Wealth and glory seek stability

The city defense camp opened the Xizhi Gate. Zhang Cen'er, Jian Xi, Gao Yunhuai and Qi Yu each led a team and headed straight for the royal court.

The night in the northern frontier was bright and clear, and the soldiers leading the way at the front still lit torches out of habit.

In the silent night, the only sound is the sound of shoes stepping on the bluestone road.

Zhang Cen'er said that there were hundreds of thousands of troops, but in fact only 10,000 were brought into the imperial capital. Except for 100,000 left to defend the northern border, the rest were divided into three groups. This would not only greatly shorten the marching time, but also prevent emergencies.

Furthermore, if there are too many people, it will inevitably attract attention from all parties.

This time I entered the royal court to rescue Zhang Qiao. As long as Zhang Qiao did not write Zhang Lan'er's edict of succession, things would be much easier.

The westernmost corner door was open, and a thin figure stood beside it.

Zhang Cen'er recognized him at a glance. It was Qi Cejun, Qi Mingtong's son.

"Greetings, Lord Qi." Zhang Cen'er dismounted and saluted.

Qi Cejun showed a worried look on his face and said slowly, "Sixth Princess, there is no need to be so polite. Please stand up quickly." After saying that, he looked back, but did not see any familiar faces, and felt a little flustered.

Jian Xi saw Qi Cejun's panic and said, "General Qi Yu is guarding the exits of the imperial capital and the royal court. I'm afraid he can't spare any time now. He is destined to be unable to sleep tonight. Qi Cejun, do you want to go back to the Qi family? We will send someone to take you home."

Hearing this, Qi Cejun's eyes lit up slightly, and his gray face became more lively under the light of the fire. "I want to go home."

Jian Xi raised her hand and pointed at four people, "You four, send Qi Cejun back to the Qi family. Make sure you get him home safely. I will definitely remember your contribution when I come back."

The four people who were called were overjoyed. Giving someone a gift was much easier than risking their lives to earn military merit. They saluted and said, "Yes."

Qi Cejun hesitated for a moment, looked inside the wall, and called out, "Feng'er, Granny Liu, please come out."

A young servant slowly walked out, supporting the maid with a weak leg. Before leaving, Qi Cejun said, "Brother Li has been imprisoned in the water dungeon by the emperor. Thank you for your help today."

After saying that, he took Granny Liu's other arm, and the three of them left under the escort of the soldiers.

Jian Xi had a hunch that the water dungeon was not a good place, and looked at Zhang Cen'er.

Zhang Cen'er was silent for a moment, then ordered in a cold voice, "Go in!"

There will be no sleep tonight.

There are guards patrolling everywhere in the royal court, most of whom are close associates of the Ruan family.

Zhang Cen'er led the way, and all the patrol guards they encountered were taken care of.

Jian Xi looked at the rows of dead bodies. There might be good people and people with upright character among them, but tonight they were destined to become buried with the dead.

This is the privilege of the superior.

Ordinary people may be rewarded by working diligently, but when faced with such a carefully planned power grab, they will ultimately become pawns controlled by fate.

Jian Xi from Prince Wu'an's Mansion, Jian Xi from General Shen's Mansion, and Jian Xi from the Gao family, in the final analysis, they are no different from those people lying on the ground.

But at that time, she could only accept her fate.

Now, others can no longer easily decide her life or death. She is Jian Xi, the Minister of Agriculture, and the Lord of Saibei.

She has bargaining chips behind her, and everything she has carefully planned step by step.

The movements of Zhang Cen'er and his group still alarmed the inner court.

Zhang Cen'er was familiar with the royal court, and he led a team of people to the water prison to rescue Li Cejun first.

Jian Xi took people to Zhang Qiao's bedroom to find out what was going on.

Gao Yunhuai went to Yinglu Palace where the emperor's husband was.

Warm pavilion.

Zhang Qiao lay there with a pale complexion. Her once well-maintained face had become unrecognizable after being thinner.

The room was as warm as spring, with pleasant-smelling wisps of ambergris wafting from the gilded elephant-headed Vajra incense burner. However, it was still not enough to cover up the foul smell that was emanating from Zhang Qiao in the warm room because no one had taken care of her for a long time.

Ruan Chizheng frowned, and a fierce look appeared in his usually arrogant eyes. "Ah Qiao, why don't you give in? As long as you are willing to give up the throne to Lan'er, you will be the legitimate emperor. I will live in seclusion with you and not care about worldly affairs, okay?"

Zhang Qiao slowly opened his eyelids, and seeing his cloudy and yellow eyeballs made Ruan Chizheng feel uneasy.

She uttered the first words in half a month, "Cen'er is here." She was sure and confident.

Zhang Lan'er sat cross-legged on the small couch beside her, anxiously looking at Wu Zhan who was using a tortoise shell for divination, and urged him, "Can you figure it out? Zhang Cen'er has already brought people into the royal court."

A layer of fine beads of sweat appeared on Wu Zhan's forehead. The sweat condensed and dripped down his face, dimming the bright paint on his face. Suddenly, Wu Zhan's heart ached and he spat a mouthful of thick blood onto the tortoise shell, full of disbelief, "How could it be? How could there be no trace?"

Zhang Lan'er leaned back in disgust, thinking about her current situation, and asked patiently, "Didn't you always predict Zhang Cen'er's movements before? She was even forced to flee from the capital by me. Why can't you predict it now? Are you trying to side with her because I'm weak?"

Wu looked at Zhang Lan'er's suspicious expression and felt bitter in his heart, "Lan'er, I am sincere to you and have absolutely no selfish motives or bias. This time, I really can't predict anything."

Zhang Lan'er snorted coldly, "Then you can calculate on me and see whether I am dead or alive tonight."

"Lan'er! You are not allowed to be rude to the high priest." Ruan Chizheng said with a sharp look in his eyes, "Man proposes, God disposes, but I just don't believe in fate."

He turned to look at Zhang Qiao who had closed his eyes again, "Ah Qiao, I will kill that bitch and his children, and let you watch my daughter ascend to the throne with your own eyes."

"Someone come here!" Ruan Chizheng clapped his hands.

The group of ten people were all dressed as female officials, holding trays in their hands, and the leading female official was holding an imperial robe.

Zhang Lan'er looked around and saw the double dragon pendant, the imperial crown, imperial boots, and the imperial seal...

"Father?"

Ruan Chizheng put on a smiling face, "Lan'er, these are all prepared by your father for you, change them quickly and let your father take a look."

"Help the princess change her clothes."

"Yes."

Ruan Chizheng walked to the door of the warm room, took out a bamboo tube from his arms, pulled the fuse at the back, and red fireworks bloomed in the air three times in a row.

"It will be over soon." Ruan Chizheng looked up. There was no trace of fireworks in the sky. Only the residual smell of sulfur at the tip of his nose proved that all this was real.

Zhang Cen'er stared blankly at the sky. That was the signal that the empress had passed away. Officials above the third rank had to enter the royal court to mourn and discuss the establishment of a new monarch.

Without bothering to think about Ruan Chizheng's intention, the only thought in Zhang Cen'er's mind now was to rescue his father.

Inside the dungeon, the smell of blood was mixed with the smell of rotting flesh. Zhang Cen'er stood on the wooden frame and looked at the prisoners below.