Compared to the noise in other rooms, the rooms of Han Yu, Qu Feiqing and Xiahou An'er were much quieter.
Han Yu quietly walked to the window, gently pushed it open a crack, and looked out through the crack with his clever eyes. He saw that the guest house was already full of guards from the Sea King's Palace. Each of them was wearing armor and holding a long sword in his hand. He stood at the door of each room, strictly preventing the guests from escaping.
The atmosphere in the entire guesthouse was solemn and depressing. Apart from the shouting of the guests, the garden was silent, without a sound at all, which made people feel chilled.
Han Yu looked up at the sky, only to see that the sunny sky just now was now covered by a thick layer of clouds, making the guest house even more gloomy and cold, with a faint murderous aura.
A warning look came over, and a guard noticed that a guest was peeping into the garden, and immediately cast a murderous look over.
Han Yu's heart tightened, and he immediately closed the window with his backhand, and covered his heart with his other hand to calm down his sudden fright. After a while, he slowly turned around and walked quickly to the table and sat down.
Han Yu glanced at the two people in front of him, thinking of the guards guarding the door of the Sea King's Palace. He immediately lowered his voice and analyzed the current situation in a very quiet but calm voice. "Right now, this guesthouse has been surrounded by the Sea King's men. The guards outside are all wearing armor and holding swords. If we try to force our way out, it will undoubtedly be a futile attempt. It seems that we have all fallen into the Sea King's trap. The birthday celebration is an excuse, and the death of the young master is also an excuse. His real purpose is to get everyone to come to the Sea King's Palace and to get the Crown Prince to leave the palace and come to the Sea King's Palace."
Having said this, Han Yu poured a cup of tea for the other two. Her elegant eyebrows knitted slightly, and with a hint of difficulty in her expression, she said, "The biggest problem now is how to spread the news. The Sea King's Palace is located in a remote area, on Yangming Mountain. Not to mention us young ladies who are powerless, even men with martial arts skills would probably not be able to escape Yangming Mountain even if we escaped the Sea King's Palace. Moreover, with so many elite soldiers and generals inside and outside, it is impossible for us to escape no matter what."
This is the most troublesome point, especially since this place is heavily guarded by the guards of the Sea King's Palace. It would be extremely difficult to break through their guards.
Once the Sea King launches a mutiny, the capital will be littered with corpses, and the relatives in the capital will naturally have no choice but to submit to the Sea King for their own safety.
What a cunning old man, the Sea King, with these young men and women in his hands, the obstacles to his ascension to the throne would be much smaller. In addition, the excuse of the Crown Prince killing Hai Rui made it possible for him to launch a rebellion with justification.
Upon hearing this, Qu Feiqing's expression was filled with resentment. She lowered her brows and whispered, "Hai Quan is truly formidable. Using the pretext of a birthday banquet, he's managed to seize control of the legitimate children of every prominent family in the capital. This is like holding the lifeblood of every noble family. He wants to force everyone into his camp, and he won't have to worry about anyone daring to object in future uprisings."
"Don't worry about that." Xiahou An'er, who had been silent for a long time, spoke softly. She took out a firework from her sleeve and explained to the two people in the room, "This was given to me by my cousin's wife before I left this morning."
"The princess is truly intelligent. She was able to take precautions before anything happens." Han Yu rarely admired others, but she had a heartfelt admiration for Yun Qianmeng. Such intelligent women were rare in the world. Even if it was just an ordinary banquet, she could still think of these things.
Xiahou An'er nodded. "My cousin's wife is indeed very clever. Let's wait until it's dark and find a chance to send a signal to my cousin. I just hope that the Sea King won't send his troops too soon, otherwise the people of the capital will suffer."
The three of them were discussing countermeasures when a loud shouting sounded from the other compartment...
"Let us out... Let us out..." The sounds of shouting and clapping could be heard from the side rooms of the Sea King's Mansion, but the guest rooms had already been surrounded by the Sea King's Mansion guards. Even if everyone shouted at the top of their lungs, their shouts would not reach the ears of outsiders.
