"What happened at your residence today?" Nan Xuzong asked.
"My lord, the Prince of Zhenbei has come to the manor and had a conversation with the Marquis. Otherwise, there haven't been any major changes. The concubines, young ladies, and young masters in the courtyard are still watching the play, and nothing has happened."
The Prince of Zhenbei? Nan Xuzong recalled the paper that had been thrown by a dart last night. It had the words "Beigong" written on it. The Prince of Zhenbei had actually come to the Marquis's residence; there must be something important on his mind. But what could it be?
It's been a long time since I've seen the Beigong brothers...
"Immediately send someone to find out where the Crown Prince and the Second Prince are and what they are doing. Be careful and don't let anyone know your whereabouts!"
"Yes." Gong Shu immediately nodded in agreement.
Nan Xuzong looked at Ji Wushang, who was sitting beside him. "Has something happened? The Prince of Zhenbei actually came to the Marquis's residence. Is it possible that the princes are about to take action?"
"That should be it. I'm already on the Third Prince's side, so naturally they'll start targeting the Marquis's Mansion. The Zhenbei Prince's Mansion shouldn't have sided with either side, so the Zhenbei Prince's visit must have been to discuss things with Father."
"Are you sure you want to assist the Third Prince?" Among the princes, Huangfu Xuan is indeed more capable of governing the country, but he also has some shortcomings. It would be better if someone could assist him. However, to be honest, I don't want Nan Xu Cong to assist him. If Huangfu Xuan ascends the throne, the first thing he will do will definitely be to turn against the ministers who assisted him in the past!
Nan Xuzong will be the first person he wants to kill!
“I understand your concerns. My relationship with him is merely one of cooperation. If he wanted to kill me, it would take him a great deal of effort,” Nan Xuzong said with a smile. “You remember the story of Fan Li, right?”
"Yes." Ji Wushang nodded, "Goujian conquered and became king, and Fan Li left to become Tao Zhugong!"
“That’s it. We can follow Fan Li’s example, but we can’t back out now. Don’t worry, Wu Shang, I will give you the life you want.”
"What do I want?" Ji Wushang asked him instead.
"You want me?" Nan Xuzong said with a teasing smile.
Ji Wushang blushed upon hearing this, "You old lecher!"
"Haha!" Nan Xuzong hugged her, laughing heartily in a good mood. However, there was a hint of worry in his eyes.
In the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, the Prince of Zhenbei was sitting in his study, looking at the letter in his hand, his hand trembling slightly.
At this moment, the Princess Consort of Zhenbei brought in a bowl of lotus seed soup from outside. "My lord, how is it?"
"Oh dear! This is so frustrating!" the Prince of Zhenbei said helplessly, slamming the letter onto the desk. "How could such a thing happen!"
"Why don't we report this to His Majesty immediately?" Princess Zhenbei put down the lotus seed soup and picked up the letter she had just received.
Rebellions are actually quite common, but it's not normal for several places on the frontier to rebel at the same time. It's more likely that there's some kind of conspiracy or deliberate triggering!
“But His Majesty hasn’t attended court these past few days, so I’m afraid I’ll return empty-handed if I go!” said the Prince of Zhenbei.
"You can discuss it with General Ji. Or, you can discuss it with the Third Prince," Princess Zhenbei said after thinking for a moment. "General Ji is at his residence, and when he has nothing to do, he watches the troops train at the drill ground. You can go to the drill ground and meet with him. As for the Third Prince, he was originally stationed on the frontier, so he might know about this matter. Discussing it with him and then reporting it to the Emperor through him could also be a solution."
“You don’t understand, this happened within my jurisdiction. If I don’t handle it properly, I, as the Prince of Zhenbei, will be derelict in my duty. If His Majesty reprimands me, I will be stripped of my power at best, and at worst, the lives of my entire household will be in danger!” The Prince of Zhenbei frowned. “This matter can be serious or minor. It’s just a pity that Minhao and Jueshi haven’t returned yet!”
“Once I meet with the Third Prince, it will show that I stand on his side,” the Prince of Zhenbei added. “However, the Second Prince, the Sixth Prince, and the Crown Prince are indeed not very capable. The Third Prince still has some hope.”
I went to the Marquis's residence today and learned that the Southern Heir and the Third Prince are getting very close. It seems the Marquis of Jinnan's residence is starting to gain a foothold.
