Netizen uploaded episode 62

  It wasn't until much later that Minglan remembered those few days and still felt a bit fuzzy about them.

  That was the fifth day after San Wangye's adopted son, Ruolan had just received a pot of Yunyangwen bamboo, lush and dense, and invited Molan and Minglan to come and appreciate it. Molan was too lazy to listen to Ruolan's boasting, and half-jokingly brought up the matter of He family.

  "Mrs. He and the old lady had a deep friendship that spanned many years, but it was rare for them to post again. However, neither Madam nor the sisters went, so naturally only the old lady and I were left." Minglan covered up seamlessly.

  With a sly smile like an orchid, she deliberately drew out her tone and said: "Oh~~~, Fourth Sister was not going that time."

  Mo Lan's eyes blazed with anger and she glared at her fiercely.

  According to the old lady, after both families had seen the young couple, they were very satisfied, and this matter was already half settled. However, Minglan's two elder sisters had not yet been engaged, so she couldn't settle on her own engagement first, lest it be considered impolite and damaging to her reputation. Therefore, only Sheng Hong and Wang Shi knew about the meeting, while everyone else was kept in the dark.

  Sheng Hong made a thorough investigation of the Fan family's background, went back and forth to estimate it, and nodded repeatedly: "Although the family is a bit poor, it's a solid family, the brothers are sensible and capable, and with the old lady taking care of them tomorrow, they are a lucky family."

  Wang said with a slight smile, "That young man's father died early, and his grandfather retired early too. There is only an elder uncle outside who holds the position of Tongzhi, but marrying Ming Yingtou would be sufficient."

  In fact, she is a good match for He Hongwen, with average conditions but proper proportions in all aspects. She has a wealthy family background and an official background, so she doesn't need to serve her parents-in-law much. After marrying, she can be the mistress of the house herself. Although it doesn't look very good, it's actually quite practical.

  Wang didn't know that this kind of man was called an "economically suitable husband" in Minglan's world and was very popular; after the couple finished talking, Sheng Hong went to the Ministry of Works, while Changbai had left earlier for the Hanlin Academy.

  That day was exceptionally gloomy, and the sky was already gray and overcast at dawn. By noon, it remained cloudy. Although it was already early winter, the autumn heat wave returned, making people feel suffocated and sweaty to the point of being unbearable.

  It was only the beginning of the afternoon when the evening drum sounded in the city, and the heavy thud thud sound directly hit people's hearts, making them feel down. Immediately, the whole city was under martial law, every household closed their doors and did not go out, there were no pedestrians on the road, and soldiers patrolled everywhere, seeing a suspicious person would be stabbed to death with one knife. In just a few hours, many innocent people lost their lives on the road.

  The wealthy families all closed their doors, and it wasn't until evening that Sheng Hong and Zhang Bai didn't return home. Wang Shi immediately panicked, Hai Shi was still calm, but she looked worried with her belly sticking out. The whole family was in a state of anxiety for three days, and the two father and son did not come back. No one knew what had happened, and all the women gathered at Shou'an Hall, not knowing what to do. The old lady's face turned iron-green as she scolded them not to panic, while ordering the servants to secretly go out and ask around.

  Who would have thought that the situation outside had become even more severe, not even allowing people to go out and buy vegetables or gather firewood? Anyone who dared to argue was beheaded on the spot. No one knew what was going on, only that the Imperial Guard had taken control of the capital and some troops had been deployed from the Five Cities Military Command. The old lady secretly sent someone to ask Kang Yuer, and only then did she learn that Zhang Yu hadn't returned home for several days either. Yuer refused to hide at her mother's house and stayed at home crying all day.

  The women all sat together, at a loss for what to do, their minds in a state of panic. In the silent room, only the soft sound of Mo Lan's crying could be heard. Like Orchid was leaning against Wang Shi's bosom, Hai Shi stared blankly into space with her eyes wide open, Chang Feng paced back and forth anxiously at the door, Chang Dang opened his eyes wide and tightly grasped Ming Lan's sleeve, not daring to speak. Ming Lan only felt a chill run through her body, as if a cold air had seeped out from her bones. Despite the sweltering heat of the day, she felt cold enough to shiver.

  She first realized the importance of her father and brother in this family. What if Sheng Huan or Chang Bai died? Minglan didn't dare to imagine.

