Standalone Northern and Southern Dynasties

Chapter 14: The Golden Vase
Su Ze, standing on the palace gate wall, watched as the huge golden bottle of Yongning Temple tilted from the top of the wooden tower. Then the iron chain on the top of the tower pulled the golden bottle, driving the golden bowl, making a chaotic roar. The carriage of Empress Dowager Hu in front of Yongning Temple finally noticed the abnormality above their heads!
Empress Dowager Hu's carriage was obviously in a panic. Such a huge golden bottle fell from the top of such a high tower. Even if they were not hit by the golden bottle, the flying bricks and stones would cause great damage.

The street from the Imperial Palace to Yongning Temple was very narrow, and there was no room for such a huge carriage to dodge!
In the panic, some people quickly stood up.

The eunuch Liu Teng quickly ordered the Yulin Lang and Huben Lang who were responsible for guarding the Forbidden City to clear the way, and then drove the carriage quickly into the gate of Yongning Temple!

The huge golden bottle smashed heavily to the ground. As expected, it caused huge casualties. The whole street was filled with smoke and screams.

Empress Dowager Hu, who was escorted into Yongning Temple, finally came to her senses. She opened the beaded curtain in shock and saw the miserable scene on the street in front of Yongning Temple. Thinking that she almost became one of them, her face turned even paler.

Empress Dowager Hu was wearing gorgeous palace robes and her face was heavily rouge-painted. She looked around and felt a deep fear.

Empress Dowager Hu's father, Hu Guozhen, was seriously ill. Empress Dowager Hu went to Yongning Temple today to pray for her father. It was originally a last-minute decision.

But it was clearly a temporary decision, but this kind of thing happened. This made Empress Dowager Hu wary of the people around her.

Was this a warning from the gods or an assassin? Empress Dowager Hu, who had experienced the brutal political struggles during the reign of Emperor Xuanwu, was more convinced that someone was trying to assassinate her.

She looked at the eunuch Liu Teng, who had just ordered Yu Lin Lang and Huben Lang to escort her carriage into Yongning Temple, and her eyes softened a lot. If Liu Teng had not acted decisively and escorted her carriage into Yongning Temple, she might have met with an unexpected accident.

As a result, among all the people around him, Liu Teng is the only one who is the most trustworthy.

Empress Dowager Hu looked at her trusted maids again, and said to Liu Teng, "Liu Changqiu, send someone you can trust to report to the imperial court and tell the officials that I am safe."

Liu Teng's position was the Grand Chamberlain, the chief eunuch in charge of all the affairs of Empress Dowager Hu's palace. He quickly intervened and said, "Yes!"

Liu Teng took two steps forward and said to Empress Dowager Hu, "Empress Dowager, since your holy body is fine, I would like to ask for the imperial decree to require the princes, ministers, and military guards in the capital to stay in their garrisons to prevent villains from taking advantage of the opportunity to cause chaos."

Empress Dowager Hu glanced at Liu Teng approvingly, and Liu Teng continued, "Please ask the emperor to order the general to guard the Yongning Temple."

Empress Dowager Hu thought for a moment and realized that General Yuan Yi was her brother-in-law. The General was in charge of the defense of the Forbidden City, and was the supreme commander of the Yulin Lang and Huben Lang in the Forbidden City.

Normally, Yuan Yi would be the most suspicious in this kind of situation. However, today it was Yuan Yi's turn to be on duty at court, and Empress Dowager Hu went out without notifying Yuan Yi to escort her, so his suspicion was reduced a lot.

Moreover, although Yuan Yi was a member of the royal family of Wei, he had never had any prestige within the clan and relied on his status as his brother-in-law to rise to power. At a time like this, it was his own family members who were reliable.

Empress Dowager Hu nodded again and said, "Order General Yuan Yi to come and protect the emperor."

The news of the huge commotion at the Yongning Temple Pagoda spread quickly. Su Ze saw Prince Qinghe, who had just entered the palace in a grand procession, and quickly led the scholars in white to rush towards the Yongning Temple.

