Even emperors have it tough, so don't be too picky about the entries.

......

For the next period of time, the Empress's army surrounded the city without attacking, allowing Chen Yuan to repeatedly and creatively call for help from below.

"I, Chen Yuan, the Emperor of Great Yan, hereby command you to open the gate immediately."

"I am Chen Yuan. Are you all going to just stand by and watch me suffer such humiliation?"

"Han Cao, Yuwen Huagu, do you still remember our past?"

"Sixth Brother, you son of a bitch! Your father, give the order! Give the order to open the door!"

Just as the Empress said, Chen Yuan's knocking on the gate had an immeasurable impact on the morale of the defenders on the city wall.

Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, Teacher – this ruler is a level above even the father.

Not to mention you, who else could bear to watch their father suffer such humiliation?

What makes an army an army is not its large number of people, but that it has a bottom line.

This bottom line is called loyalty and righteousness, and it is called one's duty.

Now, Chen Yuan calling out to his own gate from below the city is tantamount to slowly sawing through this bottom line.

Even the emperor had to open the city gates to let the Northern Mang army in.

They're not even worth a second glance.

Who are they fighting for this time?

Defend the city, defend the city. The city itself comes last, defense comes first. And this defense is the hearts of the people.

Chen Yuan's knocking was like the northwest wind of a cold winter month blowing into the city and into the hearts of everyone.

People from all over the streets and alleys helped the elderly and children climb up tree branches and rooftops, gazing at the direction of the city gate in the distance.

We must witness this unprecedented wonder.

Nursery rhymes had long been circulating in the city, echoing through the streets and alleys.

"The city gate is high, the city gate is wide, and an old fellow stands beneath the city gate."

"The old prince, shirtless, was yelling and cursing the wicked woman."

"This wretched creature is like a stupid goose, the Northern Barbarians laugh heartily, the royal family's reputation is not as good as a broken pot."

Everyone in the capital was as if they had lost their parents.

...

The news quickly reached the palace.

The young eunuch beside him stammered as he reported:

"The Northern Barbarians stripped the Emperor Emeritus of his upper garment and made him stand naked under the city gate, banging on it many times already; the entire city heard it..."

"His Majesty refuses to open the door..."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager nearly fainted.

She could picture that scene.

Under the blazing sun, Emperor Qing'an, covered in dust and dirt, was led around like livestock by the Northern Mang soldiers.

Emperor Qing'an was a man who cared a lot about his reputation, to the point that he was willing to mobilize the entire nation for a northern expedition just to be hailed as the greatest emperor of all time, and then immediately perform the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai upon his return.

How heartbroken he must have been to be humiliated like this in front of the entire nation.

OK.

Just thinking about it makes my blood boil, and I wish I could take my husband's place.

"Change my clothes! Quickly, help me change my clothes!"

She was going to save her husband.

She wanted that bastard Chen Shao to open the door!

As for the Northern Barbarians, they can just fight their way out once they've entered.

The Empress Dowager ripped off her hairpin, her black hair falling loosely over her shoulders.

They rushed out in a hurry.

"Quickly! I need to go to the city wall! Now!"

The palace maids hurriedly dressed her in a phoenix coronet and wedding gown, but she pushed them away.

"My husband was humiliated outside the city. If he dies, I... I will not live either..."

...

The Empress Dowager stumbled and rushed up the city wall.

Her hair was disheveled, and she was crying her eyes out.

She had lost all trace of the majestic aura of an empress dowager, and was now just a little woman concerned for her husband's safety.

She rushed to the arrow emplacement and immediately saw Emperor Qing'an being led by two Northern Mang soldiers below the city.

This revelation struck the Empress Dowager as if she had been struck by lightning.

He swayed a few times, almost fainting.

His whole body trembled like a leaf falling in the wind, and his wailing was like a ghostly howl.

Those who hear it are heartbroken, and those who listen shed tears.

The soldiers and officials around them were also moved by the deep affection between the couple.

Tears fell silently.

Yuwen Huagu hurriedly came over to help him up.

To everyone's surprise, the Empress Dowager didn't want to be helped at all, and instead strode towards Chen Shao.

