Chapter 188

This period of time.

The Fourth Prince was thinking about this in his dreams at midnight.

How should he face Xiaowu, Xiaoqi, and even the third child in the future?

He was the one who seemed to have grown up the most safely among the princes. He did not have the many illnesses and disasters that Xiao Qi had, nor did he have the competition among his elder brothers, second brothers, and third brothers, nor did he have the hatred between Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu.

The hatred between the two of them even originated from his mother.

Xiao Qi might be right, and no one blamed him.

But saying "no one blames him" cannot really eliminate the guilt in his heart.

Xiaoqi was very smart. He withheld Xiaoqi's memorial to the emperor to remind him that something had happened in the palace. This was the only thing he could do under his mother's nose.

But he didn't know that Xiao Qi had also found out the truth of what happened back then and what his mother had done over the years.

When he heard the words 'serving the king to save the emperor, the descendants of the previous dynasty', he was thinking, with Xiao Qi's personality, how sad and struggling he would be when he knew the truth.

The Fourth Prince knew that Xiao Qi was not the type to vent his anger on others, and indeed, he led his troops to surround Xiao Qi, but Xiao Qi still reached out to him.

But Xiaoqi didn't understand. That night, after he came out of the prison where Xiaowu was imprisoned in the East Factory, he figured it out.

If he doesn't die, the country will be in turmoil.

All those who protect him, such as Xiaoqi, will bear the hidden dangers and pressures he brings.

And he himself was caught in the middle, unable to achieve either goal.

He didn't want to spend his life with guilt and suffer from sleepless nights from then on.

…

After the fire in the Zichen Hall was put out.

Concubine Yi was carried out from inside. The fire was put out in time, so she was not completely burned to death and was still breathing.

When she set herself on fire, no one wanted to get into trouble, but now no one had any scruples. Xu Jin took her away and no one knew where he went.

After all, it was not as decent as she expected.

Emperor Chongzhao quickly cleaned up the chaos, separated the imperial guards from the northern border troops, moved the troops outside the capital, and the imperial guards reorganized themselves, dealt with the situation in the palace, dragged away the bodies, and cleaned up the bloodstains.

He spread the news that the capital was safe and the emperor was safe. Prince Yong did not start a rebellion, but actually summoned soldiers from the northern border to rescue the emperor. The nearby garrisons, which had become uneasy after receiving the news of the unrest in the capital, calmed down.

Officials from the six ministries came to pay their respects and confirmed that Emperor Chongzhao was alive and conscious, had not been controlled, and had not been forced to do anything. They were finally able to rest assured.

Your Majesty, isn't this good? You speak clearly and walk freely.

The palace maids who had fled everywhere in the palace returned to their posts.

Concubine Wen and Concubine De assisted the Queen and moved the personnel list that was originally under Concubine Yi's charge out of her palace. They re-counted the personnel list to see if there were any loopholes.

The real Zuo Tianlang was found out from under the bed in his office. He had a large swelling on the back of his neck and was almost beaten to death.

When Leng Yue was first captured, he wanted to commit suicide, but Xu Jin broke his jaw, and Wen Xiaochun took him to the East Factory.

They found a mixture of phosphorus powder on Leng Yue. The specific ingredients were unknown, but it was extremely flammable.

When Concubine Yi and Tang Yisu died, sparks came out of their bodies, which was probably the effect of this mixture.

It must be said that with some research, it may be possible to improve the gunpowder of the Zhou Dynasty.

The mixture found on Leng Yue was wrapped in a black insulating shell, and he was tied up before he could break it. His teeth were gnashing, and his body was burning with fire, and he was determined to die.

When Qu Dubian went over to take a look, Wen Xiaochun showed him a table.

"This is the table that the Second Prince used when he was in prison. There is a number four carved on the side. I didn't understand what it meant at the time, but now it seems that he should have some doubts."

There is no doubt that the Second Prince is ruthless, and so is his sharpness.

It's just that Tang Yisu beat him to death at that time, and he himself didn't expect that the An Zi he trusted was someone else's person, so he had no room for explanation.

Qu Watanabe: "He suspected the fourth brother, but he didn't expect it to be Concubine Yi."

Wen Xiaochun said: "Your Highness, I'm sorry, if we had acted faster, the Fourth Prince might not have to die."

When the Fourth Prince led his troops to surround the people, the support of the East Depot was right behind him.

Qu Duanbian was silent for a moment and said, "No."

Under the circumstances at that time, Fourth Brother stabbed himself without any hesitation. Unless one could predict Fourth Brother's thoughts in advance and teleport to his side, there would be no way to stop him.

