In the Zichen Palace, the little Emperor was restless. After a while, he could not help but summon the attendant, "Where is Zhao Zhongguan?"
The attendant was confused, "Everyone forgot. Didn't he go to the Dan Manor for the banquet?"
"I know!
Is he back yet? "
"I haven't seen him the whole afternoon, so he shouldn't be back.
Do you have any orders? "
The little Emperor was upset but helpless. After pondering for a long time, he could only say, "Quietly go to the Dan Manor and see if there is any movement. Be sure to not alarm anyone. Come back and report to me directly."
The attendant became more and more confused, and left after answering the order.
However, at this time, outside the Zichen Palace, the guards on duty had received orders from their superiors and were replaced by a group of Beiya Imperial Guards.
After the Imperial Guards were killed by the Southern Army on the day of Chang An's siege, they were severely understaffed. All the important places were taken over by Beiya.
The attendant hurriedly left the palace under the Emperor's orders. Before he could leave the Zichen Palace, he was caught by the Imperial Guards and dragged away.
The little Emperor waited for a long time but no one came. Worry, fear, surprise, regret and other emotions collided with each other. After a long time, a burst of anger rushed to the top of his head. He rushed out of the bedroom and shouted, "Come, come!"
"Your Majesty," Wu Ting turned around and said respectfully.
"You are …" The little Emperor looked at him suspiciously and felt that he was indescribably familiar.
But looking at the guard's uniform and waist tag, he seemed to be no different from the guards in the palace. After thinking for a while, he said, "I want to take a walk in the Imperial Garden."
Wu Ting did not hesitate and followed the good advice. With his eyes, he signaled the Beiya Imperial Guards who had changed their uniforms to follow him and escorted the little Emperor to the Imperial Garden.
At the same time, the thirteen-year-old Prince of Ji, Li Dan, knelt in front of the main hall and said blankly, "The Empress is critically ill. Imperial Brother asked me to go to the palace to accompany her?"
In the hands of the servant was a bright yellow imperial edict. The imperial seal was the Emperor's private seal. Hearing this, he said solemnly, "Yes, His Majesty is already waiting for Your Highness Prince of Ji in the Qingning Palace. Please follow me quickly."
Li Dan's first reaction was, could it be that Imperial Brother had killed his mother and was asking him to send her off?
But no matter how he thought about it, he really couldn't imagine that his imperial brother, who had just ascended the throne and was all alone, had that kind of ability. He had no choice but to go back and change into formal clothes, then hurriedly left the mansion with the palace maids. He saw that a heavily guarded imperial carriage was parked at the gate, and the driver was Ma Xin.
If Li Dan had thought about it a little longer, he might have found some clues.
After his imperial brother ascended the throne, he practically did not have any military power; he was very vigilant toward Beiya, the barracks, and the Yulin Guards. If the Empress Dowager was really critically ill, how could he send Xie Yun's trusted aide to Beiya to escort him into the Palace?
But after all, Li Dan was still young. After being urged by the palace maids, he got into the carriage in a daze. All the way through the Palace Gate, he drove to the Qingning Palace. He felt that he had passed through many layers of checks. By the time he got off the carriage, he was already standing in front of the side hall of the Qingning Palace.
Ma Xin personally led several of her elite trusted aides to "escort" Li Dan to open the hall door. Queen Wu turned around from the bookshelf and looked down at her youngest son.
"Empress, Empress Dowager?" Li Dan stammered, "You aren't …"
With a few muffled thuds, Ma Xin led the people behind him to kneel down and said in unison, "We pay our respects to the New Emperor!"
Li Dan was immediately scared out of his wits. He staggered a few steps away, then his knees went soft and he fell down, "You, you, what's going on?!
… "
·
The huge capital was like a deep sea. On the surface, it still maintained the last trace of calmness, but the undercurrent had already begun to quietly and treacherously surge.
In the afternoon, Dai Zhide, Hao Chujun, Zhang Wenguan, and the other ministers of the Secretariat received Shan Chao's handwritten letter and were separately invited to the Palace.
All of the officials on Empress Wu's list who were currently in their own residences received Empress Wu's note or message one after another, and they all gathered at Daming Palace.
The Imperial Army guarded the Xuanwu Gate, while the guards on the left and right moved to the Danfeng Sect.
A large number of people and horses were hidden in the Sandwiched City. According to Shan Chao's plan, they would occupy the Hanyuan Palace Hall, the Xuanzheng Palace Hall, and the Penglai Palace Hall along the north-south central axis. They would firmly control the entire huge Dongnei Palace.
In the evening, the Palace Gate was locked.
The sound of the bell suddenly rang, resounding through the sky.
