Chapter 311 The Confrontation between the Emperor and the Empress
In the most remote tent of Guanyin Mountain Camp, Ouyang Chong sat cross-legged on the ground, filled with resentment in his heart.
He had done so many things for Wu Chengsi, but the other party finally turned against him and sentenced him to death.
It was clear that the two of them had an agreement at the beginning. As long as he made up for his mistakes, Wu Chengsi would consider letting him live.
Unexpectedly, Wu Chengsi said: "Yes, I decided to sentence you to death after careful consideration."
Being so dishonest, these court officials are really not trustworthy at all, and they are worse than the Nine Sects in Jianghu.
He originally thought about escaping, but unfortunately Zhuge Sanyuan brutally broke one of his legs and put shackles and anklets on him, so he couldn't escape at all.
Just as I was feeling resentful and angry, suddenly the tent was pushed open and a man walked in.
Ouyang Chong looked up and sneered: "Are you here to see me off?"
Zhugenan said with a smile: "Originally, we were going to take you to the camp gate to be beheaded, but you suddenly became useful again, so we changed our mind!"
Ouyang Chong said coldly: "Oh, so I should still thank you?"
"You should really thank us, and you should be glad that you have value again."
"You bunch of unfaithful people, do you think I will still believe you?"
"You don't need to believe it, you just need to follow us."
"Where to go?" Brother Ouyang was stunned.
"Stop talking nonsense and just follow me."
In this way, Ouyang Chong was taken out of the camp and onto an ordinary carriage.
After leaving the military camp, the carriage moved slowly westward.
What surprised Ouyang Chong the most was that not only were a dozen capable soldiers following the carriage in disguise, but Zhuge Sanyuan was also in disguise, accompanying him for protection.
He really couldn't figure out the other party's purpose of doing this.
…
The lobby of Prince Yue's Mansion.
"This is not a big deal. He is just a figure in the world. Why did you call me here in such a hurry?"
In the lobby, Deputy Marshal Yang and Chen Shuozhen stood behind King Han and King Yue respectively, while Yang Sijian and Situ Xin sat in the guest seats.
Yang Sijian was not invited by the King of Yue, but came here specifically to express his gratitude to the King of Yue.
If the King of Yue had not warned him in time, he might have fallen into the hands of Wu Chengsi.
The King of Yue sighed softly and said, "Do you know who is protecting that Jianghu man?"
"who?"
"Zhuge Sanyuan!"
Before yesterday, this name would not have caused many people present to think too much, but last night Zhuge Sanyuan rescued Gao Junhui in front of the four masters and the guards of the palace.
Even the kings of Yue and Han understood the power of Zhuge Sanyuan.
Not to mention Chen Shuozhen and Situ Xin, they had done something with Zhuge Sanyuan and deeply experienced the unfathomable feeling.
Only Deputy Commander Yang's eyes exposed outside the mask still showed no emotion, like a dead person.
The King of Yue continued: "In addition, Wu Chengsi also found a disguise master, disguised himself as the Jianghu man, got into another carriage, and headed north under the protection of a thousand troops."
"What is he doing?" King Han stared.
Yang Sijian said in a deep voice: "This is the method used by some escort agencies to transport hidden darts. They use open darts to cover people's ears and eyes, thereby protecting the hidden darts from being noticed."
King Han was even more surprised and asked: "Who is that Jianghu man who was used as a secret escort?"
"Ouyang Chong!"
"What does this guy do?" King Han asked again.
Yang Sijian said: "He was originally a pirate under Tu Hong, but was later captured by Wu Chengsi. He may have defected to Wu Chengsi."
"A mere pirate, why did Wu Chengsi bother to protect him so much? Is there anyone else who would do harm to him?" King Han scratched his head, looking confused.
The King of Yue said angrily: "Uncle Wang, besides us, in this Huainan Road area, who else can make Wu Chengsi so defensive?"
"Us? What is he trying to do to prevent us? We have no interest in that charlatan!"
Chen Shuozhen said softly: "Ouyang Chong has been staying on Changye Island."
King Han's face changed drastically: "You don't want to tell me that he knows our plan, right?"
"My people will naturally not leak the plan easily, but..."
"but what?"
Chen Shuozhen frowned and said, "This man is very good at martial arts and very cunning. If he is interested in inquiring about information, it is very likely that he will find out something."
King Han said angrily: "How can you let such a person stay on Changye Island?"
Chen Shuozhen said calmly: "He is Tu Hong's man and is wanted by the government. Changye Island will never reject such a person."
When King Han saw that Chen Shuozhen dared to blame himself, he became furious.