"What are you making so much noise for!" At this time, a loud roar was heard. Everyone looked through the window and saw Yuan Yao, the first general beside Hai Quan, leading a group of guards to patrol and pass by the guest courtyard. Seeing that the courtyard was very noisy, he immediately shouted loudly.
"Let us out... Our servants are waiting outside the Sea Prince's Mansion. If you dare disrespect us, you will become the enemy of the entire capital's aristocracy!" Without Hai Chenxi, these young men and women naturally didn't take anyone seriously. Even the illustrious Yuan Yao in front of them was ignored.
"Really? Which mansion are you from?" However, facing such a threat, Yuan Yao showed a sneer on his face, and even asked about the mansion of the young man.
"Hmph, my father is the Minister of War Shi Zhouyan!" A hint of pride appeared in the young man's eyes, and he said his father's name aloud.
It's no wonder that Mr. Shi is so confident. With such a family background and his father in charge of the entire Ministry of War, he is naturally a bit tougher than others.
"Hahaha, okay, okay, you go find the servant of Minister Shi's family and bring him here for their young master to recognize him." But he found that Yuan Yao ignored Young Master Shi and was not frightened. Instead, he turned sideways and gave orders to the guards beside him.
"Yes, General." The guard took the order and left.
Yuan Yao stood at the entrance of the guest house holding a sword, looking at the young masters and young ladies from the aristocratic families who had opened the windows and revealed their faces with a sneer in his eyes, but his heart was filled with contempt and disdain.
The young men and women who were originally making noises looked at each other, not understanding what Yuan Yao was trying to do.
At this moment, everyone remembered that Hai Chenxi had just killed a rich lady without hesitation with a sharp sword. They all felt a little scared and were even more afraid of having to watch another killing without competition.
Some of the timid ladies were about to pull away and close the windows, but suddenly they heard Yuan Yao shout, "No windows allowed! Keep a close eye on them, or else don't blame me for being rude."
As soon as these words were spoken, a low sobbing sound suddenly rang out in the garden. Most of the young ladies in the boudoir had already covered their faces and started crying. Their bodies were trembling slightly and their faces were pale. It was obvious that they were frightened.
Less than half an incense stick of time passed before the guard who had just left walked in.
It was a scorching summer afternoon. As the guard entered, everyone smelled a strong smell of blood. This smell mixed with the summer heat was nauseating.
"Mr. Shi, look carefully, this is a servant in your house?" At this time, Yuan Yao actually grabbed a bunch of black hair from the guard's hand, then raised his right hand to his chest, and placed the thing in his hand in front of everyone to see clearly.
Everyone looked over and saw that Yuan Yao was holding a human head in his hand. The face of the head was bloodless, and blood was flowing from all seven orifices. The neck where the head was severed was still dripping with blood...
"Ah..." Not only could the young lady not bear such a horrific scene, but even many of the young masters fainted when they saw the heads...
"Hmph, a bunch of useless embroidered pillows! You all see clearly, if anyone dares to make a noise, this servant's fate will be yours. The sword in this general's hand knows no mercy!" As he said this, Yuan Yao slammed the head in his hand to the ground. The head rolled several times on the ground until it hit the flowerbed and came to a stop. The pair of terrified eyes on it, which had not yet closed before death, stared straight at those young men and women...
'Bang bang bang...' No one dared to look again. Everyone closed the window tacitly at the same time and did not dare to make any resistance.
Seeing that he had intimidated these young men and women, Yuan Yao's cold eyes flashed with a sneer. He then straightened his armor and led the guards out of the guest house...
Han Yu closed the wooden window in an instant, while Qu Feiqing and Xiahou An'er both covered their lips and were unable to speak. Their faces were pale and cold sweat broke out on their foreheads. They were obviously frightened by the bloody scene.
Han Yu helped them sit back down at the table and handed them teacups to calm them down. However, her expression was extremely grim. She stared at the two people in front of her with a solemn look. After a long pause, she spoke with difficulty, "I'm afraid that the servants and maids who came with us today have all been killed by the Sea King."
As night fell, the city gates were closed, but none of the young men and women who had left home in the morning had returned.