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
The moment before the huge Palace Gate slowly closed, two armies poured out from the north and south ends of the Palace City at the same time, roaring and charging towards the Palace!
"What?" Beside the Supreme Liquid Pool, Li Xian looked up in astonishment, "Who is ringing the morning bell?
What is that sound outside?! "
Before he finished speaking, the earth shook as if thousands of soldiers and horses galloped past. Shouts and screams came from outside the Palace walls at the same time.
The few remaining imperial guards couldn't organize any decent resistance at all. They were completely defeated by the elites of Beiya and the guards on the left and right. As soon as they met face to face, they turned into flesh and blood under the iron hooves.
Li Xian couldn't believe it. He stiffly shook his head and said, "Mutiny?!"
A few steps behind him, Wu Ting and his men stood with folded arms.
"Return, return to the Zichen Palace Hall!" Li Xian panicked and rushed over, "Quickly protect the Emperor, lock the Palace Gate, and summon Darling Wei!
Quickly! "
Everyone quietly looked at the little Emperor. No one made a sound, and no one moved. It was as if the fierce battle dozens of feet away was just a ridiculous dream.
Li Xian finally realized something. His frightened eyes swept across everyone's faces. He gasped, "You … you are rebelling, how dare you …"
"Your Majesty," Wu Ting said gently, "The morning bell has rung. You should go to the Imperial Court now."
However, Li Xian simply could not accept this sudden downfall. "Nonsense!
Where are the imperial guards?
Where is Darling Wei?!
I am the Crown Prince appointed by The Late Emperor's posthumous edict. You … "
"The morning bell has rung," Wu Ting looked at the Emperor with pity. He slowly waved his hand to his men, "Come, invite Your Majesty to the Imperial Court."
Li Xian turned around and ran. However, before he could run two steps, he was swarmed by the imperial guards and directly held up!
"Let go of me!
What do you want to do! "Li Xian struggled desperately," Assassinating the Emperor will implicate nine generations of your family. You are seeking death!
Each and every one of you, Shan Chao, Xie Yun, the Empress of Heaven … "
The shouting gradually faded away. Across the thick red and green palace walls, the alarm bell echoed in every corner of the palace. A hurricane-like mutiny swept through the entire Eastern Forbidden Garden.
The shouting and killing sound came from outside the window into the dim room. On the bamboo bed, Xie Yun, who was soaked in cold sweat, slowly opened her eyes. Her pupils were wet as if they had been washed by water.
"… What time is it?"
Shan Chao sat by the bed and wrapped her upper body in his strong arms. He said in a low voice, "It's five o 'clock."
"The sound outside … is …"
"The Imperial Court has changed."
Xie Yun closed her eyes. After a while, she forced herself to open them again. She whispered, "Am I going to die?"
Shan Chao laughed and buried his face in her neck. He took a deep breath and said, "No, Master.
I will let you live a good life. You will enjoy glory and power. You will never be alarmed again. You will never be hurt again … All the difficulties and hardships of these years will forever be over. "
"You have taught a good-for-nothing disciple.
After waiting for so many years, your disciple can finally come back and take care of you. "
Xie Yun was still in a daze. She struggled to raise her hand. Shan Chao held her hand tightly in his palm and kissed the cold and weak blood vessels on her wrist.
The sounds of fighting and killing gradually faded to the south and disappeared in the direction of Hanyuan Palace Hall.
Xie Yun stared blankly at Shan Chao. She raised her other hand with difficulty and touched his handsome face.
"… You are crying …"
"Yes." Shan Chao smiled with tears in his eyes, "I'm happy."
The door was knocked twice. His trusted aide whispered, "General, the Yulin Royal Guards have successfully surrounded Hanyuan Palace Hall.
The civil and military officials have already entered the palace through the Danfeng Sect. Ma Xin and the other Beiya generals are escorting the Empress of Heaven and the Prince of Ji to the court. Wu Ting has also sent a message saying that everything has been arranged. "
Shan Chao's gaze did not leave Xie Yun. He only replied, "Yes."
"Go," Xie Yun said hoarsely. She pressed on the back of Shan Chao's head and made him bend down. She kissed him attentively.
Their lips and tongues licked and their breaths intertwined. The magnificent Daming Palace turned into a yellowish background. Countless years disappeared in an instant.
Shan Chao finally stood up. He stared at Xie Yun unblinkingly and stepped out of the door.
·
The day that would be passed down in the history books for thousands of years to come and completely change the history of the Tang Empire finally arrived under the smoke-filled sky of Chang An City.
The golden bell in front of Hanyuan Palace Hall rang vigorously for a long time.
The civil and military officials lined up for the court. Some were nervous, some were angry, some were guilty, and some were looking forward to it … The Prime Ministers of the Secretariat stood at the front of the court. They led the officials behind them to kneel down and kowtow to the high and mighty Dragon Throne.