The King of Yue hurriedly advised: "Uncle Wang, some things are difficult to predict. At that time, Daochang Chen did not expect that Ouyang Chong would fall into the hands of Wu Chengsi. We should think of ways to deal with it."
King Han was silent for a while and asked: "Did you get the news about Ouyang Chong from him?"
The King of Yue nodded silently.
King Han said again: "You suspect that Wu Chengsi asked something from Ouyang Chong, so you sent him to Chang'an City and asked him to tell the emperor and empress personally?"
"Other than that, I really can't think of any other reason for Wu Chengsi to protect Ouyang Chong like this."
Yang Xuan suddenly said: "So, Wu Chengsi already knows about our plan?"
The King of Yue was silent for a while and said with a wry smile: "I'm afraid yes, if we want to complete the plan, we must get rid of Wu Chengsi."
"That's strange. Ouyang Chong has been captured by Wu Chengsi for so long. Wu Chengsi should have known our plan for a long time. Why didn't he send Ouyang Chong away early and had to wait until now?"
Yang Xuan's voice was dry and uncomfortable, but his words reminded everyone.
"Perhaps Ouyang Chong only spoke recently." Situ Xin said, stroking his short beard like needle pricks.
"Then why didn't Ouyang Chong speak before and had to wait until now?" Yang Xuan asked again.
Everyone stopped talking and looked at the King of Yue.
The King of Yue sighed and said: "I was a little skeptical at first, but the news he sent me said that Ouyang Chong suddenly decided to speak because of Situ Hong's death."
King Han shouted: "What's the reason?"
Situ Xin sighed: "My lord, you don't know much about Jianghu people. Ouyang Chong had no place to live at first, so it was Xiao'er who took him in."
"so what?"
Chen Shuozhen said calmly: "People in Jianghu value loyalty the most. Ouyang Chong endured torture before and did not speak out, probably because of Situ Hong. Now that Situ Hong is dead, he no longer needs to keep secrets for us."
King Han glared at Yang Sijian and said, "Why did you bring Situ Hong over that night? It doesn't matter if he dies, but it only hurts us!"
Yang Sijian and Situ Xin both changed their expressions.
The King of Yue said angrily: "Uncle Wang, I invited Governor Yang here. His people died for us. How can you say such things!"
King Han snorted and stopped talking.
The King of Yue said solemnly: "Now we are all sitting in the same boat. Only by working together can we overcome the difficulties together. If anyone destroys internal unity again, don't blame me for turning against others!"
The King of Yue touched his nose and whispered: "You also know my temper, and I didn't mean what I said just now."
"It's not allowed even if it's unintentional!" King Yue said sternly.
King Han seemed a little afraid of King Yue, so he lowered his head and stopped talking.
Yang Sijian lowered his eyelids and said, "Now that things have happened, we need to find a way to prevent Ouyang Chong from speaking again."
King Han immediately raised his head and said: "There is no need to think of any other way, just send people to kill Ouyang Chong."
Situ Xin muttered: "Ouyang Chong is not bad at martial arts, and he is protected by Zhuge Sanyuan. I'm afraid it will not be easy to succeed."
King Han turned to look at Yang Xuan and said, "How about it? Are you sure about it?"
Yang Xuan was silent for a while and nodded.
King Han nodded with satisfaction and said: "Very good, then leave this matter to me. You don't have to worry."
The King of Yue solemnly said: "Although Deputy Commander Yang is confident, the matter is of great importance after all. Let's let Daochang Chen and Master Situ assist Deputy Commander Yang in taking action."
Neither King Han nor Yang Sijian refused. When the matter reached this point, it was a moment of life and death for all parties concerned, and no one dared to be careless.
…
At the north-south junction of Yangzhou and Haozhou, there is a very famous Sanchakou.
From here, to the north is Haozhou, to the west is Chuzhou, and to the south is Yangzhou, so the locals call this intersection Sanzhoukou.
When people gather, there will be business opportunities.
At first, there were only a few inns opened here, but gradually there were more shops and more households, and it turned into a small town before you knew it.
It's called Sanzhou Town.
The center of Sanzhou Town is Sanzhoukou, and the first inn in the town, "Anshun Inn", opened at the entrance.
An old man in rich clothes stood at the door of a cloth shop outside the inn, looking at the inn motionlessly for more than an hour.
The owner of the cloth shop originally thought he was a hindrance and wanted to drive him away.
However, when I walked up to him and saw his face, I didn't know why, but suddenly I didn't have the courage to speak, so I had to go back in despair.
The dark clouds hung low in the sky, as if they were about to fall, and it seemed that a heavy rain was about to come.
