Prince Andaman interrupted Pushen with a serious look, his eyes piercing Pushen like a knife, "Tell me in detail, when the Five Cities Army handed you guys over to the Imperial Guards, what was their attitude towards each other?"
Pushen frowned deeply, trying hard to recall the details of the time, and said in a low voice: "I remember that Commander Liu, who was in charge of the transfer of the South City Military Department, was very respectful to the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard..."
"However, it is normal that everyone in Da Qi is afraid of the Jinyiwei."
Pushin was not sure and looked a little hesitant.
The muscles on Andaman's cheeks were tense. He didn't say anything, but his eyes were fixed on Pushin's face. His thoughts were churning, and a cold murderous look flashed between his brows.
Long before coming to Northern Qi, he had already investigated the political situation of Northern Qi.
The throne of the Northern Qi emperor was actually not stable. Most of the Northern Qi generals were members of the Chen Wang party. For example, the current commander of the Five Cities Army, Su Mubai, was a member of the Chen Wang Gu Jue's party.
The Jinyiwei were naturally loyal to the Emperor of Northern Qi.
Logically speaking, given the irreconcilable relationship between the Northern Qi Emperor and Prince Chen, the Jinyiwei and the Wucheng Bingmasi should also be in opposition to each other.
But this time the process of transferring the prisoners was very smooth, without any tension at all, as if the Nancheng Bingmasi kept Pushen and others in prison just to hand them over to the Jinyiwei personally.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Andaman's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and the muscle of his right eyelid twitched several times.
Pushin, who was kneeling on the ground, became increasingly uneasy when he saw Andaman was silent, and was worried about his future.
He had been hiding these past few days, and had neither had a good rest nor a proper meal. He felt tired and weak. In this highly tense situation, it seemed as if all his strength was drained away, and his body was shaking.
Andaman raised his hand and stroked his right eyelid. Suddenly, an idea emerged in his mind and gradually became clear: all this was just like Prince Chen Gu Jue allowed them to set fire next to Prince Chen's mansion in order to lure them out, capture them, and hand them over to the Emperor of Northern Qi.
Andaman clenched his fists, his eyes darkened, and a piercing chill burst out from them.
He came here with an important mission, and the more important it was at this time, the more cautious and calm he had to be. After all, one of the tasks that Emperor Hao had given him in Northern Qi was to form an alliance with the Emperor of Northern Qi through a marriage between the two countries.
If his guess is true, then the marriage between the two countries...
Andaman immediately suppressed this speculation, without thinking about it any further, and said, "Pushin, go on."
Pushen pulled himself together and continued, "We were taken to the Northern Pacification Office by the Imperial Guards and rescued by Bichawen and the others."
Speaking of the Bichawen and others who sacrificed themselves to save them, Pushen's expression became more complicated and his face darkened.
"It's a pity that soon after we escaped from the capital, we were caught up by the Jinyiwei. Those Jinyiwei were arrogant and unreasonable. They didn't care that we were from Hao country and killed us ruthlessly. Bichawen and Yela all died... I was the only one who escaped by luck."
Pushin lowered his head again as he spoke, not daring to look directly into Andaman's eyes, which were deep and gloomy.
After he escaped death from the Jinyiwei alone, he repeatedly recalled and carefully sorted out the series of events on his way to the Hunting Palace.
Strictly speaking, Yela and his men were probably implicated by the five of them. After Bichawen sacrificed herself to save them, the Royal Guards had been chasing them, which meant that they led the Royal Guards to Yela, which led to Yela being killed by the Royal Guards.
But now that things have come to this, what's the point of saying this again.
Pushen's eyes flickered, but his expression was very steady. He was a little vague about how the others died at the hands of the Jinyiwei, and just mentioned it in a few words.
Andaman was holding his breath in his chest, looking a little agitated. He turned around in a circle in a distracted manner and did not notice Pushin's abnormality.
On the one hand, he was glad that Pushin escaped from the Jinyiwei and brought back the news about the whereabouts of Wuhajia Tower, but on the other hand, he secretly sighed that Bichawen was too impulsive and took the initiative to rescue people without consulting him.
Alas! Andaman sighed in his heart.
