In the afternoon, a gust of wind blew past, bringing with it some heat. Several eunuchs cleared the way as a group of Imperial Guards guarded the carriage. Within the carriage, only the Crown Prince could be seen seated.
The matter of Baoyang County's magistrate reporting on King Lu had already been reported to the Crown Prince a few days ago. Now that Ji Bei Hou had declared that he had to listen to King Lu's orders, the news had spread far and wide, and could no longer be suppressed.
The Crown Prince squinted his eyes as he suppressed his uneasiness, sadness, and even happiness. He knew that this happiness wasn't right, but he still felt it in his heart.
Suppressing the news was for the sake of the bigger picture. However, Ji Bei Hou had raised the flag of King Lu, which forced the Imperial Court and King Lu to make a decision.
Reputation, the fate of the nation, and the brotherhood of King Lu. All of these weighed heavily on the Crown Prince's heart. Although he wanted to suppress the news, he didn't want to bear the reputation of killing his own brother.
Furthermore, Ji Bei Hou had rebelled and claimed that King Lu was the instigator. His father had ordered him to investigate. This was a good opportunity, and also a test.
'Father wants me to do this, and this is actually a test for me. I can't use a cruel and merciless person to investigate. Even if it wasn't a big deal, it would still be a big deal. '
The Crown Prince thought to himself before gritting his teeth, "I have to invite someone who is neutral and kind."
"With father around, I can't do anything to King Lu."
"But there are suspicions. Regardless of whether this is true or not, it's still a stain on his reputation. I can take this opportunity to remove King Lu's military authority."
"A Prince with a battalion of soldiers would be more than enough. Ten thousand soldiers would be the cause of chaos."
Within the carriage, he could hear the footsteps of the Imperial Guards, as well as the voices of the crowd outside. The Crown Prince thought to himself as he suppressed the happiness in his heart.
"Father, I think it's better for you to rest soon!"
Crown Prince's Mansion
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince has returned." Liang Ti was waiting within the hall when a eunuch entered and reported, "He went straight to his study and didn't come out."
The harem was not allowed to meddle in politics. Liang Ti then instructed, "Has the Crown Prince eaten lunch? If not, prepare the kitchen. The weather is getting warmer, and the Crown Prince isn't paying attention today. Serve me some vegetable soup, it should have a stronger flavor. "
"Yes!" Someone immediately went to get it done and came back after a while, "The Crown Prince hasn't used it yet. However, he used it in a hurry and is still busy."
When night fell, the Crown Prince was still meeting people. It was not easy to hear that everyone had left. Liang Si could not bear it any longer and went over. At this time, the night was getting dark. The Crown Prince was sitting upright in the hall. Three candles lit up the hall, and a small cauldron was burning incense.
"The Imperial Concubine has arrived." The voice of a eunuch rang out.
"Come in!"
The interior of the hall was brightly lit, and the walls were decorated with paintings and paintings. The entire hall was filled with elegance and elegance. The Concubine pushed the door open, and the Crown Prince looked at her. His earlier frustrations had all dissipated, and no longer showed on his face. He then saw that it wasn't just the Concubine who entered, there was a palace maid following behind her. She was holding a platter of dishes in her hands. The Crown Prince couldn't help but laugh, "It's already so late, and you're still thinking about food. Here are some memorials. I shall eat once I've read them."
The Concubine bowed and said, "You didn't have a good meal this afternoon. It's best that you eat on time. As for the memorials, I can't say much. But you can read them after you've eaten."
As she spoke, the serving maid stepped forward to serve the Crown Prince. There were seven or eight dishes on the table. The Crown Prince smiled and ate. According to the rules, he only ate a few mouthfuls of each dish.
"Imperial Concubine, how was the rehearsal for the dance today?" After he had finished eating, the Crown Prince looked at the Concubine and asked. Hearing this, the Concubine walked behind the Crown Prince and gently massaged his temples. She then said, "The rehearsal has been arranged. All we need to do now is to perform."
"En!"
The Crown Prince replied as his entire body relaxed. He then reached out and grabbed the Concubine's hands, "Concubine, with you by my side, I have not wasted half of my life."
