Wang Shizhen glanced sideways and swept towards the half-open window.

In the eastern corner of the city, a certain lofty pavilion was already burning, and countless sparks were scattered with the wind, like a huge pine in the dark night, illuminating the sky over the entire Seoul as if it were day. The shadows of people and sharp weapons are rapidly intertwined and changed on the soft yarn, like a chaotic dream that is too late to see; The splatters of rich blood were reflected by the lamp into a thick black slurry, stubbornly and slowly flowing down.

Even though the tip of the knife was firmly against the skin of the maid's neck, Wang Shizhen still felt that his hand was trembling.

They could all hear the soft, frequent thuds, like snakes sprinting through the grass, stealthily surrounding them. Li Yan leaned barefoot to the window, swept his gaze down slightly, and then retracted it in horror.

"Don't make a noise, tell everyone to come here." Wang Shizhen looked at the maid and said softly.

The maid nodded vigorously, Wang Shizhen removed the tip of the knife, and she immediately turned around and ran out.

In a short time, the female officers and maids, as well as the soldiers of the cadre army, rushed over.

"There are a lot of people, the palace is surrounded, and there are still people coming to our side...... one soldier reported to Wang Shizhen, trying to steady his panicked voice, but he was too hoarse to speak. There was no need for him to relate the scene that followed—the woman's mournful scream had torn through the rain curtain.

At this moment, there were hundreds of people fighting desperately in the distance, and Seoul was such a crowded city, although the royal city was spacious, and there were no more than a thousand guards all year round -- the fight of these hundreds of people was undoubtedly a rebellion. And the vortex of sword and fire was slowly expanding before their eyes, gradually engulfing the entire royal city.

"I'm afraid it's the rebel thugs who have gotten the news and want to do it against the prince. What about your seals and papers? Wang Shizhen said in a deep voice.

The child did not wait for him to be reminded, but had already climbed into bed, and took out a small satin bag with vermilion and bright yellow from the small drawer at the head of the bed, and hung it around his neck in a hurry.

The bright red lips of the maids have long since lost their color. Many people had half-unkempt hair scattered and covered their faces, all huddled together, and shivered uncontrollably.

Wang Shizhen put away the knife and returned the sheath, and picked up Li Yan with one hand, at this moment, the twenty Beiyang sailors stationed upstairs and downstairs heard the movement outside. They also broke in, each with a rifle with a bayonet in their hands. Wang Shizhen nodded at them and said briefly, "Let's go." ”

"Where are we going?" Li Yan trembled and asked, "Are you looking for my father?" ”

"No, Prince, let's get on the gunboat." Wang Shizhen looked around vigilantly and replied, "Ding Junmen is worried that something will happen in Seoul, and the special sailor gunboat will stay at the dock. Just in case, they're waiting for us. ”

Hearing Wang Shizhen say that he was going to the gunboat, Li Zhan felt a little settled in his heart.

He came to Seoul on a gunboat, this was the first time in his life that he had seen and rode a steamship, and the majestic posture of cleaving waves, the speed of the wind and the mighty cannon, all left an indelible mark on his little heart.

The group walked cautiously forward, and soon encountered the rebels. They were massacring several North Korean women, and several cadres and soldiers had opened fire. Shoot down a few slashing soldiers, but the women were not saved, Li Shanda opened his eyes and saw them fall to the ground, the air rushing into the broken and dented throat, and blood spurting out, reaching out at him. As if it meant to mourn. But he did not stay, nor did he cry. The child's heart fell heavily and coldly, and something hot was churning up in the bottomless fear.

He closed his eyes, not daring to look any further.

The wind whistled in my ears, and the shouts and clamor faded away. When he smelled the familiar sea breeze and opened his eyes, he found himself already on the gunboat with the dragon flag flying.

What made him happy was that not only was he rescued, but also the female officers and maids who served him and the servants also got on the boat, but Wang Shizhen and his subordinates did not get on the boat, but rushed towards the place where the fire rose with those red-clothed soldiers.

Watching Wang Shizhen's figure gradually disappear, Li Yan finally shed tears.

At this time, Li Yan didn't know that the target of the rebels was not him.

This small building was built on the water, the ground floor is made of bluestone, and only the damp and cool air is used to store new wine, and only on the second and third floors are there several unique bridges leading to the adjacent buildings. Feng Guozhang led twenty subordinates straight down to the bottom cellar. There was a low door in the cellar, which they used to roll in the barrels from the boat, and they went out one by one. The bluestone foundation is narrow at the bottom and wide at the top, and it is in the shape of a saucer, which is turned outward like petals in the water. Naturally, there was no boat outside at this time, and more than 20 people went into the water, lurking in the shadow of the bluestone pedestal, in the air overhead, crisscrossing the hanging corridors and small bridges, more than 100 North Korean soldiers in open fire shouted, pouring in towards the small building from all directions.

