Zong Luo looked up at the sky.
The sky was leaden gray, with dark clouds looming in the distance. Through the clouds, one could see the flickering lightning behind, occasionally illuminating a solitary cloud.
Clearly, it was going to rain soon.
Even though it was still morning, it was about to become as dark as night. One could not see where they came from, nor where they were going.
Just like in his previous life.
However, in the next second, a warm hand reached out without a trace and tightly held his fingertips.
Zong Luo came back to his senses.
He dismounted and stood shoulder to shoulder with Yu Beizhou, asking calmly, “Where is the Sixth Prince?”
“Replying to Your Highness, a few days ago, the Sixth Highness occupied the left city area, and the situation is now under control by the garrison. The Imperial City is in absolute safety.”
Just as Zong Luo had guessed.
Emperor Yuan’s ears and eyes were all over the Imperial City. Even if he suddenly fell ill, the subordinates he had arranged in advance were still operating.
Just like in his previous life, the three princes rebelled with the forces behind them. One had military power, one had court power, and one was playing tricks behind the scenes.
Emperor Yuan was in a coma for half a month, and in the end, the garrison soldiers could fight to the death and successfully protect the palace. However, the areas outside the palace suffered, becoming the battlefield of the rebel army.
In this life, only Zong Yongliu fought a desperate battle. Perhaps he had heard something from the incident with Zong Chengsi, this time the forces behind the Sixth Prince’s Mansion really put in a lot of effort. They targeted the armies that Great Yuan had incorporated from other countries but had not yet fully surrendered.
Compared to his previous life, it was much better. At least in his previous life, the garrison could only defend the palace, but in this life, they occupied the city gate.
But without Emperor Yuan’s command, even if they knew in their hearts that the Sixth Prince was rebelling, the garrison soldiers dared not act rashly. They could only confront each other and engage in fierce battles. They dispatched half of their forces to guard the palace and the other half to guard the city gates, carefully guarding against the possibility of reinforcements coming to aid Zong Yongliu.
Zong Yongliu naturally would not rebel rashly. Reinforcements were certain, it’s just that Zong Luo and his Xuan Cavalry arrived back faster.
Knowing that the palace was at least safe for now, Zong Luo finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He asked again, “Since you told me about the situation in the city, why won’t you let me enter?”
Duan Junhao said, “His Majesty has been in a coma for many days and has not yet awakened.”
Hearing this, Zong Luo’s heart sank completely.
He had thought of countless possibilities before.
Perhaps Emperor Yuan was pretending to be ill to set a trap and completely eliminate unstable factors. Or perhaps he discovered that Zong Luo was not his biological son, and deliberately had Imperial Censor Xue send a message to summon him back to the Imperial City, waiting to be dealt with.
But all these speculations had their own untenable aspects.
Sure enough, in the end, the worst outcome was confirmed.
Emperor Yuan really had a sudden illness. It was a full three months earlier than in his previous life.
Those who knew only find it absurd and difficult to understand.
Such a tyrant who held power over the world, it was as if people forgot that he would also experience birth, aging, sickness, and death.
“I am the Crown Prince.” Zong Luo emphasized his identity.
The crown prince was the heir to the throne appointed by the emperor, above ten thousand people but one. Anyone who saw him must respectfully call him “Your Highness the Crown Prince”.
If even he couldn’t enter the city, then no one else was qualified.
The commander of the garrison was silent for a long time, “Two years ago, His Majesty gave this minister a secret decree.”
“His Majesty said that if one day, a similar emergency situation arises. Unless there is a garrison tiger talisman or His Majesty himself, no one, no matter who, can step into the palace.”
“Including the crown prince?”
Duan Junhao paused for a moment, and nodded heavily, “We only recognize the tiger talisman, not the person.”
Did Emperor Yuan issue this order in his previous life?
Zong Luo didn’t know.
Why he ended up committing suicide at the foot of the Imperial City, ultimately, it was because the Imperial City was controlled by the three princes, and Ye Linghan got that fake imperial edict and read it to force him to death.
Not to mention the palace, he didn’t even successfully enter the Imperial City, so naturally, he didn’t know about the existence of the secret decree.
But Emperor Yuan had always been a stubborn and self-willed emperor.
Not to mention being prepared in advance, he probably never thought about the day he would die, he hadn’t even started building the imperial mausoleum, his arrogance was evident.
Would such an emperor really give Duan Junhao such a secret decree in advance?
A hint of doubt flashed in Zong Luo’s pupils, and he scrutinized the commander of the garrison above.
Duan Junhao did not dodge, continued to kneel on the ground, and was still being scrutinized by the crown prince.
As everyone knew, Emperor Yuan rarely delegated military power.
The only exception was Zong Luo. Apart from him, whether it was the King of Beining or other generals, although they were appreciated, there were still several defensive measures in place.
As for the power of the garrison, it was firmly in his own hands.
Duan Junhao’s family was upright and had been loyal to the Emperor of Great Yuan for generations. He was Emperor Yuan’s trusted subordinate, unmoved by the flattery of the princes, and never participated in the struggle for the throne.
Even in the situation of his previous life, Zong Luo had never heard of him having any rebellious thoughts. It seemed even less likely in this life.
The more so, the more anxious Zong Luo became.
With Father Emperor seriously ill, he naturally needed to shoulder the corresponding responsibilities. As for clarifying the truth with Emperor Yuan and returning his identity to Yu Beizhou, these could only be postponed. He had to fulfill his duties as the current crown prince first.
They had been on the road for so many days, and the Sixth Prince was still watching in the Imperial City, and reinforcements from the rebel army could arrive at any time.
The situation in the palace was not clear, and no one knew what was going on with the emperor’s sudden illness . As a result, they rushed all the way here, but they couldn’t even see the face. How could this not make people feel frustrated?
The majestic and solemn Imperial City of Great Yuan stood silently on the earth, almost dead silent.
The deep gray city wall was equipped with crossbows, and below were the neatly arranged garrison soldiers on guard, ready for battle. Looking around, the atmosphere was solemn and depressing, and it was impossible to see the situation inside the Imperial City.
This was a deadlock.
Zong Luo was somewhat desperate.
He remembered the day before the Witch Sacrificial Ceremony, when Emperor Yuan revealed the past of the previous emperor after getting drunk, and for a moment he even began to despair.
Originally, the previous emperor was sitting on the golden throne, waiting for Emperor Yuan to rise up, angrily rebel, and wash the Imperial City with blood, before he told the truth.
Could it be that Emperor Yuan also wanted to imitate the tradition of the Zong family, that he had to lead a rebellion before he was willing to sit up from the bed and tell him that all this was because father loves you.
Of course, no matter how one found joy in this adversity, these were impossible.
Because Emperor Yuan really had a sudden illness, and in his previous life, he really heard the news of his suicide and was angry to death. These could be testified by Yu Beizhou.
“Let’s go.”
Zong Luo nodded to Duan Junhao, and had no choice but to turn back.
If they couldn’t enter the Imperial City, and the rear army had not yet arrived, and they couldn’t rebel, they could only wait. Wait for Emperor Yuan to wake up like in his previous life, start to suppress the rebellion, and then let him in.
But for some reason, Zong Luo always had a sense of inexplicable palpitations.
There was a voice urging him to hurry to the palace to see Emperor Yuan, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable.
