Jiuxi

Chapter 690 688 [Cold Night]

More than sixty years ago, Dadu was called Liyang, and was an important town in the northernmost part of Da Qi.

The Jinglian tribe rose from the vast grasslands in the north. After more than 30 years of development and encroachment, they finally took over Liyang City.

The former emperor of the Jing Dynasty established his country and made his capital here, so Liyang was renamed Dadu.

This place is surrounded by dangerous barriers on all sides, making it extremely easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Today, Dadu has a population of over 800,000, making it one of the most powerful cities in the world, second only to Heluo and Yongjia.

Such a majestic and towering city celebrated a cold and solemn New Year's Day.

The death of the crown prince silenced all the powerful and wealthy children who loved excitement, and the emperor's accountability of the Prince of Changshan made the people even more panic-stricken.

In the thick and heavy night, there is a mansion shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere.

This is the Fourth Prince’s Mansion.

As the youngest son of the Queen, and with a clever and likable personality, Hai Ge has always been favored by the Emperor and Empress. The palace where he lives is naturally magnificent, and the scenery is particularly elegant.

In the southeast corner of the palace, there is a pavilion and waterside terrace modeled after the Southern Qi gardens. There is a pond halfway up the mountain, so you can enjoy the northern scenery without leaving your home.

Even in this cold winter, the sight of the white snow and the branches of red plum blossoms has a unique charm.

It was just a cold night, and it seemed a little strange that the fourth prince, Alihehaige, came to the pavilion alone.

Without the Fourth Prince's permission, the maids did not dare to approach this area, but they could actually understand the Fourth Prince's feelings, because over the years the Fourth Prince had shown great respect to the Crown Prince, and the two of them could be described as a model of brotherly love and respect.

Now that the Crown Prince has passed away, the Fourth Prince must be heartbroken.

In the cold night, the lampshade emitted a dim light, barely illuminating the scene in the pavilion.

The fourth prince sat at the table, holding a wine jug, and filled the two wine cups on the table one by one.

The clear wine flowed down, and the Fourth Prince's eyes did not blink, with a hint of melancholy in his eyes.

He picked up the wine cup in front of him, bowed to the void, and said softly: "Your Highness, I will see you off tonight."

He drank the liquor in one gulp.

He raised his arm and wiped his mouth with his sleeve, then continued, "From childhood to adulthood, you have never complained to me. Even though my father and mother loved me more, you never resented or suppressed me because of this. You are born so kind and gentle, and perhaps it is also the responsibility of being a prince that forces you to be a wise prince and a benevolent eldest son. Apart from my father, the person I admire most is you."

"But you are suitable to be a wise king, not suitable to be the crown prince of Dajing, and even less suitable to be the next emperor."

"Perhaps you will not be convinced, but I still want to say this. This is not out of jealousy."

The fourth prince slowly poured the wine, his expression becoming more solemn, and he said to himself: "You are too kind, and you have no way to deal with those tigers and wolves in the court. Let's not talk about the Changshan County King for now, do you think those people like Sagai will always be obedient? They are just afraid of my father. If my father is not here, these people will immediately show their sharp claws. How can you protect our Alihe family's foundation at that time?"

The night was foggy and the wind was cold.

The fourth prince seemed to not feel the slightest bit of coldness. He raised his cup and drank it all in one gulp. He said self-deprecatingly, "You don't know how many people in this city want you dead, far more than just me. Rather than letting you die at the hands of those bastards, why not let me send you off? In the future, I will definitely enshrine your spirit tablet in the ancestral temple."

"People are so hypocritical, like me."

"You always treat me as a little brother who has not grown up. Have you never felt that I am actually the most shameless villain among all these brothers?"

After drinking the third glass of wine, the Fourth Prince looked normal, but there was a hint of madness in his eyes.

"Perhaps you would like to know how many people were involved in this matter and why you died, but I cannot tell you now because even I don't know the whole process. The only thing I can tell you is that I got the poison. It took a lot of effort and cost a lot."

Before he finished speaking, footsteps were heard in the corridor outside the pavilion.

The fourth prince was not surprised. He said without turning his head, "The master is here."

The visitor was a man in his forties, not very tall and wearing a simple cotton coat.

He came closer, bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Highness."

"Sir, please sit down."

The fourth prince was very polite to him and asked with a smile, "How did I perform at the court meeting that day?"

The man praised: "Your Highness is very talented and has a good grasp of people's hearts. It can be said to be flawless."

"Teacher is still a good teacher."

The fourth prince knew that he never drank, so he didn't ask any more questions. He poured wine and said, "If the master hadn't asked me to get close to Qing Yugong in advance, so as to arouse the emperor's suspicion of Qing Yugong and make the emperor think that he knew my thoughts, it would not have been so smooth to divert the trouble."

"The emperor is wise and powerful, and his eyes are sharp. If Your Highness does not have the slightest flaw, it will be the biggest flaw in the eyes of the emperor. Therefore, if Your Highness wants to reach the shore safely in the stormy waves, Your Highness cannot be perfect. You must let the emperor see through your desires and weaknesses, which are the biggest obstacles in the human heart."

The man spoke calmly, "I suggested that Your Highness take the initiative to approach the Prince of Changshan because of this consideration. The emperor always dislikes people who cannot be controlled. The Prince of Changshan is the most typical example. As the legitimate son, how can Your Highness be free of desires? Desires will lead to weaknesses, and they are easier to control. Only when the emperor sees Your Highness's desires will he be at ease with you."