If he had not been in the Hunting Palace and unable to contact Bichawen and the others in the capital, Bichawen would not have been so passive. She could have waited until Yala arrived in the capital and made a thorough plan before taking action.
But now that the person is dead, it is useless to worry about these details.
Andaman thought about it again, sorted out the whole thing again and again, and confirmed with Pushin again and again: "Are you... sure that the people who ambushed you are Jinyiwei?"
Pushen suddenly raised his head, his gray face with an unusually firm look in his eyes, and he said with certainty, "It's the Jinyiwei!"
He was sure it was the Jinyiwei!!
Pushen gnashed his teeth in hatred, his facial features twisted, and in an instant, an extremely strong hatred burst out from his eyes, as if he wanted to drink his blood and eat his flesh. His whole expression became extremely sinister.
Seeing that Pushin's expression and tone were very certain, Andaman's face changed, and his heart was agitated again, like a huge rock falling into a lake, which could not calm down for a long time.
The situation in Northern Qi was far more complicated than he and Emperor Hao Uhaduluo had expected.
If he takes a wrong step, it may affect Emperor Hao's important affairs, so he must be cautious and careful at every step.
Andaman stopped walking and asked again, "Have you told them that you are a member of my Dahao envoy group?"
"Yes." Pushin nodded affirmatively.
He was sure that Bicham had told the Royal Guards that they were the Prince of Andaman's men, but even so, the Royal Guards did not let them go and killed all of them, clearly intending to silence them.
Andaman: "..."
Andaman's face became even gloomier, almost dripping with ink.
A biting cold wind suddenly blew into the small alley, making the pig shed at the back creak. A rotten and broken piece of wood fell from the pig shed and landed on the ground with a thud, breaking into pieces.
It was like a heavy hammer hitting Pushin's heart, causing his heart to shrink suddenly.
The atmosphere in the alley was almost stagnant.
Andaman stiffened for a moment, then asked one last question: "How did you... escape?"
"I was in a panic when I was running away and accidentally fell down the hillside. At that time, I pretended to be dead and didn't move. They looked at me from above with a torch and then left..." Now when Pushen talks about what happened at that time, he still feels a little scared and his face looks very ugly.
It was almost, just almost, and he would have died like Bichawen, Yela and others, and would not have been able to return to his homeland.
Pushin swallowed his saliva, his whole body felt cold. After calming himself down, he carefully and secretly went to see Andaman standing by the high wall.
The old mud wall beside the alley was mottled after years of wind and rain. The tall mud wall cast a faint shadow on Andaman's face, making him exude a sinister aura.
Andaman was in a heavy mood and couldn't help but think of the hunting night on November 11, because Suke accidentally heard Princess Chen mention "the capital" and "the emperor" when talking to someone. He was worried and went to test the Emperor of Northern Qi in person.
At that time, the Emperor of Northern Qi kept avoiding the issue and sent the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard back to the capital that night. His actions were really suspicious.
Thinking about this, Andaman's eyes gradually became darker and darker, and the same doubt as before once again emerged in his mind -
The discord between Prince Gu Jue and the Emperor of Northern Qi is probably just on the surface!
The details he discovered recently all prove this point.
Andaman lowered his eyes slightly, and in his turbid pupils, there flashed an extremely complex and tangled light.
Winter was hanging high in the sky, casting a large expansion of golden light. The thick snow on the ground and on the eaves gradually showed signs of melting, and the weather became colder.
The cold wind was like a knife, shaving off the snow on the trees layer by layer.
Chu Qianchen was glad that he came back in time and hid in the house obediently without going out.
She and Gu Jue never left the house, but they were still very well-informed. As soon as Andaman returned to the palace, Jingfeng reported the news to Gu Jue immediately.
"Your Highness, the Prince of Andaman returned to the Hunting Palace at the beginning of the twelfth month and went to Chongming Palace to see the Emperor. He has not come out yet."
As Jingfeng spoke, he quickly glanced at Gu Jue and Chu Qianchen in front of him.
A four-foot-high, twenty-five-string red sandalwood vertical konghou is placed on a wool carpet. The konghou is shaped like half a wooden comb, with a phoenix carved on the head of the instrument, and the base and pillars are painted with double dragons playing with pearls, cloud patterns, etc., which is gorgeous and exquisite.