Su Ze sighed. It was no wonder that the King of Qinghe lost in the political struggle. His political acumen was too low.

When Empress Dowager Hu's carriage was attacked, everyone in the capital was naturally suspected, and the princes of the royal family were the most suspicious.

After all, a minister who murdered Empress Dowager Hu could not become emperor, but a prince could.

Prince Qinghe Yuan Yi was the son of Emperor Xiaowen and was also a major suspect.

Now that Empress Dowager Hu's carriage was attacked, Su Ze saw the largest carriage rushed into the gate of Yongning Temple, and the golden bottle was entangled by the iron chain when it overturned, giving Empress Dowager Hu time to hide. Presumably, Empress Dowager Hu should be fine. However, because the golden bottle overturned, the guards around Empress Dowager Hu must have been weakened a lot. At this time, Prince Qinghe led the white-clothed scholars to Yongning Temple to rescue her, which would definitely cause Empress Dowager Hu's fear.

When he thought about the fact that Yongning Temple was built under the supervision of Prince Qinghe, he became even more suspicious.

Su Ze even thought that this was a trap set against Prince Qinghe to alienate the relationship between him and Queen Mother Hu.

However, Su Ze thought about it carefully again. If Prince Qinghe did not go to rescue the emperor but stayed where he was, he would also appear very suspicious because of not going to rescue the emperor.

Su Ze couldn't help but sigh that the planner was really powerful. This was a dead end that would arouse suspicion no matter whether he went to rescue the emperor or not.

Sure enough, not long after Prince Qinghe led his white-clad scholars to Yongning Temple, he was stopped by Liu Teng and his Yulin Huben Lang.

"Prince Qinghe, the Queen Mother has issued an imperial decree requiring the princes and ministers to stay in their residences and not move rashly!"

A look of hesitation appeared on the handsome face of Prince Qinghe. He looked at Liu Teng and said, "I am a minister of the royal family. I want to see the Queen Mother!"

Liu Teng simply repeated the Empress Dowager Hu's order, "The Empress Dowager's decree requires the princes and ministers to stay in the mansions of the yamen and not to move rashly!"

The white-clothed scholars around Prince Qinghe surrounded him, and one of them said to him, "Your Majesty, the Queen Mother has ordered that you should return to the palace immediately!"

Prince Qinghe looked at the wooden pagoda of Yongning Temple whose roof was broken by the golden bottle, stamped his feet and sighed, and said to the white-clothed scholars around him: "Go back to your province!"

Empress Dowager Hu was also like a frightened bird in Yongning Temple. Soon, Grand Chamberlain Liu Teng came to report:
"Queen Dowager, Prince Qinghe led the palace guards to seek an audience with the Queen Dowager, but was stopped by the servants on their own initiative. Prince Qinghe has returned to the Ministry of Personnel to wait for orders."

Empress Dowager Hu was sitting in the reception hall of Yongning Temple. She was delighted when she heard that Prince Qinghe had come with his guards to ask for an audience. But she soon thought that Prince Qinghe had come so quickly. Did he know that something had happened to her? Then her expression changed again.

Liu Teng knelt down carefully and said, "I plead guilty!"

Empress Dowager Hu said immediately: "Good job in stopping him. When General Yuan Yi arrives, return to the palace immediately. I will see Qinghe again after I return to the palace."

Liu Teng quickly retreated, and Empress Dowager Hu's face changed again. She knelt on the cushion with her hands clasped together, praying to the Buddha in the hall behind her.

After a while, an ugly middle-aged man wearing silver armor walked out of Yongning Temple. Seeing this ugly face, Empress Dowager Hu finally felt relieved.

This man was naturally Empress Dowager Hu’s brother-in-law, General Yuan Yi.

Yuan Yi immediately bowed to Empress Dowager Hu and said, "Empress Dowager, I am late in escorting you. All the imperial guards who followed you have been arrested. I will escort you back to the palace!"

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(End of this chapter)