mutiny
After Li Yuanfeng was beaten by Li Linhao, he ran angrily to Concubine Sun Shu's garden and sat down. He was there, Concubine Sun Shu was sitting opposite him, and tea was available, but the silent atmosphere at the scene made it difficult for everyone to understand.
Li Yuanfeng originally wanted to calm down his anger, but the more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and he even overturned the teacup on the table.
"Concubine Sun Shu, the Crown Prince has learned of the private recruitment of soldiers by the various Eastern nations. He will undoubtedly kill me. Concubine Sun Shu thinks...wouldn't it be better for me to strike first?"
Concubine Sun Shu said, "Xiaohong, go to the white box at the top of my drawer and take out a letter."
After a while, the maid handed him an envelope with the word "Yuan" on it. He picked it up and opened it, and saw that the first character was Li Yuanba, followed by Li Yuanfeng and Li Yuanxian in the next line.
Li Yuanfeng said thoughtfully, "Concubine Sun Shu, why are you cooperating with me? Is it for the Sixth Prince to succeed to the throne?"
Concubine Sun Shu said thoughtfully, "Of course. Only when Xiang'er succeeds to the throne, or becomes a vassal king, will His Majesty pay attention to me. He hasn't set foot in the bedroom for twenty years."
Li Yuanfeng said, "Concubine Sun Shu, I promise you with my life that if I ever ascend the throne, my Sixth Brother will certainly treat me well. The dream of becoming a vassal king is not a dream!"
Elsewhere, before nightfall, a masked man walked into the bedroom. Already lying on the bed was Concubine Xiao Xian.
As soon as the man took off his veil, Concubine Xiao Xian said, "Master Yin Shou, the military advisor of Tufan State, I am honored to have you here."
Master Yin asked, "Hello, Madam. Let's get straight to the point."
"That's right. Then I'll be frank! I hope you can send troops, whether to destroy a nation or bring down a glorious dynasty. As long as you can do it, I will create an opportunity."
"What's the reason for destroying the country?"
"I hate the harm the current emperor has done to mother and daughter. For over ten years, I've had enough. No matter what, I want to escape from this birdcage-like imperial family as soon as possible."
"Yes. You just need to create an entrance so our people can sneak in."
Suddenly a voice came from outside: "The Emperor has arrived!"
Master Yin immediately hid in the closet.
When the Emperor Li Lie'ao's footsteps echoed through the carved wooden door, Concubine Xiao was pushing Master Yin into the wardrobe. She spun abruptly, the red gold hairpins in her hair swaying with the violent movement. The pearl tassels swept across the dressing table, knocking over a sample of Chen Yun's invention—the one she had stolen from the Imperial Hospital, relabeled, and intended to take credit for.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."
Li Lie'ao said, "Xianfei, your daughter has reached marriageable age and it's time for her to get married. Do you have a candidate in mind?"
Concubine Xiao Xian felt a pang in her heart, clearly dissatisfied with this statement, but she quickly hid her expression and said, "Your Majesty, I don't have a specific candidate, but I do have a range. The generals in the Yan Buyang Camp of the Twelve Cavalrymen might be considered, but I don't know their moral character, both civil and military. So I just have a suggestion."
Concubine Xiao Xian took out Chen Yun's heating patch and placed it on Li Lie'ao's abdomen. He soon felt a surge of warmth. "Is this patch so magical? It's so warm."
"This item is called 'Warm Jade.' I sought out a folk artisan, crafting it from South China Sea pearl powder mixed with warm stone. Tucked into your sleeve in winter, it provides warmth for three hours. Your Majesty, I wish to dispatch General Yan's subordinates to carry this warm jade to the northern expedition and then divide it. Firstly, this will help us establish friendly relations, secondly, find marriage partners, and thirdly, test the warm jade's practicality and disseminate it to soldiers on the battlefield."
"Are you doing this for your daughter or for me?"
"It's useless to know more about politics but can't tell them. I just hope you can treat Xuelu well."
"What's the matter? Just tell me what you know!"
"Anyway, keep an eye on the third and eighth brothers. I can't say for sure."
Li Lie'ao was silent for a moment before he said, "He invited me to have tea with several princes. I must get to know my son better."
As night fell, Li Yuanfeng did not lead the rebels directly to the palace. Instead, he arranged to have dinner with Li Lie'ao, Xue Lian, Li Linhao, and Li Lin.
"Second brother, third brother, in this life, we brothers have never sat down to discuss the future. I wonder how second brother will view me in the future."
Li Lin observed Li Yuanfeng's inconsistency, which made him curious to see what he was up to. He smiled and replied, "I don't know if I'll have the chance to continue helping you as the Crown Prince in the future." Then Li Lin stood up, walked over to Li Yuanfeng, and patted his shoulder. "I only wish for brotherly harmony. As the outsiders say, what's the appeal of this frivolous throne of emperor or crown prince? Do you understand?"
Li Yuanfeng lowered his head, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly, as if he was mocking Li Lin's high-sounding words.
