After the rebellion was successful, I realized that this place was the Red Mansion

Chapter 24: Surrender (Part 1)

Yuqing Palace.

Before dawn, Qinghe was awakened by the palace maid Shuyu.

She sat up drowsily and lifted the moon-white satin quilt embroidered with butterflies. A chill penetrated her thin clothes and reached her slender white body.

It made her sober up a little.

Shuyu whispered, "Princess, didn't you sleep well last night? Mammy said you don't have to go to class today. After you pay your respects to the Queen Mother and the Empress, you can come back and rest for a while."

The palace maids around looked at each other. Not to mention the princess, they also slept uneasily last night, always thinking that Prince Qian would attack the city today, and who knew what would happen when he broke into the palace.

If Prince Qian went directly into the palace, they would not be afraid, because they would just continue to serve the new emperor.

The fear is that if the siege of the capital city lasts for a long time, there will be chaos in the palace. Everyone will be in danger and it will be difficult to save their lives.

"Ah."

Qinghe got out of bed, stepped on her white jade-like feet several times before she put them into her soft-soled shoes with scattered flowers, and stood up with the help of the palace maid.

"The princess has lost weight again." Shuyu said softly.

Qinghe shook her head and came to the dressing mirror. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her pretty face looked very bad, and there was a lingering sense of depression between her brows.

The palace maid undressed her and changed her into a bellyband embroidered with gold and featuring a magpie holding a branch, which covered the fair and delicate skin on her chest.

Qinghe looked at the graceful figure in the mirror and suddenly thought, if her body was seen by King Qian...

It's no wonder that she had such wild thoughts. She had a nightmare last night. She dreamed that when she was about to get married, Prince Qian happened to break into the city, pulled her out of the sedan chair, lifted her red veil, and brought her back to the palace, letting her continue to live in this familiar palace.

She was thrown onto the bed by the blurry, indistinct, yet ferocious King Qian. She struggled desperately, but still...

Then she was awakened by the shock.

Qinghe bit her lip and asked Shuyu, "Any news from Marquis Anyuan?"

Shuyu glanced at her and said with a smile, "Princess, do you want to get married soon? The wedding is next month. As for the young master of the Anyuan Marquis family...Princess, you can ask the Empress."

Being in the deep palace, it is naturally difficult to know what is happening in the outside world. The princess has not yet married, and it is impossible for her to contact her future husband through letters. Qinghe has never seen her future husband, and only heard from others that the son of Marquis Anyuan is a handsome and talented man.

"That's all."

Qinghe frowned and shook his head.

Ever since her engagement, she had often worried about her marriage, wondering what kind of person her future husband would be, whether she could live up to his wishes, and whether she should act like a princess if she was wronged. The palace maids had taught her to respect her ancestors' teachings and serve her uncle and aunt like a common woman, but someone had also told her that as a royal princess, her husband's family should bow to her.

However, ever since the Qianwang army besieged the city five days ago, Qinghe had never thought about marriage. Even when the emperor's sister-in-law mentioned preparing a dowry for her two days ago, she just heard it and forgot about it.

Now, how could she still have the mind to get married?
……

Qinghe went to pay his respects to his mother, and then went to Kunning Palace with the emperor's sister-in-law to sit for a while to relieve his mood.

Just as she sat down, a eunuch came to pass on the message: "Your Majesty, the Emperor Retired invites you and the princess to go to the Wanxian Pavilion to watch the ceremony together!"

"Watch the ceremony? What ceremony?" asked Empress Zhang.

"Watch the ceremony of the Emperor taking the elixir and ascending to heaven!"

"Didn't the emperor say that we should take the elixir at 3:15 AM?" Qinghe also asked. She remembered this time, but it had already passed.

The eunuch smiled apologetically and said, "The Emperor took an elixir at 3:30 AM, but it didn't work. Several immortals said that perhaps your majesty's earthly ties have not yet been purified, and he needs to bid farewell to his wife and daughter in the human world before he can ascend to heaven without any worries!"

How absurd!

Empress Zhang felt both amused and annoyed. The retired emperor had really gone astray in his practice and was deceived by a group of Taoists.

Throughout history, countless emperors have sought the path to immortality, but has any one ever succeeded? It was merely the Taoists who deceived them, seeking wealth and glory.

"Emperor's sister-in-law..." Qinghe asked her.

"Let's go."

Empress Zhang looked indifferent, with the events outside the city weighing heavily on her mind. She was feeling uneasy today, so it would be nice to go for a walk.

So Qinghe and the emperor's sister-in-law came to the East Palace together. After entering the Wanxian Pavilion, they found that the empress dowager and other young princes and princesses had also been invited by the emperor.

