Chapter 8: Deposed Crown Prince
The grandparents and grandchildren were so shocked that they didn't dare to go into the state or county town. They only bought some things in the small town. They didn't even hear about such a big thing.
Grandpa Ling was busy asking about the situation. At this time, a peddler pointed to the sky mysteriously and said in a low voice:
"It is said that the prince has provoked a punishment from heaven. Wait, the emperor has already deposed the prince, and the flood will soon be over."
Grandpa Ling hurried forward to pour tea for the peddler, and asked with the look of a small-town man who likes to hear about the big things in Chang'an:
"You are indeed a well-traveled man. I, an old Taoist priest from a small place, don't know anything about the big events in Chang'an."
The peddler laughed and said, "Don't you Taoists know how to tell fortunes?"
Grandpa Ling smiled and said, "Who dares to calculate the big things in heaven when calculating the small things in the world?
What's going on with this deposed prince? Please tell me more, sir."
The other customers in the store also leaned in to listen out of curiosity, but the peddler was the center of attention, so he told everyone the news he had heard in the city.
It turned out that the prince was born to the late queen who died young. He was made the crown prince since he was young, and was trained in the military camp when he grew up. He was both talented in literature and martial arts, and was also very famous among the people.
However, the crown prince has reached adulthood, the emperor is still in his prime, and the two sons born to the current queen have also grown up.
This royal family doesn't care about family affection, but only about imperial power calculations. It is common for fathers and sons and brothers to kill each other.
The common people did not know the inside story. They only heard that the prince wanted to rebel, led his troops to force the emperor to abdicate, and was captured by the emperor.
He couldn't bear to kill his son, so he just deposed the crown prince, made him King Li, and exiled him to the border.
The emperor did not kill the prince, but he killed many officials and dignitaries who followed the prince in rebellion, from dukes to seventh-rank officials.
The killing caused a river of blood and piles of corpses at the Caishikou in Chang'an.
At this time, someone was surprised:
"I heard that the current queen is the sister of the previous queen and the prince's aunt. Are such close relatives also fighting with each other?"
Someone sneered: "How can a nephew be as reliable as a son? For the throne, didn't the father and son also scheme against each other?"
Someone else asked, "What about Duke Gu's family? Which side do the prince's uncle and grandfather stand on?"
The peddler whispered, "Of course I stand for the living daughter. How much friendship can I have for the dead daughter?"
Someone else asked, "Didn't they say that the Crown Princess has decided to marry General Lin's daughter? So the Lin family won't help the Crown Prince?"
The peddler shook his head and said, "Ms. Lin changed her mind and married Prince Yu. She broke off the engagement with the deposed Crown Prince in the first month of the year."
Everyone discussed the matter in low voices. To ordinary people, the affairs of the royal family were almost like listening to the stories of gods, but they were too far away from them.
But such a major event is rare in many years, so people will naturally gossip about it when they hear about it.
Grandpa Ling sighed to Jin Sui in a low voice: "It is true that every family has its own problems, and the royal family is no exception. However, this deposed prince is too miserable."
"My own father, my own aunt, my own grandfather, my own brothers, and my own fiancée, all want to harm him."
Jin Sui was surprised: "Why did Grandpa think that someone else harmed him? Didn't he say that he rebelled and forced the emperor to abdicate?"
Grandpa Ling sneered: "Are you really forcing the emperor to abdicate and leaving him alive? You are just deceiving the world. Only the royal family knows the truth."
Then Jin Sui thought of something and asked in a low voice, "Grandpa, do you think my father is involved in this matter?"
Grandpa Ling was startled and said suddenly: "It is very likely!"
He hurried to ask the peddler: "You said that even a seventh-rank official was implicated. Do you know the name of that implicated official?"
The peddler spread his hands and said, "How would I know? The list of officials killed is longer than my list of goods. Who wants to read it all?"
Grandpa Ling could tell that the peddler was just listening to what others said and repeating what others said, but he actually didn't know the inside story.
But another sentence from the peddler caught the attention of both men.
