"How did I become a toad? Father and mother, I am your own son, wake up, I am Erfu, your good son." Erfu heard the conversation inside the carriage and immediately protested again.
"Erfu, stop shouting. We can talk about it when we get back." Zhao Guihua was worried that this would have a bad influence, so she could only coax him gently for the time being.
On the other side, inside one of the Chen family's carriages, Chen Siqing's face was flushed, her head was hanging down, and her two small hands were twisting her clothes tightly. Madam Chen next to her poked her head with her finger.
"You, you mustn't let someone kidnap you and still be counting money for them. The princess's parents and brothers from the common people are quite nice, but that's only for being relatives, not for being in-laws. The Zhou family are farmers, and the distance between them and the Chen family is worlds apart, so it's not suitable."
Chen Siqing remained silent, but the scene in the Imperial Garden today flashed through her mind. At that time, her eldest cousin pushed her and she almost fell into the lake. At the critical moment, a tall and powerful figure jumped out and grabbed her, saving her from falling into the water.
That man was Zhou Erfu. Of course, they didn't know each other at the time. She only felt that the man in front of her was really strong, with a vivid expression and a hot, burning gaze that almost burned her.
If Zhou Erfu knew what she was thinking at that moment, he would immediately tell her, "I fell in love with you at first sight. I think no one in the world is more beautiful than you. You are the apple of my eye. No matter how I look at you, you are perfect in every way. I want to marry you and keep you hidden away so that no one else can see you."
Chen Siqing dared not tell her mother that she thought Erfu was a good person. He was skilled in martial arts and strong, and could protect people. What did it matter if his family background was a little worse?
Anyway, she doesn't mind.
Time quickly passed to the hour of Chou (1-3 AM). The city gates had been closed during the palace coup. Afterward, the Imperial Guards searched the entire city for the whereabouts of the Ming King and Hengshan and his companions, vowing not to give up until they were found.
Yokoyama Chiyo, along with her adopted younger sister and adopted mother, hid on a rooftop not far from the Ming Prince's mansion. From afar, they watched as the mansion was surrounded like an iron barrel, so tight that not even a mosquito could fly out or in.
"It seems that the Ming King is not in the palace. This coward actually ran away on his own. What is he after?" Yokoyama Chiyo did not believe that the Ming King had such a strategy, knowing to send a substitute to force the abdication in his place, while he himself disappeared.
He always felt that someone was plotting against him behind the scenes. That coward must be brewing some big move. After thinking about it, he realized that only the Zheng family would value Ming Wang, so Ming Wang must be with the Zheng family at this time.
“Myo-wang always acted like he loved me so much, but he didn’t even take me with him when he ran away. Men really are all unreliable.” Yokoyama Eiko hugged her gold and silver jewelry. Money really is the most reliable thing.
"What should we do now? So many Imperial Guards are searching for us, we have nowhere to hide. This Ming King is a real jinx, he's ruined us." Gui Gu Xi cursed in a low voice.
Chiyo Yokoyama frowned and pondered for a long time before speaking, "Let's leave here first, find a secluded place to hide, and then try to sneak out of the city when things calm down."
Dozens of miles outside the city, a large army was stationed there. During the day, King Ming secretly slipped out of the city and was drinking with the general who was on good terms with the Zheng family in his tent.
Consort Duan's elder brother, Zheng Xiang, was also there. This general was originally stationed in the southern border, meaning he was part of the army stationed in the south. Prince Cheng's fiefdom was set in the south because of this general's presence there.
"General Yang, can this army of 200,000 really break through the capital in one fell swoop and help me seize the throne?" King Ming had drunk two bowls of wine, and now his face was flushed, his eyes were cloudy, and he was slurring his words.
General Yang looked down on Prince Ming, but he was a smooth talker and concealed his emotions perfectly, so neither Prince Ming nor Zheng Xiang noticed anything unusual about him and still regarded him as a trustworthy person.