Feng Guozhang gestured to his people, and they gathered around him without saying a word, wrapping him in the center. The water just didn't reach Feng Guozhang's chin, and they cautiously waded through the water and walked in the direction of the palace gate to the north. The red sky and the sparks scattered like gold dust were reflected on the water, and the overwhelming gold in the royal city was illuminated by the firelight, as if they were all ignited, and the light and flames folded on the water, as if the entire royal city had melted, and flowed into the dense river bay. The rain was falling endlessly.

After a while, the river came to an end, facing a water pavilion, there was no sound inside, and the lights were gone, Feng Guozhang recognized that it was the residence of the Korean princes, and then a short distance to the north, there was a stone bridge connecting the inner and outer royal cities.

The military uniform that had just been soaked in the water was unusually cold and heavy, and it all collapsed on his body, cold to the bones—I don't know if it was because the water was too cold, or because of the little strange sound that his hearing had caught at the moment. Before he could think about it, he raised his hand and motioned for his subordinates behind him to stop.

The water pavilion was as silent as death. High in the sky, the long wind sent the fierce sound of the burning of the buildings in the main hall and the earth-shattering sound of fighting, as if they were extremely far away. After another moment, everyone heard the little strange noise. Just behind the row of thirty-two stone screens, there was a small footstep snapping towards this side, soft bare feet hurriedly lapping the cold hard ground, and occasionally mixed with a dull sound like washing beans, and I don't know what was making a noise.

He ducked sideways behind the screen alone, and with a soft thud, the saber withdrew an inch from its sheath, full of strength. The screen was as heavy as a wall. At the back is a cloister facing the river that separates the inner and outer parts of the royal city, and the surface is dotted with thumb-sized mica sheets, faintly revealing the swaying fires on the river. The little bit of red was sometimes hidden by something, and in an instant it came out again, and it was obvious that someone was walking in a hurry. The distant firelight casts the figure on the screen.

They waited with bated breath.

At the end of the screen, the black shadow bypassed this side.

Feng Guozhang dragged the hand, tightly wrapped it around the shoulders of the comer, and the knife jumped out of the sheath with his hand, brushed the ground in the air, and put the man's neck, lowered his voice and shouted in a low voice in Korean: "Don't make a sound!" ”

It was a middle-aged woman dressed as a palace maid, holding a splendid burden in her arms, and she had a thick and slightly black pointed face. Although she was wearing the clothes of a palace maid, she looked like a woman from a noble family, her curly black hair was scattered, her clothes were crooked, and she looked embarrassed, and her eyes were wide open and looked around in fright.

Feng Guozhang clearly felt that the woman in his arms was trembling uncontrollably. She was pulled by him in one hand, but she did not slap and resist, nor did she shout. Just put your foot on your legs and feet, and stand firm. The other hand held the burden in his arms.

"Who are you? Who are you? The woman's voice was weak, and she spoke Korean intermittently.

"Who are you?" Feng Guozhang asked.

The woman saw the blue uniforms worn by the soldiers, and then looked at Feng Guozhang, and after she noticed the dragon ornament embroidered on his cuffs, her eyes instantly radiated a light of surprise.

"You are...... The heavenly soldiers of the Great Dry! That's great! The woman shouted in surprise, "Where are your Yuan commanders?" ”

I heard the woman mention Yuan Weiting's name. Feng Guozhang slowly withdrew the knife.

"Dare to ask you who you are......"

"This general, I am ...... Zhonggong ......" The woman remembered the experience just now, and a look of fear appeared on her face, "I am chasing and killing for the thief, and I beg the general to protect me to see Commander Yuan......"

"It turned out to be Her Royal Highness the Princess. It's rude. Feng Guozhang couldn't help but be shocked when he learned that the woman in front of him was Concubine Min who he had been ordered to search for and ambulance.

After escaping from Seoul, Concubine Min first hid back in Yeoju's hometown, and when she learned that the mutinous soldiers were chasing her everywhere, she fled to Chungju Changhuwon, hiding in the private residence of the minister Min Ying-sik. After learning that the Qianjun had arrived and quelled the mutiny, she still did not dare to show up, and after quelling the rebellion in Seoul, Yuan Weiting learned the whereabouts of Concubine Min somewhere, and sent 100 cavalry to escort Yu Yunzhong to Zhongzhou, informing her that the place in Seoul had been pacified, and asking her to return to the palace, so she took Hong Jae-xi, Yin Taijun, Min Yingzhi, Min Ken-sik, Li Yongyi and others who had escorted her for refuge back to Seoul with the Qianjun.

But after arriving in Seoul, for some reason, Concubine Min did not immediately go to see her husband, the king of Joseon, Li Xi, nor did she go to see her son Wang Shizi Li Tuo, and refused to be protected by the soldiers of the cadre army, and was protected by the guards led by Hong Jae-hee and the reassembled Praetorian Guard soldiers she brought back.

Not long after the Qianjun army withdrew from her dormitory, the Seoul army and civilians attacked the palace.

The fire was still burning brightly outside, and the wood and stone could be heard crumbling and the building toppling, and the situation was probably irreparably damaged.

Seeing the collapse of a palace, Concubine Min grabbed Feng Guozhang's arm violently, pulled and cried: "Go and save my son and my husband!" Please save them! I will reward you with a lot of money, and a field and a woman......"

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