C111

The weather grew warmer with each passing day, and it was also a good year. The early rice in the south had already begun to ripen. The people did not care about the affairs of the country, and only focused on their hard work.

For some reason, they suddenly turned back with great fanfare, and quickly gathered two hundred thousand rebels, who were attacking from the northwest towards Jincheng. These years, the Carefree King had been rather low key in his actions, and suddenly raised the flag against them, which truly surprised many of the people who lived like princes.

Fortunately, although the current emperor is a bit softhearted and benevolent, he isn't an ignorant person. All these years, he had understood that the Carefree King had grievances within him, so the cities of Ping City, An City, and Dingcheng City in the northwest direction were extremely stable.

Of course, after so many years of peace, both the soldiers and the soldiers were somewhat relaxed. As a result, the rebel army took over Ping City in a few days. An City was prepared, but it could still be maintained temporarily with the city's support.

However, according to the report of the war, King Xiao Yao and Xi Qi seemed to have colluded with each other. If the Xi Qi sent troops to help, the situation would become even more complicated and hard to grasp, so An Cheng needed more reinforcements.

When civil strife arose, the country would be in trouble, and the emperor would no longer be able to immerse himself in the grief of losing his son. He would only be able to drag his sick body up to court day after day, and the voices of the court officials would also not be unified, with half of them supporting the use of force to subdue the Carefree King. The Carefree King was not a bandit, so how could he lift the flag so easily? He had no other choice but to go all the way. How could he just retreat after negotiating a condition?

"Aunt, I heard that your Phoenix body defied the rules and I've come to visit." He looked to be around seventeen or eighteen years old. Although his facial features were exquisite, his face was rosy, and his expression and actions were extremely calm.

"Hua'er, no need to be so polite. Sit down and talk." Empress Duanmu looked slightly haggard as she spoke, waving for the palace servants to leave, leaving behind only Su mama.

Duanmu Hua elegantly lifted up his clothes as he obediently sat down, saying with concern in his voice, "Aunt's complexion is still not good. You need to rest more, don't work too hard."

"How could I not? Your aunt has lived her entire life for the sake of the Duanmu family." The empress smiled wryly.

Duanmu Hua lowered his gaze and asked, "Does Aunt have any instructions for me to enter the palace?" Aunt has worked hard for the Duanmu family. If there is anything Aunt can tell this nephew to do, please do so. "

"Yes, I've always seen you wake up much more than your brother. That's why I'm entrusting such an important matter to you. Don't disappoint your aunt." The Queen said earnestly.

"Yes!" This nephew will listen to his aunt. "

"Hmm, what's the situation in the northwest direction?"

"King Xiaoyao must have been prepared for this. His attacks were fierce, and he seems to have broken through three cities in a row and charged into the West River."

"Mm, I'm about to recommend your father to lead the troops to settle the conflict. When that happens, you should go along with me and perform well so that I can earn some military merits in order to arrange a job for you."

"Father and nephew are leading the troops to settle the conflict?" Duanmu Hua was puzzled and asked, "Isn't there still Old General Hong and his son, General Wei and General Zheng, these experienced generals? How can it be my father and me?"

Your father was born into the military, and Old General Hong was still guarding in the south. Hong Zilong was the commander of Jincheng's Imperial Guards, and Wei Cheng and Zheng Yong were both from Qian Yulian's army. I will think of a way to convince the emperor that at a time like this, the emperor will not hand the military over to Qian Yulian.

"Aunty said it was. If the emperor really does send his father and nephew to lead troops to support us, how will we fight this battle?" "I heard that the two hundred thousand soldiers of the Carefree King are all elite soldiers. If there's still Xi Qizi's help, then we …"

"What is it? Are you scared? "

"No, your nephew is not a person who fears death. Your nephew is just …"

Duanmu Hua wanted to express his determination, but the empress cut him off, "This battle, whether you win or lose isn't the key point. The key point is that we can use this to gain the authority of two hundred thousand soldiers.

Duanmu Hua's eyes turned as he nodded his head, "This nephew understands!"

I don't know if he's acting or not, but once he's spirited enough, this military might fall into his hands. So, when you go back and explain to your father what I mean, hurry up and act.

"Yes sir!"

"Oh right, I heard that many people in Jincheng are talking about how the crown prince and the Duke of Qin were secretly assassinated by someone sent by the King of Carefree. Is that true?"

"Yes. Originally, many people thought that Imperial Concubine Lian and Duke Ming were the culprits, but when King Xiaoyao turned against him, the rumors that he was the culprit grew louder and louder. It seems like there are also people secretly pushing public opinion towards King Xiaoyao."

"Hmph, it must have been Qian Yulian's men who did it, she sure knows how to seize the opportunity, this Carefree King really did it, but I've chosen such a time to turn it around, I could have used the public opinion to make the emperor suspect Qian Yulian and her son. Now it seems that the emperor's heart has softened, and he's already concerned about Duke Ming's illness a lot."

