Zhi Xuan

The news of the plan's failure came back, and the prince's face turned pale after he fell to the case.

"The generals committed suicide, two hundred of the five hundred soldiers died in battle, and the rest surrendered."

The servant lay prone on the ground, his head lowered as much as possible, and his voice trembled every time he uttered a word.Beads of sweat flowed down the neck, soaking the collar in an instant.

The brazier was lit in the hall, and it was warm, but the prince was like falling into an ice cellar.Putting all his eggs in one basket, but the result was a crushing defeat, it really is God's mercy.

As soon as the waiter finished speaking, footsteps came from outside the palace again. It was the king who ordered the prince to enter the palace to answer.

The person here is a close servant of the king, who has served the king for many years, and is very able to grasp the mind of the king.

When I met the prince before, he was always polite, without any disrespect.

Face to face with the prince today, the waiter's attitude is still respectful, but there is no smile on his face, and he acts according to the rules, with obvious alienation.

The prince's heart skipped a beat, anticipating what he was going to face, he couldn't help but feel ashamed, and there was a bit of a tinge on his face.

The waiter sighed in his heart, he knew why he had to do it today.

Sending troops to surround Wang Zihuai's mansion, slandering Xiyuan Houmei all the time, you can even imagine it!

Yuan Tao is just a cover, and Jian Feng is undoubtedly referring to Wang Zihuai.

It was fine if it could be successful, but it was a pity that things didn't work out. After a bloody fight, the four brothers completely tore their faces apart. The crown prince and the two princes didn't take any advantage, but instead lost troops and generals, causing turmoil in the situation and rumors in the city.

To make matters worse, this incident completely exposed the reality of Zhongdu City.

There have been no wars against the country for decades, the royal family's private soldiers have not left the capital city, and they have not experienced a major war.On weekdays, they ate, drank and made offerings, and all of them were tall and strong, but in fact they were all appearances.

Encountering the armies of the vassal states, especially the elite soldiers, the foundation was directly lifted. Even though the numbers were superior, they were still defeated like a mountain, and they seemed vulnerable.

Exposing such shortcomings is equivalent to revealing seven inches to Zhongducheng. The key points are known, and sooner or later there will be worries.

The king of the previous generation was still able to lead troops to conquer the country, destroy one side of the princes, and make the clans of the world obey.However, in the past few decades, the private soldiers of the royal family have weakened to this point, which is really surprising.

The prince sent troops privately, and the king was furious. He was angry with his stupid impulsiveness. He was also shocked by the weakness of the private soldiers. He was even more worried about the dissension of the clan. How should Zhongdu City respond.

How can the royal family, which lacks the backing of force, deter the princes of the world.

All kinds of anxieties were superimposed, and the king was furious. He summoned the prince in a thunderous rage, and the reprimands were all light, and he might be able to walk with a stick.What's more, the prince's honor will not be guaranteed.

The waiter conveyed the oral order, seeing that the prince was sluggish on the spot, he didn't speak to urge him, but stood silently aside, waiting for him to recover himself.

It doesn't matter if you're really surprised, or acting in person, once you do something, you have to bear the consequences.

The king's will cannot be disobeyed.The prince is also a minister, and the palace has issued an order, he has to go or not, there is no other way to go.

Apparently he also understood this, the prince did not struggle uselessly, stood up calmly, went to the apse to change his robes, and put on his hair crown again.

"Your Highness."

Unexpectedly, Mrs. Xiang was waiting for him in the palace.

Unlike usual, today's Mrs. Xiang is wearing a plain robe, black silk is draped behind her back, tied into a strand of colored silk, she doesn't wear a high bun, and she is less aggressive, showing a rare weakness.

The unfamiliar feeling made the prince stop, looking at the wife in front of him, his heart felt sour, and the corners of his eyes were slightly red.

He rarely shows weakness in front of people.

As a prince, he can be tough, irritable, and even unreasonable, but he can't be weak.

