Prince Chongzhen

Chapter 158 Raise the banner of this palace!
"Queen Mother! Something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened!!"

Following a burst of urgent shouts, a young eunuch crawled into Empress Dowager Zou's courtyard.

Although Fang Guoan did not explain the reason when he left, everyone knew that it must have been related to the gunfire.

However, they had never been in a battle, and no matter how hard they listened, they could not tell the difference between the sound of this artillery and the previous ones.

Therefore, Empress Dowager Zou sent several young eunuchs to follow Fang Guoan and asked them to find out the reason and report back immediately.

"Indecent!"

Before the young eunuch entered the room, the old empress dowager scolded him in a deep voice, but when he really lay down in the room, everyone just stared at him without saying a word of blame.

"Her Majesty! The city wall has collapsed!"

"Snapped."

Before the young eunuch could finish his words, the tea bowl in Empress Dowager Zou's hand fell to the ground and shattered.

"How could it be so fast?! Did you see it with your own eyes?!"

"Yes."

Zhu Guobi's harsh questioning made the already panicked young eunuch unable to utter a complete sentence, while the Duke of Baoguo, who was still in high spirits, collapsed in his chair like a deflated tire after hearing his answer.

Previously, even the most pessimistic people believed that the wall could at least hold out for three or four days, but who would have thought that it would collapse in just one night and a half?
With such a sudden change, all matters naturally had to be rearranged, and the most important of these was naturally the Queen Mother.

"I ask the Queen Mother to leave the city immediately!"

Ma Shiying didn't have much hope in defending the city, and the reason he agreed was just to make both sides look better when they met Zhu Cilang again.

Now that the city wall has collapsed, no matter how you think about it, Fang Guoan's few thousand remaining soldiers will not be able to hold out for another four days.

In this situation, what he had said before would be invalid, and protecting the Queen Mother to Li Yongmao's army naturally became his top priority.

After she finished speaking, Empress Dowager Zou turned and looked at Zhu Guobi.

Although Duke Baoguo felt the Queen Mother's gaze at this time and understood the meaning of this gaze, he did not think it was possible to defend Hangzhou under the current circumstances. In the end, he could only bow his head and remain silent.

"In that case, then."

"Queen Mother!"

Just when Empress Dowager Zou was about to agree to what Ma Shiying said, she heard someone calling out from the side, and then saw Xu Shaoyue kneeling directly in front of her.

"Queen Mother! As the mother of a country, you must not go back on your word!"

"presumptuous!"

Ma Shiying had of course heard of the identity of the girl beside the Empress Dowager.

But then again, let alone the fact that she is not the Crown Princess yet, even if she really is the Crown Princess, what difference would it make?

If they lose this battle, even Zhu Cilang will have to act according to his wishes in the future. How could Ma Shiying allow a little girl like her to say anything here?

If she were an ordinary woman, she would be frightened and speechless after being yelled at by him, but Xu Shaoyue was the daughter of a noble family after all, so even though she was terrified in her heart, she still said the following words.

"Queen Mother, you have made the wrong choice once, you must not make the same mistake again!"

"Someone, drag this rebellious guy out!"

Seeing that the girl ignored him, Ma Shiying felt furious, but this was the Empress Dowager's residence after all, and Xu Shaoyue had become friends with everyone in these days, so when several eunuchs heard the noise and came, they just stood outside the door and let her kowtow to the ground.

"Oh!"

"Oh!"

"Oh!"

The sound of the head hitting the ground was like a heavy hammer that kept hitting Empress Dowager Zou's heart.

She had no children in her life, and her relationship with Hongguang was just for show. But when she got along with this simple-minded girl, for some unknown reason, the maternal instinct in her heart seemed to be activated.

In fact, she knew very well that retreating with Ma Shiying was the best option under the current circumstances, but the girl who kept kowtowing on the ground made her feel a little embarrassed.

"Yue girl, stop kowtow~~~."

Hearing the empress dowager's slightly trembling voice, Xu Shaoyue suddenly felt a glimmer of anticipation in her heart, but when she looked up with hope in her eyes, she saw that the empress dowager's expression was normal, and even her voice had returned to its former grace.

"I know you are doing this for my own good, but the situation is like this, what can women like you and me do?"

Xu Shaoyue's words sounded like an accusation, but who was Queen Mother Zou? Even though she might make some mistakes on certain issues due to her knowledge, she still understood the true meaning of them clearly.

Earlier, Zhu Cilang gave Empress Dowager Zou a chance for various considerations. Not only did he not ignore her, but he also entrusted her with the important matter of selecting a concubine. But if she ran away again this time, then no matter whether Hangzhou could be defended in the future or whether the prince's power would be weakened, there would be no room for the relationship between them to turn around.
Queen Mother Zou naturally understood this logic, but as she said, what could a woman like her do in the current situation?
"Thank you for your support, Lord."

As she spoke, the old queen glanced at the eunuch waiting outside the door and said, "Send Miss Yue across the river first."

