freenovelworld Chapter 206 What does it mean that the family of the Duke of Zhenguo disappeared without a trace?
Chapter 206 What does it mean that the family of the Duke of Zhenguo disappeared without a trace?
Xiao Yunxiu looked at Yu Tan who was tied up and smiled kindly, "Eunuch Yu is a smart man, and smart people will naturally make choices."
"Prince Xiu, you are committing treason..."
As soon as he pulled off the rag blocking his mouth, Yu Tan started cursing and was kicked out by Xiao Yunxiu.
"I thought he was a smart guy, but I didn't expect him to be so stupid."
Xiao Yunxiu kicked the man so hard that he vomited blood. He waved his hand and had Yu Tan dragged away. He said to the remaining followers around him, "Go to the side hall and ask. I don't believe that there are no people who cherish their lives."
Yu Tan was thrown into a side hall. The people serving inside were so scared that they whimpered and huddled together, fearing that they would be caught. The next moment, they looked like Yu Tan.
All the eunuchs now hid in a group, except Xiao Linzi, who came to Yu Tan's side, lay on the ground to check his injuries, and was buzzing in his mouth as if he wanted to say something.
"It's you, take him away." The attendant stepped forward to grab the man, "If you cooperate with His Highness, His Highness may give you some medicine for your injuries, otherwise you will end up like him."
Xiao Linzi shrank his body and nodded from time to time to show that he would definitely cooperate.
"Your Highness, the person has been brought here." He threw Xiao Linzi to the ground with his own hands.
Xiao Linzi fell to the ground and said, "I am willing to obey your orders, Your Highness."
Xiao Yunxiu lowered his eyes and looked at Xiao Linzi. Xiao Linzi was Yu Tan's godson and had face in front of the emperor. He could go there and "It has to be Eunuch Lin who knows the situation."
"I will definitely follow your Highness' instructions. Please spare my godfather's life."
"Eunuch Lin is indeed filial. Aren't you afraid of disobeying your godfather? Your godfather resents you."
"My godfather is old and conservative, so I have no comment, but I am willing to try to gain a better future."
"Okay, okay, I like smart people like Eunuch Lin," Xiao Yunxiu was pleased with these words, and even his expression relaxed a lot. "Then I'll trouble Eunuch Lin to pass on the imperial decree to Yong'an Marquis' Mansion to invite He Yuncheng to the palace to meet the emperor."
"Oh! No, she went to invite the wife of Marquis Yong'an to the palace and told her that Imperial Concubine Lan wanted to see her."
Xiao Yunxiu knew that as long as the wife of the Marquis of Yong'an entered the palace, He Yuncheng would naturally follow. Not only did he want to capture He Yuncheng, he could also use the wife of the Marquis of Yong'an to force the emperor to submit.
"I obey your command," Xiao Linzi knelt down and kowtowed respectfully, then changed into clean clothes and followed the people arranged by Xiao Yunxiu out of the palace to the Yong'an Marquis Mansion.
He Yuncheng heard the conversation between Xiao Yunxiu and the emperor in the side hall and was still filled with disbelief. If the emperor was telling the truth, then he and Xiao Yunjin were both the emperor's sons.
In order to allow the child born to Marquis Yong'an's wife to enter the palace, the emperor exchanged him with Xiao Yunjin. No wonder no matter how hard he tried to please Marquis Yong'an's wife when he was young, she refused to leave the temple and even refused to be a mistress, which resulted in him being treated worse than the third and seventh wives at times.
But there is still a contradiction in this matter. Judging from the emperor's tone just now, it seems that he doesn't know Xiao Yunjin's identity at all. The handkerchief was given to him by Su Muxi, which means that it was not delivered to the emperor.
He would not mistake the handwriting on the brocade handkerchief; it was indeed the Marquis's wife's.
There is only one possibility, that is, Duke Anguo and Marquis Yongan conspired to conceal Xiao Yunjin's identity.
The children are all Marquis Yong'an's, so he has a motive to do this. Then what is the motive of Duke Anguo?
Yong'an Hou had something against him. What was that? Was it related to the sudden death of old lady An?
He Yuncheng felt like he had shot himself in the foot. After all, if he was not in a hurry to exchange identities with Xiao Yunjin, he would not be in any danger now. Once Xiao Yunxiu's crime of treason was confirmed tomorrow, he would be supported by Duke Anguo to become the new emperor and compete with Xiao Yunxiu.
When He Yuncheng was thinking about what to do, Xiao Yunxiu came and kicked him, saying proudly: "Xiao Yunjin, you heard everything, didn't you!"
"How pitiful! Prince Jin, the son-in-law of Prince Huaiyang, seems to be in great glory, but in fact he is making wedding clothes for others."
