The little prince was scared out of his wits in the chaos of war. He couldn't tell north at all and could only hold Changgeng's hand tightly.
The two armies were in chaos. The civil and military officials fled in all directions. The emperor's carriage was scattered on the ground in a mess. When the people scattered, the targets were concentrated. The assassins who had deliberately stirred up the situation rushed toward Changgeng and the prince.
Before they came, Master Fang's original words were, "You must kill Yan Wang. If there is a chance, don't let the prince go."
When the assassins saw that these two targets had actually gathered together, it was as if they were purposely making things convenient for them!
An arrow flew past the crown prince's head. The prince was dragged by Changgeng like a puppy. He couldn't even scream. He was so scared that he silently sobbed.
Suddenly, someone reached out and wiped away the tears on his face. Through his blurry eyes, the crown prince saw that after the Fourth Imperial Uncle wiped away his tears, he raised his hand and revealed a black iron wrist cuff. In an instant, the silk in his sleeve popped out and neatly broke an assassin's wrist. King Yan snatched the assassin's knife and turned the handle of the knife. With a clank, he smoothly opened up a path.
"When I was your age, I was besieged by a pack of hungry wolves outside the North Pass." Changgeng's voice was very steady. "At that time, it was ice and snow. There was no one near or far. I only had a small knife in my hand. The wolves that chased me weren't ordinary wolves. They were raised by the barbarians using their own methods. They were specially used to kill people. They were very big and were taller than me when they stood up."
Yan Wang had always been known for his outstanding charm. Both enemies and friends had to admit this point. He was different from most of the noble sons who grew up in the capital. He was rarely flashy. However, he was also different from the poor scholars and soldiers who came from military backgrounds. He didn't have the cold and bandit aura. He looked very calm, but it was not the calmness of Great Master Xue Ran. He was like a stone statue of a ferocious deity placed in a temple — making people feel awestruck and fearful, but also covered in silent incense ash. Many people secretly copied Yan Wang's calm and elegant tone. It was difficult for others to associate him with the pack of hungry wolves outside the Great Wall.
The little prince was stunned.
At this time, two assassins rushed over, one in front and one behind. One of them slashed at the little prince in Changgeng's hand, intending to force him to retreat. The other blocked his escape route from behind.
Changgeng sneered in a low voice.
How could a child who had grown up playing with swords with the Iron Puppet of the House of the Marquis retreat in front of an opponent of this level?
Chang Geng held his saber horizontally against the assassin's sword. The assassin was so shocked that he did not have time to withdraw his sword. The sharp saber in his hand immediately fell off. He placed his hands in front of his chest and tried to block the attack. He was cut in half by King Yan.
............. of the. She immediately received a great shock and hurriedly closed her eyes. But even so, the smell of blood that assaulted her face still made her want to vomit. She cried out softly, "Fourth Imperial Uncle …"
. "" There's nothing to be afraid of. " Changgeng said indifferently. "Those who are really capable are either at the front line or have died on the battlefield. Only a bunch of good-for-nothings are left. They don't have the ability to go on the battlefield to kill the enemy. They can only scare children. Are you still a child?"
The prince thought, feeling wronged. "I am."
Changgeng seemed to know what he was thinking. The corners of his mouth curved slightly.
"Still a child," he thought. "Soon you won't be."
At this time, the Imperial Guards who rushed over with spears shouted, "Your Highness! Your Highness! Come here! "
The little prince instinctively wanted to follow, but Changgeng pulled him back by the back of his shirt with the scabbard.
The prince staggered. Before he could stand firm, his face was splashed with blood. He saw the people who shouted split into two. A group of heavily armored soldiers rushed out from somewhere.
At this time, Li Feng, who was being held hostage, finally realized that the people who were escorting him were not going to the palace. They were going to a place where there was no one. His heart jumped. He had an unbelievable guess. He immediately turned his head and asked, "What's going on? Minister Fang, where are you taking me? "
Fang Qin didn't stop. He didn't kneel or bow. He said in a clear voice, "Your Majesty, I have a memorial."
Li Feng said in disbelief, "What did you say? Stop! I told you to stop! "
No one paid attention to him. Two fake Imperial Guards held up the Emperor's body and forced him to leave.
