Xiao Luolan looked at her daughter who was eager to step on the ice and walked to the shore: "Dongxue, you must not spoil her. Pull Qingxue up to avoid falling into the water."
Dongxue, who was standing by the river, grabbed the little lady's wrist and gently pulled her to the shore. The little lady was timid and playful, so she let her stand by the river and held her hand firmly. Only the tips of his little toes were stretched out to touch the thick ice.
Xiao Qingxue was not angry even after landing on the shore, and said with a smile: "The ice here is so thick."
Xia He immediately delivered the heater to the young lady, and Xiao Qingxue stepped on the snow on the ground again. Dad and the others were really lucky. The weather was suddenly cold, and Chang'an City was even more short of food and clothing. There used to be a post station here in Baqiao. , the scale is still very large. When they heard the rebels coming, they surrendered directly. Dad and the others did not let A Niang and themselves get too close to Chang'an. They would not be taken into Chang'an by Dad and the others until everything stabilized.
Even from a long distance, Xiao Qingxue could see the billowing smoke rising in the direction of Chang'an, covering the sky and the sun, and large swaths of dark clouds seemed to cover the entire sky.
Baqiao is only twenty miles east of Chang'an. It is very close to Chang'an. There are thousands of willow trees planted along the embankment of Baqiao. There is also Baqiao Town on the east bank of Baqiao. Most people coming from Tongguan must pass through this town. Take Ba Bridge and then enter Chang'an.
Speaking of which, Baqiao is considered an important place.
After Dad settled them, he took Amu, Jin Ben, Hu Dali and others to attack Chang'an, leaving Yang Dong, Shiliu and enough soldiers to look after them.
"No matter how thick it is, you have to be careful. The water is very fast." Xie Qingwu also walked to the shore and said.
"I understand, sister Qingwu." Xiao Qingxue smiled.
"This is Baqiao." Zhou Shiliu exclaimed. He was wearing a battle armor, and the long bright red tassel of his helmet was fluttering in the wind. He looked excited and excited, and kept looking in the direction of Chang'an. It can be said that he was looking forward to it: "Auntie, Qingxue." He paused, smiled wildly, and said rebelliously: "This Chang'an City will soon become my family and the world."
No one can remain calm during such a victory.
Xie Wanjun was standing not far away. As an older man, he was more stable. However, Xiao Luolan found that his eyes never left the direction of Chang'an. He even heard Shiliu's arrogant words and had no reaction. It was cold in winter. , but his forehead was covered with sweat.
They've staked everything.
Xie Qingwu was also looking in the direction of Chang'an.
After Yang Dong arranged the defense around the princess, he couldn't help but look towards Chang'an. Scouts came and went from Baqiao to Chang'an almost every hour. Xiao Luolan pressed the furry hat of his daughter next to him and touched it again. Her slightly cold face said: "Why don't you go sit in Bating for a while, the wind is a bit strong here."
It had been a while since the last scout delivered the news. Zhou Lang's move of sending food was very popular. The Chang'an garrison was almost helpless. Chang'an was in danger when faced with the pressure of the army.
A scout suddenly came on horseback and knelt down to report: "The city of Chang'an has been destroyed. Your Majesty summons the Duke to the palace tomorrow for an audience. The general has an order and orders Captain Yang to escort the princess and the princess into Chang'an."
Xie Wanjun raised his head sharply, his eyes gleamed with light, and he said three times in a row: "Okay, okay, okay!"
Xiao Luolan took her daughter back into the carriage. She lifted the curtains and saw fine snow falling outside. Infected by the emotions of the people around her, she unconsciously became a little nervous.
Xiao Qingxue quietly lay next to grandma's ear and said: "Grandma, my heart is beating a little fast. Dad really succeeded in his rebellion. It's like a dream."
Xiao Qingxue knew what her father was doing, a rebellion in ancient times, but no matter how much she read in books or how much she understood, it was just a few sentences, and she didn't really feel the sense of oppression. It was fine before , she didn’t feel much, but as she got closer and closer to Chang’an, her heart beat faster and faster.
That's the emperor.
Who would have thought that her stepfather would be the emperor, her aunt would be the queen, and she would be the princess! If we went back to modern times, who would believe her? They would probably think she was mentally ill.
