Su Wanwan was stunned.
She still treats Yan Ge'er like a child, but some people are already prioritizing Yan Ge'er's interests.
...
News of the Marquis of Wuding's impending marriage to the Empress's maidservant spread quickly.
The one who was most furious was Yan Ge'er.
He went to find Su Wanwan, but unfortunately Su Wanwan was too busy to see him at all.
Yan Ge'er, quick-witted as ever, asked, "Was it that person's bad idea? I heard Mother went to see him again a few days ago."
Yan Ge'er frowned.
Last time, he deliberately made jokes and prevented his mother and Uncle Xiao from talking much. Could it be that he's holding a grudge?
But my mother said he treats me very well.
After a long while, he made up his mind, "Let's go out of the palace to find him! We'll make sure he never looks for his mother again!"
Using the excuse of going to the North Three Schools to practice martial arts, Yan Ge'er and Yan Ge'er left the inner palace.
However, it's not easy for Shenwumen to leave.
The two little ones were at a loss when Gu Ziyu happened to pass by and asked in surprise, "Where are you going?"
The little ones declared confidently, "We're going to visit Grandpa and Aunt at the Su family's house."
"Does Her Majesty the Empress know?" Gu Ziyu asked knowingly.
They couldn't even get out of the Shenwu Gate, which clearly meant Su Wanwan hadn't arranged for them to leave the palace.
Yan Ge'er had stayed at the Gu family's house for a while and was quite familiar with Gu Ziyu. "Uncle Gu, can you help us?"
Gu Ziyu thought to himself that if he refused, the little ones would probably come up with another way.
"Okay, but you guys have to be obedient."
Gu Ziyu sent someone to inform Su Wanwan, and then slowly made his way to the Su family home with the two children.
...
Su Wanwan felt relieved to hear that Gu Ziyu was accompanying her, and simply had someone follow along.
By the time she finished her work, it was already dark, but the two children still hadn't returned.
A palace attendant reported: "Yan-ge'er and Yan-ge'er arrived at the Su family and intended to stay for a meal, but General Gu had urgent business to attend to and left first."
Su Wanwan shook her head, then she would go and bring the two little ones back herself.
Just as they were packing up to leave the palace, someone rushed in to report: "Yange'er and Yane'er's carriage was ambushed on the road and they were kidnapped!"
Su Wanwan felt as if she had been struck by lightning.
"Quickly! Mobilize forces, save the children first!"
With troops stationed at all nine gates of the capital under martial law, anyone who could abduct the child must have someone in the army providing support.
Who is behind this?
Su Wanwan was exhausted from continuous work and her body couldn't take it anymore, so she collapsed.
When Su Wanwan woke up, it was already dawn.
Lu Xingjian, dressed in armor and covered in blood, slowly walked into the inner room.
Su Wanwan looked at his expressionless face, her voice trembling, "Where's the child?"
Lu Xingjian reached out and touched her face, his voice hoarse: "She was taken away by Prince Rong's men."
"Chen Xiong is dead."
Su Wanwan closed her eyes in despair, tears streaming down her face.
Things are not without clues.
From the impeachment of Chen Xiong by others and the warning from Marquis Guo Xun of Wuding, she had long intended to replace Chen Xiong.
However, with bandits pressing in, a sudden change of general could easily lead to a mutiny, which is too risky.
She was still devising a foolproof plan when, instead, they attacked her children.
She had actively recruited Chen Xiong, who was almost killed by Liu Jin and whose whole family was exiled to Qiongzhou. It was she who exonerated him and reinstated him.
He twice bestowed great favors upon Chen Xiong.
Unexpectedly, he still chose to follow Prince Rong.
In this game of power, there are far too few people you can trust.
“We have what Prince Rong wants, he won’t do anything to the child.” Lu Xingjian’s words of comfort were filled with helplessness and exhaustion.
"Take good care of yourself, don't overwork yourself."
How could a prince who dared to murder his king not dare to do anything to his two children?
Prince Rong is capable of anything.
