Chapter 103 Rebellion 2 ◇

Zhou Jin and Mu Qingni have been thinking about this since they returned from Gratitude Temple...

Judging from the results of their nighttime visit to Gratitude Temple...it seemed that no one was hiding in Gratitude Temple at this time, but those doubts were still there...

There are only two possibilities.

Or maybe they were really making a fuss out of nothing, and those little monks really just died of illness, and the words they told Zhu Xi about starvation might just be an exaggeration between children...

Or maybe there was indeed someone hiding in Gratitude Temple, but they had already moved away!

If that's the case, then where are those people hiding now?! What's their purpose in hiding those people in Gratitude Temple?!

Who is controlling those people?

"Miss, the Marquis is back!"

The two were just thinking about it when the steward of the Mu Mansion came to report that Mu Feng was back!

The two of them stood up hurriedly, and a moment later they saw Mu Feng and Zhu Xi striding in...

This morning, after returning from their night visit to Gratitude Temple, the two of them went straight to the Mu Mansion and told Mu Feng about the situation at Gratitude Temple. After listening, Mu Feng hurried back to the palace and only just returned now...

"I've already sent people to secretly check the three major camps and the Kyoto Guard Camp, and there haven't been any unusual movements before today."

As soon as Mu Feng entered the room, he said to the two of them:

"But you don't have to worry. After hearing the Fifth Prince's report on the situation at Gratitude Temple last night, His Majesty has already dispatched personnel to investigate every possible hiding place within the suburbs and capital. If there are indeed private soldiers hiding, as long as they're in or near Kyoto, they'll be found sooner or later!"

After hearing this, the two of them felt a little relieved. Zhou Jin said respectfully to Mu Feng:

"Lord Mu, from my nephew's perspective, if our deduction is correct, the person behind this must have been planning this three years ago, and the number of those private soldiers must be quite large.

"The person behind the scenes must have some serious plans to raise so many soldiers privately. I think we should not only find these people, but also remind His Majesty to take precautions early!"

After hearing this, Mu Feng snorted in his heart: This kid is quite outgoing, calling me nephew all the time. If you don’t know him, you would think they are very familiar with each other!

However, considering that if this boy had not led the troops to attack the Tartar's lair, her daughter might have died when the Tartar attacked Fuzhou City, Mu Feng thought, forget it, just let them scream!

As long as this kid doesn't use his name to cheat and deceive people, and considering that this kid has helped his daughter so much and is smart and motivated, he will accept this cheap nephew!

If this kid continues to perform well, he wouldn't mind promoting him!

But at this moment, Lord Mu Fengmu would never have thought that although the boy in front of him did not cheat people under his name, he later cheated his daughter!

Of course, this is all in the past!

Mu Feng listened to what Zhou Jin said and nodded in agreement:

"You're absolutely right! I've thought of that, too! But you don't have to worry too much. Even if those people want to rebel!? As long as the three major camps don't get involved, the Kyoto Guard Camp will be fine. No matter how those people try to act, they won't be able to escape from Your Majesty's control!

Now, among the three major camps in Kyoto, no matter it is Lei Zhan of the Huben Camp, Ma Jin of the Longxiang Camp, or Yin Tianming of the Yingyang Camp, they were all promoted by His Majesty and are trusted by His Majesty!

Otherwise, His Majesty would not have given them such an important position!

The Kyoto Guard Camp has been led by the Third Imperial Grandson since Qing Ni was sent to Liaodong by His Majesty. The Third Imperial Grandson is the calmest among all the Imperial Grandsons, and is the one His Majesty has raised. He is also very good in martial arts. His Majesty often praises him in front of all the ministers, and he is deeply trusted by His Majesty!

In my opinion, these people are unlikely to betray His Majesty, so even if the person behind the scenes makes any move, it shouldn't amount to anything!"

Mu Feng said this affirmatively as he sat down in his usual seat in the study. He was almost exhausted after running all morning!

When Zhou Jin saw this, he hurriedly and attentively poured him a bowl of tea...

Because what they were discussing was very confidential, there were no servants in the room. Only Mu Zhong, the chief steward of the Mu Mansion, was guarding outside. Therefore, Zhou Jin had just recently boiled the water in the small kitchen next door.

Although Mu Qingni is the master, she does not live in the mansion all year round and has no sense of being the master. If Zhou Jin had not been shameless and self-reliant, she would have died of thirst in this half day!

Mu Feng took the tea bowl handed to him by Zhou Jin, and seeing that it was neither too hot nor too cold, which was just the right temperature for drinking, he looked at Zhou Jin with satisfaction, and then looked at his daughter with resentment.

I thought: He ran away all morning, and everyone knew to pour him a cup of tea, but this girl didn't even look at him. Alas!

Mu Qingni, who was standing by, was still immersed in her analysis and didn't notice her father's resentful look at all. Instead, she continued to analyze:

"I think the people behind the scenes must have thought of what we can think of long ago, but why do they still take such a risk? It must be because they have something to rely on! They think that what they want to do has a chance of success!

Since we still can't find anyone, why not think about it the other way around? For example, Dad, if you wanted to rebel, who would you join forces with in Kyoto?"

"Puff! Cough cough cough!" Mu Feng was enjoying her tea when she was nearly frightened to death by her daughter's words! She was so shocked that she sprayed a mouthful of tea all over Zhu Xi's clothes!

Zhu Xi...looked at her clothes and was so angry that she almost cried...

"Uncle Feng, why are you in such a hurry? Can't you drink slowly?"

This was the new dress his mother-in-law had just made for him! He had given it to him yesterday when he sent A-Yu home, and it was ruined today!