Her light makeup was already ruined by tears.

Large beads and small beads fall on a jade plate.

The murmuring spring flows with difficulty beneath the ice.

She grabbed Chen Shao's dragon robe sleeve.

"Your Majesty! That's your father, your own father!"

"How can you bear it? He is the retired emperor of our Great Yan Dynasty, and now he is being humiliated like a dog. Can't you just open the city gates and let him in?"

"That's the face of the Great Yan Dynasty, the dignity of the royal family!!!"

Chen Shaoyu had an increasingly bad headache.

Since the Northern Barbarians did not attack, he naturally dared not take the initiative to go out of the city to meet the enemy.

But after shouting like that for a whole day, the entire army was exhausted.

Now that the Empress Dowager has made such a fuss, what will the soldiers think if she insists on opening the city gates?

Who would still serve the royal family? Who would still consider this Great Yan as their home?

Unfortunately, this woman is now the most senior person in the Great Yan Dynasty, so her attitude is extremely important.

Chen Shao pondered how to persuade her using the principles of national righteousness.

Suddenly, Shen Qingci appeared beside Chen Shao.

She looked at Chen Shao and nodded slightly.

Although no words were spoken, the meaning was clear.

I'll handle the Empress Dowager.

At this moment, silence spoke louder than words, and Chen Shao nodded in agreement.

It's all up to you.

The two communicated silently for a while, and then Shen Qingci turned her head away.

He covered his mouth with his hand and whispered something in the Empress Dowager's ear.

The Empress Dowager froze on the spot.

The crying stopped abruptly.

She looked down at the city again, and her eyes, which had been filled with grief, slowly turned to a hint of disgust before returning to calm.

Finally, she glanced at Chen Shao, and for some reason, felt a little shy.

She realized something was wrong.

He coughed lightly to calm himself down.

She instantly regained her dignified demeanor as the Empress Dowager.

She no longer possessed any semblance of a demure woman.

She took the arm of a palace maid and walked towards the arrow slits again.

Chen Yuan looked up from below the city and was overjoyed.

Savior!

Our savior has finally arrived!

Anyone could abandon him, but Yuwen Xingye would never do so.

He had showered her with countless favors, and everything she had now, including the prosperity of the Yuwen family, was given to her by Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan grasped at this last straw as if it were his last lifeline.

He cried out loudly, "My beloved concubine, save...save me!"

Yuwen Xingye looked down at Emperor Qing'an below the city. She straightened her disheveled clothes, and her eyes were filled with righteous indignation.

"The Emperor Emeritus!"

She shouted:

"Your Majesty, I am now the Empress Dowager of the Great Yan Dynasty, bearing the weight of the nation's fate, and dare not act out of personal favoritism."

"So that the Emperor Emeritus may know that this city is not just the city of the Chen family, but the city of all the people of the world."

Chen Yuan: "???"

Chen Shao: "???"

Everyone who had just witnessed the Empress Dowager's overwhelming grief was left with a blank stare: "???"

The Empress Dowager paused, "If the city gates were opened to save one person, even I would be willing, but the nation would not."

"Even if the nation is willing, our ancestors would not!"

"Even if our ancestors would agree, the people of the world would not!"

"As long as the city stands, even if we die, the Chen family's legacy will still endure."

"If the city falls, even if we survive, how will we face our ancestors in the afterlife?"

"Today, it is not that I, your humble servant, am disregarding our marital bond, but rather that the weight of the empire is greater than that of one person."

"My body has been dedicated to the country, it is difficult for me to... dedicate it to my lord..."

Chen Yuan scratched his head.

Is this still the Yuwen Xingye he knows?

What exactly happened to make her suddenly so patriotic?

Who in the world understands this woman better than him?

Arrogant, haughty, willful, stupid—he has it all, but he lacks any sense of righteousness.

The next moment, he finally realized what this meant.

He was struck dumb, as if by lightning, and stood frozen in place below the city.

Chen Shao glanced at Shen Qingci out of the corner of his eye.

I saw that the other person had an expression on their face that said they were about to praise me.

He couldn't help but be curious:

"What exactly did you say to her that caused such a drastic change in her attitude?"