After being exiled, I led my whole family to rebel.

Chapter 347: The Empress Who Gives Up Three Times
Outside the south gate of Bianjing City, there was a horse-drawn carriage covered with sky-blue cloth.

People were coming and going at the South Gate, and the small vendors doing small business in the vicinity almost occupied half of the city. They were lined up in an orderly manner in the designated business road, not occupying any space on the cement road.

Early in the morning, the shouts of people selling sesame candies, cakes, wontons, and woven items were heard. As the fog dissipated and the sky was filled with rosy clouds, the whole city came alive again.

It is now the fifteenth year since the founding of China.

The city of Bianjing has become many times more prosperous than before.

Soon, a group of riders came out from the crowd in the busy city.

She was a middle-aged woman, wearing a green robe, with a curvy figure and a strong feeling. At first glance, she was a woman who was on the road all year round.

Ever since the founding of the Chinese Empire by the Empress, strength has been considered beautiful among women, and it is not difficult to see many strong and powerful women in the city of Bianjing.

The man rode his horse very fast and rushed into the carriage curtain like a cannonball.

There was a gentle breeze in the carriage.

The four wheels also shook slightly.

Feng Er wiped her sweat and sighed, "Oh my God, we finally arrived!"

Xu Yinxi was wearing a white gown. Her skin was very fair. Even though she was over 40, there were only a few fine lines at the corners of her eyes. Because she had never given birth, she looked much younger than women of the same age.

Especially now that he has resigned from his job and has nothing to do, he appears to be even gentler.

Xu Yinxi smiled and handed over the handkerchief to wipe the sweat, "Why are you in such a hurry? His Majesty said he would wait for you, and he will definitely wait for you."

Feng Er said with a smile: "Oh, I'm afraid that Her Majesty will stand me up. You know she often doesn't keep her word!"

"When did I break my promise?" Xu Zhenying, who was sitting in the corner, was wearing a black long coat and long pants. She was nearly 40 years old now, with a few barely noticeable strands of white hair on her forehead. "Besides, it was you who insisted on coming here. I didn't promise to wait for you."

"I don't care!" Feng'er rushed in like a spoiled child, took off her shoes and went in, "You want to leave me behind to travel around the beautiful country, but I won't do it!"

Xu Yinxi said: "Your Majesty is joking with you. Right now in Bianjing City, we are the only three who have not married. Now that His Majesty wants to leave, he will naturally take you with him!"

Feng Er was not convinced: "Humph, if I hadn't found any clues, you two would have run away! What happened? You agreed to retire together and go out to play together, why did you two leave like thieves at the last minute?"

Xu Zhenying smiled helplessly, "Alas, I am afraid that the court officials will not be able to bear it. Elder Lin is so old, and he usually stays in bed to recuperate. If they suddenly heard that I quit my job, I am afraid they would dare to come to the palace on crutches to arrest me. I have no choice but to leave a handwritten letter and sneak away..."

Feng Er wiped the sweat off her forehead, and hurriedly put the luggage on the carriage, saying loudly: "What's so unbearable? Your Majesty has worked hard for most of his life, so you have to live for yourself for a few years. Besides, anyone can take over this court if he leaves!"

"That's true." Xu Yinxi said with a smile, "But your Majesty, this move is truly unprecedented. Who would have thought that a dignified empress would actually run away from home through a dog hole—"

Xu Zhenying quickly made a "silence" gesture.

"Your Majesty came out through a dog hole?!"

Feng'er was so happy that she almost fell backwards in the carriage.

The three girls, who were almost forty years old, seemed to be far away from the disputes in the court and became as childish as teenage girls.

"Don't call me Your Majesty. I'm retired now and no longer the Empress of China."

Feng Er followed suit: "Then I'll call you girl."

Xu Yinxi also smiled: "Then I'll call you Sixth Sister. It feels like... I haven't called you like this for a long, long time——"

Xu Zhenying smiled, "Yes. It has been more than 20 years in the blink of an eye. It seems like yesterday when I first attacked Bianjing City."

Feng Er had already opened the curtain of the carriage and looked at the group of more than 20 people. She couldn't help but feel a little worried: "Are these people... enough?"

Xu Yinxi said: "There is also a group of fifty secret guards."