Due to the weather, there were far fewer people on the street than usual, and the business of the cloth shop was naturally also poor.
When the shop owner was bored, he stared at the old man in rich clothes outside the door and carefully looked at the fabric on his clothes.
As a cloth shop owner, his biggest hobby is analyzing the origin of other people's fabrics.
Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, he found a beautiful female Taoist next to the old man in rich clothes. He was shocked and couldn't help but rub his eyes.
When I looked outside the door again, the old man in rich clothes and the female Taoist priest were gone.
Situ Xin was running along a path to the west. As he ran, he asked the female Taoist next to him: "How did they suddenly discover it?"
Chen Shuozhen said in a deep voice: "Zhuge Sanyuan is here after all. He is the minister of Dali Temple and is the best at tracking and counter-tracking."
Situ Xin frowned and said, "I saw that the guards protecting Ouyang Chong are still in the inn."
"They deliberately asked those guards to stay, just to confuse us, but the two of them ran away quietly."
Although the two of them were talking, their steps did not stop at all, leaping quickly between the mountains and fields like ghosts.
"With their speed, we may not be able to catch up with them."
"We may not be able to, but Yang Xuan will definitely be able to catch up with them." Chen Shuozhen said calmly.
Situ Xin suddenly smiled and said, "I heard that your uncle died in the hands of Yang Xuan. I thought you would hate them very much."
"At that time, I wanted to overthrow the Li dynasty. As the guardians of the royal family, they naturally would not sit idly by and ignore it." Chen Shuozhen said lightly.
Situ Xin sighed: "There is something I haven't been able to figure out."
Chen Shuozhen seemed to know what he was going to ask, and said calmly: "If you don't understand, just think about it slowly."
Situ Xin still asked: "You are such a rebellious person, and you have committed more crimes than all the people I know combined. Why on earth does the King of Yue want to keep you by his side?"
Chen Shuozhen said coldly: "Do you really want to know?"
Situ Xin was horrified and forced a smile: "If I knew about it, wouldn't His Highness the King of Yue let me go?"
"What do you think?"
Situ Xin laughed and said, "The reason why I can survive until now is because I can control my curiosity. If I don't ask, don't tell me either."
Chen Shuozhen suddenly stopped, and Situ Xin also stopped, with their eyes shining.
The path is very straight, with a field on the left and a small forest on the right.
Zhuge Sanyuan, dressed in black, and Ouyang Chong, dressed in white, were blocked on the path.
Five feet in front of them, Yang Xuan stood like a wooden pole.
Behind him were two people wearing fox-face masks, and four identical people with fox-face masks standing in the fields and on the treetops.
Except for the different styles of masks and Deputy Commander Yang, these people are dressed exactly the same as Deputy Commander Yang.
Obviously, they are all bad people.
The front, left and right roads were all blocked, and the arrival of Chen Shuozhen and his two men completely blocked the rear road.
Situ Xin stared at the two people for a while, and when he saw Zhuge Sanyuan's rosy face, he remembered his son's tragic death.
"Old Zhuge, I want to see today how you can save people from us this time!"
Zhuge Sanyuan said nothing.
When Ouyang Chong saw the situation in front of him, he had a bad premonition in his heart, and said: "Old Island Master, Club Master Chen, what are you doing here?"
"Ouyang Chong, you are also a veteran, don't you think it's ridiculous to ask such a question at this time?" Situ Xin said coldly.
Ouyang Chong said hurriedly: "I really don't know. If you want to kill Zhuge Sanyuan, feel free to do it. He and I are not the same group!"
As he spoke, he took a few steps back to the side, keeping a distance from Zhuge Sanyuan.
Situ Xin sneered: "Ouyang Chong, stop pretending now that things have happened. Since we appear here, it means that we know everything."
Ouyang Chong was shocked and said: "Old island master, if you have anything to say, please say it clearly. Although I was caught and interrogated by them, they never revealed the identity of the young island master."
Situ Xin said angrily: "You should avoid the important and take the easy."
Chen Shuozhen said calmly: "Master Situ, in this case, do you still expect this person to admit it?"
Ouyang Chong was horrified and said anxiously: "Club Master Chen, I really don't know what I did to offend you. Your Changye Island was also conquered by the army, and it has nothing to do with me!"
At this moment, Zhuge Sanyuan suddenly raised his head and looked at the sky.
Chen Shuozhen's expression changed slightly and he said, "No, they are stalling for time." As soon as he finished speaking, his sword was instantly unsheathed and he rushed towards the two of them.
Yang Xuan was faster than him, and in a flash, he appeared beside Ouyang Chong, with both guns in his hands, and he would launch the most ferocious killing move.
