Chapter 76: Fighting Openly and Secretly
With Shanhaiguan as the center, to the east is the sphere of influence of the Liaodong Army, and to the west is the sphere of influence of the Zhenbei General.
Pull out the vine and you will get the melon. The secret guards of Prince Qi's Mansion, led by Baldy, are determined to clear out all the imperial spies west, east and north of Shanhaiguan this time.
The secret guards of Prince Qi's Mansion have never acted so recklessly before. This time when they came to Shanhaiguan, they didn't even care about hiding their identities. Wherever there were court spies, the secret guards of Prince Qi's Mansion would cast their nets there like a dense net to catch fish, and no one would be able to get through the gaps in the net.
Zhang Minghui was frightened by the crazy counterattack of Prince Qi's Mansion. He even guessed that with Prince Qi's Mansion acting like this, the person in the palace would probably be unable to sit still.
After this arrest, there are no more minions of the imperial court north of Shanhaiguan, and it will be easier for Prince Qi to take action against the Yanzhou Army and the Liaodong Army. If the imperial court does not care, Prince Qi will divide Shanhaiguan with the imperial court and rule it separately.
Zhang Minghui was anxious and worried that the two sides would fight each other. If something went wrong with the Yanzhou army, the Tartars in the north would break through his siege and go south to plunder. Then he, Zhang Minghui, would be a sinner of the Zhou Dynasty.
Even if the Tartars did not come, his future as a general of Yanzhou would be bleak. Zhang Minghui was afraid that the court would fight with Prince Qi and use his Yanzhou army as a raft, but he was also afraid that the court would not do anything. By then, Prince Qi would find it easier to control him than to control that old man Meng Chuan.
After all, Meng Chuan’s surname is Meng, and the Meng family is the maternal family of King Qi. Who does Zhang Ming count as?
Looking back now, he even made things difficult for Prince Qi over the years just to please the person in the palace.
The secret guards of Prince Qi's mansion captured someone and left in the middle of the night. Zhang Minghui returned to his courtyard and drank two cups of cold tea in one breath. Only then did he calm down and think of the people he had sent to Songjiang City over the years. Now was the time to use them.
Zhang Minghui immediately wrote a letter by hand. After the ink dried, he sealed the letter with his own hands and handed it to his confidant: "You must leave the customs tonight and make sure to deliver the letter to Heng'er, understand?"
"Don't worry, General. I understand."
Zhang Minghui's confidant's overnight escape was naturally unseen by the Qi Wang Palace's secret guards. The bald man said, "As long as he's not sending information to Luoyang, don't worry about him."
It is not surprising that there are people sent by Zhang Minghui in Songjiang City. Baldy even knows that among those who were instructed by Zhang Minghui to go to Songjiang, there are quite a few who are military generals serving in the city defense army.
The prince once said that as long as these people are willing to go to Songjiang City, whether they can be kept and made to serve the Qi Wang Mansion wholeheartedly depends on the ability of the Qi Wang Mansion.
Over the years, the secret guards of Prince Qi's Mansion have been keeping an eye on those people. Only a few of them have ulterior motives, but most of them have gradually become Prince Qi's own staff.
It's a pity. If Zhang Minghui had been smarter, he wouldn't have let the court's spies set up a lair here, and the princess wouldn't have taken her anger out on him. With the prince's arrangement of the Yanzhou army, Zhang Minghui could have served as the Yanzhou general for a few more years.
The prince gave the princess a lecture on the second day after she entered the palace. The princess and the prince are one, so they have to carry out the princess's orders.
"Boss, I'm afraid the Liaodong Army won't cooperate like Zhang Ming would."
"Whether he cooperates or not won't hinder our work. If he goes against us, you must hand over your head, or the head of General Liaodong."
The bald man glanced at all his men and asked, "Do you understand what I said?"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Some people were assigned to send the spies captured in Shanhaiguan back to Prince Qi's Mansion. Baldy led one group of people westward, and the other group of people went eastward.
The sky was turning pale as Zhang Minghui's confidant rode his horse and galloped towards Songjiang City. Behind him, a team of secret guards from Prince Qi's Mansion were also on their way to Songjiang City, escorting prisoners.
At this time, Songjiang City is adjacent to the mountain village.
Mrs. Du asked her daughter and daughter-in-law to get up and have breakfast, and after breakfast they would return to the city.
While Ah Xuan was drinking her own porridge, she also remembered to serve a bowl to her mother and sister-in-law: "Mom, when we go back to the city, are we going back to our own home or to my sister's?"
