The Gilded Cage

In the nectar hall, after Chu Ning sent away the Wei's mother and daughter, he drank the newly boiled tonic, sweated a little, and wiped his body with a wet towel.

The maid who had sent people out of the palace before returned to the hall and stood outside the screen and said, "Your Highness, Mrs. Lu and Wei Xiaozi met the princess outside Jiafumen. They said that the princess was out today, and the dress seems to be abnormal. It's not right, the slave and maidservant will be notified when they come back."

Chu Ning was stunned, and she didn't know what the "abnormal" and "irrationality" were in her mouth, but she suddenly became nervous.

She is very clear in her heart that there will be some changes in the East Palace these few days, and Zhao Yu'e is going out at this time, and it is related to this. If Mrs. Xu and Guoer ran into something at this time, they might be affected.

She quickly weighed it for a moment, and at the same time she was sent to the imperial court, she personally selected more than a dozen strong servants and sent the palace to check the situation of Mrs. Xu's mother and daughter.

...

In the narrow alley near Chunming Gate, Zhao Yu'e in Jingchai's sarong looked at the mother and daughter who were shivering nervously in front of him, with grim expressions and no more smiles in disguise.

"His Royal Highness, what is this going to do?" Madam Xu pulled Guo'er behind her, her eyes turned around on the seven or eight people around, and asked vigilantly, "I am also Mrs. Lu, my family. The servant in, I just saw it just now, and will definitely bring people over soon..."

"Well, you don't need to be anxious." Zhao Yu'e frowned and interrupted her impatiently, "I just have something to ask, you tell the truth, I won't do anything."

Mrs. Xu did not speak, but stared at her.

"The saint... do you know everything?" Zhao Yu'e squinted her eyes and approached step by step, her eyes full of oppression, as if she wanted them to be unable to resist the flaws.

Mrs. Xu was born as an ordinary peasant woman. Naturally, she couldn't stand her stare, and she shook her head subconsciously: "No, no, I don't know what you are talking about..."

She did not know what Zhao Yu'e was referring to, but what she remembered in her heart was the collusion between the Zhao family and Donggong that Guoer had heard at the time. This appearance fell in Zhao Yu'e's eyes, and the meaning was very obvious.

"When did it happen?" Zhao Yu'e grabbed Mrs. Xu's wrist, with such force that the other party staggered, "Did it-the day of Shangyuan?"

Mrs. Xu was panicked, she really didn't know how to react, she just kept shaking her head, hesitated and couldn't speak, but she didn't forget to hold the fruit firmly in her hand.

Guo'er blushed his eyes, pinched the corner of his clothes, and his nose kept moving, but when he saw it, he suddenly mustered up the courage: "It's me, I heard... Your Majesty is going to do something bad. Your Majesty has known it long ago!"

"Guo'er!" Mrs. Xu was startled, and hurriedly reached out and covered her daughter's mouth to prevent her from speaking any more.

Zhao Yu'e was shocked and stared at her, her face pale and blue.

Sure enough, I knew it at that time. After counting time and months, the emperor must have been prepared, and what she and Xiao Yu are doing is not just throwing themselves into the net?

Just as they were in a trance, there was a sound of fast and messy footsteps from outside the originally clean narrow alleys around them. Then, more than a dozen powerful house servants surrounded them.

"His Royal Highness, please quickly let go of Mrs. Lu and Miss Wei!" The leader among them shouted sharply, showing no mercy.

Seeing someone coming, Guoer stood up straight, holding his mother with one hand, and pointing Zhao Yu'e with the other, and said, "His Royal Highness should confess the crime to your Majesty!"

Zhao Yu'e stared at her without saying a word, but she suddenly loosened Madam Xu's hand, and instead ridden on the cowl of the carriage, she was able to stabilize her figure.

The waiters were busy protecting the mother and daughter back, and then looked at Zhao Yu'e, who looked strangely.

