Xie Ming

After the eunuch rebellion subsided, he returned to the West Garden and met Yuzhen. Their feelings for each other were too deep to express.

The Empress Dowager, constrained by circumstances, saw through the situation but remained silent. From both a moral and logical standpoint, and considering both herself and others, she was filled with concerns and chose to speak of human relationships rather than the other side.

After listening to Wanxuan's worldly words, Xiao Jingchuan hurriedly replied, "I am capable of making a response."

"Your Majesty, I am filled with trepidation."

"As long as Your Majesty and the two empresses are safe and sound, I will risk my life to protect them."

After speaking, his eyes unconsciously glanced at Yuzhen again.

Gazing intently, a myriad of emotions welled up within me, beyond words.

The atmosphere inside the room became awkward and ambiguous, making it difficult to feel natural.

For the sake of the overall situation, since things outside are not yet clear and can only be determined later.

So Xiao Lang suppressed his anger, took a deep breath, bowed respectfully, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and decided that it was best to rationally withdraw.

"Your Majesties, Your Majesty, this subject..."

"It is late at night. I have acted rashly and it is not appropriate for me to stay any longer."

"Then they went out to gather men and withdrew from the inner court."

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, rest assured, the palace is under control. You two should take a rest as soon as possible."

After saying goodbye, he straightened his posture, flicked his robe to the side, and prepared to leave.

Seeing that she was reluctant to part, Yuzhen, in a moment of panic, blurted out a call to stay.

"Wait, you," she uttered, unable to continue.

I have wronged myself, and all I can say is take care.

"Please take care, Your Excellency."

As soon as she finished speaking, tears welled up in her almond-shaped eyes again.

Crystal clear and delicate, they are mostly endearing and pitiful.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand."

"Xiao'e has been worried about the Empress Dowager, but... but unfortunately, she is heavily pregnant and about to give birth, so it's not easy for her to move."

Using Yu'e's story as an example, he spoke his mind.

"Okay, I'll go."

Without needing to say more, Yuzhen understood his intentions.

When two people are deeply in love and inseparable, if they don't pull away quickly, they may become even more deeply entangled.

This can't go on any longer.

"Eh!"

Once Xiao agreed, he composed himself, turned around, and dared not linger any longer. He gritted his teeth, restrained his emotions, turned away, and left the house dejectedly.

My concubine dwells within palace walls that connect to the gardens, while my beloved holds a halberd in the Mingguang Palace.

I know your heart is as bright as the sun and moon; I vow to serve my husband to live and die with him.

Tears streamed down my face as I returned the pearl to you, regretting that we hadn't been meant for each other before I was married.

Changing the subject, he read that Xiao Jingchuan had to concentrate and leave the inner court before returning to the outer court.

At this moment, Qin Jing was ordered to lead a team of trusted Imperial Guards to forcibly enter the palace again. All checkpoints were strictly guarded in preparation for investigation.

After Xiao You was born, he began to assign people to clean up the residences of the eunuchs in the inner court one by one.

As night fell, Qiu Zhizhong also arrived.

At the front hall, he was ordered to oversee the entire case and to arrest and apprehend any remaining members of the gang.

Furthermore, by order of General Xiao, Xiao Chunzi, formerly the head eunuch beside Yu Zhen, has been promoted and is now acting as the Grand Eunuch.

This battle brought an end to the rebellion of the inner court eunuchs. The Qing dynasty replaced the eunuchs, and Xiao Chunzi was grateful and determined to work hard in the future. I will not go into details.

Time changes, and the world shifts.

The next morning, as the sun shone again on the earth, it rose as usual. The palace remained the same, and along the narrow wall on the west side, the blue bricks were washed clean, and not a trace of blood could be seen.

However, the sharp edges of the stone steps, the ledges and window frames, and the jagged edges of sword blades are difficult to repair in a short time.

It subtly suggests that something happened here.
The shadows of Xianyuntan are lingering, and things change for a few times in autumn.

Where is the prince who once resided in the pavilion? The Yangtze River flows emptily beyond the railing.

A few days later, the eunuchs, in their turmoil, once again made a high-profile commotion in Hangzhou.

