The next second, Xiao Chensheng still answered the Empress Dowager's question: "If the Empress Dowager wants to get rid of Prince Gong, she can only send troops."
The Empress Dowager wanted a legitimate reason to send troops, and so did Yu Nanqing.
No matter how many schemes and tricks the other party uses in secret, once they bring them into the open, they need a legitimate reason.
As long as the Empress Dowager doesn't move, Yu Nanqing won't move either.
Xiao Chensheng looked at the secret document in his hand, smiled, and slowly handed it to the Empress Dowager: "Since a battle is inevitable, why should the Empress Dowager hesitate any longer? Isn't there a legitimate reason right now?"
"Hmph." The Empress Dowager snorted coldly, "You're right. If this drags on any longer, Yu Nanqing's Dragon Cavalry will only grow stronger!"
Regardless of which one it is, she will absolutely not miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
After saying this, she sighed deeply, took the secret report from Xiao Chensheng's hand, and frowned: "It's just that I'm in such a passive situation, and I can't express the hatred in my heart."
Why is Yu Nanqing not in Fucheng?
He commands the Dragon Cavalry, is meticulous in his thinking, and acts decisively; it's impossible for him to fall for her trick so easily.
She knew in her heart that either Yu Nanqing was setting a trap for her, waiting for her to fall into it, or he had already set off for the capital and was probably on his way now.
If that's true...
The Empress Dowager's narrowed eyes were filled with murderous intent; she needed to act quickly as well.
He raised his eyes: "Someone come here!"
Aunt Fu entered from outside the hall the next second: "Grand Empress Dowager?"
"General Su is hereby summoned for an audience."
Su Shixu, the second young master of the Marquis of Yuanning.
Aunt Fu was stunned. The Empress Dowager had summoned Xiao Chensheng and Su Shixu one after the other tonight, and she had a feeling that something was about to happen.
Lenovo lowered his eyes and accepted the order in a moment: "Yes!"
When Su Shixu arrived at the Empress Dowager's palace, she happened to run into Xiao Chensheng, who was coming out of the palace. Su Shixu's face immediately showed disgust.
As he passed by Xiao Chensheng, he gave a cold "humph".
Su Shixu was naturally arrogant. He thought that the glory he had earned through countless battles was easily obtained by Xiao Chensheng by simply talking and pleasing the Empress Dowager. An inexplicable anger surged in his head.
Not satisfied with giving him a cold shoulder, she turned around fiercely and spat at Xiao Chensheng's back, "You unorthodox bastard!"
“Little brother, he looks down on you.” Yao Tianwei leaned on Xiao Chensheng’s shoulder, his eyes wide open.
Xiao Chensheng simply smiled and said, "No need to worry about it."
Su Shixu stayed in the Empress Dowager's palace for about half an hour, and when he left, he saw an excited murderous intent on his face.
On the other side, in a mountain hollow.
Before dawn, Yu Nanqing was awakened by Tian Zhong's report: "Your Highness, there is news from the palace."
With Su Wanyan absent, Yu Nanqing was a very light sleeper, easily awakened by even the slightest sound. So, before Tanaka could even speak, he had already noticed Tanaka's footsteps.
"Come in."
Tanaka hurriedly pushed open the door and handed over the note in his hand: "Your Highness, this is a message that our people intercepted in the early morning. It was sent out from the palace."
Yu Nanqing was in no hurry. He poured himself a glass of water, drank it slowly, and then took the secret letter from Tanaka's hand after putting down the teacup. He opened it and glanced at it.
'Yu Nanqing has disappeared in Fucheng. Troops have been dispatched to surround and suppress him, to investigate the matter.'
Below a simple line of text is the royal seal.
This is a personal order from the Empress Dowager.
The Fuzhou army had already assembled, and as soon as this order reached the general, the army would immediately attack Fucheng.
"The Empress Dowager sent out secret messages via three routes, and they have all been intercepted by our men." Tanaka bowed respectfully. "Your Highness! Give the order!"
The Empress Dowager has already taken action. I dare not imagine what kind of suffering the Princess and other people in Fucheng would have endured if this secret report had not been intercepted.
Yu Nanqing curled the secret letter into his palm, and when he opened it again, the letter had turned to ashes.
He said, "Keep an eye on it."
Tanaka choked slightly. The Empress Dowager had already made her move. Wasn't the Prince going to retaliate?
But in the blink of an eye, it was like a sudden enlightenment.
Yes, they intercepted the Empress Dowager's secret letter, which is why they knew she was going to take action against Fucheng. On the surface, the Empress Dowager hadn't made any moves yet, so if they attacked her now, they would immediately turn the tide and become the passive party.
Having figured this out, Tanaka immediately bowed respectfully and accepted the order: "Yes."
On the second day of the eleventh month, seven days after the secret report was sent out, a rumor suddenly emerged in the capital.
Yu Nanqing disappeared in Fucheng half a month ago and his whereabouts are still unknown. The Prince Gong's Mansion in Fucheng has been closed to visitors for several days. After the Princess Gong appeared at the temple on the Ghost Festival on the fifteenth of October, she also disappeared.
Rumors had barely begun to circulate in the capital when the Empress Dowager issued an order at the morning court session that very day: Yu Nanqing Fucheng had disappeared and his whereabouts were unknown. Therefore, she issued a special decree to send troops to Fucheng to investigate the matter.
This decree immediately sparked a great deal of discussion in the imperial court.
Immediately, a minister stepped forward to stop her: "Your Majesty, Fucheng is far from the capital, and the reasons for this have not yet been investigated. It would be inappropriate to send troops rashly. Moreover, Princess Gong appeared at the temple on the Ghost Festival on the fifteenth of the tenth month, which is only half a month ago. The news is still not confirmed. I hope Your Majesty will think it over!"
The rumor suddenly spread throughout the capital without any confirmation. How could the Empress Dowager be so sure that they were missing?
Furthermore, even if Yu Nanqing had truly disappeared, the most appropriate course of action would have been to send an imperial envoy from the court to investigate. Why send troops directly instead?
Is there some kind of ferocious beast or flood in Fucheng?
So the ministers in the court knew exactly what was going on.
Less than two years have passed since Yu Nanqing's great battle in Donghai. Is the Empress Dowager not afraid of being criticized by the people of the Great Jin for taking action against Fucheng at this time?
Fuzhou is a rich and prosperous region of the Great Jin Dynasty, with particularly developed commerce. It is no exaggeration to call it the purse of the Great Jin.
The important thing is that Fuzhou has not made any mistakes so far, not even superficial ones, so it is inappropriate to send troops there directly. The Empress Dowager's move has made more than half of the ministers in the court frown.
"I second that!" As soon as the minister in front finished speaking, another minister stepped forward. It wasn't that they wanted to protect Yu Nanqing, but the matter was too outrageous and inexplicable, and anyone would find it suspicious.
However, just as the minister who stepped forward was about to bow and offer his advice, a wisp of smoke suddenly swirled around him, so faint that it went unnoticed.
Suddenly, with a "poof," a mouthful of blood gushed from his throat just as he was about to speak!
The officials in the court were immediately startled: "Lord Wei! Lord Wei!"
Someone reacted quickly and caught him as he was about to collapse to the ground: "Lord Wei?"
The beaded curtain concealed the Empress Dowager's expression well. She spoke without much surprise, saying, "Take her away and summon the imperial physician."
Beside the Empress Dowager, Xiao Chensheng stood leisurely, a wisp of smoke escaping from his lips.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