Xiao Luolan touched her daughter's heart and felt at ease: "It's not a dream." She hugged her daughter and patted her back gently.
Not long after, Xiao Luolan met the Xie family who came to greet them.
When Xie Qingwu saw her mother-in-law, her eyes were red before she could speak. The mistress of the Xie family hugged her daughter tightly, shedding tears and trembling slightly. Youzhou soldiers, just in the morning, after breaking the city, the general killed the high-ranking families in Chang'an City who did not surrender. This move frightened many nobles who were still maintaining their proud attitude.
Chang'an City instantly flowed into a river of blood.
Counting forward, no matter who becomes the emperor, he will support the wealthy nobles like them. The actions of Zhou Youzhou who broke into Chang'an City are undoubtedly a wake-up call for them.
Xie Wanjun believed that many people had not reacted at all. Most of them were still thinking about how to win over them when the new emperor came to power. As long as the new emperor still wanted to be famous, he would certainly give preferential treatment to them, veterans of the old dynasty.
So one by one, they watched the destruction of Da Chu with cold eyes, while holding their own and waiting for the recruitment of the new emperor.
But doing it so ruthlessly and cruelly, Xie Wanjun still felt a chill.
The Xie family brought a lot of people. After the Xie family calmed down their emotions, they took their daughter to visit Princess Youzhou, and Xiao Luolan treated her with courtesy.
The mistress of the Xie family said: "I can't thank you enough for the princess's great care of Qingwu in Luoyang. Why don't you go to the Xie Mansion with the little princess and let us entertain her well to express our gratitude."
Xiao Luolan also said politely: "Madam, please forgive me, Captain Yang has already sent people to relocate the Duke's Mansion in advance. It will be inconvenient to move it to another place." After the Holy Emperor granted Zhou Lang the title of Duke, he also had a corresponding one in Chang'an. The Duke's Mansion.
The two of them were polite for a while, and it was not until they entered Chang'an City that the Xie family's mother-in-law and a group of servants and daughters separated from Princess Youzhou's carriage.
Chang'an Avenue is very wide and long. Youzhou soldiers can be seen at the winning heights along the way. The streets are full of pools of blood that cannot be covered by the fine snow. Corpses can be seen everywhere on the blackened bricks. The entire city of Chang'an is immersed in a pool of blood from the change of imperial power. During the war, nobles and scholars died one after another.
Xiao Luolan looked at the rows of streets along the edge, with cornices and high-rise temples in the distance. She could imagine the prosperity of Chang'an when there was no war. Now the streets were dilapidated, and the footsteps of soldiers echoed rapidly and densely on the wide streets. Riding in the lead, they rolled up the wind and snow and headed towards the imperial city.
Xiao Luolan couldn't see clearly how many sergeants were pouring out from all directions. Youqi had always been a brave soldier in the army and acted extremely fast. They wanted to help their comrades continue to occupy Chang'an as quickly as possible. City, those who resist will be killed without mercy!
The screams of killing echoed in the sky above Chang'an City, forming a solid shadow. Yang Dong looked serious and listened to all directions. He escorted the princess and the little princess to the Duke's Mansion. When Zhang Yougong came back, he asked about the country. Where are you, the imperial guards in the palace?
“When the city was breached, the Imperial Guards in the palace wanted to escort the prince and others to escape. When the Duke got the news, he led his troops to kill all those people, and then captured the prince alive as well as all the adult princes and their families in the mansion outside the palace. "
"Finally, the general went to the palace with his elite soldiers to return the prince and others."
Xiao Luolan looked at the sky. At dusk in winter, the setting sun was like blood.
"Prime Minister Ji led the officials at the gate of the palace to rebuke the general for his disrespectful manners and obstructing the general from entering the palace." Zhang Yougong said the last sentence very lightly. The long bloody battle made this battle-hardened tooth general show his toughness. The smell of blood, his armor and face were covered in blood, but his extremely low voice was filled with murderous intent.
Yang Dong was startled and immediately realized something. He quickly asked in a low voice: "You mean the emperor might escape?"
"The prince can run away, why can't the emperor run away? I'm afraid that the emperor will delay the time so that he can escape to Shuzhong, and he will fall into the hands of Wei Guogong again." Zhang Yougong said.
"Then let's take the people and fight towards the palace together." Yang Dong gritted his teeth and said.
