My wife has a secret

Chapter 88 The Situation Becomes Clear

Murdering one's husband and usurping the throne are both outrageous to both humans and gods, and are against the moral code and ethics of human beings.

But what else can I do?

Even though she was the queen, she was still just a woman. If the little emperor could never get the power of the emperor in his life, wouldn't she and her husband be controlled by the likes of Empress Dowager Xu and the Prince of Dongwan for the rest of their lives?

Rather than being regarded as a puppet, it is better to take the initiative and be the master behind the scenes.

Only after Empress Gongsun figured this out did she finally resolve her uneasiness.

"My queen, we are almost at Suzaku Gate... The situation ahead is not looking good. Do you need me to find out the situation?"

Zhang Yong was also worried about what was about to happen.

Following outside the car, he discovered early on that the light at the Suzaku Gate was much brighter than before. There were torches held high by the imperial guards everywhere, exuding an atmosphere of strict vigilance.

These torches lit up the city gate as bright as day, and one could clearly see solemn-looking figures standing on the parapets.

"I haven't encountered many Imperial Guards since I came out of Feishuang Palace. It seems... most of them have been summoned to Suzaku Gate."

Empress Gongsun raised her white hand and lifted the carriage curtain.

Although she was also worried about the situation in Suzaku Gate, the rules of the palace could not be broken.

After thinking for a moment, Empress Gongsun bit her lip and whispered, "How can a dragon, a phoenix, or a chariot stop to avoid people? Let me and His Majesty go to the Vermillion Bird Gate to have a clear look."

"Yes."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yong told the convoy to continue moving forward without slowing down.

Empress Gongsun closed the curtain and whispered to Xu Qing, "The commander of the imperial guards, Shi Chen, will definitely be in charge of the situation at Suzaku Gate. This man is very different from the previous deputy commander. I have met the young emperor many times and know his appearance, voice, and body shape."

"The torches on the city wall are so bright. If I show up, won't I be exposed?"

Xu Qing also took advantage of the gap just now to take a look at the situation on the city gate.

Previously, relying on the darkness and ordinary people's fear of the imperial power, they were able to deceive the eunuchs and palace maids.

But if the other person is someone close to the little emperor, how can he be deceived?
"So we have to summon the commander of the Imperial Guards first to seize the initiative."

……

Qin Shuying and Shui Haozi walked for a distance in the palace when they suddenly saw an old eunuch in a cloth shirt and straw sandals with disheveled hair standing in front of them with his eyes closed.

Although he was wearing the uniform of a fifth-rank eunuch, his clothes were extremely sloppy and he did not look like a person in the palace who followed the rules and etiquette.

"One person and one dog, you two are quite interesting."

The old eunuch had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and his eyes were slightly open.

Shui Haozi rolled up his sleeves in anger and cursed, "You are the dog! Your whole family is dogs! Sister-in-law, let me deal with this old guy. I guarantee he won't be able to make a second sound."

It’s not that Shui Haozi has become braver than before, but this cunning guy used the Fa Qiu method of observing people, but could not find any trace of the flow of true energy in the old eunuch.

In addition, eunuchs are already lacking one thing compared to normal people, and it is extremely difficult for such an ambiguous existence to learn martial arts.

Faced with Shui Haozi's self-recommendation, Qin Shuying ignored him, but forced a smile and said softly: "I thought the restrictions in the palace were just for show, but I didn't expect that I would meet the legendary master with a restrained aura after just taking two steps."

Although Qin Shuying could not see the old eunuch's ways, she had vaguely sensed an inexplicable aura staring at her in secret since she assassinated the deputy commander of the imperial guards.

Because of this, she became more concerned about Xu Qing's whereabouts.

When the old eunuch appeared, the feeling of being watched in the dark disappeared without a trace.

This also proves that this old eunuch is not an ordinary rat.

"The little girl is quite perceptive. She is much better than the barking puppy beside her."

Shui Haozi smiled awkwardly when he heard this. He had originally thought that he could take advantage of an easy target to change his embarrassing situation, but he did not expect that he would meet such an extraordinary person.

Afraid of being killed as an example by the old eunuch, Shui Haozi quickly ran to the side, cleared his throat and said, "Woof woof... You two can talk first. Shui Haozi will be waiting here. Whoever wins will listen to him."

The old eunuch and Qin Shuying didn't care about Shui Haozi's life or death, and they turned a blind eye to his behavior.

But the old eunuch showed a different interest in Qin Shuying. He opened his sleepy eyes and said, "Girl, the inner courtyard of the imperial palace is the most solemn and dignified place in Da Qi. It is not a place where outsiders can enter and leave at will. I didn't attack you just now, and I watched you kill the deputy commander. I have already given you enough face."

