's wrong. This sound is coming towards the Eastern Palace!"
The sound of the fight was right beside their ears.
Lv Yi and the others drew their swords and surrounded Cheng Simian and Song Wanchu.
"Crown Princess, County Princess, quickly enter the hall. It's dangerous outside!"
"If they're really coming for the Eastern Palace, there's no safe place to hide!"
Song Wanchu's heart was pounding wildly. Every nerve was like a bowstring stretched to the limit.
"Mianmian, Lu Siming is coming for you! The defense of the Eastern Palace is weak. He wants to kidnap you and force the Crown Prince to abdicate!"
Since ancient times, it has been considered shameful to kidnap the old, the weak, the sick and the disabled in a war between two armies.
Especially using a woman as a hostage was an even more despicable means.
But Lu Siming just chose the most despicable way!
He had no bottom line.
But he knew the Crown Prince's biggest weakness.
Five thousand troops against one thousand guards quickly formed a crushing situation.
Zhou Sheng and Zhou Yan rushed in covered in blood.
"Crown Princess, County Princess, we'll escort you away. The Eastern Palace is about to fall!"
The Crown Prince's guards also rushed in from the back gate. "The back gate is also about to fall!"
Song Wanchu made a prompt decision. "Mianmian, you change clothes with me. I'll hold Lu Siming back. You fight your way out from the back gate and send the Crown Princess to the Caiying Palace of Princess Lingyang!"
The Caiying Palace was the safest place.
Even if the war reached the Yangxin Palace, no one would harm the only princess of the Great Zhou at this time.
Cheng Simian firmly refused. "Wanchu, I can't let you get into danger!"
They had promised to support each other. How could she run away and leave Wanchu at such a critical moment?
"Mianmian, this is not the time to be loyal!"
Song Wanchu's tone was urgent and stern. "Lu Siming wants to use you to blackmail the Crown Prince. We must not let him succeed! Even if he captures me, it won't be of much use. As long as the Crown Prince ascends the throne smoothly, Lu Siming will be a rebel and everyone will be able to punish him. The army of the old duke will also act accordingly!"
"But..."
"Mianmian!"
The corners of Song Wanchu's eyes were already red. Her gaze was more determined than ever. "I've lost a child. I don't want you to taste that kind of painful and desperate feeling! I couldn't protect my baby back then. Now I'm willing to risk my life to protect your and the Crown Prince's child! For me, for the baby, please go quickly!"
Cheng Simian bit her lips hard to hold back the sobs.
The battle in the Eastern Palace ended quickly.
After the sound of the fight stopped, the smell of blood spread in the magnificent palace.
Lu Siming stepped on the corpses and excitedly kicked open the bedroom door.
The cold wind blew and the curtain fluttered.
On the couch, a beautiful figure was sitting quietly.
She had her back to the door. Her figure was slender and graceful, and she was wearing plain mourning clothes.
On the hem of the mourning clothes, a five-tailed phoenix was embroidered.
Lu Siming pierced the curtain with his sword and slowly showed a ferocious smile. "Cheng Simian, it seems that Lu Sihong doesn't care about you that much. He still cares more about his throne."
The sharp and cold blade was pressed against the long and white neck.
"Beauty, you don't need to be afraid. After I become the emperor, you'll still be the queen. Now, turn around. I'll take you to the imperial palace. I want you to watch Lu Sihong kneel at my feet and beg for mercy like a dog!"
The person on the couch slowly turned around.
Lu Siming's face changed drastically.
(Guys, I went back home recently. There were a lot of things to do and my daily routine was disrupted, which also messed up my update schedule. I'll update one chapter first and another chapter before 12 o'clock tomorrow.)