"Let's go back to our house first. When your father gets off duty in the evening, we'll go to Prince Qi's Mansion together as a family."
After Mrs. Du finished talking to her daughter, she turned to her eldest daughter-in-law, "You were able to sleep last night, but you didn't know that Dalang sent a message back at night saying that he's going to be busy these days and won't be able to come home in the next few days. He asked you to take good care of yourself and the child."
Duan smiled and nodded: "I'm relieved that An An and Da Lang are fine. He can just go about his business. I'm eating and drinking well at home. There's no need for him to worry about me."
Mrs. Du nodded with a smile. This eldest daughter-in-law was a good choice and was the material for being the mistress of the house.
After breakfast, she asked the maids and servants to pack their luggage and set off. Before leaving, Mrs. Du asked Mrs. Zhang to take people to the vegetable garden to pick a few baskets of vegetables. In addition to eating them herself, she also sent a basket to Prince Qi's Mansion, the Guo family, the Tian family, the Zhang family, and the eldest daughter-in-law's family.
The carriage started to shake as it moved. Mrs. Du pulled her eldest daughter-in-law aside and chatted, "Your mother is too polite. I invited her to stay in the village for a few days a few days ago, but she refused to come."
Duan knew why her mother refused to come. First, she didn't want to leave her father, and second, she was worried about her mother because she had young nephews and nieces at home.
A woman who is the head of the household and in charge of a large family cannot just leave whenever she wants.
Mrs. Du sighed and said, "Fortunately, this matter is over. I hope we can live in peace in the future."
"Don't worry, Mom. An An is so smart. She knows how to leave a way out for herself."
"She got married right after you married in. You don't know her very well. Don't be fooled by her smiling face in front of her family. She is a person who doesn't tolerate any sand in her eyes. If you make her angry, she will do anything."
It was difficult to tell her eldest daughter-in-law about An An killing someone with a knife in the reed marsh on the way to exile, so Du only told her about An An's business trip in Luoyang.
"No matter how An An treats others, she is very kind to her family. The Hu family, who did business with her, the Han family who is now under her, and my mother's family, the Du family, have all been treated well by her."
"An An won't say many things openly. You can tell her true nature by just looking at how she acts. An An is very affectionate. As her mother, I, as well as all of you brothers and sisters, should remember her kindness and not make her sad."
"After your father and I are gone, you and A-Xuan must support each other. Even if you can't be close to each other, don't be estranged. If it comes to that, your father and I won't be at peace even in the grave."
Ah Xuan raised her head and said proudly, "I won't be estranged from my sister. My sister and I are the best friends in the world."
Mrs. Duan understood her mother-in-law's painstaking efforts, and she assured her mother-in-law, "Axuan, An'an, you will always be Wenqing and I's sisters. As a family, there are no obstacles that cannot be overcome, and no knots that cannot be untied. We will be fine in the future."
Mrs. Du patted Mrs. Duan's hand and said, "When I first met you, Wenqing, I liked you at first sight. I knew you were a good girl and would marry a virtuous woman. It is a blessing for our Gu family that you are willing to marry into our family."
Mrs. Du had a cheerful personality, and Duan had heard her mother-in-law say such words of praise to her many times. But no matter how many times she heard it, Duan felt sweet in her heart.
The Gu family's carriage entered the city and first went to the Zhang family's pharmacy on East Street.
The Zhang family consists of four people. Because Zhang Shinan and his son Zhang Yinshan are guarding the medicine store every day, Liu and her daughter-in-law Li both came to live in the city.
Mrs. Du had several other places to visit, so she didn't get off the carriage. When she arrived at Zhang's pharmacy, she just asked Mrs. Zhang to move the vegetables from the back rack to the pharmacy.
Mrs. Du lifted the carriage curtain and called out, "Sister Liu, I have more vegetables than I can eat from my garden, so I just happened to go into town and bring you a basket. Take some and enjoy."
The son and daughter-in-law were sorting medicinal herbs in the backyard. There were no patients seeking treatment at the moment, so Mrs. Liu was looking after the shop alone.
When Mrs. Liu came out of the door and saw several baskets of vegetables on the cart behind her, she said to Mrs. Du, "Well, I won't be polite with you."
Mrs. Du laughed and said, "Why are you the only one looking after the medicine shop? Where are the others? How is your daughter-in-law?"
