The voice of Xiang Gongbao's personal attendant became softer and softer as he spoke, as if he noticed that his master's face was getting uglier, and he hurriedly said: "Master, this matter is too strange. Tang Feng is also a killer we have trained for many years, and there has been no such incident in so many years.
Chazi, you have also seen Taro Saoi’s strength, but his death is unknown, and the boy named Ma is probably not a fuel-efficient lamp..."
"Snapped!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiang Gongbao slapped him in the face with a big slap.
"It's up to you to say this."
Xiang Gongbao sat on the chair angrily, with two walnuts in his hand. The thing he was most worried about now was not Ma Hongwen, but Ma Qi.
Who is Ma Hongwen??
How could Xiang Gongbao watch him grow up and not know that compared with his own sons, whether it was Xiang Kecheng or Xiang Keding, both of them were eight miles ahead of him.
However, he sent two capable assassins, and one of them died and the other went crazy.
Xiang Gongbao was worried that Ma Qi secretly sent experts to protect his son.
This explanation is the most reasonable. After all, March is such a precious son, and a master is sent to protect him secretly to prevent this kid from being assassinated while walking on the street.
If this is really the case, will his actions today be obvious to others? If Ma Qi guesses that he wants to use his son as an excuse to stir up trouble...
Thinking that Ma Qi now had 80,000 forbidden troops in his hands, Xiang Gongbao instantly became extremely irritable.
"Go prepare some gifts and go to Ma's house tomorrow."
Xiang Gongbao made up his mind and waved to follow him.
"Sir, Tang Feng..." the follower cautiously tried.
"If you fail to succeed, you will fail! Drag him out and behead him. Tomorrow he will be sent to Ma's house together with his head."
The follower lowered his head, silently regretting in his heart that after all, the killers he had trained for so many years were wasted like this.
Just as the entourage was about to leave, there was a sudden commotion outside.
"Bang bang bang bang..."
A bullet penetrated the door panel and directly broke the tea cup in Xiang Gongbao's hand into pieces.
"The old dog of the Xiang family came out to die..."
Early the next morning, there were a large number of officers and soldiers searching the streets again.
Ma Qi also dragged Xu Tong to Xiang's house with his wounds that had not yet healed.
In front of the main door of the Xiang family, all the festive red lanterns were replaced with white ones.
Last night, the Xiang family suffered revenge from the new school. Xiang Gongbao was fine, only injured one hand, but his son was brutally murdered by the thieves.
Xiang Keding was wearing a white robe, holding the coffin of his eldest brother Xiang Kecheng in the mourning hall, crying so sadly.
Seeing Xu Tong, Xiang Keding limped over and cried heartbrokenly. Xu Tong could smell the strong smell of garlic on this guy's hands from a distance.
Ma Qi repeatedly complained to Xiang Gongbao. After all, Admiral Jiumen was responsible for the safety of the capital. If such a big thing happened, the blame would definitely fall on him.
Ma Qi was already prepared to be reprimanded by Xiang Gongbao on the way here. However, surprisingly, Xiang Gongbao did not blame him for this incident, but only demanded that those disciples of the new school must be eradicated.
"My condolences to Uncle Xiang."
Xu Tong brought the tea to him. Xiang Gongbao took the tea and looked at Xu Tong deeply, but finally said nothing.
Soon someone came from the palace, and they simply gave Xiang Kecheng a title of nobility and allowed him to be buried as a first-class public servant.
To others, these are rare honors, but to Xiang Gongbao, everyone is dead, so what is the use of leaving these false names.
Not long after, Prince Gong also came, personally offered incense to Xiang Kecheng, took Xiang Gongbao's hand and comforted him softly, speaking with deep affection.
Ma Qi also comforted her at the side.
Xiang Gongbao felt extremely uncomfortable. According to his original plan, this scene should have happened at the Ma family, and the person lying in the coffin should be Ma Hongwen.
But at this time, he didn't care so much anymore. People can't be resurrected after death. Although there are some discrepancies in the plan, the general direction has not changed.
Then a farce that had been prepared for a long time began to unfold.
