Ji Yang and his companion's boat stopped and started many times along the way, and finally arrived at Yangdu Wharf on October 27th.
After parting for a while, the two of them returned home with their families.
I left the capital in early September and finally came back at the end of October. The silver grass that had just turned yellow in my memory is now dry and fallen in patches. The weather is still quite cold, and there are leaden clouds circling in the sky, and it feels like I can smell snow. Maybe today's first snow will fall in a few days. It will be much earlier than last year.
The air is still quite fresh though.
Su Ci was lying in a thick blanket, she lifted the curtain and supported her chin with one hand to look at the scenery outside. She was enjoying the view when the sound of horse hooves outside the window slowed down a few steps. Yang Yanzong's speed was at the same level as the window, and he glanced at her.
Su Ci looked at him. She was thick-skinned and smiled at him with a curled lip. She quickly lowered the curtain and pushed up the window pane.
Ah, actually she is not cold. It would be more beneficial for her to recover from her injuries if she relaxes a bit, okay?
Her wound has scabbed over, the pain has been greatly reduced, and she actually feels pretty good.
But never mind, just don’t watch it.
In order to accommodate her, the convoy moved very slowly and it took almost half a day to get from the dock into the city. Su Ci was extremely bored and took some charcoal to write and draw and made several sketches before she finally returned home!
Chen and Su Di were already waiting at the side door. Su Di had taken a special leave to come today. Yang Chongying and Yan were also there. It turned out that the parents-in-law didn't need to welcome their children, but Chen was Su Ci's biological mother and she didn't care about it at all. Su Di acquiesced and followed, so Yang Chongying and Yan had to follow as well.
Yan sat inside, pouting and looking unhappy, but no one paid attention to her at this moment. When Chen saw the car coming, she immediately ran up crying.
Not to mention the tears that shed when the parents and daughter were reunited, Yang Yanzong finally said that Su Ci's injuries had not healed yet and the doctor advised her to rest more.
So Chen let her daughter go, looked back every few steps, and followed Su Di to the back hall.
Su Ci did not go over, and Yang Yanzong did not go right away. The threshold of the hanging flower gate was removed and placed on a slope. The carriage went straight into the corridor of the main house in the main courtyard. Yang Yanzong leaned over and moved the person and the quilt in and put them on the bed.
Yan's personal maid, Mrs. Feng, was peeking out of the door. Yang Yanzong glanced at her with displeasure. She shuddered and quickly retracted her head.
Yang Yanzong changed his clothes into a dark purple Qilin robe, a formal official uniform. He lowered his head to adjust his cuffs. After he was ready, he sat on the edge of the bed, stared at her, and said, "You don't need to pay your respects until you recover from your injury."
"I'll tell Mother later."
Su Ci's eyes lit up. Okay, okay. She tried to act as if nothing had happened and said "Oh", but the corners of her lips still curled up suspiciously.
Yang Yanzong glanced at her and snorted.
Finally he said, "I will be very busy recently, so you should stay at home and recover from your injuries." Don't make trouble.
Su Ci blinked. In fact, she had a vague sense that Yang Yanzong seemed very calm these days, but this calmness always made her smell something different, as if there was some dark undercurrent hidden under the deep pool, and it felt like a storm was about to come, very dangerous.
She leaned over and whispered, "What's wrong?"
She thought about it and immediately understood something. "What's the result of that matter?"
Who is it?
Her clever little brain would be very useful if she wasn't bored and restless all day long.
Yang Yanzong raised his lips, leaned forward, and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "Shangyang Palace."
When he uttered these three words, his eyes were icy. If the old emperor always thought that everyone was fish on his chopping board and he could slaughter and cut them however he wanted, then he was totally wrong!
Yang Yanzong glanced at her and said, "It's none of your business. Just focus on healing your wounds!"
At last, he snorted at her, then got up and left.
Su Ci: “…”
She wrinkled her nose and snorted at him twice.
If you can hum, I can do it too, okay?
…
As he stepped out of the warm main room, the cool air hit him in the face. The emotion in Yang Yanzong's eyes quickly disappeared. He stared in the direction of the imperial city with an expressionless face and walked out.
He went to the back hall, quickly returned, and then rode straight to the palace.
