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Xue Poye had already put on the silver rainforest armor and was fully armed. He was standing on the top of the Chaoyang Gate of the Imperial Palace, looking at the square below the city with a dazed look in his eyes.

The three major battalions of the Habayashi have been deployed. Although the Habayashi Guard has less than 5000 people, which is much smaller than the garrison, the imperial palace is countless times smaller than the capital city, so [-] Habayashi are enough to deploy defenses. Nine gates of the palace.

Hearing the loud battle sounds outside the city, Xue Poye knew that that kind of sound would appear in the palace soon.

"My lord, the queen mother is here!"

Xue Poye was startled: "The Queen Mother?" Immediately waved his hands and said, "Follow me to welcome the Queen Mother!"

Behind Gongyangyue, Zhao Tianda, Pan Zhenhai and other generals followed immediately, and quickly went to meet the Queen Mother.

To this day, Xue Poye has never met the most powerful woman in the Great Chu Kingdom.

The moment Xue Poye saw the queen mother, at least from the appearance of the queen mother, he sincerely admired the temperament of the strongest woman in the Great Chu Kingdom.

Temperament is not something that comes with it. It is a kind of thing that commemorates the extension of family cultural characteristics to individuals. The so-called acquired temperament always has a touch of humor Shallow traces.

The empress dowager's temperament is obviously brought by nature.

Elegant and luxurious, although she is over [-] years old, she has enough nobleness and courage in her every move. From her body, Xue Poye immediately thought of the princess who is so beautiful.

Xue Poye firmly believed that when the queen mother was young, she must also be a beauty who turned all living beings upside down.

The beauty is old, but the temperament has accumulated more solidly. The prince next to the queen mother is completely a foil, a cowardly and incompetent young man is a foil for a courageous old man.

The Habayashi guards bowed respectfully in front of the old man.

The queen mother glanced at the empty square under the palace, raised her hand and said, "Get up, you are generals, save your strength to kill the enemy, instead of kneeling down for an old useless old man like me."

"I dare not wait!" Xue Poye and others stood up and lined up on both sides.

"You... are Xue Poye!" The queen mother stared at Xue Poye and asked slowly. It's not that the queen mother knows people with her eyes, but Xue Poye's clothes are exactly the outfit of the deputy general guard of Fenghuo Camp. Anyone with common sense can see it.

"It's Weichen!" Xue Poye said respectfully.

A smile appeared on the queen mother's face, and she said: "Young hero, you have courage and insight, no wonder the emperor will take a fancy to you, the emperor's vision is still there." She stared at Xue Poye and nodded thoughtfully.

The fire on the top of the city was not very bright, but Xue Poye saw the prince's strange eyes in the dim light of the fire.

There was an extremely resentful look in the prince's eyes, and this kind of look was aimed at Xue Poye.

The prince's foreign treasury was suppressed by Xue Poye in Jiangnan, this kind of hatred, a narrow-minded person like the prince will not forget, not only that, once the prince gains power, he will definitely deal with it severely.

Xue Poye sighed secretly, he really didn't understand whether it was wrong or right to take pains to protect the court and this pig-headed prince.

Now it seems that the Holy Majesty is about to die, no matter who wins or loses the crown prince and the fourth prince, his political future will not develop very well.

Damn, when the time comes, I will still lead my wife and brothers to run.

This last dedication is a reward for His Majesty's trust and appreciation at the beginning.

"Xue Poye, tell your soldiers, don't be afraid of any enemy. The prosperity of the Great Chu Kingdom cannot be shaken by the younger generation. The country is blessed by God, and the fortune is prosperous... The imperial court is always the last winner!" The queen mother said firmly, With incomparable majesty, he said in a deep voice: "After the rebellion is suppressed, you and your soldiers will receive great rewards."

"The ministers are loyal to the country, but I want the queen mother to be safe, the crown prince to be safe, and the court to be safe. I don't ask for rewards!" All the generals knelt down together and said in unison.