Although Ouyang Chong's martial arts is good, compared to Chen Shuozhen, Situ Xin is far inferior, so how can he be Yang Xuan's opponent.
After he barely dodged one shot, he was immediately hit with a gash in his arm by another shot.
Fortunately, Zhuge Sanyuan helped him catch Chen Shuozhen's sword, otherwise he might have been killed on the spot in an instant.
This was the second time that Chen Shuozhen had her sword edge clamped by Zhuge Sanyuan. This time she was well prepared. She suddenly let go of the hilt of the sword, jumped up, and kicked the hilt with her toes.
Zhuge Sanyuan moved faster than her. The two fingers holding the long sword were pulled back, and Chen Shuozhen kicked it away.
Zhuge Sanyuan held the long sword, turned around and threw it hard, and the long sword shot towards Yang Xuan.
Then he jumped up, dodged Situ Xin's knife, kicked with both feet, and forced the two bad guys back.
A white light flashed across the blade, and Zhuge's Sanyuan dagger was unsheathed like lightning and slashed towards the throat of another bad guy.
The bad guy's long sword was still two feet away from Zhuge Sanyuan. Although Zhuge Sanyuan's sword was fast, if he retreated, he still had a five-point chance of surviving.
However, he did not retreat, and the long sword came out of his hand and shot towards Zhuge Sanyuan.
Zhuge's Sanyuan dagger slashed across his throat, and then he leaned back to avoid the sword.
Just after such a delay, Ouyang Chong screamed repeatedly, his shoulders were pierced by Yang Xuan, and he was stabbed on the face and back.
Yang Xuan was merciless in his actions, forming a sword with two fingers and thrusting it into Ouyang Chong's throat.
Zhuge Sanyuan suddenly shouted loudly, and the sword flashed like a meteor, forcing Chen Shuozhen, Situ Xin and the two bad guys back.
He stretched out his kick and kicked Yang Xuan's hand, but he still took a step slower. Yang Xuan stretched and retracted his fingers, and a small red hole appeared in Ouyang Chong's throat.
At this time, Zhuge Sanyuan had already kicked him, and a bad guy suddenly flew in front of Yang Xuan and blocked the kick for him.
There was a sound of bones breaking, and the bad man's entire chest collapsed.
Zhuge Sanyuan roared angrily, turned around and swung his sword several times, forcing Chen Shuozhen and Situ Xin back, then jumped up and ran towards the fields.
No one was chasing him, their mission was accomplished.
Yang Xuan first carefully cut off Ouyang Chong's head, and then walked to the bad guy who was kicked by Zhuge Sanyuan.
"Deputy Commander, please give me a pleasure." A female voice came from behind the fox-faced mask.
Yang Xuan nodded silently. This subordinate had no chance of survival. He took out a dagger, raised the knife with his hand, and ended the other man's life.
Chen Shuozhen and Situ Xin were both big guys. They were used to seeing this kind of scene, so they didn't have much emotion. What they were more afraid of was the strength of the bad guys.
Yang Xuan's six men are all top-notch masters, and I don't know how many such masters he still has.
Yang Xuan tied Ouyang Chong's head around his waist with a cloth bag. Without saying hello to Chen Shuozhen, he turned around and returned to Yangzhou City.
Four of his men carried two dead companions on their backs and left quietly.
Suddenly, only the headless bodies of Situ Xin, Chen Shuozhen and Ouyang Chong were left on the desolate field road.
Situ Xin suddenly said: "Today we are besieging and killing others together with him. Maybe it will be you and me who will be besieged and killed at some point."
Chen Shuozhen said coldly: "Let's consider the future later."
Situ Xin sneered and said, "That's right. Now that you have become the King of Yue's favorite general, you don't have to worry about this."
Chen Shuozhen stared at Situ Xin coldly and said, "What exactly do you want to say?"
Situ Zhentian sighed and said: "It's nothing, you can go, I want to be alone for a while."
Chen Shuozhen said no more, turned around and left.
…
Night, late at night.
Yuan Shutong was a light sleeper, so when he heard the knock on the door, he got up immediately.
The person who knocked on the door was a close subordinate. As soon as the door opened, he said: "Your Majesty, the governor's people are here. They seem to be in a hurry. They are waiting in the side hall."
Yuan Shutong tightened his coat and asked, "Did the person who came here say they have any business with me?"
"No."
Yuan Shutong frowned and thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay, I understand." He turned and returned to the room.
A quarter of an hour later, Yuan Shutong put on his coat and walked along the corridor to the side hall.
He did not go in immediately, but quietly observed the situation in the hall at the door.