Wang Zhixin, Ruan Dacheng, and others also launched a major case of treason. Under the guidance of Xiao, Qiu, and others, the court and cabinet were plunged into another bloody storm. In just a few days, everyone was in danger and trembling with fear, afraid of being implicated.

Furthermore, the previous cases involving the elimination of traitors and rebels continue to escalate, both in and out of power.
Over the next month or so, the case spread from Hangzhou to various prefectures and cities in the Jiangnan region.

For a time, in many prefectures, counties, and villages in Southern Zhili and Zhejiang, there were prominent families and gentry families whose members were arrested as accomplices.

The large number of people resisting arrest also led to a temporary power vacuum in some prefectures and counties.

Since imperial power has never extended to the countryside, the local gentry who were responsible for controlling and managing a region were often arrested by the imperial court.

As a result, the local area suddenly lost its jurisdiction and control, leading to civil unrest.

This led to a massive and far-reaching servant riot.

This trend has been growing stronger over the past month, and the affected areas are now forming large clusters, reaching a scale that cannot be ignored.

Therefore, by mid-to-late September, this local uprising was reported to the imperial court by the local prefectural government.

In just a few days, this phenomenon was observed in Changzhou, Jianping, Qingpu, Suzhou, Ningguo, Haining, Jinhua, and Quzhou.

Memorials and petitions from all over the country arrived in droves.

The court was in turmoil, with various opinions and differing personal motives.

When Xiao, Qiu, and others discussed matters in court, they were like trying to solve one problem only to have another arise, leaving them in a state of chaos and unable to come up with a definite solution.

Therefore, on the 26th, after the morning court session, it was postponed.

Xiao Jingchuan pulled Qiu Zhizhong along in a hurry to the Xiao residence to discuss with Master Hongren. The consensus was that no matter what, a definite plan must be developed as soon as possible in order to control the situation.

At the beginning of the day, around 9:00 AM, the two rode their horses east of the city, to the front of Xiao Lang's newly moved residence.

This house, in fact, is the same private residence of the Chen family in Hangzhou where the Third Prince Zhu Cijiong was killed.

This Chen family is the maternal family of Empress Dowager Chen Wanxuan, and the Haining Chen family, one of the six prominent families in Jiangnan.

This courtyard is well-organized and elegant, typical of the Jiangnan style.

The first three sections—the sedan hall, the main hall, and the inner hall—are arranged along a central axis, extending in sequence and proceeding in a very orderly manner.

Behind it, there is another garden, with scenery, courtyards, pavilions, mountains and waters, where the view changes with every step, and it follows the example of nature.

To be honest, Xiao Langye originally didn't want to move, mainly because he didn't want to accept this favor for nothing, and then there was the fuss.

However, at the beginning of September, Yu'e was about to give birth. The Huang residence was old and had not been maintained for a long time. Since the cold autumn, the house had become very uninhabitable.

Other things are fine, but Xiao'e is going through a major birth, so it's not good for her to be too wronged.

After all, that girl has always been from a respectable family in a large, secluded mansion, and her body is not strong enough to withstand such a lot of physical exertion.

To ensure their safety, Zeng Ji acted as a go-between, and they were forced to agree to the Chen family's offer of goodwill and move here.

Of course, this place is nothing like the Duke of Jingguo's mansion in Nanjing.

However, its strength lies in its refined taste and unique flavor.

After Xiao brought his family into the mansion, he also made some jokes.

Why did the Southern Song Dynasty, with its desire for a precarious existence, never consider launching a northern expedition even after its fall?
If one becomes truly immersed in extravagance, it is inevitable that military preparedness will be neglected; this is simply due to human laziness!

Wu bricks and Yue tiles form the corridors, and the winding waterways and corridors reflect the beauty of the landscape.

A spoonful of water hides a mustard seed, half a window of clear green locks in the Xiaoxiang River.

Moss encroaches on swords and spears, extinguishing the spirit of war; vines wither in the Central Plains, forgetting snow and frost.

Ask not of Lin'an or Tianshui, for the entire garden in spring is Bianliang itself. (End of Chapter)