Chapter 71: Tao, Lu, and Li, three men, appear together and get into a fight.
Tao Qingyang was extremely unwilling, but he had no choice but to let him go.
After all, they used Master Shen as a shield.
Earlier, a report came from the city gate that Master Shen was requesting an audience, and Tao Qingyang naturally could not stop him. Yet they dared to sneak in!
With Master Shen urging him on, he could only endure it. He could be unruly towards Lu Youchuan and Li Yu, but he couldn't disregard Master Shen's feelings.
Feeling nauseous as if he had swallowed a fly, he gritted his teeth and let them into the backyard.
Qin Song had already dressed and arrived at the back hall of the yamen ahead of everyone else.
When the group met, they were all filled with mixed emotions.
Considering that Qin Song had just lost his father, their gazes towards him were filled with pity and sorrow.
Furthermore, given Tao Qingyang's actions, they were both angry and annoyed, but because of the military power he held, they couldn't openly break ties with him.
Qin Song, on the other hand, didn't have as many concerns as they did. After meeting Master Shen, she personally helped him sit down.
Master Shen said earnestly, "Song'er, it is a great pity that your father has passed away, but you should not grieve too much. You must put the big picture first. Now that the Princess has ascended the throne, you must cheer up as soon as possible and carry on your father's legacy."
"Master's teachings are correct, and Song'er dares not slack off." Qin Song handed a cup of hot tea to the Master and continued, "I have already requested General Tao to reorganize the army and return to the capital to report on his duties. I would appreciate your guidance on whether this is appropriate."
"Returning to the capital to report on your duties?" Master Shen took the teacup, raising her cloudy eyes to investigate her good student with puzzlement.
Tao Qingyang's attitude was still unclear, and Lu Youchuan almost blurted out, "You want to raise an army to seize power?"
The Zhenbei Army does indeed hold great power, but its commander is surnamed Tao, and it is a force of the Great Yu Dynasty.
Lu Youchuan, unaware of the prior circumstances, tacitly included him in Qin Song's camp, which surprised Qin Song somewhat.
However, it is indeed the case that Tao Qingyang has clearly sided with her, so there is no need for her to dwell on why Lu Youchuan is so certain.
Moreover, his deduction was quite reasonable. When a general led his troops into the capital, anyone would think that he was going to raise an army to seize power, but Qin Song had a different intention.
She turned around and stood beside the teacher, unconsciously exuding an air of authority befitting a ruler.
Treason is a heinous crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family. Yet, she, a mere woman, is conspiring with three highly respected scholars and powerful officials of the Great Yu Dynasty to usurp the throne.
She glanced at the three people in the hall, but felt no resentment and simply smiled.
Catching her smile, apart from Tao Qingyang's even more displeased expression, the other two were filled with restrained affection in their eyes.
Unable to resist the allure of the three handsome men so close at hand, Qin Song deliberately ignored them and walked to the desk beside her, picking up the map of the entire Great Yu region that she had just been looking at.
"The Zhenbei Army has incorporated the troops brought by Gong Shiliang, which is equivalent to emptying the capital's military strength. If we raise an army and return to the capital, we can indeed seize power in one fell swoop. However, this would be considered a rebellion and a usurpation of the throne. Not only would we bear the infamy, but it would also cause instability and turmoil in the country. Now that the Princess has ascended the throne, it has given us a chance to breathe."
When Qin Song learned that the eldest princess had ascended to the throne, she had already made plans for the future. Therefore, when she spoke about her upcoming arrangements, she was radiant and methodical.
“Even if the Princess had planned this all along, regardless of her past conduct or her identity as a woman, she would inevitably be criticized by the senior officials in the court. She has no time to care about us for the time being. Even if she hears that we are marching into the capital, she will only strengthen the defenses in the capital and mobilize troops to protect the imperial city. But she will not expect that marching into the capital is just a pretext.”
Her tone was confident and composed. Under the increasingly certain gazes of the three men, she slowly unfolded the topographical map and placed it on the small table next to Master Shen. "This is the destination of the Zhenbei Army's southward march."
Li Yu looked at the map clearly and exclaimed in slight surprise, "Kaifeng?"
