"You!" The emperor glared at his son, seemingly resentful that his son was soft-hearted and sentimental, but in reality, he was even more at ease with his son.
"Very well, I'll allow you to make the arrangements this time. But if the Li family does anything outrageous again, I will absolutely not show any leniency."
"Thank you, Father Emperor!" The Crown Prince quickly knelt down and kowtowed, then instructed Chief Steward Yi to summon the imperial physician to take his pulse and prescribe medicine...
The eunuch who delivered the imperial edict ran back from the dock like a stray dog. No one is blind, so everyone saw it and was filled with curiosity.
When the reason was found out, the entire city of Xindu was shocked, and the ground trembled three times!
Li Dayong disobeyed the imperial decree and only obeyed the orders of the Marquis of Xinting?
Marquis Dingbei failed to seize power and was killed while forcibly taking the military tally?!
I can understand each word individually, but I can't understand them when they're put together!
Has the new capital undergone a complete upheaval?
Is the Northern Expeditionary Army about to rebel?
Almost every household immediately became cautious.
Those looking for a daughter-in-law should wait a while.
Call that spoiled brat back home right now!
The business is ready to close at any time!
Send your valuables, young family members, and children to another place to avoid trouble!
Who knows when things will get chaotic in Xindu!
Fortunately, the official news from the palace came out in just one or two hours.
It turned out that the Emperor had issued an edict to the dock camp, and the Marquis of Dingbei, audacious as ever, took advantage of the situation to seize the military seal and take control of the Northern Expeditionary Army.
Li Dayong, the general of the Northern Expeditionary Army, killed the Marquis of Dingbei on the spot and brought the situation under control.
Furthermore, Li Jiayi didn't bring back a pirate ship to cause trouble; he was on the Crown Prince's orders to find valuable treasures for the Emperor in the south, in preparation for the Emperor's birthday celebration.
In summary, the Li family's righteous cause was justified, while the Marquis of Dingbei deserved to die and was guilty of a crime he committed!
Upon hearing this news, everyone, whether they believed it or not, felt temporarily relieved.
But not at the Marquis of Dingbei's residence!
Without her pillar of support, Lady Dingbei felt as if the sky had fallen, and she cried until she fainted.
She married a man her father's age at a young age, all for the sake of wealth and status.
Now that the person is dead, all the wealth and glory have vanished, and she has become a widow.
The many concubines and children of the Marquis of Dingbei were also in a panic.
They spend their days indulging in a life of pleasure and luxury, and none of them achieve anything of note.
At such a critical moment, there is no one who can take responsibility!
In the end, it was the eldest son of a concubine who, along with the guards and stewards of the manor, drove to the dock and the gate of the military camp, and tearfully brought back the body of the Marquis of Dingbei, along with the guards, to the new capital.
Originally, everyone in Xindu thought that the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion was going to cry foul and seek revenge on the Li family.
Unexpectedly, the children of the Marquis of Dingbei are so useless, all of them are cowards!
Forget about revenge, they don't even dare to utter a harsh word!
Soon, the mourning tent for the Marquis of Dingbei was set up, but no one came to pay their respects!
As a result, the weeping at the Marquis of Dingbei's residence grew even louder.
That evening, a palace eunuch came to their door, and Lady Dingbei thought that the emperor was backing them up.
She practically tumbled out, crying and shouting that she was innocent.
"Waaah, our Marquis must have been framed! The Emperor must do justice for our Marquis! Waaah, the Emperor is wise!"
The eunuch delivering the imperial edict glanced at her with pity, then opened the edict.
Demoted to commoners?
Exiled to the southwest?
After the imperial edict was read, the entire Dingbei Marquis's mansion was filled with despair.
Instead of standing up for the Marquis of Dingbei, the Emperor banished the entire family from the new capital, out of sight, out of mind!
Lady Dingbei, thinking of the poverty and desolation of the southwest, with its year-round sandstorms, could no longer bear it and fainted completely...
