"Hyah, hyah, hyah!"
A carriage was speeding along the official road. The driver was still the sa driver, but there were quite a few people inside the carriage.
The family of three of Long Yue, Duanmu Nan, Yun Jin, and Gouzi.
The dog had changed its na, with that land utterly turned to dust and ashes, he had also adopted a new na.
Duanmu Yang.
The character "Yang" was to commorate the ancestral land of the Duanmu Family. It was also hoped that his life would be filled with sunshine, no longer shadowed.
"Duanmu Yang is a good na, much more pleasant than Gouzi, and it’ll be easier for him to find a wife in the future!"
"Indeed, we’ve said he should change his na long ago, but the child insisted on keeping it as a rembrance. Now that all the past has dissipated with the flas, he’s changed it, haha..."
Long Yue and Yun Jin whispered as they watched Duanmu Yang (Gouzi) gobbling down food, chuckling softly.
Duanmu Yang looked up, puzzled, "What are you laughing at?"
This silly kid was so preoccupied with eating, he didn’t even know what they were talking about.
"Saying you’re handso!"
Long Yue teased him boldly.
Duanmu Yang yawned, happily saying, "Aunt Yue certainly has a keen eye!"
Instantly Yun Jin wanted to hit him, implying she was blind!
So this kid heard everything they just said about him!
On the other side of the carriage, the two won chatted happily, yet Li Qingmu looked gravely serious.
"Cough, cough..."
He coughed lightly; the treatnt from Duanmu Nan along the way had improved his injuries, but he still coughed occasionally.
There was nothing more to do about it; he’d have to wait until they settled in Shengjing City for further treatnt.
"Ladies and gentlen, we’re approaching Shengjing City!"
The driver who was managing the carriage reminded them.
Long Yue peeked out and, indeed, the grand gates of Shengjing City were visible in the distance.
Yet sohow, Long Yue felt that sothing was amiss.
But it was still the outer city, so they couldn’t discern much as people ca and went as usual, and the carriage slowly drove in.
Once inside the city, however, the eerie atmosphere grew increasingly heavy. Along the way, Long Yue noticed that almost every household had white lanterns hanging from their windows and doors.
"What happened? Stop, stop quickly!"
Long Yue instructed the driver to stop, got off the carriage to inquire about the situation from a street vendor.
"The night before last, rebel forces stord the Imperial Palace and killed the Emperor. Now we’re in national mourning!"
With just one sentence, Long Yue felt a shudder run through her body, a chill spreading up from her feet.
The Emperor... dead? Killed by rebels?
How could this be!
Before Long Yue could probe further, Li Qingmu had already rushed off the carriage, grabbed the vendor, and sternly demanded, "What did you just say? Say it again?"
"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing? Let go, are you crazy!"
The vendor cursed while jumping, and Li Qingmu just released him woodenly.
His gaze drifted, then "pfft—", he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
"A Mu!"
Long Yue stepped forward to support him, realizing his body was trembling slightly, his breaths heavy, and his emotions agitated.
"A Mu, calm down, let’s not trust his one-sided words, we need to ask more people! At least, we have to understand what happened that night!"
Li Qingmu took deep breaths, suppressing his inner grief, and said, "Yes, let’s go to Prince Lingjiang, now, only he can tell us the truth."
Long Yue helped him back into the carriage, noticing his gaze was still sowhat unfocused.
Of course, anyone with a conscience would be distraught upon hearing about a loved one’s passing.
Inside the carriage, Long Yue gripped his hand tightly.
His hands were always warm before, but this ti they were cold, very cold.
"Is the Seventeenth Young Master inside the carriage?"
A voice suddenly sounded from the side. Long Yue recognized it as the voice of Ruying, a guard by Qi Jingyu’s side.
"Yes, what’s the matter?"
"My master has a business deal to discuss with you, in the alley ahead."
"Alright, I understand!"
Long Yue looked at her husband, then at Duanmu Nan opposite her. Duanmu Nan said, "Go ahead, I’ll be watching from the shadows."
"Hm!"
The couple got off the carriage and walked into one of the alleys.
The person who ca was Shi Qin; she looked urgent. Upon seeing the couple, she said, "My master and they are all under house arrest. The situation is very critical!"
Li Qingmu clenched his fist and said, "What exactly happened? Did the Emperor really et misfortune?"
Shi Qin lowered her eyes, "Yes, it was the people from Tianxing Pavilion, their Black Armor Army struck and stord into the Imperial Palace, with one strike..."
She couldn’t continue, seeing Li Qingmu’s eyes turn red.
"Tianxing Pavilion, Tianxing Pavilion again! Aren’t they a Jianghu force? Why do they keep interfering with the court, why?!"
He almost roared in anger; Long Yue embraced him tightly, but couldn’t stop his body from trembling with rage.
"Tian, Xing, Pavilion!"
Li Qingmu spat the na through gritted teeth, his eyes filled with madness!
"Yue’er, is Mr. Li..."
"On the way to Kaiyang County, they nearly killed Mr. Li!"
The attendant was imdiately horrified, "Tianxing Pavilion is indeed too rampant, then Mr. Li must be seriously injured?"
"Yes, but with Mr. Duanmu here, it’s alright."
"You all need to find a place to hide quickly. The situation is very chaotic right now. The Empress, Crown Prince, and Pang Wenzheng’s faction are controlling the court, making everyone at the Main Hall jittery. If you go back now, it’s like throwing yourselves into a lion’s den!"
"Why is Prince Lingjiang under house arrest?"
After his initial frenzy, Li Qingmu gradually cald down and asked the crucial question.
Shi Qin: "Because His Majesty had left a decree before."
"A decree?"
Li Qingmu’s voice trembled slightly. If this decree was genuine, did it an that Qi Yun might have anticipated this day long ago?
Therefore, transferring him away from Shengjing City was to prevent him from getting caught up in this conflict?
He closed his eyes in pain.
"His Majesty’s decree is in the Empress’s Lixiu Palace. After the Emperor’s assassination, the Empress and Crown Prince imdiately sent troops to clear out those rebels, then convened the ministers with the reason of ’the nation cannot be without a monarch for a day’, to discuss the succession ceremony."
"Ha..." Li Qingmu let out a cold laugh, sarcastically, "So the Crown Prince’s father, not even warm in his grave, and they’re already thinking of succession? And so urgent?"
"Yes, they were in such a hurry, so Lady Li Fei presented the decree in front of all the ministers, announcing His Majesty’s decree!"
Long Yue also let out a soft laugh, "And then those people showed their true colors?"
"Yes, they imdiately staged a coup, imprisoned all the concubines and princes, then took control of those ministers. Whoever dared to speak against them was killed!
Yesterday at the court, several ministers died at once. People like Elder Cui, because they’re old and have served three reigns, were only imprisoned."
This really is a major event, blood splattering the court!
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