Xue Poye thought about the phrase "the imperial court is always the last winner", feeling a lot of emotion in his heart, this sentence should be said "the winner is the last imperial court"!

"Xue Poye, the battle is imminent, what more do you want?" The queen mother stared at Xue Poye and asked slowly.

Xue Poye hurriedly said: "This minister doesn't have any request...!" He paused suddenly, glanced at the Queen Mother, and said: "Queen Mother, this minister has been deeply graciously graciously received by the Holy One. , My minister... I want to pay homage to the Holy Majesty before the great battle...!"

Thinking that regardless of the victory or defeat of the war, I will leave at the last moment. If possible, I would use this gap to pay homage to some emperors. After all, the two had admired each other.

"Xue Poye, is it possible for you to see Emperor Father whenever you want?" The prince couldn't help but said, "You are just a small deputy general guard of Yubayashi, and you are not qualified to pay homage to Emperor Father."

"Shut up." The queen mother said coldly.

Just like a mouse hearing a cat's cry, the prince immediately shut his mouth, but still gave Xue Poye a hard look, his eyes were full of hatred, this kind of look was also seen by the generals behind Xue Poye , could not help but worry secretly for Xue Poye.

Xue Poye smiled lightly, without expressing anything, his face was still full of respect.

"It's rare for you to be so loyal." The Queen Mother looked at Xue Poye and said softly, "The Holy Majesty is in the Temple of Daode Gonglin, you... go back!"

……

The empress dowager's benevolence made Xue Poye very pleased. Although he knew it was because the empress dowager wanted to use him to protect the palace, but no matter what the reason was, it was... already enough.

The Taoist Palace is at the back of the Qianqing Palace. It is solemn and quiet. This is a very special palace. It belongs to the royal palace. If someone from the royal family dies, the corpse will be parked here to accept the chanting and prayers of the Taoist priests. And the worship of the courtiers.

There are also more than a dozen palaces in the Daode Palace. According to the different identities, the palaces where the corpses are stored are also different, and the corpse of His Majesty the Emperor is parked in the main hall, Dellin Temple.

The place was already full of Taoist priests, white flags fluttered, and the whole area was snow-white. The queens and concubines of the harem gathered in front of the mourning hall, weeping and crying.

Although the royal family has a special status and the scale of the funeral is grand, many routines are not much more complicated than the funerals of ordinary people, and the entire Lin Temple is immersed in mourning.

Under the guidance of the eunuchs sent by the Queen Mother, Xue Poye came to Linsheng Hall in armor. His arrival caused a burst of doubt among the concubines in the hall.

Now that the rebel army is approaching the city outside the city of Kyoto, and the generals are fighting to the death, why did such a young general come here?Moreover, according to the rules of the Great Chu Kingdom, as a general, it seems that he is not qualified to come to worship His Majesty the Emperor alone.

Xue Poye stared at the huge yellow curtain of Linsheng Temple, on which was written a huge "Chu" character, flying dragons and phoenixes, showing the domineering power of the Great Chu Kingdom.

It's just that the capital is in danger now, the holy car has gone, the mourning hall is full of weeping, and the big "Chu" character looks so lonely and helpless.

Hundreds of harem concubines knelt in front of the mourning hall. The one at the front was a beautiful woman with an elegant temperament. standing.

Surrounded by Taoist priests, beside the mourning hall, sat an old Taoist priest with a long beard and long eyebrows, with a calm face.

Xue Poye didn't know these two people, but he could guess their identities.

This beautiful woman, if she guessed correctly, is most likely the Queen of the Great Chu Kingdom, the so-called "Queen Xuanmin".

Her standing posture is absolutely perfect, and it seems that every movement is impeccable. In other words, she may be the embodiment of the so-called "beauty" in this world.

As for the old Taoist priest, he may be the national teacher.

The eunuch who led Xue Poye rushed over, knelt down on the ground, and said respectfully: "I want to report to the queen mother, the queen mother has specially ordered to show her kindness, and ordered Master Xue, the deputy general guard of the Yulin camp, to come to pay homage to the holy majesty, and I am waiting now!"