It just lies there quietly, exuding an elegant and ethereal aura.
Gu Jue and Chu Qianchen bought this konghou from a musical instrument shop in Xiping Town.
In the previous dynasty and even longer ago, the konghou was a court instrument that was highly sought after by nobles and literati. In this dynasty, the konghou gradually declined like the tea, and fewer and fewer people could play it. This konghou changed hands several times before it came into the hands of the owner of this shop.
The boss put it out because he knew that the emperor was coming to hunt at night, hoping to find a good hunter.
It was the first time that Chu Qianchen saw a konghou, so he looked at it a few more times. As a result, Gu Jue bought it and asked the boss to send it to the Xiyuan Palace.
It had been less than an incense stick of time since the konghou was delivered to Zichen Palace. Chu Qianchen was enjoying the experience. He raised his right hand, plucked the string lightly with his slender jade fingers, and said nonchalantly, "Andaman won't confront the emperor, will he?"
As soon as the strings moved, the clear music sounded like a flowing spring, much louder than the sound of a pipa.
Chu Qianchen curled his lips and smiled like a child who got a new toy.
If Chu Qianchen was just playing around casually, then Gu Jue was obviously much more serious than her.
He sat behind the guzheng, stroking the strings with his left hand, tuning the sound leisurely, and every move he made was so graceful.
This guzheng suits his temperament very well. When his fingers stroke the strings, it is like a gentle breeze and drizzle, or as if he is surrounded by green mountains and mist. The picture is beautiful and harmonious.
"No." Gu Jue stroked the konghou string again and said calmly, "People are suspicious of each other, let alone countries."
"Uhagaru said that Andaman was always cautious, and that was why Uhadra sent him to the capital."
"But too much is as bad as too little."
The key to this plan lies in the fact that the two countries of Nanhao and Beiqi have been opposed to and wary of each other in the past hundred years.
As the old saying goes, either the east wind prevails over the west wind, or the west wind prevails over the east wind.
Both Nan Hao and Bei Qi were afraid of making a wrong move, so they gave each other the opportunity to break the north-south division and unify the Central Plains.
The two countries may be able to achieve temporary peace, but both sides know that this peace is time-limited and will be broken one day, perhaps now, perhaps in a few decades, or even a hundred years later.
The antagonistic relationship between the two countries meant that neither side would be too frank when dealing with each other. Everyone wanted to protect their own interests. Therefore, the Hao people would not directly question the emperor about their doubts and concerns. They would only test the emperor in a roundabout way and then make subjective judgments.
This is the natural barrier between them.
And this is the opportunity that Gu Jue and Wuhejialou took advantage of.
Gu Jue's slender fingers plucked the konghou strings twice again. The sound of the strings under his fingers was much smoother and clearer than Chu Qianchen's.
Chu Qianchen stared at Gu Jue's beautiful and slender fingers.
When his fingers touched the strings, blue veins appeared on the back of his hand. His nails were trimmed neatly, and there was a small red mole on the third joint of his left ring finger.
Chu Qianchen interrupted absentmindedly: "Besides, the emperor has always been suspicious..."
Because Andaman had some doubts about the emperor, he would test him, but the emperor was not only suspicious but also arrogant.
In addition, the emperor has been taking elixirs in recent years, which has accumulated elixir poison in his body and made his internal fire too strong, so his temper has become more and more violent.
Given the emperor's temperament, he would probably regard Andaman's test as a provocation from the Nanhao people and then make speculations.
Under this premise of mutual vigilance, it is absolutely impossible for both parties to sit down and talk face to face.
Chu Qianchen smiled and added: "They are destined to be suspicious of each other."
Next, not only will Andaman confirm his own judgment, but the emperor will also come to his own conclusion, and the "misunderstanding" between the two sides will only deepen...
Chu Qianchen smiled with narrowed eyes, and turned to look at Gu Jue behind her. The prince is really cunning!
Gu Jue looked at her with a smile in his eyes, "This is our chance."
Chu Qianchen nodded, a gleam of understanding flashing across his eyes.
Chu Qianchen knew best about Gu Jue's current situation in Da Qi.
