Before he finished speaking, the emperor had already thrown the letter in his hand to Gu Nanjin and asked in a cold tone: "The evidence is right in front of you, take a look for yourself!"
"You still refuse to believe it, Prince. Have you been bewitched by Gu Jue?!"
The emperor's voice was so cold that ice chips fell out of it, and veins appeared on his forehead. The anger was so overflowing that it seemed as if it was about to burst out from under his skin.
The letter paper was smashed hard on Gu Nanjin's face, then floated down and landed in his hands.
Gu Nanjin also read the letter. The emperor could no longer bear it and ordered Eunuch Ni, "Quick, announce Kang Hongda to me!"
Hearing the name "Kang Hongda", the other people in the hall were all startled. There was a moment of silence around them, and suddenly there was a sense of urgency that a storm was about to come.
Kang Hongda was the emperor's confidant and served as the governor-general of the Beijing camp, in charge of the Twelve Guards and the three camps of the Imperial Guards, and was also responsible for guarding the capital.
The emperor wants to summon Kang Hongda, which obviously means he is going to take real action against Prince Chen. This will probably cause a bloody storm in the capital and even the entire Da Qi.
“Father…”
Gu Nanjin wanted to persuade him, but the emperor didn't want to pay attention to him and interrupted him: "Enough! I don't want to hear you talking to Gu Jue!"
Then, the emperor ordered Lu Siji: "Lu Siji, you must lead the Jinyiwei to the Prince Chen's Mansion and surround it. Do not allow anyone to enter or leave!"
This posture clearly shows an intention to seal off Prince Chen’s Mansion.
Lu Siji's hair tingled. The Jinyiwei were fearless, but the Prince Chen's Mansion still had to think twice, especially since the Jinyiwei had just suffered a great loss at the hands of the Prince Chen.
But the emperor's order could not be disobeyed, and the status and power of the Jinyiwei came entirely from the emperor's favor. Lu Siji dared not even say "no" and could only accept the order and leave.
Gu Nanjin's face became even uglier, and he didn't know what to say.
He had just these past two days felt that he was beginning to get a handle on government affairs and was no longer as hectic as at the beginning. He thought he could finally take a break, but then this incident suddenly popped up like a bolt from the blue.
Gu Nanjin just felt a splitting headache. He also wanted to be a hands-off boss, but he was the prince, so how could he just sit back and do nothing?
He took several deep breaths, sorted out his thoughts, looked at Chu Lingxiao, and asked, "Marquis Yongding, did you see Gu Jue appear in Nanyang with your own eyes?"
Although Chu Lingxiao only heard Gu Jue's voice, he still insisted: "Not bad."
He looked determined, without any guilt or hesitation.
The emperor sneered and his anger increased.
"Impossible." Gu Nanjin said hurriedly, "The Ninth Prince personally escorted Wuhejialou back to Nanhao. If he left casually during the journey, how could he have hidden it from Wuhejialou's eyes and ears!"
This was also what the emperor couldn't figure out. It was impossible for Gu Jue to have wings and be able to travel a thousand miles a day, right? Gu Nanjin pondered and asked again: "Marquis Yongding, how did you sneak into the Northwest Camp, and how did you escape from Nanyang City?"
Chu Lingxiao started from the moment Qin Yao sent someone to send him away, and told him how he sneaked into the Northwest Camp, and how he finally escaped from Nanyang City with humiliation.
He had thought about this passage over and over again on the way back to Beijing, so when Gu Nanjin asked him, he answered it immediately.
Gu Nanjin was a meticulous person and immediately grasped the key point: "Marquis Yongding, since Qin Yao discovered that you sneaked into the military camp and sent people to the post station to arrest you, the northwest is the territory of the Nanyang Palace, how could he let you escape easily and report back to the capital."
After Gu Nanjin said this, Chu Lingxiao remembered that he escaped from Nanyang City on a manure cart, but he couldn't bring himself to tell the emperor.
Gu Nanjin once again faced the emperor behind the imperial desk, bowed, and said solemnly, "I beg your Majesty to investigate this matter."
"Nanyang is located in the northwest frontier, an important border area. The Nanyang Palace has guarded the northwest for generations and has made great contributions to the Great Qi."
As early as the year before last, Gu Nanjin had proposed several times to the emperor to release Qin Yao back to the northwest, but the emperor had always refused. It was not until this spring when Prince Nanyang was seriously ill that Qin Yao was released. Unexpectedly, Qin Xuan actually killed his father and put the blame on Qin Yao.