"No matter what, Duke Ming is still the only successor. How could the Emperor ignore him? In this nephew's opinion, the military power of the Jin City's hundred thousand imperial guards seems to be more useful." Duanmu Hua suddenly switched the topic back to military matters.

The empress didn't refute him, but raised her eyebrows and asked, "What do you mean?"

In ten days, the city wall will be more solid, and even if they want to stay in the city for half a month, it would be impossible to take down three cities. Even if they manage to take down three cities in three months or half a year, with their current military strength, it would be impossible for them to do so. Even if they manage to get their hands on three cities, the river waters of the West River is rather rapid, the river surface is very broad, and the total military strength of Jincheng City is still around seven to eight hundred thousand.

"Your analysis is very likely, but what does it have to do with us gaining military power?"

Duanmu Hua smiled slightly and said, "Could it be that aunt will really wait for Duke Ming to ascend to the throne?" "By then, if he wants to attack our Duanmu Family, even if we have two hundred thousand soldiers, so what?"

"What do you mean?" The empress's eyes lit up. She hadn't misjudged this nephew of hers. He was intelligent and ambitious.

"Can't our Duanmu Family do what the Carefree King can?" Duanmu Hua lowered his voice.

The empress frowned and hesitated for a while before shaking her head. "You're not allowed to say that in the future. Let's … We do not have the strength yet, if we are not careful, our entire family will suffer a calamity. "

"Then aunty still wants me to go with father?"

"Yes."

"Aunt, Prince Xiao Yao came looking for me." Duanmu Hua hesitated for a moment before replying.

"Oh? What did he want to talk to you about? "

"What else could it be? It is naturally to win us over."

"Then what's your attitude?"

"If it was in the past, when the Crown Prince's cousin was here, this nephew would naturally not have any thoughts, but now that the cousin is no longer here, even the Duke of Qin is no longer here. Aunt's position in the palace is in danger, and although our Duanmu family still has some people, we're all out here, so we won't be able to take care of Aunt …"

"Don't beat around the bush. You can just tell Aunty whatever you want to say. Aunty, what hope do you have now? It's all for the sake of the Duanmu family." The Queen closed her eyes. None of the paths in front of her were clear and bright, but she still had to choose. She had to keep walking.

"Uncle said that we are subjects anyway, so it doesn't matter who we are. We're just changing masters."

"Heh, your uncle is right, but if you don't do it well, then who will take the blame for the past and the future? And will a new owner be stronger than before? " The empress disapproved of his thoughts and sneered. Men could be his subjects, but she was nothing.

Duanmu Hua was willing to go for broke, "That's why nephew said that we might as well be our own masters if all of these paths fail."

"You!" The empress suddenly sighed. "Forget it, I don't want to talk about this now. You guys pay more attention to the situation in the northwest, cooperate with me to take over the military before you speak of anything else. Take my words to your father and uncle so that they won't look at me and think of a way out for themselves after I lose my son."

"Yes!" Aunty's consideration should be thorough. Little Nephew only dares to spout nonsense like Aunty and Mother. Aunt, please don't be angry. Father and the rest are all acting according to Aunty's instructions. "

"Yes, among the juniors, aunty loves you the most. No matter what you think, Aunt will not blame you. However, no matter what you think, you have to think it over again." Yes, among the juniors, aunty loves you the most. The Queen sighed.

"This nephew will remember Aunt's instructions!"

"Go down! "By the way, let's take advantage of the rumors and not let Qian Yulian get away with it. It doesn't matter if it's her or not, we have to let her take the blame for something that would benefit us."

"Yes, this nephew understands!"

"En, go on! I have already instructed you that you can come and greet us at any time from now on. " Visiting the patient and paying respects were naturally all done for the sake of others. The truth was that the current situation was too tense, so she had to maintain close contact with the Duanmu family.

The crown prince had been assassinated, the diligent king had fallen off the cliff, and Xiao Yao's rebellion had all come together, like a series of thunderclaps on a sunny day, destroying many people's plans. Lu Shixun was currently deep in thought, although he had expected that there would be internal strife in Bei Heng, he did not expect it to happen so quickly.

What should he do? To add fuel to the flames in the raging war in Bei Heng? Perhaps he could. If he could persuade his royal brother to fight against Bei Heng at this time, the happy Emperor would easily be moved by him. What would happen to Bei Heng if he was attacked on both sides?

Lu Shixun carefully analyzed the situation. Although the Carefree King had come prepared, the generals of Bei Heng still had some strength. It wouldn't be easy for him to seize power from all sides, but he could still occupy the north of the West River.

Of course, they were neighbouring countries, it would be even harder to seize power, but what if they could only occupy the city south of the Wei River? Even if it was just a river, he would still be able to obtain many benefits. This kind of obvious situation would definitely move his royal brother, and it would be best if he could find someone to persuade him to take the throne, then he would have the chance to seize power.