Lu Youchuan followed Qin Song's train of thought, "It is indeed a good place. The capital is less than a thousand miles away from here, and behind it lies the entire northwestern territory of the Great Yu. To the south is the prosperous Jiangnan region. By occupying this place, we can control the vital route from the capital to the northern border and Jiangnan."
Master Shen nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, stroking his beard with a hint of satisfaction as he stared at Qin Song and continued, "As long as we find a legitimate reason to launch an attack, we can bring down the Li dynasty right here."
“The bloodline of the Great Yu royal family, former Crown Prince Li Xu.” Li Yu also understood Qin Song’s plan and immediately pointed out the key point.
Qin Song's lips curled up as he looked at Li Yu. "That's right. The eldest princess was able to inherit the throne because she is the only remaining member of the Li family. But if another royal heir can be found, then they can rival her."
Master Shen nodded again, looking at Qin Song with some excitement, his eyes full of approval. "Yes, a just cause will win the hearts of the people. Now that we have the military power under General Tao, our chances of winning are much greater. But we are still missing something important. Starting an uprising will definitely require money. Song'er, you still have to make a trip to the main branch of the Qin family."
Qin Song cupped his hands in greeting: "Song'er has already planned to find an opportunity to return to the Qin clan's ancestral home with General Tao when we march south."
Then she turned to Tao Qingyang, "General Tao, would you be willing to come with me on this trip?"
Before he could finish speaking, Lu Youchuan and Li Yu said at the same time, "I'll go with you."
The two men looked anxious, completely ignoring Tao Qingyang's murderous gaze.
Qin Song's gaze pretended to wander between the three, but her choice would never waver.
Of course, she had to choose Tao Qingyang, since he was the commander-in-chief of the Zhenbei Army. With him by her side, she could always ensure that she had the ability to command and deploy troops.
Furthermore, given her current situation of being practically under house arrest by Tao Qingyang, it's impossible for Tao Qingyang to agree if she chooses someone else.
As expected, Tao Qingyang glanced at them with disdain, stepped forward and stood beside Qin Song, shoulder to shoulder with her, "Of course, you can only have me by your side."
Lu and Li could not hide their displeasure. Qin Song smiled and looked at them again: "Lord Lu, Young Master, thank you for your kindness, but I have other matters to ask you to attend to."
Let alone asking, even if it's a direct order, Lu Youchuan and Li Yu wouldn't refuse.
But they were downcast because no task was as good as having Tao Qingyang accompany her.
However, as Tao Qingyang said, being used by her proves that she still has value. At least for now, she has not completely chosen Tao Qingyang. It is not too late to help her enter the Golden Palace first, and then stand shoulder to shoulder with her.
The two nodded and waited quietly, listening to what he had to say.
"Once the army has set off, it will be inconvenient for them to stay. Li Yu, you are serving as Junior Chamberlain, so you will have to trouble yourself to go to Qingze to welcome the Crown Prince to Kaifeng."
Qin Song took out the detailed address that Qin Daoji had given her, "This is where the Crown Prince is. Please bring Yun Qian back with me."
Li Yu readily agreed: "Okay, leave it to me."
Qin Song looked at him seriously: "Li Yu, after this, there's no going back. Have you thought it through?"
“Songniang, my heart is clear, I have no regrets.”
If he had an army of 300,000, he would definitely hold the hand of the person in front of him and pour out his heart. But he could only look at her and pray that her gaze would linger on him.
His affection was so obvious that Tao Qingyang, standing to the side, felt a ripple in his heart and gave him an unfriendly look.
Lu Youchuan, however, relaxed a little, because with the Crown Prince to be welcomed back, Qin Song would naturally take control of the central government as the Crown Princess, and Tao Qingyang's supposed marriage would sooner or later vanish like a bubble.
The three had different thoughts. Master Shen stood up, supporting himself on his knees. “Welcoming the Crown Prince is a major event. I will go with the Junior Chamberlain. It will take quite a few days to travel from Qingze to Kaifeng. Junior Chamberlain, please get ready quickly. Let’s set off immediately.”
The sweet feeling that had just surfaced in Li Yu vanished instantly. He stared at Qin Song with reluctance, and finally nodded in obedience, "Songniang, take care on your journey, and I hope we can reunite soon."
He actually wanted to say: I miss you, I long for you, I yearn for you madly, I long for you endlessly.
