Chapter 256

Chapter 256

Marquis’s Residence.

Tong Sui said to Xiao Shouyi, "Second Uncle, I'll leave this to you. I'm going to sit in the hall for a while; it's a bit cold."

Xiao Shouyi nodded and instructed his daughter, "Help your second sister-in-law inside."

Xiao Yuchan quickly put a cloak over Tong Sui's shoulders and supported her arm.

Tong Sui noticed that Xiao Yuchan was shaking, trembling violently.

As they walked to the front of the hall, Xiao Yuchan glanced back and asked nervously, "Second sister-in-law, should we lower the curtains?"

Tong Sui replied, "No need, keep it open."

After a few more steps, Xiao Yuchan helped Tong Sui sit in the main seat on the north side of the hall. Standing beside her, Xiao Yuchan had a clearer view of the two hundred guards in the courtyard.

Tears still streaked down Xiao Yuchan's face, her heart pounding more violently than when the bandits from Imprisoned Dragon Ridge attacked their home years ago.

"Second sister-in-law, did they really just surrender like that? Will they regret it and charge back in with their swords?"

If they did, could our father stop them alone?

Tong Sui told her to listen to the drums outside, "When the city gates drum, three beats count as one round. The first round signals the discovery of an enemy situation, calling for the gates to be closed and preparations to be made quickly. The second round indicates the enemy army has arrived at the city gates. The third round means the enemy is attacking the city, and the fifth round signifies the city gates have fallen. Now, count how many rounds there have been."

Xiao Yuchan listened intently, feeling the beats land heavily on her heart. She didn't understand the rounds, and the drumming was too fast for her to count properly. Just as she thought she had finished counting, it started again.

Anxious, Xiao Yuchan began to sweat. Tong Sui, seeing this, explained directly, "It's the fifth round. Your second brother's cavalry has already entered the city. The Southern Gate is ten li away from us, but at the speed of the cavalry, they can rush over in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. The Imperial Guard only numbers twenty thousand, but your second brother has nearly fifty thousand cavalry. The troops here understand this clearly. If you were them, would you risk your life to avenge Fan Zhao, or surrender to save yourself?"

Xiao Yuchan immediately said, "Surrender, of course. Fan Zhao isn't my brother or father."

Tong Sui smiled.

Troops value loyalty, but it depends on the situation. In situations like at Jiange Pass, the troops knew countless lives would be lost to rescue the late emperor from the Liang army. The collective loyalty of tens of thousands of troops, combined with the prestige of the commanding general and military orders, drove even the fearful soldiers to charge forward fearlessly. But if the commanding general dies and leadership is lost, the soldiers lose confidence and discipline, and they might scatter.

These two hundred Imperial Guard had no great cause to die for. With Commander Fan Zhao dead and the defeat drums sounding, who would continue to fight?

To some high-ranking officials, tens of thousands of deaths are just numbers on a battle report. But every soldier is a living person with parents, wives, and friends. Given a chance, they all want to live and return home to their families.

Xiao Yuchan thought for a moment and had a question, "The Imperial Guard only has twenty thousand troops, but the Eastern Camp still has over a hundred thousand, right?"

Tong Sui replied, "If the Eastern Camp could block them, the Southern Camp troops wouldn't have been able to enter. Their entry means the Eastern Camp is either neutral or has sided with your second brother. After all, they were originally led out by him. Furthermore, once the city gates are breached, the Eastern Camp's infantry can't catch up to your second brother's cavalry. Even if only two hundred cavalry charge in, they could easily overwhelm the Imperial Guard here."

Just as she finished speaking, a familiar voice echoed from a couple of streets away, "Listen, Imperial Guard troops ahead. This is Xiao She. If you dare harm a single member of my family, none of you will leave Qinghua Fang alive tonight!"

Hearing this, Xiao Yuchan cried and laughed, her knees giving out as she knelt on the ground.

Hearing the faint shout, Madam He, Lin Ningfang, and the others hiding in the secret passage behind the garden's artificial hill reacted with a mix of laughter and tears.

