Three days later, Chang'an.
The rusted iron door opened with the harsh metal friction sound. Xie Yun staggered half a step. The black cloth in front of him could not penetrate any light. He was helped into the ankle-deep weeds. stopped.
The guard stepped forward to undo the blindfold, and the blood-red sunset in the distant sky made him close his eyes suddenly, and then opened them after a while.
This is a backyard that has been abandoned for many years. Weeds and dead leaves overlap each other. A mottled courtyard wall is covered with moss. After the wind and rain, the rusty gray and black stood silently in front of my eyes.
The guard bowed and retreated, with a submissive expression but hidden vigilance—it seemed that the unarmed commander of the imperial army in front of him was just like the legend, ruthless and full of deterrence, who could tear them in half alive at any time with a snap of his fingers.
Xie Yun ignored them and looked around without saying a word.
The empty and huge deserted courtyard in childhood memories has become very narrow, and the unattainable brick walls have also become shorter. The walls that used to be able to be crossed by a run-up and boosting energy now seem to be easily knocked down with a hand.
He was a little dazed.
It turns out that those memories that he thought were unforgettable have long faded in the years, even though he tried his best to recall them, the first thing that came to his mind was the countless vast and distant moonlit nights in Mobei.
A gentle yet majestic female voice sounded from behind the brick wall: "Do you remember where this is?"
"..." Xie Yun sighed: "Your Majesty."
Behind the courtyard wall, Empress Wu stood on the same barren grassland, ignoring that the precious and exquisite embroidered phoenix skirt and silk shoes were stained with dirt, and waved away the confidant who was standing by her side, her exquisitely made-up eyes fixedly looked at Not far away are dilapidated low temple buildings.
"It was here many years ago. When I was washing clothes under this tree, I heard a child's voice trembling on the wall asking, is there anyone? Can you give me some water?"
Empress Wu paused, her eyes fell on a cracked stone cave at the foot of the courtyard wall, and she said with a smile: "Now you and I have a little frost on our temples, and the Ganye Temple is also dilapidated. I didn't expect this stone crack to still exist." here..."
Xie Yun didn't answer.
"... It can be seen that as long as something happens, there will always be traces somewhere, isn't it, Xie Yun?"
Xie Yun didn't know what he was thinking, and said in a low voice for a long while: "But now your and my hands can't reach this gap, empress."
Empress Wu was taken aback.
indeed so. Xie Yun is no longer the child she was back then, but she has been pampered for many years and her skin is plump, so the narrow and overgrown masonry gap really cannot be stretched through.
Empress Wu was a little disappointed, and sighed: "After I ascend the throne, this place should be changed into a burning incense house. Every few months, I will come here to meditate and fast for half a day, so as to remind myself not to forget the difficult and difficult moments in this life."
Xie Yun asked: "Madam, will you think of the people you met at those moments?"
"...Are you talking about yourself?" Empress Wu laughed: "I thought what you wanted to ask was, as a woman in this palace, how can I take on the power of the world when the emperor does not have a dragon controlling the sky?" How about ascending the throne indiscriminately?"
"Your Majesty, there is always a way," Xie Yun said lightly.
His reaction was obviously going in the worst direction that Empress Wu expected, but for some reason, Empress Wu felt that it was not unexpected. It seemed that if he didn't answer like this, he wouldn't be the Xie Yun she had known and known for so many years.
"I..." Empress Wu said slowly, "I have no choice. I need your help."
"The emperor announced his abdication without appointing a prince, and the officials tried their best to stop it. It was obvious that they were afraid that I would ascend the throne after the regency, and the world would have an extra heroine. At this moment, Chang'an's hearts are lax, and people's hearts are the worst in the world. To control things, I need to let everyone see that I am the true dragon lord chosen by the heavens, and plant this idea deeply in the hearts of people all over the world... "
"Hasn't your empress already released the rumor that 'after Tang Sanshi, the heroine King Wu will rule the world'?" Xie Yun interrupted.
"No, it's not enough." Empress Wu said, "The abdication ceremony is just around the corner, and I need everyone to witness a bigger and more sensational auspicious omen."
Having said that, everything is actually very clear.
The inside and outside of the courtyard wall fell into a suffocating silence. The evening wind blew across the barren grassland in the setting sun, and the sound of the wind whizzed in the distance, as if the sunset glow was burning in the sky.
