Chapter 162: Evil Comes Back
Ever since the Fourth Prince led the army to war with great vigor, the atmosphere in the capital suddenly became heavy. Perhaps it was when they saw the army leaving that the common people who had lived a comfortable life realized that the Great Zhou Dynasty had really started a war.
Even though it was nearing the end of the year, the Great Zhou Dynasty was destined to have no joy in this year. Passers-by in the capital were always in a hurry, and when they occasionally whispered to each other, they couldn't help but mention the war on the border.
Young people no longer remember the war, but the older generation who are still alive still remember it. Those painful experiences make them live in constant fear, fearing that the war on the border will get out of control.
Only General Meng Kun, who guarded the border, and the army that left with the fourth prince Song Wei, could bring some comfort to the people.
It had been more than a month since the army left. At first, all the news that came in was good news. On the one hand, Meng Kun knew that he had failed in his duty and was holding his breath to make up for his crime with merit. On the other hand, with Song Wei's army there, the Xianbei people seemed no match for them.
The officials who initially advocated peace talks fell silent as they watched news of victory arrive one after another.
The court was filled with joy for a moment, and the emperor, who had been sleepless and haggard, was once again beaming with joy. He even said in court: "My fourth son looks like Taizu."
It must be said that Su Fengzhang felt greatly relieved when he heard the good news. It was not that he was a coward, but the wars in ancient times were too cruel. Once the war spread, he knew that he would not be able to absolutely protect his family.
But this joyful mood only lasted for less than half a month. Half a month later, a bolt from the blue struck the entire Great Zhou.
When leaving the Hanlin Academy, Su Fengzhang's face was so gloomy that Su Arong couldn't help asking, "Erlang, did something happen in the government office?"
Su Fengzhang shook his head, pinched his forehead and said, "Let's talk about it when we get back."
Su Arong became more and more worried, but he was no longer the village boy he used to be. He knew that some things were inappropriate to say outside, but he couldn't help but speed up on the way back.
As soon as he got home, Su Fengzhang called his family together for a while and said, "Mom, please prepare some food for the next few days. Except when Lan Zhang goes to school, don't go out unless necessary."
Su Zhao's expression changed, and she hurriedly asked, "What happened?"
Su Fengzhang sighed and said, "The Fourth Prince was captured alive by the Xianbei!"
"What!" Su Zhao couldn't believe what she heard. "How is this possible? Everything was fine before. How could the Fourth Prince be captured alive by the Xianbei? Has Yunzhou been lost?"
Su Fengzhang shook his head and said, "Yunzhou should not have fallen yet. The specific situation is still unknown. This is the news that came out from the palace. I am afraid that it will not be hidden for long before the whole world knows it."
"What should I do?" Su Zhao was a little panicked for a moment.
Su Fengzhang consoled her, saying, "There won't be any trouble in the capital for a while, but I'm afraid there will be chaos outside. Mother, just buy some more food and keep it at home."
Su Zhao nodded quickly, then said with a hint of worry, "Since the war began, the price of rice and flour has been rising day by day. Fortunately, His Majesty gave us silver as a reward, otherwise we would be very short of money."
Su Fengzhang smiled and said, "If you're really short of money, I can sell a few paintings."
"That won't do. It will ruin our reputation." Although Su Zhaoshi said this, her original anxiety had dissipated a little.
Su Fengzhang comforted her a few more times, but returned to his room and couldn't help frowning. His rank was not high, and he couldn't do much now. He was just frightened when he heard the news about the Fourth Prince.
Just as Su Zhao said, the Fourth Prince must be a heavily protected person. Why would such a person be captured alive? Has Yunzhou been lost? What exactly are Meng Kun and Song Wei doing?
Su Fengzhang was just worried in his heart, but the emperor in the palace was already furious. He asked the Fourth Prince to lead the army, of course, with the intention of letting him take advantage of the military merits and command the army, but the Fourth Prince himself was capable and was the nephew of the Minister of Revenue, so this was the best of both worlds.
But when the emperor sent out his most beloved son, he never thought that he would be captured alive!
Being captured alive by the enemy, not to mention how much suffering the Fourth Prince will suffer, the Great Zhou Dynasty will also lose all its face this time.
Especially when he saw the memorial sent by Song Wei, the emperor couldn't help but smash it on the prince's face: "Beast!"
The prince didn't dare dodge, and his forehead was directly smashed and blood flowed out. He immediately cried out in injustice: "Father, the fourth prince was captured alive by the Xianbei. It was his own impatience and recklessness. You can't take your anger out on me!"
The emperor was so angry that he was shaking all over. He pointed at him and cursed, "Did you do anything about the military rations?"
The Crown Prince just kept crying out, "Father, you are trying to force me to death. I am the crown prince of a country. Even if I don't get along with the Fourth Prince, how could I do such a thing?"
"The people responsible for escorting the military rations this time are all Minister Xu's men. Even if I am willing, I am powerless."