The queen turned her head, and Xue Poye really saw the queen's face this time.

It was a face that did not exist in the world, just like the heavens carefully carved a woman's face to the most perfect state.

Gorgeous but not coquettish, elegant but not vulgar, beautiful but not greasy.

Xue Poye only felt his heart jumping suddenly, under the eyes of the empress, he knelt on the ground unconsciously, and respectfully said: "My minister Xue Poye sees the empress!"

The queen said calmly: "Go, Your Majesty has mentioned you to me on weekdays, saying that you are a loyal minister...!" Her expression was very calm, and she didn't have the pained expressions of other concubines, and she even seemed very calm. very calm.

Perhaps at times like this, the empress should be the one to keep calm, and to lead the harem always needs to be different.

It's just that Xue Poye is really puzzled deep in his heart. The queen's age seems to be around 30 years old, maybe younger than the eldest princess, but the calmness she shows seems to be over 50 years old...well...even close Queen Mother.

In the depths of her eyes, Xue Poye couldn't even see a trace of sadness.

Kneeling in front of His Majesty's coffin, behind the huge yellow curtain, is His Majesty's crystal ice coffin. The resolute Emperor is now lying quietly in the ice coffin, no matter how talented he was before his death Wei Lue, how domineering over the world, but at this moment, he is no different from an ordinary layman.

Xue Poye didn't see the ice coffin, so he could only worship a little bit to show his respect for the emperor.

The era of Emperor Deqing has passed, which means that the future of Xue Poye, who has just started his political career, is ruined. Without any backing, Xue Poye's political path has also come to an end.

With the departure of Emperor Deqing, the beautiful era of monarchs and ministers has disappeared, and what Xue Poye is facing will be an extremely dangerous future.

A month ago, Xue Poye would never have imagined the current situation.

Perhaps this is life, an unpredictable life.

……

Under the guidance of the eunuch, Xue Poye completed the worship process. He was about to stand up when he suddenly heard a strange sound coming from behind the yellow curtain. , I am afraid that the past will be ignored.

It sounded like a cough.

Xue Poye couldn't help but stand on end. He knew that there was His Majesty's coffin behind it, and there was no one else. This sudden cough... Could it be a ghost?Although Lin Sheng Temple is brightly lit, it is the light of lanterns after all, and they are all white paper cages. There is no light of the sun, but a gloomy light.

"Maybe it's a servant." Xue Poye took a deep breath and stood up.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed some untimely details. At this moment, among the group of crying concubines, many of them were secretly looking at him. Although tears were streaming down his face, there was no sadness in their eyes.

These concubines actually went to admire other men in front of the emperor's spirit.

Xue Poye sighed deeply in his heart, and couldn't help but sympathize with His Majesty the Emperor. Although His Majesty sits on thousands of miles of rivers and mountains and controls the lives and deaths of countless people with one hand, the love between husband and wife that many ordinary people can enjoy seems to be in the hands of the Emperor. His Majesty did not enjoy it.

Before His Majesty was alive, these concubines must have been extremely sharp-tongued, eager to show their loyalty to His Majesty, but as soon as His Majesty passed away, they began to think about other men.

Perhaps this is the emperor's sorrow.

"The empress's day!" Xue Poye walked to the empress's side and said respectfully: "I have military affairs, so I will take my leave first."

The queen glanced at Xue Poye, and said indifferently: "Master Xue, please go."

Following the eunuch's departure from the Daode Palace, Xue Poye quickened his pace as he looked up at the night sky and heard the loud shouts of killing outside the city.

……

……

The tiger-headed hammer of the rebels had knocked open the big copper gate of the south gate, and a big hole appeared. It was only the defenders who supported the city gate, and even shot feather arrows from the hole. The rebels who attacked the city were killed or injured. Not light.

After a fierce confrontation, the garrison tried their best, but still failed to prevent the rebels from ascending the top of the city. There was already a river of blood on the top of the city. The soldiers on both sides were like beasts, trying their best to put each other to death. The roar resounded through the entire city gate.

