Chapter 082
In the Rui Palace of Prince Rui in the capital, Chu Xiuming was seen sitting across the table from the Rui Princess, with Zhao Qi sitting next to the Rui Princess. When Zhao Qi saw Chu Xiuming, he was stunned. No matter how hard he thought, he could not have imagined that the Yongning Marquis, who was supposed to be in the border town, was actually in the capital, and in the Rui Palace.
Zhao Qi asked, "I wonder if that person is good?"
Chu Xiuming nodded, Zhao Qi breathed a sigh of relief and stopped asking. If it weren't for that person, all their plans and efforts would have been in vain. Marquis Yongning should have kept the man in the border town and protected him well. However, no matter how Zhao Qi guessed, he could not have guessed that Chu Xiuming did not protect the man strictly as he thought, but instead threw him directly onto the battlefield.
Zhao Qi thought for a moment and told Princess Rui and Chu Xiuming what Zhao Ru had said before he came. Princess Rui frowned and said, "Could it be that Emperor Cheng believed it?"
"Money makes people excited, but the treasure of the previous dynasty is not just money." Zhao Qi said, "It is better to believe it than not to believe it. What if someone else gets it?"
Chu Xiuming also understood what Zhao Qi meant. He narrowed his eyes and thought about what he had heard recently. He sneered in his heart, fearing that Emperor Cheng still thought he had come up with a good idea, but didn't expect that there was someone like Zhao Ru hiding outside the capital. Zhao Ru probably knew a lot of things that even Emperor Cheng didn't know.
"Not good. Marquis Yongning is in the capital, and in the border town... After all, the man is still young. What if he finds out about this from my brother..." Zhao Qi said with a changed expression, but he saw that both Chu Xiuming and Princess Rui looked normal.
Chu Xiuming comforted him, "Don't worry, that person is not the one in charge in the border town."
"Ah?" Zhao Qi looked at Chu Xiuming with confusion.
Princess Rui said gently, "The affairs of the border town are now handed over to the wife of the Yongning Marquis, my third daughter."
Zhao Qi was stunned. He looked at Princess Rui and then at Chu Xiuming. Chu Xiuming said, "That person has redeployed the troops. After all, there is a copy of the defense map in the capital."
"The matter of the treasure..." Zhao Qi was still worried. If his brother couldn't be persuaded, the wife of the Marquis of Yongning would directly send people to Shu to look for the imaginary treasure.
Chu Xiuming said, "Madam doesn't like gold and silver." It was because it was gold, silver and jewelry that Chu Xiuming was not worried at all, "As long as you don't get blinded by these things, you won't be fooled."
Princess Rui sat aside and did not say a word. After all, the Prince of England got the treasure just to seduce Emperor Cheng, but what good would it do?
Chu Xiuming pondered for a moment and said, "I'm afraid it won't be long before there will be news of remnants of the previous dynasty in Shu."
Princess Rui narrowed her eyes, "Could it be that he is hitting..."
Chu Xiuming smiled and nodded. Zhao Qi, standing aside, always felt that he was a little redundant.
In the meeting hall of the border town, Dongdong, who had just woken up, was brought over by An Ning. At this time, he was in Shen Jin's arms. Steward Wang said, "When the news about the remnants of the previous dynasty spreads, coupled with the foreshadowing of the treasure of the previous dynasty, I'm afraid Emperor Cheng will definitely believe it. At that time, Emperor Cheng will send a large number of troops to strangle the remnants or for the treasure. Not only that, all eyes will be focused on Shuzhong."
Manager Zhao pondered for a moment and said, "So this means that Shuzhong is not the base camp of the Prince of Ying?"
Zhao Duan pondered for a moment and said, "Where would it be?"
Shen Jin was playing with Dong Dong with her head down. When she noticed that everyone was looking at her, she was stunned for a moment, then raised her head and looked at everyone, "I don't know either."
"Where do you think it will be, Madam?" Manager Zhao already had a vague guess in his mind.