  Sheng Hong may not be a good son or husband, but he is qualified as a father. Whenever he has spare time, he never forgets to check his children's homework, guide his son in reading and exams, and teach his daughter manners and knowledge. He doesn't just scold people. For the sake of his children's future, he carefully selects teachers, inquires about famous masters everywhere, and even asks Long Dong for help, finding a good school in the capital city.

  Minglan couldn't help but want to cry, she didn't want to lose this father.

  On the fourth day, people still haven't returned, only vaguely heard that it was San Wangye who rebelled and has been beheaded. Now Si Wangye is following orders to search everywhere for those who colluded in the rebellion. Several lecturers from San Wangfu have been executed, eight officials from Zhan Shi Fu, including the junior lecturer, have been killed. Wen Hua Dian's Grand Scholar Shen Zhen, Nei Ge's second-in-command Yu Yan, and Li Bu's Minister of Justice have all been accused of colluding in the crime and given a white silk to hang themselves. Many other officials who were implicated have been arrested and taken to the imperial prison, their lives or deaths unknown.

  This news was like adding frost to snow, and for a time the whole city of Beijing was in an uproar, with the women of the Sheng household being especially frightened.

  "What is the imperial prison?" Rulan asked anxiously, "Did Father and Elder Brother go there?"

  Mo Lan burst into tears: "That's the Emperor's personal prison, it's said that those who go in don't come out alive or with their skin intact! Could it be... Father and Brother are also..." Ming Lan's face turned cold as she shouted loudly: "Fourth sister, don't spout nonsense! Father and elder brother are cautious, never form cliques, and have no dealings with the Third Prince's residence, how could they be implicated?!"

  "This isn't necessarily true!" Lin Niang, who had been standing behind them all along, couldn't help but say, "The mistress and Princess Ping Ning are in constant contact, and that princess is a close relative of the Sixth Prince. The Sixth Prince and the Third Prince are as thick as thieves..."

  "Shut up!" Before Lin's wife had finished speaking, the old lady suddenly flew into a rage and smashed a bowl of scalding hot tea to the ground, splashing water everywhere. The old lady stood up straight, standing before everyone, and Minglan had never seen her so majestic and awe-inspiring.

  "Now everything is unclear, don't say any more depressing words! Whoever dares to say another half sentence will be slapped immediately!" The old lady swept her gaze over the people below with a fierce aura, Wang Shi held back tears and wept softly, Lin Niang lowered her head in silence.

  The old lady's face was resolute, and she said word by word: "Those generals' families, their fathers and brothers went to war, but they are still living a good life. Are you going to be as useless as them?" The women's sobbing sounds subsided slightly, and the old lady said sternly: "Life and death are destined, wealth and honor are in heaven, the Sheng family has ancestral protection and divine blessing, they will come back safely!"

  Perhaps it was the old lady's stern shout, or perhaps everyone had become too tense, but they suddenly calmed down. Wang Shi wiped away her tears and continued with her household chores as usual, glaring at the frightened servants and telling them to watch the door.

  That night, an unknown army sneaked into the capital under the cover of darkness and clashed with the city's defenders in a fierce street battle. Fortunately, the Sheng Mansion was not located in the Golden District, but only knew that the imperial palace and the prince's mansion were surrounded by the sounds of killing, flames filling the sky, blood flowing through the streets, and many civilians died under the chaotic blades.

  The women had to shrink at home, frightened and unable to calm down for a whole day and two nights. On the sixth day, early in the morning, the killing sounds suddenly stopped. The sky poured down a small rain, dispersing the sultry heat that had lasted for several days. A cool breeze blew into the house, allowing people to breathe out a sigh of relief. Then, under the misty drizzle, Sheng Xun and Zhang Bai finally returned home.

  The father and son were both disheveled, one with a full beard and sunken eye sockets, as if he had spent the Golden Week in detention, while the other had sunken cheeks and pale lips, as if he had been watching horror movies for a week straight.

  Wang was laughing and crying as she went up, Lin Niang also wanted to rush up, but unfortunately was cleverly blocked by Liu Kun's family. Hai Shi didn't care about etiquette either, pulling on Chang Bai's arm and refusing to let go. The three Lans were excitedly pulling on their father's sleeve with tears all over their faces. In the midst of the chaotic questioning and answering, no one could hear clearly. It was still the old lady who spoke up and told the two men to go and clean up first.

