Li Lao Er felt slightly relieved. For the time being, it seemed that the Emperor did not have any other intentions, at least not towards their family.
Mr. Wen also received his wife's letter yesterday. He is very satisfied with the current situation of his wife and children and does not worry about them.
Instead, he was more concerned about something else.
"How's your uncle been doing lately? Has everything we discussed been taken care of?"
Jia'an quickly said, "Don't worry, sir. Xi-ge and I have been helping Uncle prepare, and Third Brother and Liu Yang-ge have also been involved."
"The safe haven has been prepared, the manpower is reliable, and even the traces of the ships have been covered up by me under the guise of my post in the Foreign Affairs Department. No one will suspect anything. After all, the sea is often rough, and losing a few ships is a common occurrence in Quanzhou."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
Having a backup plan is like an old lady's treasured jewelry; she doesn't necessarily wear it all the time, but she must have one.
Old Mrs. Li hesitated for a moment and asked, "Second son, is it really that dangerous in Xindu? I overheard them gossiping today, and it seems like things haven't changed much."
Li Lao Er didn't want to frighten his mother, but if he didn't explain things clearly, the old woman might make things worse if she didn't know the truth.
So he carefully considered what he said, focusing on the impact of the grim situation on his own family and what might happen in the future.
The more Li Laotai and Tao Hongying listened, the worse their expressions became.
Especially Grandma Li, she was happy when her granddaughter told her about it.
The fact that the Crown Prince grew up in the Broken Gold Beach is enough to ensure his family's safety during the change of the throne.
But at this moment she suddenly realized that perhaps before the crown prince could ascend the throne, the Li family and Suijintan would face annihilation.
She couldn't help but whisper, "It shouldn't be like that. The Emperor and the Marquis have been friends since childhood. It's just military merit; there's no need to fight over it, and the Marquis wouldn't care. Besides, the Marquis has said so many times that after the Northern Expedition, he wants to retire from the army and travel the world..."
By the end, the old woman's voice was almost inaudible.
I don't know whether I'm trying to persuade others or convince myself.
Tao Hongying patted her mother-in-law's hand and offered words of comfort, but her eyes held a hint of coldness.
“Mother, we ordinary people care about having enough to eat and wear, but that person is in that position and has been suppressed by the Empress Dowager for half his life. He must value his reputation more and hope to be remembered in history.”
"How could he possibly give up the glory of recovering lost territories and then be cursed as a good-for-nothing for hundreds of years?"
"It's just a pity for the Marquis. He dedicated himself to the peace of Tianwu and the unification of the country, fighting for ten years, and in the end he still had to meet such an end."
Grandma Li was panicked and unwilling to believe it, so she looked to her granddaughter for support.
"Fu Niu'er, what do you think..."
Jiayin sighed, feeling uneasy.
She wanted to lie to her grandmother and put her mind at ease, but the truth couldn't be hidden forever, and no one could guarantee that the truth wouldn't be exposed one day.
“Grandma, if I’m not mistaken, that person doesn’t necessarily want my godfather to die. It’s just that we’re about to drive the barbarians out of the border. That person wants to slow down the northern expedition and wait until he’s settled things in Xindu before finding a way to get my godfather to leave the battlefield temporarily.”
"In this way, if any general were to command the final battle, history books would write that person was wise and brave, and although he was forced to move the capital during his reign, he eventually regained the lost territory and unified the country."
"However, while that person's plan was sound, things can change in an instant, and I'm afraid..."
Before she could finish speaking, there was a sudden commotion outside the courtyard, but it quickly disappeared.
As everyone looked over, a figure climbed over the courtyard wall and came in.
Before anyone could recognize him, Jiayin exclaimed, "Brother Mu, what happened to you?"
After saying that, she ran over.
Mu Xu was covered in dust and dirt, his lips were chapped, and he looked as disheveled as a beggar fleeing famine.
He nodded to reassure Jiayin, then uttered a single word in a hoarse voice, "Water..."
At this moment, Jia'an also rushed over, and the brother and sister helped Mu Xu to the eaves.
Mu Xu's legs were trembling, clearly a result of riding day and night.
Li Lao Er quickly poured plum juice for Mu Xu and asked, "Has something happened in Jiangbei?"
Mu Xu nodded and then shook his head, then picked up the white porcelain pot containing the plum juice and drank it to his heart's content.
Everyone's expression changed, and they couldn't help but stand up, filled with trepidation.
Old Mrs. Li and Tao Hongying held hands tightly, afraid of hearing news of Li Laosi's injury.
Mu Xu put down the porcelain pot and said, "The Marquis was assassinated, but he is not seriously injured. The Northern Expeditionary Army has been encamped for three days, and the decisive battle has been postponed! The Marquis should send a message to move south immediately."
Assassination?
Migration to the south?!
Everyone's expression changed instantly. Although they had guessed it, they were still at a loss when the day actually arrived.
"How was the Marquis assassinated? Where was he wounded?"
"What about the fourth brother? How is he?"
"What exactly happened?"
Jiayin's heart was trembling. The thought of her godfather and father being in danger made her wish she could fly directly to Jiangbei.
She tried her best to calm herself down, then took a few warm buns from her handbag and handed them to Mu Xu.
At this point, no one had time to wonder why she had steamed buns in her handbag.
Mu Xu glanced at her gratefully, then swallowed a steamed bun in two bites before quickly saying, "I didn't see the Marquis. Uncle Dashan sent me a message. The Fifth Prince of the barbarians led a night attack, and the Fourth Master injured his arm and did not participate in the battle."
"The Marquis led General Jiang Cheng and Wei Erniu to meet the enemy. The Fifth Prince of the barbarians was no match for him. Just as the Marquis was about to press his advantage, a dagger was shot from behind. Fortunately, Wei Erniu reacted quickly and helped, and the dagger pierced the Marquis's shoulder."
"The dagger was poisoned with blood-activating poison. The Fourth Master used a life-saving pill to save the Marquis from pulling out the dagger, and his life was temporarily out of danger. The Marquis personally ordered that the camp be set up for three days, and then the war would continue, and the barbarians would be driven out of the border in one fell swoop."
Everyone's heart was on a rollercoaster as they listened.
Jiayin, however, grasped the key point and asked, "A dagger attack from behind? Was it an assassination attempt by one of our own?"
Mu Xu choked on another steamed bun, then nodded in agreement, "Not only that, the poison on the dagger was recognized by the military doctor. The military doctor used to work in the Imperial Hospital, and the blood-activating poison came from..."
Mu Xu pointed in the direction of the palace and didn't say anything more, but everyone understood.
The courtyard was deathly quiet; the air seemed to have frozen.
Even the warm air, when it reaches the top of the wall, deftly detours and runs away.
"Smash!" Li Lao Er grabbed the teacup on the table and smashed it to pieces.
"In the end, I overestimated that person! The imperial family is the most ruthless! What is the bond of relying on each other since childhood, what is the kindness and righteousness, none of them are as important as his reputation before and after his death!"
"The Marquis has fought on the frontier for ten years, risking his life, and yet, in order to reclaim his lost empire, he actually betrayed him at this crucial moment! He's utterly a beast! Worse than a pig or a dog!"
Mr. Wen's face was also extremely pale. Although he knew that expecting an emperor to have a conscience was like expecting a cat not to eat fish, the emperor had indeed treated the marquis well over the past ten years. He even extended his affection to those close to the marquis, showing them extra care.
Who would have thought that the falling out would happen in an instant!
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