Xu Zhenying said, "I left so suddenly that I didn't have time to notify the security. But I trust these people, so there shouldn't be any problems. Besides, I'm no longer the empress, so I guess no one would make things difficult for me."

Feng Er sighed, looking at Xu Zhenying, and said with some emotion: "Miss, I really admire you. You are so brave to retire at the peak of your career, leaving without hesitation after your work is done, hiding your achievements and fame... I think within two days, the whole court will be in an uproar. Abdication! Selection! Competition for the position! This is simply a feat that has never been seen before in history!"

Xu Zhenying smiled: "Just as you said, I have worked hard for decades, and it is time for me to live for myself. Besides, I have already decided on the candidate for the next emperor, so there won't be any big trouble."

Feng Er suddenly became interested, "Who did the young lady choose to succeed the throne?"

Xu Zhenying smiled: "Guess?"

Feng Er shook her head, "I can't guess."

Xu Yinxi laughed out loud, "Sixth sister originally chose me. But I rejected her! Instead, I found out that she was ready to quit, so I took the opportunity to prepare for retirement."

Feng Er was shocked, "You refused? Why?"

"Since Sixth Sister wants to achieve true fairness, then the Xu family cannot have two empresses in a row, otherwise the next generation of the Xu family will regard the throne as the property of the Xu family, which is inconsistent with our original intention of completely abolishing the hierarchy. Secondly, I am older than Sixth Sister and I don’t have enough energy. Finally, I am not that stupid. The job that Sixth Sister doesn’t want to do must not be a good job. I have no children in this life, and I always lived for the great principles of the world. Now it’s time to live for myself!"

Feng'er was a little dizzy after hearing the news.

In just a few days, she discovered that Xu Zhenying was going to quit his job and travel around the country, and then that he was going to abdicate and let someone else take over. He even drafted an edict setting out the conditions and rules for the emperor's election. Finally, she discovered that the throne had already been passed down several generations.

Feng'er always thought that she was the most extraordinary among the girls, but she forgot that the two people in front of her were the real heroes of the time!
"Who did the girl finally choose?"

Xu Zhenying hesitated for a moment, "Minister Song."

"Song Luo?" Feng Er was not very surprised. "Song Luo is already in her thirties this year, right? She is in her prime. She has worked at the grassroots level and has also been a lord. She has rich experience in politics and is a good candidate. I just don't know if she can control those old ministers."

Xu Zhenying smiled, "I have confidence in her."

Xu Yinxi also said: "Your Majesty's choice must be good."

Feng Er saw that the two people in front of her seemed to be in love with each other, so she felt a little jealous, "Yes, yes, of course your majesty's choice is good. I'm afraid you think whoever your majesty chooses is good. How could I forget that you, Xu Yinxi, are the young lady's most loyal supporter? If the young lady never gets married, you will never get married either. If the young lady doesn't leave any bloodline, you will not have any children. If the young lady wants to retire at the right time, you should retire with her—"

Xu Yinxi smiled: "Speaking of those who are not married, among the old members of our government team, there are only three of us. Qian Zhenniang already has three children! Now that we have retired gloriously and are traveling around, we must also advance and retreat together as a group of three."

"That's more like it, but don't even think about leaving me behind again."

"You're already on the carriage, how can I leave you behind? I can only find a deserted place and kick you off!"

"You!" Feng'er and Xu Yinxi immediately threw themselves into a ball.

As the carriage sped away, a security team of dozens of people also set off.

Leading the team is the experienced An Peilin.

After he had made great achievements on the western battlefield, he had already become one of the founding heroes. However, he applied for early retirement due to injuries in his early years and stayed at home. Therefore, Xu Zhenying also called him this time.

An Peilin naturally obeyed Xu Zhenying. As soon as Xu Zhenying gave an order, he would follow with his family.

Coincidentally, his wife was also a female soldier, and she gave birth to a son who also liked to wield swords.

Xu Zhenying summoned almost all veterans. Although they might not be physically strong enough, they were all experienced and very loyal to Xu Zhenying. Xu Zhenying also allowed them to bring their families with them, so at first glance this team looked like a caravan of escorts.

The carriage swayed and moved in a low-key manner on the cement road shaded by the jungle.