"My daughter-in-law is fine. Yinshan and his wife are busy in the backyard. Yinshan's father came back yesterday and went to Prince Qi's mansion again. He is not at home. Your eldest brother, Doctor Du, is out seeing patients and is not here either."
Liu smiled and said, "I am an idle person with nothing to do, so I just wander around the shop."
Duan and Axuan hurriedly asked people to pay their respects. Liu smiled and said, "Since you are already very busy, please don't get off the carriage to avoid trouble."
Mrs. Du looked around and saw that the streets were full of people. She wanted to ask if Prince Qi was seriously injured and that was why he asked Doctor Zhang to live in the palace, but since the streets were full of people, it was difficult to open her mouth.
Mrs. Liu noticed her worry and walked over to whisper, "I heard that the injuries were indeed serious, but he survived."
Mrs. Du breathed a sigh of relief. She knew she could just get through it. She should have known An An had some good medicine that would definitely work, but she hadn't met him in person yet, so she couldn't help but worry.
After receiving the confirmation from Liu, Du was relieved. She smiled and said, "I still have to go to my in-laws' house. I'll leave now."
Liu said, "Go ahead. Come and visit me again when you have time."
"Why."
After leaving Zhang's pharmacy, the anxiety in Liu's eyes suddenly lessened, and she laughed more happily when she talked and laughed.
The Gu family's carriage went to the Duan family, which was also in the east of the city, and delivered a basket of vegetables. It was not a gift, but a token of friendship.
The Duan family's doorman bowed and said with a smile, "I've sent someone to the backyard to inform you. Madam Du, Miss, and Miss Gu, why don't you get off the carriage and go home to rest?"
Mrs. Du asked her daughter-in-law, "How about having lunch at your parents' house? I'll have the driver come pick you up this afternoon?"
Duan said no, "We'll talk about it when we have time in the future."
Mrs. Duan's housekeeper's wife came running over, panting. Mrs. Duan said with a smile, "I'm sorry to bother you. Please tell my mother that we have to go out this afternoon and won't be free today. Please come back another day."
The housekeeper's wife smiled and said, "Well, please take your time, Madam, Miss, and Miss Gu. Come back when you have time."
After watching the Gu family's carriage leave, the housekeeper's wife hurried back to report. Mrs. Duan had just changed into her clothes to meet the guests when she heard the housekeeper's wife say, "Young lady and Madam Du are returning to the city from the village. They probably can't eat all the vegetables in their own vegetable garden, so they sent a basket to our house."
Mrs. Duan's daughter-in-law smiled and said, "Mrs. Du is a real person. She really loves my sister-in-law and treats our family as real relatives."
These words touched Mrs. Duan's heart. She looked at her daughter-in-law with admiration and asked with a smile, "Apart from this, did you say anything else?"
"The young lady said that the Gu family has to go out in the afternoon and is not free today. They can come to our house another day."
Are you going out in the afternoon? Madam Duan thought again. Wan Niang is still pregnant and it is not easy for her to go out. Who else could the Gu family ask the whole family to go out to visit, except for Prince Qi and his wife who just returned to the city yesterday?
Madam Duan smiled and sighed, "The princess has a close relationship with her family."
Princess Qi has a close relationship with her natal family, so naturally, it brings many benefits to relatives like the Duan family who are in a different family.
Several days have passed, and Mrs. Duan still remembers how terrifying it was when the guards from Prince Qi's mansion were arresting officials all over the city.
Mrs. Duan was confident that her husband was not corrupt and would not betray Prince Qi, but in such a tense situation, it was impossible for Mrs. Duan, the head of the household, not to be afraid.
That day, the second-level official working at the tax office next door to the Duan family was arrested. The children in the family were so scared that they dared not go out. The steward of Prince Qi's mansion came specially to deliver a message, saying that Lord Duan would go to Lord Gu's house in the evening and would not be back tonight.
When Mrs. Duan heard those words, her nervous heart relaxed immediately.
If their family had not married into the Gu family, and if her husband was just an ordinary official, why would the guards from Prince Qi's mansion come all the way just to pass on a message to her family?
At that time, Mrs. Duan knew that the relationship between their family and the Gu family and Prince Qi's Mansion could only be good, not bad.
My husband is very far-sighted. He has chosen a good marriage for our daughter. There is nothing to pick from, from the person to the family background.
Madam Duan said to her daughters-in-law, "In the future, ask Dalang and his brothers to get closer to Wenqing. If there is any movement in the Gu family, we can help them."
They said they were talking about the Gu family, but in reality they were talking about Princess Qi. The daughters-in-law knew it. They should make regular use of the existing connections with Princess Qi.