Shen Jin pinched his son's fat paws, thought for a moment and said, "If it were me, I would choose Jiangnan."
Manager Zhao narrowed his eyes and looked at Chief Butler Wang. They actually guessed it would be Jiangnan or Nanjing, but they didn't expect Shen Jin to mention Jiangnan right away.
Zhao Che frowned and asked, "Why is it Jiangnan?"
"Because it's rich over there." Shen Jin said. This is a very practical problem. Whether it's raising troops or rebelling, money is needed, and it's not a small amount. Chu Xiuming can do these things legitimately, such as managing the court's baggage, opening up trade, and even robbing those barbarians, but the prince of the King of England can't. So he must have a way to make money without attracting attention. Therefore, Jiangnan is more suitable, "and it's far away from Shuzhong."
In fact, what Shen Jin thought was just that simple. There was a lot of money there and it was far away from Shuzhong, so the Prince of England might be there.
Manager Zhao and his team deduced the two places of Jiangnan and Nanjing based on various aspects and clues.
In the Rui Palace, Zhao Qi asked, "Sisters, what are you guys talking about?"
Princess Rui looked at Zhao Qi, smiled slightly and said, "I'm just guessing where the Prince of Ying is hiding."
"I don't think it's near Shuzhong." Zhao Qi said after hearing this.
Princess Rui nodded, "Although it is said that the most dangerous place is the safest place, but according to the temperament of the Crown Prince of England, it would not be so."
"Because Emperor Cheng wouldn't think so much." Chu Xiuming said, "The most dangerous place is the safest place. This can only be said for smart people."
Zhao Qi was stunned for a moment when he heard this, then nodded, "I wonder what the Yongning Marquis is planning to do by coming to the capital at this time?"
Chu Xiuming said, "Looking for something."
Zhao Qi asked, "Is there anything I can help with?"
Chu Xiuming shook his head, and Zhao Qi understood. He thought that this matter needed the help of Princess Rui. However, thinking of the purpose of his father calling him here, Zhao Qi looked at Princess Rui and said, "Sister, my father told me to come here to find you."
Princess Rui asked, "Does father have any instructions?"
"Father told me to listen to you." Zhao Qi said.
Princess Rui narrowed her eyes and understood what her father meant. She thought her father felt that the current situation was not right. If something really happened in the border town, it would implicate them. Although Prince Rui was Emperor Cheng's younger brother, his situation was not stable enough. She pursed her lips and said, "I understand. You find a way to contact some people and ask them to write a letter to Emperor Cheng to ask him to appoint a crown prince."
After saying this, Princess Rui looked at Chu Xiuming and said, "The day after tomorrow, I will go to the palace with the prince to see the queen mother."
Chu Xiuming said, "Okay."
Both of them were smart people, so they understood the rest without having to say anything. Prince Rui and Princess Rui would go to see the Queen Mother, and Chu Xiuming needed to sneak into the palace, also for the Queen Mother's bedroom. However, apart from taking Chu Xiuming into the palace, Princess Rui could not help him with anything else, so Chu Xiuming had to rely on himself.
After the discussion, Chu Xiuming and Zhao Qi left. When Princess Rui returned to the main courtyard, she saw Prince Rui waiting for her in the room. "Where did the princess go?"
Princess Rui smiled and said, "I went to the garden for a walk. The children have all left, and it feels a little quieter now."
Prince Rui saw the osmanthus flowers in the princess' hair, sighed and said, "Yes, I always feel that the children have grown up all of a sudden."
Princess Rui responded and sat beside the King. The King smelled the faint sweet-scented osmanthus fragrance. Princess Rui lowered her eyes slightly and said, "Your Highness, have you thought about what we will do in the future?"
"Hmm?" Prince Rui smelled the fragrance of the princess and responded absentmindedly.
Princess Rui said, "What happened back then... If the British king's lineage really came to the city, what do you think His Majesty would do?"