In Da Qi, Gu Jue is only a prince. Although he has hundreds of thousands of northern troops under his command and the support of most of the generals in the court, the current emperor Gu Lang is the legitimate emperor, and this Da Qi territory belongs to Gu Lang.
In comparison, Gu Jue is naturally at a disadvantage.
Wuhejialou's position in Hao Kingdom is even more embarrassing than Gu Jue's. The false emperor Wuheduluo has ascended the throne, and Wuhejialou, the eldest prince left by the previous emperor, has become unjustified.
Although Wuhejialou has the connections of the previous emperor, Wuhaduluo has already obtained the support of most of the vassal kings of Nanhao, and his current strength is obviously stronger than Wuhejialou.
Under such circumstances, Gu Lang must not be allowed to form an alliance with Uhaduro, otherwise the situation will only get worse.
Therefore, if Gu Jue and Wuhejialou want to go upstream, they must take the initiative to attack.
A clear and soft string music sounded in my ears, beautiful, ethereal and gentle.
Chu Qianchen was immersed in it, intoxicated.
But Gu Jue stopped after playing only one section.
Chu Qianchen blinked, not noticing that Jingfeng had retreated at some point.
Gu Jue asked with a smile: "Do you want to learn?"
These three words made Chu Qianchen realize that Gu Jue not only could play the guzheng, but also played it quite well.
Chu Qianchen blinked and looked at Gu Jue in surprise.
She knew that Gu Jue knew a lot of things. He was not only good at martial arts, but also good at reading. Several tutors in the past had praised his knowledge, saying that if he took the imperial examination, he would definitely be among the top three. He was also proficient in other arts such as music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She didn't expect that he could even play the guzheng.
This was something she didn't know in her previous life.
"Prince, how come you know everything?" Chu Qianchen couldn't help but sigh, his eyes filled with admiration and praise.
Gu Jue felt very touched by the little girl's compliment. The smile on his face deepened and his heart was moved.
He asked again: "Do you want to learn?"
When he was young and frivolous, he wanted to learn everything he saw. Some things he would get tired of after playing with for a few months and never touch them again. For example, he hadn't touched the konghou for at least seven or eight years.
When he saw this konghou in Xiping Town today, Chu Qianchen took a closer look at it, and then he decided to buy it.
This time, Chu Qianchen nodded hurriedly: "Yes!"
Her eyes brightened with anticipation and she was eager to try.
Gu Jue stepped back a little, let Chu Qianchen sit in front of him, held her in his arms, and explained and taught her step by step.
The konghou is a plucked instrument like the qin. Chu Qianchen can play the qin, so he finds it much easier to learn than someone who has no basic knowledge at all.
After learning for an hour, she was able to play a melody of "Spring River Moon Night". She then turned to look at Gu Jue happily and asked, "Did I play well?"
When she moved, she realized that they were very close, so close that she could feel his warm body temperature from behind her, and his elegant and clean scent penetrated her nose.
His left hand was resting on the pillar of the zither, as if it was around her slender waist.
Chu Qianchen liked this intimate feeling, but also felt inexplicably embarrassed, with a feeling of heat rushing to his face.
It was clearly the coldest time of the year, but she suddenly felt a little hot.
"Okay." Gu Jue smiled slightly, but saw that Chu Qianchen turned around and sat back like a frightened deer, with her eyelids slightly drooping and her lips slightly pursed. She looked well-behaved and gentle, with a calm temperament, and there was no sign of the wildness in her bones.
The girl, who had been so relaxed in his arms, suddenly seemed a little uneasy.
Gu Jue was stunned at first, then he noticed that her cheeks were slightly flushed, and he curled his lips into a charming smile.
"I'll play the next section, please watch carefully." Gu Jue raised his other hand and stroked the strings left and right.
Another pleasant sound flowing out, swirling and lingering in the air...
Glass palace lanterns were lit in the house, while the sky outside the window gradually darkened, with the moon and stars being sparse.
In the courtyard, the silver moonlight poured down like frost and snow, a few red plum trees swayed in the wind, the snow fell down, and the atmosphere was quiet and peaceful, giving people a sense of leisurely peace and tranquility as if the years were peaceful and the clouds were light and the breeze was gentle.