"Your subject wants to report the current dynasty's Yan Wang Wang Li Min," Fang Qin continued to speak word by word, "He colluded with the unscrupulous merchants, using the name of the Fire Beacon tickets to sell official positions and titles to the point of shamelessness. This is one of the major crimes. As a son, he has no filial piety to the late Emperor. Instead, in order to win the hearts of the soldiers, he often stayed at the Marquis' mansion. Even after he inherited the title, he still called him 'adoptive father.' This is the second major crime of having no father or emperor … "
If Li Feng still didn't understand what was going on, it was likely that his brain had been knocked silly. He was shocked and immediately shouted, "Fang Qin, what are you doing!"
Fang Qin said in a clear voice, "Your Majesty, we have already set up a heavy ambush. We are just waiting for the traitor to be executed. Although we are incompetent, we are willing to follow the example of our predecessors. If the traitor is difficult to control, we swear that we will die to cleanse the emperor's side!"
Before he finished speaking, the henchmen around him immediately echoed, "If the traitor is difficult to control, we swear that we will die to cleanse the emperor's side!"
Li Feng was flabbergasted. When he looked around, he saw unfamiliar faces everywhere. The fake Imperial Army soldiers in armor surrounded him. The familiar faces in the court were now more unfamiliar than the last. They were all like ghosts in human skin, ready to swarm him with green faces and fangs.
This was the relationship between the emperor and his subjects.
Was it like this when Emperor Wu was in power?
Was it like this when Yuan and the late Emperor were in power?
Li Feng knew that perhaps he couldn't compare to Emperor Wu's life of pioneering. Could it be that he couldn't compare to his father, whom he had always been secretly dissatisfied with?
No matter what, he couldn't accept this.
But even if he couldn't accept it, it seemed to be the truth. When Yuan and the late Emperor were in power, there were no foreign enemies surrounding the capital, and there were no waves of traitors trying to pull him down from the throne.
At this moment, Li Feng didn't have time to feel angry or afraid. He only felt a big slap on his face. Since he took the throne, it had been more than three thousand days and nights. He hadn't had a good night's sleep and had been busy all day and night. Now, it seemed that it was all in vain. He was worse than the late Emperor, a coward who spent all day with women.
He watched helplessly as his self-esteem cracked inch by inch and disappeared in front of the indifferent traitors.
"Good …" Li Feng was trembling all over, "You really … have guts!"
Fang Qin lowered his head and avoided eye contact with him. At this point, Fang Qin knew that it was no longer difficult for him to pretend to be a loyal official. "Your Majesty, please forgive us. That Li Min is covering the sky with one hand, he has no regard for the law and ignores the ancestors. We are worried about the country and have no other choice. That's why we made such an unwise decision just now. We really deserve to die a thousand deaths. However, there are bandits running amok right now and their henchmen have spread throughout the territory. Once King Yan is dead, these people will definitely rebel.
Li Feng gritted his teeth and said, "You still want to threaten us?"
Fang Qin nimbly knelt on the ground and said without changing his expression, "This humble subject doesn't dare. This humble subject knows that Your Majesty is frightened and unsettled. This humble subject has already drafted the imperial edict. Your Majesty, please take a look."
After he finished speaking, someone immediately presented an imperial edict with both hands. Sure enough, it was detailed and detailed. All that was missing was the imperial seal.
Li Feng fiercely shook off the two people holding him and suddenly stepped forward. He reached out and grabbed the collar of the person holding the imperial edict, and then fiercely pushed — —
In his rage, Li Feng completely forgot about his lame leg that had never recovered. He lost his balance and the person he pushed didn't move at all. He fell to the side first.
Under the bright sky, the surrounding Daliang citizens didn't help him up. The real aristocratic family and the fake imperial guards just watched as the Emperor angrily fell to the ground, disdainfully and indifferently.
At this moment, a person who looked like an imperial guard trotted over. He must also be an imposter. This person first looked at Li Feng and then turned to Fang Qin and said, "Daren, the traitors have been executed!"