Prince Rui was stunned for a moment before he realized what Princess Rui had mentioned. At that time, the Crown Prince led his troops to fight against King Ying, and Emperor Cheng took advantage of this opportunity, together with Duke Cheng'en and some people... Then when the Crown Prince finally defeated King Ying and was not on guard, Emperor Cheng... In fact, Prince Rui only knew a rough idea of these things, but he was clear that Emperor Cheng did not get the throne in a fair and just way. He was just relying on the fact that the Crown Prince was not on guard against his younger brothers, and he was determined to repel King Ying and protect everyone in the capital.
Princess Rui said slowly, "After all, Your Majesty... Do you think Your Majesty would suspect the prince at that time? Would he strike first?"
As soon as the words "strike first, gain the upper hand" came out, King Rui's face changed and he swallowed his saliva and said, "It shouldn't be, I am his biological brother, and I have a mother..."
But the more he talked, the less sure the prince was. Princess Rui looked a little worried and distressed. "But it doesn't matter. Anyway, the sons have been sent away. No matter what happens, I will accompany the prince."
After hearing this, Prince Rui became even more uneasy. "But Your Majesty has not appointed a crown prince yet. Is it because you are afraid of the crown prince? The crown prince is still Your Majesty's biological son, and I am just a younger brother..." Prince Rui stood up and walked around the room, mumbling non-stop, then looked at Princess Rui and asked, "What do you think, Princess?"
"I don't know." Princess Rui looked at Prince Rui.
King Rui gritted his teeth and said, "I will go see my mother."
"But what should the prince say when he sees the queen mother?" Princess Rui said somewhat disappointedly, "After all, the queen mother is also your majesty's mother."
Prince Rui sat down in his seat somewhat dejectedly and asked, "Then what do you think the princess should do?"
Princess Rui sighed slowly and said, "My brother will be here tomorrow, why not invite him to come over and ask him a question then."
Prince Rui looked at Princess Rui with some doubts. Princess Rui pursed her lips and said, "Qi'er gave birth to a daughter. I wrote a letter to my father, and he sent my eldest brother. However, because of the situation in Shu, he made some extra preparations."
"Yes, yes, I'll send someone to pick you up at the city gate." King Rui said quickly.
Princess Rui glared at Prince Rui and said, "Your Highness, are you going to put my brother on the spot?"
Prince Rui didn't understand what she said, so Princess Rui said, "Your Majesty also knows that Your Majesty is very concerned about my father and brother... Because I married you, Your Majesty may think too much. My father and brother's relatives all resigned from their posts and left the capital. If Qi'er hadn't given birth to a daughter, I'm afraid they wouldn't have come to the capital. Your Majesty made such a big fuss about it. How can Your Majesty think about it?"
"I didn't think it through." King Rui said.
Princess Rui smiled and said nothing more.
Because of Zhao Qi's arrival, Prince Rui was waiting for him in the mansion, and Princess Rui also cleaned up a small courtyard for Zhao Qi to live there temporarily.
Zhao Qi looked like he had just come from outside. His shoes and clothes were covered in dust, and he looked a little tired. He said, "Your Majesty."
King Rui quickly asked someone to serve tea and water, invited Zhao Qi to sit down and said, "Brother, why are you so polite?"
Princess Rui also said, "Brother, just call him brother-in-law."
"Yes." King Rui nodded.
Zhao Qi nodded and said, "I have a few words to say to my brother-in-law and sister."
Princess Rui frowned and said, "Brother, do you want to wash up first?"
"It's very important." Zhao Qi said seriously.
Upon hearing this, King Rui said, "All the servants in the room should withdraw and guard the doors and windows."
"yes."
After everyone left, Zhao Qi looked at Prince Rui and said, "Brother-in-law, do you know about the Second Prince's affairs?"
"I know." King Rui said, "But what changes have taken place in Shu?"
