r18novel Page 239
Page 239
At this moment, Wei Tingyu couldn't help but wonder if the bloodline of the Anguo royal family inherently carried this kind of crazy gene.
After all, it's just too high to have so many people with mental disorders within a family!
This also explains why the Li imperial family used the Zhuyiwei so extremely; perhaps it was the hidden madness in their hearts that was at play!
……
Since the upheaval, Andu had been under strict security, allowing only entry and no exit. Therefore, news of Emperor Wu's death was kept secret for a long time.
It took about ten days for various factions in Wudu to learn of this news.
"Your Highness!" Inside the Danyang Prince's residence, Yang Xingjian, the Danyang Prince and regent of Dawu, was already dressed and ready to head to the military camp on the outskirts of the capital.
His attendants were also horrified when they saw this, because they did not know that they had reached a life-or-death moment!
"I didn't want my brother to return to the country before!" Yang Xingjian nodded to his attendants and strode towards the door, saying, "But ever since my private army was completely wiped out, I've given up on the idea of vying for the throne!"
"Now that my elder brother has suddenly passed away, the country cannot be without a ruler for even a day! The court officials will surely discuss establishing a new emperor!"
"That old fox Zhang Song is determined to control the court and will never allow me to ascend the throne easily!"
"They will most likely accuse me of plotting to murder the late emperor!"
"Therefore, I have no choice but to strike first, otherwise I will have no way to defend myself!"
The Prince of Danyang was in a hurry to go to the camp outside the capital. He was still the regent and was using the remaining power in his hands to win over the troops who were loyal to him.
After all, his elder brother had passed away, and all factions could only choose to side with him or Zhang Song, and the army was no exception!
At this moment, time is the most precious thing!
However, the King of Danyang still didn't know what had happened to Emperor Wu. How could he have suddenly died?
He did intend to kill Emperor Wu and ascend the throne himself, but this time it was definitely not done by someone he arranged!
If his subordinates had such capabilities, they wouldn't have had to wait until now!
However, when the gates of the Prince of Danyang's mansion opened, he froze.
Because the entire gate of the Prince's Mansion was surrounded by a group of soldiers.
Upon seeing this, Danyang King's men drew their swords and confronted the enemy.
"Zhang Song!" The Prince of Danyang frowned, his gaze falling on the leading figure standing at the door. Who else could it be but the Grand Secretary Zhang Song, whom he had been worried about?!
"Prince Danyang! You, as regent, have committed treason!" Zhang Song smiled coldly upon seeing the Prince Danyang's gaze, then declared righteously, "To plot against the late emperor is an unforgivable crime!"
"Since I have been entrusted by the late emperor to assist in governing, I will certainly not allow a rebellious minister like you to exist in this world!"
"Charge!" Having seized the moral high ground, Zhang Song waved his hand and gave the order to the soldiers around him!
The soldiers obeyed the order and rushed into the mansion without hesitation, engaging in a fierce battle with the Prince of Danyang's men!
"Don't blame me for being ruthless!" Seeing that the Prince of Danyang's forces were gradually losing ground in the battle, and even he himself was becoming increasingly disheveled and struggling to dodge attacks, Zhang Song sneered and muttered to himself, "When has a change of emperor not resulted in the deaths of several ministers and princes?!"
“These days, the Prince of Danyang and I have had many political disagreements!”
Do you think he'll spare me after he ascends the throne?
He said these words to his subordinates, who were still somewhat hesitant, since the Prince of Danyang was still nominally the regent.
However, upon hearing Zhang Song's words, their eyes immediately sharpened.
When the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact? Everyone knows this principle! If Zhang Song falls from power, the fate of his subordinates will not be much better.
Ding! Ding! Ding! …
Just as Zhang Song was feeling smug, thinking he was about to win, a heavy bell suddenly rang out from afar, and his and his entourage's expressions immediately froze.
"Jingyang Bell?" Zhang Song was taken aback, then turned around and saw a group of people escorting a luxurious royal carriage that had stopped not far behind him.
Next to step down from the carriage was Empress Xiao Yan of Dawu, accompanied by two female Golden Shadow Guards disguised as palace maids.
At the same time, another person alighted from the carriage behind, and it was none other than the King of Dawu!
He was the disabled prince who had knelt in the court before, begging to become the envoy to welcome the emperor, but fainted after being refused by the Prince of Danyang.
"Your Majesty the Empress! Your Highness the Prince of Ying!" Zhang Song frowned, but still forced himself to step forward and respectfully bow to the two of them.
"Order your men to cease their operations!" Xiao Yan craned her neck to look into the Danyang Prince's mansion, where she saw many people lying dead in the courtyard, blood and corpses everywhere. The remaining men were still fiercely fighting. She immediately said, "How can a mere subject like you make such a momentous decision as the Emperor's passing!"
"I cannot obey!" Zhang Song did not comply with Xiao Yan's words. Instead, he sneered and retorted with wide eyes, "Your Majesty, now is not the time to be soft-hearted!"
Zhang Song's words were full of threat, and his gaze clearly indicated that he was now in control of the entire Wudu!
Upon hearing this, the Prince of Ying, who was standing next to Xiao Yan, could only frown and seemed to dare not say anything more.
"I think so too!" However, Xiao Yan appeared calm and composed, and with a faint smile on her beautiful face despite her simple attire, she responded casually.
He then nodded slightly to a female official beside him.
The female official clapped her hands to summon the carriage, and then another carriage drove up from behind and stopped in front of the crowd.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and Zhang Song's confident gaze instantly turned to astonishment.
Because sitting inside the car were his most beloved wife and his favorite fifth son!