— — Sitting side by side on the Golden Throne was the dignified Empress of Heaven and the pale Li Dan.
Li Dan set up another case. Shan Chao sat behind the case with his sword in hand. He held the blood jade Tiger Tally in front of him and looked coldly at the officials. He then gave Ma Xin, who was guarding behind the Dragon Throne, a look.
Ma Xin understood and gave a few orders to his subordinates.
After a while, two figures entered Hanyuan Palace. One of them had disheveled hair and was stumbling. It was the battered and exhausted Li Xian!
"Your Majesty!"
A white-haired Imperial Censor rushed out from among the officials. "You rebellious officials, how dare you treat Your Majesty like this, Your Majesty — —!"
With a loud bang, the Imperial Censor was kicked in the chest by Wu Ting before he could touch the corner of Li Xian's clothes. "Guards!
Take him away! "
The imperial guards responded and dragged the Imperial Censor out of the hall. His loud cries quickly disappeared from the square.
Those officials who were ready to make a move immediately shrank back, and some of them who had already taken a step quietly retreated.
Li Xian looked around in panic. Before he could react, he saw a few guards pushing in a tied up person from the side door. It was Wei Xuanzhen who he was looking for!
"Your Majesty!
What happened to you, Your Majesty? "
Wei Xuanzhen struggled and shouted, "Your Majesty is the Crown Prince established by The Late Emperor's edict. Your ascension to the throne in front of the coffin is justified!
The Late Emperor's body is not even cold yet. Are you trying to rebel? "
Before the Empress could speak, Shan Chao lazily said, "Slap him."
Wei Xuanzhen trembled. Imperial bodyguards had already stepped forward and showered him with a few slaps. Wei Xuanzhen immediately fell to the ground!
"You … The Late Emperor's edict …"
Li Dan couldn't bear to watch anymore. He trembled and closed his eyes. The Empress coldly said, "Announce the edict."
The Prime Ministers looked at each other. Obviously, they didn't want to be the one to stand out.
After a short while, someone finally stepped out with a bright yellow imperial edict in his hand. It was the third rank of the Phoenix Pavilion's Luantai Pavilion's Left Premier, Qian Xiang. With a crash, he unfolded the scroll and faced the incredulous Li Xian. He said in a clear voice, "By the Empress' imperial decree!"
"Prince of Zhou, Li Xian, has no talent and no virtue. He can't bear the heavy responsibility and is not qualified to be the ruler of the world. Today, Li Xian is deposed as the Prince of Luling. Exiling the Wei family to Lingnan, The Late Emperor and the Empress's son, Li Dan, Prince of Ji, is to be the Emperor."
The officials were all moved. Some people shouted, "No!" and "Why?!"
But even more people knelt down and faced the golden chair. They kowtowed deeply and shouted, "Long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor!"
Everyone knew that the shout wasn't for the trembling Li Dan. It was for the Empress, who had been in power for more than ten years since the Year of Linde.
Wu Ting stepped forward and snatched the crown from Li Xian's head. In the struggle, Li Xian's legs gave way and he fell to his knees. Unwillingly, he took a few steps on his knees and said, "No, I am the emperor appointed by the posthumous edict!
What did I do wrong?
Why did you depose me?! "
The Empress of Heaven's voice paused between each word, clear to the point of coldness. "You want to give the world to Wei Xuanzhen, and you still say that you have committed a crime?!"
Li Xian was suddenly at a loss for words.
Shan Chao's voice easily suppressed the noise in the hall, "On the night of The Late Emperor's death, you were the only one who stayed by his sickbed. You came out of the Zichen Hall with the edict to confer the title of Crown Prince. Then you rang the funeral bell in the palace.
Now that I think about it, who knows if you didn't see that The Late Emperor wanted to have a young son and acted first to gain the upper hand and did something heartless? "
"I didn't!" Li Xian roared, "You are slandering me!"
Shan Chao's face was as calm as water. He raised his hand and waved slightly, "Take him away."
"I didn't!" Li Xian screamed hoarsely and struggled until he was gone, "I don't want to be the Prince of Luling …"
Shan Chao let out a long breath and looked down at the officials who were rushing to kneel at his feet.
If his line of sight looked further, he would be able to see the dense army of sabers and soldiers outside Hanyuan Palace Hall. Those were the men and horses that he had brought from Yangzhou, which was a thousand li away, to the Capital. And now this cavalry had once again occupied the Da Ming Palace, which was the seat of the court of ten thousand countries.
Although he was not the Emperor, in fact, he was already a regent and had supreme power.
