The rural doctor bought a husband who was very treacherous

Chapter 249 Chaos

“But, these flowers are indeed not as good as the ones in our yard…” Princess Mingyue wanted to say more, but Princess Li patted her hands again. Su Tang, who was sitting not far away, could see from her eyes that she wanted Princess Mingyue to stop talking.

Princess Mingyue pouted and muttered something, but ultimately stopped talking.

"I heard that you brought a lot of people with you when you returned to the capital, and settled them all in the palace?" At this time, the Queen Mother looked at Princess Li and asked.

"They were just servants accompanying us on the road, and we didn't bring many people with us. However, when we entered Kyoto, we were stopped by Eunuch Fu, who said that Kyoto was safe and we didn't need to bring too many guards into the city. So they were all sent to the camp outside the capital. This meant that we could only bring a few servants with us when we went out every day.

Last time, Mingyue was bullied because she didn’t bring enough people with her.”

After Princess Li finished speaking, she did not forget to glance at Empress Dowager Liu. The last time she came to see Empress Dowager Liu to cry and complain, it ended in nothing. Empress Dowager Liu even used illness as an excuse to not see her since then.

This summer banquet was the second time Princess Li met Empress Dowager Liu.

So when Princess Li looked at Empress Dowager Liu, there was a hint of blame in her eyes.

"The capital is indeed much safer than before. I have never heard of any young lady or lady having a conflict in the capital." Empress Dowager Liu also replied.

Su Tang sat aside with a smile on her face. She picked up the tea on the table and gently lifted the lid of the tea bowl, listening to the conversation between the Queen Mother and Princess Li.

Although there were occasional verbal quarrels among the female members, everyone was considerate of the presence of the Queen Mother and did not make a big fuss.

The man, on the other hand, became much more serious.

After Qi Lingheng entered the palace and separated from Su Tang, he went to Emperor Jing's imperial study.

After receiving the secret order from Emperor Jing, Qi Lingheng left the palace and went to the camp outside the capital.

Prince Li was also invited into the palace today. He looked around but did not find the person he was looking for.

"All the princes are here today. Yier, take your brothers and go talk to them."

"Yes, father." Prince Li's eldest son Xuanyuan Yi responded. After paying his respects to His Majesty and Prince Li, he took his two younger brothers to the side hall where the princes were.

"Haha, this child looks more and more like Prince Li."

"No, I think she looks more like her mother."

"Not many sons take after their mothers, but they do have some of Princess Li's features." Emperor Jing said with a smile as he sat at the top.

"I remember that my brother has three sons who are already adults. Why did I only see two today?" Prince Li asked casually. "Is the second prince still not in good health?"

"The second son has recovered. The one who didn't come today is the third son. Some time ago, he suddenly became bedridden. The doctors couldn't find out the cause after consulting with him."

"Oh? The third prince is sick?" Prince Li had just been turning the ring on his finger. After hearing what Emperor Jing said, he was somewhat surprised and held the armrest of the chair, leaning towards the side hall where the prince was.

"After the palace banquet, I will go see the Third Prince. I brought a few palace doctors with me from my fiefdom. Let them see the Third Prince."

"Well, I'll trouble you to go there." Emperor Jing smiled gently and nodded in response, "Eunuch Fu, after the palace banquet, you can take Prince Li to the Third Prince's Mansion."

"Yes." Eunuch Fu bowed and replied.

Prince Li had a faint smile on his face. He glanced at Emperor Jing and asked, "Some time ago, I heard that the Qi family army had created a magical weapon called a cannon that could blast through a solid city wall. I wonder if it's true. Why didn't anyone from the Qi family come today?"

"Yes, there is indeed such a cannon. It is now in the camp outside Beijing."

"Oh? Then after the banquet, can I go and watch it?"

"Doesn't Prince Li want to go see the third brother? Let's go another day." Emperor Jing took the tea handed over by Eunuch Fu, took a sip, and then said.

"Ha, this...well, let's do it another day." Prince Li said with some regret.

Prince Li wanted to say something else to Emperor Jing when a noisy sound was heard outside the courtyard.

Emperor Jing shouted in a low voice, "Who is making noise outside?!"

Eunuch Fu also looked towards the courtyard gate, raised his hand and waved, and the young eunuch beside him immediately nodded and ran towards the gate.

The noise became louder and louder, and occasionally the sound of metal colliding could be heard.

Suddenly, all the imperial guards serving in the courtyard stood by Emperor Jing's side and protected him tightly.