The one who came was Zhugenan, the Prime Minister of Dali Temple, a subordinate whom Wu Chengsi liked very much.
The day before yesterday, when Yuan Shutong was invited by Wu Chengsi to the camp to discuss Ouyang Chong's affairs, the two met.
The other party looked anxious and walked back and forth in the side hall.
Yuan Shutong judged that the other party was not here to accuse him, so he entered the side hall, cupped his hands and said with a smile:
"Zhuge Si Cheng, it's already this hour, why did you come here suddenly? Did His Highness have any orders?"
Zhuge Nan grabbed Yuan Shutong's wrist and said urgently: "My foster father is injured. You should hurry up and call the best doctor in the city to treat my foster father!"
Yuan Shutong was surprised and said: "Zhuge Siqing is injured? How could this happen? Who can hurt him!"
Zhuge Nan said impatiently: "Can you go and call the doctor first? I will explain it to you along the way."
Yuan Shutong nodded repeatedly and said: "Okay, I will send someone to help you invite Doctor Sun."
"No, let's go together."
Yuan Shutong had no choice but to follow Zhuge Nan out of the Governor's Mansion. The two of them rode horses and took only a few followers with them to Dr. Sun's medical clinic.
Along the way, Yuan Shutong asked Zhuge Sanyuan again about the reason for his injury. Zhuge Nan gritted his teeth and said: "He was attacked and injured by the bad deputy commander Yang Xuan, Chen Shuozhen and an old man."
Yuan Shutong was surprised and said: "It's them? Is Ouyang Chong okay?"
Zhuge Nan said angrily: "They killed me!"
"How could this happen? The route they took was so hidden, and we also deliberately sent a team to deceive others. How did Yang Xuan and the others know about it?" Yuan Shutong frowned tightly.
Zhuge Nan said angrily: "My foster father said someone must have leaked the news!"
Yuan Shutong said in a deep voice: "There should be very few people who know Zhuge Siqing's route."
Zhugenan nodded vigorously and said: "Except for the several Qianniuwei generals and Zuowuwei generals, plus a few of His Highness's personal soldiers, it's just you, Gao Jun and I who will meet."
Yuan Shutong raised his eyebrows and said, "How come Gao Junhui also knows about it?"
Zhuge Nan said: "Your Highness has always trusted him. Are you doubting him?"
Yuan Shutong said leisurely: "He is a Jianghu man after all."
"No, I have known Mr. Gao for a long time. He should not betray His Highness."
Yuan Shutong's eyes flickered and he said, "Then who do you think it is?"
Zhuge Nan gritted his teeth and said: "I heard that a general of Qianniuwei told many people the news after drinking. Maybe it was someone who heard it who leaked it!"
"Isn't it? His Highness has already scolded General Wang severely, and also drove the Qianniu Guards to Maitreya Mountain near Guanyin Mountain and asked them to camp there, separated from the Zuowu Guards."
Yuan Shutong was surprised and said: "Isn't General Wang very angry?"
Zhuge Nan said angrily: "What right does he have to be angry? If he hadn't been lax in his command, my foster father would not have been injured!"
Yuan Shutong smiled and said: "That's right."
After pulling Doctor Sun out of bed, Yuan Shutong sent Zhugenan and Doctor Sun to the city gate.
Seeing that Zhuge Nan had no intention of asking him to go to the military camp, Yuan Shutong was completely relieved and said proactively: "Brother Zhuge, let me accompany you to the camp."
Zhuge Nan said casually: "That's okay."
Doctor Sun was a thin man in his forties. Because of his poor riding skills, he cursed Zhuge Nan anxiously along the way.
After finally arriving at the military camp, after arriving at Zhuge Sanyuan's tent, he took a pulse. Doctor Sun glared and said, "It's just some internal injuries. I'll prescribe some medicine and you'll be fine after a few days."
Zhuge Sanyuan said angrily: "I just said it's okay, you kid has to ask a doctor."
He turned to Yuan Shutong and said: "Yuan Governor, I am not sensible. You are so tired that you have to take a trip. I really feel sorry for you."
Yuan Shutong smiled and said: "What did Zhuge Siqing say? I heard that Ouyang Chong was dead, so I wanted to discuss it with His Highness."
Zhuge Sanyuan's face immediately sank.
"I took the most hidden route along the way, but I was still blocked by them. I can be sure that there must be a traitor in our military camp."
"Who does Zhuge Gong think is the biggest suspect?" Yuan Shutong asked.
Zhuge Sanyuan was silent for a moment and said: "We, plus General Han, and General Black Teeth cannot leak the news. As for Wang Fangyi..."
