We urge Zheng Sa to come forward and uphold justice.

Is it to set things right, then retire gracefully? Or to eliminate the treacherous officials and take their place?

The meaning behind the words is unknown to the speaker, but is taken to heart by the listener.

As everyone knows, Luo Qing is a hot-tempered military general, always reckless and domineering, and he dislikes garrulous scholars the most. Luo Qing is straightforward and, without much thought, immediately concluded that Liu Taifu was instigating Zheng Sa to betray Zheng Jincheng.

What? Grand Tutor Liu wants to steal Crown Prince Zheng Jincheng's woman?

Zheng Jincheng is my son-in-law. Do you, an outsider, think you can just pry open your son-in-law's wall?

"Grand Tutor Liu, the Crown Prince is still alive and has not yet passed away. Only the Prince can turn the tide. From what you're saying, are you suggesting that Prince Rong be made Emperor? How dare you, Grand Tutor Liu, what are your intentions? Do you intend to rebel?" Luo Qing's malicious slander completely offended Grand Tutor Liu, who was loyal to Zheng Jincheng.

Grand Tutor Liu offered a few words of explanation, using his own experience to prove the old saying, "When a scholar encounters a soldier, reason is useless." No matter how much he reasoned or made vows, Luo Qing ignored him, focusing on the ambiguities in his words, which angered Grand Tutor Liu to the point of glaring at him.

"All brawn and no brains. Enough said, enough said, I'm done."

After being repeatedly ridiculed and slandered by Luo Qing, Grand Tutor Liu simply kept quiet.

The less you say, the fewer mistakes you make; the more you say, the more mistakes you make. Liu Taifu's silence was golden.

Thinking he had defeated Liu Taifu, the one known for his eloquence, Luo Qing puffed out his chest, surveyed the room, and declared in a powerful voice, “His Majesty is incompetent and foolish, favoring the treacherous Hu Shao, which has led to the unjust deaths of loyal officials and the displacement of the people. His Majesty has truly failed Heaven and Earth, and failed the Holy Ancestor and Emperor Gaozong. Crown Prince Zheng Jin is of pure character, displays extraordinary talent, and possesses exceptional abilities; he is capable of shouldering great responsibilities. His Majesty is old and senile and should abdicate. The Crown Prince is in his prime and should ascend the throne.”

Upon hearing this, everyone was speechless.

Luo Qingzhen is tall, foolish, and reckless, brave but lacking in strategy and common sense.

Everyone looked at the overjoyed Luo Qing, shook their heads, and fixed their gazes on Prince Rong, Zheng Sa, who was sitting at the head of the table, pleading with Zheng Sa to come out and take charge of the situation.

Zheng Sa sighed. At this point, he could no longer control the Crown Prince's faction.

He shirked responsibility, saw off the guests, and left the empty secret room with only himself and Situ Yu.

"Changchuan, we've boarded the wrong ship. Judging from Hu Shao's various actions, his ambition to usurp the throne is obvious to everyone. Those who support the Crown Prince's faction will likely not have a good end."

As he spoke, Zheng Sa gave a wry smile, his handsome face filled with deep worry.

It wasn't just that they got on the wrong ship; they got on a pirate ship. Pirates don't know how to navigate, so the ship was destined to sink and everyone perished. Even if they were lucky enough to die on the vast ocean, the weeds wouldn't be eradicated at the root; they would spring up again in the spring. Hu Shaorong and his men would definitely find a way to cut off their path to survival.

Only those involved can truly understand the bittersweet experience. Situ Yu, finding humor in the situation, laughed and said, "Getting on this pirate ship has its own unique flavor. It's worth it, not a loss at all!"

Is it really worth risking your life on a voyage?

Even ants cling to life, struggling to survive in this world, hoping to avoid death. Who wouldn't want to die peacefully in their sleep? But fate is unkind; one wrong step leads to another, and the whole game is lost.

Situ Yu stood up from the armchair and walked step by step to Zheng Sa.

“Your Highness, I, Situ Yu, am so grateful to have you as my confidant that I could die without regret.”

"Changchuan, so am I."

Inside the secret room, the two grown men, utterly despondent, poured out their sorrows to each other.

Little did they know, Hu Shao and Ji Xiaoxiao had other plans in the Yanjue Palace.

The main hall of the Yanjue Palace was empty and magnificent, with no one else around except for the Hu family father and daughter.

"Father, how are the preparations going?" A month has passed, and Ji Xiaoxiao's belly is getting bigger, and her loose clothes can no longer hide her round belly.

Hu Shao carefully looked after Ji Xiaoxiao and answered her questions slowly and deliberately.

Everything is ready, except for the east wind.

Ji Xiaoxiao paused, her mind racing.

After a long pause, Ji Xiaoxiao spoke up, "Father, tomorrow you should spread the news of Zheng Run's death, saying that he died suddenly due to excessive drinking and indulgence in sexual activity."

This explanation was more convincing to the court officials, since Zheng Run's debauchery was well-known.

Hu Shao, unaware of Ji Xiaoxiao's plans, asked, "Tian Tian, ​​what do you intend to do?"

Ji Xiaoxiao touched her belly, her cold face softened considerably, and at first glance, she radiated a dazzling maternal glow.

"Father, do you know where Zheng Jincheng is now?"

Ji Xiaoxiao curled her lips into a wicked smile; her beauty was terrifying to behold.

Hu Shao was confused. What did this have to do with Zheng Jincheng?

Ji Xiaoxiao didn't try to solve the riddle. Instead, she explained to Hu Shao, "Zheng Jincheng is the Crown Prince and the rightful successor to the throne. With Zheng Run gone, the throne is vacant. A family cannot be without a head for a day, and a country cannot be without a ruler for a day. It is only natural for Zheng Jincheng to ascend the throne."

"Zheng Jincheng's ascension to the throne is tantamount to releasing a tiger back into the mountains; Tian Tian's plan will not succeed."

Hu Shao rarely contradicted Ji Xiaoxiao, and he couldn't help but feel uneasy, thinking to himself, "My dear daughter won't blame me, will she? But I'm only doing this for her own good."

On one hand, he believed he was right, and on the other hand, he always wanted to admit his mistakes. Hu Shao quickly split into two people.

Ji Xiaoxiao waved her hand, telling Hu Shao to calm down.

“Father, please hear what your daughter has to say.” Ji Xiaoxiao paused and said, “A month ago, Zheng Jincheng’s manhood was cut off by your daughter. If I spread this news, Zheng Jincheng will never have the chance to ascend the throne and rule the world. A few days ago, your daughter had nothing to do, so she sent Zheng Jincheng to the dark room.”

"A darkroom?" Hu Shao exclaimed in surprise.

The imperial palace complex stretches from east to west, with buildings every five steps and pavilions every ten, its rooms countless. The Dark Room is an inconspicuous little room in the palace, hidden from view, disguised and lurking, its exact location unknown to anyone except the Emperor of Liang.

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