Shan Chao turned back to look at the golden chair and met the Empress's thoughtful gaze.
At this moment, the mother and son's eyes met in the air. The Empress seemed to smile, although the short smile hid an extremely complicated and indescribable emotion.
"Huaihua Great General, Ping Wang Shan Chao."
The Empress stood up and took a step forward. She faced the vast sky and thousands of miles of territory outside the Hanyuan Hall.
"Outstanding military service, with both integrity and talent, the country relies on you.
Now you are the Governor of Chang An and Luoyang, the Prince Regent. You are hereby …! "
Every sentence and every word of the Empress passed through the smoky Daming Palace and floated to the Central Plains, whistling in the distant and vast Beijiang.
The felt on the mud hut made a sound. The wind and sand covered the courtyard walls and blew a sharp whistle through the window. The hut gradually turned into a tiny black dot between heaven and earth.
·
Dan Chao walked down the first ninety-nine white jade palace steps of the Hall of Hanyuan. A silhouette with fluttering clothes was facing away from him. Her hair was combed back as she faced the boundless setting sun.
Shan Chao stopped and said with a smile, "Excuse me …"
The figure moved and turned his face slightly.
"I am Shan Chao. I met you for the first time when I was young. You looked so familiar, as if we had met in a previous life."
"Meeting is fate. I wonder if you would honor me by holding hands with me?"
Xie Yun finally turned around and said leisurely, "Meeting is fate?"
"Yes."
"Good or ill fate?"
Shan Chao walked down the last step of the palace steps. He took Xie Yun's hand and placed it in front of his beating heart.
"When we first met, I had a heart demon. Since then, ill fate has never stopped.
Now, my obsession is difficult. It is unforgettable. I only ask that you give me time for the rest of my life. I will forever be bound by ill fate with you … "
In the square in front of the Hanyuan Hall, Shan Chao slowly knelt down on one knee in front of Xie Yun.
Xie Yun was silent for a long time. Then, she rolled up Shan Chao's sleeves and untied the old ribbon from his sturdy wrist.
Shan Chao's hair was not as short as it was many years ago when he first came out of Ci 'en Temple. Now, it was long and tied up. A few strands of hair fell out from under the purple jade crown.
Xie Yun bent down and tidied his hair. Her movements were very careful. She tied his hair with a ribbon and tied it under the purple jade crown. Then, she straightened up and smiled.
"Good."
Tied hair as husband and wife, loving each other without doubt.
Joy is on this night, when the moon is about to fall.
…
Work hard to love the spring, don't forget the happy times.
Come and go again in life, and think of each other in death.
In the first year of the Emperor's succession, Li Xian of the Tang Dynasty was deposed as the Prince of Luling. He and the Wei family were exiled to Lingnan. Prince Li Dan of Ji ascended the throne. He lived in another palace and listened to the decisions of the Empress of Heaven and the Prince Regent Shan Chao.
The next year, the Tang Dynasty sent troops to An Dong. They conquered the Gao Li and surrendered Xin Luo.
Three years later, the Prince Regent personally led the expedition against Qi Dan. The Prince Regent personally took command. He eliminated the leader of the bandits and advanced to Tu Jue.
The military achievements were sent back to Chang An. Emperor Li Dan personally announced the Prince Regent's background. He called him his eldest brother and ordered him to change his surname and return to his family.
In the second year of the Emperor's succession, the Empress of Heaven proclaimed herself as the Emperor. She changed the Tang Dynasty to the Zhou Dynasty. Her eldest son, Li Chao, was appointed as the Emperor's heir. Di Renjie and other officials were put in important positions.
In the next year, the servants offered the brothers Zhang Changzong and Zhang Yi as attendants. Because the Empress loved their looks, she indulged them. As a result, the Prince of Shao, Li Chongrun, Princess Yongtai and others were killed. The Zhang brothers established the Controlling He Mansion. They were arrogant and powerful. Li Tang's imperial family members were in danger.
In the first year of the Shenlong Dynasty, the Prince Regent led troops into the palace. He personally killed the Zhang brothers. The Empress of Heaven abdicated.
The Prince Regent ascended the throne and proclaimed himself as the Emperor.
Shan Chao had never been conferred the title of Empress. He also had no descendants. He only had close relations with the commander of the Beiya Imperial Guard, Xie Yun.
When he was middle-aged, he adopted Li Dan's third son, Li Longji. He was conferred the title of Prince of Linzi. Later, he was officially conferred the title of Imperial Heir.
In the first year of Yanhe, Prince of Linzi Li Longji ascended the throne in Chang An. He was given the title of Xuanzong. Later, he was also known as Emperor Ming of the Tang Dynasty. He started the 30 years of the Kaiyuan Dynasty.
— End of text —