In the early morning of July, the hustle and bustle of the day began again at the dock, with vendors carrying loads on their shoulders, farmers coming and going, and passengers preparing to board the ship. A light mist floated on the river, and the earliest passenger ship heading south to Zizhou had already begun to weigh anchor.

Pei Yinniang was dressed in mourning, accompanied by her two children and family. She was holding a dark brown bundle tightly in her hands, which contained the tablet of her husband.

This small passenger ship carries Qiu Yuanming's coffin. She is taking him and the children back to her hometown today, and she is afraid that she will never come back again.

This gentle woman had sorrow in her eyes, but she still bowed deeply, "Shenxing, thank you."

Her husband had some unknown affair with the Sixth Prince, and ended up committing suicide in the Sixth Prince's Mansion. Fortunately, Yang Yanzong was there, otherwise she might not even be able to find the corpse.

Yang Yanzong was dressed in casual clothes, holding a horse in his hand, with Su Ci beside him. He was silent for a while and said, "Do you want me to send someone to take you there?"

Pei Yinniang forced a smile and shook her head, "No need, it's enough for you to come and see us three off."

The Sixth Prince's Palace is going through a turbulent time. In this stormy situation, Yang Yanzong must be busy hiring people. No need, it's good enough that he can come. Although Yang Yanzong is in casual clothes, he is not an ordinary person. What's more, the horse he is leading is shiny, majestic, and has strong hooves. It can only be owned by high-ranking military officers. These ship captains who have been traveling around the country for many years have sharp eyes, and the three of them will definitely be sent back to their hometown smoothly.

The captain came forward respectfully to greet Pei Yinniang and asked her to take the child into the cabin. Then the boat gong was struck and the anchor was lifted to the surface.

Pei Yinniang staggered to the front of the cabin and put her hands on the black coffin. The two children couldn't help sobbing.

The passenger ship set sail, left the dock and sailed downstream.

Pei Yinniang held back her tears and waved her hand, while the black coffin behind her gradually went away.

Yang Yanzong watched in silence.

After a long time, he heaved a sigh of relief, thinking that it was even. He had tricked him, but he had ruthlessly threatened him back.

He gave Pei Yinniang some money for the trip, and today's farewell at the dock was a farewell to this once sincere friendship.

——Let Pei Yinniang and the two children go, as a reward for the intelligence he had risked many times to deliver to him.

Yang Yanzong felt that he had let the other party off a little, but he felt much better in his heart.

The passenger ship went farther and farther away, gradually becoming a small dot and could no longer be seen. Yang Yanzong laughed at himself and withdrew his gaze, only to find that Su Ci was looking at him with interest, her beautiful big eyes reflecting the morning light, especially bright.

"What's wrong? What are you looking at?"

The wind was strong at the dock and it was a little chilly in the morning. He reached out to gather her thin sky blue cape and raised his eyebrows.

Su Ci laughed, her eyebrows and eyes instantly became smart, she curled her lips and pursed her lips, "Nothing."

It was just that Yang Yanzong's eyes were very complicated just now, and she suddenly felt a little emotional. In fact, he was not that cold-blooded.

In fact, it’s a good idea to let Pei Yinniang go. If you kill everyone, I guarantee he will remember it for the rest of his life.

If he lets go like this, it will be easy for him to let go.

It's pretty good.

Of course, she definitely couldn't tell him about her feelings about being "cold-blooded and ruthless". Su Ci put her hands behind her back, smiled slyly, and laughed it off, saying that she didn't say that.

Yang Yanzong snorted, glanced at her, and flicked her forehead with his finger, "Let's go."

He helped her onto the horse and left the passenger ship completely behind.

…

Yang Yanzong took Su Ci away from the dock, but before sending her back to Yangdu Mansion, the two of them greeted a fast horse!

He was Ji Yuanhao's man, specifically responsible for conveying information between the two of them.

The other party panted heavily: "General Yang, the situation in the Fourth Prince's Palace has changed!"

"I can't contact the master anymore!"