"Have you thought it through?" Princess Zhenbei asked. "Actually, I think the Prince of Nan is a good kid. He might achieve something great in the future. It's the era of the young now. We two old bones are just thinking about the future of Minhao and Jueshi."
"Yes." The Prince of Zhenbei nodded.
Just then, a pigeon fluttered in from outside. The Prince of Zhenbei, with his sharp eyes, immediately stepped forward and nimbly grabbed the pigeon, then pulled a small piece of paper from its little leg.
Upon opening it, the Prince of Zhenbei was so astonished that he couldn't breathe! He immediately collapsed onto the couch! The Princess Consort of Zhenbei was surprised, "My lord, what's wrong?" She quickly helped him up and let him lie down on the couch to rest, but her eyes were suddenly fixed on what was written on the paper! Why was he reacting like this!
The Prince of Zhenbei gripped the paper tightly, his eyes filled with coldness. He turned to look at the Princess of Zhenbei, "I'm fine! I'm going out of the palace to take care of some business tomorrow, so you don't need to worry too much!"
Princess Zhenbei looked at him, "My lord."
"Don't worry about me!" The Prince of Zhenbei struggled to sit up. "Go back to sleep first! Don't wait for me."
"Then I'll go back first." Princess Zhenbei looked at him, walked out, and glanced back a few times, but Prince Zhenbei had already waved to her, indicating that she should go back.
After watching the person walk away, the Prince of Zhenbei closed the door to his study. Then, with trembling hands, he took out the note from his robes. Looking at the words on it, he immediately covered his face and wept bitterly, "My son!"
She sobbed for a long time before wiping away her tears. Then she folded the note and put it in her bosom. After washing her face with water, she put on her clothes, opened the door to the study, and left the mansion.
It was late at night.
Nan Xuzong glanced briefly at the person sleeping on the bed not far away, then lowered his head to continue flipping through all the collected information.
Just then, a gust of wind swept past the door, and Nan Xuzong's eyes flickered slightly. The guard landed in front of his desk. Nan Xuzong made a light gesture and then stepped aside.
He was worried about leaving Ji Wushang in the room and needed to keep an eye on her to feel at ease.
The guard whispered what had just happened. Nan Xuzong listened, his face darkening.
The words "My son!" filled Nan Xuzong with a subtle sense of unease. What could have caused the two Bei Gong brothers to leave their residence? Their lives might be in danger… and the sudden rebellion, all pointing the finger at the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, meant the capital was about to descend into chaos.
"Did anyone go out with the Prince of Zhenbei?" He must have gone to see someone.
"Yes, sir, don't worry!" the guard replied immediately.
I need to go talk to the Prince of Zhenbei first, and also find the two brothers, Beigong Minhao! Why didn't those two inform me? Nan Xuzong frowned, "Go and send more people to see where the Prince and the Second Prince are, why they left the manor, and find out everything carefully."
"yes!"
"And Princess Muchen, keep a close eye on her!" Yiyun Muchen is a key figure, we can't ignore her! "Check if Princess Muchen has woken up yet. If she hasn't, report to me immediately!" Damn it, I thought before that with Beigong Jueshi and Beigong Minhao there, we could definitely stabilize Yiyun Shangcheng for the time being, or at least Yiyun Shangcheng wouldn't have any designs on Zhenbei Wangfu. But now it seems that it's not that simple!
The guard agreed and went down immediately.
Nan Xuzong turned to look at Ji Wushang, sighed, put down everything he was doing, and then rested with her.
The Prince of Zhenbei walked cautiously down the street. The night had a somewhat desolate feel to it, which made him quicken his pace. The note said that he was to meet someone at a restaurant called "Fenglailou" in Shilipo.
Who is this person? What is his purpose? Why is he holding Minho and Jueshi's lives hostage?
The Prince of Zhenbei was filled with unease, his mind racing with various speculations.
Before long, they arrived at Shili Slope. When they found the "Fenglai Tower" restaurant, the Prince of Zhenbei felt even more uneasy. This Fenglai Tower had been abandoned for a long time, surrounded by cobwebs, without a trace of smoke or human footprints.
The Prince of Zhenbei was terrified, but out of concern for his beloved son, he had no choice but to continue forward.