During the confrontation, Zhao Yu'e seemed to suddenly make up his mind. She sneered, straightened her back, and boarded the carriage with her skirt, and said indifferently: "Okay, go back, go to Tai Chi Palace."

"Lady?" Chun Yan was startled, and hurriedly tugged at the hem of her sleeve.

Zhao Yu'e ignored her, but her eyes suddenly turned red.

"It's too late, I can only bet this is the last time..."

The matter was revealed, and there was no news from the elder brother in this month. I am afraid it was not to prevent the disclosure of secrets, but something happened long ago.

Xiao Yu couldn't be trusted anyway. At this time, she wanted to protect herself, so she could only choose to rebel...

...

In the Tai Chi Palace, Xiao Kezhi was staying in the Tai Chi Hall, and he summoned many courtiers from Zhongshu and Menxia Province to discuss the war with Beirong.

A few days ago, the DPRK had received news that Liu Jiping had returned from Ganzhou, stating that under the provocation of the Northern Rong cavalry, the Ganzhou army had sent troops to meet the emperor's previous will relentlessly.

The 80,000 left-behind Ganzhou Army came out, and now the fighting is fierce, and it's hard to get out of it.

As a result, the pressure on the teams stationed in Gyeonggi has increased sharply, and the large tracts of land in the south will not tolerate the slightest disturbance and chaos.

Everyone is interested in this, secretly praying that there will be no major incidents in the morning, but someone outside hurriedly reported: "Your Majesty, just now there was a message outside the Yongan Gate, saying that His Royal Highness is going to the Taiji Hall to see the Holy Supreme, to, to report the prince—— rebellion!"

When the voice fell, there was an uproar in the hall.

The newlyweds, who had been married for only a few days, brought the rebellion to the imperial court!

Liu Kang quickly asked the details of today's matter, and then quickly said clearly in Xiao Kezhi's ear.

"Well, since the report came to me, and all the qings are here again, let her come in."

Xiao Kezhi put down the tea cup in his hand and gave light instructions, and he didn't seem to be surprised by this.

Outside the hall, Zhao Yu'e of Jingchai's cloth skirt responded. Under the guidance of the servants, stepping into the door, knelt down in front of everyone, and said loudly: "Your Majesty, Yu Niang is here today to inform the prince. The prince intends to rebel. , Forcing me to conspiracy with the Zhao family, and want to take advantage of the time when the central government relaxes its vigilance, send troops in one fell swoop to take Gyeonggi and seek to win the throne!"

"What? The Zhao family?! Could it be the Bozhou Army?"

"The prince wanted to marry Zhao's daughter..."

...

Several highly respected ministers of Zhongshu Province looked embarrassed and bowed their heads in silence.

Among them, some of them, for the sake of the prince's identity and the deceased Chu Qianyu, were on the side of the East Palace in the bottom of their hearts. They were suddenly pierced today, and they all didn't know how to think about it.

One of them took a close look at Xiao Kezhi's face and said, "Your Majesty, it's about the East Palace, do you invite the prince into the palace immediately?

In fact, discussing matters in the Taiji Hall today, there should have been a share of the prince. It's just that he took leave in advance, saying that he would go to various gates to inspect, and this was the future.

Xiao Kezhi nodded: "Yes, the prince should tell the matter by himself, lest anyone say that he has been wronged."

When these words came out, everyone's expressions were different.

If this matter is not clarified in public, in the future discussions of others, the handwriting of the emperor will be indispensable.

Jin Jiang, who was guarding the gate of the palace, took the initiative to invite the prince, but Zhao Yue, who was kneeling on the ground, said loudly: "The general stays! At this moment, I am afraid that the prince is no longer in the city. If the general wants to find him, please go to the south of the city. Outside the Huamen, chase all the way south along the Qingming Canal, maybe you can catch up."

"This, the prince of Donggong went out of the city privately?!"

"Even the direction is clear, I'm afraid this matter is true!"

