After the whole family was swept away, I lay down flat

Chapter 903 Martial Law
In the evening, more news arrived.

The Marquis of Yingchuan led his army through Zhengyang Gate Street and went straight into the imperial city. Before dark, the inner city was under martial law, and there were many more soldiers guarding Zhengyang Gate.

Although the area around Zhengyangmen Street belongs to the outer city and is not under martial law, many more guards have been added to patrol the area. Each of them does not look like an ordinary soldier, but a strong and powerful general. Pedestrians are afraid of the situation and dare not approach. After dark, there is almost no one walking on the street. It is not a curfew, but it is almost the same.

Haitang was at home helping her grandmother Ma make plain clothes for the family while keeping an eye on the news from her cousins ​​Xie Wenzai and Lu Bainian. Fortunately, the outer city was not under martial law and people could still move around freely. As long as they avoided the guards patrolling the main roads, the people sent by the two elders could contact their old friends in the capital and inquire about the news in the inner city.

It’s not that the two elders are overly concerned about the affairs in the inner city, but the current situation in the capital is really a bit weird.

If the inner city was put under martial law because of the emperor's death, why was there no movement during the day, but the martial law order was issued after dark? How long could the martial law be delayed? During this half day, officials from various government offices took their luggage back to the government offices to stay overnight, and family members who wanted to send gifts had also sent them. How many people were interacting with the inner and outer cities? If someone with ulterior motives wanted to enter the inner city or even the imperial city, they would have entered long ago, right? The flag bearers and the Jinyiwei, the upper direct troops, also went to the imperial city for duty. After such a long time, the army started martial law. Who could they stop?
After the emperor passed away, the Marquis of Yingchuan, who should have been the emperor's favorite and most trusted military general, actually led his troops from outside the city into the inner city. What does this mean?
However, another general favored by the emperor, Tu Rong, did not stay in front of the emperor. Instead, he stayed in the Imperial Guard Office in the imperial city. He was not allowed to enter the palace until General Zhou Si and his son went to invite him.

Perhaps there was no sign of the emperor's death, and it happened in the middle of the night, so it caught everyone off guard. But the cabinet chief Tao Yue and the two most powerful generals in the emperor's favor, Yingchuan Hou and Tu Rong, were not in the palace, which really made people think a lot...

Xie Wenzai and Lu Bainian were both very worried that something might happen in the palace, which would affect the succession of the crown prince. However, most of the old students of Wumen that they could contact now were not aware of the inside story and only knew some minor details. Tao Yue and other high-ranking officials were all in the inner city. Under the martial law, no one could enter to find out more information. They could only think about it and worry at home.

Haitang could not sit still in the inner house. Even her grandmother Ma, who was unaware of the situation, had sensed the strange atmosphere in the city. She was worried about the safety of her husband and grandchildren, but when she saw that her second daughter-in-law Hu was more worried than herself, she pretended to be calm and said with a smile: "We are lucky that we sent people to deliver all the things that Chang'an and Baoshun needed before dark. Otherwise, when the inner city is under martial law, it would be useless for us to send anything. I don't know how the uncle and nephew will spend the next few days in the palace!"

Mrs. Hu was still uneasy in her heart, but in front of her mother-in-law, she pretended to be calm and smiled, "This is all thanks to your decisiveness. If it were my daughter-in-law, she might have thought it was too much trouble and it wouldn't be too late to send things in two days. But then we would have run into the martial law order and wouldn't be able to send things. My husband and Baoshun will have to suffer in the palace. Although they have enough clothes, they won't have the shoes and socks they like, and they will be uncomfortable on duty."

Ma smiled and nodded, "Isn't it? Even though our master has everything, if we had sent in food and medicine earlier, and added hand warmers, foot warmers, thick cotton cloaks and other things, he would have been better off at night. Even if the weather is cold, he can handle it. Even if the master says that the government office doesn't lack these, how can the government's supplies compare to the good ones at home? The master is also an old man, and he wants to work for a few more years, so he must take good care of his body and not get sick easily."

