Even though the commander had secretly defected to the Third Prince, he dared not lay hands on these people and could only watch them force their way in.
"Go, report inside. Tell them that His Highness the Prince of Yan and several princesses have stormed the palace. Make sure the message gets in before they arrive."
The commander quickly ordered someone to report to the palace. The person next to him heard the command and hurried towards the palace gates.
Not many people truly understood what had transpired in the palace that day. All they knew was that after this, the palace personnel underwent a complete overhaul.
The ground at the execution ground was stained red, a testament to the brutality.
The female protagonist, Wang Linlang, also went to witness this slaughter. Upon returning, she developed a high fever and only began to recover slightly after several doses of traditional Chinese medicine.
At the same time, she became even more resolute in her decision to absolutely not reveal any flaws. She had no desire to become part of the red soil beneath the ground.
The situation had been tense recently, and with the end of the year approaching, she simply asked her husband to take leave and stay home to care for her.
The Emperor was on his deathbed. The Eldest Prince, weakened by torture in prison, was also barely clinging to life. The Third Prince was dead. The Eldest Princess was severely injured while trying to save the Emperor. The other princesses had also sustained injuries to varying degrees.
The imperial consorts were all terrified. The young princes developed high fevers due to the shock. One young, frail princess even lost her life.
After this turmoil, Zhao Yanxiang emerged as the greatest beneficiary. Although he hadn't anticipated such a significant gain, that was the reality.
He gazed at the figure clad in imperial yellow lying on the bed, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
This person was once someone he deeply admired and was close to. He had once believed that this person genuinely cared for him. Only recently did he realize that his kindness had a reason.
He desperately wanted to ask his father, the Emperor, what he had been thinking, and whether he had ever loved his mother, but now, he could no longer receive an answer.
Everyone had a somber New Year. All the imperial physicians kept vigil outside the Emperor's sleeping quarters, fearing that he might breathe his last at any moment. However, to everyone's surprise, he survived until the first month of the lunar year.
Yet, he had lost all consciousness. With the heir apparent undecided, no one was satisfied, and various factions were vying for power.
The King of Yingchuan had also made his preparations. Especially after learning that Zhao Hao and Lin Yan had left the capital, he directly mobilized his troops.
The King of Yingchuan enjoyed a good reputation among the populace. Furthermore, with Lin Yan's assistance, his weaponry had been modernized, and his provisions were abundant.
Lin Yan and Zhao Hao were en route to Yingchuan. It was conservatively estimated that they would meet somewhere along the way.
En route, Zhao Hao had changed into men's clothing. The first time he wore male attire, he felt a little unaccustomed, but he found it much more comfortable, at least he no longer had to restrain himself.
"Yan Ge, I'm as tall as you now," he said, standing before Lin Yan with a smile.
"Indeed, you'll soon be taller than me." Lin Yan looked at Zhao Hao, dressed in fine silk robes, appearing like a pampered young master of noble birth.
Especially since he had been raised as a girl from childhood, he had been groomed with greater meticulousness, giving him a doll-like, exquisite appearance.
"May I ask whose beautiful jade figure this is? How can you be so lovely?" Lin Yan raised her finger and gently tilted his chin.
"Does Yan Ge like it?" Zhao Hao beamed. "I just wonder when Yan Ge will wear women's clothing for me to see?"
"Just you wait!" Lin Yan released his chin and began to prepare some cosmetics.
"Yan Ge, give me a timeframe," Zhao Hao came up behind Lin Yan and encircled her waist with his arms. "Now that there's no one monitoring us, wearing it once shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"Once we meet the Prince, I will reveal my identity to him. Then, you should be able to see it."
"Can't Yan Ge just wear it for me privately?" Zhao Hao was slightly dissatisfied.
"There will be many opportunities in the future."
"Master." Someone knocked on the door from outside.
"Enter." Zhao Hao released Lin Yan and walked over to sit on a nearby chair.
"Master, a message has come from the Prince. He says he has reached Ye City, and we should be able to rendezvous with them in about two days."
"Mm, understood. Let everyone rest well today. We'll depart early tomorrow and meet with Father and the others as soon as possible."
"Yes."
"Tell them to purchase some supplies to bring along. I've written the list and left it over there. An, go and retrieve it for him." Lin Yan gestured towards a box on another table.
Zhao Hao then got up and went over to retrieve the list from the box, handing it to the person.
"Yes, Young Master Lin. We will procure them as quickly as possible." With that, he departed.
"Yan Ge, do we need to buy these things in this city?" Zhao Hao was familiar with these items, as he had watched Lin Yan write them.
"Purchase some in each city. That way, we can gather everything quickly." More importantly, this wouldn't attract attention.
"Yan Ge, what's the use of the items on this list? Please don't just say 'you'll know later.' Yan Ge, I've noticed you've started to be rather coy recently."
"Alright, I'll tell you in a moment." After Lin Yan finished tidying up, she retrieved the box and proceeded to explain each item on the list to him.
Included were some medicines, some for making poisons, and others for manufacturing weapons.
"Weapons? What kind of weapons are these?"
"Thunderclap pellets," Lin Yan explained without going into detail. She had seen them in ancient texts from the Tang sect.
She hadn't considered using gunpowder in this era prematurely. Even if she did, it shouldn't be now, nor should it be her who proposed it.
These Thunderclap pellets were something she made for Zhao Hao's self-defense. As the King of Yingchuan's only heir, despite being heavily protected, accidents could still happen.
"Yan Ge, is there anything you don't know?"
"There are plenty of things I don't know." Lin Yan put the list back into the box.
"But I haven't noticed any." Zhao Hao recalled that since he met Lin Yan, he truly hadn't seen anything she couldn't do.
However, he didn't doubt Lin Yan's origins. He only felt great sympathy. These skills were not acquired easily; they undoubtedly required a long time for study and research.
Thinking that Yan Ge had to experience all this and learn so much at such a young age, Zhao Hao felt immense pity for her.
This pity manifested in Zhao Hao's excessive attention towards Lin Yan during this period, and he tried his best to share some of her burdens.
They bought a considerable amount of goods along the way, with several bags hanging from each person's saddle. However, they did not delay their journey. On the afternoon of the third day, they encountered the main contingent of the King of Yingchuan.
"Father King." Zhao Hao, astride his horse, wore a jade crown and a dark brocade robe, riding elegantly forward.