  The most urgent matter of life and death was like a world away, after washing and dressing, Sheng Huai couldn't help but burst into tears as he hugged the old lady's knees; Chang Bai comforted Wang Shi and Hai Shi who were crying, it took them a long time to calm down. The old lady dismissed all the maidservants and asked Sheng Huai and his son to explain everything from start to finish.

  Six days ago, the old emperor still claimed to be ill and did not attend court, with various departments submitting memorials to the Grand Council. Originally everything was fine, but unexpectedly the situation changed suddenly. First, Xu Xin, the commander of the Imperial Guard, was ambushed and killed outside Xihua Gate. Then, Vice Commander Rong Xian took control of the capital's garrison and declared a state of emergency in the imperial city. The Fourth Prince entered the palace to protect the emperor on imperial orders.

  Sheng Hongyi heard this news and knew that it was the Fourth Prince who had launched a military coup.

  Wu Yong, the deputy commander of the Five Dynasties Army, had Wu Zongdao, the commander-in-chief, placed under house arrest. He then led his troops to take control of the Six Ministries and the Censorate, detaining a group of officials in the process. The Imperial Guards surrounded the palace and the residence of the Third Prince. The Fourth Prince presented a forged imperial edict and forced the Third Prince to drink poisoned wine, killing him. He then launched a military coup against the Emperor, forcing him to abdicate and install himself as the new heir apparent.

  Minglan's heart skipped a beat, and suddenly another Xuanwu Gate incident unfolded before her eyes!

  However, the Fourth Prince was not Li Shimin, and the old emperor was not Li Yuan. He had left himself a backhand, but Sheng Xuan's father and son did not know how the old emperor would act. They only knew that several days later, the three major camps stationed in the suburbs of the capital counterattacked, and several deputy commanders under the Five Military Commissions escaped to rescue Tou Zhongshi, then took advantage of the situation to kill Wu Yong, regain control of the guards, and then coordinate with each other to put the three major camps into the city and launch a joint counterattack on the imperial city.

  The situation immediately reversed, and the two factions clashed in close combat. The Fourth King's army was defeated and captured, and the rest of the conspirators were either killed or captured or escaped. The 'Shenchen Rebellion' that lasted for seven days came to an end.

  "Fortunately, our Lord Secretary was quick-witted and immediately led us into the hidden chamber of the Ministry of Works, where we had stored food and water. We can hide out for a few days without harm; but as for our colleagues in other departments... some were killed by the bandits during their capture, while others were injured or killed in last night's chaos."

  The always silent Longbai suddenly said: "When the First Assistant escaped and the Second Assistant was killed, those treacherous officials forced Tang University Scholar to draft an imperial edict. The university scholar refused and scolded them as rebellious ministers and traitorous sons. After finishing speaking, he knocked his head against the golden steps and died, with blood splashing on our clothes; Then they coerced Imperial Lecturer Lin, who also refused to obey and died with a smile; Next was Imperial Reader Kong, who spat at the face of the rebel soldiers and was beheaded. As Longbai spoke, her eyes turned red, and Hai stood beside her, silently wiping away tears. Those people were all disciples of her grandfather in his early years and had always taken good care of Longbai.

  "...Dong Daoren will arrive late in the evening, and by then it would be too late for me, a mere seventh-grade compiler." Chang Bai's face turned pale as he bitterly smiled, "At that time, Sun Er had already written his farewell letter and hid it in his sleeve."

  Wang knew that her son was still alive at this moment, but she was still pale with fright, tightly grasping Zhang Bo's sleeve. Zhang Feng's expression was gloomy, his lips moved a few times as if thinking about how to respond, then he lowered his head. Lin Niang's eyes flickered a few times, seeming to be unwilling to accept the situation.

  The house had been quiet for a long time, and the sound of dripping water could be heard. Sheng Hong sighed again: "Heavenly family bone, how did it come to this!"

  No one answered, and after a while, Zhang Bai gathered his emotions and said quietly: "It would be better if the emperor had established an heir earlier."