Because of Xiao Yunxiu's jealousy, He Yuncheng was fed the most poison. Now he was kicked in the chest, which was heartbreaking. "I am a victim now. What's the point of you hitting me?"
He Yuncheng raised his head abruptly, his eyes filled with resentment, "It's so easy to be the son-in-law of the Prince of Huaiyang. I have experienced so many assassinations and assassinations since I was a child, but in the end, I suffered for being a human being. The emperor used me to help He Yuncheng gain a future. If he succeeds, he will be the prince. If he fails, I will die for him."
"Prince Xiu, how about I cooperate with you?" He Yuncheng replaced himself with Xiao Yunjin's role. Anyway, he could switch between the two roles at will.
"Anyway, I don't even have an identity now. You tell me what to do and I'll cooperate with you. Whether it's pretending to be He Yuncheng, confusing the Duke of Anguo or the Marquis of Yong'an, obtaining an imperial edict, or something else? As long as I can get revenge, I'll obey your orders."
Xiao Yunxiu felt satisfied when he saw his angry expression, "This king likes smart people."
"Come here," Xiao Yunxiu raised his hand to call his attendants, "First give King Jin an antidote, and then help him to rest on the brocade couch."
The palace was in chaos, and the empress and concubines were all arrested. These people were all used to threaten the emperor to write an imperial edict to pass on the throne.
While Xiao Yunxiu was still trying to force the emperor to write an imperial edict, Xiao Linzi had already arrived at the residence of Marquis Yong'an.
Marquis Yong'an was not at home, so the Emperor invited his wife. Even though people in the palace were talking about it, no one thought that Xiao Linzi was faking the imperial edict.
Xiao Yunjin was not in this category. Xiao Linzi was his man and he knew something was wrong with just one look. He listened to the instructions calmly and then declared that he would follow the Marquis's wife into the palace.
The palace was in chaos and no one knew about it. The huge funeral procession did not know that the entire capital's defenses had been replaced until they returned to the capital.
When these ministers returned home, their family members had already been taken under control of the army.
It was unknown what had stimulated Xiao Yunxiu, but he not only took control of the imperial guards of the capital, but also let in an army of 100,000 men led by Marquis Jian'an into the capital, and arranged a grand plan to capture a turtle in a jar.
People in the capital were in a panic and the common people were so scared that they stayed indoors.
"What do you mean the Duke of Zhenguo and his family disappeared without a trace?" Xiao Yunxiu sat on the dragon throne, on the dragon desk where the emperor handled official documents on a daily basis. He looked like an emperor, and questioned the attendant who brought the news in a deep voice.
He found the imperial seal and the imperial edict of succession was also stamped with the seal. He only needed to go to court tomorrow, and he would be the emperor.
"According to your instructions, we did not deploy defenses in the princess's mansion, but kept the Duke of Zhenguo and the princess under close surveillance. However, the spies reported that no one from the Duke of Zhenguo's family, including Princess Anping, entered the mansion."
Everyone was doing well except him. The person who reported the news was very frightened. "The informant from the Anguo Duke didn't see the Zhenguo Duke's family either."
After hearing this, Xiao Yunxiu did not make things difficult for the person who brought the news. Instead, he waved his hand and let the person go.
Soon, Marquis Jian'an came in. His beloved daughter was beheaded. He had escaped and barely managed to save his life. Now he only wanted revenge.
He had already thought it through. After the matter was accomplished, he would find Zhao Siyu and give her to Xiao Yunxiu as the queen. Their relationship must be stable, so he came here to ask for the imperial edict.
He looked at Xiao Yunxiu lost in thought with disdain, but he acted as if he had stayed out of it when his beloved daughter was in trouble. Now that the entire capital city is under his control, he is still worrying about a little woman. It is really a waste of time.
"Even if she noticed something and ran away, what can we do? Now the entire capital is under our control, Your Majesty, why should you worry?"
"There are more than 300,000 soldiers in the northwest and the geographical location is good. It's time to let the tiger return to the mountains," Xiao Yunxiu felt that judging from Su Muxi's recent performance, he was eager for quick success and was obviously after power.
He was afraid that without the Duke of Zhenguo's men under his command, the Duke of Zhenguo would raise an army and establish his own regime.
"Have someone pay close attention to the northwest's movements," Xiao Yunxiu thought for a moment and then said, "Also, have someone at the border defense camp pay close attention to any movements they make."
"Yes, I will pay attention to it," Marquis Jian'an seemed respectful, but in fact he even omitted the title. They were now grasshoppers tied together. He thought that if Su Muxi could become a powerful princess, then could he also be a prince?
Zhao Siyu and he were not of the same mind. Rather than relying on a woman as a bond, it would be better for him to have power himself. He had no other demands. He thought the fiefdom of King Huaiyang was good enough.