Soon, Xiao She led his troops charging in. The soldiers quickly rounded up all the Imperial Guard, both inside and outside the two Xiao Family estates. Xiao She ran into the hall and, seeing his unharmed second sister-in-law, let out a long sigh of relief.

Tong Sui asked, "Did you come in through the Changxia Gate? How many troops did you bring?"

Xiao She replied, "Yes, three thousand were guarding the city, and I brought in over two thousand. Following Second Brother's plan, I assigned one hundred troops to guard the Xiao Family estates in Wei County, as well as the Wei, Qi, Jiang, Lu, Feng, and Luo residences. Another three hundred were sent to surround the Fan and Pan families. I still have over five hundred available."

Tong Sui asked, "Did you have any conflicts with the Imperial Guard at the gates?"

Xiao She shook his head, "Second Brother said, if we can avoid bloodshed, we should."

"Good, there's nothing to worry about at home. Take 500 men and surround the imperial palace immediately. Just surround it, don't go in. Wait until your second brother arrives; he will take charge."

Xiao She looked at her belly.

Tong Sui smiled. "I'm not due until next month, don't worry."

Xiao She said, "Alright, I'll be off then. I'll have my father continue guarding the house."

Xiao Shouyi outside the door: "..."

Xiao She took Fan Zhao's corpse as well as the Imperial Guard from the premises, leaving 200 Southern Camp cavalry to guard the front and back streets.

Madam He and the others ran to Tong Sui's side, crying together after surviving the ordeal.

Xiao Yan suddenly arrived and, after looking around at his family, said to Tong Sui, "Second brother has entered the city with 10,000 cavalry and 140,000 Eastern Camp troops. He said he will first escort the two prime ministers and the civil and military officials to the palace to rescue the emperor. Lu Gong has gone to persuade the commanders guarding the other city gates to surrender."

Tong Sui nodded. The Wei and Song families lived right across from the palace's Duanmen Gate, so it was convenient for Xiao Zhen to pick up the two prime ministers on his way in through the Dingding Gate.

As for the palace, the Xianqing Emperor passed away last night. Fan Zhao's concealment of this fact confirmed his ambition to seize the throne. This was also why Tong Sui knew that Xiao Zhen's army had arrived outside the city on the 13th but waited until the Xianqing Emperor's death to make a move.

As for how exactly the Xianqing Emperor died, whether he had issued an edict a few days prior to have Fan Zhao charge Xiao Zhen, with Wei Qi as a key witness, and by interrogating the palace servants, guards, and imperial physicians around the late emperor, the truth would soon come to light.

"Does second brother have any other instructions?"

Seeing that Xiao Yan had the leisure to glance at Lin Ningfang and wasn't in a hurry to leave, Tong Sui asked.

Xiao Yan said, "Yes, he told all the commanding officers to come see you after entering the city. He said you know the situation inside the city best, and once we are all gathered, you will instruct us on how to proceed."

Tong Sui lowered her eyes.

Even with Lu Gong's cooperation, Xiao Zhen outside the city would at most know that the Xianqing Emperor was critically ill. The only thing Tong Sui knew beyond Xiao Zhen was the news of the Xianqing Emperor's death.

A country cannot be without a ruler for a day. A new emperor must be chosen.

When the late emperor was still General Han, the advisors and military commanders around him had already accepted that once the capital was taken, the world would belong to the Han family. The late emperor was so loyal to the previous dynasty that, persuaded by the old courtiers in the city, he ascended the throne without hesitation and did not attempt to seek out and support any royal descendants of the previous dynasty's princes who might still be among the people.

Now, the Xianqing Emperor had no descendants or close relatives within the five degrees of kinship. Even if there were any, they had neither military power nor achievements. Would the shrewd officials in Luo City really overlook the obvious choice?

So, which of the present generals would be most suitable to succeed the throne?

In addition to the 20,000 Imperial Guards who had already surrendered, nearly 200,000 troops were now in Xiao Zhen's hands, with Wei Qi and Lu Gong having already defected to the Xiao family.

The answer was beyond doubt.

However, the support for the new emperor had to come from outsiders.

