Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 820 is coming to an end.
The Imperial Guards were indeed retreating step by step.

The commander was not a mere brute; he was willing to bear some responsibility for the Qin king's succession to the throne, but... he could not destroy these imperial students and the statue of the sage before him.

What the King of Qin gave him was insufficient for him to bear these burdens.

He could risk his own life, but he couldn't let his entire clan be scorned and let the clan's descendants completely lose their future.

The general was considering retreating, and the soldiers naturally dared not make a move.

Their retreat emboldened the students, who stood tall and proud, their faces radiating righteousness.

The officials standing behind did not relax in the slightest. If the Imperial Guards dared to step forward with their swords, they would have to use their swords to protect the Imperial Students.

“I don’t think so,” the general said in a low voice. “This was clearly prepared in advance, otherwise they wouldn’t have come here suddenly.”

The generals around him nodded in agreement.

"Then... what should we do now?"

The general looked around and said, "Retreat, or it will be too late." If Wang Yan and his men were prepared, then the reason they hadn't encountered any forces to deal with them was probably because they had more important things to do, such as dealing with Prince Qin.

Since he had the idea of ​​retreating, the general did not delay and quickly left with his soldiers.

As everyone watched these people flee in a sorry state, the leading student looked at Wang Yan and said, "Chaoqinglang, should we give chase? These people are plotting a rebellion; we can't let them escape."

Wang Yan said, "Someone will deal with them."

The students of the Imperial Academy all listened to Wang Yan, because he was the top scholar in their eyes.

Liu Hui stepped forward and asked, "I wonder how many people have been exposed?"

Wang Yan looked ahead: "Thieves have a guilty conscience. As soon as the city starts arresting people, some people will get restless."

……

Xu En stood on his horse in the corner, and soon more soldiers came and handed him the information that his spies had gathered.

As night fell, Xu En had accumulated a thick stack of papers.

"The Imperial College students have made a move."

Hearing his subordinate's report, Xu En nodded. Wang Yan had held out until the very end and had no choice but to use the Imperial Academy students. Once the Imperial Academy students were mobilized, the King of Qin's faction would inevitably be alerted. Before the fish escaped, it was time to start pulling in the net.

"Fire the signal arrow, and begin the attack."

At Xu En's command, several whistling arrows shot into the sky. The next moment, soldiers who had been lying in ambush in various mansions rushed into the courtyards at top speed to start arresting people.

Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night. Many officials who are secretly colluding with the King of Qin know that the King of Qin is about to take action and have been waiting for news.

Whether it was the tolling of the death knell or the entry of the King of Qin into the palace, these were all signs that the tide had turned. However, they did not expect that it would be the Imperial Guards who broke through their gates.

"How dare you!" The retired Privy Councilor, who had not yet left the capital, saw this and, forcing himself to maintain his composure, rebuked, "What is the punishment for trespassing on the residence of a court official?"

The head of the Imperial City Guards clearly didn't take the Privy Councilors seriously. Recently, for some unknown reason, the Privy Councilors had arrested two of them, both for serious crimes.

"By order of the Empress Dowager, arrest the King of Qin and his cronies," the Imperial City Guard official said, waving his hand. "Take them down, seal up their property, and make sure not a single piece of paper is missed." These will be the evidence for future convictions.

The Privy Councilor tried to return to the house to retrieve his sword, but the soldiers in the courtyard were faster and immediately tripped him, pinning him to the ground. Before he could shout, a rag was stuffed into his mouth.

Upon seeing this, the people in the mansion panicked and shouted, running in all directions. Some even tried to protect their families and leave through the back door, only to find soldiers guarding the door.

The situation was similar in many mansions in the capital. Some officials struggled unwillingly, some simply committed suicide, and of course, some resigned themselves to their fate, kneeling down and begging for mercy, hoping to save their lives by exposing their accomplices.

The entire city of Bianjing was like a pot of boiling water.

Before the Imperial City Guard could make a move, the Prince of Qin changed his clothes and was escorted away from the palace. His cautious nature sometimes held him back, but sometimes it saved his life.

When his second son, Liang Yanjing, saw his father about to leave, he immediately ran up and hugged his father's leg, asking, "Father, where are you going?"

The King of Qin hadn't expected Liang Yanqing to appear here, but he couldn't bother to reprimand the servants: "We need to leave the capital temporarily. You must follow the instructions of the wet nurse and the guards..."

"Where is Father?" Liang Yanjing asked. "I will listen to Father. Wherever Father goes, I will go."

The King of Qin sighed, "At a time like this, my son and I cannot be together."

Liang Yanjing's eyes reddened: "Why?"

The King of Qin said, "The court wants to arrest me. It's dangerous for you to stay with me. Let's go separately. Even if I'm arrested, the guards can escort you out of the capital."

Liang Yanjing shook his head again, gripping the King of Qin's hand even tighter.

Time was of the essence, and the King of Qin lost his patience, shouting sternly, "Release him and do what you're supposed to do."

Liang Yanjing shuddered, his hand loosened slightly but then clenched again, as if trying to make another effort. He felt a strong force come over him, and his small body fell backward, crashing heavily to the ground.

"If you delay any longer, you can stay in the capital by yourself."

After finishing speaking, the King of Qin did not look at his son again and turned to walk out of the mansion.

Liang Yanjing watched his father's retreating figure, his hands clenched into fists. He said it was for his father's sake that he left him so many guards, but actually... wasn't it just to draw the court's attention?
The court, not knowing which father was who, might concentrate its forces to arrest him. Liang Yanjing suddenly felt a pang of regret. On the day his mother passed away, he had happened to pass by her courtyard and seen Zhao Mama and a servant from the Jiang family walking out together. The two were whispering to each other, seemingly discussing something. After the servant left, Zhao Mama stood outside his mother's courtyard, blocking anyone who wanted to see her. He had already sensed something was amiss then, but he hadn't gone to check on his mother.

After his mother passed away, there was no one in the mansion who truly cared about him anymore, and all his previous pretense of obedience was no longer effective.

Liang Yanjing looked up at the wet nurse: "Aren't my two younger sisters coming with me?"

The wet nurse shook her head.

Liang Yanjing said, "Could you leave more of the guards who are with me for my two younger sisters? I'm worried about them." He didn't want to be the most conspicuous one. If possible, he would rather change his clothes and hide in the city until tomorrow before sneaking out.

“No,” the wet nurse refused. “We all have to follow the prince’s arrangements. Besides… you are the princess’s first child and deserve the best care.”

The wet nurse said this because she was afraid that with fewer people, she wouldn't be able to protect herself.

This idiot.

Liang Yanjing felt disgusted, but he couldn't say it. He didn't have many people he could use to begin with, and he couldn't afford to break ties. For no reason, Liang Yanjing shivered, and he suddenly felt that the Qin Prince's Mansion was doomed.

……

King Qin rode swiftly, encountering the Imperial City Guard twice along the way. Fortunately, his strategy worked, and the four groups of men dispersed the Imperial City Guard's forces, allowing him to reach the city gate smoothly.

However, upon seeing the situation before him, the King of Qin felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head. There were many soldiers guarding the place, clearly indicating that they did not want anyone to escape the capital.

“Open a bloody path,” the King of Qin said, looking at the Commander of the Infantry. “As long as you protect me and get me out, we can enter the city again to rescue you when the Duke of Wei arrives with his troops.”

The Commander of the Infantry had no other choice. If the King of Qin couldn't leave, they were doomed as well. Now he could only hope that the King of Qin could turn the tide.

“Your Highness, rest assured,” said the Commander of the Infantry Division, “we will risk our lives to get Your Highness out.”

(End of this chapter)