Chapter 211 Sun Chu's Strength
Mao hour.
All the civil and military officials attended the court, but the Crown Prince who was the regent and the eunuch De who was assisting in the administration did not show up.
Everyone looked at each other and talked a lot.
"I didn't hear that there won't be a court session today? Why didn't Eunuch De and the Crown Prince come?"
"The prince must have arrived. His carriage is still outside the palace gate!"
"Could something have happened? An urgent memorial from eight hundred miles away was delivered to the palace last night."
"I know about this, too. The memorial sent to the palace in the early morning must not be simple."
When all the officials were discussing what kind of memorial had prevented Eunuch De and the Crown Prince from attending court on time.
The prince in the imperial study angrily threw the teacup to the ground.
"If I admit that I want to destroy the Qi family, my life will be over!"
Eunuch De looked at the furious prince, his pale, beardless face revealing an evil look.
"Prince, this is the Emperor's order. Do you want to disobey it?"
Of course the prince did not dare to disobey the order.
But if he admitted that he wanted to kill the entire Qi family, not only would he lose his position as the emperor, he might also be imprisoned like his uncle.
Then all his efforts over the years would be in vain!
"Why does it have to be me? Can't we just push someone else out to take the blame?"
It’s not like he’s the only son of the emperor!
Eunuch De handed the blood-stained memorial to the crown prince and said, "You are the crown prince who is currently serving as regent. No one is more suitable than you."
After reading the memorial, the prince turned pale.
Now, everyone knows that the royal family wants to destroy the Qi family.
Only he, the crown prince, can take the blame for his father and give an explanation to the people of the world!
The memorial in his hand fell to the ground, and the prince collapsed on the ground.
"What will happen if I take the blame for the emperor?"
Eunuch De looked at the dejected prince and told him the truth.
"Abolish the crown prince, build a new mansion, and confine him."
"It would be better for me to die!"
"Are you willing to die?"
These few words made the blood drain from the prince's face.
Of course he couldn't bear to do that.
Because only by staying alive can you have a chance to turn the tide!
Seeing that the prince had accepted the fact, Eunuch De told him the good news.
"Prince, the Emperor knows that you have been wronged, so he has arranged a chance for you to turn things around."
These words made the prince's eyes light up with greed.
"What chance?"
"When you are imprisoned, do one thing for the emperor."
Eunuch De described in detail his plan to use the refugees to spread the plague, trap the exiled groups in the town, and burn the city.
"Prince, you first complete the poisoning in secret, then ask for permission to risk your life to go to the plague area, stop the plague from spreading, and then make meritorious deeds to be released from confinement. The throne will still be yours."
The prince knew that this plan was very dangerous and there was no way he could get back the throne.
But he had no choice now but to agree.
He proposed a condition, "I can take responsibility for killing the Qi family on behalf of my father, in exchange for the military power of 10,000 imperial guards."
Eunuch De narrowed his eyes and looked at the prince coldly.
"Does the prince know what it means to ask for military power?"
The prince took the risk, raised the corners of his lips in mockery and snorted coldly.
"Isn't the position of crown prince worth the power of 10,000 soldiers? If my father doesn't agree, I will never admit to falsely conveying the imperial edict even if I die!"
Only with military power can he have a chance to fight for it.
Seeing that the prince suddenly became smart, Eunuch De nodded in agreement.
"Okay, I'll give you 10,000 soldiers."
"I want my father to personally acknowledge it, and I will use the imperial edict as proof. I will never take it back!"
Hearing this, Eunuch De took the prince to the emperor's bedroom.
The emperor was woken up again and was so angry that he wanted to kill someone.
After knowing the prince's conditions, he immediately wrote an imperial decree due to his guilty conscience and also to appease the queen's family, giving the prince the power of 10,000 imperial guards.
"Chengyu, the matter of military power cannot be made public."
Otherwise, the people would suspect that the prince had confessed his guilt and there was something else going on.
The prince held the bright yellow imperial edict and nodded, "Don't worry, father. I know the importance of this."
He wanted military power, firstly to prepare for forcing the emperor to abdicate, and secondly to tell his brothers that his father had not given up on him!
The emperor waved his hands wearily and said, "Go to the morning court."
When the prince closed the imperial edict, he suddenly discovered that there was something wrong with the seal of the imperial court.
After reading it carefully, he angrily threw the imperial edict to the ground.
"Father, if you don't want to give me the military power, you can just say so. There's no need to give me a fake imperial edict!"
The emperor, who was about to lie down, roared, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
As soon as he finished yelling, he understood why the prince said the imperial edict was fake.
He sent the palace servants away.
"Chengyu, the national seal was stolen by the 'ghost thief' a long time ago."
These words were like a bolt from the blue, leaving the prince shrilly on the outside and tender on the inside.
"Father..."
"Chengyu, burning the city and destroying the Qi family is the best time to catch the 'ghost thief'. If you can find the national seal, the throne will be yours."
