Chapter 232

"Why hasn't he been found yet?" In the East Palace, the Crown Prince was almost going crazy with anger.

He didn't know the imperial palace was so small that these guards had searched for two hours but still couldn't find an old man who could hardly walk!

"Your Highness, please calm your anger," Zhu Zilin, the Minister of the Right, led a group of court officials and had been waiting at the side.

"Since His Majesty is missing, the country cannot be without a monarch for a day," Zhu Zilin said. "It's just the right time for Your Highness to legally ascend to the throne."

"That's right, Your Highness. Wouldn't that be even better?"

The court officials all echoed in agreement.

Although they spoke like this, the Crown Prince still had a lump in his heart. Without seeing the old emperor close his eyes with his own eyes, even if he ascended to the throne, he would still feel uneasy.

"Your Highness can't wait any longer," Zhu Zilin persuaded again. "If we wait longer, I'm afraid there will be turmoil."

"Alright, ascend the throne, ascend immediately!" The Crown Prince finally steeled his heart. "Announce to the whole world right now that His Majesty has passed away!"

"Yes!"

Just as Zhu Zilin was about to take out pen and paper to personally write the edict, a flustered guard rushed in.

"Your Highness, this is terrible!"

"What's the matter?"

"Xu Zhan is leading tens of thousands of troops and has arrived at the gate of the imperial palace!"

"What did you say?"

The Crown Prince's face turned ghastly pale in an instant.

Just yesterday morning, he had specifically sent someone to check that Xu Zhan was still securely imprisoned in Tianlao Prison.

And there were also tens of thousands more troops, where did they come from?

"The troops are from the Yi Province army and the northern border army."

"How...how is this possible?"

The Yi Province army, Liu Yun!

How dare he send troops to the capital?

And the border troops, without any military order, how dare they return to the capital?

"Minister Zhu, what exactly is going on here?" The Crown Prince asked in a cold voice, "Didn't you say everything was arranged properly to guarantee foolproofness?" Zhu Zilin's face was also ashen, but his mind kept thinking about a way out.

The Crown Prince was definitely finished this time, but he may not be, because he had never appeared in front of the old emperor, and everything was done by the Crown Prince.

As long as the Crown Prince did not expose him, he still had a ray of hope to live.

"Old fellow," the Crown Prince sighed. "He is indeed more cunning than us after all."

"It's not that I am cunning," said a familiar voice, floating into everyone's ears. Supported by Li Yao, the old emperor walked in tremblingly.

And behind him was Xu Zhan, along with numerous soldiers.

The moment they saw Xu Zhan's troops, the guards of the imperial city originally wanted to defend it with their lives. But the old emperor suddenly appeared behind them.

With the emperor present in person, the guard captains did not dare say anything and obediently opened the gate of the imperial palace. Xu Zhan then led two thousand soldiers to take over the entire imperial palace.

The old emperor came to the Crown Prince and looked at him coldly, but did not say a word in the end.

He had long been utterly disappointed in this undutiful son.

On the other hand, the old emperor still said a few more words to Zhu Zilin: "Minister Zhu, you were also confused."

"Your Majesty," Zhu Zilin knelt on the ground and said, "Your servant does not know what Your Majesty is talking about. If Your Majesty is referring to your servant secretly entering the East Palace, then I willingly accept the punishment."

"At this point, do you really think you can still get away with your crimes?"

Xu the Commander-in-chief sternly shouted, throwing a pile of letters in front of Zhu Zilin: "These are the ironclad proofs of you and some of the ministers colluding with the barbarians!"

Upon seeing these letters, Zhu Zilin knew he was completely finished.

His body went limp and he collapsed straight to the ground.

"Guards, take them all away and lock them in Tianlao Prison to await trial."

All the officials present were taken away, the palace maids and eunuchs were also detained. Finally, only the old emperor, the Crown Prince and Li Yao, who supported the old emperor, were left in the vast East Palace.

The Crown Prince looked at Li Yao and finally understood.

"It was you who ruined my good deeds, wasn't it?"

"That's right."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Li Yao."

"Hahaha..." The Crown Prince suddenly burst out laughing. "So you are Li Yao! Hahaha... I, the Crown Prince, was actually defeated by a woman! Hahaha..."

...

Li Yao didn't want to know one bit about how the old emperor would deal with his family affairs and punish the Crown Prince, this undutiful son.

After making sure the imperial palace was secure, she left the palace and returned to the inn where she had stayed before.

Today was New Year's Eve!

Unfortunately, because of the mess in the emperor's family, the capital became colder than ever.

Not to mention streets full of colorful lanterns and mouthwatering aromas everywhere, there wasn't even a shadow on the streets.

The innkeeper and the waiter were missing, and the inn was completely empty. And Li Yao was still hungry.

Just as she was thinking of going to the kitchen to see if there was anything edible, Wang San'er's voice came from outside. "Mother, are you in the inn?"

Li Yao walked out of the inn and saw Wang San'er riding the big horse she had given him, with more than a dozen tall warhorses behind him, carrying some packages on their backs.

"Where are you going?"

"Going home," Wang San'er said. "Commander Xu said he would properly arrange things in the capital and told us to go home reassured to celebrate the New Year. Mother, if we set off now, we can get home by early morning on the third day of the new year."

"Did you bring dry rations?"

"I did."

"Good, then let's go!"

Without any hesitation, Li Yao jumped onto a big horse, and the mother and son sped towards Yi Province like the wind.

...

The Spring Festival in Héwān Village this year was livelier than any other year.

Liu Yun, the Prince of Yi Province, came with all his family members, and the prefect of Song also came with his wife.

With unlimited food, meat every day, this was the kind of life that the villagers of Héwān Village had only dreamed about.

The whole Spring Festival, Héwān Village was bustling every day.

Li Yao's father-in-law and brother-in-law Wang Jiafu were filled with childlike excitement. They made a lion dance team and went from door to door every day, banging gongs and drums though not very skillfully, but still spreading a festive atmosphere.

Li Yao also took out some firecrackers and let people set them off three times a day, scaring the chickens, ducks, pigs and cattle to death.

After more than ten lively days, the Lantern Festival came.

After this day, everyone would start working, so everyone played especially crazily today.

After lunch, Li Yao was having people move fireworks from the warehouse, planning to set off a grand show at night. Suddenly, a team of ostentatious carriages slowly drove into Héwān Village.

A little eunuch ran ahead to Li Yao's house to announce the imperial edict for her to accept.

Li Yao had long known this day would come, she just didn't know what title the old emperor would confer on her.

"His Imperial Majesty decrees: Li Yao, 7th rank female commoner of Héwān Village, for meritorious service in protecting His Majesty, resisting the barbarians, and exposing the treason of Zhu Zilin and others, is hereby conferred: First Rank Lady! Awarded with one thousand gold taels, ten thousand silver taels, ten thousand acres of fertile farmland..."

...

Boom boom boom——

Fireworks exploded in the sky above Héwān Village on the Lantern Festival night.

Everyone was intoxicated by the gorgeous scenery.

A figure with a backpack on back quietly slipped away during the dazzling lights.

After crossing two hills, Li Yao looked back at the still splendidly lit Héwān Village, and resolutely walked into the dense woods.

From now on, she would enjoy her retirement life alone.

Onwards!