Yang Yanzong frowned, but didn't waste any words. If he couldn't join forces with Ji Yuanhao, his ultimate goal might be difficult to achieve. "I'll let A Zhao take you back."

He lifted Su Ci and carried her to the back of another horse.

"No need," Su Ci said quickly, "Let Azhao follow you. Azheng and I will go back together."

"Don't worry, I'll be waiting for you at the mansion."

That's fine.

"Okay," Yang Yanzong said, "Be careful."

After he finished speaking, he whipped his whip and a group of fast horses passed by.

The horses' hooves clattered as they headed fast and hastily toward the Four Kings' headquarters, seventy miles north of Yangdu.

In fact, these four kings were indeed stronger than the six kings, more vigilant and cautious. At the time of the incident, he had not even entered Yangdu, and he kept stopping while walking, and finally stopped at Lianshan Villa, about seventy miles north of Yangdu.

Facts have proved that he was right to leave a way out for everything.

Lianshan Villa is not only located in the suburbs, surrounded by mountains and water, but also has an unknown secret passage that is more than ten miles long.

Yang Yanzong already knew what was going on on the way. The old emperor's imperial guards had come up empty-handed, so he rushed to the headquarters at lightning speed, but the four kings had still escaped. Lianshan Villa was deserted, and except for the servants who were unaware of the situation, no one who could make the decision was gone.

Tong Jie'en quickly turned around and went to the Fourth Prince's Mansion, but he was also a step late. The Four Princes had few concubines and five young children, all born to the princesses. The princesses and the princes and princesses were all gone. Also missing were the wives, concubines and children of the core circle of the Four Princes, including Ji Yuanhao.

Anyway, none of the people who should have been caught were caught, and they all ran away.

When Yang Yanzong arrived at Lianshan Villa, the place had been surrounded by the imperial guards. The secret passage for escape had been found after a thorough search. Yang Yanzong followed the path and found that the other end of the secret passage led directly to a river. However, the river was a busy place with traffic extending in all directions, so there was no trace of the man there.

Tong Jie'en was saying something anxiously, but Yang Yanzong had sharp eyes. He looked around the area where there were traces of boarding the ship and soon found a newly engraved code on a large rock.

It was left by Ji Yuanhao.

He searched for a while and soon found a small copper artifact, which was a miniature version of a general's sword, about the length of a finger.

He picked up the secret weapon that Ji Yuanhao had specially left behind, and his heart skipped a beat: "Oh no, hurry up! The four kings are going to raise an army!"

Tong Jie'en exclaimed, "Huh!" and his eyes widened!

…

They were in a very tight time schedule. The fief of the four kings was in Ansui Prefecture, which was in the east of the sea. It was very far away from Yangdu, thousands of miles away. But as long as they went down the river, they could reach there very quickly, and they could arrive in about ten days!

Speaking of which, this Fourth Prince is indeed a quite remarkable person. Although he does not have the protection of his ancestors like the Sixth Prince, he has relied on his own management to make his fiefdom flourish. He suddenly emerged into the world. He was involved in the dispute over the throne at a very early stage, but he has stood for nearly twenty years. The Fourth Prince's Palace is very stable, even slightly better than that of the Sixth Prince's Palace.

The Fourth Prince is indeed a character. If it weren't for the old emperor and Ji Yuanhao's deliberate planning, it is estimated that he would not be overthrown now.

He was also a man who could make decisions quickly. In fact, with the strength of the Four Princes' Palaces, he might be able to resist for a period of time. However, he knew that the prospects were not good and the emperor was too determined. As a minister, he would be at a disadvantage and might not be able to win in the end. So he fled without hesitation and chose to start an army!

Such a person must be well prepared to start an army. Once he successfully returns to Ansuizhou, the world will probably be out of control again.

The old emperor issued a death order, ordering Tong Jie'en, Yang Yanzong and others to intercept and capture the four kings, otherwise, all of them would be beheaded! !

Huang Dewei Captain exhaled, frowning: "What do you think? Waterway or land?!"