"Not only was the list of officials to be killed long, the list of those to be exiled was even longer. Many women from official families were sent to the music hall, and many were exiled to Yan."
"I heard that there is a flood in Luocheng. If these people exiled to Yandi walk slower, they will be trapped in Luocheng."
The shopkeeper shook his head and sighed: "If we go to Yandi, we might still have a chance to survive. But if we are trapped in Luocheng, there will be no chance of survival!"
Jin Sui asked hurriedly: "Why?"
The shopkeeper took one look at the handsome young Taoist priest and said with a smile, "The flood needs people to cure it! The local official slaves are not enough to fill the gap. Aren't these official slaves just what we need?"
Jin Sui and Grandpa Ling were both shocked. Although the possibility was extremely low, they could not ignore it even if it was just a possibility.
Grandpa Ling confirmed again and again that there were no ships going to Jiangnan recently.
He immediately took Jinsui to the nearest town and inquired about the flood in Luocheng and the situation in Chang'an.
The two walked around the town for a long time, but the news was still inaccurate.
It was obviously a matter related to the royal family and was intentionally concealed. Only the merchants traveling to Chang'an knew something about the situation.
But two things are certain. First, the city of Chang'an was in chaos because of the case of deposing the crown prince.
Second, many people died in the flood in Luocheng, and it was impossible to take a boat to the south of the Yangtze River in the short term, so they could only take the official road.
Grandpa Ling calculated the time and distance and quickly made a decision:
"Sui Sui, Grandpa will find a Taoist temple to house you. Don't run around. Wait for me to come back."
Jin Sui understood instantly: "Grandpa is going to Los Angeles alone?"
Grandpa Ling nodded: "I won't feel at ease unless I find out clearly."
Jin Sui said calmly, "Grandpa handed me over to the Jiang family, but I was almost sold out. Do you think the Taoist temple is more reliable than the Jiang family?"
"Didn't we agree to travel together and never separate again? Grandpa, are you thinking of abandoning me so soon?"
Grandpa Ling said hurriedly: "I'm not abandoning you, but if Luocheng really recruits young and strong people to deal with the flood, I'm old and afraid, what will you do?"
Jin Sui said stubbornly:
"Just keep going! I'll follow you wherever you go. I might even get to Los Angeles before you do."
Grandpa Ling looked at her helplessly. What happened to the gentle and obedient granddaughter in the Jiang family? Why did her temperament change so much? He could only say, "Okay, let's go together, but you have to listen to grandpa."
Jin Sui laughed and said, "When has Sui Sui ever disobeyed Grandpa? Don't worry, Grandpa, I will listen to whatever you say."
Grandpa Ling's injury has not healed yet, how can she let him travel alone? She has space as a trump card, even if she encounters a difficult situation, she has a way to deal with it.
Besides, even if she wanted to avoid danger and stay in the Taoist temple to live a peaceful life, the original owner's obsession would not agree! I heard that the two Taoists were going to Luocheng, and no car in the town was willing to take them.
It is said that only the people near Los Angeles are fleeing to the south. How can anyone go to Los Angeles? Are they looking for death?
Jinsui planned to buy a donkey, but Grandpa Ling disagreed, saying that if the two of them rode the donkey on their journey, they would be delivering food to the bandits and pirates.
Time waits for no one. In the end, Grandpa Ling spent a huge sum of money for the first time, five taels of silver, to hire a car to take the two people to Xuchang.
No matter how much money the car owner was offered, he was unwilling to go further, so the only way was for two people to walk there.
Before, Jinsui had always relied on walking to travel, but he found it very tiring and always wanted to take a car.
Now that I was really traveling in a carriage, I found that I was also very tired.
The road was extremely bumpy and the carriage was old and worn out. Grandpa Ling was anxious and kept urging the owner to hurry up.
If Lao Ma hadn't wanted to rest, Grandpa Ling would have wanted to travel all night. The car owner kept complaining because his food and lodging on the road were also the responsibility of the guest.
As a result, Grandpa Ling was unwilling to stay in the post station, and just slept in the wilderness, eating the most ordinary coarse grain cakes.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