Xiao Zhen had sent Xiao Yan and his brothers to see Tong Sui first because he was uncertain whether the Xianqing Emperor was still alive. He was worried that if the brothers suddenly discovered the Xianqing Emperor's death, they might impulsively shout about supporting Xiao Zhen's ascension, making it seem as though Xiao Zhen had long coveted the throne.

Just like how the old man had prepared to take over Wei County, he still needed the village elders and prominent families to urge him to step forward. This was called having the support of the people and acting with proper justification.

Everyone in the room was watching Tong Sui nervously, guessing if there was some major task awaiting her instructions, when Tong Sui suddenly smiled, a shallow smile that seemed to reflect both helplessness and a touch of pride.

Tong Sui looked around the room, and her gaze fell on Lin Ningfang's face.

Lin Ningfang returned the smile and said to the women, including Liu Chu and Madam He, "The second sister-in-law is in charge of the important matters. I'll stay here with her. It's getting late; you should all go back to your rooms and rest. There shouldn't be any more trouble tonight."

The internal affairs of the two estates had always been managed by the sisters-in-law. What the sisters-in-law chose not to involve others in was not for others to meddle with.

Madam He nodded. "Alright, we'll head back. You two should get some rest once you're done."

As she passed by Xiao Shouyi, Madam He asked with her eyes, "Are you going?"

Xiao Shouyi: “……”

Though his nephew's wife was very capable, his staying here would give her some peace of mind, so how could he go to sleep now? He glared at his wife.

Madam He then walked away with the wet nurse, with Huai Zu still peacefully sleeping in her arms. In the blink of an eye, the main room was left with only Tong Sui and her sister-in-law, as well as Xiao Shouyi and his son. Zhang Chao was guarding the courtyard.

Tong Sui asked the father and son to sit and rest for a while, while she and Lin Ningfang went to the side room.

Lin Ningfang looked at Tong Sui and softly teased, “I remember when Grandfather had just taken command of the 40,000 troops across seven counties, Second Master's wife excitedly asked me if Grandfather could be considered a local warlord. I poured a big bucket of cold water on her enthusiasm. And now, Second Master is about to dominate the world, yet Second Master's wife is as calm as a mountain, showing no signs of excitement.”

How could Tong Sui not be happy?

When farming, they feared bandits and refugees. After dealing with them, they became county leaders but still feared rebel kings. After finally joining the late emperor's forces and becoming a regular army, they fought through cities and dangerous passes to be ennobled and appointed ministers in the capital, only to still have to guard against jealous colleagues plotting against them or the royal family removing their power after using them.

In the end, the late emperor was broad-minded and never intended to turn against the Xiao Family. Xianqing Emperor hadn't shown any signs of turning against them either, but Fan Zhao was trying to take the Xiao Family's military power.

For five years, Tong Sui had never truly felt at ease. Just when she thought she could finally relax, a new crisis would emerge.

Now, with the emperor soon to be from their own family, at least no one could use fake imperial decrees to blackmail them anymore, and no one could force them to fight unnecessary battles.

Tong Sui was very happy, but thinking of the grandfather who hadn't lived to see this day, tears suddenly fell.

Fan Zhao's attempt to seize the throne was nothing but a delusion, but their family sitting on that throne was without guilt!

Lin Ningfang silently wiped her face.

Tong Sui was sad for a moment but quickly calmed down. At that moment, Xiao Yan's not-so-quiet muttering came from the hall, “What's so important that it has to be said in there?”

Lin Ningfang looked at Tong Sui and said helplessly, “Like this, he'll mess things up if he goes to the palace. I'll just take him back with me later.”

Tong Sui smiled, “Thank you for your hard work.”

Lin Ningfang: “……”

As Lu Gong persuaded the commanders of the seven gates with reason and emotion, Xiao Ye, Qiao Chang'an, Tong Gui, Sun Dian, and Zhang Wengong also arrived one after another.

Lin Ningfang sat in the side room, listening to their conversation.

When Xiao Ye saw his second sister-in-law come out of the side room, he panicked, afraid she might accidentally fall.

Tong Sui glared at him, sat properly, looked at the men, and asked, “Why isn't Qi Yun here?”

Xiao Ye: “I don't know. He took off with a few of his men before we left Chang'an. Second Brother wouldn't tell us what task he gave him either.”