In this situation, although those people were still a little hesitant, they had to go into the room and lift Xu Shaoyue up.

Realizing that the Queen Mother had already made the decision, she wanted to struggle some more, but with the combined efforts of four or five eunuchs, she was powerless even though she had learned some martial arts from her two uncles.

"Empress Dowager! Your Highness is full of wisdom and strategies. This may be a test for the officials in Hangzhou, Empress Dowager~~~!"

Although Xu Shaoyue's words made several people present feel a little uneasy, that was the only effect they could have.

Not to mention that everyone present was well aware of the details of the plot, even those who were not involved would not believe that anyone would use a battle that affected the fate of the country to test their subordinates.

"Yue girl, in troubled times, men are in danger of losing their lives at any moment, so women like us must be even more cautious."

Seeing that Xu Shaoyue had been carried away by the eunuchs, Empress Dowager Zou was not happy at all, and even showed a look of sadness on her face.

Although she was the queen mother, she had no children and was not favored by her family. In her later years, she was displaced and her life could only be described as miserable.

Seeing that Xu Shaoyue went to such lengths to secure a way out for the prince, his emotions, which had been under control, became uncontrollable, perhaps because he felt sympathy for his fellow man.

"Your Majesty, please come aboard as well."

Although Empress Dowager Zou was trying her best to restrain herself at this time, everyone could see that her emotions were fluctuating violently. In this situation, Ma Shiying was naturally worried that there would be more trouble, so after a while he told her to board the ship first.

But who would have thought that Empress Dowager Zou was just staring blankly at the courtyard, and seemed to be oblivious to what Ma Shiying said. It was only when he urged her again that Empress Dowager Zou said quietly, "Wait another hour."

"Why!"

"I have fled in panic several times in the past few years. I really don't want to be in such a mess again. If General Fang can't hold on for even an hour, it is God's will."

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

what is this? !

Waiting for the judgment of fate? !
woman! woman!
With such volatile emotions, it’s no wonder that our ancestors said that a hen crowing at dawn is a sign of disaster!

At this time, Ma Shiying had already cursed hundreds of times in his heart, but his face showed no emotion. He just ordered the eunuch to report the military situation in the front in time and then sat in the chair and waited quietly.

His idea was of course somewhat biased. Empress Dowager Zou's mood swings seemed to be without cause, but if one thought about it carefully, one could find that she seemed to be on the verge of collapse.

Since the fall of Luoyang City, the old Prince Fu was made into a feast for the gods, and she, the second concubine, has been in extreme fear. Needless to say, she has been displaced since then, and even when she became the Queen Mother of a country, she has not had a peaceful life. In such a situation, an old lady who has been in the palace for decades has exhausted her last bit of energy to resist until now. When Xu Shaoyue made such a fuss, she was like a camel with the last straw that broke the camel's back.

No one knew what she was thinking. Even Xu Shaoyue, who followed closely behind her, only vaguely felt that the empress dowager did not seem to want to escape again.

It was precisely because of this understanding, coupled with certain psychological factors, that she dared to do such a rebellious thing.

just
There was no point in saying anything. At this moment, she had already been put on a carriage by the eunuchs and was driven out of the Yongjin Gate in the west and headed straight for the ferry.

"Miss Yue, don't worry. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has brought nearly a thousand ships of all sizes. Even if Duoduo really goes north, he can't stop the army from crossing the river."

"Liu Xian, let me go!"

The eunuch named Liu Xian felt a little scared when he saw Xu Shaoyue staring at him. But after he racked his brains to say some comforting words, he found that this young lady not only did not show any sign of appreciation, but also started struggling again.

"Auntie, I know you are worried about His Highness's safety, but that's real weapons, what can you do even if you go back?"

It took them a lot of effort to subdue Xu Shaoyue before.

If not for this, even if Liu Xian had ten times the courage, he would not dare to tie up the daughter of the Duke of Wei and the future Crown Princess like a dumpling.

"Just relax a bit, and then I'll knock you out and everything will be fine."

"Auntie, please don't hurt me," Liu Xian was about to say something, but the carriage that was gradually slowing down and finally stopping made him change his words: "Look, we are on the boat now, wait for the Queen Mother to come, you can make a fuss as you like, okay?"

After he finished speaking, without waiting for Xu Shaoyue's response, he lifted the curtain of the carriage and jumped down, as if he was extremely unwilling to be in the same carriage with Xu Shaoyue anymore.

This is no wonder. On one side is the current empress dowager, and on the other side is the future crown princess. He cannot afford to offend either of them, but he has to offend the other for the sake of one's life.

In this situation, if he stayed in the carriage for a while longer, wouldn't Xu Shaoyue remember him more?
Do not underestimate this point. In the eyes of noble people, their lives are not worth mentioning. Who knows, his life and death in the future may depend on this point more or less.

After getting off the carriage, Liu Xian didn't know whether it would be easier to breathe outside, but he took a deep breath and went to communicate with the soldiers guarding the ferry.

