This year was probably the most un-celebratory year in the capital.
On the first day of the new year, they were shocked to hear the news of the fall over the border. On that day, the imperial court urgently sent people to support Taiyuan. However, on the eve of the war, the Commander ran away out of fear, leaving only 3,000 people to defend Taiyuan. The siege of Taiyuan had not yet been resolved and yet, the capital was approached from ten miles away.
On the 16th day of the first lunar month, news came out that Xie Xuanchen was going to fight. No one knew if it was true or false as the public didn’t know who to believe. Suddenly, it was reported that Xie Xuanchen was going to take Mu Mingtang on his subjugation. Otherwise, he would refuse to fight. The Emperor left the court in anger as he and Xie Xuanchen confronted each other for several days. In the end, the Emperor couldn’t wait any longer and finally compromised, complying with Xie Xuanchen’s wishes. But as a price, Xie Xuanchen could only take 8,000 with him.
From 100,000 to 8,000, it was notable that the gap was really big. Everyone lamented that Prince An was acting on his own initiative, saying that a hero like him had fallen low from the hands of a woman. Unexpectedly, Xie Xuanchen was not dissatisfied at all. He went to the Forbidden Army camp to select 8,000 people, organised the troops on the 21st day and left that afternoon.
Jiang Mingwei had been very flustered this new year. She listened to the constant movement next door all day yesterday to the point where she herself became nervous. After noon today, the next door mansion suddenly became quiet.
Jiang Mingwei didn’t go out to see them off, but she had already guessed, “Prince An and Princess An are both gone?”
“Yes,” The servant went out to look at the road and relaid what she knew to Jiang Mingwei upon returning, “Although the officials didn’t say anything, many people on the roadside were gathered around to watch. Princess An’s carriage was followed by three cars, each of which was loaded with food. It was full of people and it was merely a short journey out of the city. Yet, Prince An came back to pick her up in person. This humble servant watched the vehicle drive out of Zhuque Street before they disappeared.”
Jiang Mingwei sighed. Not only was Mu Mingtang packing her things these days, Jiang Mingwei was also secretly packing her life-saving belongings. According to the plot, Ye Luji would soon cross the river smoothly and approach the city. The 100,000 guards in the capital would be defeated and the fall of the capital was imminent. The Emperor, his concubines and many of his relatives, ministers and nobles panicked, trying to evacuate in a hurry. They lost a lot of money, slaves and servants along the way. In critical situations, some even lost their children and were pursued in a very shameful manner.
It was not until they crossed the river that they finally felt better. After this battle, the Emperor became afraid of the north, so he simply returned to Lin’an, where he had settled. There, he established his capital and the imperial court in Lin’an.
With Lin’an backed by a natural moat and the imperial court establishing its capital, Lin’an prospered within a few years and was as prosperous as the capital back then. The royal family got used to the comfort of the south and gradually became addicted to it. Later, someone proposed for them to take over the former capital, but many people in the court were unwilling.
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