  Everything originated from the long-standing vacancy of the throne, and the old emperor's hesitation led to a prolonged standoff between the two princes. Both sides gathered large forces, with civil officials attacking each other and military generals forming their own factions. The two sides were like fire and water, and later on, they all found themselves in an irreconcilable situation. The moment the old emperor agreed to let the third prince inherit the throne was when he lit the fuse.

  At that time, the Fourth Prince was willing to give up, but the people around him were also unwilling to retreat for their own careers.

  "It's fortunate that Old Master Yuan and Wu Ge are both safe, our family can be considered to have been blessed by our ancestors!" The old lady let out a long sigh.

  Yuan Wenshao was a trusted follower of Dou Xi, and together they were placed under house arrest, rescued, and then counter-attacked the imperial city. They met with resistance but managed to escape unscathed. As for Zhang Wuji, his unit, the Central Imperial Guard, had been ordered to leave the capital earlier due to a forged edict, so he was not involved in the chaos. He even made some minor contributions during the counter-attack and is likely to be promoted slightly.

  A tragic and bloody battle, a sudden change in the imperial court, how many heads fell to the ground, how many families were broken and people lost their lives. Everyone was exhausted, both the speaker and the listener were tired. The old lady called for everyone to go back and rest, the crowd walked out one after another. Sheng Xun went out first, he wanted to return to his study to write two memorials, Chang Fang and Zhang Qi followed behind him, then came the girls.

  As he was about to leave Changbai, he stood up, hesitated for a moment, and suddenly turned back to say to the old lady and Wang Shi beside her: "There's one more thing... The Sixth Princess and the Countess of Jiacheng have passed away."

  At this time, the three orchids had already walked out of the door, but at that time, it was late at night and people were quiet, they all heard this sentence, after being stunned, they all stopped in their tracks, tiptoeing to the door to listen.

  The old lady in the house and Hai were both startled, and Wang hastily asked: "How did he die?"

  Chang Bai's tone was very difficult: "Fu Chang Hou colluded with the Fourth Prince, Xiao Rong Fei acted as an insider, before the outbreak they summoned some royal family women to enter the palace as hostages. After the coup, Rong Xian rushed into the palace and took away Liu Wang Fei and Jia Cheng County Lord in front of everyone. Until yesterday, when Dong Zhihuai led the troops in, they found the bodies of Liu Wang Fei and her daughter in a palace chamber..."

  Chang Bai hesitated for a moment, seemingly finding it hard to put his words together. But thinking that so many soldiers had seen the corpse at the time, and the matter couldn't be kept secret anyway, he briefly said: "It was suicide."

  The air seemed to have suddenly stagnated, and the instant chill struck the girls' hearts, making Lan and Mo Lan's faces turn pale with fright, covering their mouths in disbelief. Ming Lan couldn't see the scene inside the house, but presumably everyone was also terrified.

  After a moment of silence, an old woman's hoarse voice rang out: "Could it be... for the sake of Rong's daughter?"

  "It's true." Chang Bai said in a soft voice, "That Rong Xiang had been shouting about avenging his sister, but several months ago they discovered that the kidnappers of Miss Rong were actually the guards and servants of the Sixth Princess in disguise. They just wanted to ruin Miss Rong's reputation and make her unable to stand in the capital. Who knew that something unexpected happened, and unexpectedly the young county lord was so ruthless, while Miss Rong was also a fierce and stubborn person...". Chang Bai's words were ambiguous, but everyone who heard them understood.

  "They can report to the Emperor!" Wang's urgent voice.

  "What can be done even if I'm told?" Chang Bai said calmly.

  Yes, what can be done after reporting it? Would the old emperor kill his own daughter-in-law or granddaughter to avenge Rong Feiyan's death? Little Rongfei has no children, and the old emperor is still alive. The six princes' families dare to be so arrogant. If the old emperor dies, the Rong family will be on the chopping block. It would be better to rely on the fourth prince who is in a difficult situation, killing two birds with one stone, and Rong Feiyan's death would be the spark of hatred.

  Inside the house, no one spoke. Minglan took one of her sisters by the hand and quietly turned to leave. Halfway out, Molan covered her mouth and began to cry softly. After all, they were girls who had shared tea and conversation together, two vibrant young lives that just a few months ago were full of vitality, now both dead in tragic circumstances.

  "Is this matter considered settled?"

  It seems that it's far from over, there will be another showdown, plus a new crown prince.