Xie Yun finally shook his head. Although Empress Wu couldn't see it, at this moment, I could imagine him gently closing his eyes, his movements were gentle, but he said firmly: "No."
"If the Azure Dragon Seal is opened again, I will die."
Xie Yun turned around and walked towards the iron gate which was surrounded by guards. His footsteps were scrambling, and Empress Wu suddenly said loudly from behind: "Then what should I do to make you open the seal for me again?"
Xie Yun stopped in his tracks.
If you look at it from a height at this moment, this scene is actually an indescribable scene. Xie Yun turned his back to the courtyard wall, facing the guards who were facing an enemy not far away, while Empress Wu on the other side of the wall was facing the dilapidated back door of Ganye Temple a few feet away; Diametrically opposed.
The setting sun dyed the barren garden golden red, but under the illusory brilliance, it looked even more desolate, like a flashy ceremony that was about to fall into darkness.
Xie Yun was silent and did not answer for a long time.
"Everyone I have met so far," Empress Wu finally said after a long time, with a lingering sadness in the ending: "Most of them are against me, and a small number of people support me, and most of them are for the sake of the aristocratic family. Stability and their own interests, I know that deep down in their hearts, they also think that my idea of going to the Ninth Five-Year Plan is against the rules... Now even you think I am wrong?"
Unexpectedly, Xie Yun denied it: "No."
"..."
"Most people in the world advertise loyalty, but in fact everyone will choose the path that is most beneficial to them, and it has nothing to do with right or wrong." Xie Yun smiled bitterly and said, "You and I are both like this."
He stepped forward, and his steps gradually moved away from behind the courtyard wall. Those footsteps seemed to be stepping on the bottom of Empress Wu's heart, her chest was heaving rapidly, as if she was trying to suppress some emotion, and after a few breaths, she couldn't help trembling and said: "Where is Tingwei!"
The guard guarding the iron gate rushed forward.
"Put Commander Xie down..."
Empress Wu's voice stopped abruptly, and she spoke again after a while, but there was a little bit of pain that could not be concealed no matter what: "...take it to the Qingliang apse, and then deal with it."
The guard led away, Xie Yun stopped, with a weary smile on the corner of his mouth, he let the guard clasp his shoulders and walked out of the iron gate.
·
The last twilight gradually disappeared, Empress Wu stood for a long time at the deserted back door of Ganye Temple, and finally said, "Yin Kaiyang."
"yes."
In the dark, Yin Kaiyang stood leaning against the door frame, with his hands folded in front of his chest, his posture was casual, but his figure exuded a tyrannical aura that could not be ignored.
"You heard what I said just now. I originally planned to show the auspicious omen of the real dragon's descent at the abdication ceremony, but now Xie Yun refuses to cooperate... What do you think should be done?"
Yin Kaiyang's eyes were teasing: "Tianhou, Yin Tianqing refuses to cooperate with Kaiyin. Even if you kill him, it's useless. What else can you do?"
Empress Wu walked through the backyard of Ganye Temple and walked to the front door. Not far away, attendants knelt down to greet her respectfully. Yin Kaiyang followed up, only to hear Empress Wu's tone very gentle: "What about you?"
"how?"
"Are you willing to cooperate?"
Empress Wu stood in front of the carriage and turned around.
Yin Kaiyang stood two steps away, tall and burly, but there seemed to be a strange white light flashing in his pupils: "Of course I am willing."
Empress Wu seemed relieved and nodded slightly.
"Your secret door has always chosen to be loyal to the person whose destiny belongs to, but after you killed the deposed prince Chengqian, you chose the king of Wei between the emperor and the king of Wei. After inheriting the throne today, you don't trust the secret door. You also left Beijing because of this..."
"So I hope I bet on the right person this time," Yin Kaiyang smiled, extending his hand politely.
Empress Wu raised her red lips, helped him board the carriage with his strong hands, and drove slowly towards Shangyang Palace while the horse neighed.
·
On May 11, the second year of Shangyuan, the emperor announced to the world and held a grand abdication ceremony.
Before the grand ceremony, a group of civil servants admonished and cried and begged in front of the Taihe Palace, but Empress Wu was furious. She imprisoned the leading prime ministers Dai Zhide, Pei Yan and others on the spot, and then beheaded dozens of his followers.