The prince naturally knew that the "ghost thief" had gone northwest with the Qi family.
Thinking of the magical powers of the "ghost thief", he had no confidence in getting the national seal back.
But there is no need to say it out loud, let’s get the military power first.
"Don't worry, Father. I will do my best."
After saying this, he picked up the imperial edict, left with Eunuch De, and went to the Golden Palace.
It was already past mid-morning and all the civil and military officials were getting impatient waiting.
After finally waiting for the Crown Prince and Eunuch De to arrive in court, he immediately knelt down and saluted.
"Greetings to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and to the Grand Eunuch!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the prince knelt down facing the officials.
"I am guilty!"
***
When the Crown Prince was accused of falsely conveying the imperial edict and killing loyal officials on behalf of Eunuch De, he was demoted to a commoner and imprisoned in the mansion.
The exile team was about to leave Liangzhou City.
People from all over the city came to see him off. The scene was spectacular and enthusiastic, and it delayed the time for some time.
The National Protection Army was stuffed with a lot of food, and several carts were filled to the brim.
Song Jingning took Cui Yunchen, Cui Shuyue and others to the city gate.
He knew that Ye Chutang had no shortage of food, so he sent him some hard-to-find fruits.
"Madam Qi, have a safe journey. See you in Tianshan County."
Ye Chutang gave Song Jingning some daily medicines and poisons.
"I hope you won't need these bottles and jars."
Qi Yanzhou waved to the people.
"Let's all go back!"
Han Chong replaced Wu Chenggang's position and became the leader of the exile team.
"Set off!"
A deafening sound rang out, and a group of people left Liangzhou City.
With the addition of the Chen family, the team became stronger.
Qi Qingyu bought a cart and a donkey to pull Chen Shaoping, who had a leg injury, and the two children.
Seeing his gray-haired mother suffering while walking, Chen Weiming set his eyes on the cart.
"Qingyu, your grandmother is not in good health, let her take the car."
"Dad, there's no room left on the cart. How about you carry your quilt on your back and make room for grandma to sit?"
Qi Qingyu's cart was full with an adult, two children, and the second room's belongings.
Not to mention pulling one more person, even putting one more item in is difficult.
The Chen family not only had to carry their own luggage, but also had to share the things they would need during the exile.
It can be said that except for Old Madam Chen, everyone is moving forward with a heavy burden.
They were already out of breath after just walking out of the city.
Chen Weiming carried a large iron pot on his back but could not carry any bedding.
"never mind!"
Qi Qingyu ignored the angry Chen Weiming and concentrated on driving the car.
When it was bright, Chen Weiming found Sun Chu lying on the official's cart.
Confusion appeared on his face.
Isn’t this the person that Lord Cao captured and locked up in the secret room?
Why was he taken into exile?
Chen Weiming didn't know Sun Chu's identity, he only knew that he was rich and had great martial arts skills.
Could it be that Qi Yanzhou took this man away in preparation for a rebellion?
Thinking of this, he felt that it was time to find a way out for the Chen family.
Is it to surrender to the Qi family?
Or are you leaning towards the Zhao family?
When Chen Weiming decided to wait and see for a while, Ye Chutang's eyes fell on Sun Chu.
Sun Chu had been cleaned up. Although he was so thin that only skin and bones were left, it could be seen that he had a good bone structure and was a handsome man.
He was seriously injured and fell into a coma, his pale face revealing a deathly look.
Qi Yanzhou saw Ye Chutang staring at Sun Chu and asked, "Atang, you seem to care about Sun Chu a lot?"
He wasn't jealous, just curious.
Ye Chutang withdrew his gaze, met Qi Yanzhou's eyes calmly, and raised the corners of his lips.
"He said he could help me reach the pinnacle of my life. He's a very interesting person."
"Sun Chu wants you to be the empress?"
"No, it's about being above everyone else and making the imperial power bow down to him."
Qi Yanzhou looked at Ye Chutang's bright and dazzling eyes and felt that she would definitely do what she said.
"I will help you achieve what you want."
"Let's work together to become the free and easy masters!"
After Ye Chutang finished speaking, he asked curiously, "Why does Sun Chu look like he's dead?"
Qi Yanzhou explained: "It's the Turtle Breathing Technique."
The Turtle Breathing Technique can not only make a person appear dead, but also minimize the body's consumption and speed up recovery after being injured.
An injury that would take a month to heal can be healed in ten days at most after using the Turtle Breathing Technique.
However, there are great disadvantages to using the Turtle Breathing Technique to heal injuries.
If you encounter betrayal or enemies, you will have no ability to fight back and will surely die.
After listening to Qi Yanzhou's explanation, Ye Chutang wanted to learn it.
"Can you?"
"Yes, if Atang wants to learn, I will teach you when we get to Tianshan County."
Ye Chutang is pregnant and cannot practice the tortoise breathing technique, otherwise the fetus will suffocate.
