Ming Dynasty: I am truly not the Emperor of Longevity

"This servant went to the Imperial Stables to summon someone to rescue the Emperor, on the orders of Her Majesty the Empress."

Hearing Lu Chen's words, Chen Furong was somewhat surprised.

"Serving His Majesty is my duty, and I dare not claim any credit."

Despite her words, Chen Furong immediately got up and walked slowly towards the side room next door.

Although she didn't know why the Prince of Ying had suddenly become interested in her, a palace maid, Chen Furong keenly realized that this was an opportunity to increase her leverage.

This is the Prince Regent, the Emperor's only younger brother!

When the emperor wakes up, a single kind word from him can make the emperor value him even more.

On either side of the rear hall, there are several side rooms, symmetrical from east to west. Each room is a small room of about ten square meters, which served as temporary resting places for the emperor's concubines, eunuchs, and palace maids.

Lu Chen entered the side room where Chen Furong was staying and pretended to walk around the room.

At the same time, Lu Chen had already used his mental power to carefully scan every corner of the side room, including every possible hiding place.

Sure enough, there was a paper bag about the size of a fist, placed openly in the drawer next to the dressing table. Inside the bag were many crystalline particles that felt like rock candy or alum.

Lu Chen turned around, his back to the dressing table, and casually pointed out that a few daily necessities were too simple. He instructed the young eunuch who had come in with him to write them down and go to the Imperial Household Department to exchange them for better ones.

As Chen Furong bowed to express her gratitude, the drawer next to the dressing table behind her opened silently and slowly.

A nearly identical mulberry paper bag flew out from under Lu Chen's robe and swapped with the paper bag in the drawer.

When Chen Furong got up again, the drawer had been restored to its original state, as if nothing had happened.

. . .

Taiyuan, Li Dali's residence.

"Nanyin, I just feel like something's not quite right."

Li Tong paced back and forth in the courtyard.

"The messenger has been at the Blackwood Cliff headquarters for several days now; he should have arrived three days ago!"

Given the urgency of the situation, Elder Bai and Zhao Xixian should set off immediately, regardless of who decides to stay behind at Blackwood Cliff and who will come to Taiyuan to lead the uprising.

From Pingding Prefecture to Taiyuan, one can travel by taking two horses and changing horses, and arrive in a day.

Even if there were some delays, we should have arrived in Taiyuan yesterday.

It hasn't arrived yet; I'm afraid something unexpected might have happened!

My grandfather was tricked into going to Shuozhou by Fan Jizu. I sent people to chase after him, but it was too late. It was impossible to catch up with him before he arrived in Shuozhou.

Now, I have no idea whether my grandfather is alive or dead.

My father and the six elders went to the capital, and I don't know when they will return.

The journey is so long, I'm afraid by the time my father returns, the situation will be beyond repair.

I heard my grandfather and father talk about the military strength of various factions within Taiyuan City.

Besides the approximately 600 men in our Taiyuan Left Guard, the combined forces of the Taiyuan Right Guard and Taiyuan Front Guard number over 1,000 men within the city.

In addition, there were more than 400 men from the governor's battalion.

Only these four units were actually armored regular troops that had seen combat.

In addition, there are several hundred men in the Jinyiwei Thousand-Household Office. Although these Jinyiwei have some martial arts skills, they have never been on the battlefield and are not equipped with iron armor.

When it comes to a real confrontation between the two armies, their combat effectiveness is actually inferior to that of the armored regular army.

The hundreds of guards of the Prince of Jin's mansion are mostly for show; they may be good at bullying men and women in normal times, but if you send them to the battlefield, they would probably be no match for you.

Moreover, if chaos truly breaks out in the city, they will only defend the Prince of Jin's residence to the death and will not participate in the fighting within the city.

My grandfather once said that he had secretly recruited Ma Yi and Luo Wenyuan.

Although neither of them explicitly expressed their intention to pledge allegiance to the grandfather, they kept quiet about it and never reported the grandfather to the court over the years.

I asked my grandfather why we didn't use force to compel them to pledge allegiance.

My grandfather's answer was that as long as they had this attitude, that was enough, after all, they were all commanders and their strength was not weak.

Their families were all in the city and had witnessed their grandfather's unparalleled martial arts skills, so they dared not report him for fear of harming him.

Leave them a way out, so they won't be too stressed. If you push them too hard, they might choose to fight to the death.

When the day of the uprising comes, their families can be used as hostages to force them to comply.

If their grandfather were to personally lead the uprising, Ma Yi and Luo Wenyuan would most likely respond.

But now that Grandfather is gone, it's hard to say whether these two will turn against us.

"My lord, there is no need to worry too much."

Chu Nanyin walked behind Li Tong and gently comforted him.

"Perhaps Elder Bai or Protector Zhao will arrive in a little while."

It seems it's time for me to leave.

Chu Nanyin turned her head to look at the courtyard where she had lived for almost three years, and then turned her gaze to Li Tong.

Although three years ago she was ordered to deliberately approach Li Tong, and even deliberately created a shared experience of hardship, so that Li Tong would not hesitate to defy his father Li Dali in order to marry her.

Li Dali naturally opposed his only son marrying a courtesan, but Li Tong, who was usually submissive in front of his father, actually stood up for once and refused to budge an inch.

Later, Zhang Yin spoke up, asking his son and grandson to compromise and allow Li Tong to take him as a concubine.

Although Li Tong agreed, he refused to marry her as his principal wife. As a concubine, he was only lacking the title of a principal wife.

My purpose in coming to Taiyuan was not to deal with the Li family, but to secretly investigate the matter of Right Protector Zhao Xixian.

Miss once said that if Zhao Xixian and the Li family ever had a falling out, she would quickly withdraw and go to Ningxiang Pavilion in Hangzhou to find her.

Unexpectedly, before Zhao Xixian could even rebel against the Li family, the Li family was already in dire straits!

Li Dali went to the capital and won't be back for a while. Zhang Yin was tricked by Fan Jizu into going to Shuozhou. There is no one in Taiyuan who can take charge of the situation.

Even the last hope of inviting Elder Bai from the main altar or Right Protector Zhao Xixian to preside over the uprising in Taiyuan Left Guard has become unreliable.

Given the urgency of the military situation, the fact that they haven't arrived after such a long delay must mean something went wrong on the way.

Either the messenger didn't arrive safely at Blackwood Cliff, or something happened on the way to Taiyuan.

Either way, staying here would be extremely dangerous.

"With my grandfather and father gone, I cannot let the Li family's legacy be ruined in my hands!"

If Elder Bai or Zhao Xixian do not arrive today, I will have to take charge of the uprising in Taiyuan Left Guard.

Li Tong turned to look at Chu Nanyin and said softly.

"I am too inexperienced in the church to be convincing to the public."

To be honest, I have absolutely no confidence!

Nanyin, war is dangerous and perilous, the person I worry about the most is you, and the child in your belly.

I've thought it over. I'll send someone today to take you away from Taiyuan City, heading south, the farther the better!

If our Li family can survive this calamity, then you and I, husband and wife, will surely be reunited one day.

If one day you hear of my death, please find a good family for us and find a stepfather for our child!

I don't ask that my child take my surname. As long as you and your child can live well, I can die in peace!