Princess Huasheng and her staff discussed the matter and concluded that it must have been the Crown Prince's men who had done the deed. They had always had a bad relationship. This time, she had gotten a little closer to the Fourth Prince, and that was why she had attacked and injured his men.
Is the prince warning her?
Princess Huasheng sneered. That idiot, if he hadn't had a good uncle who planned for him and the emperor appointed the eldest daughter of the Taifu as the Crown Princess, he would have been pulled down from the position of Crown Prince long ago.
Anyone who dares to attack her, even a dog, is unacceptable. So what if Xiao Zhensheng is in the capital? Just give her a small lesson and they won't be able to find her.
So, Princess Huasheng started to make trouble for the prince. It was nothing serious, just a small conflict and occasional tripping.
The fight between Princess Huasheng and the Crown Prince was in full swing. Gu Yuanfang was worried every day and was losing weight.
Li Guangping waited until his injury healed before moving to the small courtyard. Xiao Cui would visit her brother every morning, noon and evening. Gu Yuanfang would go once a day, and his complexion would be even worse when he came out.
At this time, letters one after another were sent from the North Gate over 800 miles to the capital and placed on the emperor's desk.
When the emperor saw the first letter, he slammed the table with excitement and said, "Good, well done."
He said that this time it would be successful. The old marquis and Su Nanting had been studying how to fight back and recapture the city every day for years. They had recaptured Yincheng so quickly and smoothly. Well done.
When the emperor received the second letter, he could no longer contain his excitement. "Great! If we keep fighting like this, we will be able to recapture the six cities soon. Please don't let me down."
When the emperor received the third express letter from Beiguan, which was sent 800 miles away, he also received Xiao Zhensheng's express letter from Beiguan, which was sent 100 miles away.
The two armies were unstoppable, and the morale of the soldiers was high. They were determined to take back their own land, win a battle, and be proud of themselves.
The emperor was beaming in his study every day, and in a good mood every morning during court. He didn't confront those officials who were looking for trouble. He let them roam around, and he would deal with them sooner or later.
The Crown Prince and Princess Huasheng had been feuding fiercely lately, and the Emperor had turned a blind eye, letting them do what they wanted. The Crown Prince was simply too well-protected by Xiao Zhensheng and the Imperial Tutor, and had become indecisive, narrow-minded, and selfish. It would be helpful to temper him.
When the emperor received the fourth letter from Beiguan, he clenched his fists and said, "It's time to close the net. We've allowed these spies to survive for so many years, bringing disaster to our Jing Dynasty. They should have died long ago."
Soon, strict investigations were launched in the capital of Jing Dynasty and other places, and many criminals were arrested. The Dongyang Marquisate was the first to be arrested, and relevant personnel from other marquisates were also taken away for investigation.
The Fourth Prince's Mansion and Princess Huasheng's Mansion were confined, with only entry allowed but no exit. Concubine Jin, Concubine Shu and others were placed under house arrest.
The sudden death of the Fourth Prince surprised the people in the capital. Didn't the Emperor dote on Concubine Shu and her son the most? Moreover, the Emperor treated Concubine Jin like his own mother. So why did he lock them up?
The answer was quickly given. The Dongyang Marquisate was collaborating with the enemy and selling out the country. There was irrefutable evidence from witnesses and physical evidence. There were other people who were also guilty. They were all running dogs of Northern Qi and Miaojiang.
As for Concubine Jin and Princess Huasheng, they supported the Fourth Prince. They were worshipping Buddha in Xiangshan, but they were actually stationing troops there, preparing to assist the Fourth Prince in his rebellion.
The people who were most happy about the Fourth Prince's downfall were the Crown Prince and several other princes. They were busy collecting evidence and were determined to bring him down in one fell swoop, leaving him no room for recovery.
After all, the emperor had doted on the Fourth Prince and his brothers too much before, and he was afraid that after he acted pitifully, the emperor would soften his heart and forgive him.
The fourth prince was dissatisfied and clamored to see the emperor. "Father, I am innocent. You can't lock me up. I didn't do anything."
He stood at the door and shouted every day, and the guards had no choice but to report to the emperor.
The emperor put down his imperial pen and said, "Bring him here."
Play dumb, tell him everything clearly, and throw all the evidence in his face.
Soon, the Fourth Prince was brought before the Emperor. He knelt down and said, "Father, I am wronged."
The emperor remained silent, staring at the Fourth Prince calmly for a long time before he asked, "Do you consider yourself a Jing Dynasty native or a Northern Qi native?"
The Fourth Prince was shocked, but he tried to remain calm. "Father, I am your son, so of course I am from the Jing Dynasty."
"Really?" The emperor sneered. "Don't you always think of yourself as the Fourth Prince of Northern Qi, and want to help Northern Qi conquer the Jing Dynasty and become a vassal?"
"Father, I have never had such thoughts. I am a prince of the Jing Dynasty. How could I do something so unkind and unjust for the sake of Northern Qi?"
"Yes, but you still did it, a lot." The emperor waved his hand, and a eunuch placed a large wooden box in front of the fourth prince. "Look for yourself."
The Fourth Prince looked at everything in the big wooden box one by one. They were all very familiar things. Weren't they destroyed? Why were they here?
"What else do you have to say?" The emperor looked at him coldly.
The Fourth Prince didn't dare to cry out that he was wronged and just knelt there.
The emperor said, "I thought you were smart and wouldn't be fooled, but it turns out you're the dumbest of all. Do you think that twenty years ago, someone could easily have swapped children in my harem and sent a prince from Northern Qi?"
"If that were the case, I wouldn't be an emperor anymore. I'd just go back to farming." The emperor sighed. "I just didn't expect that Northern Qi had been planning this for so long, always thinking about occupying Jing Dynasty, and had already extended its hands so far."
"But so what? If they hadn't had the thunder bomb seven years ago, they would have been no match for my Jing Dynasty army." The emperor told the fourth prince, "It's okay to tell you that Jing Dynasty has its own thunder bomb, which is better than Northern Qi's."
"Counting the days, Su Nanting and his men have already recaptured six cities."
The emperor said with great satisfaction, "Xiao Zhensheng has lived up to everyone's expectations and driven the Miao away. They don't have the ability to cross the river yet."
The Fourth Prince couldn't believe it even more. Jing Dynasty had its own thunder bomb, Su Nanting had already taken back the city, and when did Xiao Zhensheng go to the south? How come he didn't receive any news at all?
The emperor said, "What I am about to do must be very rigorous. How can I let you know?"
Having said what needed to be said, the emperor waved his hand and said, "Take him away."
The Fourth Prince lowered his head as he was led away. When they reached the door, the Emperor said, "My love for you is genuine. It's a pity that you have disappointed me so much."
The Fourth Prince looked up at the sky and suddenly felt very stupid. His father was right. Twenty years ago, the palace of the Jing Dynasty was like an iron barrel. Who could change a child under the emperor's nose?
All of this was a lie told by my mother for her career as a spy. He is the fourth prince of the Jing Dynasty.
What a shitty Northern Qi, it brought him so much harm. He has been living in lies all his life. It's so sad and lamentable.
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