bayedsolid Chapter 1568 Bad news!
Chapter 1568 Bad news!
In the Wei Imperial Palace in early September, the golden wind gradually rose, and the leaves of the sycamore trees in front of the courtyard had turned a little yellow, rustling in the cool autumn wind.
The flickering candlelight dyed the bluestone steps in front of the hall a bloody red. A few crows flew over the eaves, making shrill cries, as if foreshadowing something ominous.
Chu Ning stood in the hall with his hands behind his back, his black dragon robe fluttering in the wind, and an unshakable coldness was set between his brows.
"Master Jia is so nervous, what happened?"
Chu Ning frowned and looked at the important official in front of him. This was the first time he saw the other party show such an expression.
"His Majesty!"
Jia Yu knelt down on the steps, his voice trembling, "I just received a letter via carrier pigeon. Princess Wu Xiuning of the Great Zhou...she..."
"What's up with her?"
Chu Ning's pupils suddenly constricted, and his five fingers unconsciously clasped the armrests of the dragon throne, the exquisitely carved coiled dragon patterns digging deeply into his palms.
Jia Yu's Adam's apple rolled as he spoke with difficulty, "Her Royal Highness was secretly hiding in the Zhou army, fighting with them against the Han army. The Zhou army was defeated three days ago, and her whereabouts are now unknown!"
He suddenly looked up and added, "Not only are the Zhou army searching with all their might, but even the Han army is doing the same!"
"boom--"
It was as if thunder exploded in Chu Ning's mind, and memories came flooding back.
I remember that year, the little girl in red tights threw herself into his arms like a flame, shouting that she wanted to learn horse riding and archery.
"How could a seven-year-old child disappear for no reason!" The furious shouting made the guards outside the palace tremble all over.
Chu Ning strode down the stairs and grabbed Jia Yu by the collar, his knuckles turning blue from the force. "Explain it to me!"
Jia Yu was strangled to the point of having difficulty breathing, but he managed to remain calm: "Your Majesty, calm down. The Han army is also searching, which proves that Princess Xiuning should be fine."
He breathed rapidly and told the contents of the secret report one by one.
It turned out that half a month ago, Wu Xiuning heard that the Han army was invading, so he secretly hid in a carriage transporting food and grass and mixed in with the Zhou army, and followed the other side to the front line.
After arriving at the front line, although her height was exposed, she relied on her status as a princess to force the soldiers to conceal it.
What is even more shocking is that this little girl actually commanded the battle twice and defeated the vanguard of the Han army with fire attack.
"Nonsense!"
Chu Ning punched the Panlong Pillar, and bright red blood flowed down along the gilded dragon scale patterns.
The image of his daughter riding a pony on the training ground appeared in front of his eyes. The child inherited her mother's decisiveness and his own strategy, but she didn't know that the battlefield was no joke!
Jia Yu continued to report: "After the Han army discovered the princess's identity, they set an ambush and wiped out the 3,000 Zhou troops."
Before he finished speaking, Chu Ning turned around and drew out the hanging sword. A cold light flashed, and the table broke into two pieces.
"Ready your horse!"
Chu Ning pointed his sword towards the outside of the palace, his voice as cold as ice: "I will personally go to the border between Zhou and Han!"
"Think twice, Your Majesty!"
Veteran General Han Xing knelt down to try and stop him: "The Wei Kingdom has just been established, and the aristocratic families are still watching. If Your Majesty leaves now, I'm afraid it will be detrimental to the situation."
"Do you want me to sit idly by and watch Princess Xiuning fall into the hands of the enemy?"
Chu Ning's face was gloomy as he looked around at the ministers who were silent as a mouse, and his eyes finally fell on Cheng Yu in the corner.
The surrendered Prime Minister of Wei was staring down at the tip of his shoes, but he couldn't hide the gleam in his eyes.
Chu Ning suddenly sneered: "Cheng Aiqing."
Cheng Yu, who was named, trembled all over.
"While I am away, you and Jia Yu will jointly manage the government."
As soon as this statement came out, the whole palace was in an uproar.
Cheng Yu suddenly looked up, his old face showing a mixture of shock and ecstasy - this is the power of regent!
"Your Majesty, rest assured. I will do my utmost to stabilize the situation!"
As a surrendered minister, he thought that his best outcome would be to retire and return home and be under surveillance.