The graceful Qin Shuying smiled and said, "Could it be that you also went to Wangyue Tower a few years ago and you still miss me... Otherwise, how could there be someone I know in this deep palace?"

"Girl, there is no need to be so eloquent. We are only showing you mercy because of the Queen's instructions."

The old eunuch said calmly: "After all, you have done your best and helped the queen before."

"What do you mean by contributed?"

"Of course, I'm referring to the letter left for you on the Gongyi merchant ship."

Qin Shuying frowned slightly and pondered secretly.

The fire in Wangyue Tower and the most critical list of dignitaries were not actually the product of Qin Shuying alone.

She had been away from the capital for so long, how could she remember the name of her previous benefactor so clearly?
But when driving to the capital, Qin Shuying received a letter of unknown origin halfway. The other party listed most of the children of powerful families in the capital and carefully marked their family power.

There are only two people in the palace who can be called "Empress".

As the queen is from a noble family in Guanzhong and has no connection with her husband, she naturally would not get involved in this mess.

"That list was given to me by the Queen Mother?"

The old eunuch nodded gently and said, "Yes, the queen is the superior of Chengxuanfang. All useful information must pass through her ears. Even Miss Shen has heard of the sword dance, so how could the queen not know about it?"

From the moment Qin Shuying received the letter, she knew that the list of names in the letter was not simple.

But because the content of the letter was too detailed and there were hints at the end of the letter, Qin Shuying decided to act according to the hints on the letter.

"The fire in Wangyue Tower did not save my husband, and I was injured in the Ministry of Justice."

Qin Shuying glanced at the old eunuch, and the smile in her voice disappeared.

Although she didn't mind being used as a knife, she couldn't accept the outcome of that day and night.

"The arrangements made by the Prince of Dongwan are indeed more rigorous than Your Majesty expected, but you have done what you should do. Your Majesty will calm down the situation tonight and everything will return to peace."

“What do you mean I did what I was supposed to do?”

Qin Shuying seemed to realize something and asked quietly, "That fire... could there be another purpose?"

While on the boat, Qin Shuying read the letter several times and could recite the names on it by heart.

The reason why the Queen Mother was not suspected before was because the young men on the list included not only royalists, but also people from the Queen Mother's lineage.

As the fire started, many noble families turned against the Xu family. The Queen Mother was a powerful person, how could she do such a foolish thing as cutting off her own hands and feet?

As the two were talking, flames suddenly shot up into the sky in the distance, and huge fireworks bloomed in the air.

The slowly falling fireworks shone brighter and brighter in the old eunuch's pupils, causing him to open his eyes, revealing a fierce look.

"At this point, it won't hurt to tell you what the Queen meant."

The old eunuch said slowly, "The fire in Wangyue Tower did not burn human lives, but the pedantic old system. Since the founding of the imperial system by the First Emperor, dynasties have changed and the succession has never changed... No matter what the world becomes, the person sitting on the throne is always a man."

Qin Shuying widened her eyes.

"Throughout the ages, the aristocratic families have controlled the upper half of the court through the old system of selecting filial and honest officials. Whether it is the emperor or the powerful ministers and relatives, they all need to seek the support of these nobles, and no one is exempt."

"No matter which faction they favor due to their own interests, these noble families will not sit idly by and watch a woman ascend the throne, inherit the country, and create a prosperous era."

The old eunuch raised his head and said, "The deaths of the noble families will arouse the anger of the noble families, causing them to join the rebellion and fully support the Prince of Dongwan. This is what the queen has been waiting for."

The water rat leaning against the corner opened his mouth wide, unable to control his emotions and wanted to scream out.

But under the pressure of life and death, he covered his mouth and forced himself to suppress the sound.

Who in the Great Qi could have imagined that Queen Dowager Xu actually wanted to be the emperor herself?

"Eradication of the noble families involved in this rebellion will not only eradicate the poisonous roots of the Great Qi, allowing officials who passed the imperial examinations to have room for advancement, but will also completely eliminate the voices opposing the Empress' ascension to the throne."

The old eunuch paused for a moment and asked, "Now that we have come to this point, you will understand, right?"

Qin Shuying looked stunned, and her pretty face turned a little pale.

Who would have thought that in the face of the palace struggle, I, holding a magical weapon, was just a part of the plan.

The conspiracy designed by Empress Dowager Xu even made people believe that the young emperor had really seized power from her and imprisoned her in the cold palace.

"My husband..."