But at this moment, facing his wife who had been with him for many years, he couldn't hold on anymore, and his steps were a little staggering.Fortunately, Mrs. Xiang rushed forward and supported him with her arms, so she didn't make a fool of herself in public.

"Go down."

Mrs. Xiang waved away the servants and changed the robe for the prince herself.

When they first got married, the two also mixed oils with each other, and the young couple you and I were together.As time passed, the intimacy gradually faded away, and the husband and wife respected each other as guests, and it was difficult to see the deep affection in the early years.

The sudden closeness made both of them a little uncomfortable, but on the contrary, the panic and anxiety in their hearts were weakened.

Mrs. Xiang bent down to straighten the prince's belt.Her white fingers caressed the hanging jade ring, her fingertips trembled slightly, and finally she couldn't control her sobs.

The future is unpredictable, Mrs. Xiang couldn't restrain the emotions in her heart, she simply threw herself into the arms of the prince, and embraced her husband with her arms wide open.

Before she got married, she had met the prince. When she was young, she secretly promised her, but after getting married, she was suppressed in her heart.

Year after year, she watched one clan girl after another enter the mansion, and she also put on a mask, interpreting a completely different temperament and gradually becoming another person.

She studied with her mother since she was a child, and she knows the etiquette and responsibilities of the clan well.

She knew very well that, as a daughter of the Xiang family, she should not let her emotions overwhelm her reason.She and the prince are husband and wife as well as allies. The family relies on her to establish a bond with the royal family, support the prince, and lay the foundation for him to inherit the throne.

Once the matter is accomplished, the Xiang family will become a descendant family, with a detached status in the capital city, and a higher level of glory.If the matter fails, in order to protect the family, she will be reduced to an abandoned child, completely without any chance of choice.

Mrs. Elephant doesn't hold a grudge.

She was born in the Xiang family, was brought up by the family, and enjoyed the honor of the daughter of the clan before she married.After she got married, she was also protected by the family. As the crown prince's main wife, no one could shake her status even if the favor was gone.

Half an hour ago, the family sent someone to see her. The person who came was none other than her elder brother from the same mother.

The attitude of the palace was clear, the incident was too big, the king was furious, and the crown prince's status was not guaranteed.The family made a decision to completely withdraw from the prince.The elder brother just came to inform her, there was no room for negotiation.

The elder brother has a complex expression, but Mrs. Xiang is very calm.

As early as when she married into the Prince's Mansion, she had envisioned two outcomes, one step up to the sky or a crushing defeat.The battle for royal power has always been cruel, the winner gets everything, and the loser loses everything.

Mrs. Xiang is willing to accept her fate, and has no intention of making unnecessary struggles.

The elder brother seemed impatient and asked her if she wanted to go home.

She shook her head.

"Brother, I am the princess."

Once you have enjoyed the glory, you have to bear the price.

If she married an ordinary clan, with the strength of the Xiang clan, even if her husband's family committed an unforgivable crime, she could return home safely and remarry.But her husband is the prince, and there are too many things involved behind it. It is far easier to abandon than to protect, and it is more beneficial to the family.

"Follow me, I will convince my father." The eldest son Xiang couldn't bear it even more, and was determined to keep his younger sister, and he did not hesitate to fight against his father.

Mrs. Elephant still shook her head.

She won't leave, and doesn't intend to.No matter what is waiting for the prince, she must accompany her husband.

"Brother, I won't go."

The mask has been worn for too many years, and even the family has been deceived.

At this moment, she just wanted to take off the mask and be herself.

Mr. Xiang wanted to persuade him again, but he met Mrs. Xiang's gaze, but his words seemed to be stuck in his throat, and he could not utter a single word.

In the end, the eldest son of the Xiang family left lonely, his tall and straight back was a little hunched.

Mrs. Xiang was not depressed, she untied her bun, changed her gorgeous dress, wiped off the rouge on her lips, walked to the apse, and sat down to wait for the prince.

She knew the prince would come.

Husband and wife hugged each other, Mrs. Xiang released her emotions wantonly, she didn't cry loudly, she just shed tears.The prince hugged her, hot tears soaked his chest, and his heart seemed to be scalded.