As they spoke, the two of them got closer and closer. Just as they were about to kiss, the Concubine felt embarrassed and pushed him away, "Your Highness, please continue reading the memorials. I shall take my leave."
The Concubine was naturally shy, and the Crown Prince knew that. Hence, he revealed a smile on his face. As he watched her leave, he suddenly thought of King Lu. His face turned solemn as he stood up and stared at the night sky.
It wasn't easy for him to get to where he was today. His Concubine, his son, and the entire world. He would not allow anyone to threaten him, not even his own brother.
"Men!" The Crown Prince ordered. A eunuch then walked in and knelt down on the ground. The Crown Prince looked at him and said, "Send a letter to Pei Zi Yun. Tell him to end the war in Ying Prefecture as soon as possible. Do it before the Imperial Envoy arrives in Qin Prefecture."
The eunuch acknowledged and went out to deliver the order.
Yuan An Commandery
Pei Zi Yun led his troops towards Yuan An Commandery. He noticed that there were about five thousand of them. Although they couldn't be said to be in perfect formation, it would be a miracle if an army was in perfect formation. However, they were still orderly.
Pei Zi Yun sat in the carriage and looked out the window. It was almost summer. The sun was setting, and the clouds were dyed red, and the fields were bathed in a layer of gold.
Pei Zi Yun watched as someone spoke softly, "Dao Master, the Crown Prince's orders have been passed down."
Pei Zi Yun paused as he saw an official walk over. He was drenched in sweat, and had thick eyebrows and big eyes. He looked extremely capable as he handed him a scroll.
Pei Zi Yun smiled and received the scroll. He then opened it up and laughed, "So that's how it is. I understand now. Hasten the process and meet up with the Crown Prince."
"Yes!" The official acknowledged.
Seeing him leave, Pei Zi Yun remained expressionless. His face was wooden as he thought to himself, "Hey, the plan has been accomplished. Now it's time to see if King Lu dares to rebel. The Crown Prince is getting more and more cautious."
"Dark Altar Sect, Xie Cheng Dong, you've gotten too entangled. Do you think you can escape?"
Yuan An Commandery
From time to time, huge rocks would fly through the air and smash into the walls of the city. Bricks and stones flew in all directions, and a cloud of dust could be seen. At the bottom of the city, the chariot was filled with black water. The sound of the drums was getting louder and louder as they climbed up the walls.
"Shoot!" The command was given from the top of the walls. At that point, the skies darkened as a rain of arrows and stones rained down. The cloud ladders were covered in blood. From time to time, the ladders would break and fall to the ground.
Even so, it was clear that the city walls were on the verge of collapsing.
Pei Zi Yun's five thousand men set up camp at the side, and didn't advance to disrupt the attack. He only brought a hundred men with him as he rushed to the main tent. Inside the tent, there was a sand table, and in the middle of the tent was a table. A tiger skin chair was placed on top of it, with the words' Just Like I'm Here 'written on it.'
The moment he entered, he could feel a strong killing intent emanating from the surroundings.
Pei Zi Yun sat down and saw Chen Yong kneeling down on one knee, "Greetings Dao Master. Just now, I was the commander of the army, and didn't welcome you. I beg Dao Master to punish me."
"Get up. There are big and small matters. Now that we're attacking the city, as the commander, you cannot leave easily. This is the right thing to do!" Pei Zi Yun looked around him before smiling coldly, "I took a look earlier. Yuan An Commandery is on the verge of collapsing, and will be conquered within a few days. You've done well."
"However, are you blaming me for stealing your credit?" Pei Zi Yun looked at Chen Yong casually.
When Chen Yong heard these words, he started sweating profusely as he hurriedly kneeled down again, "The only reason I'm able to do this is because of Dao Master's strategy. I've taken some credit from Dao Master."
Pei Zi Yun looked at him and waved a hand, "Don't think too much. I didn't want to come, but I had no choice. Take a look at this and you'll understand."
As he spoke, his face was filled with melancholy as he handed him a document.