Just when the Xiang family's mansion was filled with mourning, a servant hurried in and whispered a few words into Xiang Gongbao's ear. Xiang Gongbao's face instantly darkened.
The others still didn't know what was going on, but Xiang Gongbao picked up the tea cup in his hand with a cold face and said to Prince Gong: "Prince Gong, I am in charge of the military forces of the court, and I only want to protect my family and country.
Who the new emperor is, I don't care about."
These sudden words made Prince Gong stunned for a moment, and others present were also stunned.
The people who come here to pay their respects are all ministers of the DPRK and the Central Government, and all of them are fine people. Who would say what they say openly?
Just like not long ago, the minister of household affairs brought a group of veterans to see Prince Gong, apparently complaining that the new school of thought was causing harm to the country and the people, and wanted Prince Gong to uphold justice.
What kind of justice can be done, and in what capacity can one do justice?
Don't forget that the man behind the new school of thought is the Emperor.
Prince Gong needs to understand these words himself and must not say them out loud.
We support you as emperor, as long as you kill the new school of thought.
When this was said, Prince Gong would be the first to kill the Minister of Household Affairs, otherwise he would be in big trouble if word spread.
But now Xiang Gongbao suddenly said these words, and Prince Gong's face was full of embarrassment. He didn't accept the words, and it didn't matter if he didn't.
At this time, Prince Gong's housekeeper also ran in in a hurry. As soon as the housekeeper entered the door, he noticed that the atmosphere was not right, so he hurriedly walked to Prince Gong and whispered a few words in his ear.
Prince Gong wanted to get angry when he saw that the housekeeper was so ignorant. I have never seen so many people staring at me. Why are you chewing on my ears?
But after listening to the butler's words, Prince Gong's expression suddenly changed.
"Brother Xiang, this matter definitely has nothing to do with me. It must be framed and framed by someone. Brother Xiang must be aware of it."
Others began to get the news one after another. Just an hour ago, the government really caught an assassin.
The assassin was injured and went to the drug store to see a doctor. After the doctor discovered that it was a stab wound, he thought of what happened outside today where the officials were searching everywhere.
So he used anesthetic to stun the opponent, and then reported the opponent to the official for his backhand.
After the assassin was caught, he was naturally tortured to extract a confession. As a result, everyone was devastated. This guy actually bit out Prince Gong.
Now the government officials are also numb, no matter how hard they beat the other party, they refuse to change their tune. Even after they were beaten to death, it was Prince Gong who sent them to assassinate Xiang Gongbao.
It is said that Prince Gong has made the final plan to seize power by force if Empress Dowager Shengci does not give up the throne.
Now that the news has come, Prince Gong is also dumbfounded, even though he had this intention in his heart.
At this moment, Prince Gong felt more uncomfortable than eating a fly. He couldn't explain the reason for the yellow mud falling off his crotch, so he could only try his best to distance himself from the relationship.
But Xiang Gongbao just replied coldly that he was feeling ill and had gone back to his room to rest.
Now Prince Gong could only leave the Xiang family with a dark face and dejection.
Although everyone said that the assassin must have been framed by someone with intentions, everyone knew that this matter could not just go away.
The Empress Dowager Shengci would not miss this opportunity.
After Xu Tong followed Ma Qi home in a hurry, Ma Qi asked people to start packing their things and asked everyone in the family to go out and hide in Wangzhuang.
Ma Qi, who has always been very insensitive to politics, now smells the smell of danger, which means that the capital city is about to change.
"Dad, I can't leave, I have to go back to the palace as an errand."
Xu Tong stepped forward and said to Ma Qi.
"Go away, why are you causing trouble now??"
Ma Qi scolded with a dark face, the person he was most worried about was his useless son.
Surprisingly, Xu Tong did not show fear towards Ma Qi as usual today, but instead brought Ma Qi a cup of tea with a smile.
"Dad, everyone else can leave, but I can't leave. If I leave, everyone will see that something is wrong. Besides, at this time, do you think I can leave? I am your only son.
"
As soon as he said this, March was stunned.
Yes, everyone can leave, but this little bastard can't leave.
If he dared to leave the city, he might be captured and taken hostage the next day.