"That's what I meant." Zhang Yougong said.
Yang Dong looked at the princess, thought for a while and said: "Please ask the princess and the princess to move to the army and join us." He did not dare to leave the princess and the princess behind, so it was safer to take them with them.
Xiao Luolan also knew that it was safest to be with Yang Dong and the others, and had no objection, so Yang and Zhang led their troops to the palace.
When she arrived at the palace, Xiao Luolan heard an old voice as soon as she got off her horse. She looked through the crowd and saw that the palace door was closed. A purple-robed official said sternly in front of a group of officials: "Treason and traitor. If you want to go through this door today, just step through me!"
Zhou Xu's patience had reached the extreme. He was riding on a horse, with the army surrounding him behind him. However, in an instant, he turned over and dismounted, startling several officials at the gate of the palace. Only Ji Xiang remained motionless despite the danger, still glaring angrily. right.
Zhou Xu, wearing heavy armor, strode to the prince's side and picked up the prince like a chicken. Under the horrified eyes of everyone, he pushed and waved his big palm-like hand to instantly clear Ji Xiang and others who were blocking the way. He was an elderly minister, and he fell down with a slight push. He screamed mournfully, and within a few breaths, Zhou Xu grabbed the prince's head and banged it against the palace door.
The prince fainted instantly.
There was a bang at the palace door, everyone's eyelids jumped violently, and even Xiao Luolan's heart skipped a beat.
Ji Xiang was stunned for a moment, and then burst into tears. He was obviously going crazy, jumping to his feet and yelling angrily: "Zhou Xu, you actually treated the current prince like this, and you deserve to be punished for a serious crime!"
Zhou Xu threw the prince with blood on his head far away, and found that all the old ministers were looking at the prince. To be honest, he was really annoyed by these old ministers, but he had already killed many people, and he would not kill any more. Great, later on, he will need these people to show his kindness and tolerance.
"Okay, let's storm the palace gate." Zhou Xu threw away the prince like trash and said to Jin Ben and Tuoba Mu behind him.
As soon as he turned around, he saw his wife, who stared blankly at the bleeding prince and the old ministers who were crying around him.
Zhou Xu coughed and took his wife on the horse.
Xiao Luolan held it in for a long time and whispered: "I thought you would kill them or let the soldiers take them away." I never expected that the most seriously injured person would be the prince.
Zhou Xudao: "Killing them will dirty my hands. Force these people away. These people will commit suicide when they get excited. It is better to let them surround the injured prince and have something to do. In this way, he will gain a reputation and don't have to die." ”
"I'm still very generous." Zhou Xu said without changing his expression.
The palace door was on the verge of falling down. Just when it was about to be breached, the palace door was suddenly opened. A chamberlain said in a high-pitched voice: "The Holy One has an order to bring Duke Yan to the palace to see him."
Ji Lianlian pushed away the crowd with a shudder, and for a moment his heart was filled with despair: "Did the Holy One say that?"
"Your Majesty, please." said the chamberlain.
Zhou Xu smiled and asked Jin Ben and Tuoba Mu to lead the troops to rush to the palace, completely control the palace, and confirm that there was no danger before entering. The army poured into the Chang'an Palace. Ji Xiang watched all this blankly, with empty tears. , he proposed last night that the Holy Spirit should go to Shu to avoid disaster. Holy Spirit, why don't you go?
Ji Xiang followed the rebels and entered the palace.
In the past, the Taiji Hall was full of civil and military dynasties. Now only the emperor was left. The entire Duan Party was wiped out. With the information provided by the Xie family, anyone who was a member of the Duan Party was killed and their heads were rolling, so the court was mostly empty. There are even fewer people who have asked to resign due to sick leave and those who don't come without any reason. Without Ji Xiang and others, he would be alone.
Emperor Yongxing sat on the emperor's throne with disheveled hair, and Zhou Xu stepped into the Tai Chi Hall under the bloody setting sun.
Ji Xiang came in tremblingly, kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty!" His voice was so sad that it was unspeakable, and his eyes were filled with tears.
Zhou Xu looked directly at the emperor and stood with his sword in hand.
"Can't Duke Yan wait for three requests and three concessions?" the emperor sneered. It was vaguely visible that his handsome face was pale, his eyes were black, his pupils were bloodshot, and the dragon robe on his body looked empty. , the physical and mental condition is very bad.
