Chapter 567: Stay out of it? The soldiers from Prince Mu's Mansion arrive!
Chapter 567: Stay out of it? The soldiers from Prince Mu's Mansion arrive! (Seeking guaranteed monthly tickets)
Prince Huaian sat on the armchair, the bright candlelight in the room shone on his plump face, which was slightly flushed with anger.
This wealthy prince stared at Zhao Duan.
It was obvious that this was his home ground, and there were so many masters from the palace surrounding him.
But he felt like a turtle caught in a jar by Zhao Du'an, trapped in the inner hall, and felt powerless in his heart.
With the intelligence capabilities of the Huai'an Palace, he certainly recognized the identities of several people around Zhao Duan.
There are five people in the secular realm, which is a force that can flatten the entire palace.
Therefore, even though Zhao Duan's scheme caused the palace to suffer Xu Jingtang's wrath, he still did not dare to give the order to take action.
I can only stare at each other angrily!
Zhao Duan smiled and said:
"Your Highness, what you said is not right. That day in Yongjia City, I wanted to ask Manager Feng to help transport military supplies to Linfeng, but Manager Feng refused on behalf of the Huai Palace and insisted on showing goodwill to me.
I just gave the prince a chance with great reluctance, why do you blame me now?"
He sat on the cold stone pier, his right hand always pinching the princess's slender white neck
——In fact, this action is not a threat.
Based on the feedback from his divine senses and relying on his sharp perception as a warrior, he has determined that although there are many guards around the palace, there are very few experts among them.
It poses no threat at all.
Rather than saying that he was using the princess to coerce Prince Huai, it would be more accurate to say that he was taking care of Prince Huai's face.
If he doesn't even detain the hostages, it would be too humiliating for the prince to compromise with him.
King Huai'an took a deep breath, suppressed the bitterness in his heart, and said in a deep voice:
"No need to waste time talking nonsense. I have no intention of getting entangled with you about the affairs of Yongjia City. Let's be frank. What is the purpose of the governor visiting you so late at night?"
Zhao Duan raised the corner of his mouth:
"Why does Your Majesty pretend to be ignorant? Now that the imperial army is marching south, the Yunfu rebels are about to be defeated. According to the fact that the Huai Palace is colluding with the rebels, according to the law, the palace should be confiscated and executed..."
When these words were spoken, almost everyone in the courtyard changed their expressions.
The princess who was kneeling on the ground trembled even more!
"but……"
Zhao Duan changed the subject and said with a smile:
"Fortunately, the prince did not start a rebellion in this chaos, and he also made a contribution when the lake pavilion opened the market.
Today, as the Grand Commander, I can give you a chance. As long as you are willing to lead the palace and serve the court like Zhao Shixiong, I promise to give you a lenient sentence!"
Direct showdown!
He just wants to win over the power of Huai'an Palace!
When in the capital, Zhao Duan originally wanted to start with the Peng family behind Peng Wenliang, but since he failed, he simply chose the Huai Palace.
He believed that no matter how weak the King of Huai was, after years of operation, his tentacles must have penetrated deeply into the Huai River area!
This can be seen from the fact that Feng Xiaolian was able to know that he had infiltrated Yongjia.
Once the Prince of Huai is brought under his command, on the one hand, he can use his status as a local boss to help pacify Xu Jingtang.
In addition, it will be of great help in dealing with Prince Jing who is entrenched on the eastern line of the Huai River!
Of course, in addition to this, there is a greater purpose, which is...
Differentiation!
If we can accept Prince Huai, we can disintegrate the "Eight Kings Alliance" to a certain extent!
This undoubtedly plays a huge strategic role in the overall situation.
"Father--"
Inside the hall, when Prince Xu Qian heard this, he couldn't help but turn his head to look at Prince Huai'an. He was a little tempted.
King Huai'an showed no surprise and asked calmly:
"You want me to help the court suppress the rebellion? Are you so sure that Xu Jingtang will fail?"
Zhao Duan smiled confidently:
"Zhao Shixiong has rebelled, half of the Yunfu army is destroyed, and Xu Jingtang is about to die. Your Majesty, can't you see this?
Ha, I want to remind you, Your Highness, that the imperial army is approaching Jingchuan. If you negotiate with me now, you can still negotiate a price. If you wait until the imperial army occupies Jingchuan, Your Highness may not have the opportunity to surrender. "
Jin Jian suddenly glanced at him and felt that the words sounded familiar...
"Father, he is right..." Prince Xu Qian said in a low voice.
"Shut up!" King Huai'an glared at his stupid son, staring at Zhao Duan with a stern face:
"From the beginning to the end, this prince never intended to get involved in the struggle for imperial power. All he did was to protect himself."
He didn't want to nod!
Although the current situation on the western front is indeed extremely unfavorable to the Yunfu Army.
but……
Prince Huai'an saw it more clearly.
If he surrendered to the court, he would not only offend Xu Jingtang, but also betray the entire "Eight Kings Alliance"!
