Regardless of the external situation, Cui Yu maintained a composed demeanor. The more composed he appeared, the more anxious Wei Yang became. He directly asked, “Then what should we do now?”
Cui Yu turned to King Yan, saying, “My lord, Zhang Xi is here. Do you still remember?”
King Yan nodded, “We fought together in the first year of Xianning. He is two years younger than me, and he is a general.”
Cui Yu inquired, “How is your relationship with him, my lord?”
King Yan stroked his beard and said with a smile, “If it wasn’t for me, he would have died on the battlefield long ago, but not many people know about it.”
Since the imperial court sent Zhang Xi, they hadn’t discovered the friendship between him and Zhang Xi.
Cui Yu proposed, “In that case, I will go to Zhang Xi’s residence.”
King Yan responded, “Well, be careful.”
At the end of the month, Cui Yu returned to the palace under the cover of night and brought back good news. Zhang Xi was willing to align with King Yan.
With an additional governor in Pingcheng, more officers and soldiers patrolled the streets than usual. The common people, aware of the tension between the court and King Yan, refrained from going out unless necessary.
Ji Xianxian passed the news to Yin Hui. For her, it was a familiar scenario from her previous life and nothing new. However, a sudden realization struck her.
The Yan Palace was well-fortified, but her grandfather and Yin Lang were still in the city. In her previous life, the Yin family had fallen, and the second uncle’s family sought refuge in a distant mountainous area before the imperial court took control of Pingcheng. She didn’t know where Yin Wen went, but the second uncle and his wife were far away. It was her grandfather and brother who remained at the Yin Mansion in Pingcheng.
She blamed herself, thinking that she should have reminded her grandfather to leave earlier, avoiding any danger.
As soon as Wei Luo returned at night, Yin Hui pulled him into the inner room. She, who had been calm and indifferent for several months, seemed to have reverted to the same Yin Hui from her previous life at that moment.
“What about grandfather? The imperial court wants to deal with father, and our Yin family is an easy target. Will the imperial court accuse the Yin family first?”
Wei Luo held her trembling hand and said in a low voice, “Don’t be afraid; the Yin family will be safe until the palace falls.”
The palace would definitely not fall!
These three words were the best guarantee, and Yin Hui looked up at Wei Luo’s cold and restrained face, suddenly understanding.
The Yin family was considered a valuable asset, and the Imperial Court would certainly covet it. How could her father-in-law willingly hand over the Yin family?
Fighting the Huns required military funds, and fighting the Imperial Court required even more.
Who was her father-in-law? He might have considered all aspects as early as the death of the first Emperor or even the death of the previous Crown Prince.
At that time, money wasn’t the priority; Yin Hui just wanted to save her grandfather’s life.
“Is Grandfather and Yin Lang safe?” Yin Hui sought confirmation from Wei Luo once again.
Wei Luo gently touched her pale face, eyes carrying a reassuring smile. “Yes.”
Not only was the Yin family’s wealth secure, but the members of the Yin family would also be kept safe and sound.
After Governor Zhang Bing arrived in Pingcheng, he only changed the city guards and discreetly dispatched individuals to monitor the Yan Palace. Without the court’s order, he wouldn’t act rashly. .
Xie Gui and Zhang Xi each led 50,000 troops and were stationed near the Three Guards of King Yan.
On the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhang Bing received a secret imperial edict and immediately summoned Xie Gui and Zhang Xi. The edict listed King Yan’s alleged crimes and mandated their capture of him on the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month. While Zhang Xi led the troops away, Xie Gui and Zhang Bing remained in Pingcheng.
At dusk on the 22nd day of the twelfth lunar month, a messenger from the Yan Palace urgently arrived at the governor’s mansion, pleading with Zhang Bing, “My lord, my lord is going to die! He implores you to visit; he has something to convey to the Emperor!”
Xie Gui stood up in shock.
Zhang Bing exchanged glances with him and inquired with concern, “Although the Prince was ailing in bed, he seemed in good spirits when we visited at the beginning of the month. Why did his health suddenly deteriorate?”
The palace servant wiped his tears and explained, “The son of the Fourth Master passed away prematurely. The Prince vomited blood all over his body upon hearing the tragic news.”
Zhang Bing’s face changed drastically.
At the start of the twelfth lunar month, the Fourth Master celebrated the birth of his child, the eighth grandson of King Yan, and they extended congratulations to the palace.
It was not uncommon for an infant who had not reached the full moon to pass away early. Could it be that King Yan was truly on his deathbed?
“Let’s go!” Zhang Bing immediately called Xie Gui, gathered five hundred soldiers and horses, and hurried to the Yan Palace.
Despite the unusual circumstances, they requested permission to bring soldiers and horses into the palace, and surprisingly, the request was granted.
This eased the concerns of Zhang Bing and Xie Gui. The soldiers and horses of King Yan were situated in the suburbs, and the palace had only eighty guards on duty, as they had confirmed.
After the two of them had just passed through the Duanli Gate in the south of the palace, Zhang Bing was horrified, looking in disbelief at the burly figure emerging!
King Yan was only clad in ordinary clothes, as if he had strolled out for a walk after a long rest in the inner hall. On the contrary, Wei Luo and Wei Xuan, who followed him, were donned in battle armor, radiating vigor.
As they walked, King Yan addressed Zhang Bing and Xie Gui, “The treacherous ministers of the court are in power. Are you two willing to surrender to this King?”
“No!”
King Yan nodded to Liao Shisan, who had led eight hundred elite soldiers, stealthily stationed in the palace for half a year.
“Zhang Bing and Xie Gui led troops to trespass into the palace, intending to assassinate the prince—kill!”
Liao Shisan’s resounding voice echoed like thunder out of thin air, and the eight hundred elite soldiers roared in unison, charging forward without hesitation.
These were all warriors who had faced the Xiong and the Kingdom of Jin on the grasslands. They swiftly overwhelmed the five hundred soldiers. Simultaneously, the five hundred elite soldiers hidden by the Yang family, the Feng family, and the Gao family, along with the two hundred merchant guards trained by the Yin family, also rushed into action.
That night, the sounds of battle reverberated through Pingcheng. When dawn broke, individuals from the suburbs, unaware of the tumult, arrived in Pingcheng.