Li Feng's legs completely lost strength. He sat on the ground in a ridiculous manner and squeezed out a few words from between his teeth, "Where's the Crown Prince?"
The fake imperial guard first looked at Fang Qin and got his approval. Then he carefully said to Li Feng, "The Crown Prince … … The Crown Prince was assassinated … … Uh, Your Majesty, please restrain your grief."
Li Feng's mind buzzed and exploded.
His chest felt cold. When he came back to his senses, he had already coughed up a mouthful of blood. Li Feng sat on the ground and looked at the sticky black blood flowing down his fingertips. He thought blankly in his heart, "Why am I in such a sorry state?"
A hesitant look flashed across Fang Qin's face. He subconsciously reached out as if he wanted to help Li Feng, but in the end, he didn't touch him. He reached out his hand halfway and then retracted it. The hesitation and reluctance on his face faded like a tide. He said coldly, "Your Majesty, you don't only have the Crown Prince. Even if the Third Prince is still young, you still have the First Prince, who is diligent and studious, smart and kind. Please take care of your body for the sake of the country and focus on the important matters at hand!"
After he finished speaking, he grabbed the "imperial edict" held by his subordinate and held it in front of Li Feng, "Your Majesty, please take a look!"
Li Feng waved his hand and hit the "fake imperial edict" in Fang Qin's hand to the side, "In your dreams!"
Fang Qin silently wiped his face that was slapped by the fake imperial edict. He maintained his kneeling position and leaned forward slightly. He sighed softly and whispered in a very gentle tone, "Your Majesty, your body is in our hands. Even if there are hundreds and thousands of people outside … even if Beidaying comes, no one will dare to touch you. Today's imperial edict, whether you want to or not, you have to. What's wrong with the First Prince? I heard that his temperament is gentle and introverted, and he has the demeanor of a royal family. He is different from Yan Wang, that bastard of unknown origin. This is the temperament that the royal family of Daliang should have. Don't you think so? "
Li Feng felt a sharp pain in his chest. He felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and his heart was cold. He took a few deep breaths and sneered, "And then? My dear ministers, you won't wait for me to settle accounts. Then what do you plan to do to me? Put me under house arrest? Or kill me directly? The Empress is delicate and weak, and the First Prince's entire family is executed. He has no one to rely on. He is born to be a puppet … Sure enough, it's a good plan! "
Fang Qin shook his head noncommittally, "What else, Your Majesty? The Crown Prince unfortunately died, and the traitor Li Min has been executed … Oh, of course, if you want, you can also issue an imperial edict to pass the throne to the Third Prince. But the Third Prince is too young and hasn't even entered school. Aren't you joking with the country of your ancestors? "
A person may be bound by thousands of rules of etiquette. They may seem impregnable, but in fact, they are not that strong. As long as you let go of your sense of shame, you will be able to take a step forward. In the future, you will be able to be as shameless as the sea and sky, and there will be no more taboos.
At least Fang Qin himself didn't expect that one day, he would say such words without batting an eyelid.
Just as he was slightly distracted, the ground suddenly trembled. For a moment, everyone became nervous. This kind of neat footsteps indicated that they were well-trained. Judging from the tremors, there were at least heavy armor among them!
Could it be that they were Beidaying?
Fang Qin's heart skipped a beat. They hadn't planned for this to happen. He was afraid that there had been a change! He made a prompt decision and waved his hand. A few of his minions rushed forward and held Li Feng, "Your Majesty, please escort us."
A few fake Imperial Guards surrounded Li Feng from all directions, squeezing him between them as they retreated in another direction. However, just as they turned a corner, the person who opened the way suddenly stopped. There was actually a group of Imperial Guards waiting for them in front of them!
How did they get away?
No … It wasn't a big deal to get away. Although it was a bit faster than expected, once the palace heard the news, the imperial guards would immediately come out in full force. It was indeed easy to suppress the situation.
The problem was, how did they find them?
Fang Qin was stunned. He suddenly turned his head and looked around. He found that the spy who had come to report that "Yan Wang and the Crown Prince are dead" had disappeared.
There was a traitor!
The footsteps behind them gradually approached. When he looked again, it turned out that it wasn't heavy armor that forced them to panic. It was just a bunch of iron puppets pulled out from an unknown house!