He patted Xiaochun's hand and said, "You must be very busy. I'll go see Brother Five."

Concubine Yi has been in charge of the personnel list for so many years, so there must be people of her own in it. It is impossible for Empress Wen and Concubine De to screen them all alone, so the East Factory needs to assist.

Wen Xiaochun: "Chen Jian has already told him what happened outside."

Seriously speaking, he was actually quite surprised that Chen Jian was actually the Fifth Prince's man. In that case, even without His Highness's orders, the Fifth Prince could still live well even without the luxurious cell and so many gadgets to pass the time.

They were wary of each other at first.

Qu Watanabe: “Yeah.”

-

In prison.

The Fifth Prince sat at the table, on which were placed the little gadgets that Qu Duanbian had asked him to organize.

"Fifth brother." Qu Dubian sat in front of him.

The Fifth Prince: "Xiao Qi, are your eyes really healed?"

Qu Duanbian didn't say too much: "I guess so. The inner strength I practiced is special, and my butterfly sinus has retained its vitality. Doctor Yang's medicine is also good, and I will be able to see slowly."

The fifth prince was happy for him.

"Everything outside has basically been settled."

Qu Watanabe: "Well, I have already dealt with Fourth Brother's affairs. After all, he is the crown prince and will be buried in the imperial mausoleum."

After saying this, the Fifth Prince was silent for a long time.

The origin of his feud with the Sixth Prince was actually the Fourth Prince’s mother.

She spread rumors, framed Si and her biological mother for premature birth, then gave a gentle push and watched everything that happened around her.

Concubine Lan chose to use him to force Concubine Rong to death, and Emperor Chongzhao was vague about the matter. Everyone is responsible. After so many years, the grudges have long been tangled into a tangled thread, rotting in time.

The Fifth Prince: "That day, he came to drink with me and slept at my place. I felt something was wrong. But he didn't say a word. I was in this place and couldn't leave."

He looked up at the cell.

It doesn't feel like a prison cell, but more like a protective shield.

If it were Fourth Brother, he might really like this comfortable shell.

The Fifth Prince: "My fourth brother also sent me a piece of paper when I moved to the Prince's Residence. It is in my house. If you have time, go over and see if there are any hidden words on it."

Qu Watanabe: “Yeah.”

Leng Yue couldn't withstand the torture of Liuliu and Xiaochun. His master was dead and his hope was gone, so it didn't matter whether he confessed or not.

They were the ones who killed the eldest son of the Shu family. The escort agency was close to Nanning, and their method was indeed as Xu Tingfeng and Xue Letian had inferred, it was the method used in the south.

Concubine Yi is in charge of the human register. If Leng Yue kills someone, it is completely possible for her to transport the dead body to the prince's palace.

After this death, the eldest prince married a girl from the Shu family. There was no chance for reconciliation with the second and third brothers who were capable of taking action at the time. The fight for the throne entered a situation of a fight to the death.

Taking advantage of Sihe's birth, he split the alliance between Concubine Lan and Concubine Rong and aroused the hatred in the heart of the fifth prince. At the hunting ground, he filled the loophole in the second prince's plan and abolished the third prince.

As she watched the chess game she was playing, she discovered that the prince, whom she had thought would be crippled since childhood, was becoming increasingly important. She took advantage of the Second Prince's desire to guard against the Fifth Prince, moved Tang Yisu, poisoned the Seventh Prince, and framed the Second Prince.

Qu Dubian guessed that if he had not taken the poison at that time, most of the first batch of food and grass might have been destroyed, but it would barely be enough for the border troops to eat for a few days until the next batch of food and grass arrived.

After all, Concubine Yi wanted to depose him, but she didn't want the border to be lost. She just controlled his character.

Everything is over, and the fourth prince succeeds to the throne as crown prince.

If the paper had not left traces, Qu Dubian would have known the truth, and the Fourth Prince would have also known what happened, and the matter might have been left unsolved.

The Fifth Prince looked at Leng Yue's confession. He revealed two people in the palace who were often used by Concubine Yi. They were crazy and said they wanted to be buried with Concubine Yi.

"If the evil Concubine Yi was in Nanning, I would definitely send her many people to make Nanning more chaotic. But she is in the Great Zhou, and I just want to cut her tendons and remove her bones."

Qu Watanabe: "When grandpa took her away, she looked burnt black, but she was still breathing." He calculated the time, "From that day on, grandpa has not appeared for two days."