Looking at the beautiful scenery outside the window, Lu Shixun had a faint smile on his face. He could finally return to his home, Lu Shiyun didn't know what was going on, so he sent people to persuade her to come to Jiangnan a few times and had already arranged the house for her, but she still didn't have a definite answer. What was the meaning of wasting time in the palace now, it was completely a waste of time.

However, he did not know that at the same time he made up his mind to return, Lu Shiyun had also made up her mind.

"Princess, we're leaving tonight. Are we really going to only bring this little thing?" Inside the quiet and elegant room, there was a faint fragrance. Lu Shiyun was still holding a book and quietly reading it while Ina ran in and out, feeling that she did not have enough things with her.

"Didn't Imperial Brother prepare a lot of silver notes for us?" We were just sneakily leaving the palace, do you want to take all of the flower vase and bedding with you? " Lu Shiyun's voice was soft and gentle, making it hard to guess her mood.

Looking at the exquisite items that she was still reluctant to part with, Yi Ling walked in with a plate of dessert and placed it on the table beside Lu Shiyun. She said to Yi Na, "Stop looking, those things are all pretty and useless. We just need to bring along some gold, silver, jewelry, and banknotes.

With that, he turned to Lu Shiyun and said, "Princess, don't read any more books. This dessert is your favorite, only found in the Northern Hengyuan Palace. I saw that there wouldn't be any more chances to eat it in the future, so I went to get some."

"Yes." Lu Shiyun immediately ate a piece. It melted in her mouth and wasn't too sweet. It was indeed a very tasty rice cake that suited her taste very well, "You guys can have it too."

"Princess, where do you want to go? "Why don't you tell us now?" Ina asked as she took a piece of dessert.

Lu Shiyun put down her book, looked at the slightly flickering Candle and smiled, "It's not that I can't tell you, I know that Imperial Brother wants me to go to Jiangnan, but I want to go to the Medicine Valley."

"Medicine Valley? "What is that place?" Ina asked, puzzled.

However, Yi Ling's expression changed slightly. "The ordinary people in the Medicine Valley can't find the right location, can they? And in the depths of the mountains, the road is definitely not easy to tread.

Lu Shiyun's long eyelashes fluttered a little, but she couldn't say it. She seemed to have considered this decision for a long time, "Anyway, we have nothing to do, so let's just treat it as sightseeing. It's also good to walk around."

"Right!" "No matter where we go, it's still better than being stuck in this palace. After all, after everything that has happened, we don't know what will happen in the future, and will always be like outsiders. With His Highness gone, all the servants in the palace will be waiting patiently. Ina would not think as much as Iling, as long as there was something new.

Seeing Lu Shiyun pick up the book again, she advised, "Princess, don't read it too late and go to bed early. We need to leave the city in the early hours of the morning, and we still need to hurry. It will be very tiring in the beginning."

"I know." Lu Shiyun nodded, but her gaze did not leave the book. "The book is too heavy, so it's inconvenient to bring it along. That's why I need to finish this book as soon as possible. Otherwise, I'll still be thinking about it."

"Princess, if you like it, you can take one or two with you."

"This is the palace's library, so it's not too convenient to take it out. Forget it, I'll finish reading it very quickly. You guys should hurry up and go to sleep as well. At that time, you'll be the ones who will be tired."

"Alright, I'll clean up a bit more. Ina, you should go back to sleep and stop messing around with those things."

Ina's eyes were still shining. She was not sleepy.: "I can't sleep. Elder sister go sleep. I'll pack my things and accompany the princess."

"Alright, then I'll go to sleep first." It was a good day at home and hard to go out. Although she always wanted to leave the palace, she did not know what would happen if she did. She had to rest well tonight anyway. Yi Ling glanced at Lu Shiyun before she turned to the side room.

What it described was only a dream of the author. However, this dream deeply attracted Mu Rong Qing, and this book was found in the Eastwood Palace. It was because there were many of Mu Rong Qing's handwritten notes that Lu Shiyun was able to read them seriously, but the more she read, the more puzzlement she felt in her heart.

"As the wind and rain turn in the middle of the night, my heart has nothing to say. I shall shed tears of loneliness and finally walk into my dreams." Flipping to the next page, Lu Shiyun finally closed the book after reading the comment.

She was sure that she was going to leave the palace, mainly because she hadn't thought of where she was going before, and she had wanted to wait until the Prince had found out who had assassinated him, but since something had happened to the Prince, there was no point in waiting in the palace any longer, so now was the time for her to leave.

Of course, there was another reason why she did not hesitate to leave, and that was the internal strife of Bei Heng, the rebellion of the Xiao Yao King. If Bei Heng was busy trying to pacify the situation, the Southern Champion would definitely interfere, her royal brother would definitely take action, if not he would not urge her to leave the palace repeatedly.

She had been thinking about something during this period of time. Originally, she had not been sure of it, but after discovering that Qian Mingyue had been sneakily taken away by Yunfei two days ago, a glimmer of hope suddenly appeared in her heart. Although this hope was still very slim, it was still worth a try, and she hoped that she would not be disappointed …