Li Linhao said, "I'm afraid he wants you to be a leisurely king, not to take care of government affairs, so that you can recuperate."
Li Yuanfeng supported himself with his hands, but his bent waist paused for a moment. When others were looking at him, he straightened up and picked up the wine glass.
"My dear brothers, thank you all for your continued concern for me. Let's drink this cup!"
Li Lin and Li Linhao did it all.
Then Li Yuanfeng picked up a few pieces of meat and put them into the bowls of Li Lieo and Xue Lian.
"Father, Empress, please eat a little. You can't drink on an empty stomach. I want to be drunk later."
Li Lie'ao looked at the meat on the bowl, then pointed at Li Yuanfeng's bowl. Eunuch Lin added a piece of meat to Li Yuanfeng's bowl and said, "My dear, don't just drink. Eat something first."
Li Yuanfeng picked it up and ate it without saying a word. During this action, Li Lie'ao and Xue Lian were watching intently. When they saw him eat, they ate too.
Li Yuanfeng laughed so hard that he stood up and walked to the door.
Li Yuanfeng sighed towards the door, "Alas! Being caught in this vortex of power, it's all about the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, or the struggle for personal gain. No one cares about talent, only intrigue and unfair status. If you want to stand out, you have to fight tooth and nail!"
"What do you want to express?" Li Lin asked tentatively.
Li Yuanfeng turned around and said with a ferocious expression, "I am saying that you all owe me the throne."
Li Lie'ao slammed the table and shouted angrily, "You daring rebellious son! Are you trying to usurp the throne from your father?"
"So what?"
Li Lie'ao was about to reprimand him when he suddenly felt weak, as if all his strength had been drained away. He looked at Li Yuanfeng in horror, only to see that he was still full of energy, showing no signs of poisoning. He couldn't help but ask, "Did you drug him? But you clearly ate it, too?"
"I have already taken the antidote."
With a wave of his hand, he instantly launched a group of guards armed with sharp blades into the hall. Two imperial guards, Madam Ling, and Eunuch Lin immediately rushed forward, attempting to protect Li Lie'ao and the others.
"Li Yuanfeng. What my royal brother just said was from the bottom of his heart, without a single falsehood. Why did you insist on mutiny?"
Hearing Li Lin's words, Li Yuanfeng became angry. "It's your fault for intercepting the Yuezuo people from Dongyang! It's your fault for giving all the good things to the three older brothers! I am obviously the most capable one! Father, I am your biological son, and I have been stationed at the border for Qiankun Kingdom for ten years!"
"No! You are not born by His Majesty!"
At this time, a female voice came from outside the door. The visitor was Chen Yun, the Crown Princess of Qiankun Kingdom. Li Yuanfeng's biological mother, Shu Jieyu, came here with Chen Yun under the control of several guards.
Li Yuanfeng's face suddenly changed. He drew his sword from the guard beside him and pointed the tip of the sword directly at Chen Yun: "Crown Princess, I order you to let go of my mother!"
Chen Yun said, "You are not born to His Majesty. You are the fourth son of the founding ancestor of the Qiankun Kingdom, a descendant of General Li Yuanba! Born to a farmer in a village! You have no qualifications to compete for the throne! If you don't believe me, ask your mother!"
Li Lie'ao looked at Concubine Shu and asked in a trembling voice, "You... Concubine Shu... is he really not... my prince?"
Shu Jieyu had been lowering her head, but upon hearing this, she looked forward in despair and said, "Yuan is the character that every generation of Li Yuanba must keep in mind to commemorate our ancestor Li Yuanba. Alas, there is no possibility of revival. Feng'er, we have lost. Fight your way out and escape from this place!"
Li Yuanfeng laughed heartily. He was frightened by this fact and took two steps back. His eyes once again scanned the surroundings fiercely. He couldn't believe that he had never been treated as a brother. Perhaps it was because of blood relationship.
"You've lied to me! You've been bullying me! Let me tell you, even if you bring a few people with you, you can't save the people behind me! Father! For all your kindness in raising me, I swear I won't kill you or the Queen, as long as you hand over the Imperial Seal!"
Chen Yun said, "Seventh Prince, your sister-in-law is still here."
Li Yuanfeng turned around and said, "You? Don't you think too highly of yourself? My brothers and I don't even take you, the Emperor's sister-in-law, seriously."
Chen Yun asked, "Have you forgotten that I have a secret department? Do you know that I am skilled in mechanical engineering? Then, do you know...who I have already won over?"
At this moment, Yan Buyang and Li Feifei led their soldiers to attack from the flank, catching Li Linhao's soldiers off guard. Meanwhile, Anbu soldiers jumped from the ceiling and beat the guards in the hall to pieces.
"Not good! Take the emperor with you and retreat with me!" Li Yuanfeng saw that the situation was hopeless and wanted to escape, but Li Lin came out stumbling.
Chen Yun ran to Li Lin and stuffed the pills directly into his mouth, then handed a few pills to Xue Lian and Li Linhao. Li Lin took a few bites and immediately felt energized.