Unexpectedly, Chu Ning not only did not do so, but instead let him participate in such a confidential matter and even promoted him.
At this time, Chu Ning did not wait for everyone to react and continued, "Order, Ma Chao will lead the army to keep an eye on the Tang army's movements, and Zhao Yu will select 3,000 white horse cavalry to accompany the emperor."
He strode towards the palace gate, then suddenly stopped and looked back. The setting sun stretched his shadow very long.
"If there is chaos in Wei when I return, you will all be punished!" After he finished speaking, the clanging sound of his sword returning to its sheath echoed in everyone's ears.
Half an hour later, outside the palace gate, three thousand white-armored cavalrymen were lined up and ready to go.
The warhorse pawed its front hooves restlessly, and the white mist it exhaled condensed into frosty mist in the night.
When Chu Ning climbed onto the horse, he said nothing, but with a gloomy face, he urged the horse forward and whipped it.
"drive!"
The sound of horse hooves rolled over the bluestone imperial road like thunder, startling the crows roosting in the city.
The night spread across the sky like ink, engulfing the galloping cavalry.
No one noticed that Chu Ning's hands holding the reins were trembling slightly, and his heart was in turmoil at the moment.
At the same time, Wu Zhao, the Empress of the Great Zhou Dynasty, who was thousands of miles away, also received the news of Wu Xiuning's disappearance.
In the Imperial Palace of the Great Zhou Dynasty, inside the Purple Palace.
Incense was burning in a golden censer and gauze curtains were hanging low. This should have been a solemn and dignified place for court meetings, but at this moment, the silence was broken by a sharp sound of shattering.
"Snapped!"
Wu Zhao suddenly slammed the secret letter in her hand on the table, then grabbed her favorite celadon teacup beside the table and threw it hard on the ground.
The precious porcelain shattered into pieces in an instant, and the boiling hot tea splashed onto the gold bricks, creating a white mist.
"Trash! They are all a bunch of trash!"
She shouted in rage, her eyes filled with murderous intent, and her sharp gaze swept over the ministers in the hall.
"You couldn't even keep an eye on a seven-year-old child, and you actually let her go to the front lines! Now her whereabouts are unknown, and this is your explanation to me?"
The ministers were horrified and knelt on the ground with their foreheads pressed against the cold tiles. No one dared to look up at the emperor.
"Your Majesty, calm down!"
Prime Minister Di Ying gritted his teeth and advised, "Her Royal Highness is extremely intelligent. Perhaps she is just hiding somewhere temporarily. Her life is not necessarily in danger."
"Calm down?"
Wu Zhao sneered, clenched her jade fingers in her sleeves, and her nails dug deep into her palms.
"Xiuning is my daughter. Now her life or death is uncertain. How can I calm my anger?"
She stood up suddenly, her phoenix robe fluttering, and her aura was as deep as the sea, pressing all the officials in the hall to the point of suffocating them.
"Preach my will!"
She spoke each word with a voice as cold as iron: "All imperial guards, assemble immediately and follow me to the front lines in half an hour! I want to see who dares to touch a hair on my daughter's head!"
As soon as this statement came out, the whole court was in an uproar.
Di Ying was horrified and hurried forward on his knees: "Your Majesty! You absolutely cannot do this!"
He kowtowed heavily, his forehead touching the ground. "The battle situation on the front lines is horrific, and the Han army is watching closely. If you personally go into danger, and if you fail, what will become of the Great Zhou?"
"So you want me to do nothing and watch Xiuning never come back?" Wu Zhao's eyes flashed coldly and her voice was terribly low.
Di Ying gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, perhaps we can ask the Emperor of Chu for help in this matter."
Wu Zhao paused, and the anger in her eyes subsided slightly.
Seeing this, Di Ying hurriedly continued: "His Majesty the Emperor of Chu is a man of great talent and strategy. If he takes action, he will definitely be able to find the princess."
"enough."
Wu Zhao raised her hand to interrupt, took a deep breath, and suppressed her surging emotions.
She turned and walked towards the imperial desk, picked up the pen, dipped it in ink, and drew sharp marks on the paper with the tip of the pen.
Outside the hall, the autumn wind whistled past, blowing fallen leaves, as if foreshadowing the coming of a bigger storm.