Fang Qin broke out in a cold sweat. He suddenly came to his senses and knew that they had fallen into someone's trap.
However, things had already come to this point. He didn't have time to think carefully. He grabbed Li Feng and pressed his sword against the Emperor's fragile dragon neck. He shouted, "Who dares to move!"
The Emperor was a precious object. No one wanted to bear the reputation of indirectly killing the Emperor. The imperial guards' footsteps stopped for a moment.
Fang Qin never dreamed that he would be so rebellious. He was stunned for a moment. His throat was dry and he gasped for breath. Before he could think of a countermeasure in his muddled brain, the chaotic Imperial Guards finally arrived. At the same time, an eagle's cry came from outside the nine gates. It was the Beidaying Eagle requesting to pass through the no-fly net!
Next to him, one of his henchmen knelt down in fear.
Fang Qin fiercely gritted his teeth and said to the Emperor Long An, "Your Majesty, please order them to withdraw."
Li Feng was battered and exhausted. He sneered, "In your dreams."
At this moment, an arrow suddenly shot from behind and brushed past Fang Qin's shoulder. Although it didn't cause any substantial damage, the burning pain from the moment his skin was torn and his flesh was exposed snapped the string in Fang Qin's mind.
The delicate balance was broken.
Li Feng saw the opportunity and gave him a hard push. He was about to rush out.
However, his lame leg held him back again. Li Feng had just taken a step when his legs went soft and he staggered out uncontrollably. At the same time, Fang Qin was startled and chased after him with his sword. He instinctively thrust the sword in his hand forward.
Li Feng twitched violently like a dying fish. Fang Qin's face was pale. He subconsciously let go of the sword in his hand and took three steps back. He stared at the sword on Li Feng's back as if he had seen a ghost.
The Imperial Guards, who were originally afraid of shooting at the rat for fear of breaking the vases, suddenly exploded.
Suddenly, Li Feng heard a child's voice that sounded like he was crying. It pierced through the countless rebels and traitors and pierced into his ears. He raised his head with difficulty and saw the young crown prince running towards him while calling out 'father'. Not far behind him, the Wild Goose King, his fourth brother, was standing there with not a single strand of hair missing. When their eyes met, the Wild Goose King stopped in his tracks. With his hands behind his back, he used his unique calm gaze to look back at the flustered Emperor from above.
The Imperial Guards and the Imperial Guards rushed up in a hubbub and quickly took care of the stunned rebels and traitors. Li Feng was carried out. The Imperial Guard Leader who rushed over shouted and called for an Imperial Physician. However, they all knew that even if they called for an Imperial Physician, it would be useless.
The Crown Prince was crying helplessly on his body.
Li Feng really wanted to touch his delicate little son, but before he could gather his strength, a hand fell on the Crown Prince's shoulder. Yan Wang stood silently on the side and gently stroked the Crown Prince's shoulder and neck comfortingly. In everyone's eyes, this was a pair of uncle and nephew who were sad and warm. Only Li Feng felt that he understood the hidden threat in Yan Wang's hand gesture.
Li Feng stared at Yan Wang's calm eyes and remembered the bitter words his mother had said many years ago. "Those barbarian women are all evildoers, and the little bastards they give birth to are all ominous things that bring disaster to the country and the people."
"Ominous thing" Yan Wang knelt down on one knee. His hand was still on the Crown Prince's shoulder and neck. He asked Li Feng in a low voice, "Brother, do you have any other orders?"
Li Feng stuttered, "You … you …"
Yan Wang lowered his voice even more and said word by word in his ear, "Don't worry, I will take good care of the Crown Prince."
Li Feng's lips trembled violently. There seemed to be a ball of fire in his eyes. Then, the fire slowly extinguished with the passing of his life. He reached out a trembling hand, which was grabbed by Yan Wang in the air.
It turned out that such a cold hand could also be squeezed into a palm of fake brotherly affection.
At this moment, the ministers who had been thrown into disarray by the chaotic army just now finally arrived one after another. They scampered over like a flock of sheep. The Wild Goose King smiled gently at Li Feng in a place where no one could see him. However, his voice was sad and sincere. "Brother, do you have anything to say?"
