Zhong Yan Pang Zheng didn't expect things to happen so quickly, just a few days after the Northern Expeditionary Army left, a series of front-line battle reports hit the capital to the point of collapse. The collapse of Pingfeng Pass was the beginning of the loss of the northern border, and the news of the slaughter, ambush, death, and rout that followed rushed to the capital like migratory birds, and the forbidden army that was waiting for it was filled with a declining atmosphere, and in order to prevent accidents, the forbidden army guarding the palace was expanded by 200 people, and they patrolled around day and night, which exacerbated the panic in the capital. Last night, there were rumors that Zhenzhou Taishou abandoned the city and fled—whether the rumors were true or not, they made other officers and soldiers retreat. The offensive in the north came too fiercely, especially the natural defeat of Pingfeng Pass, as if it was God's will.

The princess's status is declining, and it is estimated that in a week or two—the complete defeat of the Northern Expeditionary Army—she will plummet. At that time, the only thing that can protect her is the Gonglian team.

As he walked down the street, he could see the intent of fleeing as people passed by. But where are they going to flee? The north is the territory of the people in the north, and fleeing is nothing more than going to the south, and the cloud forests in the south can devour the lives of hundreds of people every year, and if they all flee to the south, no one will survive. These ignorant guys still don't understand that only resistance can get a glimmer of life?

The trend of the great exodus is still spreading, even though the capital has been completely martial law, the gentry, wealthy merchants, and powerful ministers in the whole city have colluded with each other to brew and buy off the soldiers who defend the city, and send their families out of the capital at night. Although Zhong Yan Pang Zheng did not see these scenes with his own eyes, the dwindling number of pedestrians on the streets is enough to show that this magnificent capital city is disintegrating from within.

Why did things take a turn for the worse? He couldn't understand it, but it was the Northern Expeditionary Army that had lost a few battles, and the rumors had broken morale first.

He actually knew the reason, but he didn't want to face it.

People don't want a woman to be in politics, that's fundamental. The defeat of the Northern Expedition only gave everyone a step, and the wave of overthrow of the princess's rule was already a foreshadow......

It was now noon, and Princess Tilting Lotus should have finished her meal and was recuperating in the garden. He hurried into the palace and soon spotted the maid, behind a curtain of creepers.

"Your Majesty," he hastily rounded the tactfully designed walls and screens, "news has come from the Northern Expeditionary Army again. He peeked at Princess Tilting's back, not sure if she meant to hear that now.

The princess leaned over slightly. Zhong Yan Pang Zheng looked down, she was staring at the turquoise pond in the garden.

The cold air covered the surface of the water with a light veil, and the pool seemed unfathomable, but Zhong Yan Pang Zheng knew that it was a very shallow pool, at most it could not reach his neck—he was short enough. In winter, the surface of the water sinks even further to the bottom, and there are no fish or other animals in it, and the princess does not like to have anything in the pool, except for lotus flowers.

"We have two choices – surrender and flee. The princess said suddenly.

Zhong Yan Pang Zheng carefully figured out what the princess meant when she said this. Isn't there a third option? Crush the Northerners.

"Your Majesty, Hu Yi has arrived in the north, and I believe that the situation in the north will be stabilized in the near future. ”

"I've heard that the Northern Army has been aided by the gods many times. ”

"That's all nonsense, and fools will believe it. The Cangyan faction is a great rebel, how can it be possible to get the help of the gods? Your Majesty, you are the orthodox emperor, and the heavens and the earth are subject to you. Zhong Yan Pang Zheng said without hesitation, "The Northern Expeditionary Army has lacked motivation and training over the years, which has given the people of the North an opportunity to take advantage of, but Hu will definitely be able to turn the situation around, doesn't Your Majesty believe in your Gonglian team?"

"Of course I do. The princess said casually, pointing her index finger at the lake, "but once by chance, twice by luck, and three times it is different." ”

Zhong Yan Pang Zheng knew what the princess was talking about. This was the first time that Pingfeng Pass had suffered an unprecedented torrential rainstorm, followed by a fire in Mozhou, which burned three cities in a row, and the most recent one occurred in Weizhou, which is adjacent to the capital, and is also the border between Weizhou and Mozhou, where the Qucang River flowing along the border inexplicably burst its embankment and broke the walls of Weizhou...... The disaster is extending to the capital, and at this frequency, the capital will inevitably suffer from natural disasters this month.

Zhong Yan Pang Zheng gasped heavily. He didn't understand why the princess was still sitting so calmly, she neither commanded the Northern Expedition nor stopped the great escape from the capital, as if she was waiting for the Northern Army to attack.

Seeing that he hadn't spoken for a long time, she smiled faintly and said, "Let's talk about something else." ”

His heart trembled.

"I sent someone to the Eagle's Sparrow Valley the other day, which was once the place of the Hundred Bitter Sect, and found something noteworthy there. He said, "Princess, you may have heard of the Hundred Bitter Sect, three years ago, a 'Thousand-Handed Poisonous Girl' appeared in the rivers and lakes, and she led the Hundred Bitter Sect followers to do mischief in the Central Plains-"

"I know, just say what you found in Eagle Sparrow Valley?"

"There are traces of a fight, and it happened recently. ”

"In the near future?"

"That's right, there is a stone monument in Eagle Bird Valley, and the stone tablet hides a secret passage, and our people have found traces of a fight in the secret passage. ”

"What's in the secret passage?"

"There are all kinds of poisons in it. Zhong Yan Pang Zheng always felt that the princess seemed to know about these things, but he still said meticulously, "The poison in it has almost all been destroyed, there is no dust, someone should have been there not long ago." Seeing that the princess did not speak, he continued to explain his conjecture, "I think there is a connection between the northern realm and the Hundred Bitter Sect, so I sent someone to the Eagle Bird Valley to investigate the clues. I thought it was the Hundred Bitter Sect members who planned the trick of the Dragon King of the East China Sea, but now that I think there may be someone else. ”

"Why do you say that?"

"As long as you know the secret path of the Hundred Bitter Sect, you can get the poison of the Hundred Bitter Sect, and the secret method of the Hundred Bitter Sect that appeared in the East China Sea may also be stolen by outsiders, so anyone can become the mastermind behind it. ”

Zhong Yan Pang Zheng felt a headache as he spoke, he had finally managed to integrate the scattered clues, but now the suspicious object in front of him had changed from a Hundred Bitter Sect disciple to anyone. It's just adding to your own problems.

"Good...... Thousand-handed poisonous woman. The princess muttered to herself, "I remember that she went to the Ancient Mirror Gate some time ago?"

"It's true, but the people of Wudang have determined that it is not a thousand-handed poisonous woman. ”

"Wudang. The princess snorted, "I heard that the Wudang Sect Masters are missing." Now that the political situation is chaotic, support a warrior who is easy to manipulate as soon as possible, and let Wudang gather martial arts to resist the northern army - do you have a candidate?"

Zhong Yan Pang Zheng scratched the back of his head, he didn't expect the span of things to be so large, and he was still talking about the Hundred Bitter Sect on the front foot, and now he went around to the martial arts. Fortunately, his head turned faster, and he immediately gave a candidate: "Shen Yile, the leader of this martial arts conference, she is a disciple of Wudang, and she is very young." "And you are the same woman as the princess, so she must be more willing to help you maintain your rule. He didn't say what was in his heart.

The princess was noncommittal, revealing that everything was left to him to deal with.