Reborn Concubine, Be Respectful First

Chu Jiusi, the "third day bath" ceremony, was still held while Su Xinqing was in confinement, and Mrs. Fang, Madam He, and Madam Liu helped to arrange it.

The Hundred Days Banquet was postponed to after the New Year because the emperor's health was gradually deteriorating.

New Year's Eve is supposed to be a lively night full of joy and festive atmosphere.

According to custom, a grand banquet would be held in the imperial palace, and the nobles in various royal palaces would also hold banquets, while the people would set off fireworks to celebrate the arrival of the New Year.

However, this year is different from previous years. The entire capital city seems particularly deserted, without the hustle and bustle of the past.

The reunion dinner at the Chu Mansion had not yet ended when Chu Wei and Song Hehui were hurriedly called away by their subordinates.

Not long after, Song Hejin gave Chu Jiusi a red envelope and went out to do some work, leaving Fang and Song Baoshu alone.

"Uncle, aunt, you just stay in the house. Before Chu Wei left, he said it's not safe outside. I'll feel more at ease if you stay." Su Xinqing's face turned pale with fright.

When Song Baoshu and Fang saw each other, there was no reason for them to refuse.

After they had rested, they could faintly hear the noise outside.

Especially in the servants' yard, which is close to the yard of the Zhenbei Marquis' Mansion next door, you can almost hear the sound of weapons colliding.

Butler Li mobilized a dozen people to guard the courtyard wall here, and each of them held a crossbow in his hand.

Anyone who dares to rebel will be shot dead.

Fang and Song Baoshu's courtyard was further back, so not much noise was heard.

The night was as dark as ink, shrouding the capital city. The lights on New Year's Eve should have reflected a joyous and peaceful atmosphere, but tonight, it was an interweaving of blood and fire.

Inside the Prince's Mansion, armors were shining and soldiers were on high alert, with determination and brutality on their faces.

The prince was wearing a battle robe, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. His usual gentle and elegant temperament was now replaced by coldness.

He stood on a high place, overlooking the city he once loved deeply, with a determined gleam in his eyes.

At his command, the rebels rushed out like a tide, like a tiger out of a cage, and headed straight for Duke Zhang's mansion.

The defenders in the mansion were caught off guard and retreated step by step under the fierce attack of the rebels. Fires shot up into the sky, shouts and screams shook the earth, and Duke Zhang's mansion fell into chaos.

At the same time, the residences of the major court officials were also raided by the prince's men. Although the servants and guards in the residences fought hard, they were outnumbered and fell in a pool of blood one by one.

The women and children in the mansion were panicked and fled everywhere, but how could they find a safe haven in such a chaotic world?

The crown prince personally led his elite troops and attacked the Fourth Prince's mansion.

In the Fourth Prince's Mansion, Zhang Wenrui stood side by side with the Fourth Prince, holding a long sword.

Finally, a scream pierced the night sky, and Zhang Wenrui fell in a pool of blood, her eyes filled with unwillingness and despair.

The Fourth Prince felt heartbroken upon seeing this, and he rushed towards the rebels frantically. However, how could he alone defeat the Crown Prince's guards and soldiers? He was killed by the rebels in the chaos.

Overnight, the capital was flooded with blood and the people were in mourning. The people were terrified and hid in their homes, not daring to go out.

The once bustling streets are now deserted, with only flames and shouts of killing echoing in the night sky.

Deep in the palace, on the dragon couch, a frail emperor leaned against a cushion, his face pale, with an indescribable fatigue and anxiety in his eyes.

He closed his eyes slightly, as if he was listening to the sound of the night watch drum that was gradually fading away outside the window, or as if he was pondering the unrest and turmoil in the court.

Suddenly, a eunuch rushed in in a panic, knelt on the ground, and said in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! His Royal Highness the Crown Prince...he has started a rebellion!"

The emperor's eyes suddenly opened, with a flash of astonishment and anger in them. He struggled to sit up, but felt dizzy and almost fell.

The eunuch rushed forward to support the emperor, only to see that the emperor's face was becoming paler and his lips were trembling slightly, obviously due to being very angry.

"Hurry... tell me quickly, what's going on?" The emperor's voice was a little hoarse and trembling.

The eunuch knelt on the ground, his voice filled with tears: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince suddenly raised an army on New Year's Eve, raided the residence of Duke Zhang, the residences of the major court officials, and even the residence of the Fourth Prince. The legitimate daughter of Duke Zhang, the Fourth Prince's wife Zhang Wenrui, and the Fourth Prince were all beheaded by the rebels..."

The emperor's body trembled violently, as if hit by a sledgehammer. He covered his chest, gasping for breath, his eyes full of grief and anger.

He couldn't believe that his son, the prince whom he had once placed high hopes on, would actually do such a rebellious thing.

“Rebellious son… rebellious son!” The emperor’s voice was hoarse and trembling. He slammed the dragon bed and was furious. “I… I will personally lead the army to put down this rebellion!”

However, his body had already been unable to bear the burden. After this blow, he felt a sharp pain in his chest, his eyes went dark, and he almost fainted.

The eunuchs hurriedly stepped forward to support him, shouting "Your Majesty" while frantically summoning the imperial physician.

For several days, everyone in the capital was in danger, and no one was willing to go out and die unless it was necessary.

Fang and Song Baoshu also settled down in the Chu Mansion.

However, before anyone could react to what was happening, the emperor passed away and the sixth prince Helian Qi became the new emperor.

Liu Yulian was the queen and Concubine Zhou was the concubine.

With the new emperor in power, half a year later, the entire Dali Dynasty gradually stabilized.

Chu Wei also rose from assistant commander to deputy governor, and Qin, formerly deputy governor, was promoted to commander.

Not surprisingly, Su Xinqing gave birth to twins before the end of the year.

Chu Zhaohua and Chu Baozhang had the experience of having children a second time, and Chu Wei also had some experience in whether or not to have children.

He still understood the principle that having many children will bring suffering to the mother and harm her health.

Therefore, Su Xinqing never gave birth again in the rest of her life.

"It is said that the eldest daughter of the Su family in the suburbs of Beijing passed away a few days ago. It seemed that she was pushed into a pond by an old woman and drowned. The two children were in poor health to begin with, and without their mother's care, they died in just one night. When the palace servants went in, the bodies of several people were stiff. Can you guess who the old woman was?" Song Hejing said with a sigh on her face.

Su Xinqing, in recent years, can be said to have only a vague understanding of the affairs of the court.

Whenever she attended a banquet, others would come to curry favor with her, so she was too lazy to guess what others were thinking.

It was not until half a year after the palace coup that she found out what Chu Wei had done that night.

Not only did he take people from the Sixth Prince's Mansion to pick up the Sixth Prince and Liu Yulian out of the city, he also sneaked into the palace and took away the Emperor's edict and tiger talisman, attacking the Crown Prince by surprise.

Otherwise, she, her aunt, uncle, and Jiusi would all be ruined.

Although Shanlan and Shanrui both said that they would do their best to get them out of the city, it is better to be safe than sorry.

There aren't so many affirmative answers.

Although Liu Yulian had been very good to him over the years, it was all at the cost of Chu Wei's life.

However, she had to be as low-key as possible, otherwise she would die soon. Therefore, she was too lazy to go to various parties unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Who? It can't be a member of the Jiang family?" Su Xinqing responded.

This earned him a surprised look from Song Hejing.

"Jiang Xinrou?"