Chapter 2855: Beauty that Bewitches the Capital
Chapter 2855: Beauty that Bewitches the Capital
Zu An and Zhao Xiaodie knew that under the combined assault of the Reproduction faction and the Annihilation faction, the Order faction was on its last legs, but even so, they hadn’t expected the latter to crumble so swiftly.
Who could have expected the Order faction would be forced back to their base camp in just a few days?
Thinking about the people he knew in the capital, Zu An traveled toward Beijing without rest and finally arrived at its doorstep.
Li Zicheng’s vanguard had arrived at the outskirts of Beijing, but they hadn’t encircled it yet. Unlike in history, the Beijing in this world was an enormous fortress that required a massive army to surround. Thus, they'd first stationed their vanguard force outside the city to sweep away the surrounding garrison troops while isolating Beijing from the rest of the world.
Zu An told Zhao Xiaodie to remain outside lest the two of them get trapped inside the city.
After sharing the most intimate bond, Zhao Xiaodie had dropped much of her previous skepticism toward him, so she agreed. She worriedly said, “It’s too dangerous to enter the city now. Let’s not bother with the mission.”
Her lover’s safety was the topmost priority for her. In comparison, she wasn’t too concerned about Annihilation’s future.
“There’s something I need to verify.” Zu An wouldn’t have risked his life if it was just a mission from Annihilation. However, there were people he cared about in the city, and that matter was of utmost importance.
This wasn't his first time in Beijing. Even though Li Zicheng’s main army hadn’t arrived here, the capital had already been plunged into chaos.
The people wanted to leave the city, but they were blocked at the city gates. Their meek pleas and the cries of the infants formed a stark contrast to the cold garrison guards.
There was no way the Ming soldiers could open the door when their enemies were already outside. The enemy could exploit this opening to attack them or sneak in a spy. Either one would be fatal to the Order faction.
Zu An sighed. No matter which world it is, the populace always receives the news last. The clans with some background have already caught wind of the news and left. They wouldn’t have waited for the enemy force to arrive before acting.
Security at the entrances was tight, but that was no problem for Zu An. Certain military personnel were bound to be granted special access. He could easily slip in using his Myriad Transformations.
He made his way straight to the imperial palace. Along the way, he heard the populace discussing the upcoming war. While the people were alarmed, most maintained an optimistic outlook. Beijing was a formidable fortress, after all.
They still had tens of thousands of soldiers guarding Beijing. Similar to how Minister Yu Qian had protected the capital a hundred years ago, they believed that as long as they stood their ground until reinforcements from other provinces arrived, they could tide through this danger.
Zu An sighed upon hearing those sentiments.
The circumstances are different now. The problem is that the Ming Empire has lost its morale. After suffering several wipeouts and the loss at Juyong Pass, Great Ming’s upper echelons and soldiers have already lost their confidence. Many are probably secretly reaching out to Li Zicheng’s army, hoping to strike a good deal for their surrender.
The battle might just end much faster than expected.
The first thing Zu An did upon entering the imperial palace was to look for Zheng Dan.
There were fewer eunuchs and palace maids, either because they had fled or because Zheng Dan had dismissed them. In any case, she sat alone by the window in a daze. Her face looked much thinner, and her eyes carried a deep and enduring melancholy.
“Some told me you were dead. Some told me you surrendered. But I believe in you...”
“Dandan knows me the best.” A person suddenly hung down from the window.
That shocked Zheng Dan. It was only when she got a good look at the person that surprise and joy erupted on her face. “Am I dreaming?”
She grabbed Zu An’s face to take a closer look. To confirm, she even bit him.
“Ah~ Not so hard!”
That familiar sensation brought tears to Zheng Dan’s eyes. “You baddie! I used to be the one saying that. It’s now your turn to suffer.”
Zu An flipped into the room, and the couple embraced tightly. He took some time to console her before sharing the situation.
Zheng Dan felt jealous when she learned that Jiang Luofu and the Little Fiend Empress were at the Manchus’ imperial court. “That explains why you joined the Annihilation faction. It’s because they're there.”
At the same time, she felt self-pity.
I’m alone in the Order faction, so there’s not much I can do here. Isabella is a good person, but we haven’t verified each other’s identities, and we don’t share a close bond. It’s a pity Chuyan is with Taiwan’s Zheng clan, or else we could have defeated the Little Fiend Empress and Jiang Luofu even if they joined forces.
Zu An burst into laughter. What is she thinking about? “I have my reasons. I’ll explain it in detail to you in the future.”
Zheng Dan shook her head. “You don’t have to. I’ll be with you no matter which faction you're in. You'll always have my support.”
Zu An felt warmth in his heart. She has indeed been with me since Brightmoon City. No amount of money could possibly be worth her unconditional trust in me. “What’s the situation in the Ming court?”
“There are two divergent stances in the Ming court. One advocates moving the capital southward to Jiangnan, rolling out a series of reforms, and leveraging the empire’s economic advantage to build a strong foundation, so it can reclaim its lands in the future.
“The other holds the opinion that the emperor has always guarded the capital ever since its establishment, so moving the capital would crush the people’s morale. If the empire lost the people’s support, the entire country would spiral into decline. It wouldn’t be able to build a stable footing.
“Both sides have been arguing nonstop, but there's still no conclusion even now that Li Zicheng has arrived at the outskirts of the capital,” Zheng Dan sneered in disdain.
Despite the lofty nature of the Universal Conglomerate’s higher-ups, in the face of danger, they were no different from ordinary mortals. Ultimately, it was just their position of power that allowed them to remain calm in the face of trouble. When they lost that lofty position, they panicked just like anyone else.
“Speaking of which, Isabella is in a wretched state,” Zheng Dan suddenly said. “First, she thought you died in battle and bawled her eyes out. Later, she heard about your surrender, and all kinds of rumors floated around the Conglomerate. That made her cry even harder.”
Zu An sighed. “It must have been tough for a young lady like her.”
“You don’t plan to meet her?”
“Considering my current position, it’s not convenient for me to meet her. I’m also unable to explain most things to her right now, so I’d rather meet her later to clear things up. Please help me console her when you have a chance.”
“Tsk. Only a jerk like you can ask your woman to console another one of your women.” Zheng Dan accepted his request despite her annoyed grumbles. “On that note, what prompted you to risk your life to enter Beijing at a time like this?”
“Do you know a woman named Chen Yuanyuan?”
Zheng Dan widened her eyes. “You took such a huge risk for a woman?”
“It’s not what you’re thinking. That woman is of grave importance...”
“You always have a way to justify your flirting.”
“...”
“I've heard about Chen Yuanyuan. She had the entire capital mesmerized the moment she stepped into Beijing. I heard that Noble Consort Tian’s father searched the world for the number one beauty and found her.
“He gifted her to the emperor in an attempt to please him, but the First Elder has his hands full with the Order ceremony and couldn’t care less about a beauty, so he kicked her out of the palace. She ended up in the Second Elder’s manor. The Second Elder spends most of his time at Shanhai Pass right now, so I reckon she spends most of her time alone in the manor.”
“Have you met her?” Zu An asked.
“Why would I meet her? I’m not into women. However, I heard the eunuchs and palace maids praising her beauty.”
“That woman could be the key to solving this problem.”