"This prince will certainly restrain our people. The Empress Dowager of your esteemed country need not trouble herself, and you, general, please feel free to do as you wish," Qi Zonghao said with an air of gratitude.
Qi Qiuxin shouted loudly, "Imperial Brother, Prince Chen has been imprisoned by Prince Duan. I must go and rescue Prince Chen!"
"Silence! Guards, escort the princess back to her room to rest!" Qi Zonghao ordered sharply, as the palace maids forcibly led Qi Qiuxin away. Then, he apologized to Qiu Zhujun, "My Imperial Younger Sister has been ill for several days and is somewhat delirious. Please forgive her, General!"
Qiu Zhujun shook his head in understanding, exchanged a few words with Qi Zonghao, then immediately instructed the soldiers behind him to stay alert, ensuring that no villains would harm the distinguished guests from Xiliang.
After ordering his attendants to close the main gate, Qi Zonghao strode toward his chambers with a grim expression, his eyes clouded with dark clouds, his entire being exuded an ominous and ruthless aura.
How dare you, Dong Chu, to place me under house arrest—this is an outrageous affront!
And those two fools, Prince Duan and the Duke of Wuguo! I lent them my most elite forces, and yet they’ve only managed to take control of the Imperial Palace instead of the Dong Chu military forces. They’ve even failed to move the Grand Prince and Prince Ning away. Truly a pair of incompetent nincompoops, good for nothing but ruining everything!
Especially that Duke of Wuguo, who initially promised to hand over Princess Chen to me. Yet now, Princess Chen has entered the Imperial Palace. How am I to seize the opportunity to hide Princess Chen and later take her back to Xiliang to claim as my own?
Now, with the Dong Chu military sealing off the inn so tightly that not even a fly could escape, how can I get any news from outside promptly, or give orders to incite internal strife in Dong Chu?
"I will go and rescue Prince Chen! Release me at once, or I will kill you all!"
Hearing Qi Qiuxin’s frantic, shrill scream, Qi Zonghao’s face grew even darker, a trace of disdain and annoyance flashing in his eyes. He then ordered his trusted guards to drug Qi Qiuxin, so she would stop causing a commotion and embarrassing herself, while he summoned his trusted advisors.
Nanping Envoy Inn.
Princess Yashuang was very worried about Yang Mengchen, but after listening to Xiahou Muyang’s persuasion and noticing that Dong Chu’s troops surrounded the inn, she stayed quietly in her room, praying for Yang Mengchen’s safety.
"To eliminate hidden dangers, the Emperor Dongchu and Prince Chen ventured personally into the game. Such courage, how many in the world can match it?" Xiahou Muyang stood by the window, gazing in the direction of the Imperial Palace, his expression inscrutable yet filled with deep admiration.
The few confidants who heard this seemingly inquisitive, murmured remark, couldn’t help but show various expressions. One of them asked in a low voice, "Does the Third Prince mean..." that Emperor Dongchu and Prince Chen deliberately set up this trap?
"Just wait. By today, this matter will come to a conclusion," Xiahou Muyang said with a light smile, his smile brimming with certainty and profound significance.
Northern Beiyue Envoy Inn.
Wu Zhenglie’s guess was consistent with Xiahou Muyang, and thus he sternly warned his countrymen to behave themselves and not to clash with the Dong Chu troops outside the inn.
Yang family.
Upon hearing the news, Meng Jingqi and his entourage hurried to the Yang family. Prince De and Meng Jingqi assisted Yang Chengrong, while Yang Chengxuan and Yang Chenghong took the guards to protect the family; the Elite Guards hid in the shadows.
As for the womenfolk, Princess Kang and the children stayed in the inner courtyard, all deeply concerned for Long Xuanmo and Yang Mengchen, praying continuously for their well-being.
Long Xuanmo had long instructed Long YiXuan to personally bring troops to the Yang family to prevent certain people from taking advantage of the situation to harm the Yang family members. Of course, he had also made meticulous arrangements for several close-knit families.
As Long Xuanmo expected, several groups of people tried to attack the Yang family home, but they were all killed by the guards, the Elite Guards, and the troops outside the mansion perimeter, with not a single one crossing the defense line to enter the Yang family residence.
Ke Prince Mansion study.
Learning that Prince Duan and the Duke of Wuguo had restrained Prince Chen and taken control of the Imperial Palace, Prince Ke’s Hereditary Son said urgently, "Father, we must hurry to the palace, otherwise Prince Duan and the Duke of Wuguo will take all the advantages. With the Duke of Wuguo’s cunning, once successful, he might turn against us!"
"You make a good point. We shall lead our troops into the palace at once, but don’t forget to do so under the pretext of ’Purging the court and eliminating the treacherous.’ Someone must bear the blame for this act of regicide and treason," Prince Ke said with cunning: "In addition, spare no effort to remove Prince Chen. I do not wish to leave behind a most formidable threat."
"Father’s wisdom is unparalleled!" Prince Ke’s Hereditary Son said with a sly grin.
Just then, the Prince Mansion’s Butler rushed in with a pale face, stumbling and scrambling, "Prince... it’s terrible... a great disaster has occurred..."
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