"Dad, if I leave, no one in the family will have a good time. There is no one to protect me outside. It's better to be comfortable at home. Can't you just send more people to protect me?"
Ma Qi frowned. Although as a father, he really wanted to reject his son's proposal, but he had to say that this brat who was usually unconventional, what he said today made it impossible for him to refute.
"This...Master, let Hongwen stay alone? Then I won't leave either."
When the eldest grandma saw that Hongwen refused to leave, how could she, a mother, be willing to leave?
"Mom, you guys still have to leave. It's okay for me to be alone. What's the trouble? If I hide myself, the capital is so big, I can hide anywhere. If you guys stay here, I can't even run away.
"
"My son is right, why are you, a woman, causing trouble here? Hurry up and pack your bags and get ready to leave."
Ma Qi waved his hand impatiently, determined to send his family out of the capital today, even if the grandma cried, made a fuss, or hanged herself, it wouldn't work.
Fortunately, the eldest grandma thought about Xu Tong's words and felt that it made sense. Coupled with Ma Qi's attitude, she half pushed her and got on the carriage.
Before leaving, I didn't forget to tell Xu Tong to take good care of his health.
Seeing the grandma wiping her tears, Xu Tong's envy for Ma Hongwen increased.
I don’t know why, but he couldn’t help thinking: “What does my mother look like??”
Of course, this idea was quickly abandoned by him. He had never seen his parents and did not want to see them.
On this day, many people left the capital, and even people who were insensitive to politics could feel that something was wrong.
Because this has nothing to do with politics.
After Prince Gong returned to the palace, he went to court and asked the Empress Dowager Shengci to conduct a strict investigation to prove his innocence. He also took sick leave and refused to go out.
The response of the Empress Dowager Shengci was simple, she asked Yingtian Mansion to handle it strictly, and at the same time, she asked the Zongren Mansion to investigate together.
However, the strange thing is that the assassin died that night.
The death was inexplicable. According to the prison boss, they watched the assassin's head slowly twisting around, and finally twisted into a twist.
Now that there is no evidence, everyone should be relieved, at least on the surface, everyone is relieved.
but no.
On the contrary, the atmosphere became more tense.
This tension is not only reflected in the court, but even ordinary people can detect it.
To put it most intuitively, the soldiers on the streets have been replaced recently. The Eight Banners soldiers who were originally living a sparse life have been replaced by soldiers trained by Ma Qixin, who strictly interrogate people entering and leaving the capital.
Even the foreigner area has begun to implement a strict curfew system.
As for the choice of the new emperor, there was still debate in the court, but the shouts from Prince Gong's side were getting smaller and smaller.
"Sir, do you think Prince Gong will really rebel?"
In Qintian Prison, Xu Tong carefully served tea to the eldest princess.
The eldest princess took a sip and frowned: "It doesn't taste good. When I was alive, I liked to drink Dahongpao from Wuyi Mountain. There is an old tree there with the purest taste."
Xu Tong curled his lips and thought to himself, good guy, one tael of tea costs millions, you think this is still your Ming Dynasty.
However, the eldest princess's words reminded him that there are still many good things like this in this era. For example, the flying dragons in the Northeast are not protected animals and can be eaten. There is no chance that he will be able to taste them in the future.
"Prince Gong doesn't have that fate. If he is sensible, he should behave obediently."
Xu Tong narrowed his eyes when he heard this: "But he didn't, so whether the new emperor ascends the throne or the Queen Mother Shengci continues to be in power, he will not be able to escape the result of being liquidated in the end."
No one in power would be able to tolerate his former rivals living comfortably, and without killing them, they would simply have trouble sleeping and eating.
What's more, Prince Gong is not a fuel-efficient lamp. He will not sit still and wait for death. On the contrary, it is an inevitable result. But when he will rebel is the most intriguing part.
Xu Tong was lost in thought when he suddenly noticed something. He glanced sideways and saw the eldest princess inadvertently licking the corners of her mouth. His heart skipped a beat: "I remembered, Li Xi, how did you do what I asked you to do?"
That’s it…”
After saying that, Xu Tong stood up and walked out.