"Okay, you're all here!"

When he saw them, a smile broke out on the retired emperor's pale face. In the hall filled with incense and smoke, he looked very scary. The little princes and princesses did not dare to approach him and hid behind Empress Zhang.

Qinghe glanced around but didn't see his brother. Perhaps his father had deliberately ignored him, or perhaps he simply couldn't invite him. Prince Qian, outside the city, had probably already begun his siege.

The palace was still quiet for the time being, but Qinghe didn't know how long this quietness would last.

While she was daydreaming, her father had already impatiently swallowed a pill, and under the gaze of everyone, nothing happened.

"Why didn't I leave?!" The retired emperor stared at the Taoists. They were sweating profusely and said, "The emperor hasn't arrived yet. Brother, refine another furnace!"

Qinghe didn't read on and took his nephews and nieces outside to get some fresh air.

At noon, Qinghe saw his fourth uncle, fifth uncle, and other members of the royal family. A group of princes came to the Wanxian Pavilion and knelt before his father.
"Father, please let the Emperor surrender!"

The atmosphere in Wanxian Pavilion became tense.

Qinghe witnessed a scene that he had never seen before: the princes united, knelt down and begged the emperor, forcing him to surrender.

The noise in the Wanxian Pavilion was extremely intense. They all said that the city could not be defended, and in order to protect the royal family and preserve the bloodline of the Chen family, they had to surrender early. There were hundreds of thousands of troops outside the city, and all the court officials in the city were waiting for the new emperor to ascend the throne, and they might open the city gates to welcome King Qian at any time.

Qinghe finally saw what her father was like when he was emperor: he gradually recovered from the blow of failing to ascend, sent eunuchs to the city gate to check the battle situation, and ordered people to call some ministers into the palace urgently, asking the elders of the Grand Council to come over.

Her father bypassed his brother the emperor and issued an order directly to his subjects.

……

Qinghe and the Empress returned to Kunning Palace to wait. After more than an hour, Xia Shouzhong hurriedly came to report:
"Your Majesty, Princess... The Emperor... has agreed to surrender!!"

"what!"

Qinghe's mind buzzed, as if the world had turned upside down, his hands and feet were cold and numb, and he seemed to hear the cries of his nephews and nieces in his ears. Did they also know the consequences of surrender?

The emperor surrendered?

Qinghe looked at the Empress's wife blankly. Seeing her stand up in shock, her dignified and majestic face was also confused and at a loss. She was absent-minded for a long time before she slowly asked:

"Surrendered?"

"Yes, madam!"

Xia Shouzhong said with a mournful face, "He surrendered. The Emperor couldn't prevail against them, so he stamped his seal on the decree drafted by Prince Zhongshun and a group of ministers. Prince Zhongshun personally took the imperial decree to the city gate and announced it. He surrendered! The court surrendered Prince Qian!"

"It's surrendered..."

Empress Zhang slowly sat back in her chair, her mind racing. After a long moment, she finally said, "It's better that he surrenders. This will save me from constant anxiety, and the city will be able to return to peace sooner. Go!" She suddenly turned to look at Xia Shouzhong and instructed him, "Go and serve the Emperor. Send someone back to tell me if anything happens!"

"Yes... Madam."

Xia Shouzhong glanced at the Queen cautiously, feeling mixed emotions.

After walking out of Kunning Palace, he was about to go to the emperor, but saw a young eunuch walking straight up to him.

Xia Shouzhong stopped and stared at the young eunuch. Given his status in front of the Empress, how many people in the palace would dare to block his way like this?
"Eunuch." The young eunuch bowed and whispered, "I have something to tell you."

Xia Shouzhong glanced around and said calmly, "Come on, follow me."

The young eunuch followed with his head lowered. After walking for a while, he said, "Prince Qian has sent a message that the palace must keep a close eye on the emperor. If the emperor dies, not a single eunuch in the palace will be left alive."

"!!!"

Xia Shouzhong's hairs stood on end and he looked at him fiercely.

The young eunuch didn't dare to look up, and then kept shaking his head to indicate that he knew nothing.

Prince Qian was still outside the city, and the affairs of the palace were still under the control of the emperor. If anyone knew that he had said such treasonous words, the emperor would kill him without waiting for Prince Qian to arrive.

"it is good."

Xia Shouzhong said, "Very good, we understand. Go ahead and don't tell anyone."

"Yes, father-in-law!"

The young eunuch left in a hurry.

Xia Shouzhong stood there, with only one thing in his mind:

How to save the emperor's life?

It's really ridiculous. A few days ago, the emperor was the supreme ruler, but now he wants a eunuch like him to find a way to protect him!
(End of this chapter)