In his youth, Zhang Song was obsessed with power struggles and had no interest in romance. It wasn't until his later years that he married this woman who truly loved him, and they had a clever and witty fifth son who was deeply loved by him.
Unexpectedly, Gan has now been taken hostage by Xiao Yan.
Zhang Song was more incredulous than surprised, because he had long anticipated that his political opponents might kidnap his family, so he left heavy guards in the Prime Minister's residence.
However, despite holding the title of Empress, a woman like Xiao Yan, confined to the inner palace, was actually unable to mobilize the army.
Therefore, Zhang Song had not considered this possibility beforehand!
Seeing Zhang Song's expression, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel smug.
Indeed, apart from the few guards around her, she had no martial arts skills!
However, Wei Tingyu left behind two female Golden Shadow Guards as his personal bodyguards when he went to Anguo!
The heavy troops in Zhang Song's mansion were almost no match for the attack of these two Golden Shadow Guards; even their leader could hardly withstand a single blow!
"Yan Niang! Xiao Wu!"
Zhang Song's lips trembled as he called out to his beloved concubine and his five sons. Then Xiao Yan spoke up again: "The other wives and sons of Prime Minister Zhang are also guests in the palace at the moment!"
Upon hearing Xiao Yan's words, Zhang Song's eyes filled with anger. He hadn't expected that his stronghold would actually be wiped out in one fell swoop.
If he doesn't listen to Xiao Yan now, he really will be childless!
"Good! Very good!" Zhang Song blinked, then laughed self-deprecatingly. Only then did he realize that he had underestimated Xiao Yan.
"Make them stop!" Zhang Song glanced coldly at Xiao Yan and helplessly gave the order to his subordinates.
Soon, the sounds of fighting and clashing weapons inside the Danyang Prince's Mansion ceased, and then Xiao Yan led the Prince of Ying and two female Golden Shadow Guards into the mansion.
King Danyang was still confused, not understanding why the enemy had suddenly stopped attacking! After all, his side had very few men left and would soon be wiped out.
But after seeing Xiao Yan and the Prince of Ying, he suddenly realized what was going on.
However, the political situation in the city was very chaotic, and the King of Danyang was not clear about Xiao Yan's purpose for this trip. Therefore, he always looked at her with a wary expression.
"Your Majesty!" The Prince of Ying greeted the Prince of Danyang with a fawning expression. He leaned on his cane and quickly stepped forward, smiling as he said, "Upon hearing the news, I immediately went to the palace to ask my sister-in-law to take charge of the situation!"
Upon hearing the King of Ying's words, the King of Danyang's expression relaxed slightly. After all, he trusted and felt at ease with his disabled younger brother.
"With the late Emperor gone, you, as princes and chief ministers, show no grief, yet are eager to wage war!" Xiao Yan frowned, staring directly at the Prince of Danyang and said sternly, "Do you think my Great Wu is already chaotic enough?"
"Your uncle, Marquis Yongping, is also under my control!" Seeing that the Prince of Danyang remained expressionless and seemed to ignore her words, Xiao Yan had no choice but to continue speaking helplessly.
When the Prince of Danyang heard that even his uncle, who had always doted on him, had been controlled by Xiao Yan, a look of tension finally appeared on his face.
Zhang Song, standing to the side, was dumbfounded, because he never expected that Xiao Yan not only controlled his family, but also grasped the Danyang King's weakness!
At this moment, an ominous premonition welled up in Zhang Song's heart. He finally realized that Xiao Yan's cunning was far deeper than he had imagined!
Compared to his direct confrontation with the Prince of Danyang, it seems that Xiao Yan is the one who has woven an incredible web behind the scenes!
"Your Majesty! What are your plans? Please speak plainly!" Zhang Song no longer concealed his intentions and asked directly.
"Your endless fighting is all for the throne after the late emperor's death, isn't it?" Xiao Yan sneered, then announced, "In that case, as the empress, I will represent the late emperor to summon all officials to court so that you can clarify your disputes face to face!"
Xiao Yan flicked her sleeves and walked straight out the door, while loudly ordering, "You two immediately change into plain clothes and come with me to court!"
The Jingyang Bell had already rung, and all the officials of Wudu would gather at the court upon hearing it. After exchanging a glance, the Prince of Danyang and Zhang Song could only obey!
"Welcome, Your Majesty the Empress!" In the court, the officials who had been waiting for a long time saw Xiao Yan dressed in plain clothes leading Prince Ying, Prince Danyang, and Zhang Song into the hall, and immediately bowed in greeting.
Xiao Yan walked solemnly up to the imperial platform and stood before the dragon throne. Without turning around, she spoke directly: "Distinguished officials! I have summoned you to court today for only one matter!"
"His Majesty has unfortunately passed away in Anguo!"
Most of the court officials were hearing this terrible news for the first time, and their shock was palpable.
In order to raise 100,000 cartloads of gold, Wu Kingdom had increased the tax burden on its people, and the officials were suffering greatly. However, they did not expect to receive such news in return!
However, the ministers of Wudu were merely shocked, showing little sadness or anger.
After all, Emperor Wu's fate can be said to be reaping what he sowed!
He was stubborn and refused to listen to the advice of his court officials, insisting on personally leading the army into battle! After the defeat, he refused to die for his country and chose to live a life of ignominy, which led to the Wu Kingdom's court being blackmailed by the An Kingdom!
In order to raise those 100,000 cartloads of gold, the entire Wu Kingdom paid a heavy price!
Now that Emperor Wu has passed away, it is actually a relief for the ministers of Wu, since they can simply establish a new ruler.