After walking for about three or four hours, the sky was getting dark, a waning moon hung high in the sky, the summer heat had gone away, and only a cool evening breeze remained.

They settled down at an inn.

The bells at the post station rang in the evening breeze.

The wind also made Xu Zhenying's book flip through several pages.

Xu Yinxi came forward, dimmed the light of the oil lamp, and then closed the book in her hand, saying with a smile: "All the heroes have retired, why do you have to be so strict?"

Xu Zhenying raised his numb arm slightly, "Learning never ends. I've gotten used to it."

Xu Yinxi stared at her, "You seem a little absent-minded today. Why, are you reluctant to give up the throne? Or are you worried that the world will be in chaos after you leave?"

"That's not the case. When I was 20, I thought I must retire before I was 30. If it weren't for the fact that Mr. Lin noticed my thoughts and forced me to work for another 10 years, I would have wanted to let go long ago. As for the world going into chaos, that won't happen. The girl I chose should be able to calm the situation and not destroy the foundation I have worked so hard for so many years." "Then why are you still absent-minded?"

Xu Zhenying smiled with her eyes narrowed. She had some gray hair on her head, but her eyes were clear and the two iconic dimples on her lips made her look more approachable than usual. "I'm not absent-minded."

Xu Yinxi pursed her lips and smiled, "You are deceiving yourself. You and I have been sisters for decades, how could I not understand you? You have been absent-minded since you left Bianjing City."

Xu Zhenying frowned, "Since you said I was deceiving myself, why did you expose me?"

Facing Xu Zhenying's trickery, Xu Yinxi had no choice but to pinch Xu Zhenying's waist and said arrogantly, "Just keep talking tough. You've made me look forward to it. What kind of excitement is this that can make Her Majesty the Queen distracted?"

Xu Zhenying pushed her out. "You are already old, but you are still not in good shape. Who said that you have not eaten well or slept well all these years, and you are busy with government affairs, so your face has aged? Take this opportunity to make up for your beauty sleep."

"Okay. Since you don't want to say it, I won't force you." Xu Yinxi said, and walked out with a sigh. However, after she walked out of the room, she turned around and squatted more than ten meters outside the door of Xu Zhenying's residence, and bumped into Feng'er who was coming towards her.

Xu Yinxi was quick to pull Feng'er to squat in the corner and said in a low voice: "Feng'er, we have something exciting to watch tonight."

Feng Er frowned, "What excitement?"

"Just wait."

"Childish." Feng'er looked Xu Yinxi up and down, and found that although he was already forty years old, his behavior was completely lacking in the steadiness of a former vice-emperor. Now he was even more playful, like a child of a few years old. Could it be that Xu Yinxi's previous maturity and steadiness were all pretended?
"What childish! Back then, I don't know who took us to squat on the wall to watch Qian Zhenniang's wedding night. Qian Zhenniang almost took up a sword and chopped us all over the yard. Also, Ming Xiaoshuang and Fang Ruyu had a quarrel at home, and you and Fang Ningmo took Fang Ruyu to Miaoyinfang to see the handsome man, and asked Ming Xiaoshuang to look for him all over the city-"

Feng Er felt a little guilty, "That was all His Majesty's idea. Besides, that young man is just average, not very handsome."

Somehow, Xu Yinxi suddenly felt a little emotional. "Hey, why have I never seen a handsome man? I have lived my life in vain. In the past, every day when I opened my eyes, I was busy with government affairs. I always felt that His Majesty could not do without me, Xu Yinxi, and China could not do without me, Xu Yinxi. From morning to night, I was like a spinning top, as if my world was only about work, eating, drinking and having fun, and I didn't enjoy myself at all."

Feng Er smiled and took her hand, "Otherwise, why do you say you are a great saint! In this life, you and I can follow the young lady to do something, to be famous in history, to change history, to be a woman and become a noble and a prime minister, and even to build a temple to cultivate oneself, which is already a great achievement. As for now, you just be a good layman, and I will accompany you to make up for all the things you missed in the past!"

Xu Yinxi smiled, "Your Majesty, why are you talking about me again?"

"Your Majesty? How is Your Majesty?"

"Didn't you notice that she was absent-minded today?"

"Are you worried about Bianjing City? After all, she left with only a few words. I'm afraid those people in Bianjing City must have gone crazy now."