The swordsman covered his body with a shield, trying to get in through the hole in the gate, but as soon as he got close, he was hooked in by the garrison's hook, and he was chopped into meat in an instant.

Ye Dao clenched his fists with an unusually serious expression.

In the Battle of the South Gate, the rebel army had already lost thousands of people, and there were corpses everywhere at the base of the city wall, including those of the rebel army and the corpses of the defenders who fell from the top of the city.And this is not the end. On top of these corpses, new corpses are still being added and piled up together.

"They won't last long!" Seeing the fierce situation, the rebel army gradually gained the upper hand, the fourth prince couldn't help but sneered.

Nearly 2 people go to attack less than 5000 people, and with advanced siege weapons, the garrison can support for more than three hours, which is already the limit. The 3000 garrison at the top of the city has less than [-] people now. Moreover, their bows and arrows and boiling oil have been exhausted, and they can only fight with swords and guns in the next battle. What the rebels fear most is the battle of swords and guns.

A fast horse came galloping, with a flag on its back, it was the military herald.

"Your Majesty, General Ye, the north gate has been broken, and the Beilin camp is entering the city," the herald reported.

The fourth prince said coldly: "Beilin Daying took the lead... This damned Xuanyuan Chou actually delayed my palace here."

"Your Highness, the Beilin Camp is also your subordinate. It is His Highness's joy that they invaded the city." Ye Dao said indifferently: "As for Xuanyuanchou and the garrison...they are soldiers worthy of respect...!"

Under the command of Liu Guogong and Liu Tuo, Beilin Camp broke through the North Gate of Kyoto. The north gate is naturally easier to break through than the other three gates.

Although there are still many defenders at the North Gate fighting the rebels who invaded the city, the disparity in strength between the two sides is too great, and there is no talk for too long. There is no resistance in the entire North Gate.

"Father, shall we advance into the palace?" Liu Tuo's handsome face was not without complacency. With the four-way army, the north gate was broken first, which always makes people feel proud.

Liu Guogong looked at the large residential area in front of him, it was unusually calm, there was no pedestrian in the whole street, it was like an empty city.

"No, divide the troops into two groups, attack the east and west gates, and wait for the entire army to break through the city before attacking the palace." Liu Guogong stroked his beard and said calmly. It’s enough to show momentum, the garrison is already at the end of its strength, so it doesn’t take much effort.”

The meaning of Liu Guogong is very clear. Now that the North Gate has been captured and the mission of the alliance has been completed, there is no need to sacrifice the lives of soldiers to attack other gates. After all, the Beilin Camp is their foundation. In other words, it has weakened a bit of strength.

Liu Tuo didn't understand, and said: "Father, the palace is right in front of us, why don't we take advantage of the situation and take it, at least we can deter them."

Duke Liu Guo sighed, shook his head and said, "My son, you are still too young." Pointing to a large area of ​​residential buildings, he said, "It looks peaceful there, but I feel that there is danger hidden everywhere. You can see that when you attack the city, you are still too young." , besides the Kyoto garrison, are there other armies? If the court has no other preparations, where did the 1000 people from the Kyoto Prefecture and the Metropolitan Procuratorate go? There is also the Habayashi Battalion, and the three major Habayashi Battalions still have 5000 people. So far So far, we haven't seen any of them."

"Father means...?" Liu Tuo frowned.

"Under these tranquility lies the court's final ultimate move. Of course, we will not let our soldiers become victims of these ultimate moves." Liu Guogong smiled faintly: "These soldiers are the ones we will fight with Liu in the future." The basis of Zifu's negotiation conditions, each one is a treasure. Wait, wait for the Fourth Highness to break the city. Maybe we break the city first, and the Fourth Highness already has complaints. How can we let him have complaints... Remember, We are the army of the Fourth Highness, haha...!"

Liu Guogong's voice was very powerful, but it was soon drowned out by the sound of rumbling horseshoes.