Zhao Qi sighed, a worried look on his face as he whispered, "Brother-in-law, do you know why His Majesty asked the Marquis of Yongning to send troops to Shuzhong?"
King Rui shook his head, and Zhao Qi continued, "Moreover, the emperor was killed in Yucheng. Does my brother-in-law know who did it?"
"Isn't he a robber?" asked King Rui.
Zhao Qi sighed in his heart, but shook his head solemnly, "It's just what was said to the outside world. After my father found out about these things, he felt something was not right, so he sent someone to investigate. I'm afraid the incident in Yucheng was done by the Prince of Ying."
King Rui frowned and asked, "What's the plan?"
"It's just to prevent Marquis Yongning from sending troops to Shuzhong, because he discovered the treasures of the previous dynasty in Shuzhong." Zhao Qi spoke the last four words very softly, as if he was afraid of disturbing something.
King Rui widened his eyes in surprise, and even his breathing became heavier. "Treasure from the previous dynasty?"
Zhao Qi nodded seriously, and King Rui said, "Then..."
"Your Highness." Princess Rui called out.
King Rui finally calmed down and said, "What's going on?"
Zhao Qi shook his head and said, "I can't find out more, but..." He seemed hesitant and didn't know whether he should say it or not.
Princess Rui said, "Brother, the prince is not an outsider."
King Rui nodded, "Just say it directly."
Zhao Qi frowned and whispered, "Brother-in-law, has His Majesty called all the princes and sons of noble families back to the capital?"
"Yes." King Rui said with certainty.
Zhao Qi then said, "Then why did the people we sent to Shuzhong say that Gaochang had been entertaining a distinguished guest, but that distinguished guest never showed up?"
Prince Rui was stunned, and Princess Rui exclaimed, "Could it be that the Second Prince has been rescued?"
Zhao Qi shook his head, and the expression on Prince Rui's face changed. Princess Rui frowned and asked, "But if that's the case, why did Your Majesty let Xiuming send troops to Shu? And why didn't the Second Prince show up?"
"So both father and I found it strange. Father remembered that there were records that Emperor Tai and Emperor Zu sent people to Shu many times, as well as the rumors about the treasure of the previous dynasty." Zhao Qi did not come to any conclusion, but led King Rui to think in the direction they wanted.
Prince Rui's face turned pale as if he had thought of something. Seeing that the time was almost right, Princess Rui said, "Brother, you are tired too. I will let the maid take you downstairs to rest."
"Okay." Zhao Qi did not refuse this time and said, "My father asked me to come this time, not only because my niece gave birth to a girl, but also to remind me and my brother-in-law that it is better to prepare early. After all..." He did not say the rest.
Princess Rui asked Cui Xi to come in and take Zhao Qi away. She poured a cup of tea for Prince Rui and said, "Your Majesty, what do you think His Majesty thinks?"
Prince Rui said, "Your Majesty is on guard against me, and I'm afraid that Your Majesty also knows about the treasure of the previous dynasty. Maybe this is the condition that the Prince of England put forward when he released the Second Prince. Your Majesty is confused!"
Princess Rui was stunned. She could never guess that Prince Rui would think of this place. Could it be that Prince Rui did not believe that Emperor Cheng had sent people to rescue the Second Prince, but Emperor Cheng had made a deal with Prince Ying to replace the Second Prince? "Then why did Prince Ying send people to kill your majesty's envoy?"
Prince Rui explained, "It's probably because of the earthquake that the treasures of the previous dynasty were revealed. The Prince of Ying learned about this first, so he had the idea of rebelling against the people. He just wanted to find a way to transport the treasures away. Who knew that he was lucky enough to capture the second prince, so he made a deal with Your Majesty, wanting to exchange Xiuming's life for the second prince's life. Your Majesty had already... so he agreed. But after Your Majesty learned about the treasures of the previous dynasty, he wanted the treasures, so he didn't care about the second prince's life. He ordered Chu Xiuming to send troops to repel the Prince of Ying, or he wanted both sides to lose so that he could take advantage..."