"No." Xu Yinxi was sure, "I always felt that she was hiding something from us."

Feng Er also perked up, "Why don't we wait here and see what's going on?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of hurried horse hooves was heard in the silent night sky.

The person who came should be a single person riding a horse, with a thin figure, moving quickly through the woods.

Who is still running outside so late?

The two of them curiously poked their heads out to look, only to find that Xu Zhenying's door was suddenly pushed open. Facing the moonlight on the ground, her footsteps were unusually cheerful, even with a girl's eagerness.

The two men quickly pressed their bodies against the wall to hide their figures.

The two looked at each other, quite puzzled.

When had they ever seen Xu Zhenying so anxious?
Xu Yinxi was itching to go there, so she leaned forward and looked into the yard of the post station.

The sky was filled with moonlight, like autumn frost on the ground. A man on horseback, dressed in black, rode out of the forest and then tied the horse in the backyard.

He seemed to be in a hurry and seemed quite anxious.

Is a middle-aged man.

His back is straight like a pine or cypress in the mountains, he has a buzz cut, and a resolute look can be vaguely seen on his face.

You can tell at first glance that he is a soldier.

His fierceness, like a sword drawn from its sheath, cannot be ignored.

Taking advantage of the quick glimpse of the moonlight, the two of them gasped.

Feng Er couldn't help but exclaimed: "It turns out that the girl is waiting for him!"

Somehow, Xu Yinxi's eyes turned red, "Your Majesty... you have been waiting for only him."

Feng Er looked at her, "You always knew?"

Xu Yinxi smiled faintly, with a look of desolation in her eyes, "Do you still remember that five years ago, His Highness had an acute illness and almost passed away?"

"How can I forget? Dean Qiu's hair turned white overnight, the people in the medical department couldn't sleep at night, all the temples in Bianjing City were brightly lit, and the people came out of their homes to pray for His Majesty. The moat was filled with water lanterns for blessing—"

"Yes. After His Majesty recovered from his illness, he seemed to have come to his senses. She secretly sent people to look for him outside the Great Wall."

Feng Er's eyes welled up with tears. "That means, Your Majesty found him five years ago?"

"That's right. I only know that they have been communicating with each other through letters intermittently for five years. I don't know anything else."

"Then...then he is almost fifty years old now. Is he married? Does he have children? Will he...let Your Majesty down?" Feng'er seemed anxious, but then felt bitter. "He is the only son of the Jiang family. His whole family was killed, leaving only him alive. He must have had a family a long time ago, and I'm afraid he must have had several children——"

Yes.

Jiang Yongkang is already in his forties.

It has been nearly twenty years since he was expelled from the city of Bianjing by His Majesty. During these twenty years, he has traveled across the country, seen so many customs, met so many people, and spent most of his life like a willow catkin. I'm afraid he has already settled down somewhere.

Feng'er just felt heartbroken.

Just like when I suddenly heard the news that Xu Huiming was getting married.

Xu Yinxi looked at the figure that flashed by and smiled: "Don't worry about it. Trust your majesty's decision."

Xu Zhenying hurried downstairs and finally met Jiang Yongkang in the yard of the post station.

She slowed down her pace and stared at the person who came, as if she wanted to see his face clearly.

Life is just a blink of an eye, and decades pass by in a hurry.

It has been almost twenty years since Jiang Yongkang left Bian Jing.

During this period, he only came back a few times, but never came to see Xu Zhenying.

Xu Zhenying only remembers catching a quick glimpse of his appearance at the Lantern Festival one year.

Therefore, Xu Zhenying knew that Jiang Yongkang had returned quietly.

But there has never been a single time when we met face to face and looked at each other carefully.

Jiang Yongkang was also looking at her.

Ten years have passed since we parted. The laughter and love remain the same, but the hair has turned gray.

When our eyes met, there was no trace of mountain breeze.

The two of them smiled at each other.

The grudges are over.

Sprinkle flowers. End. Thank you all for watching.

This book is a group portrait. Which supporting character do you like best? You can leave his name in the comment section!
There is a new article next door, please move over and take a look.

Remember to follow Lanzhou. Just click the follow button next to my pen name. You won’t miss my new articles by following me.

Finally, I wish you all a happy life and good health.