Chase, they know they have to chase quickly, but now they have to choose a general direction first! Will the four kings hurry up and sail south, taking the direct water route, or will they choose the land route which is easier to conceal? Or will the other party throw a smoke bomb and actually take land or water routes?

Last night, orders were sent by airships and horses to set up checkpoints by land and water. All traffic within hundreds of miles of Yangdu was suspended. Some clues were found. It seems that the four kings took the water route, but is it true?

Everybody was talking at once, and I was dizzy from all the talk about land and sea.

Tong Jie'en was sweating profusely and kept wiping his sweat. Huang Dewei also frowned. After listening for a while, he shook his head and finally looked up at Yang Yanzong: "General Yang, what do you think?"

Even though the relationship between the two was not very good, at this critical moment, Huang Dewei still trusted Yang Yanzong, a leader who had faced life and death countless times on the battlefield. For people like Yang Yanzong, intuitive judgment has been trained into a natural instinct.

Yang Yanzong pondered for a long time and said, "If I were the Fourth Prince, I would go down the river as soon as possible and try to return to Ansuizhou in the shortest time possible."

If you delay, things will change easily. The most important thing now is time!

You must know that the emperor's decree and the urgent order to dispatch the Qinghuai and Liangjiang garrisons have already been issued.

Huang Dewei nodded and said, that’s right! He thought so too!

"Alright, let's get on the boat right away and head east to chase. Search for clues along both sides of the river and find the Four Kings as soon as possible. Quick!"

The troops were immediately divided into two groups, with the water route as the focus. A group of people hurriedly boarded the boat and quickly went downstream.

The river wind was rustling and particularly cold, making his clothes flutter. Yang Yanzong was wearing a dark soft armor and a long sword at his waist. He stood at the bow, staring at the vast river and the noisy river bank with his sword in his hand, but he was thinking in his heart that if Ji Yuanhao didn't get away successfully, he would be in danger.

——What he said just now was still a bit reserved. He was waiting for Ji Yuanhao. If Ji Yuanhao could get away successfully, then there would be great progress in capturing the four kings.

Otherwise, the success rate is 50-50 at best.

Having fought with the Four Princes for many years, Yang Yanzong knew that the Four Princes were unfathomable and he never underestimated them.

…

Yang Yanzong's guess was absolutely correct.

Ji Yuanhao is indeed in danger now.

Last night he passed through the tunnel, boarded a ship and sailed eastward. This morning he joined the team of the Four Princes' Palaces. Now on the surface, there is no trace of the king's travel.

Ji Yuanhao only now realized that the "Qu's Trading Company", which was known for its goods shipped all over the world and was one of the top ten wealthy trading companies in the country, was actually owned by the Four Kings. They boarded the Qu's merchant ship, headed south, successfully passed one checkpoint after another, and soon broke out of the blockade of Yangdu.

So awesome and well prepared, he really deserves to be his good godfather.

Ji Yuanhao lowered his eyes, knowing that he was probably already suspected.

The Four Kings never really trusted him, did they?

The four kings were sharp-minded, and it was difficult to confirm who wrote the forged letter of treason, but from those who went to the Northern Frontier at that time, there were those who had the time and space to go to Xiyang, those who had the brains, the possibility, and certain motives. After eliminating all of them, there were actually not many people who met the requirements.

One of them is him.

The four kings have always been the most vigilant towards him.

In this situation, even evidence is not needed. It is safest to take it down first to ensure that there is no risk of error.

Ji Yuanhao's mind was racing, and his expression infected the children. The eldest son held his younger siblings' hands tightly and leaned against his mother.

Ren was very nervous. She knew something about it and her heart had been on edge since last night, but she didn't dare to ask, for fear that someone might be eavesdropping.

But at this moment, the sound of footsteps was heard.

This is a two-story merchant ship, with people from the merchant company and their palace living together on each floor. The Fourth Prince, Crown Prince Ji Lin, the Princess and others live on the top floor, while Ji Yuanhao lives on the second floor, which is the deck.