The Crown Prince cried so hard that he couldn't stand up. Li Feng looked at him and then gently closed his eyes.
He had never compromised with anyone in his life. He had always been tough to the end. Who knew that he would end up in such a desperate situation … He was surrounded by strong people and had many conspiracies. His young son was immature and had no one to support him.
"I … have lived an ordinary life," he said in a low voice that was almost inaudible. The scholars and eunuchs knew what he was going to say when they heard his voice. They didn't have time to cry. They all rushed over and held their breaths to listen attentively, afraid that they would miss a word or two of the Emperor's words.
There seemed to be tears in the corners of Li Feng's eyes. He continued, "I am ashamed of the heavens and the people. For more than ten years, my heart … has been uneasy. After I die … the Crown Prince … the Crown Prince … the Crown Prince is young and can't take on such an important task …"
Changgeng gently turned his face and looked at the group of iron puppets far away from the crowd. Among the lifeless iron puppets, there was one that was looking at him gently. It had practiced with him with the sword, carried snacks for him, and knocked on that person's door countless times.
At this time, its eyes were faintly flickering with a purple light. It was as if there was a person far away at the frontlines who was quietly looking at him through this lifeless big fellow.
"… I will pass on the throne to Prince Yan and succeed me. I will not let down my ancestors."
On the first day of the third month of the Long An's tenth year, the Long An's emperor, Li Feng, died at the hands of rebels and traitors. Before he died, he actually skipped the Crown Prince and passed on the throne to Prince Yan. It was also a strange thing.
Yan Wang quickly and decisively dealt with the rebellious aristocratic families and uprooted several of the major families in the capital that were involved.
He justifiably washed the imperial court with blood. The Grand Council issued three decrees in a row in one night and heavily stabilized the situation in the capital.
But before Jiang Chong and the others could finish their performance of rejecting three invitations, Yan Wang — the current future emperor — left the capital without warning.
If it weren't for the fact that his team in the Grand Council had experienced all kinds of chaotic situations and could withstand even if the sky fell, they probably would have exploded a long time ago.
Changgeng called Jiang Chong over and explained a bunch of things in detail. Then he put the decrees he had written in advance in a box and pushed them all to him. At a glance, it was clear that he had long been driven away like an arrow and was itching to fly away. Jiang Chong only knew that because of the war in Jiangnan, he might have to leave in the near future. He didn't expect that he would leave so unexpectedly. When he heard the news the next day, he was completely shocked.
Changgeng borrowed a group of eagle-armored guards from Beidaying that very night and planned to fly directly to the south.
He was certain that the front lines of the two rivers were not peaceful. Whether it was the two Linyans mixed in with the foreign affairs team, Cao Chunhua he sent to Gu Yun's side, or even Gu Yun herself … their letters all showed that the situation at the front lines was great and that they were just waiting to recover the land and mountains. This was not normal.
It was fine that Gu Yun only reported the good news and not the bad, but the reason why Linyan was called "Linyan" was because they had to be careful and observant. Even if the front lines really had an overwhelming victory, they would find out all the possible risks and remind Gu Yun and the owner of the Linyan wooden sign in the capital of everything, no matter how big or small.
But no, not a single word was mentioned. It was too strange.
Changgeng pushed forward his deployment layer by layer in the capital. He seemed to be at ease, but in fact, he could not sit still for a long time.
But he could not look at Gu Yun at this juncture. There were too many variables in the capital. He did not know if he could successfully achieve his goal until the last moment. If there was a little accident, he might have to pick up the sword himself in the end and bear the title of "traitor" and "murderer of brother and nephew". Therefore, he could not have any involvement with Gu Yun during the whole process.
He could only put him on the front line that he could not see.
It was impossible for an eagle to fly from the north to the south without resting in the middle. Just as Changgeng was anxiously waiting for the eagle-armored guards to replenish their fuel at a military relay station, a red label urgent message happened to pass by. It was intercepted by the commander of Beidaying and sent to Changgeng.
The Western Army brazenly sent troops from the Dongying Sea and counterattacked crazily.
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