The seventh prince frowned deeply.
"Seventh Prince, she told me to keep an eye on the Second Prince and the Huo family. She also said that the Third Prince couldn't compete with the other princes, and that it would be better for him to be a peaceful and wealthy concubine than an empress with a precarious position." The Third Prince's wife quickly revealed everything that Princess Jia Hua had said.
“Zhao Jiahua already knew that General Huo Xi was hiding in the Huo family. She deliberately set fire to the Huo family to lure you to discover this.”
"Only when the seventh brother is fighting with the Huo family will he have no time to deal with others."
"Zhao Jiahua did it on purpose!"
The more the Seventh Prince listened, the more his brows furrowed.
Empress Yan, who was standing to the side, suddenly said, "I admit that I personally let General Huo Xi go. Seventh Prince, you listened to Zhao Jiahua's words, but I cannot sit idly by. The Huo family is loyal and devoted. Even your father did not exterminate them, just in case they were needed one day. But you have pushed the Huo family into the eye of the storm, making the entire Huo family a target of public scorn."
Empress Yan's tone betrayed her disappointment.
"Second Prince..." Empress Yan shook her head and sighed, pointing to the person who came out not far away.
It was the Second Prince, dressed in a long black robe, looking weary and worn out, staring blankly at the Seventh Prince: "Seventh Prince, you don't really think I care about the throne, do you?"
The Seventh Prince frowned: "What are you doing here?"
"Huo Xi and I are indeed sworn brothers. We were separated by life and death and cherished each other. I have never done anything to harm you in all these years. Just because of a woman's words, you don't even trust your own brother?" The Second Prince sighed: "The friendship we have shared since childhood cannot be compared to a single word from her."
The second prince pulled out a dagger and handed it to the seventh prince: "If you don't trust me, kill me, and then no one will be able to compete with you anymore."
His fingertips were icy cold.
"Then Second Prince, please explain why those troops from the vassal states who were stranded in Yuncheng appeared. The entire southern border was kept completely hidden. If no one was bribing them, how could things have gone so smoothly?" the Seventh Prince questioned coldly.
The Second Prince's expression changed slightly.
"This is your father's will," Empress Yan interrupted. "Do you remember why the vassal states suddenly withdrew their troops when the allied forces of several nations were at war?"
Empress Yan said helplessly, "The situation is not favorable to you. The Emperor wrote a letter to the vassal state seeking peace, promising to give them one million taels of gold after the victory if they were willing to withdraw their troops. The vassal state proposed to station 150,000 troops in Yuncheng."
The second prince nodded repeatedly: "That is indeed the case. These troops were secretly hidden to prevent the people from panicking, which is why the order was given to keep it completely secret."
It took Empress Yan two whole days to figure out this reason.
That's perfectly reasonable.
The Third Prince's wife then asked, "Then why would Zhao Jiahua know about the Yuncheng army?"
The Second Prince scoffed, "It must have been someone from Northern Chu who sent the message. Northern Chu has been eyeing us covetously for years, always wanting to attack Southern Frontier. Southern Frontier has been fighting for years and needs to recuperate, but it just so happens that it's at this time that it's fighting with a vassal state. Zhao Jiahua is also anxious to go back, so he might be carrying a border defense map with him!"
"Seventh Prince, we can't let Zhao Jiahua leave Southern Xinjiang." The Third Prince's wife was very anxious. She glanced at Empress Yan's face and, seeing that she did not object, continued, "Seventh Prince, Jiahua is just using the two children as an excuse to bring them here. Northern Chu will definitely release them. The Song family doesn't like the two children anyway, so they naturally won't detain them."
“It’s impossible for her to still be longing for Bei Chu even though both children are in Jincheng. If she insists on going back, there’s only one possibility!” Before the Third Prince’s wife could finish speaking, the Seventh Prince interrupted her: “Third sister-in-law, be careful what you say. Jia Hua isn’t that kind of person.”
Faced with the Seventh Prince's gloomy expression, the Third Prince's wife shrugged, but remembering that the young prince was still in Empress Yan's hands, she could only lie against her conscience.
Empress Yan stared intently at the Seventh Prince: "No one has ever made things difficult for her, so what else are you dissatisfied with?"
"They instigated the killing of the Third Prince, the evidence is conclusive, they helped you confiscate the Huo family's property, and they led you to Yuncheng where you discovered the vassal state's army. In a short period of time, more than 100,000 people have lost their lives!"
All eyes were on the Seventh Prince.
I'm waiting for him to say something.
The dagger in the second prince's hand fell to the ground, still gleaming coldly. He bent down, picked it up, and handed it to the seventh prince: "Just say the word, and my life is yours. I'll die without regrets. But the Southern Frontier cannot be used by others."
The seventh prince pursed his lips tightly.
"Seventh Prince, once Zhao Jiahua leaves Southern Xinjiang, the consequences will be unimaginable. He will never return to Southern Xinjiang in this lifetime." The Second Prince's words were like sharp blades piercing his heart, causing him waves of pain and forcing him to take it seriously.
A sudden idea flashed through the Third Prince's wife's mind, and she asked, "Seventh Prince, where is that General Zuo?"
The seventh prince remained silent, but his breathing became rapid.
"Seventh Brother, General Zuo has no parents and has followed you for so long. He doesn't even listen to the Emperor, so why does he listen to Zhao Jiahua? I heard that on the night the Huo family set fire, it was General Zuo who found the secret passage. This is too strange. Perhaps this General Zuo is a spy sent by Northern Chu!"
These words were like a wake-up call. The Seventh Prince turned and left, his steps hurried and firm.
Seeing this, Empress Yan behind her smiled meaningfully and glanced at the Third Prince's wife; "I grant you permission to come to Fengyi Palace to pay your respects every day."
The Third Prince's wife forced an awkward smile: "Thank you for your magnanimity, Your Highness."
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