Now someone from the second floor is coming to the first floor. The sound of their thick boots with hard soles is deliberately made light, as if they are afraid of disturbing something. But there are quite a few people coming. Ji Yuanhao listened attentively. One, two, three, four, five... there are eleven of them.

Ren also heard it. The footsteps came down the stairs, paused, and then quickly walked along the corridor.

And their family was in a large cabin at the end of the corridor.

One step, two steps, three steps... without hesitation, the footsteps followed one after another, heading straight for their room.

Ji Yuanhao kept glancing at the two banks with his peripheral vision. The big ship was sailing in the center of the river, and he noticed that from time to time there would be small commotions caused by people searching on the east bank of the river.

The commotion was getting closer and closer, and the footsteps in the corridor were getting closer and closer. When the big ship turned a corner, the river narrowed suddenly. At the moment closest to the commotion, Ji Yuanhao stood up suddenly and shouted: "Jump!"

Get in the water! ! !

The whole family had been leaning against the window. Ren's heart was beating like a drum. After hearing Ji Yuanhao's low shout, she stood up abruptly, climbed onto the side of the boat, and jumped overboard with her children without hesitation!

“Bang!” “Bang!”

With two consecutive sounds, huge splashes of water appeared on the surface of the river, instantly attracting the attention of everyone on the river bank! Ji Yuanhao stood up and kicked and threw the round table and the cabinet, which flew out and blocked the door. He then jumped up like lightning.

He took a deep breath, grabbed Ren and a few children, and dived quickly into the water. Then he drew out his soft sword with his backhand. As expected, there was someone on the top of the second floor. "Bang bang" someone jumped down quickly, and threw darts straight into the water!

Ji Yuanhao blocked quickly with his backhand and shouted: "Go to the shore!"

He pushed the people beside him away and turned around to meet the pursuers.

The underwater resistance was great, and he easily separated the darts. However, the dozen or so people who caught up with him were difficult to deal with, as they were all close masters of the Four Kings.

The blood soon dyed the river water red. Ji Yuanhao even cut his face and his life was almost hanging by a thread, but fortunately, he won the bet at the last hurdle!

Of course the yamen runners on the shore noticed something was wrong with this commotion, and they immediately shouted at the merchant ship to stop. Some people rushed over here in their small boats, while others pulled out the flares in their arms and lit them with a "whoosh"! A red flame immediately exploded in the air.

It was fortunate that Ji Yuanhao was lucky to survive, because besides the yamen runners, there were also state troops investigating nearby, and the sound of horse hooves could be heard soon.

"The boat in front, stop immediately!"

Hearing the sound of Grala's bowstring being pulled taut, the captain felt as if he was facing a formidable enemy, and without saying a word, he ordered the arrows to be released! Anyway, the order they received was that they would rather kill than let anyone go!

The four princes had no choice but to leave. If they didn’t leave now, they would not be able to leave. This exposed their whereabouts. The prince Ji Lin was furious, “This traitorous bastard!!”

The four kings looked gloomy, but they had to make a quick decision: "Go! Pass the order, come back, rush over, quickly!!"

With the sound of splashing water, the merchant ship suddenly accelerated and rushed out like an arrow.

It caused huge waves and undercurrents. Ji Yuanhao took a deep breath and killed the two people who were trying to kill him, and he finally got out of the predicament.

He nearly fainted. He held the wound on his abdomen to relax himself, then he pushed forward into the water.

…

Yang Yanzong arrived very quickly.

There was more than one water route. Not long after heading east, the group split into seven or eight teams, each following the trail and chasing after the enemy.

There was only half a day's difference between them and the four kings.

When Yang Yanzong heard the news and rushed over, Ji Yuanhao had already bandaged the wound. He raised the small bottle that Su Ci gave him and said, "Fortunately, I have this."

Otherwise, if there was a hole in his abdomen, he would be in danger.

Due to his experiences since childhood, Ji Yuanhao knew that he had to master the methods of saving his life. He learned intravenous injections by himself and carried syringes and medicines with him at all times. Facts have proved that this was correct, as he just gave himself an injection.

"If you're not dead, get up."

Yang Yanzong glanced at him.

