Ran Yan hid behind a tree and saw them swiftly encircle the area.
"How bold! Have you, a hundred n, entered the palace gates at night with a Token?" an officer of the Imperial Guards questioned sharply as the guards around him drew their long swords, ready for combat.
"Put away your weapons, ladies and maids here bear eminent identities, and I wish not to injure anyone by mistake," a leisurely voice sounded.
A man dressed in a red official uniform slowly stepped forward from the crowd.
He was back facing Ran Yan, making it impossible for her to see who he was, but she heard the officer of the Imperial Guards exclaim in shock, "Count of Xiangyang!"
Ran Yan was also startled. Prince Consort Du He, the second son of Du Ruhui, married Princess Chengyang, and was conferred the title of Count of Xiangyang! Ran Yan vaguely rembered having seen a record in a history book, where Du He said sothing to Li Chengqian. Though she couldn’t rember the exact words, the gist was: I’ve had it foretold; now is the ti for Your Highness to ascend the throne and for the current Emperor to step down as Emperor Eritus.
This was clearly incitent for Li Chengqian to rebel.
Ran Yan felt that her speculation might have already turned into reality.
"I ask the officer to command your n to lower their weapons," Du He coldly stared at the officer of the Imperial Guards, slightly raising his hand, while the guards around tightened their bows, aiming at the won behind the screen.
These people were less than twenty feet away from the Imperial Guards, but if the guards charged, they would definitely have ti to shoot at least one arrow. Who could guarantee those arrows wouldn’t cause injuries or deaths among the ladies and maids? Hence, the Imperial Guards dared not act rashly, yet without orders from superiors, they could not lower their weapons.
Ran Yan fiercely gripped her skirt; her three children were still inside!
"Oof—"
While Ran Yan was quickly thinking of a solution, she suddenly heard a muffled groan behind her.
Instinctively, she glanced back and through the sparse dying leaves saw two figures in black firmly covering the mouths of two older children and dragging them to a secluded area. Ran Yan could scarcely take care of her own children and had no intention to ddle; however, she inadvertently t eyes with a pair of peach blossom eyes.
It was Empress Wu!
Empress Wu was currently rely a Talented Person, not the most beautiful in this palace of beauties and without a distinguished background or universal favor. No one would specifically target her; being captured must have been an accident of circumstance. Ran Yan pondered; those in black targeted ... Li Zhi!
Suddenly, a chill ran through Ran Yan’s heart. If Li Chengqian initiated his rebellion ahead of ti, and if Li Zhi and Empress Wu were to die, what would the future hold?
The unknown was indeed frightening, but what was even more terrifying was the known turning into the unknown!
Ran Yan turned back around and saw all the ladies inside the screen had stood up, protecting the children and won incapable of fighting among them, forming an outer protective ring. So of these protectors had already turned gray-haired, but their presence was forged through blood and strife.
After a prolonged standoff, the officer of the Imperial Guards’ forehead started sweating. He weighed his options; these rebels surely aid to take the won hostage to threaten the officials and not cause imdiate harm, thereby commanded, "Lower your weapons."
"Who dares to lower their weapons!" Just as a mber of the Imperial Guards was about to place his sword on the ground, an aged voice inside the screen furiously shouted, "I’d like to see today, which weakling dares lose face by lowering his weapon!"
The sound of a walking stick fiercely hitting the floor tightened everyone’s heart.
Ran Yan followed where the voice ca from and saw the speaker was none other than Lady Li of the Zheng family—the one who had been a Think Tank for Princess Pingyang. Several elderly won standing beside her had also crawled through battlefields.
Empress Wei raised her voice, "The rebels want to take us as hostages. As won with Imperial Decrees of the Great Tang, what we need to do is not to hold our husbands back. I stand with you all, in life and death!"
Empress Wei stepped forward, positioning herself in the outer ring.
No one voiced their agreent out loud because it was the consensus among all the Imperial Decree won: the won of the Great Tang were spirited.
"Du He, are you truly rebelling!?" An elderly lady stared hard at him, her gaze almost as if she wanted to flay and debone him, "You unnatural child!"
She stepped forward and said coldly, "Since you have committed such an unforgivable cri as rebellion, why not shoot an arrow and kill , your own mother!"
This woman was, in fact, Du He’s mother.
Ran Yan watched the cold atmosphere within the scene and knew she had to make a choice, indeed the only rational choice right now: to imdiately go and save Empress Wu.
With the current circumstances, if the rebels could break into the garden, it suggested they had nearly controlled the palace interior. Even if she broke out alone, she could not save everyone and would at most add another hostage to the enemy’s tally. Many forbearing and wise ladies were present, she must stay calm...
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