After going from East City to West City, and visiting the Guo and Tian families, there were still two baskets of vegetables left on the cart, which he took home.
Ah Xuan said, "My sister and brother-in-law's farm must be growing a lot of vegetables, so they definitely have plenty to eat. Let's not send them."
"How can that be? The dishes at Prince Qi's Mansion are from Prince Qi's Mansion, and what I sent is different."
Mrs. Du instructed the housekeeper Wang Quan to put away the vegetables that were to be sent to Prince Qi's mansion in the afternoon so that they would not wilt in the sun, and then she went into the house to rest.
They went out early in the morning and walked around Songjiang City halfway to deliver the vegetables. It was almost noon when the couple in Prince Qi's Mansion got up.
One of them was recuperating from an illness and the other was pregnant. After a few days of hard work outside, they returned home and slept comfortably until they woke up naturally. They felt so relaxed all over.
Gu Youan got up and washed up, feeling refreshed and ready for lunch.
Prince Qi was injured in the abdomen and could not get up. After he got up, he asked the servant to carry him to the recliner as usual, and then carried the recliner to the dining room.
Just as the maids and servants were serving the dishes, Zhang Shinan and the court physician arrived. They first took the patient's pulse and then changed the medicine.
"Your Highness's wounds are healing quickly. He will be able to get up and move around after a few days of recuperation."
Gu Youan asked worriedly, "Is it okay inside?"
"The prince's wound may look hideous, but it actually didn't damage any of his internal organs. There's no need to worry too much."
Prince Qi recalled that during the fight, three people surrounded him. One of the killers was holding a dagger, which made him feel something was wrong at first sight. So he fought and dodged the man at the same time, which gave the other two killers the opportunity to get close to him.
Xu Zhi brought his men to help, but the three killers were all dead. He fainted before he could give any instructions for the funeral. When he woke up again, all the killers were killed, and he didn't even think of looking for the dagger to show to Zhang Shinan and the court doctor.
After changing the medicine for Prince Qi, Zhang Shinan took Gu Youan's pulse again. After taking the pulse, he said: "Your pulse is still the same. You don't need to take medicine. Just take good care of yourself."
Zhang Shinan packed his medicine box and put it on his back: "It's enough to change the prince's medicine with the palace doctor. I will go home soon. If you need anything else in the future, please send someone to call me."
"Okay, Uncle Zhang, thank you for your hard work. I've prepared a thank-you gift for you. I think you'll like it. I'll ask Liu Zhong to take you to get it later."
Zhang Shinan did not refuse in front of Prince Qi, and said with a cupped hand: "Thank you, Your Majesty, Princess."
Liu Zhong led the way and took Zhang Shinan out. Prince Qi asked, "What's the thank you gift?"
"What's the best gift for the doctor?"
"Precious medicinal herbs?"
Gu Youan smiled and said, "You guessed right."
Housekeeper Gu Youan knew all the good stuff in the family's storeroom. Some herbs wouldn't keep well for long, so it would be better to give some to Uncle Zhang. They would be more useful in his hands than in theirs.
The couple had lunch and then got up without rushing to take a nap. King Qi called Xu Zhi over to ask him where the dagger that had concerned him so much at the time was.
Xu Zhidao said, "After the assassins were silenced, they were burned to ashes. The swords they carried were packed in boxes and brought back, and then left in the empty room in Li Xian's courtyard."
"Go find a dagger with a tiger head carved into the handle and two blood grooves on the blade. Have someone examine it to see if there's anything smeared on it."
Xu Zhi immediately said seriously: "I'll go right away."
Xu Zhi strode away, and Gu Youan frowned: "Do you doubt the dagger?"
He nodded. "It was too quick to think carefully at the time. I instinctively felt that the killer with the dagger posed the greatest threat to me."
Gu Youan sneered: "What's the difference? Aren't they all going after your life? Aren't the other killers going there just to kill you?"
Having said that, he was very curious about what was on the dagger.
"That dagger is very finely crafted. I feel like I've seen it somewhere before."
"You think you've seen it? Could it be something from the palace? No matter which secret guard used what means to kill you, in the final analysis, it was Zhou Xuan who wanted your life."
Zhou Qi smiled bitterly. An An's words were merciless, but they were aimed at the core.
Xu Zhi found the dagger that the prince mentioned. Among a box of swords, this dagger was the most conspicuous and it was obvious that it was more valuable than the other swords.