At the palace gate, he met Ji Yuanhao and Huang Dewei who arrived at the same time as him.
In these two months, Huang Dewei had almost completed his task. Except for Ji Lin, he had basically wiped out the remnants of the four kings and the six kings. He returned to Beijing before November to report.
There was an endless stream of officials entering the palace to meet the marquis all year round. From a distance, Huang Dewei saw Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao staring coldly at the Kun clan followers in front of them with expressions as cold as ice. He couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.
——Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao’s subsequent analysis was not wrong at all. Huang Dewei had indeed received the old emperor’s secret order to pay close attention to the affairs of the northern border and to assist in arranging the follow-up of framing the Kun family. He was also responsible for winning over and observing Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao.
However, Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao were both people who thought three steps ahead. No matter how they suspected and investigated privately, they gradually became extremely angry towards the Kun family because of the "truth" revealed by their investigations!
In Huang Dewei's eyes, the performance was impeccable.
Huang Dewei rode his horse forward, turned over, and glanced at Kun's followers far ahead. He patted Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao on the shoulders with sympathy on his face.
For the next audience with the emperor, Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao were summoned to the imperial study without having to wait long.
The two men concisely recounted the thrilling experience of this search, and finally reported to the emperor, hoping to personally wipe out the remnants of the Huang Shi family in Yangdu. The old emperor agreed, and said a few words of comfort, saying that if they needed any medicinal materials, they could just get them from the Imperial Hospital.
As for the culprit, Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao had cold expressions but did not say a word. Instead, Huang Dewei took over the topic, "The Huang and Shi families are just superficial symptoms. They are the great threat to the country. The Kun family and its followers are so bold!!"
As an assistant to Yang Ji and the other two in Northern Xinjiang, he also knew some clues for the subsequent investigation.
Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao's expressions were as cold as ice.
The old emperor said slowly: "Kun is indeed very bold. He does whatever he wants in the court and palace. Such a rebellious party must be eliminated to vent the anger of the people and protect the country!"
Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao looked at each other for a moment, and finally they knelt down with a clang: "I am willing to serve you!"
The two eventually joined the emperor's camp!
However, that night.
Yang Yanzong Ji Yuanhao, however, secretly left the mansion in disguise and quietly arrived at the agreed place, where he reached a true alliance with his uncle Kun who had been waiting for a long time.
…
Thick velvet curtains covered the inner windows, not letting in a single light. Inside the room, there were seven or eight people sitting, including Yang Yanzong, Ji Yuanhao, and Kun's uncle. The rest were core figures in Kun's party.
Everyone came out in plain clothes, wearing a black cloak that reached the ground, sat down at the square table, and discussed in low voices.
The alliance was reached, and the two largest forces that Uncle Kun wanted to win over were finally obtained. This was a great thing, but there was another big thing before them.
So what strategy should be adopted next? How can we actually implement this plan of forcing the emperor to abdicate? !
Uncle Kun then took Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao to the west room. After introducing the people in the room to each other one by one, everyone quickly got down to business without any further ado.
"Shen Xing and Zhong Chen are now openly under the Emperor's command, so it goes without saying that they are lurking among them."
The paths chosen by Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao were very consistent with what Uncle Kun had in mind. These two were both experienced warriors, so there was no need to waste time on what needed to be said.
Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao nodded, and neither of them said anything else. The Kun family now had few options, so they believed that the other party would make the right choice without them saying anything.
Sure enough, Kun Guojiu pondered for a moment and said, "Retreat to advance, relax their vigilance, and look for an opportunity to take action."
Uncle Kun has pondered this question thousands of times. He even had several alternative options in his mind as to the timing of taking action, but given the current situation between Kun and the old emperor, where the other party was on high alert, it was impossible to implement them.
A fierce fight will soon break out between Kun and the old emperor. Whether Kun is willing or not, he will probably suffer some losses. For the sake of the future and for this opportunity, it is imperative for them to relax each other's nerves in order to find the right time to take action.
This night meeting did not last too long. After deciding on the next course of action, everyone dispersed quickly.
Next, there was no need for them to easily refuse to meet again. After all, they had never underestimated the old emperor's intelligence system.