"You also doubt General Wang?" Yuan Shu said.
Zhuge Sanyuan said calmly: "His officer made a blunder while drunk, and the news was probably leaked at that time. Although he is not fully responsible, he must bear at least half of the responsibility."
Yuan Shutong was silent for a while, then cupped his hands and said: "I have to go to His Highness to report some matters, so I won't disturb your rest and take my leave."
"Walk slowly."
After leaving Zhuge Sanyuan's tent, Yuan Shutong raised his head and looked at the sky, suddenly stretched out and slowly walked towards the commander's tent.
When he came outside the commander's tent, after asking a few questions, he learned that Wu Chengsi had gone to bed, so he said, "Then I will come and report to His Highness tomorrow."
Turned around and left the Guanyin Mountain Camp.
Not long after he left, a fire suddenly lit up in the handsome tent.
Wu Chengsi sat behind the handsome case, fully dressed, waiting quietly.
Soon, Zhuge Nan, Han Cheng and Hei Qichang all entered the camp.
Zhuge Nan and Han Cheng did not speak after entering the tent. Only Hei Te Changzhi opened and closed his mouth, and closed and opened it again.
Wu Chengsi smiled and said: "General Black Teeth, you can ask whatever you want."
Black Teeth Changzhi blurted out: "The general really doesn't understand. Now that it has been confirmed that Yuan Shutong is the traitor, why not just arrest him directly, but still have to stage a painful plot!"
Zhuge Nan and Han Cheng also looked over immediately, and they were also very confused.
Wu Chengsi said slowly: "I know you are all a little confused by the sudden change in the plan, but have you ever thought about it, it is actually very useful to have such a traitor around us."
"What's the use?" Zhuge Nan asked anxiously.
"We can use him to rescue Miss Xu!"
Han Cheng clapped his hands and said, "I understand, you want to use him to deliver false news!"
Wu Chengsi smiled and nodded.
Black Teeth Changzhi scratched his head and said: "Your Highness, even if this is the case, why would you let Wang Fangyi perform a painful trick?"
Wu Chengsi said in a deep voice: "Yangzhou is run by the King of Yue. If we want to break through this iron block, we need to break people into their side. This is a good opportunity."
"Then let me come. The general always feels that Wang Fangyi is unreliable. He...he is a member of the Wang clan after all." Black Teeth Changzhi whispered.
Wu Chengsi glared at him and said: "It is precisely because of General Wang's identity that it is possible for the other party to believe that he will betray me. If you are asked to come, do you think anyone will believe that you will betray me?"
Hei Te Changzhi was actually very proud and said with a smile: "That's true."
At this moment, Zhuge Sanyuan entered the commander's tent, cupped his hands and said: "Your Highness, Yuan Shutong has indeed gone to the Maitreya Mountain Military Camp."
Wu Chengsi nodded and said: "Now, we can think carefully about how to rescue Miss Xu."
Zhuge Sanyuan reminded: "Your Highness, since Gao Junhui broke into the palace at night and was discovered, the guards of the Yue Palace have almost become iron walls. It is almost impossible to rescue him secretly."
Han Cheng held his chin and said: "Then there is only one way to force it."
Zhuge Nan suggested: "We can set a fire in a remote place of Prince Yue's Mansion, and then break in in the name of putting out the fire."
Han Cheng was surprised and said: "This will completely break up the relationship with the King of Yue."
Hei Te Changzhi said loudly: "For this reason, don't worry so much!"
"I'm worried that the King of Yue will report this matter to His Majesty, and I'm afraid that Your Majesty will blame His Highness." Han Cheng said worriedly.
Wu Chengsi waved his hand and said: "It doesn't matter. As long as Miss Xu can be rescued, the King of Yue will never dare to complain. If he really goes to complain, I will take Miss Xu to face the saint."
Zhuge Sanyuan said with a smile: "If you tie the daughter of a dignified official in the palace and blind her eyes, the reputation of the Yue King as a "virtuous king" may be lost."
"He alone will return the virtuous king."
Zhuge Nan sighed and said, "Your Highness, do you want me to go to the city and spread rumors that the King of Yue has locked Xu Yuanju's daughter in the palace with the intention of humiliating her?"
Wu Chengsi glared and said: "If you spread the word like this, Miss Xu's reputation will be completely ruined, and the King of Yue may transfer Miss Xu to another place!"
Hei Te Changzhi said harshly: "Your Highness, don't hesitate, let's use the method of setting fire to force our way in. At this time, we should use force!"
Wu Chengsi frowned and said, "It's not that I don't want to, but the King of Yue has a gold medal given by His Majesty. As long as he shows the gold medal, we won't be able to get in."