Princess Rui suddenly felt at a loss for words. Prince Rui was still whispering his guess, "How could the Crown Prince of Ying let the treasure fall into the hands of others? He was also a little afraid of Chu Xiuming, so he naturally couldn't let Chu Xiuming get the imperial edict and go to Shuzhong. So he arranged for someone to kill the envoy in Yucheng. This way, he could prevent Chu Xiuming from going to Shuzhong and make Emperor Cheng suspicious of Chu Xiuming."
"What about the distinguished guests around Gaochang?" Princess Rui asked hesitantly.
Prince Rui whispered, "I'm afraid it must be the Prince of England's men, otherwise why has no one seen him?"
Princess Rui was surprised to see that Prince Rui had connected the whole thing in this way, and it seemed that in his mind, Emperor Cheng was not so trustworthy. Although it was very different from what they had arranged, the ultimate goal was achieved.
"The second prince is His Majesty's legitimate son." Princess Rui said in a low voice.
Prince Rui gritted his teeth and said, "For the sake of the emperor... No, the capital is too dangerous. I must leave. Otherwise, no matter if the third son-in-law or the prince of England makes a move, the first thing His Majesty will do is to deal with me, so that he can rest assured."
Princess Rui looked at Prince Rui with sincerity and said, "Your Majesty, I will stay with you no matter you live or die."
"Don't worry, I will never let anything happen to you." Prince Rui said, "I will go to the palace to ask my mother to come and we will leave the capital together. You can ask Qi'er to pack up and take her and her son-in-law with you."
"What about the second girl?" Princess Rui asked hesitantly.
Prince Rui thought for a moment and said, "Never mind. We can't protect ourselves. Let the son-in-law take it easy. No one from Yongle Marquis's Mansion can be brought with him except for the three of them. Otherwise, we won't be able to leave."
"I understand." Princess Rui said, "Just say it was my idea. If everything is fine, when the matter of the Prince of Ying is settled, we will come back and let the second girl hate me."
"Princess..." Prince Rui was moved.
Princess Rui shook her head and smiled, "Your Majesty, please come back to the palace in two days. Let's wait for more news. His Majesty must be furious about the matter in Yucheng. If His Majesty does not pursue this matter, I'm afraid your guess is true. If he does, we will see which side he is pursuing. After all, even if your Majesty wants to take us away from the capital, we have to find a safer place."
King Rui nodded, "Yes, we also need to find a safer place, why don't we go to Chuyuan?"
Chuyuan is where Princess Rui's family lives. Princess Rui smiled when she heard this and said, "I miss my father and mother too. It would be best if I could go there, but I'm afraid that His Majesty will be worried."
Prince Rui thought so too and asked, "Then where do you think we should go, Princess?"
"I just think that it would be better for the prince not to mention the fiefdom, but just to say that he wants to go out of the capital for a walk." Princess Rui said slowly, "I think it will be fine after three to five years, and we can come back later."
Prince Rui thought for a moment and nodded, "Alright, I think Your Majesty will be more receptive to this. But where are we going? How about Jiangnan?"
Go to Jiangnan? It is still uncertain where the Prince of England is. Going there is simply courting death, okay? Princess Rui lowered her eyes slightly and said, "I want to go to Fujian to see Xuan'er. Xuan'er is old enough to get married."
"What kind of famous ladies can there be in that place?" Prince Rui also missed his eldest son very much, but he still felt that it was not right to arrange a marriage for Shen Xuan in Fujian.
Princess Rui's eyes flickered and she whispered, "Your Highness, if Xuan'er can gain a foothold in Shu, it will be a good thing for Your Highness. At least... there will be a place where he can hide."
Prince Rui thought for a moment and nodded, "Princess, you have considered everything carefully."
"I hope Your Highness doesn't blame me for being timid." Princess Rui said with a smile.
Prince Rui said, "I know the princess is thinking about me, but if I can get one or two of the treasures from the previous dynasty..."