But he couldn't bring himself to say it in public: he was willing to wait for her, no matter how long it took.
After exchanging a smile with Qin Song, Li Yu, looking back every few steps, helped Master Chen leave first.
With only Qin Song, Tao Qingyang, and Lu Youchuan remaining in the room, the atmosphere became increasingly eerie.
Before Qin Song could even speak, Lu and Tao were already hostile towards each other.
Lu Youchuan glanced coldly at Tao Qingyang: "General Tao, why aren't you going to reorganize the military equipment?"
Tao Qingyang returned a disdainful look: "Imperial Censor Lu should go first."
The two men were getting tense when Qin Song quickly got down to business, "Lord Lu, you are the head of the Censorate and cannot stay away from the capital for long. I urge you to return to the capital as soon as possible to oversee the Censorate."
Lu Youchuan, holding the rank of second grade, was a pivotal official in the Great Yu Dynasty. Even if the eldest princess gained power, she could not arbitrarily harm Lu Youchuan.
It now seems that Qin Song's opponent will inevitably be the Eldest Princess. Since he is going to fight her, he cannot be completely unaware of the situation in the capital.
Lu Youchuan is the perfect person to do this eyeliner.
Although he and her father were not on the same side, he had at least stood by her side. Even if he couldn't be someone she could completely rely on, his character was enough to keep the capital safe.
Lu Youchuan knew Qin Song's thoughts, but he wasn't happy about it. "You want me to stay in the capital forever?"
"Does the Left Censor-in-Chief need a reason to inspect the Kaifeng area?"
Qin Song's cunning always fascinated Lu Youchuan, and she was giving him permission to go to Kaifeng to find her at any time.
There's plenty of time in the future, so this is fine too.
Lu Youchuan seemed to have only Qin Song in his eyes, and he naturally raised his hand to brush away Qin Song's stray hairs.
But just as his hand touched him, the person behind Qin Song attacked with his bare hands, trying to break his wrist.
Lu Youchuan was not Li Yu; he was not just a scholar who could only read and write. When Zhang Yang's large hand came at him, Lu Youchuan keenly sensed it and immediately opened his palm to firmly protect Qin Song's head.
A gust of wind from her palm ruffled the stray hairs on Qin Song's face, and she couldn't help but blink.
The large, red-clad, wide-sleeved hand, concealing its strength, gripped Qin Song's other hand, which was wearing a black wristband and protecting his ear.
"Get your filthy hands off me." The threatening warning was squeezed out between Tao Qing's teeth.
Lu Youchuan's wrist was throbbing from the grip, but he didn't even blink, showing no fear of the threat. The next moment, he raised his other hand and grabbed the other's forearm with his bare fist. "Beat me first."
He used both hands, and Tao Qingyang immediately raised his other hand as well.
The two fought bare-handed, their moves fast and ruthless. Qin Song could hear the sounds of fists and palms clashing, and just listening to it made him feel pain.
The two initially moved very close to Qin Song, but once they actually clashed, they tacitly moved to the center of the hall, intending to fight to the death.
The fighting was so loud that Chunhe rushed in and saw Qin Song standing calmly to the side, which frightened her so much that her face turned pale.
She quickly squeezed in along the wall, pulling Qin Song aside: "Miss, are you alright? Why didn't you move aside?"
Qin Song shrugged: "They're fighting each other, not going crazy. It's none of my business."
"Oh." Chunhe nodded seriously, finally letting out a sigh of relief, then suddenly asked, "Then why did they start fighting?"
"Probably... for me?" Since Qin Song came into this world, no one has fought for her in a long time.
Chunhe, who had finally managed to calm down, tensed up again. Even if she was slow on the uptake, she could figure out why two men were fighting over a woman. She looked at her young mistress in surprise: "Aren't you going to do something? Like, separate them?"
Pull it open?
Do I have to panic and shout, "Lu Lang, Brother Tao, please stop fighting! I'll be sad if either of you gets hurt?"
But she had no such intention. She sat down casually and poured herself a pot of tea. "Why pull it apart? Isn't this fun?"
As she sipped her tea, she stared at Tao Qingyang's alluring face, thinking to herself: Tao Qingyang, you can't keep up the act anymore.
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