In less than half an hour, Lin Zhang entered the palace and saw the golden-feathered arrow, realizing the gravity of the situation.
Yet at this point, Zhao Yu was still nowhere to be seen.
"Your Majesty! The two messengers left Yingzhou two days ago, and the military situation there remains unknown. Your Majesty, allow this general to go to Yingzhou at once!"
Lin Zhang clasped his fists and made his request without hesitation. However, Yan Han frowned deeply, "Even if someone must go, it shouldn't be you. Let's wait for the Duke of Wei to enter the palace."
The Duke of Wei came from a military background and had only been living in leisure these past two years. Now that the Northern Garrison Army was truly causing trouble in the south, it was only right to have the Duke of Wei resume his duties.
Hearing this, Lin Zhang's expression turned grave, "Your Majesty, I heard Zhao Yu hasn't returned to the palace yet?"
Yan Han nodded. Zhao Yu's continued absence made him particularly uneasy, though the Northern Garrison Army remained his foremost concern.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty... Lord Zheng has entered the palace..."
Yuan Qing came to report, and Yan Han immediately granted Zheng Baishi an audience. Yet after paying his respects, Zheng Baishi said, "Your Majesty summoned this humble official to the palace. Has Your Majesty already learned about the fire in the southern city?"
Before Yan Han could mention the Northern Garrison Army matter, he never expected Zheng Baishi to open with this.
"Fire in the southern city?!"
Yan Han frowned. If it were merely a fire, why would Zheng Baishi bring it up at this moment?!
Zheng Baishi bowed respectfully, "Yes, Your Majesty. At nightfall today, a residential house in the southern city caught fire, killing two people. The Garrison Battalion initially handled the matter, but later sought the prefectural office when a coroner was needed. I happened to be staying overnight at the office and initially thought it was just an ordinary fire. However, the messenger reported... that both victims were women. Though they were burned beyond recognition and no corpse examination has been conducted yet, objects from the Eastern Palace were found at the scene, raising suspicion that they might be from the Eastern Palace."
Yan Han's pupils trembled. Zheng Baishi continued, "When I was entering the palace, I received new information. The Garrison Battalion invited members of the Loyal Marquis Manor to the scene. The people from Loyal Marquis Manor reportedly fainted from weeping upon seeing the items at the scene, claiming... that one of the victims was the Crown Princess."
Yan Han's fist on the desk clenched tightly. Lin Zhang also quickly glanced at Yan Han.
"Has the coroner begun the corpse examination?"
Yan Han remained relatively calm. Zheng Baishi hurriedly replied, "They have already gone. However, knowing that Your Majesty had summoned me, I came to the palace and haven't yet received the examination results. The Lady of Loyal Marquis Manor originally wanted to request the Princess to conduct the examination, but upon learning that the Empress Dowager had fallen ill tonight, she abandoned the idea. Whether it's truly the Crown Princess will only be confirmed after the examination."
Even if the bodies were burned beyond recognition, characteristics like age and height could still be examined, and identity could be determined through comparison.
Yan Han remained silent for a moment. Tonight was unusual—it was Yan Chi's wedding night and also the day he planned to take action against Yan Chi. Yet he never expected his originally meticulous and straightforward plan to cause so much chaos. And now, Zhao Yu was missing!
"Have you seen Zhao Yu?"
Zheng Baishi shook his head, "I haven't, Your Majesty. However, the person who delivered the message to the office was from Deputy Commander Zhao's team. He said Deputy Commander Zhao and Prince Rui had visited the fire scene together. After inspecting it, Deputy Commander Zhao said he had urgent matters to attend to and left first with Prince Rui."
Yan Han narrowed his eyes. Could it be that the sudden fire had delayed them?
"I understand."Yan Han gave a brief response, and only then did Zheng Baishi comprehend the situation. "His Majesty... was unaware of this matter? Then for what purpose did His Majesty summon this humble official to the palace..."
Zheng Baishi's mind was filled with doubt and unease. If not for this matter, what major event could require his presence at the palace so late at night?
Yan Han glanced at Lin Zhang, who then explained, "Lord Zheng, an urgent military report has just arrived from Yingzhou. Twenty thousand troops have launched a surprise attack from the west of Yingzhou. If our assumptions are correct, the Northern Garrison Army has already taken a detour south and reached Yingzhou. They are attempting an unexpected move to strike directly at the capital. As the official in charge of the capital's administration, you must be informed immediately. For the next two days, you must fully cooperate with all arrangements and deployments."
Zheng Baishi stood frozen in shock. "The Northern... Northern Garrison Army has reached Yingzhou?"
Lin Zhang replied gravely, "Indeed. It may seem unbelievable, but the golden-feathered arrow is here as proof. Lord Zheng, you must prepare yourself mentally."
Every official like Zheng Baishi serving in the capital had always regarded war as an extremely distant affair—something that only occurred in Shuoxi and the northern borders. The capital was the central fortress of the Great Zhou's power and politics. Zheng Baishi never imagined that the flames of war would reach Yingzhou so quickly.
Yan Han did not elaborate further and simply instructed Lin Zhang, "Immediately order all Imperial Guards to retreat into the palace. Summon the generals of the Garrison Battalion to the palace to receive orders. The search for the individuals is to be suspended for now. From this moment onward, all efforts must focus on preparing for the city's defense and martial law."
Nearly a thousand Imperial Guards had been dispatched daily from the palace to search for the Crown Prince and the Empress. Now, with the imminent crisis, everyone was being recalled to their posts. Only in this way could an effective response be organized.
Understanding the emperor's intentions, Lin Zhang promptly acknowledged the order and went out to relay the commands.
Amid the swirling winter snow, the long night of the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month grew exceptionally protracted. With two and a half hours remaining until dawn, the entire capital awoke from its slumber. Besides the summoned military and civil officials, other well-informed aristocratic households also received the news. The side gates on both the left and right of the Meridian Gate were flung open—the right for officials and generals to enter and exit, and the left for the imperial guards to return to the palace. Before the bustling Meridian Gate, a disguised contingent of imperial guards blended into the crowd, slipping silently through the palace gates.
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