Foreword Preface
The cold wind is biting, and the snowflakes are swirling around.
The imperial capital of the country of Muxuan was covered with a vast expanse of white snow, distant hills rose and fell, white snow glistened, nearby, on the high city walls, the brave guards' silver-white armor shone coldly, reflecting the same color as the refracted snow light on the ground.
Serene... The imperial city is serene...
At this time, it is Tianchen six years, at this time, Sheji is peaceful and the country is stable, the people are at peace.
If time were to flow back ten years, the Emperor Qi Yun would have been on the throne for thirty-six years. It was also a day with heavy snowfall and a gloomy atmosphere, just like today's world of ice and snow, with an equally peaceful and serene aura. However, the galloping horse hooves, stained with blood, cut through people's hearts like whips, leaving behind a gruesome wound that would be hard to forget.
In the afternoon, the chaotic sound of horse hooves disrupted the tranquility of the imperial city. The powerful hooves trampled the snow, spreading the news to every alleyway and street. People were caught off guard, not knowing how they had been drawn into this disaster. In the cold wind, flags fluttered, and flames rose in the city, as the scattered crowds wailed in despair.
The iron cavalry marched on the main road, their white armor gleaming like sharp blades, cold and deadly. As they swung their swords, a patch of bright red blood appeared on the snow, like beautiful red lotus flowers blooming in the thick snow.
This is an uprising
The imperial city was plundered, a long army reached the outside of the palace gate, the earth-shaking roar, the heavy iron pillar repeatedly violently impacted almost to smash open the grand vermilion gate of the imperial palace, the slightly cracked door gap can see the long and wide imperial road, the end of the imperial road is where the emperor holds court every day - Ziyun Palace
At this moment, tens of millions of arrows pierced the sky, full bows and dense cold halberds were laid out from the castle tower of the imperial palace, leaving no time to defend or retreat. All that could be heard was a series of dull cries, as bodies rolled off the horseback, each with five or six arrow shafts inserted horizontally, a pitiful sight. The snow continued to fall, the rustling sound unceasing, gradually covering up these scattered corpses.
In the 36th year of Qi Yun, the leader of the Jingqi Camp, who had always been trusted by the emperor, conspired with the Crown Prince and his party to rebel. The evidence was conclusive, and immediately, the Crown Prince was deposed and beheaded along with his accomplices.
After that, the Emperor Qiyun also fell seriously ill. After the death of the Crown Prince, each of the princes took advantage of the situation to win over the forces in the imperial court, and the various factions clashed constantly, with undercurrents surging. The old emperor turned a blind eye to this, not intervening at all. However, on his deathbed, he passed the throne to the Sixth Prince, who was then the least favored and most powerless of all. This caused an uproar throughout the imperial court.
Although most people were dissatisfied in their hearts, the former emperor's edict was there, and no one dared to openly disobey it. The new emperor ascended to the throne smoothly, changed the national title to Tianchen, and after six years of actual rule, some powers were concentrated, but the forces in the court were still divided.
However, it is precisely because of this division and the balance of power that the situation has repeatedly become calm. The various princes and kings have many internal disagreements, and no one dares to openly shout. Especially the two largest factions in the court, Ning Wang and Yan Wang, have not spoken out, so no one dares to move.
The snow is still falling...
The half-opened shop facing the street, the blacksmith wore a thin cotton jacket, holding a hammer in his hand and staring at the red-hot iron, striking it with great force again and again.
"Have you heard? The daughter of our imperial court's right prime minister is going to marry the current king's most powerful prince, Prince Yan..."
A fat man is walking over with a grin on his face, blowing on his hands in the snowy ground.
"How could such a big thing have gone unspoken, the whole capital is buzzing with rumors, the current emperor personally bestowed marriage, it's hard to not know about it——"
The blacksmith stopped, shouted loudly, and looked at the fat man next to him with disdain. The tone was as if he feared being ridiculed by others for not knowing. Sweat dripped from his dark, soot-stained face.
"I've heard that the Right Prime Minister's daughter is extremely beautiful, a beauty unmatched in all the land. The King of Yan is also a talented and handsome man, truly a perfect match —"
The fat man nodded in praise, his face full of envy. He still hasn't married a wife until now. Whenever he mentions women, his eyes light up.
The blacksmith smiled and wiped the sweat from his face
"Nowadays, which official's daughter is not slender and elegant? The young lady from the Song family at North Street is beautiful beyond words. Tomorrow, you should marry a pretty wife too, then you won't have to stand here idle and chatty."
The blacksmith hehe smiled, revealing a row of yellow teeth, looked at the iron in his hand that was almost done, used tongs to clamp it, "sizzle" sound, threw it into the water bucket, making a sizzling sound, emitting a white smoke.
"Alas, in these times, without money or power, which girl would be willing to follow you - it's just like the young lady from a prime minister's family would only think of marrying a prince, would an ordinary person be considered?"
The fat man shook his head and let out a low sigh——
He raised his head and saw that Tie Tie's face was covered in iron filings, with a smile on his face, about to make fun of him. He hastily stepped out and walked away.
