In the evening, Shen Xu visited Prime Minister Liu's residence under the pretext that Ye Wanqing was a good friend of Princess Liu.
When Liu Qingqian saw Ye Wanqing's expression, she was stunned for a moment and didn't know what to say.
Since the Regent of Haoyue Kingdom was a distinguished guest, Prime Minister Liu hosted a banquet for the two of them. In order to avoid suspicion, he also invited many relatives and friends to accompany them.
Liu Qingqian gradually became friendly with Shen Xu and they even talked about some things in the past.
"Qingqing, did you know that the Shen Shizi who has always been at odds with you is actually a girl? I was wondering why he was so feminine, but it turns out he is a real girl."
"Qingqing, let me tell you, it's a good thing that my cousin broke off your engagement. You don't know how miserable your concubine's sister is living in the palace..."
"Qingqing, do you remember what I told you before..."
Liu Qingqian kept telling her about the things between Ye Wanqing and her sister, but Chen Xu had no idea about Ye Wanqing's previous memories and only gave vague and perfunctory answers.
After several attempts, she finally got to the point, Liu Zhang.
"I never thought that such an upright man like Brother Zhang would actually plot treason."
Liu Qingqian frowned, as if she was reluctant to mention the matter. "Qingqing, you haven't been back for four years, so you don't understand the changes happening in Yong'an City. Brother Zhang was also angry about that witch Xu Wanrong..."
"Witch?" Shen Xu looked at her in confusion.
Speaking of Xu Wanrong, Liu Qingqian was filled with anger. In the past few years, Xu Wanrong had often acted like a demon, which made Liu Qingqian see her true face completely.
"I used to look down on the little maid from Princess Shen's family. Now it seems that I was blind! You don't know Xu Wanrong..."
She gave Shen Xu a long and chaotic speech, detailing how many despicable means Xu Wanrong used to get close to Young Master Jiang of Guangcheng Marquis Mansion, and how she used her as a shield to make her look ridiculous.
"Oh, Qianqian, it's good that you see it clearly. I was worried that telling you this would make things difficult for you. It was she who caused me to be exiled to Haoyue Country." Chen Xu lowered his eyes and recounted the story of Xu Wanrong hiring a killer to kill someone.
But she heard Liu Qingqian cursing angrily, and then her eyes turned red for some reason, and she hugged her arms and started sobbing.
"Brother Zhang was ruined by her, and now your brother Ye Fan is also obsessed with her and wants to pluck the stars from the sky for her.
Qingqing, Second Mother is the head of the family now, and Brother Yan is so outstanding, I'm afraid Daddy doesn't want to take care of his affairs anymore."
Shen Xu deliberately lowered his voice and said, “When I was waiting outside the palace this morning, I heard that His Majesty wanted to execute your brother, but Uncle Liu was reluctant to do so.”
"But, the Holy Order is hard to disobey. My father couldn't even protect him, so what can I, a mere woman, do?"
Liu Qingqian suddenly thought of something and grabbed Shen Xu's arm, saying hopefully, "Qingqing, your husband is the regent of Haoyue Country. Maybe you can help me plead for mercy and save my brother."
Shen Xu pretended to be embarrassed and evaded the question softly, "Your Majesty will not listen to my husband, will you?"
Seeing Liu Qingqian let go of her arm in disappointment, Shen Xu added: "I do have a way, but I'm afraid your brother won't agree."
Liu Qingqian asked hurriedly: "What method? As long as it can save my brother's life, any method will do!"
"Well, if Brother Zhang is willing to atone for his sins, hand over the military deployment map of the southern border, and help His Majesty break through the southern border, and Uncle Liu and my husband go to plead for mercy, then even if His Majesty wants to kill him again, with his achievements, he will definitely be unable to do anything to him. But..."
She hesitated for a moment and said, "I know Brother Zhang is stubborn and never goes back on his word. The key is how to persuade him."
Liu Qingqian was also troubled. "He doesn't even listen to Daddy. If not for this, Daddy wouldn't have thought of severing ties with him."
Chen Xu seemed to think for a moment, then whispered her plan into Liu Qingqian's ear, "Tell him so, and then give him this note. Let him think about it carefully, maybe it will be useful."
Chen Xu stuffed a note into Liu Qingqian's sleeve and asked her to find a way to give it to Liu Zhang in prison.
He also reminded me, "Don't show this note to anyone else."
Liu Qingqian nodded cautiously.
......
On the second day, news came from the Dali Temple prison that Liu Zhang had bowed to Prime Minister Liu and said that he wanted to meet the emperor in person.
In the hall, Liu Zhang was dressed in prisoner uniform, with disheveled hair and a dirty face. When he saw Shen Xu standing among the ministers, a flash of surprise flashed across his face.
However, he soon figured out what was going on and immediately offered to atone for his sins by handing over the military defense map of Nanguan City to help the Yanyang Army capture the southern border.
In this regard, Murong Yao always had doubts about his purpose, and many officials also made malicious speculations about Liu Zhang's intentions.
After all, Liu Zhang was originally Fu Yi's trusted general and the commander-in-chief of the southern frontier.
Who knows where he will lead the Yanyang Army.
Shen Xu waited for an opportunity to step forward and said, "Your Majesty, I believe in Brother Zhang's character. We grew up together, and Brother Zhang is the most loyal and honest. He used to work in the Dali Temple and always acted with integrity. He must have been bewitched by something and made a mistake.
But everyone makes mistakes, and now Brother Zhang has come to his senses in time and wants to make amends. Your Majesty is so kind and generous, so why not give him this opportunity to prove his loyalty?"
Officials from the Liu family quickly stood up to defend him, while a group of officials led by Censor Xu believed that the words of traitors should not be trusted and that they should be severely punished to serve as a warning to others.
Just as Murong Yao was about to speak up to support Censor Xu, Shen Xu hugged Pei Zhiyuan's arm and said coquettishly, "Your Highness, Brother Zhang and I grew up together. I trust him. Please help me plead for mercy."
Pei Zhiyuan acted as if he really couldn't do anything to you, and said, "I don't want to get involved in your Yanyang Kingdom's affairs. Since he said he can conquer the southern border, why not let him sign a military order? Once we capture Jiang Yu alive, we can discuss further cooperation."
Murong Yao's face changed and he began to weigh the pros and cons.
Prime Minister Liu had originally wanted to plead for his son, but after hearing Pei Zhiyuan's words, he suddenly fell silent. His vigilance against Pei Zhiyuan far outweighed his efforts in rescuing his son.
Now it seems that Pei Zhiyuan wants to save his son. What is his intention?
With the help of Liu Zhang and Nanjing, he destroyed the 600,000 Yanyang soldiers, and then waited for an opportunity to attack the Yanyang Kingdom?
However, other relatives were still trying to protect the eldest son of his Liu family, and he was reluctant to let such a talented son die, so he was in a very difficult situation for a while.
Seeing that everyone was deadlocked again, Murong Yao had no choice but to look at Jiang Yulou and ask for his opinion.
Jiang Yulou was also afraid of falling into a trap and harming his Black Sail Army, so he stepped forward and answered cautiously: "Your Majesty, why not ask him to hand over the military deployment map first and send spies to investigate.
After confirming that this was true, he sent Young Master Liu to lead the battle with the Western Wilderness Army. If the casualties were too heavy or if the South Gate City could not be captured within seven days, he would be executed on the spot.
Lord Liu, do you think this is appropriate?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com