Su Wanwan wiped away her tears and forced herself to be strong: "I'm fine."
Her son is still in someone else's hands, how can she give up?
...
Li Dongqian was quite satisfied.
As he had predicted, after Chen Xiong's death, the Earl of Sui'an, Chen Hui, took over the three gates of the capital, including Zhengyang Gate.
When he met Zhang Yong again, he offered even more tempting terms.
"Eunuch Zhang, do you still remember Tong Guan, who was granted the title of prince?"
Throughout history, there have been three individuals who were granted royal titles due to their powerful eunuch status: Zong Ai of the Northern Wei Dynasty, Li Fuguo of the Tang Dynasty, and Tong Guan of the Northern Song Dynasty.
All three of them met with terrible deaths.
Zhang Yong smiled insincerely, saying, "Emperor Huizong of Song, who enfeoffed Tong Guan as a king, was a ruler who brought about the downfall of his country."
"Tong Guan was also executed and his property confiscated."
"Your Excellency, do you wish for our family to go down a path of no return, or do you think our Great Liang Dynasty is doomed?"
Li Dongqian sighed, "We had the rebellion of Liu Jin before, and now there are bandits roaming all around. If the Great Liang does not have a wise ruler to govern, I'm afraid it will really perish. Aren't you worried, Eunuch Zhang?"
Zhang Yong remained calm and asked, "Does Your Excellency have any strategies for securing peace and stability for the country?"
Li Dongqian no longer concealed anything, "Have you ever heard that Prince Rong resembles Emperor Gao?"
A sharp glint flashed in Zhang Yong's eyes.
Emperor Gao refers to the founding emperor of this dynasty.
Li Dongqian is clearly trying to support Prince Rong's ascension to the throne!
"We would like to hear the details."
...
"Su, it is because you have been so reluctant to reveal Yan Ge'er's identity that you are taking your anger out on me."
Empress Dowager Wang looked at the many brocade-clad guards surrounding Renshou Palace, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes.
“Grandmother, if either of the children suffers even the slightest injury, your Wang family will be the first to go to hell.” Su Wanwan made a gesture.
Immediately, palace servants stepped forward, pinned Wang to the ground, and smashed her kneecaps with wooden sticks.
"Ah!" Wang's scream echoed throughout the entire palace.
"What nonsense are you spouting?!"
Su Wanwan walked up to her, looking down at her, "I am not willing to kill them all, but it is not that I cannot do it."
"Tell Prince Rong, bring out whatever tricks you have up your sleeve!"
Wang's hair was disheveled, and her gray hair hung down beside her face. "What Prince Rong? He has nothing to do with me!"
Su Wanwan sneered.
"Without your promises behind his back, would Prince Rong have dared to usurp the throne? Do you think the other princes are all dead?"
Prince Rong was, after all, the youngest son of Emperor Xianzong. He had six older brothers who were all lively and energetic, and all of them were princes who had been sent to their fiefdoms.
The power of Prince Rong in the capital has been greatly weakened. Now he is neither the eldest son nor the heir apparent. Even if he captures Yan Ge'er, it will be extremely difficult for him to coerce Lu Xingjian into abdicating in his favor.
Unless the Wang family registers him under their own name and recognizes him as their legitimate son, they can silence the gossip of the world.
"Su, you have no respect for your elders, you are unfilial and disrespectful to your brothers, I will depose you from your position as Empress!" Wang was in so much pain that her whole body was convulsing, but she still did not forget to curse.
"I'll wait," Su Wanwan said with a slight smile. "However, someone just submitted a memorial impeaching Marquis Anyuan, Liu Wen. It seems he's probably going to lose his position as the Commander-in-Chief of Guangdong and Guangxi."
The position of Commander-in-Chief of Guangdong and Guangxi was a sweet deal that Su Wanwan offered to the Wang family, hoping that the Wang family would support Yan Ge'er's status as a prince and prepare for the establishment of a crown prince.
Liu Wen has been in office for a year, but Yan Ge'er's status as a prince has not been recognized. Instead, he has been kidnapped and his fate is unknown.
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