"It's us...we're sorry!"
The old King of Southern Xinjiang walked towards Prince Chen, raised his broad hand high, and gently patted his back, his eyes full of heartache and guilt. They had wronged him!
The emperor, pressured by the scheming women in the harem, dared not get close to her. He searched everywhere for his youngest daughter but had no time to spend with her. Little did he know that the daughter he had been searching for for so many years had changed her name and was hiding in the palace, and had even become an imperial concubine.
That damn guy!
They actually harmed his two daughters! Absolutely despicable!
"rest assured--"
"We agreed long ago that this world belongs to you! Anyone who dares to take it is making an enemy of my Southern Frontier!"
The King of Southern Xinjiang made a solemn vow.
A glint of light flashed in Li Yan's eyes... He had always thought that his father disliked him, and that even if he was given the Dragon Guard, it was only out of pity for his incurable illness and short lifespan.
"Soldiers of the Southern Frontier, heed my command—"
The old King of Southern Xinjiang roared, "Follow me and escort His Highness the Crown Prince back to the capital!"
"yes--"
The soldiers in the southern border region shouted in unison.
Judge Qian, his face flushed with excitement, stepped forward and shouted, "All soldiers, listen to my command! Escort His Highness the Crown Prince back to the capital!"
"yes--"
The soldiers of Shu Commandery shouted in unison.
The two groups that were mortal enemies just moments ago have instantly become allies.
Fu Yuhou was so shocked his eyes almost popped out.
This...this is possible?
What a coincidence! The orphan girl that the Jin family picked up on the road turned out to be the youngest daughter of the King of Southern Xinjiang and the aunt of the Prince of Chen.
Even Jiang Jiaojiao didn't expect this...
How did things turn out like this?
I thought that it would be great if I could persuade the Shu Commandery Protector to take down Prefect Mei with the help of Magistrate Qian. But I never expected that... Xiao Jinjin's imperial edict would directly push Prince Chen to the position of Crown Prince. The appearance of the King of Southern Xinjiang would instantly reverse the situation, allowing him to gather troops from Southern Xinjiang and Shu Commandery with a legitimate reason for his attack!
What are we waiting for?
then--
The prefect's banquet turned into a wedding banquet for the King of Southern Xinjiang to reunite with his daughter, and a group of vicious officials and clerks were arrested, including the official who presented the Panlong Pearl.
The other guests were terrified and made every effort to promise to repent, return the taxes, treat the people well, and obey the Crown Prince's orders.
When Mei Lanxin woke up, she discovered...
The groom is gone, the father is gone, the mother is gone, and even the prefect's mansion has been confiscated!
Less than half a day after escaping the prefect's mansion, he was kidnapped...
The next day—
The people found Mei Lanxin's body in a dilapidated temple. Her body was filthy and covered in grime, with no part of her skin intact. Her eyes were wide open, and she died with her eyes open.
The army sets off—
Just outside the city gate, they recruited another force composed of private soldiers and miners and civilians. When they heard that Prefect Mei had died, they cheered and insisted on following and escorting the Crown Prince back to the capital!
The news spread quickly!
With a single call, the army responded enthusiastically. Before even leaving Shu County, it had already grown several times larger. Upon hearing the news, other county governors and vice-prefects also led their troops to assist them!
The Jin family's supplies and provisions flowed into the military camp in a steady stream!
The army advanced with unstoppable momentum, heading straight for the capital!
Inside the palace.
Crown Prince Jing threw the memorial away violently, turned around, strode into the bedchamber, grabbed the emperor on the bed by the collar, and without any regard for decorum, demanded, "Tell me—where did you hide the imperial seal!"
"Do you think I can't control the court without the imperial seal?"
"The second son is crippled, the third son is busy fighting against the Western Rong, the seventh son... hehe, we don't even know where he died yet, the twelfth son ate something wrong and ruined his eyes, and the thirteenth son... he actually went to Northern Mongolia to save that kid from the Jin family, hehe... once he sets foot in Northern Mongolia, it will be treason, and he should be executed!"
"You beast...you beast—"
The person on the bed was pale and squinting, his eyes wide open, and he managed to utter two words with difficulty.
With a forceful throw, Prince Jing tossed the emperor back onto the couch with a thud.
Just then—
A young eunuch stumbled in, screaming, "Your Highness—Your Highness the Crown Prince, something terrible has happened!"
"His Highness Prince Chen is still alive! He's in Shu County with the imperial decree and his troops, fighting his way here! He's... he's almost at Xishan!"
