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After the court session, officials were not allowed to stay in the palace without an imperial edict. Presently, the court officials have already dispersed. Far away in front of the palace gates were guards and eunuchs, who were closing the doors.
Jiang Suizhou was alarmed.
How could the palace gates be locked in broad daylight?!
However, he heard Jiang Shunheng’s cold sneer behind him.
“Does Fifth Brother want to disobey the edict?” he questioned. “Forget it. Someone, please invite His Highness Jingwang in.”
Three or four stalwart guards immediately stepped forward and blocked Jiang Suizhou’s escape.
The old eunuch standing behind Jiang Shunheng slowly stepped down with a smile and bowed in front of Jiang Suizhou.
“Your Highness, this way.”
The eunuch looked up at him with an unfathomable smile.
Jiang Suizhou’s heart flinched. The uneasiness he’d been feeling was instantly confirmed.
At this moment, he had already fallen into an inescapable snare alone.
——
Lou Yue left the palace and just arrived at the entrance of his house when he saw Lou Wanjun waiting anxiously at the door.
“Father!” She greeted him.
Lou Yue quickly asked, “What’s the matter?”
Lou Wanjun stuffed a note into his hand.
“Huo Wujiu has sent news.” She said, “It came from a messenger horse just now.”
Lou Yue hurriedly unfolded the note.
There he saw exquisite calligraphy with iron hooks and silver fonts, Huo Wujiu’s handwriting.
“The matter’s done; can return in three days. Quickly surround Lin’an, and do not let Pang Shao escape. Changes can occur in the city at any time, so be sure to protect Jiang Suizhou.”
The last few words were written with extreme solemnity.
Lou Yue took a deep breath.
“It’s done,” he said. He was about to enter the house quickly, but Lou Wanjun grabbed his arm and asked, “Where’s Jingwang? Huo Wujiu already told you to pick him up sooner. It’s safer to bring him directly to the army.”
Lou Yue nodded and replied, “You’re right. As your father, I must go outside the city to deploy troops first. You immediately send someone to Jingwang Manor to pick Jingwang first.”
Lou Wanjun agreed, turned around and went to the gatehouse to get her horse.
However, at the same moment, fine sounds came from the eaves of the gatehouse. Lou Wanjun looked up and saw a silhouette of a man, darting up from a deep alley nearby, and with a sharp dive, landed in front of her.
“Who is it?!” She was startled.
However, the man didn’t stay in front of her at all. Instead, he rushed with lengthy strides and pulled Lou Yue, who was in a hurry to leave the city.
As soon as Lou Yue turned his head, he recognized the man. He was one of Huo Wujiu’s men who stayed in the capital.
“General Lou, there is a change in the palace,” he reported.
Lou Yue’s eyebrows tightened. “What?”
The man anxiously replied, “The palace gates have been locked, but His Highness Jingwang has not come out.”
Lou Yue was startled, turned around and rushed outside the city.
Lou Wanjun hurriedly stepped forward and intercepted him.
“Where are you going, Father?!” she asked.
Lou Yue quickly replied “Where else can I go?! There are still soldiers outside the palace. If we enter the city at this time to save him, we may still be able to catch up!”
As he spoke, he couldn’t help but whisper and blame himself, “It’s my fault for leaving so early. I should have waited for Jingwang!”
Lou Wanjun was equally anxious that her eyebrows were wrinkled.
“Is it faster for you to lead the troops into the city to save him, or faster for His Majesty to kill him?” she said sharply.
Lou Yue stopped in place.
“Then what should I do?” He was on tenterhooks.
Heard Lou Wanjun ask the informer, “Did Pang Shao come out earlier?”
The man answered, “He came out earlier.”
Lou Wanjun clenched her teeth.
“Father,” she said, “Then now, he can only be exchanged.”
With that sentence, she pulled a horse out of the gatehouse and galloped away.
“Go to the outside of the city and blockade Lin’an immediately. I will go to Pang Shao’s residence and see if I can capture him alive.” She said, “Even if we can’t swap them, we’ll both  have a hostage in hand, so His Majesty won’t dare to kill him so easily.”
——
Missives after missives were sent to the palace.
Pang Shao’s men hurried away with the imperial edict after the Grand Court Assembly. Unexpectedly, before they could leave the city, they were intercepted.
The ones who cut them off were none other than the soldiers under Lou Yue’s command.
The more than 40000 army blocked all the eight gates of Lin’an City. For a time, all the people and officials in the city were besieged inside. Even a bird could no longer get in nor out of Lin’an.
Lou Yue was rebelling.
The Hou Zhu was so furious that his body trembled, feeling insulted that the insolent bastard actually learned to rebel. He couldn’t think of a way out, and immediately sent people to the Chief Minister’s house, asking them to invite him to discuss countermeasures.
To his surprise, the Chief Minister’s residence was empty. Pang Shao was nowhere to be found.
The only people left in the manor were a bunch of servants and a few unfavored concubines and their children. Pang Shao himself, along with his young son and wife, were missing.
Pang Shao took advantage of the chaos of the city being besieged and had already fled.
The Hou Zhu was waiting uptight in the throne room for Pang Shao to relieve him. Unexpectedly…
He sat on the imperial throne and listened to the report of the palace guards, who had just returned. For a moment, he did not make a sound.
After a long time, he hoarsely mumbled.
“Uncle must have gone to bring people to rescue me.” He said, “That’s right. What use are the people in the city now? Only by looking for an army outside can we relieve our troubles.”
No one around him dared to make a sound.