Shao Yihui was silent for a long while. Just before Qi Dongqiang could explode with anger, he spoke, "Of course, she can't compare to you, but she is very scheming and has power in her hands. You must control your temper and don't provoke her!"
As soon as the words fell, Shao Yihui noticed that the woman's breathing was getting heavier. After a while, he heard her say in a stern voice, "You are trying to stop me in every way. Could it be that you are attracted by the princess's beauty and have some false thoughts in your mind?"
The more Qi Dongqiang thought about it, the angrier he became. He struggled out of the man's arms, grabbed his clothes and put them on, complaining as he did so, "You men are no good! You prefer those fair-skinned beauties who rely on others for their services. I know I've been training in the barracks all day, my skin has become tough, and I've been shouting at those soldiers all day, so my voice is hoarse and unpleasant, but don't look down on me. I'm a woman who works for the country and the people, I have ideals and ambitions, and I can stand shoulder to shoulder with men in public. I'm not one of those shrewd women who only scheme and fight for favors in the inner court!"
Shao Yihui stepped forward and hugged the angry woman, helplessly, "Where did you go? I've known you for many years, and you still don't understand me? Am I the kind of person who is greedy for beauty?"
"Then you..." Qi Dongqiang felt a little aggrieved.
"I'm just concerned about your safety. Although you're the general's legitimate daughter, a princess is still a princess after all. Besides, Shangguan Shu... anyone with eyes can see that he's now Princess Chengqian's vanguard, obeying her wherever she commands him. He's more obedient than a dog. If you offend the princess, even if he values you dearly, you'll probably be in trouble. Until this is accomplished, both you and I must be patient!"
Qi Dongqiang was silent, as if he was considering Shao Yihui's words.
Shao Yihui breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she had been coaxed into submission. Just as he was about to let go, Qi Dongqiang snorted coldly, "Humph! I refuse to believe this!"
"I am a meritorious minister of the Great Chu State. She is just a princess who enjoys empty honors. The princess's life depends on the ability of her generals. Without capable and skilled generals, the princess is just a tool for marriage. How can she show off her power in the capital?"
"I don't believe it. Between the safety of Great Chu and a princess, the Emperor would choose her. As for Shangguan Taishi, a beautiful woman is nothing more than a tool for a powerful man's entertainment. She is not worth mentioning when compared to a brother who has been through thick and thin with him!"
"Ahui, you are too cautious."
"Just wait, I will definitely avenge you!"
After Qi Dongqiang finished speaking, he shook off Shao Yihui and left with an agile gait and a dashing and heroic demeanor.
"Yuan'er!"
Shao Yihui was already injured, and the wound was torn a little due to his emotional excitement. Qi Dongqiang walked fast, and he had no way of catching up.
Shao Yihui frowned deeply and began to regret complaining to Qi Dongqiang.
Although she knew that Qi Dongqiang was good in every way, she just looked down on those girls from the boudoir. Since she was a child, she felt that she was not the same kind of person as them. She thought that they were scheming and not upright enough. They were not as carefree and broad-minded as men. She liked to be brothers with men since she was a child.
Now that she is over thirty and Yunying is still unmarried, she is forced to regard those women who marry other men and have their husbands be the head of their families as a scourge.
A woman like Zhao Ying, who relied on her father before marriage and obeyed her husband after marriage, and gave birth to a lot of children, is beautiful, slender, gentle and timid. Every aspect of her is testing her bottom line.
Shao Yihui called his servant to chase after him. When the servant came back and told him that he had not caught up, Shao Yihui's frown deepened.
…
The Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.
Without Shangguan Zhu, only Shangguan Shu and Shangguan Dan were left to discuss things.
Rebellion requires preparation, and even if you don't rebel, you still need to clean up the mess.
For example, General Huang was summoned back to the capital overnight by Shangguan Shu and secretly set up camp outside the capital. The general, who commanded an army of 200,000, stayed in the suburbs of the capital for many days. Finally, he was notified that everything was fine and he could go back.
When they came to the capital, General Huang was very excited. After being driven away, General Huang was so angry that his face turned red.
Shangguan Shu used to command a million-strong army, and his four generals, Huang, Lin and Su Qi, were all loyal to him. Among them, General Huang and General Lin knew his plans and recognized people rather than tokens. They were truly his confidants, with a total of 600,000 troops.
General Su commanded an army of 300,000 and was loyal to the emperor. Because Shangguan Shu was openly loyal to the emperor, he also obeyed Shangguan Shu's orders.
Shangguan Shu admired General Su very much. According to his original plan, after the uprising, he did not want General Su to get involved. He could have let him stay at the southeastern border to guard the border and ensure that he would not be harassed by foreign enemies during the civil unrest.
As for General Qi, Shangguan Shu had long seen that he was a fence-sitter, unsure of his loyalty or treachery, but due to his bravery on the battlefield, he reluctantly used him and let him command an army of 100,000.
Shangguan Shu wrote four letters, including one to General Huang and General Lin, using a special potion to explain in detail the reasons why he had originally intended to rebel, and how he had mistakenly believed in slander and wrongly blamed good people. Now he has not changed his mind, and hopes that everyone will forgive him... His words are sincere.
After sealing the letter, Shangguan Shu sent a secret guard to deliver it to the military camp.
Then he instructed Shangguan Dan, "Tanzhi, tomorrow you and I will go together to raid the Prince of Yue's Palace."
…
In the following half month, Shangguan Shu was extremely busy with the investigations, accountability and judgments, which made the civil and military officials tremble with fear.
In addition to the crime of murdering King Xian, he also committed more than a dozen serious crimes together with King Shou, including embezzling public funds for disaster relief, selling official positions and titles, and accepting bribes.
The crime of King Yue's corruption was irrefutable, but the crime of killing the virtuous king was indeed a fabrication. However, the "evidence" was conclusive, and he was unable to defend himself, so he was frightened to death and died unjustly in prison.
When Emperor Jianxi heard about this, he just sighed and said, "If I had known this would happen, why would I have done it in the first place..."
Zhao Ying felt a little reluctant, as she knew that the King of Yue was wronged and framed by her and Shangguan Shu, but she suppressed her emotion in just a moment.
The emperor is guilty of the same crime as the common people. Even if there was no virtuous king, his corruption and abuse of power would be a capital crime, not to mention... Shangguan Shu's thorough investigation revealed that he had colluded with the virtuous king and had evil intentions.
Zhao Ying's eyes were empty as he looked at the new buds of the willow forest not far away, thinking about something in his mind... The dead branches had fallen to the ground, and new buds were sprouting, a scene of prosperity.
Huai'an, Prince Shou, Prince Xian, Prince Yue... there is only Prince Liang left. As long as she holds Shangguan Shu tightly, Prince Liang will naturally not be able to achieve anything.
What should be removed has been removed, and what should come back will come back.
The overall situation... has been decided!
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