The old eunuch knew the purpose of Qin Shuying's sneaking into the palace this time, and said, "Don't worry, the entire imperial city is under the control of the queen, please go back."

……

The phoenix carriage slowly approached the Suzaku Gate. With the eunuchs' continuous shouting, almost all the imperial guards on the city wall knew that the emperor was coming.

The adjutant standing on the parapet heard the news from the back wall, and quickly hurried to the front wall and came behind a tall man with an upright posture.

The other party stood among the soldiers like a pine or cypress, with his black hair tied up high, his stern face with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, exuding a majestic aura.

"Commander, the emperor is here."

"emperor?"

Shi Chen was silent for a long time, then said, "The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry violated the ancestral teachings and broke into the capital, forcing the emperor to return to Feishuang Palace for refuge."

The deputy continued, "Commander, the emperor said that he has the imperial seal. As long as he is allowed to go out of the city gate and meet the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, he can persuade them to surrender and resolve the palace coup without bloodshed."

Shi Chen looked in front of the Suzaku Gate, and saw endless blackness like a pine forest, densely packed in front of the city gate.

Each dark warhorse was ridden by a warrior wearing a black animal mask. The armor of these cavalrymen was ink-black, almost blending into the night.

Even the horses they ride on are covered in black armor that is strong enough to protect against arrows.

"Emperor's Seal?"

When Shi Chen first heard the news, he subconsciously thought that this emperor was a fake.

Everyone knows that the little emperor is in the hands of the Prince of Dongwan and is one of the prince's bargaining chips. How could the other party allow the little emperor to return to the palace?

But after hearing that the emperor held the imperial seal in his hand, his mentality changed subtly.

This emperor has entered Feishuang Palace. Could it be that he is real?

"First, you stay here and keep an eye on the actions of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry. These people are very likely to attack the Suzaku Gate. The duty of the Imperial Guards is to protect the imperial city. After a proper resistance, open the palace gate."

"Yes."

Shi Chen was well aware of the difference in combat power between the two sides. Although there were heavy crossbows on the palace walls of Suzaku Gate, the imperial palace was not the imperial city after all, and the imperial guards could hardly fight against the well-equipped Tiger and Leopard Cavalry.

In addition, the Imperial Guards were neutral in nature, so irrelevant casualties seemed unnecessary.

The top priority now is to verify the emperor's true identity.

Shi Chen led several imperial guards and slowly withdrew from the Suzaku Gate, came to the front of the phoenix carriage, bowed and saluted, and said: "General Shi Chen, I am sorry for not coming to greet you. Long live the emperor."

"Today's situation is special. Commander Shi does not need to be too hard on himself."

The voice of Empress Gongsun came from the phoenix carriage, making Shi Chen more and more confused.

The Queen came to Suzaku Gate in person. Does that mean the person in the carriage was really the Emperor himself?
However, the curtains on both sides of the phoenix carriage were drawn, so it was impossible to peek inside through the windows.

"Thank you for your understanding, Madam Queen. I will defend the safety of the palace even at the cost of my life."

"Commander Shi, I heard that the area outside the Suzaku Gate has been surrounded by the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry. Now, according to the teachings of our great ancestor, it is time for the Emperor to personally take the imperial seal and send back the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry to capture the traitorous officials who committed treason."

Shi Chen raised his head and glanced at the car curtain, and felt that the shadow cast by the man in the car did not seem to match the little emperor of the past.

Combined with his previous speculations, Shi Chen denied the doubts in his heart.

He could almost conclude that the person on the phoenix carriage was not the emperor himself.

How could a twelve-year-old child sit shoulder to shoulder with the queen?
"Your Majesty is right, but why didn't the Emperor say anything?"

Shi Chen's words made the palace maids and eunuchs in the long convoy show a little panic. Although they were from Changle Palace, they were inevitably exhausted mentally and physically under the continuous pressure.

Seeing that the people on the phoenix carriage remained silent, the commander of the imperial guards snorted coldly and drew the golden sword from his waist.

He turned three steps into two, kicked away the eunuch driving the carriage, and reached out to lift the curtain.

Empress Gongsun was also frightened by this scene and panicked. She shrieked and rebuked with a broken voice: "Commander Shi, you are overstepping your authority..."

Before Shi Chen completely opened the curtain, he suddenly felt a murderous intent approaching him.

He withdrew his hand, turned around, and rolled to the side.

The next second, a standard-issue broadsword of the Imperial Guards chopped down on the door of the Phoenix carriage, embedding two inches into the wooden relief.

"Deputy General Xu?"

(End of this chapter)