Chu Qianchen, who was sitting in Gu Jue's arms, looked at his fingers seriously at first, but gradually, his eyes couldn't help but move up along his fingers.
As he played the strings, his wide sleeves slipped down slightly, revealing a white, thin and strong wrist, which made his slender fingers look even more graceful and effortless, which was pleasing to the eye.
Chu Qianchen stared at his forearm without blinking for a while... until he felt the warm touch under his fingertips, he realized that he had pinched his arm by accident.
"Zheng!"
Gu Jue's arm trembled slightly, and a string on the guzheng broke.
The sound of the guzheng also stopped abruptly.
Chu Qianchen: “…”
Gu Jue: “…”
Gu Jue looked at Chu Qianchen's restless right hand with subtle eyes.
Chu Qianchen didn't understand what was wrong with her. At that moment just now, she suddenly wanted to touch him and get close to him.
Her face, which was originally just a little hot, became hot. She hadn't experienced this feeling called shyness for many years.
In an inexplicable emotion, she got excited and blurted out in a disgusted and coquetish tone: "You are too thin!"
That's right, the prince is too thin, she has to feed him and make him fatter.
Chu Qianchen widened his eyes and stared at Gu Jue without blinking, as if he was a cat that had made a mistake and was looking at the two-legged beast with a pair of innocent cat eyes.
Anyway, as long as she is not embarrassed, it is others who are embarrassed.
6◇9◇Book◇Bar
She appeared calm and composed on the surface, but her heart was pounding like a drum.
Gu Jue laughed, his smile spreading across his face.
In response, he raised his hand and gently pinched her fair and soft arm, saying seriously, "You are too thin."
"..." The heat on Chu Qianchen's face, which had not yet subsided, suddenly became even more intense.
At this moment, Jingfeng happened to enter this warm room from the main hall. When he was outside, he heard Chu Qianchen say that Gu Jue was too thin, and he agreed with it.
The prince always had trouble getting three meals a day, and no matter how much I told him, he would not stop. Now things are good, as the princess is taking care of him.
This is probably what is called the law of nature, and no one can escape it! Jingfeng thought about it, and his steps became very brisk. He walked to a place three steps away from the konghou, clasped his fists and reported: "Your Majesty, the Prince of Andaman left Chongming Palace. I heard that his complexion looked worse than when he left."
"The emperor was not in a good mood either. After Prince Andaman left, he smashed a lot of things in the imperial study of Chongming Palace. Later, he summoned His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and scolded him."
The emperor has such a hot temper! Chu Qianchen no longer cared about the broken guzheng. His attention was drawn to what Jingfeng said. He wondered: The emperor is about to be poisoned!
When the emperor was still a prince, he believed in Taoism. However, at that time, out of concern for the late emperor, he only went to the Taoist temple to burn incense and listen to scriptures. But since he ascended the throne, he has become unscrupulous.
Taoist Master Xuan Jing was not the first Taoist priest favored by the emperor. Over the years, the emperor had taken a lot of elixirs in pursuit of immortality.
But the elixir contains cinnabar, which will cause some degree of erysipelas.
In the previous life, during the last few years of the emperor's life, he became increasingly moody due to the poison that attacked his heart, and in just a few years, the Great Qi was in ruins and fell apart.
The reason why she and Qin Yao were able to succeed was half due to themselves, and the other half was due to the emperor's own actions.
Now it seems that the emperor has some of the characteristics of his previous life.
For Chu Qianchen, whether the emperor's poison attacks his heart or not is none of her business. Anyway, it is better for such an emperor to die early and be reborn, so as to avoid causing trouble for the prince.
Chu Qianchen stared at Jingfeng silently, waiting for him to continue speaking, with great interest.
Jing Feng's scalp tingled when he was looked at by her. He racked his brains and finally added, "But at that time, only Eunuch Ni was left in the imperial study, so I don't know what the emperor and the prince said specifically... By the way, the prince is still kneeling in the imperial study and hasn't come out yet."
Jingfeng is really speechless.
Originally, such a small matter meant no progress, and Jingfeng would not have come to report to the prince at all. It was because the prince said that the princess wanted to know the progress and asked him to report every detail that Jingfeng made this trip again.
