Chapter 577 Provoking and turning against each other
In the hall, Feng Lai ordered his men to clean up the mess on the ground. While bandaging Emperor An's accidentally cut hand with a white cloth, he carefully said:
"Your Majesty, judging from Commander Liu's expression just now, I'm afraid he truly doesn't know that Duke Dingguo is secretly communicating with General Yin and his men, otherwise he would definitely be on guard."
"No one could have predicted what happened today. Right now, the court is entirely run by Duke Dingguo's men. Only Commander Liu has been loyally working for you. You accidentally hurt him in your haste and anger. What if he harbors resentment..."
Feng Lai was worried.
"How about I go and invite Commander Liu back, and then you can discuss the matter of the tiger talisman with him slowly..."
"I discussed this with him?!" Emperor An was immediately enraged. He waved his hand to push Feng Lai's arm away, his face full of frost. "Who the hell is Liu Tongen? How dare he have a grudge against me? If I hadn't promoted him, who knows where he would be now!"
He glared at Feng Lai:
"In your eyes, even he can threaten me?!"
Feng Lai stumbled and knelt down in fear: "I dare not, I am just worried about your Majesty's safety."
He fell to the ground and said in a trembling voice:
"Duke Dingguo is now arrogant and domineering, and who knows how many people in the court are colluding with him. He holds military power and manipulates the Crown Prince, repeatedly forcing Your Majesty to commit treason. I am worried that Your Majesty will have no one around me. I dare not question Your Majesty's power. I hope Your Majesty will understand!"
Emperor An looked calmly at Feng Lai who was kneeling on the ground. He saw that he was trembling with fear and trepidation, and his words were even more urgent.
Thinking of how Feng Lai had served him closely during this period, and how he had nearly lost his life protecting him before, Emperor An's anger subsided a little, and after a while he said, "You get up first."
"His Majesty……"
"Get up."
Feng Lai stood up tremblingly.
Emperor An glanced at his wrist, which had been cut by something. The depression in his body had not yet dissipated, and his expression was gloomy. "I know you are devoted to me, but you must not forget that I am the emperor of Wei and the ruler of this world. Liu Tongen would never dare to betray me."
"But what you said does make some sense. Xiao Yan is insidious and cunning. Who knows how many people in the court are colluding with him? It's really difficult for Liu Tongen to deal with him alone."
He had gone to great lengths to accomplish today's matter without telling anyone else, but who could have known that it would be easily uncovered by Xiao Yan? If he had known that he had a secret relationship with Marquis Wenxin and the old man from the Yin family, he would never have acted so rashly.
It’s enough to suffer this kind of loss once, and never let it happen again.
Liu Tong'en could handle those private matters for him, but his brain was really not as good as Xiao Yan's. Moreover, Liu Tong'en was now in the open, and everyone knew that his previous "idleness" was just a disguise, and he was being watched everywhere.
Emperor An felt that he should indeed find someone else to facilitate his secret operations.
As for the selection...
Emperor An was silent for a moment and said, "Go and ask Yu Yanfeng to come see me later."
Feng Lai hesitated: "Do we need to avoid others?"
Emperor An said, "He is in the palace, how can he avoid others? Tell him that I have something to ask him about the Imperial Guards. Then call in the generals from the four camps outside the capital, the patrol camp, General Qi, the Earl of Yuanshan, and the Marquis of Lu'an."
These are all military generals in the court, and some of them are his confidants.
Feng Lai frowned and said, "I'll go right away."
"No rush."
Emperor An called the man to a halt and waved his hand for Feng Lai to come forward and continue bandaging him. When Feng Lai returned to his side and wrapped the wound with white cloth, Emperor An continued, "Later, send a message to Liang Guangyi to ask him to come to the palace alone. I want to see him."
"Master Liang?" Feng Lai asked in confusion.
Emperor An didn't explain anything to him, but just lowered his eyes to look at the injured area on his hand.
Liang Guangyi and his men had always been at war with Xiao Yan, and the aristocratic families viewed Xiao Yan as a thorn in their side.
During the banquet in the Heavenly Palace, Liang Guangyi helped Cui Lin to kill Xiao Yan, but Xiao Yan did not pursue the matter afterwards. Even Cui Lin, who had been imprisoned before, was treated lightly and the prince dismissed him from his official position and released him.
Emperor An didn't believe that Xiao Yan, who was always vindictive, would let them off so easily.
There must have been some kind of "deal" between the people from the aristocratic families and Xiao Yan. Liang Guangyi gave up something in exchange for Xiao Yan not pursuing their previous affairs. Given Xiao Yan's ruthlessness, it is definitely impossible that it was just the few books that the various families sent to Rongsheng Academy.
Xiao Yan must have devoured the flesh and blood of those families before letting them go.
Emperor An didn't believe that Liang Guangyi and the others would be content.
Now he couldn't force Xiao Yan with the matter of King Pingshan, and the tiger talisman had already fallen into the hands of the old man from the Yin family, but that didn't mean he couldn't do anything.
Emperor An said coldly, "Go tell Liang Guangyi that I have something to ask him about the rebels, and he will naturally come to see me."
Feng Lai's mind was slightly focused: "I understand."
After the antique shelf in the hall was overturned, the things on the table were also swept away, and now it looks empty.
Emperor An sat there sniffing the incense that had been lit not far away at some unknown time. The restlessness in his body kept invading his mind, and the frustration and anger that he had been suppressed by Xiao Yan in the main hall made him feel as if something was constantly stirring in his limbs.
He pursed his lips tightly, feeling a little uneasy, and his breathing became slightly rapid, as if clear mucus was about to flow out of his nose.
Emperor An put his hand over it and suddenly said, "Feng Lai."
"His Majesty?"
"Golden Pill, do you have any more?"
Feng Lai's heart skipped a beat. He looked up at Emperor An and said anxiously, "Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Jiang said that the golden elixir is harmful to the dragon body. You can no longer use it..."
"I don't need it."
Emperor An suppressed his discomfort and said in a hoarse voice, "I just put it aside as a warning."
Feng Lai hesitated when he heard this: "Your Majesty, are you really not going to eat?"
Emperor An said in a deep voice: "Why, you dare not even believe what I say?"
"I dare not."
Feng Lai, seeing Emperor An's stern expression, finally believed it and hesitantly turned away. A moment later, he returned with a brocade box in his hand. He handed the box to Emperor An and said, "This is the remaining golden elixir, Your Majesty. I have collected it."
Emperor An took a look and said calmly: "Alright, you can go down first."
Feng Lai put the box on the table next to him, then bowed and walked out.
When there was no one else in the hall, Emperor An reached out and picked up the brocade box, walked around the green gauze cabinet and went to the bedroom at the back.
The bedroom was magnificent and exquisitely decorated. The wide dragon bed was hung with bright yellow gauze. As Emperor An lifted the gauze and walked in, the hem of the gauze swayed slightly. Emperor An walked to the bed and sat down, then looked at the golden elixir in the box with a gloomy expression.
He knew that he shouldn't touch this thing again, and his mind also told him that this golden elixir was definitely not a good thing, but the constant itching and desire in his body made his hands and feet weak and he couldn't help but think about it frequently.
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