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

Chapter 32: The Golden Palace

Jia Zheng was a minor official of the fifth rank and was inconspicuous among the thousands of officials in the Shun Dynasty. He was very surprised when he heard the loud voice of Prince Qian for the first time. When he heard Prince Qian say that he would not kill anyone after entering the city except those who committed serious crimes, he felt relieved.

At least the entire Jia family can save their lives.

Although he was a fifth-rank official and was among those who retained their official position, Jia Zheng knew that Prince Qian would not let his family go easily because his family was the Duke of Rong's Mansion and had a title.

"Those without official duties should return home. Tomorrow, you will enter the palace for the grand court session. No mistakes!"

"Everyone, follow me into the city!"

After giving his orders, King Qian led his civil and military officials on horseback towards the city gate. He made way for the civil and military officials and bowed his head to welcome them respectfully.

Jia Zheng estimated the time, and when Prince Qian walked up to him, he raised his head slightly and glanced at Prince Qian who had entered the capital.

He rode on a shiny black horse, wearing marshal's armor, tall and mighty, imposing yet calm, armed with a sword, like a tiger, slowly walking into the capital, about to take control of the world.

He only dared to take a look and then lowered his head again.

They stood there for half an hour, and only after more than 40,000 soldiers of King Qian's army entered the city were these officials of the old dynasty allowed to re-enter the city.

Jia Zheng returned to Rongguo Mansion exhausted, only to see six soldiers from the Qianwang Army standing at the gate, patrolling back and forth.

Jia Zheng was horrified!

……

Chu Yan entered the city and saw from afar many citizens of the capital city looking around in the alleys. Some of the brave ones came to watch from close up, but they did not dare to look directly at him. They just quietly watched the army he led into the city.

Chu Yan ignored him and went straight to the palace after entering the city. More than 40,000 soldiers behind him, under the arrangement of Chu Ming, Xu Zhiyi and others, went to various places to take over the defense of the capital. More than 5,000 personal guards rushed to the palace with him.

"Your Highness!"

Chu Ming suddenly rode up to report, quietly pointing to a street in the distance: "That's Ningrong Street, where the Jia family is."

Chu Yan looked over, thoughtful, and glanced at Chu Ming. This guy was very quick to respond and understood what he was thinking.

"Dai Wei." Chu Yan beckoned a personal guard over and instructed him, "Take a group of men and surround the Ningguo Mansion and Rongguo Mansion first. I will make the final decision."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Dai Wei accepted the order with a bow, stopped his horse, and waited until His Royal Highness Prince Qian was far away before he called a group of men and horses, equipped them with bows, crossbows, shields, etc., and rushed towards Ningrong Street.

After the little episode, Chu Yan quickened his pace and led his guards to the gate of the imperial palace.

He stopped his horse and looked at the towering imperial palace from afar across the moat.

"Your Highness!! This is the Imperial Palace!"

The generals and civil officials were all excited, their eyes fixed on the concave-shaped city gate tower.

The red Chengtian Gate's golden tiles sparkle in the sunlight, and the royal majesty, set against the backdrop of this tall city gate, inspires both awe and awe.

But today, they are the ones who destroyed the dignity of the Shun Dynasty royal family!

"Welcome His Royal Highness Prince Qian to the Imperial Palace!"

At Chengtian Gate, the imperial guards had already taken off their armor, laid down their weapons, and lined up at the foot of the city wall waiting. When they saw a powerful army coming from afar, they were terrified and fell to the ground one after another.

"Your Highness, I will send someone to the city gate first!"

Li Changjin volunteered and after obtaining Chu Yan's consent, he led a thousand people to confiscate the weapons and armor of the Shun Dynasty's imperial guards, and then let Prince Qian's personal guards climb the palace gate and control every place.

A quarter of an hour later, Chu Yan led his generals and rode across the Waiwulong Bridge on horseback.

Chu Ming deliberately slowed his horse's pace. He saw dozens of military officers jubilantly rushing onto the bridge. Most of the civil officials, however, followed the rules and took the outermost bridge. After entering Chengtian Gate, the Duanmen Gate lay ahead. To the left was the Altar of Grain and Grain, and to the right was the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Chu Yan ignored them and proceeded to the Wumen Gate.

The imperial guards also knelt down to greet him.

After entering the Meridian Gate and then entering the front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony from the Fengtian Gate, what he saw was thousands of eunuchs and palace maids standing outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony. This was originally the place where ministers attended the morning court. When they saw Chu Yan leading his troops, they also prostrated themselves on the ground.

"Welcome His Royal Highness Prince Qian!"

Several old eunuchs bent over and came carefully in front of Chu Yan, then knelt down and kowtowed.

Ma Ji chuckled and said, "Who ordered the palace staff to welcome His Royal Highness Prince Qian? This is a great scene!"

"General, I feel that now that the throne has changed, we, the servants who serve the Emperor in the palace, should also come together to welcome the new Emperor!"

An old eunuch raised his head and said with an apologetic smile.

Chu Yan asked, "What's your name? What do you do in the palace?"

"Your Majesty, my name is Xia Shouzhong, and it's the Empress... I deserve to be beaten!"

Xia Shouzhong slapped himself and then hurriedly continued, "I was originally the eunuch in charge of Kunning Palace of the late Empress Zhang!"

The rest of the eunuchs and palace maids also reported their names and positions in the palace. The eunuchs were all eunuchs in charge of a certain palace, and the palace maids were the maids-in-charge of a certain palace.

Chu Yan nodded, glanced at the eunuchs and palace maids kneeling on the ground, and ordered: "Let them stand up and return to the palace to maintain the original order."

"Yes, in compliance with the new emperor's order!"

Xia Shouzhong expressed his loyalty, stood up, and shouted to the crowd: "Stand up!"

The eunuchs and palace maids all stood up and bowed their heads to welcome him.

Chu Yan then ordered them, "Go and bring the emperor and his family to see me."

Xia Shouzhong and others felt nervous and were about to bow down to receive the imperial edict, but they saw the new emperor riding a horse, leading hundreds of civil and military officials, plus a thousand personal guards, and heading straight for the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

"Where is the emperor?" a eunuch in charge of the palace asked the eunuchs.

Most of the eunuchs and female historians in charge of the palace shook their heads. This morning, there was chaos in the palace, and the eunuchs and maids were running around.
"You said before that if the Emperor died, none of us would survive. Were you keeping a close eye on the Emperor?!"

"The Emperor is in the Qianqing Palace and hasn't left the house all morning. I told Liu Ju of the Qianqing Palace to keep a close eye on the Emperor!"

"Ah? You told him? This is bad news! He is loyal to the Emperor!"

"This……"

"Quickly lead a team, break down the gates of the Qianqing Palace, and bring the old emperor to see the new emperor!"

Several eunuchs in charge of the palace hurriedly gave orders, arranged the staff, and then hurried over to serve the new emperor.

Chu Yan dismounted in front of the steps of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, hung his sword at his waist, and led his generals as he strode up the steps and into the Hall of Supreme Harmony, commonly known as the Golden Palace.

Seventy-two golden nanmu pillars supported the magnificent hall. The grand and majestic scene left the generals who had led troops in battles for many years stunned.

They slowed down their pace, walked around the golden nanmu pillars, touched and looked at them, and exclaimed in admiration.

Chu Yan smiled and admired the furnishings in the hall, the golden pillars with coiled dragons, the plaques, the couplets, and the dragon throne in the middle.

After thirteen years of traveling back and forth, ten years of rebellion, and more than a hundred battles, he traveled all over the country. Today, he finally stood at the center of power in the world!

(End of this chapter)