Guangling County, the residence of the Prince of Zhongshan.
The aftermath of the coup in the capital did not seem to reach Guangling County, where the emperor's brother-in-law Su Muchen lived.
Even the entire Jiangnan region remained as peaceful and prosperous as ever, with the several idle princes enjoying themselves immensely every day.
The war in the north was intense, and Nanjing was beset by internal and external troubles. The war-torn areas were deserted, and the dead lay everywhere. These things seemed to have nothing to do with the princes in the Jiangnan region.
However, a sudden and uninvited guest has recently shattered the illusion of peace and prosperity in the Jiangnan region, forcing several princes who are currently unemployed to make a choice in the face of a harsh situation.
Because Luo Yucheng, the special envoy of the Prince of Jin, had already knocked on the doors of each of the princes' residences and personally paid them a visit.
Luo Yucheng's final stop was the Zhongshan Prince's Mansion in Guangling County, where Su Muchen, the emperor's brother-in-law, resided.
On this day, Prince Su Muchen of Zhongshan was in the back garden of his mansion with Lady Bai, the wife of Pan Fenglin, the prefect of Guangling County, whom he had recently befriended. They were admiring the Persian cat in the mansion that could do somersaults and were having a deep conversation about their relationship.
Just as Su Muchen was flirting and caressing Bai Shi, a servant from the Prince's mansion suddenly announced their arrival from outside the back garden:
"Your Highness, a special envoy from the Prince of Jin requests an audience!"
brush!
Upon hearing that the Prince of Jin's special envoy was requesting an audience, Su Muchen was struck dumb, and his entire body immediately deflated.
This scene displeased Bai Shi, who was in his arms, and she said coquettishly, "Your Highness, why did you suddenly become unable to do it? I haven't even seen the Persian cat doing somersaults yet!"
Cough cough!
Su Muchen helped Bai Shi up from his arms, and said somewhat awkwardly, "Lady Bai, I'll show you how the Persian cat did its somersaults another day."
"Now, I have more important matters to attend to. You may return to your residence now!"
"You've been out for so long, the prefect must be worried about you!"
After saying that, Su Muchen ignored Bai Shi's resentful gaze behind him, which seemed to wish she could tear two ounces of flesh from his body, and hurriedly tidied his clothes and left.
Left alone in the back garden, Bai muttered to herself with a mournful expression, "Hmph, all men are the same. They're clearly incapable, yet they still insist on provoking me."
"This interest has just been piqued, how can I get rid of the resentment in my heart!"
"Oh, it's so frustrating, yet I can't have it!"
......
Inside the council hall of the Prince's Palace.
Disguised as a merchant from the north, Luo Yucheng, the special envoy of the Prince of Jin, was leisurely sipping fine West Lake Longjing tea in the council hall of the Prince's mansion.
Beside him were a group of royal family members who looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy.
Outside the council hall, there was a squad of assassins and axemen kept by the Prince's mansion. Each of them gripped a steel knife tightly in their hands, ready to rush into the council hall and chop the Prince's special envoy into mincemeat at any moment, awaiting the Prince's order.
Everyone in the Zhongshan Prince's Mansion, from top to bottom, even the servants in the kitchen who carried water and chopped firewood, knew that the Zhongshan Prince, who was the emperor's brother-in-law, and the Jin Prince, who was thousands of miles away, were sworn enemies.
If it weren't for Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin raising an army in rebellion, how could the Prince of Zhongshan's mansion, and even the Empress Dowager of the current dynasty, have fallen into their current predicament?
Therefore, when Luo Yucheng, who had come to visit, introduced himself as a special envoy of Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin, who had come specifically to pay homage to Prince Su Muchen of Zhongshan, it immediately aroused the vigilance of the servants of the Prince's residence.
On the one hand, they quickly reported the matter to the prince, and on the other hand, they adopted a posture of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, fearing that the special envoy of the Prince of Jin who went to the Prince of Zhongshan's mansion alone was an assassin who came to assassinate the Prince of Zhongshan.
For Luo Yucheng, who was sitting firmly in the council hall, the excessive reaction from the servants of the Prince of Zhongshan's mansion was already within his expectations.
Since he became the Prince of Jin's special envoy to visit Jiangnan, he has experienced this scene several times, and he has even experienced the scene of having a steel knife held to his neck by the assassins raised by the Prince's mansion.
But for Luo Yucheng, who came from the background of the deputy commander of the Dragon City Guard, these were all trivial matters, and he was not afraid at all.
Luo Yucheng's confidence stemmed not only from the Jin Prince's current power and influence, but also from his role as the commander of the Longcheng Inner Guard in the Jiangnan region.
Longcheng's inner guards had already planted spies and agents in all the princely mansions in the Jiangnan region.
Take the Zhongshan Prince's Mansion for example. There are at least three people in the mansion who are spies of the Dragon City Inner Guard, including two private soldiers of the Prince's Mansion and one servant.
When necessary, these people are Luo Yucheng's guarantee to escape.
That's why he could leisurely sip hot tea in the council hall of the Prince's mansion, completely unafraid of the menacing servants.
"The King of Zhongshan has arrived!"
Just then, a servant from the Prince's residence announced from outside the council hall that Prince Su Muchen of Zhongshan had arrived.
The next moment, the two wooden doors of the Prince's Council Hall were violently kicked open from the outside.
The first to break in was a group of royal guards, armed with swords and knives, fully equipped with weapons.
The moment they entered, they surrounded Luo Yucheng, who was sitting in the guest seats enjoying tea.
"Chen Huai'an, you traitorous scoundrel, how dare you!"
At this moment, Prince Zhongshan, Su Muchen, dressed in white, finally strode angrily into the council hall and shouted at Luo Yucheng, who was the special envoy of Prince Jin: "Speak, how do you want to die?"
Despite Su Muchen's death threat, Luo Yucheng remained as calm and collected as ever.
After slowly sipping the last sip of hot tea, he rose and bowed to Su Muchen: "This humble one, Luo Yucheng, greets Your Highness!"
Su Muchen's two eyeballs kept rolling around in their sockets, and his brain was working at a rapid pace.
To be honest, he was not quite sure what Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin was thinking when he sent a special envoy to visit him.
Furthermore, the arrogant and fearless demeanor of this guy named Luo Yucheng made Su Muchen even more suspicious.
In the end, he had no choice but to put on airs like a prince and continue the charade.
snort!
Su Muchen snorted coldly and said, "You bastard, you've got some nerve. You're about to die, yet you still put on this arrogant act."
"Guards! Drag him out and behead him!"
At Su Muchen's command, immediately some of the palace's executioners stepped forward, ready to grab Luo Yucheng and drag him out.
"Your Highness, even in times of war, one should not kill the envoy!"
Luo Yucheng said unhurriedly, "Even if Your Highness wants to execute me, shouldn't you at least hear why I've come here?"
oh?
Su Muchen frowned and then said, "Then I'll hear why you've come. If you can't give me a clear explanation, I'll still have to kill you!"
"All of you, step back!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
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