"Ah, this..." How can this not be considered a case of reaping what one sows?
Lu Anyuan looked at Xu Yixing's expression of not knowing whether to laugh or cry, and said tactfully: "You think it's a coincidence, but it's true. Second brother used this kind of gunpowder under Fourth brother's seat. We've compared it and there's absolutely no mistake."
The second prince was really miserable. He didn't even know how to rebel, and was killed by his own weapon. It was all fate!
"Well, he brought this upon himself. So, have his accomplices been caught?"
Lu Anyuan nodded. "We captured all of them in the basement of the Qibei Palace yesterday. There were a total of 2,000 people. The remaining 3,000 people who were ambushed in various places in the capital were also eliminated one after another. I'm not sure if there are any more."
"Two thousand people, underground?" It's really hard to connect these two words together. How big would the venue and underground palace be for two thousand people to live underground?
"Yes, the entire basement of the Qibei Palace is empty. I don't know when Second Brother transferred those people in one after another for secret training. I said he only brought ten guards with him when he returned to the capital. It turns out he was not short of manpower at all!"
At this point, Lu Anyuan gritted his teeth. He wondered how many of these people were supported by his own gold!
Xu Yixing also sucked his teeth at the right time. Even after all this, the rebellion has not yet succeeded? The Second Prince is really not destined to be the emperor!
"Did the emperor say how to deal with this matter?"
"The criminal Lu Chiyan plotted treason. According to the law of high treason, he shall be demoted to a commoner and his corpse shall be whipped one hundred times. He shall not be buried in the imperial mausoleum, but shall be thrown into a mass grave along with the commoner Zhou. This will be announced to the world and despised by all the people."
Oh, the emperor is so stingy. Even though he is dead, he still wants to beat your son a hundred times. He is so cruel.
"What about the Second Prince's wife and the young prince?"
Lu Anyuan showed sympathy. "Demote them all to commoners, escort them back to the capital, and confine them to the cold palace. From now on, there will be no Second Prince's branch."
Xu Yixing felt a little uncomfortable. She had met the Second Prince's wife a few times and knew she was the daughter of a merchant and a relatively gentle person. Now, not only had she lost the honor of being a prince's consort, but even her son and daughter were imprisoned together. Had she ever imagined this kind of ending when she first entered the palace with such glory?
"What you men do brings trouble to your wives and children. What kind of ability is that?"
"A husband and wife share both their success and their failure. That's how it is. Besides, my second brother's rebellion this time has implicated so many people, and it's not easy for father to still protect his wife and children." Faced with his father's decision, Lu Anyuan held a completely opposite point of view, which made Xu Yixing a little angry.
"What if you get beheaded in the future and I'm imprisoned by the emperor? Should I still say 'Long live the emperor' out of gratitude?"
"How could that be! I wouldn't rebel, so it's not your turn to be a prisoner."
"I can't make sense to you!"
Lu Anyuan didn't know why Yixing suddenly got angry again, so he could only continue, "Well... Besides them, there's also the Dragon Guard General He Bin and Deputy General Shi Rui who joined the rebellion, as well as the corrupt officials in the City Defense Department who were found. They were all executed. Second Brother's confidants in Qibei were all escorted to the capital, and there are still many people to be purged later."
He didn't tell anyone about the exile of these people's wives and children. He always felt that if he told them, Yixing would be angry again.
"Didn't you say last time that Shi Rui killed He Bin, which was considered a meritorious service, and the emperor didn't give him a lighter sentence?"
"They died due to a disagreement and a quarrel. It doesn't count as a merit."
"So the uninformed Dragon Guard soldiers?"
"This one isn't a blanket death sentence. Uncle Prince Cheng pleaded for them yesterday, so the emperor will most likely just banish them and won't execute them all."
Xu Yixing felt relieved, finally hearing some news that wasn't so depressing. "What about you? Didn't His Majesty say you've made contributions? What honor did he bestow upon you?"
"Well..." Lu Anyuan scratched his head, feeling rather embarrassed. "Indeed, there is a reward, but the emperor didn't say it explicitly. He must have discussed it with the Ministry of Rites. Anyway, there will be a clear decree issued by then, so we just have to wait."
Xu Yixing smiled with relief. After all, he had taken such a big risk. The second prince was dead, so Lu Anyuan naturally had to get some benefits. Otherwise, how could he make up for the gold he had invested in vain?
Xu Yixing was still thinking about some loopholes in this matter when he felt the light in front of his eyes dim and Lu Anyuan's face suddenly came closer.
"Madam, yesterday I reflected deeply on my careless behavior. It was indeed my fault. Madam, please don't be angry with me. Can't we reconcile?"
Xu Yixing tilted his neck back, avoiding Lu Anyuan's nose, which was right in front of him. I've never seen anyone beg for peace so forcefully, but he still didn't teach you a lesson. Do you think I didn't hear the goodies Mr. Yao brought you last night?
This is not knowing one's mistakes at all, it's clearly being obsessed with lust!
"No, we'll discuss this when you become a prince."
"Ah? Then you can't be crowned a king until at least the new emperor ascends the throne. Besides, if I become the emperor in the future, do you think I can crown myself a prince? That's not possible, Yixing..." Lu Anyuan tried to persuade him, but Yixing was too cruel and refused to let him stay overnight.
There is no way, the study is the home for this beautiful night.
Lu Anyuan left and Xu Yixing went to bed by himself. The day passed by so quickly!
“Puff!”
In the dark night, she couldn't help laughing out loud, thinking of a story she had heard before called "Worse than Beasts". It seemed that Lu Anyuan was a living being worse than a beast!
After laughing, the depression in her heart also eased a lot. She didn't know that Lu Anyuan's choice of her death was a joke. Even if she were to encounter such a situation, she would certainly tell the Second Prince that she would choose to die with him at home, where he was guarded by layers of guards. This would not be considered infidelity, and it had nothing to do with love or not.
But thinking about the second prince, from Lu Anyuan's narration, there are indeed some problems that have not been resolved.
Firstly, how had he escaped from the Outer Palace in the first place, and how had he managed to stay in the Fourth Prince's residence for so long? The Fourth Prince's denial of knowledge wasn't necessarily entirely false; otherwise, with his intelligence, he would have saved himself or at least passed on some information, avoiding the situation of sitting on a powder keg waiting to die.
How did he know about the secret passage in Prince Cheng's mansion? If it was just the Emperor and Prince Cheng's friendship, then this situation would be too unfavorable for Prince Cheng. However, considering the Emperor's trust in Prince Cheng, it seems unlikely that the information was leaked from Prince Cheng. How the Second Prince learned this, I'm afraid only he knows.
Thirdly, gunpowder and private soldiers are not cheap things. If there is no one to cover them, how did they hide in every corner of the capital? These are all suspicious points!
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