Princess Rui looked at Prince Rui with a look of pity, but didn't say anything.
In the border town, when Shen Xi finally got a holiday from the military camp, he saw his uncle. He had become darker and thinner, and looked much stronger, with a lot less childishness on his body. "Uncle, big cousin and second cousin."
Zhao Duan grabbed Shen Xi's shoulders with both hands, looked him up and down and said with a smile, "Good boy, you are almost taller than your uncle."
Because Shen Xi came back, Shen Jin specially asked the kitchen to prepare something like roasted whole lamb. Although it was a bit hot that day, the atmosphere was very good. Everyone gathered together to eat and chat. Even Zhao Jun and Zhao Che went from being uncomfortable in the beginning to being able to eat without any obstacles now.
Shen Xi went back to change his clothes, reached out and hugged Dongdong, then smiled and said, "Uncle, are grandpa and uncle okay?"
"Everything is fine." Zhao Duan said with a smile.
Shen Jin smiled and said, "By the way, there are many more people going to the military camp to suffer with you."
Shen Xi smiled and said, "That's great. I hope my cousin doesn't come back crying when the time comes."
Zhao Jun patted Shen Xi and said, "I heard that you were the one who cried on the first day of training."
Shen Xi looked at Shen Jin with resentment and said, "Third sister, how could you tell them even this? Besides, I'm not crying to come back, I'm just too tired, that's not why I want to cry!"
"Oh." Shen Jin responded first, then said, "So you actually cried."
Zhao Jun also laughed, "I just said it casually."
Shen Xi covered his face and stopped talking. Zhao Duan also laughed. Seeing the cousins gathered together to talk, Shen Xi also told them about Chu Xiuyuan. His face was full of envy, "He is about the same age as me, and he has already led troops independently."
After finishing the meal, Shen Jin took his people away and had no intention of disturbing Shen Xi and the others from talking. After all, to be honest, Shen Xi and Zhao Duan were the real relatives.
"By the way, Madam." Shen Jin suddenly asked, "Is this Zhao family related to the Crown Princess?"
Zhao Ma said, "There is no direct relationship. The Crown Princess was born in the Bairui Zhao family. If you really want to talk about it, it was during the time of Taizu that the Bairui Zhao family and the Chuyuan Zhao family were from the same lineage. Later, due to some things, they separated."
Shen Jin nodded, so this was just a coincidence.
Prince Rui and Princess Rui went to the palace to meet the Queen Mother. No one knew what Prince Rui said to the Queen Mother, but the Queen Mother agreed. She just didn't let Prince Rui talk to Emperor Cheng himself. Instead, she tried to get Emperor Cheng to leave Beijing. After all, the Queen Mother also wanted to protect her two sons. As for how Chu Xiuming sneaked into the palace, even Princess Rui didn't know. Someone just sent a letter to Cui Xi in the morning, telling Princess Rui to just do whatever she wanted.
Princess Rui did not ask any more questions. After all, it is not good to know too much about some things.
When the news of the previous royal family spread from Shuzhong, only Emperor Cheng was shocked. He angrily said in the court, "Nonsense! Do those anti-people think that they can do such evil things just because they claim to be the royal family of the previous dynasty? They still want to divide the land and rule it separately? Dream on."
Not only Emperor Cheng, but many officials were also furious. It had been more than a hundred years since the Tianqi Dynasty came into being. How could there still be any royal bloodline left from the previous dynasty? Even if there was, it would have been diluted long ago. Now they are just using this banner. Just like the Emperor Taizu, didn't it say that his mother saw a five-clawed golden dragon entering her belly in a dream, and found out she was pregnant the next day? Three years later, Taizu gave birth to the emperor?
Anyone who believes it is a fool, okay?
Besides, why not use the banner of the previous dynasty? Isn't this disgusting to them?
"Your Majesty, these rebels must be wiped out. They are extremely rebellious." The Minister of War said gritting his teeth.
