Chapter 107 The Northern Frontier is in Crisis, but the Crown Prince Stabs Him in the Back!
Three days later.
The capital city seems to have returned to its former tranquility.
The well water shortage was alleviated, and the children's nighttime crying was greatly reduced; everything seemed to be back on track.
However, beneath this calm, an even more turbulent undercurrent is quietly gathering.
Early morning.
The atmosphere was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.
Sun Peiming, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, stepped forward, holding a memorial in his hand, his voice stern and stern.
"Your Majesty! Your subject has a memorial to impeach! Duke Mu Fang, the Protector of the State, and the Ninth Prince Chu Chongjin, for forming cliques and plotting rebellion!"
These words caused an uproar throughout the court.
Emperor Chu Heng, seated on the dragon throne, showed no emotion on his face, but simply asked calmly, "Minister Sun, what makes you say this? Do you have any evidence?"
"The evidence is conclusive!"
Sun Peiming announced loudly, "Three days ago, strange things happened in the capital, and the earth's energy was restless. According to the investigation, it was the remnants of the previous dynasty who set up an evil formation to shake the foundation of our Great Chu Kingdom! And that very night, someone witnessed the Duke of Protectorate Mu Fang, the Ninth Prince Chu Chongjin, and the Marquis of Zhenbei's heir Xiao Beichen leaving their residences late at night, their whereabouts mysterious!"
"Furthermore, considering the recent assassination case involving the Northern Frontier delegation, the assassin was a former subordinate of the Second Prince, Sikong Ming. And Sikong Ming has always been on good terms with the Ninth Prince! Now that Sikong Ming has rebelled, the Ninth Prince is distancing himself from him. Isn't that suspicious?"
"I dare to speculate that the evil formation in the capital was actually a self-inflicted wound orchestrated by the Ninth Prince and Mu Fang! Their purpose was to eliminate dissidents, gain fame and reputation, and win over the hearts of the people!"
These words, spoken with such conviction, instantly pointed the finger at Chu Chongjin and Mu Fang.
Standing at the head of the military officers, Mu Fang was so angry upon hearing this that he trembled with rage and almost lost his temper on the spot.
Chu Chongjin stopped him and shook his head slightly.
Standing on the other side, Crown Prince Chu Chongyun's eyes flashed with a hint of smugness, and he immediately stepped forward to echo:
“Father, what Lord Sun said makes sense. Ninth Brother has always been on good terms with Duke Mu. Now that Duke Mu holds military power and Ninth Brother has considerable prestige in the capital, we must be wary if the two join forces!”
The Third Prince, Chu Huaijin, also jumped out: "Father, I also feel that this matter is highly suspicious and should be thoroughly investigated!"
Suddenly, the political climate in the court changed dramatically, with voices impeaching Chu Chongjin and Mu Fang rising and falling.
Emperor Chu Heng's gaze swept across his sons and Mu Fang's faces before finally landing on Chu Chongjin.
"Chongjin, what do you have to say?"
Chu Chongjin stepped forward, his expression calm.
"Your Majesty, your son and the Duke did indeed leave the mansion that night to investigate the source of the evil formation and protect the peace of the capital. As for what Lord Sun said, it is pure nonsense. If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext."
"Hmph, you think you can just brush this off with a load of nonsense?" Sun Peiming sneered. "Then may I ask, Ninth Prince, where did you go that night? What did you do? Are there any witnesses?"
"Our actions are state secrets and cannot be disclosed," Chu Chongjin said calmly.
"Haha! A secret?" Sun Peiming laughed as if he'd heard the biggest joke in the world. "I bet it's something that can't be told!"
Just as the two sides were arguing, a eunuch rushed into the main hall, knelt down, and shouted:
"Report! Your Majesty! Urgent military report from the northern frontier, eight hundred li away!"
Everyone fell silent.
The messenger was brought into the main hall, covered in dust and with bloodstains on his armor.
"Your Majesty! Urgent report from the Northern Frontier! The rebel general Sikong Ming, in collusion with the barbarians of the Northern Frontier, launched a night attack on our Northern Frontier camp three days ago! Our army was caught off guard and suffered heavy losses! Our commander-in-chief... our commander-in-chief... has sacrificed his life for the country!"
"What?!"
The news struck like a thunderbolt through the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Mu Fang was struck dumb, his body swayed, and he almost lost his balance.
The commander of the Northern Frontier is a sworn brother whom he personally promoted!
Emperor Chu Heng abruptly stood up from his dragon throne, his face ashen: "Sikong Ming! How dare he!"
The messenger continued, "Sikong Ming's rebel army has joined forces with the barbarians and has already captured three cities in our northern frontier! Now, they are heading towards the capital! The northern frontier... the northern frontier is in grave danger! I beg Your Majesty to send troops to its aid immediately!"
The imperial court instantly descended into chaos.
"Your Majesty! The northern border is the shield of our Great Chu; it must not be lost!"