Over the past six months, Qin Yao was really surprised. After he had finally cleared his name, the emperor sent Chu Lingxiao to the northwest to investigate the cause of King Nanyang's death, making it clear that he did not trust Qin Yao.
Qin Yao had encountered such a serious change, so it was impossible for him not to be dissatisfied with the emperor. The emperor had not yet conducted a thorough investigation, but he had already charged Qin Yao with treason. Wasn't that forcing him to actually rebel? !
Gu Nanjin's every word was sincere and convincing, but no matter how reasonable his words were, they had to be listened to.
The emperor didn't want to listen at all, and his dissatisfaction with the prince deepened.
The emperor clenched his right fist and tapped the desk impatiently, faster and faster, revealing his undisguised eagerness.
He suffered repeated defeats at the hands of Gu Jue. Last time, he was forced by Gu Jue to give up the Fengtai camp because of a trivial matter. He also agreed to let Gu Jue transfer another 30,000 troops from the north to garrison the capital.
Whenever the emperor thought about it, he felt heavy-hearted and even didn't want to go to court. He felt that all the civil and military officials in the court were privately discussing the fact that he was being outshined by Gu Jue and were laughing at him.
He must make a comeback.
"That's enough!" The emperor interrupted Gu Nanjin again, his expression cold and hard, "I don't need you to teach me how to do things."
For the emperor, both Fan Yanzhi's matter and the current incident were just excuses.
What he wants is a legitimate reason.
"..." Gu Nanjin was speechless, his heart felt heavy and he couldn't breathe.
The emperor's words were heartbreaking. Even though the government had been very busy recently, Gu Nanjin had never felt so exhausted, with a strong bitter taste in his throat.
At this time, a young eunuch came in and reported that Lord Kang had arrived.
The emperor was cheered up and ordered Kang Hongda to be brought in quickly.
Kang Hongda was not wearing an official robe, but a peacock blue gown with golden purple auspicious cloud patterns, and a rhinoceros horn belt around his waist, with a purse and a small seal hanging from it. He was tall and slender, and his steps exuded the unique nobility and majesty of someone in a high position, and he was calm and composed.
Everyone's eyes were on him, including Chu Lingxiao.
Kang Hongda seemed not to have noticed Chu Lingxiao at all, and didn't even give him a glance. He walked straight to the other side of Gu Nanjin.
"Your Highness."
Kang Hongda bowed to the emperor with a very comfortable expression and posture. In this depressing room, he stood out from the crowd.
He also had such capital. When the emperor was still a prince, he once saved the emperor's life. At that time, he became the emperor's confidant. The emperor placed him in the Fifth Military Camp, and he also worked hard and made many military achievements. In just a few years, he was promoted to the second-rank deputy general.
After the emperor ascended the throne, he promoted him and made him the governor of the Beijing camp.
Everyone knew that the emperor trusted him three points more than Lu Siji.
The emperor looked at Kang Hongda a few steps away, his brows relaxed slightly, and he felt confident.
He is the emperor of Daqi, with hundreds of thousands of well-trained imperial guards under his command. How can he be afraid of Gu Jue? Last time, he lost because Gu Jue got the upper hand, and Kang Hongda was not there at that time.
Kang Hongda left the capital in May and inspected various states on behalf of the emperor, reviewing the officers and soldiers of the garrisons in each state. He did not return to the capital until the end of August.
Now that Kang Hongda is back, he has an extra help and support. However, Gu Jue is not in the capital at the moment. Those people in Prince Chen's Mansion are leaderless and have already lost in momentum.
The right time, right place and right people are all on his side.
If you don't act now, when will you act? !
The emperor tapped his fingers on the armrest of the chair a few times, his eyes gradually settled, and he ordered in a strong manner: "Send people to surround the Fengtai camp immediately. If the Black Armor Army inside dares to resist, they will be regarded as traitors and killed without mercy."
The emperor's eyes were ablaze with fire, and he told himself in his heart that this was a great opportunity. He must take advantage of Gu Jue's absence from the capital and the fact that the other 30,000 Xuanjia troops had not yet arrived in the capital to overthrow Gu Jue in one fell swoop.
Once you miss this opportunity, it will be very difficult to find such an opportunity next time.
What's more, speed is of the essence in war, and he cannot give Prince Chen's Mansion a chance to react.
Kang Hongda raised his eyes and met the emperor's gaze. He smiled slightly, with a lazy look on his face, but his tone was very sharp, "Your Majesty, do you want to take this opportunity to completely eliminate Prince Chen, or just make Prince Chen bow his head?"
His voice was neither light nor heavy, and even had a nonchalant tone to it.