This made the heads of various families worried. They didn't understand what had happened and why their children had not returned yet.
"Hurry, wait at the door. If the young lady or the young master comes back, send someone back to report immediately." The doors of each mansion were brightly lit with candles, and the servants stood on the ground, all eagerly waiting for their young masters.
The residence of the Prime Minister of Chu.
When Xiahou An'er didn't return for dinner, Yun Qianmeng couldn't help but feel uneasy. Pushing away the hot soup offered by Chu Feiyang, Yun Qianmeng asked worriedly, "Why hasn't An'er come back yet? Did something happen in the Sea King's Mansion?"
Especially this time, it was Xiahou An'er who mustered up the courage to go to the Sea King's Palace with my encouragement. If something really happened, I'm afraid I would be uneasy for the rest of my life.
Chu Feiyang held Yun Qianmeng's hand, patted the back of her hand gently, and said soothingly: "Maybe he's on his way, don't worry. Didn't you give that thing to An'er? If anything really happens, I believe she will inform us."
But Yun Qianmeng's uneasiness did not dissipate despite Chu Feiyang's comfort. She raised her eyebrows and spoke with deep concern, "I also asked Qiao Ying to select a few secret guards to protect my cousin and An'er, but even they haven't sent back any news. It's really worrying."
Time passed by bit by bit, and the night became darker and darker. Yun Qianmeng stroked her belly to comfort the baby in her belly, but her mind was turning over all the things in her mind, thinking over and over again, and her face became more and more heavy.
Chu Feiyang was anxious when he saw Yun Qianmeng refused to eat or drink. He was about to say something to comfort her, but he saw Xi Lin quickly walk to the door of Meng Xin Cottage to report something.
"Your humble servant greets His Majesty and Princess." Approaching the door, Xi Lin reported, "I have just received an urgent signal from the princess."
"Hurry up and speak." Yun Qianmeng stood up instantly, turned and looked at the door, waiting for Xi Lin to speak.
"After receiving the princess's secret signal, I started to send spies to approach the Sea King's Palace. According to the spies' report, all the guests who went to the Sea King's Palace today were forcibly detained inside the Sea King's Palace. At this time, the Sea King's Palace has entered a state of alert. Not only is the Sea King's Palace protected by elite soldiers, but even the foot of Yangming Mountain is also heavily guarded. The spies I sent out almost died from a hail of arrows." Xi Lin's face was solemn, and his eyes held a rare murderous aura, which immediately made Chu Feiyang and Yun Qianmeng realize the seriousness of the matter.
Chu Feiyang walked over to Yun Qianmeng and hugged her, fearing she might have a miscarriage. He then asked Xi Lin in a deep voice, "Where's the Crown Prince? Commander Wu escorted him there today. Has he returned to the palace?"
"The prince is also being detained in the Sea Palace. As for Commander Wu, he has disappeared. The Sea Palace is currently setting up a mourning hall. It is said that the young master of the Sea Palace is missing." Xi Lin frowned as he said these things. He felt in his heart that the Sea Palace was too weird.
It was supposed to be the Sea King's birthday, but in the blink of an eye it had turned into a funeral. Something must have happened. Unfortunately, the Sea King's Palace was heavily guarded, and even their secret guards couldn't get in. They could only gather superficial information.
"It seems that Hai Quan is planning to take action." Just by hearing this news, Chu Feiyang had already seen through Hai Quan's thoughts.
After hearing Chu Feiyang's words, Yun Qianmeng's brows suddenly furrowed, and she looked at him with worry. She had already guessed what was going on, and then calmly analyzed, "This was a scheme that had been planned for years. First, the child's full moon banquet was held to let everyone know that the Sea Prince's Mansion had a young prince. Then came Hai Rui's first birthday banquet. Everyone had met Hai Rui at that time, which also laid the groundwork for today's events. Finally, there was the Sea Prince's birthday banquet, which was a trick to make everyone speechless. The Emperor sent the Crown Prince, so the other families naturally had to give the Sea Prince face and of course sent their legitimate sons and daughters to attend the birthday banquet. But they didn't expect that they would automatically fall into the trap set by the Sea Prince."