"We must send troops immediately! But who can lead them?"
Everyone's eyes, subconsciously, focused on Mu Fang.
In the entire Great Chu, no one could surpass him in leading troops into battle.
However, at this moment, Crown Prince Chu Chongyun stepped forward once again.
"Father! Absolutely not!"
He pointed at Mu Fang, his voice sharp and stern: "Mu Fang's alleged collusion with Ninth Brother has not yet been cleared. Letting him lead a large army to the Northern Frontier now is like releasing a tiger back into the mountains! If he and Sikong Ming collude from the inside, the fate of our Great Chu will be in grave danger!"
"You're spouting nonsense!" Mu Fang finally couldn't hold back and roared.
"Whether I'm slandering you or not, you know perfectly well!" The Crown Prince refused to back down.
Emperor Chu Heng looked down at the arguing crowd, a hint of weariness and disappointment flashing in his eyes.
He remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking, his voice carrying an undeniable authority.
That's enough.
"Issue my decree."
"Duty Protector Mu Fang is hereby temporarily stripped of his military power and ordered to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors. He is not to leave his residence without my decree."
“Ninth Prince Chu Chongjin, effective immediately, shall be moved to the Royal Hunting Grounds in the suburbs of the capital to reflect on his actions.”
"As for the northern frontier..." The emperor's gaze swept over the assembled officials. "I have my own decision."
This decree was tantamount to placing Mu Fang and Chu Chongjin under house arrest.
Although no crime was committed, the stripping of military power and the exile from the capital already demonstrated the emperor's attitude.
Chu Chongjin and Mu Fang exchanged a glance, both seeing seriousness in each other's eyes.
They knew this was Sikong Ming's scheme.
A move that combines "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" with "luring the tiger away from the mountain" and "drawing the firewood from under the cauldron"!
He deliberately caused a major incident in the northern border region, forcing the imperial court to send troops.
Meanwhile, Mu Fang, the only one in the capital capable of taking on a major responsibility, was tripped up by him beforehand with the charge of "forming a faction".
As a result, no matter who the emperor sends, it will be difficult to quell the war in the northern border in a short period of time.
And he could take advantage of the weakened defenses of the Great Chu border and drive straight in!
What a vicious plan!
After the court session, Chu Chongjin and Mu Fang walked side by side on the palace road.
"Your Highness, this matter..." Mu Fang said with deep concern.
"Rest assured, Your Excellency." Chu Chongjin's eyes were unusually calm. "All of this was expected."
Mu Fang was taken aback.
Chu Chongjin's lips curled into a cold smile: "He wants to lure us into a trap, but little does he know, this is the very opportunity we've been waiting for."
"He thought that by trapping us in the capital, he could do whatever he wanted. But he forgot that the strongest fortresses are often breached from within."
Back at the Princess Anguo's residence, Chu Chongjin revealed the entire plan.
"Sikong Ming's ultimate goal is the throne. The Northern Frontier is just a stepping stone for him. What he wants most now is to make his father make a mistake and cause internal strife in the Great Chu."
"Therefore, we will not do as he wishes."
He looked at Xiao Beichen: "Beichen, take my warrant immediately and secretly leave the capital for the Xuanjia Army camp. Tell them to hold their positions and wait for my orders."
"Yes!" Xiao Beichen accepted the order.
Chu Chongjin then looked at Yan Ziche: "Ziche, contact all of us immediately and tell them that from now on, no one is allowed to utter a single word in court for me or the Duke. Anyone who dares to say a word will be considered our enemy."
A glint flashed in Yan Ziche's eyes, and he instantly understood Chu Chongjin's intention.
"Does Your Highness intend to... put yourself in a life-or-death situation and then try to survive?"
"No." Chu Chongjin shook his head. "It's to let those who are truly loyal see clearly who is worthy of their following."
Finally, his gaze fell on Mu Yu.
The little girl was holding her baby, listening with a huff.
"What a wicked emperor! He doesn't even trust Father and Ninth Brother!"
Chu Chongjin walked over and ruffled her hair.
"Little Yu'er, you and the Duke will have to endure this for a while."
"But don't worry, we'll soon be able to find all the bad guys."
Three days later.
Chu Chongjin moved out of the prince's residence and into a separate courtyard in the royal hunting grounds.
Mu Fang also handed over the military tally, and the gates of the Princess Anguo's mansion were tightly closed, refusing all visitors.
In the capital, people were filled with anxiety.
The princelings and the third princes celebrated their victory, believing that their two biggest rivals had fallen.
Those officials who originally supported Chu Chongjin and Mu Fang received secret letters and chose to remain silent.
In the imperial court, for a time, the Crown Prince's faction held absolute power.
In Sikong Ming's secret chamber, he listened to his subordinates' reports and smiled with satisfaction.
"Chu Chongjin, you're still too green."
"Without Mu Fang, that fierce tiger, you're nothing but a toothless tiger."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
