Chapter 35: The Chaotic World Melody (Three) (Unfinished)

  The Swallow Army directly inserted the Yong'an Gate outside the Imperial City, and met with the Khitan Shengli Army on a narrow road. When the first round of fierce attack began, Yu Feiyan's Brocade No. 1 severely damaged the Khitan Iron Cavalry, blood and flesh flew everywhere, shocking the Imperial City.

  Three days later, the swallow army's ammunition was exhausted, and with one against five, they launched a fierce melee battle. Fei Yan led the swallow army and the imperial city garrison to repel the Khitan's attack again and again. After five days and nights of heroic fighting, they defended the heart of the eastern courtyard of the capital city.

  The Khitan were driven back to the north of Heilongjiang, after the Battle of Jinzhu No. 1, regardless of whether they were royal nobles or common people, their grain fields were destroyed, their ancestral temples were razed, and the elite troops led by Yanzi almost completely annihilated, with only over 50 survivors, while the Dou clan's southern army, which had always taken a wait-and-see attitude, hid in the south city without losing a single soldier or foot.

  The thrilling defense of Kyoto had just ended, and Dou Yinghua stirred up the noble ministers whose fields were destroyed by the war, and severely impeached Yu Feiyan for trampling on good fields, destroying temples, and plotting evil.

  In the third year of Yongye, on New Year's Day, Yu Feiyan, the first meritorious general of the Battle of Kyoto, was dismissed from his position as Cavalry Commander and became a redundant official in the Ministry of War, awaiting punishment at home. Later, through the efforts of Yuan Shi and his party, he was demoted to the fifth rank of Cavalry Commander and exiled to Yumen Pass to guard the Yellow River region.

  In the third year of Yongye, on the third day of the first month, I accompanied Qi Fang and Wei Hu in welcoming Yu Feiyan outside Xi'an City. He was still wearing his crimson armor, with scars all over his body, and bloodstains everywhere. Since winning the battle, to appease the imperial family and dispel the suspicions of the ministers, Yu Feiyan had only brought two attendants with him, surrendering his arms as he entered the imperial city. However, what awaited him was an imperial edict ordering his immediate imprisonment, and by the time he received the order to return to his original post, he didn't even have a moment to change clothes.

  Fei Yan dismounted his horse as soon as he saw my surprised look, and there was a hint of fatigue between his eyebrows, but his tiger eyes were still shining brightly. He had originally wanted to run over and give me a bear hug, full of surprise and joy, but suddenly remembered something, looked down at the bright red gauze on his left shoulder, and his battered armor, and couldn't help but laugh awkwardly, took a step back, and embarrassingly put down his outstretched arms. He looked at me hesitantly, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness, hot tears streaming down my face. In one swift motion, I rushed over to him and tightly hugged him: "Big brother, you've suffered."

  Fei Yan's whole body shook, his arms slowly wrapped around me, and then got tighter and tighter. His big hands pressed against my head, not letting me lift it to look at him. I only heard his low voice slightly trembling: "Fourth sister, big brother thought he would never see you again in this life."

  I helped Yu Feiyan clean the wound, and let Qi Fang arrange for the 52 surviving Yanzi soldiers from the Kyoto Defense War to settle down. I sent Su Hui to Yubei Zhai to invite Biying, and after a flurry of activity, everything was finally settled.

  At dinner time, Biyu arrived, and the two of us girls naturally scolded Duan's black heart, black lungs, and black intestines, bringing disaster to the country and harming good people. Then, we shed tears for Yu Feiyan again. But Yu Feiyan smiled happily and said: "Am I not living well now? You two should stop crying, don't think that tears are worthless, but rather, a woman's tears are more precious than gold."

  The two of us finally burst out laughing, and I pulled them to the house on the north side where I used to live. The three of us had dinner together. Yu Feiyan said that in prison, only Song Mingrui dared to see him once and bribed the guard at the Dalit Temple to treat him well. When asked about the situation of his sisters, Song Mingrui's words were evasive, as if there was something difficult to say. So he asked us anxiously what had happened. Biying looked at me with a gloomy face, but I didn't know where to start. The rice grains in my mouth felt like wax. Biying, who was usually gentle, suddenly put down her chopsticks and said through gritted teeth: "It's that heartless Yuan Feibai."

  I stared at Biying in astonishment, she calmly told the truth about Yuan Fei and Shengsheng's relationship, my heart was like a knife twisting, I only saw Yu Feiyan standing there staring at me, her face full of shock and disbelief...

  I forced a smile and said, "I'll go get the soup for Big Brother." Without even putting on my windbreaker, I rushed out. I arrived at the courtyard of Mei Yu and covered my mouth with both hands to prevent my sobbing from being heard. If Yu Bei Zhai's intelligence network already knew that I had been poisoned by Sheng Sheng Bu Li, was this why Fei Jue didn't come find me? Did he think I would deliberately seduce him and make his hard-earned martial arts skills useless? So he doesn't want me anymore? How will Yu Fei Yan look at me now?