In the side hall and in the courtyard, the prince and the legitimate sons of a number of court officials also walked into the courtyard and looked towards the gate.

The eunuch who went to check the situation came back quickly, but he was stumbling and panicking. He knelt down in front of Emperor Jing and said, "Your Majesty, there is someone outside rushing towards us with a knife!"

"What?! Protect the emperor!" Eunuch Fu shouted loudly.

Then, in the yard, a lot of royal guards suddenly appeared from nowhere and surrounded the entire yard.

At this time, there were several more royal guards protecting Prince Li.

"Royal brother, what's going on?" Prince Li frowned and glanced at Emperor Jing.

However, it is a bit regrettable that Emperor Jing was surrounded by the Imperial Guards and no one could see the situation of Emperor Jing inside.

But Prince Li still noticed Eunuch Fu who was standing there, and saw that he was looking towards the courtyard gate with a nervous expression on his face, and he couldn't help feeling a little confused.

This is happening in the imperial palace. Could it be that someone is on the same page with him and wants to usurp the throne?

But how come he had never heard of it?

While Prince Li was thinking, his attention was focused on the courtyard gate. He really wanted to know who was outside the courtyard wall.

He did not notice that the royal guards around him had already cleared away all the attendants following him and replaced their positions.

The noise outside lasted for half an incense stick of time before finally returning to silence again.

Prince Li said to Eunuch Fu excitedly, "Why don't you send someone to check what's going on outside?"

Eunuch Fu did not reply. It was Emperor Jing who answered him, "Prince Li, don't worry. The rebels should be punished."

As soon as Emperor Jing finished speaking, two long swords were placed on Prince Li's neck, one on the left and one on the right.

The imperial guards who were guarding Emperor Jing also half-stepped away at this time, revealing Emperor Jing who was sitting upright inside.

"Royal brother, why is this happening?" Prince Li felt a chill on his neck and exclaimed.

"You have to think about it yourself, Prince Li. What on earth have you done?"

"The chaos outside just now has nothing to do with me. My people are all in the camp outside Beijing."

"Oh, is that so?" Emperor Jing clapped his hands.

The gate of the courtyard was opened, and a team of royal guards came in with several men in black uniforms and threw them into the courtyard.

"This..." Prince Li was about to say that he didn't know these people, but he found that someone in front of him suddenly looked up at him.

Prince Li's pupils shrank sharply, and he looked at the man in black in front of him with disbelief.

"Prince Li, I have failed to live up to your trust! I was unable to lead people to capture that dog emperor!" After saying that, the man in black pointed at Emperor Jing, pursed his lips, and after his body trembled several times, he fell to the ground and could not get up.

The royal guard at the side stepped forward and pinched the man's tightly closed jaw open. A piece of meat mixed with a mouthful of blood fell out. The man actually bit off his tongue and committed suicide.

"Prince Li, we have failed your trust!" The rest of the captured people followed suit, and soon all the few survivors who had just been brought in bit their tongues to commit suicide.

"This..." Prince Li looked at the dead people in front of him in disbelief.

He did know these people; they were all people he had brought back from the sealed area this time.

I didn't expect these people to break into the palace without permission!!

He had the idea of seizing power and usurping the throne, but he had not yet discussed it with his subordinates, let alone asked them to break into the palace and assassinate the emperor today.

"What on earth went wrong? Those people were indeed the ones he brought from his fiefdom. How could such a thing happen today?!"

Prince Li looked in horror at the black-clad man lying dead on the ground.

Then he suddenly knelt down in front of Emperor Jing, with his head on the ground, and said in a trembling voice: "My brother, I don't know what's going on with these people, and I don't know why they came to the palace today..."

"Oh? Prince Li actually doesn't know why they entered the palace without permission and intended to assassinate me?"

"I don't know, brother."

"Hmph, what a humble subject, you don't know. King Qi, tell me what happened outside the capital."

At this time, Qi Lingheng, who had returned at some point, walked in front of Prince Li. There were actually some spots under the hem of his navy blue clothes, as if something had splashed on it.

Qi Lingheng clasped his fists and said to Emperor Jing: "I was supposed to attend the palace banquet with the princess today, but later I heard that there was a movement in the camp outside the capital, and someone tried to seize the artillery in the camp, so I asked for your resignation and left the palace."

Qi Lingheng glanced at Prince Li, then turned to Emperor Jing and continued, "Only when we arrived at the camp did I realize that it was the guards brought by Prince Li who knew that we had artillery and wanted to seize it."