After hearing Yun Qianmeng's words, Chu Feiyang's dark eyes flashed with a cold light. His grip on Yun Qianmeng's waist tightened a little, but he was relieved. Fortunately, Meng'er was pregnant and it was not suitable for her to travel far. Otherwise, with Meng'er in Hai Quan's hands, he would have been completely confused.
"Your Highness, Princess, all the servants and maids from various mansions who were waiting outside the gate of Prince of the Sea's Palace were killed by the guards of Prince of the Sea's Palace. Several secret guards sent by the princess to protect Miss Qu and the princess were also killed because they were outnumbered." Xi Lin lowered his head and said the last thing.
"Hai Quan is truly ruthless!" A cold laugh escaped Chu Feiyang's lips. "He's trying to hold the emperor hostage to control the princes. Pass the order down, all generals immediately prepare for battle. All secret guards gather at Prime Minister Chu's residence to protect the safety of the princess and others. Immediately send a secret signal to inform Qu Changqing to return immediately. At the same time, you go to the imperial mausoleum in person and ensure his safety."
As he spoke, Chu Feiyang pulled Yun Qianmeng into his arms, gently kissed her hair, and whispered, "Meng'er, stay in the Prime Minister's Mansion well. I can rest assured."
When Yun Qianmeng heard Chu Feiyang's words, she knew that he would definitely take action personally. After all, Xiahou An'er was being held in the Sea King's Mansion at the moment, so it was normal for Chu Feiyang to be so worried.
Nodding in his arms, Yun Qianmeng spoke softly, "Be careful and protect yourself. The child and I will be waiting for you to come back."
After saying that, Yun Qianmeng withdrew from Chu Feiyang's arms and watched him leave Mengxin Cottage.
"Princess." Mu Chun looked at the barely touched dinner on the table, a little worried about Yun Qianmeng's health. He helped her sit down carefully and advised, "Princess, please eat a little more."
Yun Qianmeng was in no mood to have dinner at this moment. Xiahou An'er and Qu Feiqing were both held hostage in the Sea Palace. According to the Sea Palace's ruthless killing style, the guests were probably living on the edge of a knife.
Now that the Sea King has chosen to take action, the Chen King is probably impatient. In the entire Western Chu court, the only one who can compete with the two kings is Chu Feiyang. I'm afraid that the task of leading the troops to the expedition must be Chu Feiyang. With so many things happening one after another, how can we not be worried?
With her hands covering her lower abdomen, Yun Qianmeng looked at the bowl of warm soup on the table, slowly picked up the bowl, and drank it in small sips.
"Qiao Ying." After finishing the soup in her hand, Yun Qianmeng spoke in a light voice, her eyes having regained their calmness and composure.
"What are your orders, Princess?" Qiao Ying instantly came from the door to Yun Qianmeng, lowered her head and waited for Yun Qianmeng's order.
"Come here." Yun Qianmeng looked at Qiao Ying and nodded slightly. After Qiao Ying approached, she whispered...
The long street was already in chaos at this time. As their young master had not returned for a long time, the servants were asked to go out of the house to look for him.
For a moment, the long street was filled with noise and bright candlelight, and servants from various mansions were heading towards the Sea King's Palace in groups.
All the shop owners on both sides of the long street were frightened when they saw clusters of fire dragons passing by their doors. They ordered their waiters to close their shop doors to avoid the wrath of these powerful nobles.
Amidst the shouting, the sound of horse hooves came from afar. Everyone stopped shouting and looked into the dark night, only to see the King of Chu in a black brocade robe riding towards them.
Upon seeing this, Old Lady Lin from Yuan Mansion immediately pushed through the crowd and stepped out, blocking the middle of the street and blocking Chu Feiyang's way.
"Whoa." With a clear whistle, Chu Feiyang quickly pulled the reins and stopped in front of Old Lady Lin, looking down at her with stern eyes.