You'll never be able to turn your life around!
Inside the Earl's mansion, Li Lao Er, Liu Zhiheng, Jia An, and Jia Yin were gathered together, discussing this matter.
Li Lao Er couldn't help but sigh, "Back then, when the Marquis entrusted the dock and military camp to Dayong, I was worried. After all, Dayong was a scholar, clever but not ruthless enough."
"I never expected Da Yong to be so decisive, not only killing the Marquis of Dingbei but also refusing to accept the imperial edict! It's truly... truly..."
He searched for a long time but couldn't find a good way to describe it.
Liu Zhiheng, however, was full of admiration and replied, "Brother Dayong is truly impressive. I'll definitely have a good drink with him when I have the chance in the future."
Jia'an echoed, "Yes, the Marquis of Dingbei was plotting against our family behind our backs. We were always worried about that person in the palace and couldn't take action. We never expected to die at Uncle Dayong's hands!"
Jiayin was moved. Under normal circumstances, Uncle Dayong would never have killed Xintinghou. This time, firstly, Xintinghou had offered himself up, and secondly, he had killed him to avenge her.
How could she not be happy to be loved and protected by her family like this!
"Both docks are now in our hands. That person in the palace must be furious. The reason he took the initiative to make up an excuse to cover it up must be because he is waiting for news from the north."
A cold glint flashed in Jiayin's eyes. "If something happens to my godfather and my father, it will be a fatal blow to our family. At that time, that person will definitely take action."
Everyone nodded, unable to suppress their concern about the war on the border.
At this moment, Jiayi and Liu Yang actually returned.
Everyone was happy, and even Grandma Li rushed over, making the courtyard much livelier.
Originally, the two of them stayed on the boat because they didn't want to escalate the conflict and completely break ties with the person in the palace.
But now that they've come up with an excuse, they're not going to hold back.
Go home, visit your family, and have a meal!
Jiayin immediately began preparing food, and all the maids and servants busied themselves, even sending food to the hundreds of people on the ship...
From the distant Jiangbei border, Mu Xu rode back to the military camp at full speed. The first thing he did was rush into the commander's tent and drink the cold water in his flask in one gulp.
"Phew! I'm so thirsty!" Mu Xu wiped the water droplets from his mouth.
He had been away for several days, not eating or sleeping well, and looked much more haggard, but his eyes shone like stars in the sky.
Li Laosi stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, looked him over, and asked, "Are you alright?"
“No,” Mu Xu replied with a roguish smile, “It’s not a direct confrontation, just gathering information. When it comes to escaping, no one is better than me.”
Jiang Cheng came in from outside and greeted him, "I guessed that Guard Mu would be back tonight, so I've already asked the rear camp to prepare food and drink, which will be delivered in a little while."
Mu Xu thanked him and then went to the Marquis's side.
As the Marquis was examining the map, Mu Xu pointed to a spot and said, "My lord, I've investigated and found out. The barbarian reinforcements are all gathered here, only a little over two thousand. Moreover, they just arrived, exhausted and weary. If we're going to attack, tonight is the best time."
Li Laosi and Jiang Cheng both gathered around the table and looked at that spot.
Jiang Cheng frowned and said, "My lord, this location is too open. It's clearly impossible to sneak over here."
The Marquis nodded, gesturing towards the nearby hills. "Take a detour of fifty li, passing through this valley, and quietly circle around to the back of the barbarians' temporary camp. Then, use firecrackers as a signal to launch a pincer attack and completely annihilate them!"
Li Laosi clapped his hands and nodded excitedly.
"This is a good idea. It's a surprise attack, a pincer movement, and we'll make sure no barbarian escapes."
Mu Xu nodded, his eyes filled with admiration as he looked at the Marquis.
After careful consideration, the Marquis felt that nothing had been overlooked, and said, "This time I will lead three thousand vanguard troops to take a detour, while the fourth prince will stay at the border."
Today's update is here!
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