Xu Zhi wrapped the dagger in cloth and took it to the secret guards himself, among whom there was someone who knew about poisons.
It was no more difficult to identify than the insect powder on Prince Qi's wound. When Xu Zhi delivered the dagger, an old eunuch from the palace said, "The sterilization medicine from the palace was once used exclusively for the beauties in the palace. Once you get this medicine, you won't have any children."
"How vicious!" Xu Zhi was furious.
The old eunuch's feminine voice chuckled: "This is not vicious at all, it's just that you harm me and I harm you in the harem."
Xu Zhi said coldly, "Women use despicable means, but as a king, he doesn't care about his reputation."
Liu Ling came out of the secret door and said, "Methods are just methods. There's no difference between despicable and noble. As long as they are useful, it's fine. Look at the princess. Do you dare to say that her methods are despicable?"
Xu Zhi glanced away without saying anything.
Liu Ling glanced coldly at the well-made dagger and said, "We both want to destroy each other's foundation. It's either you or me. It all depends on who has the more skillful means. The palace used this tactic but it didn't work. Now it's our turn. It seems that our princess will come out on top."
Xu Zhi went to report the matter of the dagger in person. Gu Youan listened without even raising his eyelids, but King Qi laughed. He didn't expect Zhou Xuan to hate him so much.
He thought that he and Zhou Xuan were only competing for the throne, so it was normal for him to be wary of his uncle. Unexpectedly, judging by the ruthlessness of his actions, it seemed like they had a personal vendetta.
Gu Youan thought of something and suddenly laughed, "The Emperor must be hoping for your death. Even if you managed to survive, he would definitely think you were injured or poisoned, and your heirs would be cut off. Tell me, if he knew I was pregnant, would he be so angry that he died?"
Xu Zhi, who had been looking down, suddenly thought of this scene. He was no longer angry and couldn't help laughing.
Zhou Qi held her hand tightly: "Don't bring up you and the child. It's bad luck."
Zhou Qi wanted to know why he cared so much about the dagger. Now that he knew, he just smiled and let it go.
In the evening, the Gu family came to the house. The couple were in a good mood, and Gu Youan was happy to sit and talk with her mother.
Mrs. Du was heartbroken when she saw how much thinner her daughter had become after leaving home. "Didn't you eat well while you were away? Did you forget you were pregnant? You're such a careless mother."
A Xuan went close to her sister and touched her belly: "I can't feel it."
Gu Youan patted his sister's hand and said, "The baby is still young. Come back and have a look in a few months."
Gu Youan smiled and said to his sister-in-law, "Sister-in-law, the baby is due in August. I don't know if it will be before or after the Mid-Autumn Festival."
Duan touched her belly and said gently, "Uncle Zhang said that Sister Li and I might be born one after the Mid-Autumn Festival and the other before the Mid-Autumn Festival."
The sister Li that Duan mentioned was the daughter-in-law of the Zhang family and the wife of Zhang Yinshan. She became pregnant half a month earlier than Duan.
Mrs. Du said, "It's better after the Mid-Autumn Festival. The confinement period won't be so uncomfortable if you give birth later."
"That's true."
Mrs. Du looked at her daughter's still flat belly and said, "The baby in your belly will probably be born in the first month of the year. Don't worry about the hot weather."
The women were talking about their children, while Gu Wen and King Qi were talking about what had happened in Songjiang City in recent days. Because they talked too much or were thirsty, King Qi asked someone to bring them a cup of tea.
Gu Youan glared at him: "You're still taking medicine, why are you drinking tea? Uncle Zhang said that drinking too much tea will make you sleepy, and not getting a good night's sleep is not good for wound recovery."
After being scolded by his own princess, Prince Qi did not say a word. The grown man looked very aggrieved.
Mrs. Du nudged her daughter and said, "If you have something to say, please talk nicely. Why are you being so aggressive?"
Gu Youan smiled and said, "I wasn't mean to him. I was talking to him kindly."
Prince Qi chimed in, "Your Highness is right. Your Highness was not mean to me."
This person... is really... doing it on purpose, right?
Gu Youan glared at him quietly, and Prince Qi smiled innocently.
Mrs. Du coughed lightly and said, "An'an, I came into the city from the village today and brought you a basket of vegetables. They won't keep well for long, so I'll ask the cook to stir-fry a few dishes for you later."
"oh."
Without Gu Youan's instructions, the maid serving outside the door went to the small kitchen to pass on the message.
A Xuan looked left and right, wow, her brother-in-law and sister looked like children!