Reaching the Emperor's Chamber on the third floor, to the left... Zhenbei Wang muttered to himself as he walked upstairs.
He was a veteran who had fought on the battlefield. He was skilled in martial arts back then, and now he was still strong and imposing... However, when he saw that the words written on the paper were those of Bei Gong Minhao, the Prince of Zhenbei could no longer remain calm.
Finally, they arrived at the Emperor's Chamber on the third floor. The Prince of Zhenbei pushed open the door, looked around warily, and saw that there was no one there. As he hesitated, he felt a gust of wind blow by, and suddenly, a candle was lit in the room!
☆、202 Returning to the General's Mansion, with questions in my mind! (Zai Wen requests revision!)
Nan Xuzong held Ji Wushang in his arms, but his mind was still preoccupied with what had just happened. The Prince of Zhenbei had been summoned out, and his personal guards would follow him closely, reporting back constantly. However, if they were discovered, all his leads would be cut off! He absolutely could not afford to lose this information! No, he still had to go and check!
Nan Xuzong glanced at Ji Wushang in his arms, then reluctantly placed her aside, covered her with the blanket, and struggled to get out of bed. Using all his might, he managed to sit in the wheelchair and carefully activated all the mechanisms to ensure her safety. He had already instructed her about the mechanisms, and since she was fast asleep, he had also activated her acupoints to put her to sleep; she wouldn't wake up easily.
The Prince of Zhenbei opened his eyes and saw a person sitting at a table with a candle burning in front of him. The person was wearing a bamboo hat, and the dim light made it difficult to see his face. However, based on his figure, he knew that the person was probably between twenty and thirty years old and not too old.
The Prince of Zhenbei composed himself before walking inside. "Did you invite me here?"
"Yes," the man replied, his voice slightly hoarse, which made the King of Zhenbei feel a little strange. This man's figure, combined with his voice, didn't seem like someone in their twenties or thirties! Could he have been mistaken?
The man smiled slightly, showing no objection to the Prince of Zhenbei's scrutiny. He then asked the man to sit down and said, "I invited you here because I want to tell you that your two sons are in danger. If you want them to live, then you must do as I say!"
"Where are they?" Upon hearing the news about Beigong Minhao and Beigong Jueshi, the Prince of Zhenbei quickly asked.
"One of them is in the East China Sea, and the other is in the Western Regions. Heh! Do you think you can find them?" The man smiled slightly.
"Do you know what they're doing?" The Prince of Zhenbei felt that he had indeed failed as a father. He didn't know what his two sons needed. He thought that giving them everything good was love, and that paving the way for them was fulfilling his responsibility as a father. However, after many things, he finally realized that this was not how a father should act, but rather let them make their own way.
But even though I know I should let them go and take the plunge, I'm so worried about everything concerning them! My heart races with anxiety whenever I don't hear from them.
They are still their own sons after all. Parents always feel that their children will never grow up, and parents are always worried about their children!
"You seem genuinely worried about Bei Gong Minhao and Bei Gong Jueshi." The man looked at his anxious expression. "I'm just telling you the truth. Bei Gong Jueshi and Bei Gong Minhao sacrificed everything to find precious medicinal herbs in various places in order to cure the Southern Prince's legs. Heh, don't you find that strange?"
"Say what you want to say! Don't waste your breath!" said the Prince of Zhenbei.
They were very close to Prince Nan, so it was entirely possible that they were searching for those precious medicinal herbs in order to treat Prince Nan's legs.
"If they find all the medicinal herbs, and the Prince of Nan is able to stand up, it will definitely cause a huge uproar, the court will be in chaos, and both of your sons will die! Your Zhenbei Prince's Mansion will be severely punished, with your property confiscated and your entire family wiped out!"
"Your lies are actually quite well-crafted; you could go and become a storyteller!" the Prince of Zhenbei sneered.
"Believe it or not. I need you to stop Prince Nan from rising up! The medicinal herbs he needs will be brought back by Beigong Minhao and Beigong Jueshi, but you will definitely regret it then!" The man stood up at this moment. "Nan Xuzong, original name, Huangfu Zong! The fourth prince of the current dynasty, his birth mother was named Yao Ji. Twenty-three years ago, the day after Yao Ji gave birth, a fire broke out in the palace, Yao Ji was burned to death, and the fourth prince disappeared without a trace. You know all of this!"