"Father, the fourth son must have been captured alive. The Xu family is afraid of being retaliated against, so they are falsely accusing me. The Ministry of Revenue is Minister Xu's territory, and the people escorting the grain are all his people. It would be easy for him to take action."
"Enough!" The emperor punched down hard, even forgetting the pain in his hand.
The corners of his mouth twitched, and he was obviously furious, with a cold glint in his eyes.
The prince lowered his head, not daring to meet his gaze, but continued, "Father, you cannot wrongly accuse me and let me bear the blame just because you love the Fourth Prince!"
The emperor sneered and looked at the prince as if he didn't recognize his son.
He had always thought that the prince was stupid, impulsive, violent, and had many shortcomings, but at least he was loyal to the Great Zhou and the royal family. Now it seems that he was wrong.
Even if the prince makes more excuses, the emperor will not believe it now.
Although Song Wei and Xu Shangshu brought up the issue of the replacement of food and fodder at this time with the intention of shirking responsibility, the emperor also knew that no one else except the prince could do such a thing.
In an instant, the emperor thought of the connections left by Empress Yuan, and also of Grand Tutor Zhang, Grand Preceptor Chu and others. He wondered whether they were involved in this matter, and whether they had the Great Zhou in their hearts.
If the prince's previous actions only made the emperor dissatisfied with him, then this move had hit the emperor sore spot. As the ruler of a country, he could not accept that the prince would use national affairs to eliminate dissidents.
In the eyes of the emperor, the dispute between the crown prince and the fourth prince was just a minor quarrel, but this one was like a slap in the face, hitting him hard.
The emperor's eyes were filled with disappointment as he stared at the prince and said, "You are the prince I single-handedly supported. I never thought you would dare to do such a wicked thing!"
The prince kowtowed fiercely and shouted, "Father, I really didn't do it. There is no evidence. Father, you must not listen to slanderous words!"
"Get out!" the emperor roared.
The prince wanted to say something else, but seeing the emperor's stern face, he had to retreat.
As soon as he left the palace, the prince's timid look disappeared, replaced by a sneer on his face. As long as the fourth prince didn't come back, his position as the prince would be safe. Who else could his father choose besides him? Would he choose the fifth prince who was a homosexual?
The palace maids around him all lowered their heads and dared not look at the prince. Everyone knew that the prince had a bad temper, but the emperor was quite tolerant of him and never treated the palace maids and eunuchs as human beings.
In the harem, the Empress was the first to learn of the Crown Prince's injuries. A hint of coldness crossed her lips, but she turned around and comforted him with a gentle smile, "Yu Fei, there's no need to be afraid. No matter what's going on outside, just focus on taking good care of your baby."
Fang Linlang nodded obediently and agreed, "Thank you, Her Majesty, for your care. I will remember this."
Inside the palace, the emperor covered his forehead and sat down. After a long while, he muttered, "It was my fault."
Eunuch Li whispered, "Your Majesty, please take care of yourself. The Great Zhou Dynasty depends on you."
After hearing this, the emperor felt even more pain on his forehead. He had always been more interested in romance and did not like the court. He was impatient with government affairs, let alone military affairs.
"Meng Kun and Song Wei are both at the border. Now that I think about it, I have no one to use."
"If the Lu family were still here..."
Before he could finish his words, the emperor stopped talking and said with a frown, "Eunuch Li, how is Concubine De doing recently?"
Eunuch Li was also a shrewd man and immediately replied, "The Virtuous Concubine continues to recite Buddhist scriptures and chant Buddha's name every day and does not appear in public."
The emperor sighed deeply and said, "She must still be blaming me."
Eunuch Li quickly said, "Your Majesty, how could Concubine De resent you? If it weren't for your kindness, the Liu family would have been executed, and there would be no bloodline left."
The emperor didn't know what he was thinking about, but his expression became more and more gloomy. He shook his head and said, "The Liu family..."
Suddenly, the emperor asked, "Do you think He Jun is suitable for use?"
Eunuch Li groaned inwardly, but could only say, "Your Majesty, Prince Xi is still young, and I'm afraid he won't be able to convince the others. Besides, he's the only one left in the He family, and Madam He won't agree."
The emperor had already thought of this idea and continued, "Although General He has been dead for more than ten years, the He family still exists in the army. Even Captain Song is willing to give the He family some face."
"He Jun is a little young, but he was born into the He family. He will definitely not be as hopeless as the fourth child."
"But we can't let him go alone. Since the Xianbei want to negotiate, Da Zhou also needs someone who can make the decision."
The names of many officials flashed through the emperor's mind, but he excluded them one by one and let the prince's lineage go. The emperor was really afraid that the fourth prince would die outside. If he let the fourth prince's lineage go, he was afraid that they would sacrifice the country's interests for the comfort of the fourth prince.
Finally, a candidate popped up in the emperor's mind. When he thought of this person, the emperor's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he seemed a little hesitant, but he soon made up his mind.
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