"I greet the King of Chu." Old Lady Lin remained unfazed by the danger, showing no fear of the King of Chu before her. She spoke in a deep voice, but her sharp gaze swept over the area where Chu Feiyang passed. Her expression darkened as she asked in a cold voice, "Does Your Highness know what happened in the Sea Palace? Why haven't the young masters and young ladies from the various palaces returned yet?"
Seeing that Old Lady Lin had directly raised the question that everyone was wondering about, Chu Feiyang's calm gaze remained calm as he replied, "It's curfew now. Everyone should be waiting for news in the mansion. I believe there will be news soon. Old Lady Lin, you are Prince Chen's grandmother. Prince Chen is in charge of the affairs of the capital. You can't take the lead in not following the rules set by Prince Chen."
These words shut up Old Lady Lin and cleverly avoided the question she had just asked.
Old Lady Lin was secretly annoyed by Chu Feiyang's attitude, but she remained calm and composed. Seeing Chu Feiyang galloping towards her just now, she thought something must have happened.
However, Old Lady Lin knew that her question was too direct and Chu Feiyang would not give a direct answer, so she changed the subject and asked, "My grandson and granddaughter-in-law went to the Sea King's Mansion today and have not returned yet. I wonder if Princess Xiahou from your mansion has returned?"
With Old Lady Lin leading the way, the servants from other mansions also rushed to Chu Feiyang. Among them, many ladies were supported by their maids and walked over, staring at Chu Feiyang anxiously.
Chu Feiyang's expression was steady, his eyes calm as he glanced at the people below his horse. He said calmly, "Everyone should return to your respective residences and wait for news. Don't linger outside, so as not to cause panic among the people in the capital."
"I don't understand what King Chu said. There is someone missing in our house, so are we not allowed to look for him privately? Even if this matter comes before the emperor, we will not be in the wrong." Old Lady Lin was furious when she saw Chu Feiyang doing his job impartially and without any hurry.
Yuan Qingzhou was the eldest grandson of the Yuan family, and Wu Qinqin was now pregnant with her daughter, the Duke of Han's family's child. How could Old Lady Lin bear to see her child suffer such an unexpected fate? As time ticked by, not only did the Imperial Palace but even the Sea Prince's Mansion still not give a positive response, how could Old Lady Lin not be anxious?
After hearing what Old Lady Lin said, a cold light flashed across Chu Feiyang's dark pupils, and then he said indifferently: "If someone is missing in the mansion, you can report it to the Jingzhao Yin, and the government office will send yamen runners to help find it. Why bother disturbing the people at night? If the people in the capital riot because of this, can the Hanguo Mansion bear the responsibility? Old Lady, don't forget that Prince Chen and Concubine Yuande are both in the imperial mausoleum. As the saying goes, distant water cannot quench a nearby fire. I'm afraid they are also powerless!"
"Does the King of Chu look down on the Duke of Han's Mansion? Or does he think that the Duke of Han's Mansion does not have the ability?" The old lady Lin pressed the cane in her hand heavily on the bluestone road, making a crisp sound in the silence.
Everyone couldn't help but focus their attention on the two people facing each other...
Anger was also evident on Old Lady Lin's face. The firelight shone on her face, revealing a serious expression. Her aura was so fierce that no one dared to look at her directly.
The King of Chu on horseback was as calm as water, but the flames dancing in his black pupils were brighter than the lanterns and candles in front of him.
Chu Feiyang spoke calmly, "I am only addressing the matter at hand. Although Prince Chen has handed over the Sparrow Talisman, he is still commanding the city defense forces and receiving his salary before the emperor issues an order! The old lady is Prince Chen's grandmother, so she will surely not do anything to embarrass him! If the old lady is dissatisfied, why not accompany me to the palace to face the emperor!"
Old Lady Lin was furious. She hadn't found out the whereabouts of her grandson and granddaughter-in-law, and yet she was threatened and ridiculed by Chu Feiyang. How could she let this anger go unanswered? She was about to step forward and argue with Chu Feiyang again.
But Chu Feiyang's face darkened, and a hint of impatience flashed in his eyes. Without waiting for Old Lady Lin to speak again, he suddenly tightened his reins and rode his horse around her, heading towards the palace...
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