Of course she understood this and nodded.
"After what happened yesterday, the emperor should be quiet for a while, right?"
Qi Yanzhou took out a bunch of washed grapes from the fruit basket on the cart and handed it to Ye Chutang.
"If nothing unexpected happens, everything will be safe and sound before we reach Dingzhou."
"How long does it take to get from Liangzhou to Dingzhou?"
"At least one month."
The distance between Dingzhou and Liangzhou is twice as far as the distance between Liangzhou and the capital.
But it took more than twice as long.
Because the further north you go, the more mountainous the roads become, and even if you keep moving at the same speed, it will still take a month.
If you encounter an accident on the road, it will take even longer.
Ye Chutang smiled and said, "It would be nice if the dog emperor could be quiet for a month."
***
Just as Qi Yanzhou said, nothing unexpected happened along the rest of the way.
We didn't even encounter any bandits.
The Chen family members' feet were covered with blisters and they wailed for a few days, then gradually stopped.
Sun Chu would wake up for half an hour every day to eat and change medicine.
His pale face gradually turned rosy, and his skinny body became fleshy.
More than half a month later.
The exiled team arrived at Bingzhou, between Liangzhou and Dingzhou.
By this time, the rumor that the royal family wanted to exterminate the entire Qi family had spread throughout the country.
The Qi family's attitude towards the rebellion also spread.
Although the people did not want civil strife, they all hoped that the Qi family would rebel and overthrow the tyranny of the Zhao family.
Therefore, when the exiled team entered Bingzhou City, the people were very enthusiastic.
Of course, the enthusiasm is only directed at the Qi family.
"Master Qi, these are the eggs that my family has stored. Take them!"
"I ordered a table of food at the restaurant, which will be delivered to the post station later."
"These are peaches grown by my family. Although they don't look good, they are very sweet."
"The further north you go, the colder the weather gets. This fur coat will keep you warm."
The people who supported the Qi family gave away the best things from their families.
Ye Chutang selectively accepted a few items and paid the corresponding silver.
A group of people went to the post station.
The post station in the prefecture and county is very large and can accommodate more than a hundred people.
Although there are not enough rooms, we can still accommodate them if we squeeze in.
Of course, the room costs money.
If you don't want to spend money, you can live in the stable or sleep on the floor in the yard.
The Ye family was almost penniless, so they chose to sleep on the floor and eat free black noodle dumplings and pickles.
The Chen family was completely robbed, and except for Qi Qingyu who was given a heads-up, everyone else was left penniless.
Along the way, Qi Qingyu wanted to split the family countless times, but never found a suitable opportunity.
Chen Shaoping's legs have improved a lot and he can now walk with the help of crutches, but he cannot walk for too long.
The couple were decent people and did not want their family to be branded as unfilial, so they were quite tolerant of the Chen family.
So, when booking a room, Qi Qingyu booked the two worst rooms.
I left one room for the old lady.
As for food, only the old lady and Chen Weiming and his wife could beg for food.
Others ate free food distributed by officials.
Although the Zhao family didn't have much money, their housing and food were still guaranteed.
Ye Chutang had a lot of money, so he booked four of the best rooms.
The Qi family occupied three rooms and Sun Chu occupied one room.
Sun Chu's wound has scabbed over, and at his recovery rate, he will be healed in another half a month.
When the four families settled down, Wu Chenggang took the documents to report to the prefecture.
Han Chong said: "Each family can send one person to the city to buy what they need."
When Sun Chu heard this, he quickly said, "I want to go too!"
He had property in Dingzhou and wanted to get some money to use so that he wouldn't have to live under someone else's roof anymore.
Han Chong's eyes fell on Qi Yanzhou, and when he nodded, he agreed.
"Okay, half an hour, go and come back quickly."
Ye Chutang naturally would not miss the opportunity to go shopping, so he went out with Sun Chu.
Sun Chu's life was saved by Ye Chutang.
After leaving the post station, he said generously: "The largest gambling house in Bingzhou belongs to me, with an annual revenue of over 300,000 taels. I'm giving it to you as a payment for your treatment of my injuries."
After saying that, he took Ye Chutang to Qianjin Casino and asked the shopkeeper to identify him.
From a distance away from the gambling house, Ye Chutang saw a replica of the Macau casino.
Sun Chu developed the gambling culture very well.
Gambling on the first floor.
Dice, Pai Gow, poker, roulette, double-color ball...
The second floor is for leisure.
Performances, massages, magic, shopping, auctions, etc.
Dining on the third floor.
There are all kinds of cuisines, as well as fried chicken, beer, hamburgers, cola, etc.
The fourth floor inn.
Single rooms, standard rooms, king-size rooms, various special rooms, and special services.
After Sun Chu finished the introduction, he looked at Ye Chutang with great pride.
"Many states and counties have my gambling houses. This is called a national chain and an industry monopoly. Am I awesome?"
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