No!
I should say running.
But as soon as he ran to the door, he didn't even have time to open the door. One hand grabbed his collar and pulled him back hard.
As soon as his body sank, he felt that he had hit something soft and cool. When he turned around, he saw that the eldest princess had revealed her pair of sharp fangs.
"Oh, bite me gently for fear of pain..."
"Tons, tons, tons..."
"Boom!"
Xu Tong was thrown to the ground, as weak as a forty-year-old man who had been forced to do so ten times a night, while the eldest princess wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with a satisfied look on her face.
"Your blood still tastes good, is pure, and has no impurities. It really makes me want to drain you dry all at once!"
The eldest princess stared at Xu Tong's body. With his special physique, for her, not only did the blood taste great, but it also contained extremely pure dark power. This was simply the best tonic for her.
However, although such a delicious product is delicious, you should not be greedy for too much. Last time, Xu Tong accidentally drank too much and almost killed Xu Tong. Fortunately, the ginseng stolen by Li Xi was boiled into soup, which allowed him to recover.
Get angry.
So this time, she tried her best to control her desires, fearing that if she couldn't hold back, she would drain him dry.
After all, the eldest princess is well aware of this superficial principle of having a good meal every time.
What else could Xu Tong say? He didn’t want to say anything...
The eldest princess is obviously the kind of scumbag who just pulls up her pants and leaves.
After patting his belly, he swaggered home and lay down in the coffin to sleep, leaving Xu Tong lying on the ground for several hours before he could barely catch his breath thanks to the recovery power of his dark constitution.
By the time he climbed out, it was almost dark outside.
After calling out Li Xi, I remembered that Li Xi had taken leave today.
Looking at the time, it was still early, Xu Tong walked towards the palace gate in the other direction.
Most of the Imperial Guards have no way to get to the harem, not to mention that they are not yet Imperial Guards. However, there is a small tea room at Huayang Gate where ordinary people visiting relatives can wait.
Xu Tong walked into the tea room, gave the guard a silver melon seed, and asked him to go in and pass the news. After waiting for more than half an hour, he saw a palace maid sticking her head out of the door in a cunning manner.
"How about it, are you used to it here?"
"It's not bad. The food is better than outside. Eunuch He takes care of me and no one bullies me."
The little palace maid whispered, her eyes rolling around Xu Tong, and she stood in the farthest corner as soon as she entered the door, as if the man in front of her was a tiger that eats people without spitting out bones.
This little palace maid is none other than the thief Yang Qi who was sent to the palace by Xu Tong.
The Mr. He she mentioned was the old eunuch who took her into the palace. At that time, Xu Tong gave the old eunuch a full two thousand taels of silver in order to send her into the palace. How could he not take care of her?
After listening to her words, Xu Tong nodded: "It's good if you can survive, but I didn't send you here to live, so do me a favor."
"What???"
Yang Qi looked at Xu Tong alertly.
Xu Tong took out a piece of paper from his sleeve, with a square metal box drawn on it.
There is also a map at the back, which details the situation of the Treasure Building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
There must be mechanisms and guards inside, but Xu Tong believed that these things would not be difficult for the self-proclaimed thief Yang Qi.
"Bring me this box and its contents. It's best to hurry. Time is running out."
"You asked me to steal something??" Yang Qi's head was like a rattle: "This is the palace, I will die if I am caught stealing something."
Xu Tong cracked the melon seeds and smiled: "You don't have to steal it, but you must give this thing to me, otherwise..."
Having said this, the smile on Xu Tong's face gradually grew: "I will report you now and ask the guards to search your room. I think there will be unexpected gains."
"you!!!"
When Yang Qi heard this, she felt angry and anxious. As an excellent thief, such a good place in the palace was full of treasures. It was not too much to pick up a few things that others didn't want.
"That's it. You help me get the things, and I'll give you a large sum of money and take you out of the capital."
"Remember, it's best within this week."
After saying that, she ignored Yang Qi's angry eyes, patted her butt and left.
However, compared to the scumbag who likes prostitution for free like the eldest princess, I was kind enough to leave Yang Qi two hundred taels of silver notes as a reward.