  A loud noise came from the inner chamber, my heart panicked, and I picked up my skirt and ran back. The good wine and dishes were all overturned on the ground. Yu Feiyan stood amidst the chaos, her forehead bulging with anger, and she shouted loudly: "The Yuans... Yuan Qingjiang... have gone too far!"

  I burst into tears and rushed to the door, letting Yu Feiyan's personal guard stand outside, not allowing the cold-faced guards of Xifengyuan to come over. I looked at Biying, who was scared out of her wits, and asked in a trembling voice: "How did you know that I had taken the 'Life-Long Separation' poison? Does Fourth Master Jiao know about it? Who told you to tell Big Brother?"

  Biying pouted, tears streaming down her face: "It was Song Erge who said it, I don't know how Guo'er Ren knew about this matter, but on the day you were poisoned by the 'life and death inseparable' poison, he told Jue Siye, he didn't let me tell anyone, but I know you and Jue Siye have feelings for each other, Muqi, let's not stay here anymore, let Big Brother take us away from this place."

  Leave? I looked at Yu Fei Yan, his tiger eyes were wide open, looking at me but a hint of hope appeared. He grasped my shoulders firmly and said: "Mu Ge, let's go, this world is getting more and more turbulent. The Duan and Yuan families will eventually have a fierce battle, if the Yuan family falls, our whole family will be implicated and destroyed. Even if the Yuan family wins, we five brothers will find it hard to escape unscathed. Why not leave now? I've already bought land in Jiangnan with Eldest Brother, who cares about life or death? With Big Brother by your side for a lifetime, he can definitely ensure that all of you younger siblings live without worries.

  Leave the old home, drift in the rivers and lakes, have you ever experienced that carefree life in the countryside? What a beautiful ideal, I smiled and shook my head: "Big brother, take Biying and second brother away, I'm not going."

  "What's going on?" Biying and Yu Feiyan looked at me simultaneously, Yu Feiyan muttered: "Could it be that you're afraid of being separated from him?"

  I smiled calmly: "Because of Jinxiu," I looked at Biying, but she looked at me with confusion, obviously she still didn't know the relationship between Jinxiu and Feibai. Jinxiu was willing to suffer any hardship for Feibai, but unfortunately, she didn't know that Yuan Qingjiang had already figured out the relationship between Feibai and her, even drugging her sister to coerce her. If we all left, what would happen to Jinxiu's future? I made up my mind and slowly said: "I also thought about living a free life, but now Jinxiu is already the concubine of the crown prince, she will never leave, I want to stay here with Jinxiu."

  Fei Yan slowly lowered her hands, her face looking very unsightly. Bi Ying also looked at me with great disappointment, and the banquet ended in an unpleasant dispersal.

  The next day, I and Biying bid farewell to Yanzi Jun. Upon Flying Swallow mentioned leaving the original home again, and I strongly advocated for Flying Swallow to take Biying and Song Mingkui away first, so that they could also find a foundation for their future life. Flying Swallow sighed: "What does Sanmei think?" Biying looked at me and him, smiled gently: "If it weren't for Xiaowu's righteous brothers and sisters, Biying would have died long ago. Everything will be decided by Big Brother and Muke."

  Fei Yan looked at her and smiled: "One person for five people, five people for one person. Big brother Wen has decided to stay behind and accompany the fourth and fifth sisters through this difficult time in the Duan family. Is third sister willing?"

  Baiying smiled even more sweetly, with the warm sunlight casting a gentle glow on her amber eyes that shone like jewels: "As long as all of you siblings don't despise me for being the most useless person, I'll endure any hardship and find it as sweet as honey."

  My throat suddenly choked, hot tears filled my eyes, and I tightly grasped Biying and Yu Feiyan's hands. A thousand words, already unable to speak, Yu Feiyan wiped away my tears one moment, then went to wipe Biying's face the next, amidst the chaos, laughing foolishly with a big smile, while the few surviving Yanzi soldiers behind us couldn't help but laugh too.

  The moment of parting had finally arrived, and Fei Yan mounted the Western Regions warhorse "Wu Long" that had followed him for many years. He looked down at us and said firmly: "You two sisters take care, I will definitely defeat the Turks and eliminate the Duan family to bring peace to the world and to our brothers and sisters."

  We three made a V sign with our fingers and parted tearfully.