"..." The Fifth Prince was speechless for a moment and changed the subject, "Let's not talk about this."

He handed a wooden plaque to Qu Duanbian, "I just carved this yesterday. Since you are in charge of Fourth Brother's funeral, give it to him. You can burn it in front of the spirit or bury it in the mausoleum."

Qu Dubian took it and took a look.

The wooden sign was very simple, with eight words engraved on it: [Calm and peaceful, smooth and peaceful].

Qu Watanabe: "A peaceful life is better for Fourth Brother than a peaceful life. I will give it to him."

He left the East Factory and looked back at where his fifth brother was.

The prison was silent, with only a dim candlelight that was on all day long, illuminating the small space.

-

In the capital city.

The tension and unrest caused by Concubine Yi's rebellion and Prince Yong's defense of the king were quelled.

But at the same time, the atmosphere became weird.

Now that the Fourth Prince is gone, the Crown Prince is gone. Your Majesty looks healthier now than before, but to be honest, what if?

What should they do in Da Zhou?

Who will take care of it? !

No one knew who started it, but many court officials secretly visited Imperial Physician Yang.

All the questions they asked were the same: How is the health of Prince Yong now?

When he went to the king's rescue, he looked much better than when he left.

Doctor Yang had no words to say. At this critical moment, it would be better to care more about His Majesty than Prince Yong. Once you take the medicine, you will look healthy, but in fact, you will live one day less.

They have trampled down the door of Imperial Physician Yang, but Emperor Chongzhao has not mentioned a word about re-establishing a crown prince, nor has he summoned Prince Yong alone.

His Royal Highness Prince Yong, who stayed in the capital, only assisted the Ministry of Rites in handling the Fourth Prince's funeral affairs and did not even attend court.

If one is not called, one will not go.

The emperor was not in a hurry, but the eunuchs were. They trampled down the threshold of Doctor Yang's house and then came to surround the three regent ministers.

Wenyuan Hall.

Fang Hechuan, Lin Zongping and Xi Shiqiu sat in the hall.

Someone outside came to report for who knows how many times, shouting, "Sir, Sir So-and-so wants to see you for something important."

Or: "Mr. So-and-so has found an interesting object, please come and see it."

Lin Zongping yelled, "Tell them, if they come again, they can come back to my Ministry of Revenue to get the money, and don't blame me, Lin, for being ruthless!"

After a loud roar from Hedong Lion, everything became quiet outside.

Fang Hechuan sighed: "Money still works best."

Lin Zongping: "Master Fang, please don't joke. We both don't know what's going on. His Majesty and Prince Yong, one of them didn't call, and the other didn't go. It seems like they are being stubborn."

"That bastard boy of mine is on good terms with Prince Yong," Xi Shiqiu said helplessly, "He went home to get his things yesterday and stayed at the Seventh Prince's residence. I asked him a question, but he didn't say anything."

He even called him Minister Xi and never called him father. Xi Shiqiu thought of himself as a gentleman with a good temper. He did not expect that he would be so angry every time by his son after he chose a master.

Fang Hechuan stroked his beard and said, "It's not that hard to see. Prince Yong only has one choice left."

He came secretly to rescue the emperor and catch Concubine Yi off guard.

Although Xu Tingfeng was in command of Zhennan Pass, there were other forces, so Prince Yong chose to transfer troops from the north.

The 3,000 elite troops from the northern border were summoned at will. The General Zhenbei put aside his border affairs, rushed thousands of miles, and followed Prince Yong to the capital without any imperial order.

In the territory to the north, not a single soldier along the way sent news back to the capital about Prince Yong's mobilization of troops in the northern border. It was completely secretive.

It's not his power, it's that his appeal has reached a terrifying level.

Originally, this influence was not obvious, especially after Prince Yong was injured, but this time, anyone with eyes could see it -

The soldiers obeyed him, trusted him, and respected him. As long as he wanted, the Northern Frontier, the entire northern border, would be under his control.

Plus Zhennan Pass.

It can be said that if Prince Yong wanted to cause chaos in the Great Zhou, he only needed one sentence.

No emperor can truly allow the existence of such a person around him who can overthrow his kingdom at any time.

If you want everyone around you to live a peaceful life, you can only stand at the highest point and hold the power in your own hands.

Prince Yong was intelligent. He should have known long ago that if he chose to re-enter the city, he would never have the chance to return to Yangzhou and be his free and easy prince.

He saw it clearly, but Prince Yong and His Majesty were both able to keep their composure.

The other ministers in the court who were jumping up and down were getting anxious.