This means.
If the empress was defeated in the dispute that engulfed the entire Great Yu Dynasty, then no matter who finally ascended the throne, even if it was not Prince Mu but Prince Jing...
Anyone who betrays the alliance will surely die without a burial place.
So, on the surface, Zhao Duan asked him to choose between the court and King Mu.
In fact, it was forcing him to finally place the bet!
He is no longer allowed to bet on multiple parties and be a fence-sitter, but must stand firmly on the side of the empress!
Although the imperial court has won several battles in a row, if we look at the entire chessboard of the Dayu Dynasty.
The empress is still at a disadvantage!
How could he be willing to gamble his life and fortune before the outcome of the game became clear?
Xu An still remembers that when he was a child, his grandfather took him to a gambling house in the clan and stayed there for 21 days.
Not allowed to sit at the table, just watch.
Watch the ugly behavior of those gamblers at the gambling table, their ecstasy when they win money for a short period of time, and their reluctance and loss of composure when they lose money.
Watching one person after another lose all their property, kneeling like a dog in front of the gambling house to beg, and some even tied up their wives and daughters and bet them on the gambling table, hoping for a last-ditch comeback...
Young Xu An clearly remembers the principles his grandfather taught him at that time:
In a casino, the only way to avoid losing is not to go to the gambling table.
Later, when he was a teenager, he read through history books and read political events from all dynasties. After reading them over and over again, he only found two words between the cracks in the paper:
gambling!
"No one can always win. No matter which prince or empress you bet on, there is a risk of losing everything. So if you want to be safe, you can't go to the gambling table."
This is Xu An’s firm belief.
Moreover, as the King of Huai'an, he has always had the capital to avoid going to the gambling table.
Therefore, when the empress gradually took control of the court, he was the first prince to send his daughter to the capital to find out the situation.
He is also the only prince in Hu Ting who shows goodwill towards the imperial court.
Therefore, even when Prince Jing and Prince Mu came to exploit him and divided up his territory on the Huai River, he gave in without a word.
I would rather cut my losses than go to the gambling table.
Until today, he had nowhere to retreat, and Zhao Duan blocked him at the door!
……
"Self-protection?"
Zhao Duan seemed to have heard a huge joke.
He suddenly burst into laughter, laughing so hard that he fell backwards and laughed so unrestrainedly, as if he was laughing so hard that tears were about to come out!
In the tense inner courtyard of the palace, only his laughter echoed.
at last……
Zhao Duan stopped smiling, and stood up, looking down at Xu An in the armchair with pity, sneering:
"It is said that Prince Huai is a wise man who appears foolish, and is a good money-maker. I also think you are a smart man, so how come at this moment, you still say something as naive as 'stay out of it'?"
His face turned completely cold:
"I am willing to talk to you and persuade you to surrender because of the princess's face, but if the prince does not know what is good for him, then I am sorry. In order to prevent you from revealing our whereabouts tonight, I will have to ask you to die."
While speaking, he clenched his right hand. Xu Junling, who was being strangled by the neck, felt difficulty breathing and her face turned red! She looked up in disbelief, as if trying to see Zhao Duan's true intentions.
At this moment, she once again recalled the fear she had felt when she was dominated by the man of her sister, the Empress, on the Misty Lake!
Is he really going to kill me, or is he just bluffing? !
"Father——"
When Prince Xu Qian saw his sister in danger, he became anxious and suddenly lowered his voice, anxiously pleading with his father beside him:
"Father, please pretend to agree with him first. It won't be too late to regret it after you save my sister..."
Zhao Duan frowned and glanced at the idiot prince:
“Don’t you know, my lord, that for a warrior in the worldly realm, even if he lowers his voice, I can still hear him clearly?”
"..."Xu Qian's face froze and his expression was blank.
Prince Huai'an was so angry at his stupid son that his liver ached and his face changed.
Outside the hall, Feng Xiaolian and other palace guards were so nervous that they forgot to breathe, waiting for the prince's order to go to war!
Just at this moment.
suddenly.
The nun's jade sleeves and ears moved, and her expression changed slightly behind her veil.
She moved her lips slightly, and said something to Zhao Duan using the method of "transmitting sound into secret".
Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, then he suddenly stared at Xu An coldly and said sternly:
"How dare you tip off?!"
Prince Huai'an was stunned. Not only him, but everyone present was bewildered.
"Captain Zhao, please calm down first. Is there any misunderstanding?"
Feng Xiaolian was well aware of the terrifying strength of Zhao Duan and his group.
I don't want to start a war, but I'm speaking up now.
Zhao Duan sneered and said, "A group of Yunfu rebel masters are heading here, don't you know?"
what?
Yunfu rebels? Xu Jingtang's men are coming?
The plump face of Prince Huai'an first showed surprise, and then he seemed to have thought of something, and his expression became even uglier.
Prince Xu Qian looked at him blankly: "Father, who are you shaking?"
idiot!