Li Lin moved his hands and found that he had recovered. "Huh? Is the effect so fast?"
"Of course, this is the only secret medicine left in my Yuan Tian sect. Okay? Let's go after it together!"
Xue Lian handed a token to Li Linhao and said, "Third Prince, you must immediately go to the Ministry of War and bring weapons to every gate to prevent the enemy from crossing the palace gate. Crown Prince, Crown Princess, let's go after them together!"
Soon, Li Yuanfeng threatened Li Lie'ao and went to the back garden. He covered the emperor's mouth and hid in the bushes, while the other soldiers split up to distract the others.
When things calmed down, Li Yuanfeng again threatened Li Lieo to leave.
When they arrived at the Suzaku Gate, Li Lie'ao ordered the gate guards to open the palace gate. However, the moment it opened, Li Lin was already standing before him. Behind him, several guards and the seven members of the Seven Stars Group arrived at the scene, led by Chen Yun.
Li Lin persuaded: "Seventh brother! There is no need for us to fight."
"Li Lin, you are the only one who has no right to speak. During the succession struggle, you cornered all of us brothers and even killed our eldest brother! Now, with your suspicious nature, you will never allow anyone who has ever threatened your life to remain in this world."
Chen Yun looked at Li Lin in surprise, but an invisible voice in her heart told her to trust Li Lin, so she firmly said to Li Yuanfeng: "No! I will keep you safe!"
Li Yuanfeng looked at Li Lin in horror, then at Chen Yun. "No, I don't believe you. You want me to think I've lost the initiative and send troops. Then, you want to use the power of Yan Ruoxi and the Yan family to stop me. Once you're done, you can destroy the current emperor. Your goal is to take your throne!"
"No, if I don't do something, this sentence will put Lin'er's position as the crown prince in jeopardy." Then she saw Yan Ruoxi in the distance and thought of something.
Xue Lian said, "You don't know, the Crown Princess was pregnant with your brother's child before entering the palace. That's why she had no choice but to enter. And Miss Yan was originally going to be the Crown Prince's concubine."
"What?" Li Lin and Chen Yin couldn't help but shout.
Yan Ruoxi knelt unconsciously, "I dare not have any improper thoughts!" She was extremely unwilling to marry the prince because she had a lover in her heart, and that was Nalan Si, whom she thought about day and night. "I can't agree to this. Brother Si is still waiting for me."
In reality, Chen Yun didn't care. "After all, Li Lin and I are only married in name only. I can't ask a grown man to suppress his desire. Men have stronger sexual desires than women. Men are under a lot of pressure in today's society, and stress and other emotions affect men's desires. Let him mess around!"
Before Li Lin could speak, Xue Lian took over and said, "You may agree to it on the surface. After obtaining the indenture, I can ask His Majesty to order Miss Yan to marry her beloved. If you refuse, His Majesty's life will be in danger."
After hearing this, Yan Ruoxi thought to herself, "This isn't a bad idea. The Crown Prince saved me, and I can't let him be imprisoned. Moreover, this way, no one can stop me from marrying Brother Si, and I can also let the royal family help support Brother Si." Thinking of this, Yan Ruoxi stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I obey your command!"
Li Yuanfeng watched all this and suddenly laughed hysterically: "Okay! Go on! Keep teasing me! You just want to kill me as soon as the knife is put down! In that case, even if I die, I will take you guys with me!" As he spoke, he tightened the sword in his hand, and a thin blood mark suddenly appeared on Li Lieo's neck.
"Seventh brother, don't be impulsive!" Li Lin was anxious. He took a step forward, raised his hands slightly, and tried to comfort Li Yuanfeng. "If you put down your weapons, we will forgive you and make proper arrangements for you."
"Let bygones be bygones?" Li Yuanfeng scoffed, his eyes filled with mockery. "Li Lin, do you take me for a three-year-old? There's no turning back from what happened today."
"Feng'er. Even if you're not my prince, the love I've shown you over the past decade won't just vanish. Let go! I won't make things difficult for you or your mother!"
"Really…"
Li Lin walked to Li Yuanfeng's side. At this moment, a man on horseback rushed over. The man had his face covered, but without saying a word, he whipped Li Lin back a few steps. Then he extended his hand to Li Yuanfeng.
"Seventh Prince, you are a traitor and an alien. Who can tolerate this? Follow me and you will be safe."
"Feng'er! I won't! I promise you!"
Li Yuanfeng shook his head and said, "You once said the same thing to Li Lin, and you didn't fulfill your promise until your eldest brother was killed. I know very well that you can't change your mindset."
Li Lin tried to run over, but a guard beside him tried to draw his bow, but was stopped by Li Lin. The two men rode away on horseback, and Chen Yun shouted, "Shoot the horse's legs!"
Shu Jieyu ran to Li Lin and opened her arms: "Or kill this sinner like me first!"
Everyone hesitated. And at that moment, the men and horses left, leaving only the blazing red torches and the fading sound of horse hooves.
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