Ji Yuanhao cursed him, but immediately stood up, "Where are your people? Send a letter to Tong Jie'en and Huang Dewei, and chase them immediately! They can't get far!!"

Ji Yuanhao's face was pale, but there was a strange glow in his expression. He was born into a royal family, but his father and mother died and he became poor and withered. He was adopted by the Fourth Prince as his adopted son and brought into the palace. At that time, the little boy was very happy and grateful, thinking that his luck had come.

But it turned out that he was very naive. When he saw the "adopted sons" in the yard, his heart immediately sank.

At that time, Ji Yuanhao was not even ten years old, but he had been deprived of all his rights to innocence.

It was really not easy for him to survive, and it was even more difficult for him to make a name for himself in the Four Princes' Palace. He had been controlled by the Four Princes for more than 20 years, and after planning for a long time, today he finally succeeded in getting rid of their constraints.

What a good adoptive father! Today he should kill the other person with his own hands.

Isn't it also revenge for his "brothers" in that courtyard?

…

With Ji Yuanhao, a man who knew the Four Kings well, the pursuit operation quickly made great progress.

The four kings had already abandoned their boats and landed on the shore. The merchant ship had been abandoned by the water, but Ji Yuanhao said confidently: "No need to go ashore, just go by water and chase them! The four kings must have gone by water!!"

With a core figure who knew the party's intricacies and his style of doing things, the four kings soon experienced what it meant to be constrained in every way.

Ji Yuanhao knew more than the four kings imagined. He quickly learned from Qu's Trading Company and some information he had accidentally learned in the past that he might have a connection with several medium-sized businesses.

The four kings’ backup routes were copied in one go.

The group dispatched local garrisons to conduct continuous searches and encirclements, shrinking the scope more and more, and finally locked on the Mi County section of Gushui, a tributary of the middle reaches of the river.

Ji Yuanhao was very happy after riding a fast horse for a long time. He looked at the waterway ahead and suddenly thought of something: "Do you think His Majesty the Emperor can reward us for our merits?"

If the four kings were captured and killed.

Yang Yanzong smiled and said nothing.

Ji Yuanhao probably found it funny and laughed as well.

"Okay, let's go."

They approached and rounded up the enemy in a carpet-style manner. No matter Yang Yanzong, Ji Yuanhao, Huang Dewei and others, they were all masters in this field. Finally, they gathered at the big pier where three rivers converged.

Ahead were boxes of goods and warehouses piled up for seven or eight miles, but they were already surrounded.

The provincial army's imperial guards and the left guard camp troops were divided into small teams and began to search, followed by their companions holding knives and bows, advancing step by step.

Yang Yanzong personally supervised the search. He knocked on the bottom of the cabin and said, "Search the bottom cabin as well. Also search underwater. Have someone dive in. Remember to count the number of people coming in and out."

He remembered that some large ships had a small air chamber at the bottom to increase buoyancy, but the search team ignored this.

Yang Yanzong's move completely blocked the escape route of the four kings and their entourage.

The four princes are now accompanied by the Crown Prince Ji Lin and dozens of their trusted elite fighters. The princesses and several younger children had to give up on the road with reluctance.

Seeing the search soldiers in action, and hearing the rustling footsteps getting closer and closer, it was Ji Yuanhao's voice: "Godfather, Godfather, are you there?"

"Come out, godfather. I know you are here."

That familiar voice, mellow and magnetic, was still as pleasant and calm, but lacked the courtesy and respect of the past. It was both familiar and unfamiliar, and was getting closer and closer.

The four kings couldn't help but close their eyes.

Success is at hand but failure is imminent.

Self-confidence can control your life, but who knows that it will end up being a disaster for you!

The Fourth Prince no longer hesitated, as he knew that there was no possibility of escape by hiding, and he quickly calmed down. He told the Crown Prince to wipe his face, tidy up his clothes, and blend into the crowd. He immediately selected seven or eight good fighters, the most skilled ones around him, and he gave all his confidants of many years to the Crown Prince.