Except for the Minister of War, other ministers also requested to wipe out these rebels, but Emperor Cheng could not accept it. After all, these rebels said that his throne was not legitimate. The earthquake in Shu was a warning from God to Emperor Cheng. There were lightning and thunder that split the rock, and inside was a royal sword of the previous dynasty. They said that they were ordered by heaven and had heaven's help, otherwise why did Emperor Cheng's 50,000 troops suffer a crushing defeat? There were also miracles such as killing thousands of people single-handedly, and the Buddha statue shedding tears and divine light shining everywhere.
Those who rebelled against the people made Emperor Cheng surrender and confess his guilt. The most important thing was that many ignorant people believed this and the number of people who rebelled against the people continued to rise.
These people who were neither legitimate nor justifiable just hit the guilty spot of Emperor Cheng, and Emperor Cheng angrily said, "Someone come and announce..."
Emperor Cheng no longer looked down on those people this time. He was really angry and selected many generals who had been suppressed by him and asked them to lead troops to Shuzhong. These generals had all been on the battlefield, and those people in Gaochang were far inferior to them.
At this time, Chu Xiuming was in Concubine Lan's palace. Concubine Lan was not used to having someone to keep watch around her, which made it much easier for Chu Xiuming. Concubine Lan told Chu Xiuming all the news that Emperor Cheng accidentally revealed, and then asked, "General, when can we avenge the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess?"
Chu Xiuming looked at Lan Fei and said slowly, "It's almost there."
Concubine Lan nodded, no longer showing the calmness she had in front of Emperor Cheng. Instead, her expression was distorted, and she gritted her teeth and said, "General, if you have anything to do, just tell me to do it. The palace is dangerous, so it's better for you to leave early."
Chu Xiuming also knew what Concubine Lan meant, and said, "If there is something hidden in the Queen Mother's Palace, where do you think it would be hidden?"
Concubine Lan frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "Your servant..."
"You don't need to call yourself a slave anymore." Chu Xiuming said.
Upon hearing this, Concubine Lan said, "General, please allow me to call myself this. It will also remind me to never forget the hatred between the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess."
Chu Xiuming looked at Concubine Lan's expression and nodded slowly. Concubine Lan then said, "If the Queen Mother wants to hide something, I think it might be in the small Buddhist hall, because the Queen Mother goes there to chant Buddha every day."
"What if someone else hid it?" Chu Xiuming asked after thinking for a while.
Concubine Lan shook her head. "I don't know. General, are you looking for something? I will help you find it."
"Don't take the risk. Now you are the only one who can be trusted to stay by Emperor Cheng's side." Chu Xiuming sighed and said. At that time, many spies were arranged to go to the palace, but less than 30% of them could actually survive, and some of them were not sure whether they could be trusted or not.
Upon hearing this, Concubine Lan said, "My life originally belonged to the Crown Princess. If it weren't for the Crown Princess, my family would have died long ago and I wouldn't have any life."
Chu Xiuming nodded. In addition to looking for something, he also wanted to contact these people when he ventured into the palace. Concubine Lan looked at Chu Xiuming and asked, "General, thank you for trusting me."
In fact, Chu Xiuming was not going to use Lan Fei easily. "You should keep your troops in place and pay attention to safety."
"Yes." Concubine Lan said respectfully.
Chu Xiuming looked at Lan Fei and said, "Take care."
Concubine Lan pursed her lips and responded, "May I ask why the general trusts me?"
"Because you can't be pregnant." Chu Xiuming said.
Concubine Lan understood immediately, nodded with a smile, and said nothing more. She watched Chu Xiuming leave in the dark, lowered her eyes slightly and tears fell. When she first knew she was pregnant, she actually struggled, and finally made such a choice. It happened that the Queen wanted to deal with her, so she went with the flow, and even increased the dosage of the medicine so that she would never get pregnant again.