…
However, at the end of this month, the fierce battle between the old emperor and the Kun family officially began.
The old emperor was not a kind-hearted person. As soon as he took over the two knives from Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao, he immediately attacked Kun!
He has endured long enough!
Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao were at the forefront of the fierce battle with the Kun family.
The whole Yangdu was in a state of panic. The fierceness of the fight between the two was heard even by Su Ci, who was confined in a deep house to recuperate.
…
The old emperor had been keeping an eye on the Kun family for a long time, so long that before they murdered the young Prince Zhao, he had already memorized all the preparations and plans. Then, starting from the attack on officials' families two months ago, he first rectified the defense of the capital, and then the military affairs. He then pulled out a long list of Kun's followers in the court, the army and the camps.
Uncle Kun fought back, and the two parties fought each other, causing a bloody chaos throughout Yangdu.
Both sides suffered damage, and in the end, the Kun family was still inferior to the imperial power.
After all, the emperor has been on the throne for a long time, and justice and power are in his hands.
The first round of fighting ended with the execution of Wu Qicong, the most trusted confidant of Kun Guojiu, one of the most important generals under Kun, and the General Longxiang who held the core military power of the Fourteen Guards of the Beijing Camp.
The greatest damage was caused by Yang Yanzong.
Here, it is worth mentioning that Yang Yanzong and Kun were already "at loggerheads".
Uncle Kun and Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao have already reached a consensus that one cannot catch a wolf without sacrificing a lamb. Without Yang Yanzong, there will be someone else to take charge. Since Yang and Ji have been pushed to this point, they might as well bear the pain and let their own people benefit.
On the day of the incident, Yang Yanzong personally led people to the Beijing camp to arrest Wu Qicong. Kun Guojiu rode a horse and was forced to this point. His eyes were bloodshot and he stared at Yang Yanzong: "Okay, very good! Yang, you wait for me," he said with great hatred, "I want to see what kind of end this running dog of yours will have!"
Yang Yanzong raised his lips coldly: "Then let's wait and see. I hope that Uncle Kun will see it with his own eyes one day."
Sparks flew between the two sides, and Uncle Kun's face could not hide the deep hatred in his expression.
Yang Yanzong waved his hand and ordered Wu Qicong to be stripped of his armor and put on the prison van, in front of the angry gazes of those present!
Escorted back to Yangdu.
Although this was a consensus that they both knew, Su Ci couldn't help but feel a little worried, "Will Uncle Kun bear a grudge against me?"
Yang Yanzong had been busy outside for days, and finally found time to go home to wash and change clothes. He dressed neatly again and buttoned his sleeves, "I don't know."
"Not for now." Yang Yanzong said lightly.
As for what will happen in the autumn, or perhaps in the future as a result of the Wu family’s repeated crying and reminding, it is hard to say.
"We'll talk about the future later."
This is what he must do now, the old emperor is watching him.
What's the point of just pledging loyalty verbally if you don't do anything?
Gaining the old emperor's initial trust is what Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao must accomplish now.
…
However, it must be said that action is the most effective way to dispel people's vigilance.
A thousand words are not as good as actual action.
The old emperor is still using the two swords made by Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao, and he is quite satisfied with them.
The former, on the other hand, performed admirably, being ruthless and cruel, and was at loggerheads with the Kun family.
Especially after Yang Yanzong personally captured Wu Qicong, the old emperor finally felt relieved about him.
The old emperor sat high up on the throne. The lighting on the throne was rather dim nowadays. The dim candlelight shone on the old emperor's already somewhat hunched back. His cloudy eyes were motionless, but he still made the palace servants hold their breath and tense. The palace servants carefully served tea and lowered their heads to retreat to the wall.
The old emperor listened quietly to the secret guard's retelling of the scene. Huang Dewei cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, Yang Ji and the other two really hate Kun to the core."
The old emperor nodded.
He waved his hand and asked the secret guards to retreat.
After a moment, the old emperor snorted coldly: "They should know what's best for them."
In this way, these two people can be further used.
"Kun's?"
The old emperor smiled coldly. It was time to uproot this family of top powerful officials who had been lingering in the country since the founding of the country, becoming more and more daring and even usurping the imperial power and daring to be disloyal!
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