"Ahem! You little girl! How dare you say anything?! What do you mean your father wants to rebel?! Is that something you can even say?! Your father's loyalty to your adoptive father is evident to all, even to the sun and moon~"

Mu Feng didn't care about Zhu Xi's clothes at this moment. He only cared about scolding Mu Qingni and expressing his loyalty in front of Zhu Xi...

"Haha, Uncle Feng, don't blame me. Your loyalty to His Majesty is something that even a child on the street wouldn't doubt. Qing Ni was just anxious and said the wrong thing. What she meant was to ask you, if someone wanted to rebel, who would you suspect first..."

Zhou Jin saw this and hurriedly helped Mu Qingni to excuse herself. At the end, he smiled at Mu Qingni and asked:

"Right?"

"right!"

Mu Qingni also smiled at him and nodded, saying:

"Dad, this is what I want to ask you. If someone rebelled in Kyoto, who would you suspect first?!"

Mu Feng...looking at the two people smiling at each other in front of him, why did he feel something was a little weird?!

But soon his attention was drawn to his daughter's question...

If someone in Kyoto wanted to rebel, who would he suspect first?

That... must be...

"Of course it's Prime Minister Hu and his gang!" Before Mu Feng could say anything, Zhu Xi on the side shouted first.

Mu Feng actually wanted to tell them that the Hu Xiang Group is now at odds with His Majesty. Anyone can see that His Majesty has tolerated them for a long time and will deal with them sooner or later!

Based on Mu Feng's understanding of Hu Xiang, he has been so brazen in his fight for power with His Majesty in recent years that he has reached a point of no scruples. Perhaps he really has some tricks up his sleeve...

"But none of the generals he's friendly with are in the three major camps?! Even if he has planted some there over the years, they're not key generals, so they wouldn't listen to him!" Mu Feng wondered, "Without the support of the generals, even if he wanted to rebel, what would he do?"

"Let's not worry about that for now. Let's just follow Qingni's line of thought. Given the capabilities of the Hu Xiang Group, is it possible that they could have hidden private soldiers inside Gratitude Temple?!"

"Perhaps, Prime Minister Hu has more than just people from the Ministry of Revenue under his command. He has many people in all six ministries, including the Ministry of War. Although they are not presentable, if they were to recruit some private soldiers privately with a large sum of money, they might be able to do it."

Mu Feng pondered.

"Oh! I remember now!"

As everyone was thinking about it, Zhu Xi suddenly shouted,

Everyone looked at him in confusion after hearing this...

"I remember now," Zhu Xi said excitedly to Zhou Jin, "Brother Jin, do you still remember the guard you fought with at Prime Minister Hu's residence? The one you said was very powerful? I remember where I saw him!

Zhou Jin asked doubtfully, "That Guard Ruan?"

"Yes!" Zhu Xi said, "It was him! Before you arrived, he sneered at me. I felt that his sneer was so familiar, as if I had heard it somewhere before, but I couldn't remember where it was at the moment...

Just now, you said that Prime Minister Hu might rebel, and mentioned Gratitude Temple. I suddenly remembered that when I fled from Gratitude Temple to Liaodong, the second wave of men in black I met was led by that guard Ruan!

They wanted to kill me back then, and my grandpa disappeared just to distract them! It's been over three years, and there's still no news. He's probably in grave danger!"

Zhu Xi said anxiously,

"Brother Jin, since Guard Ruan was a guard from Prime Minister Hu's residence, and he led people to hunt me, can we be sure that Prime Minister Hu sent him?

But why did Hu Shiang chase me at that time?!"

Zhou Jin...thought and said:

"Uh, could it be because you know some of their secrets?

Oh! That's right! Yesterday you told us that you were able to escape the city because of the path those monks showed you? Could it be that they were after you because you knew that path?

Have you forgotten? After you left, those little monks also died?! "

"Yes! It's very likely!" Mu Qingni also said, "There are private soldiers in Gratitude Temple, and there is a small road leading to the outside of the city. Could it be that this small road is the passage for them to transport private soldiers and weapons?!

But they didn't expect that Zhu Xi knew about this and escaped out of the city by that road?

When they later discovered that it was those young monks who told him, they killed them to silence them? And then they sent people after Zhu Xi? To kill him to silence him?

After hearing this, Zhou Jin asked Zhu Xi:

"Have you told anyone about that path?"

"No, because I promised Yichan and his friends that I wouldn't even tell my grandpa. When he asked me how I got out of the city, I told him that Yichan and his friends helped me sneak out of Gratitude Temple that night, and then I managed to get out of the city with the help of the people my grandfather left for me...

At that time, my grandfather asked me several times who my grandfather left for me. Since there was no such person, I always fooled him.

Later I found out that my grandparents were my grandfather’s people! When I went to Liaodong, it was my grandfather who instructed my grandparents to take me there!

Zhu Xi said honestly.

"I know about that,"

Mu Feng who was standing next to him heard this and said,

"Since the Fifth Prince already knows that Jing Li is His Majesty's man, there is nothing to hide now.

As far as I know, although Jing Li is ostensibly the Crown Princess's man, he was actually already under His Majesty's wing. Otherwise, His Majesty wouldn't have allowed him to follow the Fifth Prince all this time. When the Fifth Prince tried to sneak away, Jing Li had already informed His Majesty...

It was His Majesty who deliberately let the Fifth Grandson go...

However, as far as I know, even His Majesty probably doesn't know that the Fifth Prince escaped from the mountains behind Gratitude Temple...

"Then it all fits in."

Zhou Jin heard this and said,

"The course of events should be exactly as Qingni said. That proves that there must be something fishy going on in Gratitude Temple, and it must be related to Prime Minister Hu!"

The author has something to say:

Sorry, I have a bad cold today and I’m not feeling well, so the second update is a bit late!