Jingfeng looked at Gu Jue for help, his eyes seemed to be saying, Your Majesty, please at least say something.
Gu Jue said in a calm voice, "Go down," and Jing Feng felt relieved and ran away as if he was afraid that Chu Qianchen would stop him.
Amber turned her head silently, chuckled, turned back, and stood with her hands hanging down as if nothing had happened.
Chu Qianchen was a little disappointed, as he had expected to hear more progress.
Gu Jue took her hand and stood up, touched her head and said, "Let's go eat... We are too thin."
The string of this konghou is broken. I definitely can't play it today.
Chu Qianchen: “…”
amber:"……"
That night, the two of them went to bed early.
Early the next morning, she was awakened by the sound of a wailing horn.
After blinking blankly, she realized that today was the day the emperor would set off for Beijing.
This is not the previous life, and she is not in the military camp.
Chu Qianchen stared at the sky-blue gauze curtain above, told himself in his heart, and then closed his eyes again.
Today the emperor will hold a sacrifice at the hunting platform. After the sacrificial ceremony, the emperor will set off at an auspicious time.
Chu Qianchen did not participate in the sacrificial ceremony and slept soundly until noon.
She and Gu Jue appeared in the team at the Hunting Palace Square at 3 p.m. At this time, the carriages and horses from other mansions had also gathered there. At a glance, it was a sea of people, bustling with activity.
Chu Qianchen had a lot of fun during the nine days he was in the Hunting Palace.
She tried many things she had never done in her previous life, and more importantly, she was with him.
Chu Qianchen, who was sitting in the red-wheeled carriage, casually lifted a corner of the curtain and looked out at the rolling hills and forests.
The mountains and forests covered with snow are cool and quiet, completely different from the hustle and bustle of the capital.
Thinking about the memories of these days, Chu Qianchen smiled.
She looked at the scenery outside the carriage, and Gu Jue was looking at her intently.
Look at her bright eyes, look at her charming smile, look at her open-minded expression.
Just by looking at her like this, Gu Jue felt his heart become clear.
He knew that his little girl was never someone who was willing to be bound. She did not like the square sky of the capital. She was like a young eagle, looking forward to a wider sky and a more vast land.
so--
Gu Jue secretly swore in his heart that he would have to work even harder.
He wanted to fight his way out and take his little girl to the north, to the wider world.
She will be happy! Gu Jue's eyes were gentle, just like the smile on his lips.
Chu Qianchen seemed to sense something. When he turned around, he met his gaze as warm as the spring breeze and smiled at him subconsciously.
Her smile was delicate and beautiful, like the flowers on the branches blooming instantly, or like the sudden appearance of spring.
"I'll bring you here again later." Gu Jue promised softly.
"Yeah." Chu Qianchen smiled even more happily.
She knew that the prince never made promises easily, but since he had made a promise, he would definitely bring her here... and she would work hard for it.
Chu Qianchen raised her little hand towards him.
Gu Jue also raised his hand.
“Bang!”
The big palms and the small hands hit each other as an oath.
At the same time, the eunuch's deliberately raised voice came from outside the carriage: "Let's go back to the capital!"
So, the convoy began to set off slowly. From the emperor's dragon sedan to the last imperial guards leaving the palace, it took more than half an hour.
Although it had snowed the previous two days, the advance troops of the Imperial Guards had already cleared the snow on the road in advance, so the convoy had smooth sailing wherever it passed.
When he came, the emperor was slow and leisurely, but on the way back to the capital, his behavior changed completely and he seemed to be impatient to return to the capital.
However, no matter how anxious the emperor was, there were ancestral systems and rules to follow when he traveled. Each step and each ritual was extremely complicated and could not be simplified. After all, the emperor was not returning to Beijing to attend a funeral, so the speed of the motorcade could not be very fast.
For Chu Qianchen, as long as it did not disturb the prince's rest, it was fine. She just followed the convoy and did what she had to do.
It took them five days to come here, but only three days to return.
The capital had already received the news, and all the civil and military officials in the court gathered outside the west city gate to welcome the emperor's carriage. Many common people also came nearby to watch the emperor's carriage. The scene was extremely grand.