"E, don't cry."

The prince tightened his arms and comforted his wife awkwardly.

Since their marriage, except for the first few months, the two have rarely been this close.

"Your Highness, why are you so reckless?" Mrs. Xiang raised her head, tears flowed from the corners of her eyes, her temples were disheveled, but she didn't look embarrassed at all, instead she had a kind of beauty washed away.

The prince lowered his eyes and looked at Mrs. Xiang, his heart felt tense.

There is nothing to hide now.

"Father asked Huai face-to-face, does he want to be king?"

"What?!" After thinking about many possibilities, but not this one, Mrs. Xiang was shocked.

"Whether I move or not, the result is already doomed." The prince smiled wryly, "Oh, I'm not just in a daze, or stupid to the end, that's for people to see."

The prince became very frank. These words were buried in his heart and could not be revealed to anyone.But he is willing to tell his wife, completely, without any reservations.

"Father has the intention of changing the heir, no matter what I do, it will not change. Rather than waiting for him to do it, it is better for me to do it myself." The prince hugged Mrs. Xiang and whispered in her ear, "It is good that the matter succeeds, but if it doesn't If you succeed, you may have a chance of survival by showing people your stupidity and recklessness. When the father takes action and personally clears the way for Huai, the whole house will have no way out."

The prince's voice is very low, even if it is close to the ear, it is difficult to catch without listening carefully.

"After I enter the palace, you go to see the queen mother and tell her that there are retainers around me who are slandering me and inciting me to assassinate the king to rebel." The prince pressed Mrs. Xiang's head to prevent her from seeing his expression.

He wasn't sure if the person was arranged by the palace, or a pawn placed by other brothers, no matter which one, this strategy was extremely vicious and wanted to push him to a dead end.

Even if he doesn't do anything, once the news spreads and the charge of murdering the prince's father is suppressed, he will be smashed to pieces, and he is doomed to die without a place to bury him.

Because of this, he adopted another retainer's suggestion to encircle Prince Huai's mansion with soldiers.

The lesser of two evils.On one side is the abyss, and on the other side there is still a way out, so he naturally knows how to choose.

"Your Highness, the person who wants to kill you is..."

"Shut up." The prince tightened his arms, bowed his head and kissed Mrs. Xiang's hair gently, and told him, "Don't guess, let alone say it. After you go to see your mother, do as I tell you."

Madam Xiang gritted her teeth, suppressed the tears in her eyes, and nodded vigorously.

In front of Prince Huai Mansion, the battle is over.

The private soldiers of the prince and the two princes were brought under control, and the private soldiers of the Ji family and other families left one after another, leaving only Yuan Tao's soldiers guarding the mansion to guard against further accidents.

Wielding brooms and wooden shovels, the servants cleaned up the blood in front of the door over and over until there was no trace left.

People came from the palace soon, and according to the king's order, the prince and the private soldiers of the two princes were taken away, and several retainers were also taken away.The prince's retainer committed suicide in front of the mansion. Someone came to check and carried away the body.

Mrs. Ji came out to meet the people, and knew that Prince Huai was in the palace and couldn't escape for a while, so she ordered the gates of the mansion to be closed, and no one, including her family, would be seen until the Patriarch returned.

The concubine was well versed in her style, and without any objection, she returned to her residence after saluting.

Yuan Tao bid farewell to Mrs. Ji, closed the door after returning to her residence, and immediately spread out the bamboo slips to write a letter to Zhi Xuan.

In her letter, she detailed what happened, and mentioned the fighting power of the royal family's private soldiers, which was exactly the same as that of the soldiers.

"Weak, without the will to fight, it's ridiculous."

After marking the last stroke, Yuan Tao sealed the bamboo slips and sent someone to rush them out of Zhongdu City.

After a battle in front of the mansion, I believe no one dared to intercept her letter.Be bold enough to do it, if things are not done confidentially, you will definitely be retaliated afterwards.

At that time, it will not be Yuantao who will do it, but the arrogant Xiyuanhou who is known to the world!