"Who are you?" The Prince of Zhenbei stood up and pointed at the person in front of him. "Who exactly are you? Why do you know these things?!" The Prince of Zhenbei's tone became more serious, his eyes turned slightly cold, and his face was handsome.
"You don't need to know who I am. I'm just telling you the facts! Let me ask you, which side does your Zhenbei Prince's Mansion stand on?" The man was unfazed by the Zhenbei Prince's stern question, instead watching him leisurely, letting him vent his anger.
"My Zhenbei Prince's Mansion stands on neither side! The Zhenbei Prince's Mansion has always been devoted to His Majesty; in life, we are your sovereign; in death, we are your sovereign!" The Zhenbei Prince, filled with righteous indignation, stared intently at the man before him. The Zhenbei Prince desperately wanted to step forward and remove the man's bamboo hat to see who he really was!
"Heh!" The man chuckled coldly. "Prince Zhenbei, you're on the side of the Third Prince, Huangfu Xuan!"
"You, how did you know?" The Prince of Zhenbei immediately retreated. This person seemed to have investigated everything thoroughly! This person was truly terrifying!
The man did not respond to his reaction, but instead said, "Since you have taken a position, do not change it easily. The Prince of Nan has already decided to stand on the side of the Third Prince, so just follow him! However, the Prince of Nan's legs must not be able to stand up. Once this person can stand up, the Third Prince's power will gradually shift to the Prince of Nan's side!"
Because if he were to stand up, the Second Prince would definitely find a way to legitimize him and make him the true Fourth Prince!
"How do you know so much? You seem to know everything... Can't you just show your true face?" the Prince of Zhenbei said. But inwardly, he nodded; if the Prince of the South were to truly stand up, this scene would definitely change!
"The time is not right yet. Just focus on assisting the Third Prince and don't overthink it! Also, Bei Gong Minhao and the Princess Consort of the Southern Prince are getting too close. You'll have to figure out what to do with them. It would be such a waste if you wanted Bei Gong Minhao to be ruined by that woman for the rest of his life!"
"you mean?"
"You'll have to make that decision yourself! For the sake of the reputation of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion and the fate of the entire manor, you know how much power you wield!" The man stood up at this moment. "As for the Second Prince and the Sixth Prince, although they are ambitious, they won't amount to much. Just be wary of them!"
"Your Excellency is very clear about the situation of our Great Xia Zhou Dynasty!" the Prince of Zhenbei exclaimed. This person must be someone who has participated in the Great Xia Zhou Dynasty, and moreover, someone with immense power! To know all these things so thoroughly, could this person... be him?
Yet it didn't seem right. The person was about my age, so they wouldn't be that tall. And although their voice was a bit hoarse, they didn't sound like someone in their forties or fifties. Who could this person be? Only the original elders and a few concubines knew about the fire in Yao Ji's palace back then. Of those people, many died, were demoted, banished to the cold palace, or were deposed. But those who knew everything back then—count them on your fingers—were only a handful…
Another possibility is that a rising star investigates all of this thoroughly.
The man walked out without a word. "What happened tonight is known only to you and me. I will send people to rescue the two Bei Gong brothers, and then you can decide what to do! If either of them is destroyed, Prince Nan will never be able to stand up again. Think carefully about what I'm saying!" With that, the man disappeared from the Prince of Zhenbei's sight.
The Prince of Zhenbei watched as everyone left and the lights went out, the scene as desolate as when he arrived. Was the situation truly so serious? This matter must be thoroughly investigated!
The man stepped out, his brow slightly raised, and with a flick of his wrist, he struck a dark figure looming high on the roof! Instantly, the figure plummeted from the roof!
The man gave a cold sneer and disappeared.
How dare they eavesdrop on my conversation with the Prince of Zhenbei?
Nan Xuzong was rushing through the secret passage to the place where the secret guards were sending messages. However, when he entered the secret room, he saw many people bustling around nervously. Nan Xuzong immediately turned on his wheelchair and slid forward.
"Master is here!"
The people around immediately stood on both sides. Nan Xuzong, with deep eyes, stepped forward and saw a bodyguard dressed in black lying on a couch, spitting blood from the corner of his mouth.