  In the third year of Yongye, on the tenth day of the first month, Dowager Empress Duan, who had not eaten for many days, suddenly opened her eyes. The imperial physician believed it was a sign of recovery and hastily invited Emperor Xi to enter the palace. As Dowager Empress Duan lay dying, she left behind an edict instructing Emperor Xi to treat the Duan family well after her death, no matter how small or large their crimes were, and never to confiscate their property or exterminate their clan. She then summoned Duan Yinghua and Duan Lihua, leaving them the golden plaques of immunity from punishment bestowed by the late emperor. She repeatedly instructed Duan Yinghua: "The current emperor is weak, and Yuan Shi is a hero of the world. On the day I die, it will be the day my family is exterminated. If you can eliminate him, then do so, but as the Duan family has served the Xuan Yuan clan for over three hundred years, we must fulfill our duty to the end and never plot against or usurp the throne." After speaking, she passed away at the age of 82. Emperor Xi was deeply grieved, and Empress Duan fainted several times in front of the imperial bed. The Eastern Court Imperial Dynasty thus entered its second period of national mourning after the new emperor's accession.

  The death of Empress Dowager Dou means that the struggle between the Dou and Yuan families has finally escalated from open and secret struggles in the imperial court to a bloody battle in the palace.

  In the third year of Yongye, on the fifteenth day of the first month, Empress Dowager Dou held a funeral. Yuan Qingjiang took his daughter Jinyu, who was disguised as a man, and Fengding, along with 100 guards, to pay their respects at the palace. At Xuan De Gate, they were ambushed by the Dou family. Under Jinyu and Fengding's desperate protection, they narrowly escaped. All 100 skilled guards were killed, and Jinyu and Fengding were stabbed multiple times. Yuan Qingjiang himself was also stabbed in the chest and barely survived but suffered from a lifelong illness.

  In the west, Xuan De Men originally escaped from Qing Jiang's death, and Dong Yinghua rushed to the east to Chang Yi Palace, wanting to kill Long Gongzhu Yu Ni He. Fortunately, he was rescued by the eunuch who responded to the chaos in the secret passage, and Yu Ni He and Jing Xia Wang were rescued. Dong Yinghua missed, and had to go to capture the long princess Xuan Yuan Shu Qi who had not escaped yet.

  In the "Biography of Princess Shude Zhenlie" in the "History of the Eastern Court", it is recorded that at that time, Princess Chang was crying in front of Empress Dowager Dou's coffin in the Changyi Palace. Dou Yinghua led the blood-stained imperial guards into the mourning hall, sword in hand, and asked Princess Chang: "Where is your husband?" Princess Chang scolded Dou Yinghua and her siblings as treacherous officials who had brought chaos to the palace and overturned the state. In a fit of rage, Dou Yinghua wanted to imprison Princess Chang in the Cold Palace. Unwilling to suffer this humiliation, Princess Chang jumped from the Fenglintai platform where Empress Dowager Dou's coffin was placed. The palace maids were unable to save her, and she hit her head on the white marble steps, causing her brain to burst open, staining her mourning clothes with blood. She died at the age of 21.

  This coup, known as the "Yiyou Palace Coup", was the most brutal palace coup in the late Eastern Court. The Duan family executed all the palace maids and eunuchs who witnessed the death of Princess Chang, as well as those who helped Fu Ma and Xia Jing Wang escape, totaling 651 people, all of whom were strangled with bowstrings and buried with Empress Dowager Duan. When Emperor Xi arrived, he only saw Xuan Yuan Shu Qi lying in a pool of blood, but did not see the whole process of his sister's brutal death. He guessed that her death was related to Duan Ying Hua, and at that time, he was so shocked and angry that his hands and feet convulsed, his eyes rolled back, and he foamed at the mouth. The palace staff hastily carried Emperor Xi into the inner palace, and from then on, Emperor Xi deeply hated the Duan family, even his feelings for Duan Li Hua were greatly discounted.

  Yu Zong summoned Yuan and Jing Xia Wang Xuan to plot a rebellion, stripping them of their titles, slaughtering the entire family, and destroying all remnants of the original party. For those members of the imperial clan who were dissatisfied with Yu Zong, Yu Yinghua issued an edict in the name of Emperor Xi, banishing them three thousand miles away. More than 20,000 innocent officials and civilians who had been persecuted during the coup were also affected.

  Non-Han and his men pulled back the crazy waves, allowing the Yuanshi and Jingxia royal families to safely exit Kyoto. Yuan Qingjiang was recalled to Feiyan under the name of "Exterminate the Duan clan, clear the imperial court". He then took the Yanzi army as the main force, with an army of 500,000, retreated to Luoyang, called on the world to rise up and attack the Duan clan.

  "The Incident of the Coup at the Palace" completely opened the curtain for a world in chaos, with indignation throughout the land. The cruelty of the Duan clan was exposed, and from then on, heroes rose up together, struggling incessantly. And the wheels of fate for me and Xiao Wuji also began to turn irreversibly with the start of this chaotic era.

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