"Welcome the Holy Emperor back to Beijing! Long live His Majesty!"
When all the ministers shouted "Long live the emperor", the shouts shook the sky. All the ministers bowed and saluted. The people also knelt and saluted. None of them dared to look up at the emperor's face.
If it were an ordinary day, such a scene would surely make the emperor feel high-spirited and as if he were the ruler of the world.
But the emperor was absent-minded now. He spotted Jinyiwei commander Lu Siji among the ministers and gave an order to Eunuch Ni, who then summoned Lu Siji to the dragon chariot.
Only a very small number of people noticed this scene. Most people just blindly followed the emperor into the city, wanting to return home as soon as possible.
The convoy slowly entered the city, with the magnificent dragon chariot driving in the front as usual.
The space inside the dragon chariot was much more spacious than an ordinary carriage. Lu Siji knelt on one knee inside, not daring to look up at the emperor.
The atmosphere is depressing.
The emperor's first question was an unhappy one: "Lu Siji, did you order someone to ambush those Hao people who were kidnapped?"
The emperor's gaze shot towards Lu Siji like a sharp sword or arrow, cold and gloomy.
"..." Lu Siji was stunned. He subconsciously looked up and opened his eyes wide.
A few days ago, the emperor sent him back to the capital in a hurry. Ostensibly, he was to take away the five Nanhao people from the Wucheng Military Department. In fact, he was to investigate their purpose of sneaking into the Prince Chen's Mansion. The emperor had always suspected whether Gu Jue had hidden the Wuhejia Tower in the Prince Chen's Mansion.
The emperor also reminded Lu Siji not to punish the five Nanhao people, and temporarily locked them up in the imperial prison of the Northern Pacification Division. He planned to return the five people to Andaman as gifts after returning to Beijing.
On the one hand, this was a gesture of goodwill to Emperor Hao Uhadula, and on the other hand, it was also to show Andaman that this was the capital, the territory of Da Qi, and asked Andaman and the others to behave themselves.
But what Lu Siji never expected was that the five Nanhao people were actually kidnapped from his hands.
On that day, Lu Siji heard that the Nanhao people had left from the west gate, so he led the Jinyiwei to chase them all the way west, but found nothing.
In the past few days, he also sent people to search for the five Nanhao people in the capital and several surrounding towns, but still could not find any trace of them. It was as if they disappeared out of thin air.
Lu Siji was also having a headache about this matter. He didn't know how to explain to the emperor when he returned to Beijing. When he heard the emperor say that he had ordered people to ambush the Hao people, he was completely unable to react.
He was confused at first, then shocked, and then afraid. In just a blink of an eye, his expression changed several times.
Lu Siji immediately knelt down on his other knee, then lowered his head, resting his forehead on the wool carpet, and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, I did not!"
The emperor's gaze was fixed on Lu Siji, his eyes sharp, as if he was confirming whether what he said was true.
Lu Siji knelt on the ground with his hands on the ground, respectful and humble, without moving a muscle, nor raising his head to peek at the emperor.
There was dead silence in the dragon chariot. Lu Siji held his breath, and his body swayed slightly as the chariot swayed.
The emperor slowly turned the jade ring on his thumb and did not speak for a long time.
At dusk on November 17, Andaman came to Chongming Palace specifically to ask for an audience with him. He talked to him about the laws of Da Qi and Dahao regarding the punishment for theft and robbery. He said that in Dahao, if the stolen goods were less than ten coins, the person would be fined for thirty days of hard labor. He also said that the laws of Da Qi were very strict, and anyone who simply climbed over the wall to enter a house would be put to death.
Andaman spoke in a roundabout way, but the emperor still understood that the other party was testing him. Andaman was not talking about the laws of the two countries. The thieves who climbed over the wall and broke into the house were clearly the five Hao people who broke into the Prince Chen's palace at night.
Moreover, the meaning revealed in Andaman's words seemed to indicate that the five Hao people were dead.
Since the other party emphasized so much that it was the "Great Qi Law", it was obvious that he was suspecting that he had sent people to rob and kill the five Hao people.
The emperor was so angry that he almost got angry.
But the other party's words were not made clear at the time. It sounded like they were just discussing the laws of the two countries. If the emperor turned against him, it would seem that he, the King of the Great Qi, had no magnanimity.