"Wait a moment and pretend to charge. You must protect the prince and break out of the encirclement by water!"

The troops were divided into two groups, and the four kings were caught off guard and tried their best to break through. The enemy's focus must be on him and the fake prince, creating a chance for Ji Lin in the rear to escape.

Ji Lin choked up: "Dad!"

"Don't go back to Ansuizhou, go to Wanzhou." Wanzhou has 80,000 private soldiers raised by four kings, one in the east and one in the west. They have been operating for many years and are hidden in the mountains. The four kings patted their eldest son's hand. With thousands of words to say, he could only give these few words in the end: "Don't be anxious, don't panic, and don't raise an army right away. Be patient."

"This world may not be peaceful for long. Twenty or thirty years. You are still young and you will get your chance."

Ji Lin nodded desperately with tears in his eyes, but the Four Kings could no longer say anything more. The footsteps were already approaching within dozens of feet, and they could not wait any longer.

The fourth king drew out his sword with a swish and said solemnly: "Everyone, today we must fight for life and death together!"

After a great battle, the four kings fell dead on the spot. This nobleman who had been a powerful figure for a long time was finally killed by a hail of arrows. The last arrow that cut his neck was shot by Yang Yanzong.

Ji Yuanhao couldn't help but complain, "Your arrow is too fast."

Yang Yanzong said calmly: "A quick battle and a quick decision."

Why use a sword when you can use arrows?

He's been out long enough, it's time to go back.

…

Throughout July, the court was shrouded in a storm. The old emperor successfully killed the fourth and sixth princes, and the seventh prince's mansion was also severely damaged and never regained its former strength.

However, there were some obstacles in the subsequent purge of the party members.

Over the years, there have been too many people involved in party struggles, and the old emperor cannot clear out all of them. Before he even moves, the people under him become nervous, especially the core members of the party, who are the first to bear the brunt.

Even if the emperor arrested the big ones and let the small ones go, they would still suffer.

This crisis prompted them to stick together, and in the mediation with the emperor, Yang Yanzong repeatedly came up with strategies to help them get out of the situation. Finally, Yang Yanzong took the opportunity to systematically clean up those who could not be moved and those who were suspicious of him.

The Six Princes' Palace actually has not collapsed yet. They are not much different from the Four Princes' Palace. The old emperor had to acknowledge Jin Lingdanshu in the end. Except for the culprit who rebelled, the Six Princes' Palace was demoted one level and the title was finally inherited by the Seventeenth Prince.

The presence of a brand is more conducive to core cohesion.

Some were truly loyal to the Six Princes' Mansion, while others chose to continue to be loyal and stick together due to the situation. Yang Yanzong's strategy of pushing the young master to the throne was very successful.

And in the end, due to the trust of the Sixth Princess and his outstanding performance during this period, everyone was willing to follow his lead!

——After spending so many years and thinking hard, Yang Yanzong came step by step and finally got what he wanted.

…

It's not that Yang Yanzong hasn't returned home in the past month, but he was so busy that he didn't even have time to go back to the backyard.

Su Ci was also very considerate. She never disturbed him and handled the tasks he gave her in an orderly manner.

It was not until August that Yang Yanzong finally had some free time to go home.

He passed through the moon gate in the front yard and could see the soft light of the main house from a distance. The dim yellow color slanted under the porch in front of the door. For the first time, he felt that this empty yard had become lively.

He couldn't help but smile slightly.

After the stormy waves, he was greeted by a courtyard of tranquility and peace.

He didn't know when it started, but she became the harbor where his soul could rest.

He loved her every smile.

No matter how many things are done, the end is always to return to her side.

Incredible, yet natural.

Thinking of her, he couldn't help feeling happy.

"Master, Master, ..."

When A Zheng and other personal soldiers guarding the courtyard saw him, they all bowed their heads to greet him, but Yang Yanzong raised his hand to stop them. He stood outside the gate and looked at the man who was sitting with his chin propped up by the window, settling private accounts with him, and pouting and scratching his head from time to time for a while, then he walked into the courtyard.

He is back.