The Regent's Palace, inside the study.
"Bang!"
A precious Ru kiln teacup was slammed to the ground and shattered into pieces, splashing warm tea all over the floor.
Regent Xiao Yuan's face was ashen, his chest heaving violently, and his eyes burned with rage. The humiliation he had suffered in the Golden Palace today still gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake.
"Chen Ce! What a Chen Ce!" he growled through gritted teeth, his voice filled with the fury of betrayal. "I've really raised a good dog! How dare he bite me in front of the entire court!"
At the lower end of the study, several trusted advisors remained silent, not daring to even raise their heads. They had never seen the prince so furious. Shen Ce's defection was tantamount to striking the prince's very foundation with an axe, not only causing the prince to lose face but also shaking the morale of the entire camp.
Just as Xiao Yuan was furious, the steward rushed in to report that General Chen Bin, the commander of the Right Battalion of the Imperial Guards, had sent a secret letter through Vice Minister Wang.
"Bring it here!" Xiao Yuan said, suppressing his anger.
The secret letter was quickly delivered to him. Chen Bin was another core general he had planted in the Imperial Guard, forming a pincer movement with Shen Ce in the south and north respectively, providing him with double insurance for controlling the capital's military forces. As for Vice Minister Wang, he was an inconspicuous thorn in the side of the civil service system.
Xiao Yuan unfolded the letter and read it quickly, skimming through it. However, the contents of the letter caused his angry expression to slowly freeze, replaced by a deep sense of doubt.
The letter, written by Chen Bin himself, relayed information secretly revealed to him by Vice Minister Wang. Vice Minister Wang stated that he had learned through the Ministry of War that several unidentified cavalry groups had indeed appeared recently outside the capital's main camp, their movements secretive and seemingly engaged in espionage. General Shen Ce was therefore hesitant to move his troops, fearing a diversionary tactic. His strong words in the military report were merely a means to explain the situation to His Majesty, not an intention to oppose the Prince.
"Hmm?" Xiao Yuan's brows furrowed tightly.
This letter was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing some of his anger, but also raising an even thicker fog.
Could it be... that Shen Ce didn't betray us? Was he really forced to reject my proposal due to the tense military situation?
The thought had barely crossed his mind when he rejected it. No! Even if the military situation was tense, Shen Ce could have reported it to him privately. Why did he have to do it in court, in such a humiliating way, making him lose face?
But if he really did betray us... then how do you explain the intelligence sent by Vice Minister Wang? Vice Minister Wang is his man, so he has no reason to speak up for Shen Ce.
For a moment, Xiao Yuan was deeply confused. He felt as if he had walked into an invisible net, surrounded by fog, unable to see the direction.
The next morning at the court session, something even more perplexing happened.
After discussing state affairs, Xiao Che, sitting on the dragon throne, praised Shen Ce's "loyal and courageous speech" in the military report in front of all the civil and military officials, saying that he "has the demeanor of a great general, is not forced by power, and is worthy of being a pillar of the country."
These words were undoubtedly another slap in the face to Xiao Yuan.
But then, Xiao Che changed the subject, saying, "However, since the defense of the capital region is so crucial, it is feared that General Shen might be negligent if he were to handle it alone. Chen Bin, the commander of the Right Battalion of the Imperial Guards, is renowned for his bravery, which greatly pleases me. Therefore, I hereby order Chen Bin to assist in the defense of the capital region from this day forward, and to work with General Shen Ce to deal with the enemy situation, ensuring that the capital is absolutely safe."
"boom!"
This imperial edict, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, once again stirred up a storm in the court.
Xiao Yuan suddenly raised his head, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
What does the emperor mean by this?
Was rewarding Shen Ce just for his own benefit? Was he trying to tell himself that he had already won over Shen Ce?
But then he sent Chen Bin to "assist" Shen Ce... Chen Bin is one of his own people! Isn't this the same as using his own people to monitor and hinder Shen Ce, who may have already "betrayed" him?
In an instant, countless thoughts swirled wildly in Xiao Yuan's mind.
He suddenly realized that Shen Ce had truly betrayed him. The emperor publicly rewarded him, but secretly sent Chen Bin to seize his military power. This was a tactic of imperial checks and balances, intended to divide and weaken his own military forces.
But then he thought again that this might just be the emperor's scheme to sow discord! Shen Ce had not betrayed the emperor at all. Everything the emperor did, from rewarding him to sending people to "assist" him, was to make him doubt Shen Ce and thus cripple his own arm!
true and false?
Loyalty? Betrayal?
Xiao Yuan realized he was completely lost. Looking at his nephew on the dragon throne, pale-faced and indifferent, he felt a chill from the bottom of his heart for the first time. He thought he had this sickly little tiger under his thumb, but he never expected that the other party had unknowingly laid out a trap that was difficult for him to distinguish between truth and falsehood.
Once the seeds of suspicion are sown, they will grow uncontrollably and wildly.
From that day on, Xiao Yuan began to become suspicious.
He observed every official in his camp, sensing a flicker in their eyes, as if they harbored secrets. When subordinates reported to him, he would meticulously analyze their words, always feeling they were subtly hinting at something. Even when his loyal old steward served him a cup of tea, he would instinctively suspect it had been poisoned.
He sees everyone as a mole.
He felt that the entire Regent's Palace, and even the entire court, was filled with the Emperor's spies. He was tormented by his own endless suspicion and doubt, and could neither eat nor sleep.
He desperately needed to find out whether Shen Ce had truly betrayed him!
This nail must be removed! Whether it's true or not, this feeling of being out of control made him feel like he had a thorn in his side.
Late at night, candlelight flickered in the Regent's study.
Xiao Yuan sat behind his desk, his face appearing particularly somber in the flickering light. He pondered for a long time, a ruthless killing intent flashing in his eyes.
Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free!
Regardless of whether Shen Ce had truly betrayed him, he could no longer keep him alive. A pawn who dared to openly defy his will in court had already lost its value. Moreover, keeping him around would only plunge him into endless suspicion, which would be fatal for the important matter at hand.
He picked up his pen and wrote a line of cold handwriting on a piece of paper.
After writing it, he put the note into a wax pellet and summoned a trusted assassin.
"Personally hand this item to Zhang Meng, the deputy general of the capital's military camp." Xiao Yuan's voice was hoarse and cold. "Tell him to proceed according to plan. I intend to have Shen Ce... die unexpectedly!"
Zhang Meng was another pawn he had planted long ago when he had placed Shen Ce, a backup plan that was absolutely loyal to him.
The assassin took the wax pellet, and in a flash, disappeared into the night.
Xiao Yuan leaned back in his chair and exhaled a long breath. He knew that once Shen Ce was dead, all the doubts would vanish. Although he had lost a great general, the resulting internal "purity" was worthwhile.
Little did he know that his seemingly fatal order, which he believed would set things right, had inadvertently led him into an even deeper trap that Xiao Che had meticulously prepared for him.
That web of "suspicion" has successfully made this tiger personally sever its sharpest claws.
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