“……” The emperor narrowed his eyes, leaned forward suddenly, and clenched his right hand into a fist on the table.
I don't know when it got cloudy outside the window. The bright sun was blocked by clouds, and even the autumn wind was chilly. The autumn atmosphere was getting deeper.
When the wind blows, a few blood-stained maple leaves occasionally fall from the sky, adding a bit of solemnity.
The Prince Chen's Mansion was once again surrounded by the Jinyiwei. The Jinyiwei went out with great fanfare, and almost half of the people in the capital saw it. All of a sudden, the capital was in a state of panic, especially the streets near the Prince Chen's Mansion were all empty.
The news soon reached Duke Mu's Mansion, and Shen was shocked, panicked and worried.
The last time, the Royal Guards tried to search Prince Chen's Mansion, Gu Jue was there. Although Shen was panicked at the time, she knew that nothing would happen.
This time was different. Gu Jue was not in the capital. Was he going to let his daughter face the vicious Jinyiwei alone? ! Shen stood up suddenly. Her first reaction was to go to Prince Chen's Mansion. When she walked out of the main hall, she had calmed down for a while and went to the outer study to see Duke Mu.
The servant in the outer study led her in without notifying her, "Aunt, the Duke said you might come, so he asked me to wait for you."
Besides Duke Mu, there was another person in the room.
"Cousin?" Shen shouted in surprise. She didn't expect Pei Linye to be here too.
Although Shen tried to remain calm, her inner panic could still be seen from her unnatural expression and tense fingertips.
"Cousin, don't panic." Pei Linye comforted her, guessing that Shen should have known about the Jinyiwei's conquest of the royal palace.
"Azhi, Lin Ye came here just for this matter." Duke Mu also spoke to calm Shen's emotions, "You may not know yet, Lin Ye has just joined the Northern Pacification Division."
Shen's eyes lit up, and she asked hurriedly, "Cousin, what news did you hear over there?"
Pei Linye turned his head and glanced at Duke Mu. Duke Mu nodded slightly and motioned for him to speak.
The subtle exchange of glances between the two made Shen's heart sink, and he had a bad feeling.
What was it that made Pei Linye not dare to tell her directly, and he had to ask his father's opinion before he dared to tell her? Pei Linye repeated it again: "Chu Lingxiao returned to Beijing today, and then went to the palace to meet the emperor. Soon, the emperor ordered the Jinyiwei to surround Prince Chen's mansion." He paused hesitantly, but continued, "It seems that Chu Lingxiao testified that Prince Chen and Nanyang Prince Qin Yao colluded to rebel."
It's Chu Lingxiao again! Shen's body swayed back and forth, and her teeth made a clattering sound.
Shen didn't expect that Chu Lingxiao would dare to say such a thing casually. He never thought about what would happen to Chu Qianchen if the emperor believed it.
This man is so cruel that flesh and blood are not worth mentioning in his eyes.
Duke Mu was also in a heavy mood.
He knew that Chu Lingxiao would be returning to Beijing in the next two days, and he was somewhat worried that something had happened in Nanyang that caused Chu Lingxiao to flee back to Beijing in such a hurry. He was afraid that Gu Jue would be implicated by Qin Yao. He did not expect that Chu Lingxiao would directly accuse Gu Jue of treason.
Duke Mu felt even more regretful and blamed himself endlessly.
He was wrong. The marriage of children should not be linked to repaying a favor.
The corners of Shen's eyes turned red.
If Chu Lingxiao was here now, she would really want to cut him into pieces with her own hands.
Her chest ached dully, the pain came in waves, her heart seemed to be contracting violently, and her pale face began to turn blue.
"Cousin, are you okay?" Pei Linye was very observant and immediately noticed that Shen's face looked wrong.
Nanny Chen was frightened. After all, Shen had fallen seriously ill due to anger and was sentenced to death by the doctor. Fortunately, Chu Qianchen had superb medical skills and brought her back from the brink of death.
Nanny Chen fed Shen a heart-saving pill, and Duke Mu quickly poured a glass of water for his daughter.
Nanny Chen repeatedly stroked Shen's chest and massaged several acupoints on her hands.
After a while, Shen gradually calmed down and the pain in her heart was no longer there.
"I'm fine." After being extremely angry, Shen quickly calmed down, with a firm look on her dignified and beautiful face, "Cousin, please continue."
Seeing that Shen was fine, Nanny Chen breathed a sigh of relief and put the small porcelain bottle away. Suddenly, she thought of something.
Oops.
