Chapter 186 The True Purpose
The news reached the capital.
The spy in the contact point scratched his head vigorously. He had never heard of such a new type of hidden weapon with a small appearance and strong impact.
The Da Qi official who was in contact with the Ministry of War never mentioned the existence of such a thing before he fell and his property was confiscated.
"Is the intelligence wrong, or is that old man keeping something back?"
The men of Da Qi are not good at fighting and are all wimps, but they are the best at scheming and fighting among themselves.
"If it's something from the Western Regions, the people of Da Qi may not have the strength to equip the army with it. Goods from the Western Regions are very expensive."
"The key is to investigate the business in the Western Regions first. The people of Da Qi are so well guarded, it would be strange if there is no problem!"
Unfortunately, even after using the spies arranged more than ten years ago, we have not yet found a way for them to trade with the Western Regions.
After much effort and using up half of the manpower, they obtained a nautical chart from the imperial teacher, whose authenticity was unknown.
The fleet they sent out encountered a severe storm and was destroyed within seven days.
It's really weird. Could it be that those charlatans in Da Qi really have such powerful abilities?
In that battle several decades ago, a generation of famous generals and men of the Great Qi died. The country has not recovered over the years and has instead regressed.
There was no news of trade in the Western Regions, so the North had to take action as well. The heavy snow blocked the roads and made it inconvenient to transport supplies from Da Qi.
The advantage is still in their hands.
After taking down Da Qi, they are still worried that they won’t be able to find trade channels with the Western Regions. If the Western Regions become strong by then, then forget it. But if not, they will just go and plunder them!
Thinking of those enviable treasures and enormous wealth, the spies who had been lurking in the capital for many years became extremely excited.
The news from Shuozhou City in the north had not yet been transmitted back, and the caravan was almost wiped out in an attack, so it was delivered first.
At the Prince’s Mansion.
Li Heng held a white agate chess piece in his hand and placed it on the chessboard. Outside the window, snowflakes began to fall again without him noticing.
He glanced at the lit solar lantern next to him with a faint smile on his face.
Except for Miss Shen, no one could come up with something that could instantly make the night as bright as day.
She once said that she would not interfere in the political affairs of Da Qi. This time she happened to appear in the north and saved the caravan. Has she changed her mind?
Liu Zheng, who came to report, looked at Li Heng's expression and continued,
"The palace of His Royal Highness Prince Cheng has not been peaceful in recent days. The princess has been helping to deal with it for a few days. The situation on the Saint's side is unclear."
The case is managed by a dedicated person and no one can interfere, but according to the news from the palace, the patient looks serious, but does not look like a gravely ill person.
Li Heng's face was expressionless. "The situation and power in the court are still in the hands of my father, which shows that he is in a clear mind."
He clearly watched his life slowly slipping away. This process seemed long and helpless to him. How could he not be afraid?
For some unknown reason, he managed to sit firmly on the throne and expel foreigners, but he still killed several uncles of the royal family.
Nowadays, the more afraid people are, the more extreme their actions become.
No, Li Heng felt that there must be something in the middle.
His father had seen hope of prolonging his life, so he was even more reluctant to give up the power in his hands.
That is Prince Cheng. If it were him, it would not be as simple as a scolding or a warning.
He suppressed the imperial concubine's mother's family, dismissed two ministers who had taken sides in advance, but was reluctant to touch Prince Cheng.
But his mother dared to lead the old soldiers in the city to defend the city for Da Qi. Since his mother passed away, he has been walking on thin ice.
Prince Cheng has a face that is most like his father's. No other son can compare to him.
"If my father wants him to succeed to the throne, he will definitely eliminate the royal concubine's mother's family before that. It depends on whether the royal concubine is willing to do so." Li Heng smiled slightly, "Prince Cheng is confined to his mansion to reflect on his mistakes and is isolated from the news. It is better to let him know."
Given my father's temper, I'm afraid he would even ask the imperial concubine to be buried alive with him.
I always want to take the things I like to the underworld with me, so that they will continue to stay with me after I ascend to heaven.
Seeing Li Heng stand up, Liu Zheng hurriedly asked: "Your Highness, are you going out?"
“Didn’t you say Miss Shen is back.”
——
In Shuozhou City.
Different from the prosperous capital, the north is extremely cold and poor, and everything looks desolate and bleak from the tall mountains.
Half a month ago, the enemy foreigners had attacked twice, causing heavy casualties among the soldiers in the city.
If we hadn't fought to the death to defend the city, the foreign invaders would have already invaded by now.
But now they are besieged in the city, with no reinforcements or supplies arriving.
Outsiders always knew what was going on in the city. Liu Shou was injured and holding on to his last breath. In the end, the matter was traced back to his immediate superior Xiao Yunpeng.
"General Xiao, I still respect you as a general. Did you sell the defense map to foreigners?"
Liu Shou's face was pale. He coughed twice and covered his chest where he had been injured by foreigners a few days ago.
Xiao Yunpeng did not answer, but just sat down and sighed.
"Sir Liu, you were originally a military officer in the capital. Why did you end up in such a hellish place?"
"Can't you see? The Saint is planning to give up Shuozhou City. If the Northland cannot be defended, why bother to sacrifice our lives in vain? Is such an emperor worth our lives?"
"General Xiao, please be careful with your words!" Liu Shou said solemnly.
Xiao Yunpeng shook his head as if he had heard something funny.
"The people on the high platform gave up the Northland and wanted to give an explanation to the people of the world, but why should we bear the blame?"
As a general defending the city, if you can't hold it, you can only die.
If I die, it can be considered as making amends and saving my family.
Otherwise, the whole family will be implicated.
"Hand over the intercepted letters. Pretend you don't know. When you can't hold on, don't fight so hard. You are already injured. Your daughter will soon arrive in Shuozhou City. You and your daughter can have a good chat."
Xiao Yunpeng's tone was the same as usual when they were chatting, but his eyes were full of warnings.
"The soldiers defending the city can be disloyal to the saint, but they cannot be disloyal to Da Qi and the people! They hold important positions, their families inherit titles, and they lead a superior life. Which one of them is not a tax on the people?"
Liu Shou's lips were pale, and he looked at Xiao Yunpeng with contempt.
"Once the city is breached, what will happen to the elderly, the weak, the women and the children in the city? You have to make such a high-sounding statement about treason! If you dare to admit that you are just greedy for life and afraid of death, and chasing power, I can still look up to you!"
Xiao Yunpeng's kind face turned cold instantly, his palms rubbing against his knife, on the verge of a rage.
"Lieutenant General Liu, considering our friendship over the years, I will give you a chance to live. Please don't be ungrateful. Where is the letter?"
Liu Shou was anxious but didn't dare show it on his face. Judging from the time, the things should have been delivered soon.
If Xiao Yunpeng hadn't discovered it, he wouldn't have revealed his cards directly. There was really nothing he could do.
He couldn't leave the city. Once he left, Xiao Yunpeng would accuse him of abandoning the city and would not give him the chance to tell the truth alive.
I originally wanted to persuade him, but now I realize that it’s useless to say anything.
General Xiao had no intention of surrendering to the enemy directly. He wanted him to take the blame from the beginning to the end! Let the Liu family bear the stigma of collaborating with the enemy!
Maybe he could take this opportunity to help Prince Cheng dethrone the Crown Prince.
And Xiao Yunpeng, this hypocrite, tries to please both sides.
My eyes are still a little uncomfortable today, so I'll take a day off and resume updating tomorrow. If I feel better, I may update again in the early morning.
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