Chapter 98 Thrilling

Shangguan Yao is very smart, often even smarter than Shangguan Jin.

This is also why the Shangguan family felt comfortable sending her to the palace.

She and Shangguan Jin went to school together with their older brothers from a young age.

Whatever Old Master Shangguan and Lord Shangguan taught the boys in the family, they taught the two girls the same things.

They learned what girls should learn, and they also learned some things that boys should learn.

Old Master Shangguan sighed more than once that if the two sisters were boys, they would surely become pillars of the court in the future.

It's a pity that women from the Great Yu region cannot hold official positions...

Based on the information she found, Shangguan Yao quickly figured out what the Zheng family was up to.

Controlling the Imperial Guards was just the least significant thing the Zheng family did.

Only by controlling the Imperial Guards can one control all the officials in the capital.

Only by controlling the families of all the officials can those ministers readily choose sides when the King of Qin ascends the throne.

Not all officials would disregard their families for the sake of so-called righteousness.

However, the Imperial Guards were no match for Emperor Xiao Jing's secret guards.

Therefore, the Zheng family planned to mobilize real troops to deal with Emperor Xiao Jing.

No matter how skilled your secret guards are, they can't withstand the relentless onslaught of real troops.

Duke Anguo secretly mobilized a unit of his Pingnan Army.

Although not the entire Pingnan Army set out, those men should be more than capable of dealing with Emperor Xiao Jing's secret guards.

The Zheng family put a lot of thought and effort into planning all of this.

At the same time, they also thought of Emperor Xiao Jing's other right-hand man, the Duke of Dingguo.

The Duke of Dingguo guarded the northern lands and was the war god of the north.

At the same time, the Duke of Dingguo is absolutely loyal to Emperor Xiao Jing. If something happens to Emperor Xiao Jing and the Duke of Dingguo leads his men to his aid, he will be the biggest obstacle for the Zheng family.

Therefore, even if Emperor Xiao Jing was killed and the Prince of Qin ascended the throne, the Zheng family would still not be able to control Dayu.

At that time, they will face internal strife in the Great Yu.

With various grudges mixed together, the Duke of Dingguo might just lead his troops south.

To be precise, the Duke of Dingguo could have killed them.

At this point, the only option for the Zheng family was to forge an imperial edict and take control of the Duke of Dingguo.

According to the Zheng family's plan, the Empress Dowager would be in charge of the direction and control over the families of officials in the capital.

The Imperial Guard controlled the inner city.

On one hand, the Zheng family transferred people from the Pingnan Army, and on the other hand, a group of people went to the north with a fake imperial edict.

Although it takes time to mobilize troops from Pingnan Army, it also takes time to send people to the north to arrest the Duke of Dingguo.

But the Zheng family's plan was simple: in fifteen days, they could change the emperor of Dayu.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly.

But Consort Zheng felt she couldn't wait even a moment longer.

She didn't want Consort Xian to commit suicide when her son ascended the throne.

She wanted to kill Consort Xian with her own hands.

Empress Dowager Zheng also knew what her niece was thinking.

But Consort Xian cannot die suddenly, because her sudden death would only disrupt their plans.

Therefore, Empress Dowager Zheng reprimanded Consort Zheng, ordering her to replace the original deadly poison with a slow-acting poison that would cause mental instability.

"Isn't it better to watch a woman go from being high and mighty to being a fool?"

Wouldn't it be more pleasing to you if the proud and virtuous concubine were reduced to a beggar woman whose life was as worthless as grass?

At that time, you can do whatever you want with her.

It's easy to kill someone in one go.

But what happens after you die? Don't you feel unsatisfied?

"Take your time and make her wish she were dead," Empress Dowager Zheng said slowly.

Consort Zheng thought about it and realized that it would be too easy to just let Shangguan Yao die like that.

That's when they sent someone to give Shangguan Yao a slow-acting poison.