She was in a hurry just now and accidentally let it slip that Chu Qianchen knew medical skills. I wonder if Pei Linye noticed it?
Pei Linye didn't seem to notice and continued, "Later, the emperor summoned Kang Hongda to the palace. Before I came, Kang Hongda hadn't come out yet."
Upon hearing this, Duke Mu's expression became even more solemn.
If the emperor's ordering the Jinyiwei to surround Prince Chen's mansion was just a small fight, then if Kang Hongda really took action, it would be a bloody storm.
6◇9◇Book◇Bar
Kang Hongda is a ruthless person who will do anything to achieve his goals, unlike the emperor who is indecisive.
Now that Gu Jue is not in the capital, although the Prince Chen's Mansion has 30,000 Black Armor Army in the capital, the army cannot be without a commander for a day. The Prince Chen's Mansion lacks a backbone, and I'm afraid this matter will be really troublesome.
Duke Mu's eyelids twitched, and he said in a deep voice: "The emperor is announcing Kang Hongda at this time. Is he going to attack the Xuanjia Camp?"
Pei Linye nodded, "Very likely."
Pei Linye also thought of this.
Although the Xuanjia Camp is the elite among the elite and can defeat ten enemies with one, it only has 30,000 troops. The other 30,000 have not yet been transferred from the north. Facing so many soldiers of the Beijing Camp, it is still at a disadvantage.
If the emperor really wants to take action against Prince Chen's Palace, he must first take down the Xuanjia Camp to ensure that there is no chance of failure.
Besides, this is the capital.
For the emperor, this is a natural advantage.
The sky outside was still sunny, but the atmosphere inside the house seemed like another world and was depressing.
"..." Shen frowned, gritted her teeth, and asked, "What should we do now?"
Duke Mu had already made a plan in mind. As he spoke, he stood up and said, "I will go to the palace now and meet the Empress Dowager, and then I will act accordingly."
"Azhi, don't worry, there may still be room for change..."
Duke Mu couldn't help but glance at Pei Linye.
Up to now, the fact that Chu Qianchen was replaced by Chu Lingxiao is still a secret, and only part of the Shen family and the Chu family know about it.
He heard from his eldest daughter that the Prince of Chen knew about this matter, so how much did the other people in the Prince of Chen's Mansion know? After all, in the eyes of outsiders, the Shen family had no need to wade into the muddy water between the emperor and the Prince of Chen's Mansion.
"Cousin, don't worry." Pei Linye said calmly, his narrow eyes were deep and steady, without any waves. "Even if the emperor ordered the siege of Prince Chen's Mansion, not everyone can enter the Prince Chen's Mansion if they want to."
As he said this, the corners of his lips curled up, and his usually calm face was given a bit of the sharpness and arrogance that is unique to military generals.
Shen's white fingers clenched the handkerchief, her back straightened, and she made a decision.
"I want to go to Prince Chen's Palace." Shen said resolutely, looking at Pei Linye with a firm and bright look in her eyes. "Cousin, do you have any way to let me enter the palace?"
She went to Prince Chen's Mansion naturally to find Chu Qianchen.
Pei Linye: “…”
"Azhi!" Duke Mu couldn't help but raise his voice slightly.
In his opinion, Shen's decision was not very wise.
Shen didn't say anything, her lips were pursed into a straight line, and she looked at Pei Linye steadily, her eyes burning like fire, showing her determination.
At this moment, she was as firm as a rock, and no one could shake her decision and will.
There was silence in the room.
"..." Duke Mu sighed deeply and stopped persuading Shen.
Perhaps the only person who can persuade Shen now is Chu Qianchen. If she is forced to stay in the Duke's Mansion, she will only feel more uneasy.
Pei Linye was silent for a moment, and finally nodded: "Okay."
Shen thanked Pei Linye, bowed to Duke Mu, and said, "Father, I'm leaving first."
She is now a completely different person from when she first entered the study. She is strong and calm, and has a clear goal in mind.
Looking at his eldest daughter like this, Duke Mu couldn't help but sigh in his heart: A mother is strong.
"Azhi." Duke Mu called Shen in a hoarse voice, with extremely complex emotions surging in his old but clear eyes.
He hesitated for a moment, and finally said: "Chu Lingxiao can even do such a thing, you still don't want to divorce?"
The old man, who was usually strong and steady, showed a rare sign of old age at this moment.
The air around them solidified a little more.
Nanny Chen frowned and sighed inwardly, then she heard Shen say firmly, "No divorce!"
The three words are powerful.
Shen's eyes were firm and cold, with a hint of murderous intent.
She turned around and strode out of the study.