The fourth prince nodded in agreement. The man continued, "Another point is that if Your Highness takes a step forward, it will be a problem for the Prince of Changshan. After all, you are claiming to be in love with Princess Yongping, and the Prince of Changshan has already rejected the emperor's arranged marriage. If he continues to reject you, it would be too disrespectful to the royal family. In the eyes of the emperor, you love Princess Yongping for other purposes, and you are attracted by the huge power of the Qingyu family. The ambiguous attitude of the Prince of Changshan will arouse the emperor's suspicion."

He took off the water bag hanging from his waist, drank a sip of water, and said calmly: "In this way, the emperor and the Changshan County King will inevitably have conflicts, because the emperor has always wanted to weaken the power of the Qingyu family. Your Highness is just going with the flow."

The Fourth Prince suddenly fell silent.

The man obviously knew his thoughts very well and smiled, "It seems that Princess Yongping is extremely determined."

The fourth prince sighed and said, "To be honest, sir, I am sincere to Yongping. There is no falsehood at all. If she is willing to marry me, in the future I..."

He stopped talking again.

The man asked meaningfully, "Your Highness, if the Prince of Changshan is unwilling to give up the military power of the two elite armies, Xiashan Army and Fangcheng Army, will you give in because of Princess Yongping?"

At this moment, the Fourth Prince had a very complicated expression. He pondered for a long time, and finally said in a deep voice: "This matter concerns the safety of the Heavenly Family. I cannot give in because of my personal feelings."

"Your Highness is worthy of being the eagle of the Alihe clan."

The man complimented her at the right time, and then said calmly: "Your Highness, don't worry. I have already considered it for you."

The fourth prince's eyes lit up and he quickly asked, "What do you mean?"

The man replied, "Now that the emperor is suspicious of the Changshan County Prince, when the dust settles, the Qingyu family will probably be in danger. Your Highness can come forward at that time. As long as you can save the Changshan County Prince's life, you can even let the Qingyu family retain the power of 10,000 or 20,000 soldiers. How can Princess Yongping turn a blind eye to this? The beauty is grateful, and the couple is happy. I believe that the things that come next will not be difficult for Your Highness."

In fact, the Fourth Prince was only confused for a moment. After being reminded by him, he instantly came to his senses. He couldn't help but let out a long sigh and smiled easily, "Thank you, sir, for your plan for me."

The man humbly said, "It is my duty. Your Highness, there is no need to thank me."

After his worries were gone, the Fourth Prince quickly focused on the business and asked sincerely, "Please tell me, sir, what should I do next?"

"Wait."

"wait?"

"Although the emperor has charged the Prince of Changshan, he will not give up and will definitely let Tian Jue continue to investigate the truth behind the prince's death. Your Highness does not need to do anything and let Tian Jue investigate. When he finds clues from those old stories and discovers the murderer who killed the prince, the emperor's wrath will be unstoppable. By then, Your Highness will only need to sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor and become the prince. Your future will be smooth sailing."

The man was confident, and obviously had a very thorough and in-depth study of Emperor Jing. He looked at the Fourth Prince calmly and continued, "The emperor will use this incident to lure Southern Qi into the game, but he cannot rely too much on the troops of the Qingyu clan, so he will definitely mobilize other armies. Your Highness has made many good friends in the army over the years, and I believe it won't take too long to reap the rewards."

The Fourth Prince's breathing quickened.

The man smiled and said, "The death of the crown prince can help Your Highness eliminate competitors internally and expand your power externally. This is the turning point I mentioned back then."

The fourth prince suddenly stood up and saluted, but the man avoided him and said respectfully, "Your Highness, you must not do that."

The fourth prince said with emotion: "I will never forget your kindness, sir. In fact, I have always had a question in my heart, I wonder if you can answer it."

The man bowed his head and said, "Your Highness, please ask."

The fourth prince asked seriously, "Sir, you are from Qi, and you have great talent. Why didn't you serve the Crown Prince, and chose me?"

The man thought for a moment and replied, "Your Highness the Crown Prince has the favor of the Emperor. He does not need any external help to ascend the throne, so why would he care about a poor scholar like me? Your Highness, I am actually just an ordinary person who is keen on fame and fortune. How can I resist the opportunity to follow the Emperor? If I can give you advice and help you become the emperor, you can bring glory to your family and enjoy endless wealth and honor in the future."

The fourth prince was silent for a moment, then asked softly, "Really?"

The man met his gaze, a sly smile suddenly appeared on his face, and he said frankly: "Maybe it's because I am naturally restless and like to do difficult things."

This was a bit disrespectful, but the Fourth Prince smiled contentedly, raised his finger and pointed at him and said, "Sir, you are truly a remarkable man. Don't worry, I will grant you a lifetime of honor and will make your name go down in history."

The man bowed.

The moment he lowered his head, his expression remained normal, but a tragic scene emerged in his mind.

There were broken walls, raging fires, corpses everywhere, and the whole place was devastated.

A skinny child in tattered clothes crawled out of the earthen cellar with difficulty, and what he saw was his mother's face with her eyes open after death.

Not far away was my brother's bloody body.

The young child stared at the horrific scene in front of him with dull eyes, unable to even cry.

He turned his head and looked towards the north.

The sky is like a canopy, endlessly desolate.

The bone-chilling coldness of that moment was something he would never forget.

Just like tonight, the world is covered with snow.

He collected his thoughts and said to the complacent Fourth Prince in front of him with great respect, "Thank you for your grace, Your Highness."

(End of this chapter)