Tong Sui: “You guys are all seasoned generals. None of you can figure it out?”

Xiao Yan looked clueless.

Xiao Ye, Tong Gui, and Sun Dian either looked up, scratched their heads, or stroked their chins in thought, while only Qiao Chang'an and Zhang Wengong seemed to have already figured it out.

Tong Sui: “Chang'an, you go first.”

Qiao Chang'an: “It only clicked for me once I got to the capital. With just the Imperial Guard, Fan Zhao was bound to lose to us. There's nothing much left to do in the capital, but the Pan family, with Pan Yong and his father each leading 20,000 troops in Hanzhou and Jiangzhou, would be trouble whether they rebel or take their 40,000 troops to join the enemy.”

Xiao Ye: “Ah, I get it now. Second Brother sent Qi Yun to ask the Qi Marquis for reinforcements. He's going to surround the Pan family right away!”

Xiao Yan: "...But Second Brother has been with us the whole time. How did he know Fan Zhao was going to target us?"

Tong Gui: "We have Aman. When we were in Liangzhou, we received a letter from home. Aman must have warned our brother-in-law in advance."

Xiao Ye: "...Now you call him brother-in-law, huh? Second Brother's wife is formidable. Look at you, so pleased with yourself!"

Tong Gui puffed out his chest proudly, knowing his sister was only getting more formidable. From now on, he’d call Xiao Zhen "brother-in-law" every day!

Tong Sui: "Alright, keep guessing. Who do you think Second Brother will send to surround the Pan family?"

Xiao Ye quickly spoke up: "Qi Hou and Zhao Jin, of course. They captured Huang Qilin and repelled the Ling Kingdom, earning them the most prestige. No one else could control Pan Yong as effectively."

Tong Sui looked at Zhang Wengong.

Zhang Wengong: "It should be Qi Yun, and the other is a formidable general under Zhao Jin's command. Qi Hou and Zhao Jin will return as usual."

Back in the day, Zhao Jin brought 5,000 cavalry from Da Tong and always had a group of capable men with him.

Xiao Yan: "Why?"

Sun Dian slammed his forehead and burst into laughter, startling the others. Tong Sui placed her hand on her stomach.

Before she could speak, Qiao Changan and Zhang Wengong rushed to cover Sun Dian's mouth from both sides.

Sometimes, those who are too close to a situation can’t see what’s right in front of them. Xiao Yan, Xiao Ye, Tong Gui, and the quietly sitting Xiao Shouyi all needed to be reminded by the other three that their second brother and nephew were about to become emperor!

Tong Sui quickly said: "No one is allowed to laugh or shout loudly."

After they vented their excitement by slapping each other's shoulders, pinching their arms or legs, or tightly gripping the chair arms, Tong Sui explained why they, as family members, couldn’t openly support Xiao Zhen.

"Pretend you know nothing, show no signs of joy, and avoid bragging or showing off in front of anyone. If anyone messes up, even if I don’t deal with them, Second Brother will punish them severely. The old estates in Lingshui Village and Taohuagou are waiting, just in case."

Tong Gui: "Don’t worry, sister. Once I leave this room, I’m just the commanding officer by Second Brother’s side. I won’t say a single extra word apart from official duties."

The others also chimed in with their assurances.

Xiao Shouyi specifically looked at his son and said: "If you mess up, I’ll send you back to our hometown to guard the estate and farm the land."

Xiao Yan: "..."

Meanwhile, Xiao Zhen, who had caused the joy among his brothers, had just arrived outside the tightly closed Duan Gate with Wei Qi and Song Lan.

Xiao She approached, dismounting as he spoke: "Second Brother, I’ve been guarding this side. They haven’t opened the gate, and we haven’t forced our way in."

Xiao Zhen: "That’s exactly what we should do."

While Wei Qi and Song Lan went to persuade the Imperial Guard at the gate, they waited for Lu Gong to return. Xiao Zhen quietly instructed his fifth younger brother: "Once we enter the palace, no matter what you see or hear, just stay by my side. Don’t say anything unless I tell you to."

Xiao She: "Understood!"