It is inevitable that a woman will have more selfish thoughts when she has a child, and the Crown Princess has done a favor to her whole family. Concubine Lan knows that she could do it once, but not a second time, so she will never have her own child in this life, and will not give birth to a child for the enemy who harmed the Crown Princess.
In the border town, Shen Jin, who was sleeping soundly, was woken up by Madam Zhao. He drank a bowl of honey water, packed up, and went to the meeting room. Steward Zhao and others were already there, and Zhao Duan also sat next to Steward Wang. Shen Jin asked, "What's the emergency?"
"Those rebels in Shu claim to be of royal descent from the previous dynasty, and they have played some tricks to make many people believe that they have divine help." Manager Zhao said in a deep voice.
Shen Jin frowned, not because of this news, but because they had clearly discussed this before. If that was the case, they would never wake her up in the middle of the night. Manager Zhao said, "There is also news. We have found the whereabouts of the Prince of England..."
"Did he move?" Shen Jin asked.
Manager Zhao said, "Yes."
Shen Jin frowned and said nothing. Manager Wang said, "There is something unusual going on in Yancheng."
"Oh." Shen Jin agreed, "What are your plans?"
"Strengthen the defense of the border town and light the signal smoke to summon the young general back." Manager Zhao said, "As long as the prince of England makes a move, I think those barbarians will move too."
Shen Jin asked, "Is it too late?"
Manager Wang said, "It should be in time." In fact, if one of Chu Xiuming or Chu Xiuyuan stayed in the border town, they would not light the signal smoke. After all, this would easily alert the enemy. The best way is to attack the barbarians from both sides.
Shen Jin thought for a moment and said, "Is there any other way?"
Manager Zhao hesitated for a moment before telling the plan. Shen Jin thought about it and said, "Let's do this. Xiuyuan is leading people to redeploy defenses. He will come back naturally when he is done. I'm afraid he is still busy now."
Manager Wang asked, "What if there is danger?"
"Aren't you still here?" Shen Jin said as a matter of course.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Duan felt for the first time that the reason why Marquis Yongning kept Shen Jin to be the person in charge was not just because there were enough scholars and generals here, but also because of Shen Jin's own ability. If Shen Jin panicked at this time, no matter how capable Manager Zhao and others were, all they could do was to let Shen Jin stay in the general's mansion and quickly call back Chu Xiuyuan to take charge of the situation.
Nanny Zhao had a smile on her face. Steward Zhao was stunned for a moment and then started laughing. Even Chief Steward Wang, who had a broken arm, had a much softer expression on his face.
Shen Jin continued, "So everything is done according to the plan. Anyway, they don't know whether their husband has left or not."
Manager Zhao said, "Then follow..."
Shen Jin's work and rest schedule had always been good. She felt that the matter had been resolved, so she felt a little sleepy again. When she heard the voice of Manager Zhao, she could hardly open her eyes. Madam Zhao looked distressed and glared at Manager Zhao. Manager Zhao stopped talking and said, "Actually, these are not very important. Madam, you should go back and rest first. We will talk to you tomorrow after we have discussed it."
"Okay!" Shen Jin quickly agreed, "You guys should go to bed early too."
Everyone agreed, and Shen Jin took Aunt Zhao away. When they reached the door, he said, "Ask the kitchen to send them some noodle soup later."
Madam Zhao said, "I've made note of this. Madam, please go to bed quickly."
Shen Jin nodded, and went to check on Dongdong first. Then he stayed with Dongdong and fell asleep with his arms around him.
When they woke up the next day, Zhao Duan, who had been up all night, had already returned to his room to rest. But Manager Wang, in high spirits, took the Zhao family members to Princess Ruyang. After all, they still needed Princess Ruyang's handwritten letters and things she made.
After Shen Jin found out, he called Manager Zhao to have breakfast with him. Manager Zhao then told Shen Jin what they had agreed on. Shen Jin nodded and said, "Then let's make this arrangement when we go to the meeting room today."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