Amidst the discussion, the expressions of several veterans were already ugly to the extreme. After looking at each other, they got up one after another: "This matter can't be delayed. Please give your majesty an order to bring the prince back."

Xiao Kezhi rushed to Jin Jiang and said: "We are divided into two teams. While looking for government offices in the city, we will follow the words of the crown prince and go out of the city to search along the Qingming Canal. Once there is news, why don't you go with me?"

Everyone knew that the emperor was using them as witnesses to prove that the incident had nothing to do with him. It would be better to witness the prince's conspiracy with his own eyes.

...

Outside the Anhua Gate, Xiao Yu sat in the carriage, looking at the scorching sun above his head from time to time, agitated.

"It's already time, how can you pay for the future?"

This is where he and Zhao Yu'e decided to meet, but after waiting for two full moments, there was no trace of the carriage on the empty road.

Tian Shelang, who was wearing a hat, bare feet and carrying a burden, ran into the city from outside the city. He stopped when he saw that although he was thin and plainly dressed, he had a fair face and a handsome appearance. He seemed to be a wealthy child. Stepping down, while wiping the rain-like sweat on his dark face, he humbled his hand out, wanting to beg for saliva: "This gentleman is kind, can you reward the old man with half his saliva?"

His exposed skin has been tanned black and red by the scorching sun, and his gully-filled face has muddy eyes, staring at Xiao Yu's water sac beside the car motionless, his hoarse voice trembling from lack of water makes people tremble. .

The guard in disguise on the side was unbearable and wanted to give a few bites, so he couldn't help but cast his tentative eyes on Xu Rong.

Xu Rong had no time to take care of him, and was about to wave his hand as if he was invisible, but Xiao Yu frowned impatiently and said, "Go! Don't hang around here!"

The guard had to withdraw his hand to hand the old man's water bag, and motioned him to leave quickly with his eyes.

"If your Royal Highness waits in a hurry, you might as well get in the car first, so you don't get too much sun." Xu Rong was also sweaty when the sun was scorching.

"I always feel bad in my heart...nothing, she won't wait since she won't come." Xiao Yu seemed to have lost his patience and waved his hand to the car.

"His Royal Highness, is it the Crown Princess or General Zhao's sister--" Xu Rong hesitated, "His Royal Highness, don't worry, the Northern Army has been reporting on these days. The Ganzhou Army is being restrained, so if you think about it, there should be no mistakes... "

Having said that, no one can be sure.

"Well, I have decided. Without her, the Bozhou Army can only listen to me at this juncture. No longer, let's go!"

With that said, Xiao Yu simply put down the car curtain and urged to set off.

The guards looked at each other, and after a moment of silence, they mounted their horses and rushed all the way south.

Du Qu, south of Chang'an city.

In the countryside and plains, thousands of horses stationed here, but they have never built fences or erected flags. Only the heads of the sergeants wrapped in coarse cloth were wiped with yellow flower juice, which is especially bright and dazzling under the sun.

Xiao Yu walked all the way, and when he saw the situation in front of him, he finally breathed a sigh of relief-this was the Bozhou army who had arrived first!

He got off the car personally, and without waiting for the guards to go ahead, he went straight to the vicinity of the camp.

The lieutenants had already spotted them, and someone was welcoming them at this time. It’s just that the person who came here was not the one Xiao Yu had expected. He had handed over with him earlier. He was a tall and sturdy man with a blank expression and a full face. He was nearly forty years old, holding a cold gleaming knife in his hand. It makes people tremble behind.

"Where is General Zhao? But he hasn't arrived yet?" Xiao Yu closed his eyes loosely, looking at the strange sergeant in front of him, frowning and asking.

The man ignored him, only raised his chin: "Are you the prince?"

Xiao Yu paused, stood still and did not speak, only squinted at him.

"I will be you." When the man saw that he was silent, he didn't ask, but suddenly turned around and shouted at everyone behind him, "Come here, catch him!"