"This is impossible!" Prince Li struggled forward, but the guards had already restrained his arms, and the sword at his neck cut his skin, and blood instantly seeped out and flowed into Prince Li's clothes.

But Prince Li had no time to think about the wound on his neck. What Qi Lingheng had just said, as well as what those dead men in black had said, were enough to make him bear the crime of treason.

But he hasn't rebelled yet! !

He couldn't and wouldn't admit it, and he certainly wouldn't allow anyone to put the blame on him.

However, Prince Li had already realized at this time that all this should have been planned by Emperor Jing in order to eliminate him.

"Brother Emperor, I didn't do it. I don't admit it."

"Oh?! But these people are Prince Li's close ministers, and you brought them all the way from your fiefdom. They can't all be crazy." Emperor Jing sat in the dragon throne, looking down at Prince Li who was kneeling in front of him.

At this time, Prince Li had long lost the arrogance he had in the past few days. His eyes were bloodshot and he had an expression of humiliation.

"I, your humble servant, have no intention of being disloyal, and I will never do such a treasonous act."

"That's right. All of this requires evidence. I can't make a false case. Come, bring Yang Huaili here."

"Yes."

Soon a man who looked like a military general was brought into the yard.

"I am Yang Huaili, the deputy commander of the garrison outside Yangzhou City. I pay my respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty be blessed with good health." Yang Huaili lifted his robe and knelt down to Emperor Jing.

"Well, get up and tell me what happened in Yangzhou City."

"Yes."

Yang Huaili raised his body slightly and told Su Tang and his team about what they had found in Yangzhou: that some people had privately opened iron mines, privately manufactured weapons, sold private salt, tampered with false accounts, and concealed taxes.

"...In fact, this is not only happening in Yangzhou, but also in the entire area under the jurisdiction of the Suzhou governor.

Because Yangzhou is located next to the canal, the illegal salt trafficking by water is even more rampant...

It seems that the people in Jiangnan live a rich life, but that is only the case with those families who are in collusion with the government. They are indeed rich, but most of the people live a miserable life.

When we patrol near the camp outside the city, we often see families of old and weak people begging together...”

Emperor Jing listened to Yang Huaili's report with surprising patience. The courtyard was completely silent, with no one speaking a word.

"Royal brother, what does the Jiangnan incident have to do with those people just now? It has nothing to do with me." Prince Li's face was full of confusion.

"It is said that most of these privately made weapons and embezzled silver and money were sent to your fiefdom. Don't you know?" Emperor Jing shouted angrily, slapping the armrest of the dragon throne.

"This is a false accusation. Someone has framed me!" Prince Li shouted.

"Bring Lu Yongrui here too."

"Yes."

"Your Majesty, I, Lu Yongrui, greet you. Your Majesty, may you please..."

"No need, I can't afford such false blessings." Emperor Jing interrupted Lu Yongrui while looking at him below.

The Royal Guards brought in a box filled with stacks of account books.

"Lu Yongrui, do you admit your guilt?"

"Your Majesty, I know that I have committed a serious crime, but could you please forgive me for the sake of my sister who has served you wholeheartedly for many years and for the sake of the Third Prince?" Lu Yongrui wanted to make a final struggle.

"Concubine Li? Oh, I forgot that there are also people from your Lu family in this palace." Emperor Jing's eyes were gloomy. He waved his hand, and immediately the imperial guards nodded and retreated.

After a while, Concubine Li was dragged to this yard.

At this time, because of the dragging of the two imperial guards, Concubine Li's clothes had become a little loose, and most of the hair ornaments in her hair had fallen off during the struggle. Her hair, which had been neatly tied up, had become a little messy and was about to be disheveled.

Prince Li suddenly saw Concubine Li, and his eyes, which had been wide open just now, narrowed.

This was the second time he had seen Concubine Li in such an embarrassed state.

"Your Majesty!" Concubine Li was thrown to the ground in front of Emperor Jing by the Imperial Guards. Concubine Li screamed in pain, raised her eyes to look at the situation around her, stood up and ran towards Emperor Jing.

Upon seeing this, the two imperial guards immediately drew their swords and stopped Concubine Li.

Concubine Li took a few steps back, looking at the sword only half a meter in front of her in disbelief, and then suddenly raised her head to look at Emperor Jing, "Your Majesty, what did I do wrong?"

"You ask me? Haha!" Emperor Jing chuckled.

"Your Majesty!" Concubine Li cried in a trembling voice.