The Marquis of Yongning once asked the Old Madam about the Grand Princess's vow. The Old Madam was filled with grief and indignation. Back then, the Grand Princess was leading troops on a war and fell in love with the Old Madam's father. However, at that time, the Old Madam's father was merely a captain. How could the Emperor at the time agree to the Grand Princess marry him? The Grand Princess was capable and extremely beautiful. In the Emperor's eyes, the Grand Princess was just a pawn to win over various factions.
The Grand Princess worked tirelessly for her elder brother, but she didn't want him to interfere in her marriage. The two siblings had a dispute over this, and in the end, the Grand Princess became pregnant secretly. Before the child was born, the Old Madam's father died in the battle against the invasion of the Northern Di.
After the Grand Princess gave birth, she gave the child to her beloved's sister-in-law, Lady Li, who was the wife of the Marquis of Zhongyong. How could the Grand Princess's brother tolerate his sister's child born out of wedlock? Later, for the sake of her child's life, the Grand Princess made a solemn oath to the emperor, who was her own brother, that her descendants would serve the Xiao family of the Liang Dynasty for generations.
For this reason, after pacifying the Northern Di and sweeping through the southwest, the Grand Princess returned to the capital and went to a temple outside the city to cultivate herself. She never came down from the mountain until her death.
Marquis Yongning was well aware of the ruthlessness of the royal family. When he heard Emperor Liang Cheng trying to appeal to his emotions, Marquis Yongning felt a chill run down his spine. He knew that Emperor Liang Cheng was facing a life-or-death crisis, and the only ones who could stand in his way, besides the imperial guards, were his own family.
Marquis Yongning stood up from the stool and said in a deep voice, "I will obey His Majesty's orders."
Emperor Liang Cheng nodded and said, "Lord Xu, please sit down. I have just thought about this carefully. The fact that I was poisoned must not be known to anyone. I want to see what Wang Xiuyuan and her people are planning. This vast palace is my palace, and this world is the world that I am managing on behalf of our Xiao family ancestors. It is not a world that Wang Xiuyuan can touch."
Marquis Yongning couldn't help but light a candle for Wang Xiuyuan. This Wang family was truly ungrateful. Emperor Liang Cheng was an emperor who loved his children, but only if their bottom line was not crossed. As the emperor of Great Liang, his bottom line was the Great Liang empire. The Third Prince was so beloved by Emperor Liang Cheng, so why was Emperor Liang Cheng able to bear the pain of beheading him? Wasn't it because he colluded with foreign tribes? Why was the First Prince able to save his life in the end? Wasn't it because all the things he did were done with the help of his maternal uncle?
Traitors deserve to be killed by everyone. This was the fate of the Third Prince. No matter how reluctant Emperor Liang Cheng was, he had no choice but to kill the Third Prince and confiscate the property of Wan's family. The territory that the Third Prince wanted to give up was bought with the young lives of countless soldiers of Liang. If the traitorous Third Prince was not executed, the soldiers guarding the border would not agree.
Marquis Yongning looked at Emperor Liang Cheng, a ruler who was considered benevolent. He looked exhausted but also somewhat excited. Marquis Yongning had just heard the Chen siblings talk about the effects of the strange poison from the southwest. If the poison could not be cured, a person would be in a state similar to having a cold, slowly consuming their spirit and eventually dying from exhaustion.
Emperor Liang Cheng, perhaps realizing his own unease, picked up the now-cold tea beside him, took a sip, and calmed himself. He said, "Lord Xu, my idea is for you to contact Fan Shenglin, the commander of the garrison in the outskirts of the capital. Fan Shenglin is my confidant. Take my imperial edict to him and instruct him to closely monitor the troop movements in the capital. I think that since Wang Xiuyuan was able to poison me, she must have a backup plan. I don't yet know who is secretly helping her, but this person must be able to mobilize the forces of several garrisons in the capital. Lord Xu, the situation in the capital is extremely complex and could cause a major upheaval if we are not careful. Therefore, your responsibility is very important."
After leaving Yanmen Pass, Marquis Yongning had no contact with the generals in the army. He knew that this Marquis of Yongning, Fan Shenglin, was a very arrogant person who was very good at leading troops. No matter how many spoiled brats there were, they could always be trained into soldiers in his hands. Some families begged to send their good-for-nothing sons to Fan Shenglin's camp, but Fan Shenglin generally wouldn't accept them.
Marquis Yongning quickly stood up and bowed. Emperor Liang Cheng stroked the teacup in his hand and continued, "Although Wang Junzhuo is the head of the Wang family in the southwest, the Wang family has been operating there for decades and their power should not be underestimated. I have imprisoned Consort Shu and her son, and it is possible that the Wang family wants to put Consort Xiuyuan and her son on the throne. We must also keep a close eye on the movements of the southwestern garrison. We must guard against the Wang family sending troops back from the southwest. Therefore, Marquis Xu, I would like to ask you to explain the situation in the capital to Xu Di and have Xu Di and Wei Lang secretly send troops from Yanmen Pass and Lüzhou to guard the southwestern front. If the Wang family leads the southwestern garrison towards the capital..."
As Emperor Liang Cheng spoke, he looked intently at Marquis Yongning. Marquis Yongning felt his heart pounding harder and harder, as if he could not bear the weight of the pressure.
Emperor Liang Cheng slowly opened his mouth and softly uttered three words: "Kill without mercy!"
Cold sweat trickled down the Marquis of Yongning's temples to his ears. It is said that when an emperor is angry, corpses will float for miles. This is not just a scare tactic. The monarch has the power of life and death. The more this happens, the more those who obey him prosper and those who oppose him perish. Thinking of those young and vibrant lives, the Marquis of Yongning could only sigh deeply in his heart and agree to Emperor Liang Cheng.
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