The next day, Princess Chang Le, the great-grandfather's daughter, and her husband Zhao's family united with the royal family to oppose the queen's regent. Both the couple were killed, Li Zhen, the king of Yue, was killed, and dozens of other members of the royal family were killed one after another; Because of this, Mrs. Zhao was imprisoned in the palace, and was ordered to starve to death by the Queen of Heaven. Afterwards, hundreds of people were implicated in the liquidation.
Even the royal family lost their heads one after another, and countless aristocratic families confiscated them. At that time, the sky in Chang'an was full of snow, and the streets were full of blood. Every night, there was a curfew with open fire, and heavily armed soldiers of the Xiaoqi Battalion patrolled every street and alley.
Unprecedented terror enveloped the entire city of Chang'an.
At the end of the month, bad news spread from the Daming Palace. The emperor's condition deteriorated sharply, and it was imperative to abdicate.
In the face of increasingly high-pressure power seizures, many people have gradually seen the situation clearly. After all, there were only a small number of martyrs, and more people began to show favor and even surrender to the Queen of Heaven. Not only the aristocratic families behind Yu Wenhu, but also Li Xiaoyi, Liu Rengui and other powerful generals also changed their flags and stood on the Queen's side.
Surrounded by eight rivers and surrounded by thousands of kingdoms, Chang'an, the number one city in the world, ushered in the emperor's abdication ceremony in this bloody, treacherous and ever-changing situation.
·
In the Taihe Palace, the dying emperor was seemingly supported, but actually escorted to the palace. The ceremonial officials took off the Pingtian Crown, removed the Nine Dragon Clothes, and replaced it with the special crown for the Supreme Emperor.
The position on the emperor's dragon chair is vacant, but the queen of heaven sits on the side of the dragon chair, wearing black clothes and a twelve-point crown on her head. Xiuzao, Huo, Zongyi, Fu, Fu, and Fenmi, a total of twelve chapter patterns, shine brightly on the resplendent palace.
The people of the world look at Chang'an from a distance, and the people of Chang'an gather at the gate of the palace. On the square in front of the Taihe Palace, the relatives of the emperor, the nobles of the family, the civil and military officials... Countless pairs of eyes, either terrified, sad, angry, secretly happy, or impatient, all watched helplessly. watching this scene.
——The Empress Dowager is wearing the crown dress that the real son of heaven has always used to sacrifice to the Haotian God.
On the high throne, Empress Wu lowered her gaze.
Xie Yun sat quietly not far from her left hand side, with a calm face and lowered eyes, unable to see through the thick eyelashes. His wide robe sleeves fell down to cover his hands, and no one could see the black iron chains tightly bound around his wrists.
"..." Empress Wu withdrew her gaze and looked at Yin Kaiyang in the crowd on the other side.
—According to the original plan, Yin Kaiyang should open the seal at this time, so that the shape of a turtle, snake, auspicious beast will appear in the air, and he will circle and kneel to her to show his destiny.
There is nothing more inspiring than auspicious omens, and now in Chang'an City, nothing can attract the world's attention more than the abdication ceremony of the current emperor. If the real dragon showed up and surrendered to her, the news would spread all over the world tomorrow, and the seed of "the heroine of this world is the destiny of destiny" would immediately take root in the hearts of millions of people; The basaltic beasts came to do this great drama of the country and the country.
Although it is inferior, it is better than spending more manpower, material resources and time to forcibly change the hearts of the world... Empress Wu let out a breath, met Yin Kaiyang's gaze and nodded slightly, indicating that he could start.
However, Yin Kaiyang did not move.
The man smiled in her eyes, with a little bit of joking, a little bit of ridicule, and a little bit of regret and sympathy in his eyes.
Immediately afterwards, he stepped back half a step, and his whole body seemed to melt, disappearing into the air out of thin air!
-he's gone
How could he just pick up picks at the last minute and leave? !
Empress Wu barely reacted for a moment, and then her complexion changed drastically!
At this moment, her confidant hurried forward from the apse, his whole face was pale, and he leaned into her ear tremblingly and whispered: "Heaven, Queen of Heaven, it's not good!"
"British Duke Li Jingye raised troops from Yangzhou, and Huaihua General Shan Chao held Shangfang's sword, iron certificate of Danshu and the tiger charm of the former emperor's personal soldiers. In the name of the Qing Dynasty, tens of thousands of people were gathered, and they were raising their troops to press against the eastern capital!"