There are several ferry crossings outside Hangzhou, but they are still too few compared to the hundreds of thousands of people in the city.

However, the ferry where Liu Xian and his companions were located had always been used exclusively by dignitaries. So although there were many common people around, most of them were just passing by, and no one dared to approach them.

"Which one is the ship that Ma Ge Lao settled?"

"May I ask, sir?"

"I am from the Queen Mother's palace, and I am here to escort the young lady of Duke Wei to the ship in accordance with the Queen Mother's order."

"May I ask the eunuch, the Queen Mother and the elders?"

After some collusion, the general actually asked about the whereabouts of the empress dowager and the cabinet ministers. Under normal circumstances, Liu Xian would naturally give such an unruly guy a good scolding.

But there was still a hot potato in the carriage at the back, and he was afraid that if time dragged on, something unexpected would happen, so he just reprimanded it with a sullen face and let it go.

"You are also able to find out the whereabouts of the nobleman?"

"Don't blame me, sir. Don't blame me, sir. I will bring the boat over right away."

The general apologized and ran to a soldier. Then the soldier waved a colorful flag a few times, and sure enough, a large ship came from the river towards the ferry.

Seeing this, Liu Xian felt relieved, but who knew that the boat stopped halfway through its journey.

"What's going on? Why isn't it moving?"

"Father, there's another boat coming over there."

"What does it have to do with us?"

Hearing this, Liu Xian was full of doubts. He asked the general a question, but got the most outrageous reason he had ever heard in his life.

"They must come to the shore first. If they don't comply, we will open fire."

God have mercy on me. Apart from the Tartars and the rioters, who in the world would dare to threaten to fire at the Empress Dowager's carriage?
"Let the boat come closer. If the sky collapses, the Queen Mother and the Minister will hold it up!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the general ordered his soldiers to raise flags again. However, this time, the boat not only did not respond, but instead went straight back into the river.

Shock!

At this moment, Liu Xian had no other emotion except shock.

Since the ship was arranged by Lord Ma, they should know who they were picking up. However, they actually ignored the dock orders under such circumstances, which made Liu Xian laugh out of anger.

"Hey! We want to see who is so bold and who dares to ignore the Queen Mother's order."

After he finished speaking, he didn't say anything more. He just clasped his hands together and waited for the boats to dock.

As time passed, the fleet of boats became larger and larger in Liu Xian's sight. By the time the first boat docked, he had already realized something was wrong.

There was a clang.

A wide gangplank was built between the huge warship and the dock, and then a team of sturdy soldiers landed first and stood on both sides of the dock.

Oh no, such a big ship, such strong soldiers, could it belong to the Zheng family?
With this in mind, Liu Xian slowly retreated, but when he just retreated to the vicinity of the car frame, he heard a plop. When he turned his head, he saw Xu Shaoyue, who was tied up like a dumpling, lying on the ground and twisting.

"Auntie! Why did you run out? How will I explain if you get hurt?!"

At this moment, he didn't bother to hide aside. He shouted and ran towards Xu Shaoyue.

However, the two of them looked really eye-catching. He had just helped the girl up when he heard someone behind him shouting, "How dare you! How dare you, as an eunuch, rob a woman in broad daylight?!"

"General, you misunderstood, General, you misunderstood." Hearing this scolding, Liu Xian helped the immobile Xu Shaoyue to the carriage while explaining repeatedly: "I am from the Queen Mother's Palace, and I am here to escort the eldest daughter of the Duke of Wei's Mansion onto the ship in accordance with the imperial decree."

At this time, Miss Xu not only had an extremely strange expression, but also a blush on her face. She was even quiet when Liu Xian helped her up, and did not struggle at all.

The aunt's abnormal behavior did not attract Liu Xian's attention. After he settled Xu Shaoyue and turned to look at the dock, he saw a young man wearing the standard armor of the Ming army and a goose feather battle blade on his waist, riding a war horse and standing about three or two feet in front of him.

"Your servant greets His Highness!"

When he saw the man's face clearly, Liu Xian was startled at first, and then he fell to his knees with a thud. However, the Crown Prince, who had always been kind to servants like them, did not let him stand up as usual. Instead, he controlled his horse to walk to the front of the carriage and looked at Xu Shaoyue who was tied up tightly.

Although he had not asked about the selection of concubines, he was not completely ignorant of it. Considering the situation before him, how could he not know what was going on?
As soon as the thought came to my mind, I felt a sudden sense of pity in my heart.

"You don't want to go?"

"Ah."

"If you don't want to leave, then don't leave."

Xu Shaoyue's answer was as soft as a mosquito's voice and was clearly heard by Zhu Cilang. After that, he didn't know what was going on in his mind. He said something to Xu Shaoyue and turned his horse's head to shout to the soldiers who had just landed: "Raise this palace's flag!"

"Order!"

"Suwei!"

"exist!"

"Follow me into the city to fight the enemy!"

Well, there are 400 more today. Can that be considered an extra chapter?
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(End of this chapter)