Chu Lingxiao could do such a thing, so she couldn't let him get away with it!
She would write down everything he did and the debts he owed, and would settle them with him one by one.
Pei Linye asked nothing and Shen said nothing.
The two of them left through the back door of the Duke's Mansion. Pei Linye specially arranged an ordinary gray-covered carriage for them.
The gray-covered carriage did not go directly to Prince Chen's Palace, but took a small path and came to the side door of the house next to Prince Chen's Palace.
Shen originally thought that with so many Jinyiwei guarding outside Prince Chen's Mansion, it would be difficult for her to enter the palace, and she was afraid that it would embarrass Pei Linye. As a result, Pei Linye took her into the house next door and then entered Prince Chen's Mansion through a secret door.
The whole process went extremely smoothly.
Along the way, Shen had anticipated many possibilities and was worried about her daughter's situation, but when she entered Prince Chen's Mansion, as smart as she was, she immediately realized that if her daughter wanted to leave, she would have left long ago, and it would not be that difficult for her to get out of Prince Chen's Mansion.
The Chu Qianchen she knew was delicate in appearance, but had a strong soul inside. This girl was bold, intelligent, calm, confident, and even a little ostentatious and frivolous occasionally.
Therefore, Chu Qianchen is not completely passive about the current situation.
After realizing this, Shen calmed down a bit.
In contrast, Chu Qianchen never expected that Shen would come to find her, and she was completely dumbfounded.
"Mother……"
When Shen cast a dissatisfied look, Chu Qianchen quickly changed his words: "Mom, why are you here?"
For two lifetimes, she had been accustomed to relying on herself and making all the decisions on her own. She had never expected that Shen would risk his life just because he was worried about her.
She smiled slightly, her eyes were as bright as stars, her smile was brilliant, and her brows were soft.
Shen held Chu Qianchen's hand. Her hand was warm and soft, which made Shen feel more at ease.
She looked Chu Qianchen up and down. She was wearing the makeup of a princess and was dressed very formally, except for the glittering Nine-Zhai Pearl Crown which was casually placed on a coffee table.
Chu Qianchen smiled and pulled Shen to sit down together. He blinked at her playfully with his long eyelashes and comforted her, "Mom, it's okay."
Her eyes swept over Pei Linye behind Shen, and she was a little surprised that they actually knew each other. She smiled and said, "Deputy Commander Pei, go and do your work."
Pei Linye bowed and walked out.
Amber personally served tea to Shen, and asked the maid to serve fruits and snacks. Everything was in order.
Shen took note of the performance of Amber and other servants.
At this moment, her heart, which had been half hanging, completely settled down. She knew that this matter was not as urgent as it seemed.
Although the Prince of Chen is not in the capital, Chu Qianchen is still the Prince of Chen's wife and a member of the royal family. If she were to be carelessly offended, it would bring shame to the Prince of Chen and the royal family. Even the Jinyi Guards would have to think twice before doing anything.
"Do you have an idea in your mind?" Shen asked.
She still held Chu Qianchen's hand, feeling a little complicated: her daughter was young, but her attitude towards life was like that of a general, and she was very accurate in hitting the mark. When she put on this grand dress of a princess, as long as the prince was not convicted and deprived of his title, the Imperial Guards would have to be courteous to her.
Even if I were in her shoes, I couldn't do better than her.
"Yes." Chu Qianchen spoke frankly to Shen Shi, and looked into her eyes. His beautiful phoenix eyes seemed clear and deep, like the boundless sea of stars. "Mom, don't worry."
Although Chu Qianchen did not say it explicitly, Shen was certain that Prince Chen's Mansion was not passive. There might have been arrangements in place, or it might be a game of taking advantage of the opponent's strategy.
All you have to do is look at her.
Shen didn't say anything, she just raised her hand and gently stroked Chu Qianchen's smooth and delicate cheek, and tidied her temples.
The mother and daughter didn't have a chance to say anything else. At this time, Jiang Yuan came and reported: "Princess, the emperor sent Eunuch Ni to summon you to the palace."
Shen's heart, which had finally calmed down, was startled again, and she subconsciously held Chu Qianchen's hand tighter.
Chu Qianchen ordered Amber, "Amber, put it on for me."
Shen's eyes fell on the Nine-Di Crown again, and she suddenly understood.
Chu Qianchen had put on her full make-up as a princess in advance, not to intimidate the Imperial Guards, but to wait for this to happen.
This girl had guessed it long ago, guessed that the emperor would summon her into the palace.
so……
I wish you all peace and joy on Christmas Eve.
(End of this chapter)