Chapter 434: The Army Collapses Like a Landslide
Tao Guizhi was jolted by fear.
She hurriedly picked up the bundle and threw it under the bed, pulling down the bedsheet to conceal the space beneath before calmly sitting down at the dressing table.
Through the bronze mirror, she saw Xie Shi'an lift the curtain and enter.
She asked indifferently, "What brings you here so late?"
"Where have you been just now?" Xie Shi'an's voice was grave. "It's chaotic outside, with people everywhere. Given your special status, you shouldn't leave this tent without a compelling reason."
Tao Guizhi turned her head. "Dressed like this, no one would recognize me as the Heavenly Maiden. I just went out for a walk to clear my mind."
Xie Shi'an didn't press further, saying coldly, "Tomorrow, the distribution of Sweet Dew will begin two hours earlier. Be prepared."
Tao Guizhi agreed.
That night, she couldn't sleep.
When commotion began outside, she rose, and two maids helped her into the Heavenly Maiden's robes.
Once fully dressed, she declared, "I will go to bless the Sweet Dew."
As the Heavenly Maiden, blessing the Sweet Dew was expected. Holding a green branch, she approached the numerous large vats.
As she lightly touched the water's surface with the green branch, she discreetly sprinkled packets of powder—hundreds in total—continuously into the large vats...
Due to her status, people in the distance dared not approach, and no one knew exactly what she was doing.
"It's time to ascend the platform," Xie Shi'an's voice came from behind.
Tao Guizhi's fingers paused, and she quickly hid the remaining powder in her sleeve, nodding, "Alright, I'll go up now."
Two maids assisted her onto the high platform.
She looked down at the large vats—only the last two remained without the antidote. She had done her best.
Countless commoners lined up to receive the Sweet Dew, bowl after bowl. The large vats gradually emptied, and more and more people drank the antidote.
The sun slowly rose higher.
At that moment, a guard rushed in to report: "Your Highness, the capital's gates have opened!"
Cheng Wang sprang to his feet. "Is this true?"
The guard was on the verge of tears. "The Imperial Guards from the palace have all mobilized, and the garrison outside the capital has surrounded us!"
"What?" Cheng Wang turned in disbelief to Xie Shi'an. "Didn't you say the court would never strike first?"
Xie Shi'an's expression remained resolute. "Even though they've deployed troops, they still won't take action."
Based on his understanding of Yun Chu, she would never harm commoners. She was compassionate and always left room for maneuver.
Killing commoners would mean opposing the masses. Even without Cheng Wang, all the people would unite to overthrow the current Emperor's rule, leading to endless peasant uprisings and feudal lords seizing power... Yun Chu wouldn't do something so foolish.
Xie Shi'an stepped out of the tent and stood on high ground. Sure enough, he saw they were surrounded by thirty thousand garrison troops from the capital, while the city gates were crowded with armored Imperial Guards.
Leading them was Yun Ze of the Yun family.
Yun Ze, seated on a large horse, shouted, "Prince Cheng, surrender now!"
Cheng Wang's eyes turned sinister as he coldly ordered, "They have armor? Then we'll use human shields. Have all the elderly and children stand at the front!"
His subordinates immediately went to carry out the order.
However.
At that moment.
The Heavenly Maiden, standing at the highest point, suddenly spoke.For so many days, although the Heavenly Maiden had appeared daily, she had never spoken a single word. Now, all eyes were drawn to her.
"Fellow countrymen, I am the one you call the Heavenly Maiden. You have revered me, cherished me, knelt before me, hoping I would cure your illnesses..." Tao Guizhi began slowly. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I am not the Heavenly Maiden from the heavens. In fact, this so-called Sweet Dew cannot cure any diseases at all..."
The crowd below erupted into chaos.
Before drinking the Sweet Dew today, their minds had been muddled. But after consuming the antidote, they began to think clearly again. Tao Guizhi's words jolted them into complete sobriety.
"I've been so foolish these past days! How could I do such outrageous things for this Sweet Dew? I couldn't eat or sleep properly, and my child suffered along with me."
"Exactly! I don't know what I was thinking, actually following Cheng Wang and nearly becoming an accomplice to rebellion!"
"Cheng Wang wanted to use my child as cannon fodder against thousands of troops! He doesn't see us as human beings at all!"
"Whoever said Cheng Wang was destined by heaven was talking nonsense!"
"We can't stay here any longer! Let's leave quickly!"
"I'm leaving too!"
"..."
The crowd descended into utter chaos.
Xie Shi'an stared at Tao Guizhi in disbelief.
He understood now what Tao Guizhi had been doing last night, and why she had been standing by the water vat early this morning.
Despite all his calculations, he had never anticipated that Tao Guizhi would dare to betray him.
He snatched a bow and arrow from a nearby guard, drew the bowstring, and released an arrow that shot straight toward Tao Guizhi.
Tao Guizhi wanted to continue rousing the crowd. She believed that if she did enough good deeds, she could accumulate sufficient virtue to bring Kang Ge'er back to her.
But before she could speak another word, an arrow pierced her neck.
With a piercing scream, she tumbled from the high platform and disappeared into the surging crowd.
"Those among the people who do not wish to follow Cheng Wang may leave through the west side!" Yun Ze shouted loudly. "As for the rest, if you still choose to aid this tyrant, don't blame us for showing no mercy with our blades!"
The common people fled westward like madmen. Even those who hadn't managed to drink the antidote fled in confused panic.
With over two hundred thousand people, stampedes were inevitable - but what did that matter? If they had actually gone to battle, the casualties would have been far greater.
Cheng Wang's men began killing frantically to stop the people from escaping.
Yun Ze raised his hand and issued a cold order: "Show no mercy!"
Thirty thousand garrison troops, plus eight thousand Imperial Guards, surged forth like tigers released from their cages.
These soldiers had been restraining themselves for too long. Previously, they couldn't act with so many civilians serving as human shields. Now, all restraints were gone.
Cheng Wang only had a group of Counselors and several thousand Manor soldiers around him. Against the fierce assault of the capital's garrison troops, they stood no chance...
In less than two hours, Cheng Wang and all his Counselors were captured alive and brought before the Chengtian Gate.
"I was wrong, I was wrong..." Cheng Wang wept bitterly. "Empress Dowager, I know I was wrong..."
His defeat was as sudden as a landslide. Only now did he realize that he had no real power of his own - he had been entirely propped up by the common people. Once they abandoned him, he had nothing left..."Empress Dowager, I was truly wrong..." Cheng Wang kept begging for mercy, "I never had any intention to contend for the throne. It was him, it was Xie Shi'an who incited me to rebel!"
Yun Chu stood atop the city wall, his gaze falling upon Xie Shi'an.
Xie Shi'an held his head high, meeting Yun Chu's eyes directly.
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