Xu An's vision went dark.
Zhao Duan's expression suddenly became strange:
“It seems that the prince doesn’t know either. That’s interesting. Apart from me, why would any expert from Prince Mu’s mansion come to visit so late at night?
Speaking of which, I was surprised just now. I had just sneaked into the palace not long ago. Although I made a little noise, it was not enough for the masters in the palace to react so quickly. As soon as I came over, they surrounded me and others, as if they were ambushing...
It seems like... preparing early, always on the alert for someone's arrival...
Hey, Shopkeeper Feng, you guys are not lying in ambush here to guard against the people from Prince Mu's Mansion, are you?"
Feng Xiaolian remained silent!
At this time, Princess Xu Junling, who was being strangled by the neck, stood up little by little. While Zhao Duan was relaxing his hand, he gasped twice and said:
"Zhao Duan, maybe you can wait and see what the other party is up to. Even if you are very strong, it will be difficult to kill everyone in a short period of time without alerting the newcomers... You have me as a hostage..."
"You?" Zhao Duan glanced at her with a smile.
Given the current situation, even a fool would know that something is wrong, and it is impossible for him to evacuate temporarily.
As for letting Zhong Pan kill him...
If we take action outside, there is a chance that some people may escape, which will alert the enemy and affect tonight's operations.
Instead of doing this, it is better to let the people in first and then act accordingly.
As his thoughts flashed, he suddenly turned his head and looked at the jade sleeves and the golden tablet:
"Is there any way to hide us?"
Yuxiu frowned, and Jin Jian suddenly stood up proudly to A again and said:
"Look at me!"
After saying this, the mysterious young priestess, who looked like a night elf in the darkness, raised her staff and tapped several people in turn.
Every time it was clicked, the golden eye on top of the staff blinked, and Zhao Duan was surprised to find that the starlight around several people on his side suddenly twisted like ripples.
Immediately, Lang Shiba and Ji Yue were the first to be erased little by little by an invisible eraser and disappeared into the cold night!
But if you look closely, you can still see some outlines.
Then there are the jade sleeves!
"Jin Jian is cultivating the Star and Moon God. It is night now and we are all shrouded in the light of the stars and the moon. She only needs to distort the starlight on us to make it impossible for others to detect our existence. Well, it is similar to a kind of invisibility technique...
However, if your cultivation level is much higher than hers, it will be easy to be detected...Move quickly to the shadows where the firelight cannot reach, so that you can be completely invisible and the golden tablet cannot distort the firelight..."
Yuxiu's voice echoed in several people's minds.
The nun's body disappeared as she walked towards the darkness of the courtyard, and soon the last bit of the outline of her body disappeared.
Damn...Jin Jian, you are such a treasure girl. Why didn't you tell me earlier that you have such a talent...
Yes, no wonder you were able to sneak into my room and watch me take a shower when we first met...
Zhao Duan was surprised and happy, and looked at Jin Jian with admiration!
At the same time, the starlight around him and Xu Junling was also distorted. He immediately pulled the bewildered princess aside to avoid the firelight reflected in the inner hall.
Finally, when Jin Jian also wiped out his figure, several people disappeared in full view of everyone!
……
"Father——my sisters..."
Prince Xu Qian was horrified and couldn't help but look at his father again.
King Huai'an's face twitched and his head hurt from his shouting, but with his knowledge, he could guess that Zhao Duan and his group had used magic to hide, and most likely did not leave.
Take a deep breath.
King Huai'an suppressed his confused thoughts and waved towards Feng Xiaolian and others.
A large group of masters from the palace understood what was meant, and retreated silently like the tide again, hiding in the darkness. Even the archers in the distance lay dormant.
In the blink of an eye, the place was empty again with only the father and son left.
But in reality, there were hundreds of people hiding densely around...
"Don't make a sound. If you scream, I will kill you even if we have been friends before."
Zhao Duan, who was in invisible state, put his lips close to the princess's ear and spoke in a very low voice.
Because they are connected, they can still see each other.
Xu Junling's delicate earlobe turned visibly red from his hot breath. She pursed her lips tightly and nodded vigorously to show that she would not scream.
Only then did Zhao Duan raise his head and look forward.
At this time, there was a noisy sound coming from the direction of the palace gate, and it seemed that many people had arrived.
Then, the door was forcibly opened, accompanied by the exclamations of servants in the outer courtyard of the palace and the screams of maids.
Soon, a group of about a hundred elite soldiers, holding torches and sharp knives and wearing the armor of Yunfu rebels, rushed into the inner courtyard with murderous intent.
Leading the group was a tall and thin man wearing a cloak.
It was the embroidered robe from Prince Mu’s mansion that pointed directly at the leader.
now.
He looked at Prince Huai'an who was sitting in the inner hall, was stunned for a moment, and suddenly smiled and said, "Prince Huai, are you waiting for me?"
(End of this chapter)