Chen Yong received the document and opened it to see that it was from the Crown Prince. He hurriedly knelt down and read it. When he finished reading, his expression changed.
Pei Zi Yun took several steps and looked up at the sky. The sky was blue, and white clouds floated by, "Ji Bei Hou claims that the rebellion was ordered by King Lu. Because of this, the Emperor has fallen ill. The Crown Prince wishes for us to end the war in Ying Prefecture as soon as possible, before things get out of hand."
"Yes, Dao Master. I understand." When Chen Yong heard this, he immediately kowtowed. This matter involved the Emperor and the Crown Prince. If he disobeyed, the Crown Prince would use the Emperor's sword to kill him.
Pei Zi Yun laughed coldly, "It's good that you understand. It's not a big deal, and the Crown Prince wouldn't urge us to end the rebellion in Ying Prefecture. The bigger picture is to prevent the North and South from interfering. The smaller picture is to prevent this matter from escalating."
Chen Yong wasn't stupid. The moment Pei Zi Yun said this, he understood. He also understood the Crown Prince's worries. He bowed, "Yes, I understand. I shall disregard everything else and take down Yuan An Prefecture."
Qin Prefecture
King Lu sat upright, his face was ashen as he looked at the courtyard. He didn't look away for a long time. At this point, a servant came in with a cup of tea. When he saw King Lu in such a state, his body trembled, and some water spilled out. King Lu's eyes narrowed slightly, and the servant's body trembled as the teacup fell to the ground.
"Pa!" The teacup fell to the ground and shattered into pieces. The servant was so frightened that he fell to his knees and kowtowed, "Your majesty, please spare my life. Your majesty, please spare my life."
"Drag him out and beat him to death." King Lu didn't even look at the servant as he ordered.
Xie Cheng Dong looked at King Lu and frowned.
The servant continued to beg for mercy as two of his personal guards dragged him out. From afar, screams could be heard. When Xie Cheng Dong heard this, he stood up and apologized, "It's my fault for not doing my job well. Please punish me, King Lu."
King Lu's face fell as he thought of using this man. He then sighed and said, "This is Ji Bei Hou's shamelessness. You can't be blamed for this."
He then looked at the eunuch and asked, "How many men can we control now?"
"We can control two-thirds of them, but we have to be quick. If the Imperial Envoy arrives, we might not be able to do so. Besides, I'm afraid the Daoist officials have already sent word to us. I'm afraid the generals are already on guard."
Hearing these words, King Lu gritted his teeth and grinned. He then turned around to look at Xie Cheng Dong, "What do you think?"
Xie Cheng Dong was somewhat melancholic as he replied, "King Lu, although we haven't made sufficient preparations, I'm afraid we don't have much time left. This investigation by the Imperial Envoy is a small matter."
"I think that unless the Imperial Envoy is an idiot, he would definitely investigate thoroughly. After all, King Lu is the son of the Emperor. That's not the most important thing. The most important thing is that they would drag this out until Ji Bei Hou's army is truly defeated. Only then would they make a move."
"But if Ji Bei Hou's army is truly defeated, the hundreds of thousands of soldiers fighting in the south can be transferred to the north. Furthermore, they would be able to provide them with sufficient rations. This would make a huge difference."
"That's why this official feels that no matter how difficult it is, we have to make a move. We cannot allow the Imperial Court to take control of the situation."
When King Lu heard this, he didn't speak. After some time, he took in a deep breath and felt his entire body go soft. He then sat down on a chair and thought for some time before he made up his mind. He then revealed a fierce look, "Yes, the generals are already prepared for this and won't give me a chance. However, before the Imperial Envoy comes to take away my authority, I am still a Prince and have the authority to control the three mansions. Summon them to my palace."
He then turned around and spoke to Xie Cheng Dong, "Mister Xie, these generals might be cornered and do something desperate. Send some men to coordinate with them and catch them in one fell swoop."
"Yes!" Xie Cheng Dong acknowledged. He didn't know why, but a dark cloud had formed over his heart. He then thought for a while before speaking, "I'll do it now."
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