"Why should I wait?" Zhou Xu said calmly: "I conquered this world with one soldier and one soldier, not the emperor's abdication. If we follow the ancient etiquette, it will take three years to say goodbye three times." He sneered. : "I don't have that much patience."
"You don't even have to save face, Zhou Xu, you are really as ambitious as my father said." Emperor Yongxing's hands were tightly grasping the armrest of the dragon chair. He was very thin, but in just a few months, his hair turned white. For the most part, he was completely different from before. His voice was hoarse and he cursed: "Today you have taken away my country, Da Chu. One day, someone will take away your country."
Zhou Xu sneered and said: "There is no eternal emperor. If my descendants are robbed, I can only blame my descendants for their incompetence and poor governance. If the government forces the people to rebel, the people will not be able to survive. It is deserving of being overthrown." .”
Emperor Yongxing always felt that Zhou Xu was mocking him by saying this. His face turned from pale to red, he coughed heavily, and his face was extremely ugly.
"Xie family told me that the Holy One wanted to flee south." Zhou Xu looked at the emperor and said, "I never thought that the Holy One would choose to stay in Chang'an, but I am impressed."
"I am the emperor." Emperor Yongxing tried to sit up straight, feeling pain in his abdomen. The gold nuggets fell heavily, and bloodshot eyes overflowed from the corners of his mouth and dripped onto his dragon robe. He murmured: "Kings have their own way of dying. .”
Prime Minister Ji in the palace began to cry and howl even more. He kowtowed and said, "I have been entrusted by the late emperor. I cannot quell the rebellion externally and eliminate traitors internally. I can only die today to repay the kindness of the late emperor." After saying this, he committed suicide by hitting a pillar. .
Emperor Yongxing smiled bitterly, and a tear slowly flowed from the corner of his eye. It was useless for him to regret it now.
In the final time.
The traitor who was one step away from the throne left the hall. Emperor Yongxing coughed violently, his mouth full of blood, and saw Zhou Xu bringing a woman in a cloak.
As soon as Xiao Luolan entered the door, she saw the death of the purple-robed official. Her cold hand was firmly held in a heat source. She looked up and saw a dying emperor sitting on the emperor's throne, Xiao Luolan. A little scared.
In Emperor Yongxing's blurred vision, he could no longer clearly see the appearance of this woman, but she must be Mrs. Huarong.
He endured the severe pain and mocked intermittently: "Tai...Taiji Hall...the most important place in the court, no woman has ever...entered...in. I think you are worse than me, and even more stupid..."
When a person is about to die, he can also speak kind words. When this emperor is about to die, he will always say bad words. Xiao Luolan pursed his lips, looked calm, and turned his head.
After Emperor Yongxing finished speaking, he completely lowered his head, shook his whole body weakly, fell off the throne, and rolled down to the main hall. The steps were stained with the blood of the emperor.
Xiao Luolan felt her wrist being held tighter, and her soft-soled shoes stepped on the blood of the Emperor. For a moment, Xiao Luolan felt that what she was stepping on was not blood, but the bones of ten thousand people.
Zhou Xu sat on the throne, with his wife beside him.
The emperor's throne was cold and hard. When Xiao Luolan sat on it, she still felt a little unreal. What she felt in her heart was more confusion and fear when she thought about what the throne represented in ancient times. A single decision could change the lives of thousands of people. changes happened.
She looked at Zhou Lang again. After everything settled, he was not as excited as she had imagined, but rather calm.
There were two corpses in the hall. Xiao Luolan's fingertips were cold and she couldn't help but ask: "Mr. Zhou, what are you thinking about?"
"The dragon chair is a bit cold and a bit hard." Zhou Xu expressed his true feelings.
Xiao Luolan's nervous and gloomy mood suddenly disappeared. She laughed out loud and moved her body: "I feel the same way." Sitting on it was as hard as sitting on an ice cube.
The two got closer.
"What to do next?" Xiao Luolan was inexperienced.
Seeing that his wife was amused by him, Zhou Xu held his wife's hand and also smiled and said: "Of course I canonize my wife as the queen."
"I only wish that the queen will live a thousand years," Zhou Xu said seriously.