Mrs. Hu smiled and nodded. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law chatted about family matters, as if there was no problem. In front of their grandson Xiao Shitou, they also tacitly whitewashed the situation and sent Xiao Shitou back to the courtyard to rest early.

Little Shitou pretended not to be suspicious, greeted everyone and left, but he gave his sister Haitang a wink.

Haitang sat for a while longer and then stood up to leave.

As soon as she left the upper room, her younger brother pulled her to the corner and asked in a low voice: "Did something happen outside? Grandma and my mother are pretending so much, they must be hiding something from me. But what happened to my father?" Haitang naturally would not tell the child too much nonsense, and only said lightly: "In the evening, wasn't there a rumor that Yingchuan Hou led his troops into the palace? Later, the inner city was under martial law, and there were many soldiers patrolling the streets outside. My uncle and his aunt remembered what happened when the previous emperor passed away, saying that the current situation is a little unusual, and they don't know if there is a problem in the palace. Second uncle and brother are on duty in the palace, so grandma and second aunt are bound to be more worried. But you don't have to worry too much, there are so many people from the Banner Guard and the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the palace, and second uncle and brother are not conspicuous high-ranking officials, just follow the large army, nothing will go wrong."

Little Stone was relieved after hearing this: "So that's how it is. I thought something really happened. It's just like when we were still in Chang'an, my father followed General Tu to patrol the border, and my eldest brother followed the Zhou family's young masters out of the city for hunting. Aren't grandma and mother worried about them all the time? In fact, what danger can there be? They are just scaring themselves."

Haitang smiled and said, "It's good that you know what's going on. Don't laugh in front of them. Go back to the courtyard and have a good rest. Grandpa, Second Uncle and Brother are not at home, and we can't rely on Uncle and Grandpa Lu for everything. If there is something wrong at home, we have to rely on you, a man, to support the overall situation!"

Little Stone was immediately filled with courage. He responded and went back to the yard with his head held high.

Nothing happened that night and the city was very peaceful, but many people did not sleep well.

The next morning, Haitang sent her family out to buy some vegetarian noodles and buns. She also inquired about the market and learned that the martial law was lifted after daybreak. People were allowed to enter and leave the inner city again. It was said that several royal families who had entered the palace had come out, but no one from Prince Ji's mansion was seen, probably still in the palace.

Before lunch, several old students of Wumen sent messages to Xie Wenzai and Lu Bainian. They had contacted old friends in the inner city and learned the latest news of the past two days.

No one knows what happened in the palace yet, but it is said that a general under Tu Rong turned against him, and he was placed under house arrest in the Imperial Guard Yamen. It was not until General Zhou Si brought his son to the door that they rescued him and entered the palace together.

The Marquis of Yingchuan was originally ordered by the late emperor to go to the military camp outside the capital to manage affairs. Someone sent him a message, and he led the army into the imperial city and stopped the actions of some people in the imperial guards in time. During the martial law last night, about 30% of the middle and lower-level generals of the imperial guards were arrested. We have to wait for the subsequent trial to find out whether there are any innocent people among them.

Among the royal family members who entered the palace, the old princes and Prince Ji and his son were detained. Although the others were sent home, they were accompanied by imperial guards who stood guard at the gate of the prince's mansion for strict protection, which actually meant surveillance. No one was allowed to visit, and no one in the mansion was allowed to send people to deliver things.

It was rumored that someone in the royal family was causing trouble and trying to seize power when the late emperor passed away. Fortunately, Yingchuan Marquis led his troops into the palace and stopped the chaos in time. At present, the new emperor has not yet ascended the throne, and no order has been issued to severely punish the royal family members who caused trouble. Although the various royal palaces were dissatisfied with the strict guard of the imperial guards, they were still honest.

No one wants to be charged with treason.