"What?!"
The crown prince looked horrified and incredulous. "Impossible! Shu Commandery? What imperial edict!"
The Prefect of Shu Commandery is his man! If Prince Chen had arrived in Shu Commandery alive, how could he not know?
Unless—unless the governor of Shu Commandery is already under their control…or even killed!
The crown prince turned around abruptly, staring intently at the emperor who was slumped on the bed. "It was you—you sent out the imperial edict and the imperial seal!"
But the people around the emperor were clearly under his control!
wrong!
Dragon Guard!
Prince Jing suddenly remembered that the emperor had given the Dragon Guard to Prince Chen, but that didn't mean he didn't have other Dragon Guards by his side! Thinking of this... a chill ran down Prince Jing's spine.
Unless it involves life or death, the Dragon Guards will not take the initiative to act.
so--
Prince Jing gritted his teeth, his face extremely gloomy, "I will make you watch with your own eyes how I ascend this throne!"
Once he ascends the throne, he can rightfully take over the Dragon Guard.
Just then—
Another young eunuch came stumbling in, scrambling and tumbling, "Your Highness—something terrible has happened! The Northern Mongols have sent troops, they say...they say..."
"say what?"
Prince Jing roared, "What did you say—"
The young eunuch trembled all over and knelt on the ground, "They...they say His Highness's behavior is improper, and they want to purge the court of corrupt officials on behalf of the true Crown Prince!"
"Smack—"
Prince Jing smashed the teapot beside him, furious. "The King of Northern Mongolia could never—"
"The Northern King was killed by the Southern King. Princess Alina avenged her brother by killing the Southern King. Now, the one who ascends the throne is... Princess Alina. The Jin family... the young master of the Jin family is the King's consort..."
"Smack—"
Prince Jing smashed all the teacups, "My husband—what a fine husband I am!"
"Someone come here—"
"Immediately issue an imperial edict ordering General Weiyuan to stop the Northern Mongol army!"
"Order the Xishan Camp to gather all its troops and confront the Southern Frontier Army of Shu!"
Prince Jing issued two decrees in succession, then suddenly remembered something and questioned, "Where is King Brahma—?"
The father-in-law trembled all over and stammered, "When the King of Brahma... was confiscating the Fuyu Marquis's mansion, he was injured by the children of Jin Youfang, and he... he hasn't woken up yet!"
"waste!"
Prince Jing roared, "Summon Prime Minister Cui—"
"Your Highness, Prime Minister Cui has fallen ill..."
"That old fox—"
Prince Jing was furious. He kicked the eunuch to the ground, his eyes bloodshot. "The Court of Judicial Review—the Ministry of Justice—the Ministry of War—summon them all to the palace!"
"Yes...yes, yes, yes—"
The young eunuch scrambled down to deliver the summons.
But--
Instead of receiving an audience from the Court of Judicial Review and the Six Ministries, Prince Jing was met with their voices all pleading illness as an excuse.
The young eunuch reported tremblingly, "...Now it's being said throughout the capital that His Majesty's serious illness was caused by His Highness, and that Prince Chen is the true Crown Prince..."
"Where did this news come from?!"
Prince Jing slammed his hand on the dragon throne, "Arrest them all!"
"Your Majesty, the news... the news came from the opera troupe in Fanlou. The people in the opera troupe... are... are the people Your Highness drove out after confiscating the Red Chamber."
Prince Jing's face was extremely gloomy.
"Dream of the Red Chamber!"
He confiscated the Red Mansion on charges of treason against the Jin family, but unexpectedly... all the servants, young masters, and young ladies in the Red Mansion were free citizens, and he could only expel them.
They actually formed a theatrical troupe and went around fabricating his orthodoxy!
Unfortunately, they were all famous, and people flocked to see their performances... which made them the subject of much gossip!
"Where is Old Li?"
Prince Jing's eyes darkened, and he looked like he wanted to kill someone.
The eunuch, who was accompanying the prince, prostrated himself on the ground, his voice trembling: "Elder Li led the students... to plead in front of the palace gates, please... please Your Highness leave the Imperial Study to uphold the orthodoxy!"
"Kill them! Kill them!"
"Kill them all—"
Prince Jing roared furiously.
The palace maids and eunuchs were all prostrate on the ground, none of them daring to utter a sound or move an inch.
Massacre of intellectuals—
This is something that even the most tyrants in history wouldn't dare to do!
No one dared to accept this decree and become a sinner for all time.
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