Zhuge Sanyuan tugged at his beard and frowned: "Unless we can get the King of Yue to take the gold medal out of the palace, we can use this trick."
Wu Chengsi's eyes lit up, and after thinking for a moment, he smiled and said: "Then let's find a way to let the King of Yue go out with the gold medal!"
Zhuge Nan said excitedly: "Your Highness, have you come up with an idea?"
Wu Chengsi smiled and gave instructions to a soldier. Not long after, the soldier entered the tent with a gold medal.
Wu Chengsi raised the gold medal and said with a smile: "This is the gold medal given to me by my aunt. Let's use this gold medal to fish out the gold medal of the King of Yue!"
…
The morning sun was particularly bright. Xu Wenqing sat on a chair in the small courtyard and smelled the fragrance of pomegranate flowers in his nose.
It's a pity that no matter how good the weather is, no matter how good the environment is, it can't dispel the haze in her heart.
In less than a month, her round face had shrunk, and there was no longer any sparkle in her bright eyes.
There was no expression on the face that was originally half stunned and half intelligent.
Every time the autumn wind blew, she would tremble, as if she was afraid that she would be blown away by the wind like the withered leaves on the ground.
Li Yuhui stood at the gate of the small courtyard, looking at Xu Wenqing quietly, with a bit of guilt, a bit of sadness, and a bit of confusion on her face.
She is an extremely tall woman. Although she is very beautiful, with such a height, it would be difficult for her to get married if she was born into an ordinary family.
No man wants to marry such a tall woman.
But she was lucky enough to be born in the Palace of the Prince of Yue.
Therefore, her height has not caused her any inconvenience, and no one dares to laugh at her.
Originally, she was very satisfied with this kind of life. She had a majestic yet kind father and a doting brother. She felt that she was happier than the princesses in the imperial city.
However, all this has changed.
Since December last year, her favorite brother Li Chong was sent to Chang'an by his father, and then committed a serious crime and was imprisoned in a prison.
Li Yuhui knew only too well that her brother took the blame for her father, and the person behind the planning of the royal banquet was her respected father.
She doesn't hate her father because she knows that her brother did it voluntarily.
However, now that she saw the fight between her father and Wu Chengsi becoming more and more fierce, she was filled with fear.
Not only was he worried that Wu Chengsi would imprison his father in a prison, but he was also worried that his father would become more and more ruthless during the battle and he would no longer be the father he loved before.
At this moment, Xu Wenqing seemed to realize something. He turned his eyes to the door and said, "Who is it?"
Li Yuhui turned around and ran away. She didn't know how to face the innocent woman in front of her.
While walking on the corridor, Li Yuhui suddenly saw a man walking hurriedly not far away, seemingly heading towards the gate.
"Third brother, why are you leaving in such a hurry? Did something happen?" Li Yuhui stepped forward quickly.
Li Wen turned his head and glanced, and said without stopping: "Wu Chengsi wrote a letter to his father, inviting him to discuss matters at the Sanxian Temple outside the city in three days."
Li Yuhui was shocked and said, "Father didn't agree, right?"
"Didn't your father ask me to invite King Han and Governor Yang to discuss it? Don't worry, go to the inner courtyard to accompany your mother and concubine. We will handle this matter." After that, he walked away quickly.
Li Yuhui shook her head and sighed.
Ever since Wu Chengsi came to Yangzhou, her fragile mother-in-law had been frightened all day long, especially a few days ago when Wu Chengsi sent people to break into the palace at night, and the princess fell ill from fright.
Because the princess has a weak personality, people in the palace like to gossip about her.
Li Yuhui was worried that some servant would spread the news to her mother and concubine, so she hurriedly returned to the backyard.
Half an hour later, King Han and Yang Sijian arrived at the lobby of Prince Yue's Mansion.
As soon as King Han entered the door, he shouted: "My nephew, you can't go. This must be the Hongmen Banquet hosted by Wu Chengsi!"
The King of Yue smiled and said: "Uncle Wang, I didn't say I wanted to go. Aren't we here to discuss it with you?"
"What are you still discussing? There is no good banquet. If he wants to talk to us, let him come into the city."
The King of Yue turned to Yang Sijian and said, "Governor Yang, what do you think of this matter?"
Yang Sijian muttered: "I don't think we need to be afraid of him."
King Han shouted: "This is not about fear! Why should we get in without unnecessary danger?"
Yang Sijian smiled and said, "His Royal Highness, the King of Han, has misunderstood what I mean."
"Then what do you mean?"
"I feel that this time might be an opportunity for us!"