Ah Xuan's eyes darted around. Duan was afraid her sister-in-law might say something inappropriate, so she hurriedly asked with a smile, "When we entered the city today, we saw that the largest vegetable market near the East City Gate had suddenly been fenced off. I don't know what it was for."
"That...it's nothing. Don't go out tomorrow, sister-in-law. I'm afraid the little thing has offended you."
"Why is this?" Duan was puzzled.
Prince Qi said, "Some people will have their heads chopped off tomorrow."
Duan suddenly felt her heart pounding, and she held her chest and dared not speak again.
Gu Wen asked, "How many people are there?"
"not much."
As far as Gu Wen knew, there were nearly a hundred people imprisoned in the dungeon. Prince Qi didn't say much, so how many people were there?
Gu Youan said: "Don't worry, Dad. Except for the main culprits, everyone else will be released and they are waiting for work."
Gu Wen felt relieved. It was okay to just execute the main culprit, and not many people would die.
Prince Qi...can be considered lenient.
Mrs. Du felt uneasy and wanted to persuade her son-in-law not to commit the sin of killing at this time in order to accumulate merit for his child. However, she was afraid that she would be too soft-hearted and end up doing something bad with good intentions.
Gu Youan saw that her mother was upset, but she did not try to persuade her because she knew that in order to scare the monkeys, she had to kill two chickens.
Otherwise, if he cries wolf, how will he manage his subordinates in the future?
Gu Wen knew the seriousness of the matter, so he didn't try to persuade her. After dinner, before returning home, he simply said, "After establishing your authority this time, you and the one in the palace will be at war to the death. You must be prepared and take good care of yourself."
"Yeah, Dad, we know."
The Gu family's carriage wobbled back to Minren Lane. Gu Wen and Mrs. Du were in the same carriage. Mrs. Du looked hesitant: "Where is An An..."
Gu Wen said gently, "A general's success is built on the sacrifice of countless lives. I wonder how many lives and bones were piled up to reach the supreme throne. For people like An An and her husband, there's no way to escape. There's no other way but to fight all the way."
Escape? Prince Qi and An An were not the type to run away. They would fight their way out of this bloody situation even if it meant risking their lives. Telling them to escape was just nonsense.
Mrs. Du sighed, "In my mind, I just thought An An had married into a wealthy family. Whether she was a wife in an ordinary household or a princess in a royal palace, no matter how big the house was or how many servants she had, she would be in charge of the family's food and drink."
Even though it required her daughter to spend a lot of time and effort to plan, Mrs. Du could not have imagined that it would be these.
She finally woke up today. Her daughter was more ruthless and murderous than she knew. She couldn't tell whether it was good or bad.
Gu Wen felt very happy: "Having a daughter like this is a blessing for my husband and me."
“Yes, it is our blessing.”
After all, she was her own daughter. In Mrs. Du's heart, her daughter was good in every way. The next day, the vegetable market was surrounded by three layers of people, and more than a hundred people were pushed into the vegetable market. All of these people were scared and their faces turned pale.
In the end, more than a dozen people were chopped down and the rest were sent home. Everyone woke up from their dream and saved their lives.
"Why don't you thank the prince and princess quickly!"
Immediately, some terrified people knelt down and kowtowed: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your mercy!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"Thank you, Princess!"
The others who were slow to react also knelt down, kowtowed one by one, tears streaming down their faces.
Zhou Chen, who was in charge of the execution, returned to the palace to report. King Qi snorted and said, "Tsk, that monkey is not very courageous. With such little courage, he dares to be a traitor?"
What was killed was the emperor's chicken, and what was scared was the monkeys in Songjiang City. Any official with a little insight could see it.
Meng family.
General Meng, whose hair had nearly turned white in the past few months, said directly to his children and grandchildren, "You all heard the charges being read out. Among those being executed, one was charged with plotting to murder Prince Qi. Prince Qi dared to execute someone who was responsible for the Emperor's death on this charge. From today on, the feud between Prince Qi and the man in the palace is almost open. It all depends on who will declare war first and break the final layer of window paper."
Gu Wen and Duan Ji, the two relatives, were sitting in the study drinking tea. Gu Wen said, "The Emperor hasn't yet fully taken control of the army. He doesn't dare to declare war openly."
As for Prince Qi, he was about to gather the Yanzhou Army and the Liaodong Army, and would not declare war at this juncture.
The surface calm can still be maintained.
In private, everyone relies on their own abilities.
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