The emperor asked Eunuch Ni to discuss the laws of the Great Qi Dynasty with Andaman on the spot, and then sent Andaman away.
In the past few days, the emperor had been only speculating about this matter, not knowing what had happened in the capital. Until he saw Lu Siji today, he couldn't wait to ask.
Lu Siji, who was kneeling on the ground, was sweating profusely and his heart almost jumped into his throat when the emperor looked at him.
I don't know how long it took, but I finally heard the emperor's voice from above: "Look up and tell me what's going on."
Lu Siji secretly breathed a relief, and did not dare to wipe the sweat off his face. He remained kneeling on his knees and raised his head, his temples wet with sweat.
Lu Siji sorted out his thoughts and started from the time when he picked up the people from the South City Bingmasi, and said that they encountered a group of thieves who looked like Hao people robbing prisoners on Maoer Street, and that he had been searching everywhere for the whereabouts of the Nan Hao people in the past few days.
Finally, he added in a dry voice: "I have sent people to conduct strict inspections at the four city gates in the past few days, and no suspicious persons have been found leaving the capital."
The emperor's lips were pressed into a straight line, and his expression became increasingly uglier as Lu Siji spoke. It was stern and gloomy, as if layers of dark clouds were piled on his face.
At the feet of the emperor, at the gate of the Northern Pacification Office, Lu Siji actually had those Hao people kidnapped in the street. This not only disgraced the Jinyiwei, but also the emperor himself!
Of course Lu Siji could feel the emperor's wrath, and he quickly lowered his head again. Cold sweat was still pouring out of his body, and he looked like he had just been fished out of the river.
Lu Siji also knew that this explanation would not satisfy the emperor.
This time, he made such a big mistake that he might even lose his position as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
He has offended many people while sitting in this position. If he is deposed, he will probably have a hard time in the future...
There was another long silence; the noise outside the dragon chariot seemed so far away at this moment.
The emperor remained silent for a long time, but his cold eyes were still fixed on Lu Siji who was kneeling on the ground, as if examining him, considering him, and deliberating over him.
Lu Siji was a person promoted by the emperor since he was the crown prince, and he had followed him for nearly twenty years.
The emperor trusted Lu Siji.
but--
If it was true that the prisoners were kidnapped by the Nanhao people as Lu Siji said, then why did Andaman come to Chongming Palace and talk about it that day? ! The emperor had been thinking about this matter over and over again in the few past days. Now, after hearing what Lu Siji said, his doubts were not only not explained, but even more.
If it was the Hao people themselves who kidnapped the five people, why did Andaman insist on implying that it was Da Qi who did it, and also hinted that he killed them to silence them?
The emperor began to turn the jade ring on his thumb again, his eyes flickering.
At this moment, the emperor recalled that Andaman had shown goodwill to Gu Jue several times during the winter hunting, and he became even more puzzled.
What on earth do these Hao people want to do? !
The emperor suddenly stopped turning the jade ring and asked, "Is Wuhejialou in Prince Chen's Palace?"
Lu Siji: “…”
Lu Siji was speechless. They couldn't even enter Prince Chen's Mansion, so how could they know?
But the situation at the moment did not allow him to remain silent. Lu Siji coughed dryly and said cautiously: "Your Majesty, I don't know."
They had never entered Prince Chen's Palace, nor had they had time to interrogate the five Hao people.
"Useless!" The emperor's anger suddenly surged up in his heart, and he scolded angrily, thinking that Lu Siji had done a terrible job this time, and that he had wasted his trust and reliance on him.
The emperor's heart was filled with feelings of irritability, worry, anger, suspicion, etc., all mixed together and weighing heavily on his heart.
Finally, it turned into a question he had thought about many times: Did Gu Jue really bring Wuhejialou back to Beijing? ! Today is Wan Niangniang, no chapters, do you have monthly tickets? This book has too many emotional scenes compared to the other two books, so the plot line is relatively slow. It seems that I should not write articles with so many emotional scenes. I am tired of writing them, and you don't like to read them... Later, I will reduce the emotional scenes and speed up the plot rhythm.
This book is not long.
(End of this chapter)
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