Chapter 431: Achievements in expanding territory?
Qin Jingheng couldn't stop shaking all over, and cold despair instantly overwhelmed him.
He seemed to see the cold and disappointed eyes of his mother, the contemptuous and scornful gazes of the court officials, and his own doomed future.
Xu Shenzhi looked at his distraught appearance with considerable satisfaction.
Very good, that's how it should be, time to accept my fate.
"Your Highness, please consider carefully what you have now."
Xu Shenzhi's voice seemed to be full of temptation, and he was giving his last words of persuasion as an aide.
"Occupying the Suzaku South Road, holding the righteous title of 'clearing the imperial court';
It is supported by the wealth accumulated by four great families over thousands of years;
We have soldiers, armor, and the support of military commanders..."
"Shut up!" Qin Jingheng's heart was pounding. He pointed at Xu Shenzhi, but found his throat dry and he didn't know what else to scold him for.
The huge amount of information and the terrifying reality almost overwhelmed his mind.
At this moment, Wang Yun, who was sitting at the table, spoke calmly.
"Your Highness, if you divide the land and become a king, what if you also have...unparalleled achievements in expanding the territory?
Our four families have a way to help Your Highness incorporate the entire southern border into your territory.
By then, Your Highness will be the first person to expand the territory since the founding of the Dagan Kingdom."
What? The achievement of expanding territory?
That is a great feat that no emperor in history has been able to accomplish!
When Wang Yun said this at this moment, it seemed as if it was within his reach.
Qin Jingheng's eyes instantly burst into an extremely complex light, struggle, ambition, fear, desire...
Various emotions intertwined violently, flickering.
His chest heaved violently and his breathing became heavy.
Success or failure, honor or disgrace, life or death, and even one’s name in history, all seem to hang on this fleeting thought.
The entire dining hall fell into deathly silence.
Only the damp evening breeze blew through the broken doors and windows, blowing the candlelight.
Everyone's eyes were focused on Qin Jingheng, waiting for his final decision.
After a long silence, all the struggle and panic on Qin Jingheng's face faded away little by little, replaced by a calmness that was cold and almost numb.
The clenched fists slowly loosened, but the fingertips were still cold.
Qin Jingheng finally took another step forward, raised his head slightly, and his jaw stretched into a proud arc.
He lowered his eyes and slowly scanned the people in the room with his usual dignity and contempt.
"I am the prince of Dagan, and I have the blood of the Qin royal family flowing in my veins."
His voice was not loud, but it was filled with a kind of decisive coldness.
"As a descendant of the royal family, there is absolutely no reason for us to...become a puppet of others!"
Upon hearing this, the smile in Xu Shenzhi's eyes disappeared and he slowly shook his head.
It seems like regret, but also like it was expected.
"In that case..."
Before he finished speaking, a sharp gust of wind shot out silently from his sleeve and accurately hit a small copper bell hanging on the eaves of the hall.
"jingle--"
A clear but strange ring tone rang out.
Immediately afterwards, a slender, fiery red figure, like a mandala suddenly blooming in the dark night, stepped into this devastated Shura field.
She was a woman wearing a fiery red batik dress unique to southern Xinjiang.
The hem of her skirt is embellished with tiny silver bells and intricate embroidery, which jingle as she walks, outlining a breathtaking curve.
She walked barefoot, with delicate silver rings around her ankles.
Her face was covered with a thin red veil, revealing only a pair of eyes that were so deep that they were almost bewitching.
The flying pattern outlined with cinnabar at the end of the eye adds countless mystery and charm.
Her long black hair was braided into countless thin braids, entwined with colorful silk threads and feather ornaments, swaying gently with her steps.
She didn't walk fast, but with every step she took, the silver bells on her feet made a strange rhythmic sound.
The sound seemed to be able to directly strike people's souls, carrying a kind of captivating and mysterious power.
He walked straight into the hall, his eyes wandering around, and finally a wild and provocative glance fell lightly on Qin Jingheng's face.
Her movements were frivolous and seductive, but her gaze was like the tongue of a poisonous snake, cold and sticky.
Qin Jingheng was shocked, a chill crept into his heart, and he got goose bumps all over his body.
Just now, he clearly saw a centipede crawling across her neck and disappearing into her back in the blink of an eye!
…
The night in Fengjing was particularly quiet due to the sudden curfew.
The only sounds that occasionally broke the silence on the streets were the heavy footsteps of the patrolling troops and the imperial guards and the clash of armor.
With the shocking incident of a noble family attempting to assassinate His Majesty and the royal heir as an excuse, the implementation of the curfew did not cause much commotion, leaving this huge capital city shrouded in a tense atmosphere of panic.
Inside Fengge Terrace, the lights were on all night long.
Officials and clerks walked hurriedly, and the air was filled with a sense of oppression as if a storm was about to come.
The palace was assassinated, and no one outside knew the exact circumstances. All kinds of speculations and rumors were growing wildly in secret.
Prime Minister Pei, who was summoned to the palace, naturally became the focus of attention from all parties.
After leaving the palace, people from all walks of life who came to inquire about the news almost broke down the threshold.
Pei Xuanyun remained calm and composed throughout, without showing any sign of abnormality. His words were flawless, and he responded calmly with words like "Your Majesty is well, and the government is stable."
Relying on years of accumulated prestige, he temporarily calmed down many restless hearts.
In the mansion of Duke Zheng, the study was brightly lit.
Crown Prince Zheng Bingjun strode in, with an unconcealable look of anxiety between his brows:
"Father, there is still no definite news.
The palace was guarded by three guards at every level, making it impenetrable.
Our people were unable to gather any useful information, and only vaguely discovered that some palace servants had been secretly executed."
Duke Zheng sat on the armchair with a solemn expression.
Today he went to Fenggetai in person, trying to get some information out of that old fox Pei Xuanyun.
However, the other party was so powerful that he refused to reveal any substantive information.
Is the assassination true? Even the imperial examination paper-swapping case is shrouded in doubt.
How could the layout of the aristocratic family be thoroughly investigated in less than half a day, and even the hidden intelligence chief was caught?
He even suspected that all this was a carefully planned scheme by His Majesty.
Its ultimate goal is to target the four major families with complicated connections!
After pondering for a long time, he slowly spoke:
"Pass the order down, everyone in the mansion must be careful with their words and actions in the near future and must not cause any trouble outside.
Especially keep an eye on your wife and daughter, and make sure they stay in the yard and don't leave without permission."
"Then... those plans we discussed before..."
"All suspended, put on hold." Duke Zheng said firmly.
"It is better to be still than to move. We are in the turmoil right now and must not attract attention. We must first assess the situation clearly."
"Yes, son, I understand."
Zheng Bingjun bowed in response and left the study.
He walked a long way along the corridor, but suddenly stopped.
He looked up at the pitch-black night sky and sighed heavily.
The four great families have been labeled as traitors, and his wife Cui Yunxiu is the legitimate daughter of the Cui family.
The involvement and danger involved made him feel like a huge rock was pressing down on his heart, heavy and suffocating.
After standing there for a moment, he finally pursed his lips tightly, forced down his complicated emotions, and strode away.
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