After understanding everything, Shangguan Yao was anxiously searching for a solution.

It's impossible to rely on the Shangguan family.

It is estimated that the Shangguan family and the Duke of Dingguo family are now the main targets of surveillance.

The slightest disturbance would likely be dealt with by the Zheng family.

The Shen and Shangguan families must not make any unusual moves at this time.

Therefore, we cannot inform the Shangguan and Shen families about this matter for the time being.

What about the Duke of Dingguo...?

Shangguan Yao pondered for a long time before coming up with a solution.

The Duke of Dingguo could not sit idly by and wait for his doom.

Since someone else has a fake imperial edict, it means that the fake edict can be mistaken for the real one.

Regardless of whether the Duke of Dingguo defied the imperial decree or not, he would be detained by the Zheng family for various reasons.

Was it disobeying imperial orders, treason, or was the entire Weiyuan Army involved...?

Shangguan Yao dared not imagine what would happen to the Shangguan and Shen families if the Duke of Dingguo were taken down.

Shangguan Yao remembered that Emperor Xiao Jing had once told her this.

His Duke Dingguo was incredibly brave and was known as the God of War of the North.

The children of the Northern Hu would cry in fear upon hearing that the Duke of Dingguo of Dayu had arrived.

"Actually, Huai Chen's real skills are not on the battlefield."

A captured Northern Hu general once said that what they feared most was not seeing the Duke of Dingguo on the battlefield.

Instead, the two sides started fighting, but they couldn't see where the Duke of Dingguo was.

"Huai Chen is elusive and unpredictable; he is the greatest genius of our Great Yu!" Emperor Xiao Jing always spoke of this with a smug look on his face.

Shangguan Yao suddenly understood what to do.

escape!

Since the current situation is out of control, let's retreat for now.

Not only were the Northern Hu people wary of the vanished Duke Dingguo, but even the Duke Anguo was wary of him.

The most terrifying thing is that the Duke of Dingguo's whereabouts are unknown.

Therefore, Shangguan Yao used the only secret contact that Shangguan Jin had left her, which led to the northern lands, and sent a single word to the Duke of Dingguo.

escape!

Just to be on the safe side, she didn't let anyone know.

After delivering the letter to the Duke of Dingguo, Shangguan Yao continued to ponder what to do next.

The palace is controlled by the Empress Dowager, so if she tries to send someone out, she will definitely be watched.

......

Thinking of the hundreds of people in the Shangguan family mansion.

And there are so many people from the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, plus the seventh prince who's only nine years old...

Shangguan Yao ultimately decided to see herself as the key to breaking the deadlock.

Break the deadlock with death!

Shangguan Yao knew very well that Emperor Xiao Jing was inherently suspicious, and even towards the Duke of Dingguo, he harbored a degree of wariness.

Even if Emperor Xiao Jing was not ultimately forced to abdicate, and the Duke of Dingguo did not fall into the trap, there would still be hidden dangers.

Emperor Xiao Jing would have doubts afterward.

Someone is forging an imperial edict, and the Duke of Dingguo is ignoring it. But what if one day it turns out to be a genuine imperial edict...?

Shangguan Yao had no choice but to prepare for the worst.

After secretly sending Mother Zhu away, Shangguan Yao drank another kind of poison.

Because Emperor Xiao Jing favored Consort Xian, he would send someone back to the palace every day to check on her, even during the spring sacrifice.

If that person doesn't come back...

Shangguan Yao bet that Empress Dowager Zheng's people wouldn't dare touch the people Emperor Xiao Jing had sent back.

If the people Emperor Xiao Jing sent back did not return in time, Emperor Xiao Jing would definitely become alert.

If Emperor Xiao Jing becomes alert, he will not return to the palace, but will instead lead his officials north to find the Weiyuan Army, which he trusts most.

At that time... the Zheng family truly had no way out.

As it turns out, Shangguan Yao made the right gamble...