King Han was surprised and said: "You mean to assassinate him?"
Yang Sijian said in a deep voice: "Yes, Wu Chengsi already knows the plan, and the day of Mount Tai's enshrinement is getting closer and closer. We have no time and need to get rid of him as soon as possible."
The King of Yue said calmly: "You mean, we challenge him at the banquet?"
Yang Sijian nodded and said, "This is a rare opportunity."
"What a chance, there are Wu Chengsi's troops outside the city. Let's assassinate him outside the city? Are you having a brain attack?" King Han glared.
Yang Sijian said slowly: "We can impose conditions on Wu Chengsi so that he is not allowed to bring troops with him!"
"What if he doesn't agree? Or what if he agrees and refuses to abide by the agreement?"
"If that's the case, we won't go."
King Han shook his head, looked at King Yue and said, "Hey, nephew, please think clearly, this matter is too risky."
The King of Yue thought for a while and smiled: "Actually, the risk is not that big. This is Yangzhou. I don't believe that Wu Chengsi really dares to arrest me. Moreover, Ouyang Chong is dead. Even if he knows the plan, he has nothing to prove."
King Han advised: "That boy is a soldier, I'm still a little worried."
The King of Yue smiled and said: "Don't worry, I have already sent people to find Yuan Shutong. I will not really put myself in danger until I know Wu Chengsi's intentions clearly."
King Han nodded and said, "That's okay."
Not long after the three of them waited in the palace, the people sent by the King of Yue came back and brought back a letter written by Yuan Shutong. The handwriting on the letter was crooked and was written by Yuan Shutong with his left hand.
After reading it, the King of Yue looked solemn.
"What's the matter?" King Han asked.
"Wu Chengsi not only invited me, but also almost all the prominent figures in Yangzhou." The King of Yue replied with a frown.
"Where did he sing this song from?" King Han scratched his head.
The King of Yue said calmly: "Wu Chengsi also asked someone to escort Qian Deguang over from Hangzhou."
King Han clapped his hands and said: "I know, he wants to have Qian Deguang accuse you of your crime in front of everyone in Yangzhou, so as to damage your reputation!"
Yang Sijian sneered: "I'm afraid Wu Chengsi doesn't know that most of the forces in Yangzhou are our people. He is wasting his efforts."
The King of Yue waved his hand and said: "No, you are too underestimated Wu Chengsi's influence. According to the news I have received, some people from the eight major families have intentionally reduced their contacts with me."
Yang Sijian lost his voice and said, "Could it be that Wu Chengsi has secretly sent someone to contact them?"
The King of Yue shook his head.
"Why are the people from the eight major families like this?"
The King of Yue sighed and said: "Wu Chengsi transferred Zuo Wuwei over, which is really a cruel move."
"It's not that cruel. Isn't there nothing he can do to us now?" King Han said unconvinced.
The King of Yue shook his head and said: "It's different. If there weren't these troops, he would just be a governor who was ignored by me, and we could manipulate him."
After a pause, he added: "But with these troops, he is nominally the highest commander of Jianghuai, and he has the strongest army at his hands. Who in Jianghuai is not afraid of him?"
Yang Sijian smiled bitterly and said: "When he first arrived, we were supposed to be the ones causing trouble for him and making him tired. But now he keeps making trouble for us, and we can only resist him."
King Han glared at him and said, "It's not that your army is useless."
Yang Sijian immediately shut up and stopped talking.
The King of Yue said in a deep voice: "Now all the forces in Yangzhou are watching us fight with him. Most people are waiting and watching, including the eight major families. If this king is really suppressed by Wu Chengsi, they are likely to defect to the Wu family.
Side."
King Han hummed: "So I said, let's just excuse ourselves from illness and not go."
The King of Yue shook his head and said: "Not going is a sign of weakness. Wu Chengsi also achieved his goal of suppressing us."
"What should we do?"
The King of Yue suddenly smiled and said: "Yuan Shutong mentioned something in his letter, which reminded me."
"What did he mention?"
"When Wu Chengsi went to the Three Immortals Temple, he seemed to be planning to bring the gold medal given by the Queen."
King Han was stunned and said, "What is he going to do with the gold medal?"
The King of Yue smiled and said: "No matter what he wants to do, he will definitely show off the gold medal when the time comes. He probably wants to tell others that he represents Her Royal Highness the Queen."
King Han's eyes lit up and he laughed and said, "You have the gold medal given by His Majesty in your hand, so you don't have to be afraid of him at all!"
The King of Yue sneered and said: "This is called self-defeating. It just so happens that I also took this opportunity to let those wallflowers remember that after my death, I represent the present His Majesty!"