"Your Highness, rest assured, I never do anything I'm not confident about. This time, I will definitely help you successfully ascend the throne." General Yang agreed verbally, but in his heart, he was thinking that he should first help Prince Ming ascend the throne, and once the situation was stable, he would find a way to remove this useless Prince Ming and replace him.
General Yang felt that if even someone like the Ming King could sit on the dragon throne, then he was even more qualified, and the world should have been changed hands long ago, rightfully belonging to his Yang family.
"That's wonderful, General Yang. Don't worry, after I ascend the throne, I will definitely treat you well. Granting you titles and honors will be no problem. I will also entrust you with the military power of the Great Jin Dynasty. I trust you completely." King Ming made such a promise like a fool.
Zheng Xiang, who was standing nearby, felt a jolt in his heart. It was too late to stop his foolish nephew. Military power should be in the hands of one's own people, but the Ming King had boasted that he would hand over all military power to General Yang after ascending the throne. This was a major taboo.
He doesn't even understand the principle of "merit overshadowing the master." The Zheng family is probably doomed this time. Perhaps they shouldn't have been so fixated on the throne. Prince Cheng still has some ability, and supporting him to the throne would be beneficial to the Zheng family. But this Prince Ming is a complete waste, mediocre to the point of being incompetent.
Zheng Xiang was filled with mixed feelings, but there was no turning back now. It was too late for him to regret it, so he could only grit his teeth and continue.
The Imperial Palace.
At this moment, Zhu Lin was holding his newly-born wife, pretending to sleep with his eyes closed. The person in his arms had already fallen into a deep sleep, but he was not sleepy at all. In fact, he was even more energetic and his mood was difficult to calm down for a long time.
On his wedding night, it was no wonder that the groom could remain calm. Unfortunately, the woman in his arms was already quite tired, so he couldn't be too impulsive. Besides, the rebellion wasn't over yet; it was only the beginning.
Before long, he heard someone knocking on the window outside. The knocking was light and heavy, and there were three knocks in a row. Zhu Lin tucked the person next to him into bed before putting on his cloak and going out.
"Senior Brother," Zhu Lin said softly.
“Junior Brother, a large army is stationed dozens of miles outside the capital. They come from the south, and their commander is surnamed Yang. He is an old subordinate of the Zheng family and has always had a good relationship with the Zheng family. I’m afraid we’re going to have a tough battle this time.” Zhu Qiuyu spoke in a flat tone, as if he were talking about a trivial matter, as ordinary as eating or sleeping.
"General Zhang has already sent his son, Young Master Zhang, with 100,000 troops to provide support. Judging by the time it takes, they should arrive in at most one day. Combined with the 100,000 troops already in the city, the numbers are roughly equal, so there's nothing to fear," Zhu Lin analyzed methodically.
"I heard that the man surnamed Yang has brought several talented individuals with him. He'll definitely resort to underhanded tactics, giving Zhao Mingyue and his son another chance to shine." Zhao Mingyue and Zhao Shui are both skilled in medicine and poisons. If the man surnamed Yang has poison experts on his side, they can contend with him.
The others were dealt with by the people of Fairy Mist Island.
Zhu Qiuyu's mind raced, and she clicked her tongue, "The princess is so lucky. She can win without even trying. If anything happens, we'll take care of it for her."
"Senior Brother is jealous?" Zhu Lin glanced over indifferently with a cold look in his eyes.
"I wouldn't dare. How could I be jealous of the princess? She is the wife of the sect leader of our Immortal Mist Island. It is only right that we be loyal to her," Zhu Qiuyu quickly said, knowing what was best for her.
"As long as Long'er is here, I am here. Do you understand what I mean, Senior Brother?" Zhu Lin emphasized earnestly.
Zhu Qiuyu's expression turned solemn, and he said earnestly, "Senior brother, remember this: protecting the princess is protecting junior brother. Everyone on Immortal Mist Island will keep this in mind."
Even if Junior Brother didn't say anything, wouldn't all the senior brothers and sisters see that if the princess were to be harmed, Junior Brother would certainly not want to live alone?
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