Great Zhou Empire: Kill Zhao Kuangyin at the beginning

Chapter 417 Rescue (Special thanks to book friend 2017…5646/幽海风舞 monthly ticket!)
Chen Ding thanked him repeatedly and let Qu Meng accept the gold ingot. He also agreed with him to go to "Tantai" to meet the Queen of Gaochang and the eldest prince after dark this evening.

Chen Ding wanted to keep Qu Meng at the restaurant for a banquet, but Qu Meng said that he had a heavy responsibility and could not stay outside for long, so he left and returned to the palace.

Chen Ding and other members of the Wude Division and the Longxiang Guard lurking in Gaochang prepared for more than three hours. After dinner, they waited for more than half an hour. When they saw that it was completely dark, they set out immediately for the "Tantai", a villa in the northwest corner of the Gaochang Palace.

After exchanging secret signals with the Gaochang Imperial Guards guarding the gate, Chen Ding and more than ten others were finally able to enter after much persuasion, while the rest were left outside the courtyard wall.

Because the queen and the eldest prince were only under house arrest and guarded, in addition to two serving palace maids and two eunuchs, there were only a thousand Gaochang imperial guards including Qu Meng in "Tan Tai".

After Chen Ding and others followed the guiding soldier and walked along the courtyard for a quarter of an hour, they crossed an artificial lake and several rockery hills and came to a large hall, which must be the "Tantai".

The leading soldier went into the hall first to report, then walked to the door and waved to Chen Ding and others to go in.

In the hall, a general stood with his hands behind his back. He was Qu Meng, the commander of the Gaochang Imperial Guards.

After greeting, Qu Meng frowned slightly and said:

"Mr. Chen came to visit the queen and the eldest prince, why did he bring so many silk clothes and brocade?"

Chen Ding smiled and said:

"General Huiqu, I was once supported by the Queen and the eldest prince. Now I see that they are in trouble and imprisoned. I have nothing to repay them. I am only running a silk business, so I would like to bring some to present to the Queen and the eldest prince Chehan.

I have also brought silk clothes and brocades for General Qu and other military officers, and they are now in the hands of the men waiting outside the Tantai."

The textile industry of the Great Zhou Dynasty was the best among all the countries of the time, and the silk and brocade produced by the top clothing manufacturers were more valuable than gold.

Qu Meng nodded and said:

“That’s fine too.

While there are no outsiders at night, Mr. Chen must go and come back quickly.

Come with me, General."

Qu Meng immediately turned around and, under the protection of twenty personal guards, led Chen Ding and more than ten people to the side rooms inside the palace.

Two eunuchs opened the door of the left wing room as ordered, and saw a man in his thirties wearing royal clothes sitting in front of a table and chair facing the door.

When he saw the commander of the imperial guards, Qu Meng, coming with more than a dozen Han merchants, the man showed a slight surprise on his worried face.

Chen Ding stepped forward and saluted:
"Greetings to His Royal Highness the Great Prince! My name is Chen, and I am a businessman from the Great Zhou Dynasty. I have come to visit His Royal Highness on behalf of an old friend."

After Chen Ding finished speaking, he turned his back to Qu Meng and others and winked at the eldest prince Mi Li Ge Lian.

Milige's heart moved, and he thought of Princess Jialuo, the prince's sister who married far away in the Great Zhou Empire. After a moment, he came to his senses after seeing Chen Ding's look.

Milige looked at Qu Meng and said:
"General Qu, I have some old matters that I want to discuss with Master Chen. Please take all the soldiers out of the room."

While Qu Meng was still hesitating, Chen Ding's deputy Xiao Wanhu, who was standing beside him, had already stuffed a gold ingot into his hand and tried to persuade him.

Qu Meng thought to himself, I have dozens of brothers guarding outside the wing room, am I still afraid that the eldest prince will run away?

He immediately said:
"Then finish your talk as soon as possible. Don't delay for too long, or else the news will leak out."

Chen Ding thanked him repeatedly.

Qu Meng, with his twenty soldiers and the ten Wudesi brought by Chen Ding, left the room and closed the door.

Chen Ding turned back, leaned close to Milige's ear, and whispered, "Your Highness, I am here on the orders of the Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty to rescue you and your son!"

Milige was surprised and happy. He knew that he was in danger and he didn't know when he would be harmed by Mo Zang. He lowered his voice and said:
"General Chen, did your Majesty really order you to come and rescue my mother and me?
I just wonder how many troops General Chen brought with him this time?"

Chen Dingdao:
“Don’t worry, Your Highness.

The troops I have led this time are all elite soldiers of the Wude Division who are worth a hundred men each. Moreover, Your Majesty has already led the army to personally attack Gaochang, which is only a few days' journey away.

All you need is for your mother and son to follow us out of the "Tantai", sneak out of the city at night, and hide in a mountain for a few days. When your majesty arrives, the rebellious Mei Zang clan will be crushed to pieces!"

When Milige heard that Emperor Chai Zongxun of Zhou was personally leading an expedition to Gaochang and would arrive in a few days, he immediately felt relieved and sighed:

"It's a pity that my father listened to the witch Mo Zang's instigation and caused chaos in Gaochang!
Fortunately, your majesty has come to our rescue and saved the people of Gaochang from suffering!"

After discussing in low voices for a while, the two decided on a course of action.

After a while, Milige said loudly:
"General Qu, we have finished reminiscing about the past. You may come in now."

Qu Meng did not notice the joy in the eldest prince Milige's voice at all. Without any suspicion, he immediately opened the door of the wing room and walked in first.

As soon as he entered the room, he saw a flash of cold light and Chen Ding held a precious sword across his neck. The movement was so fast that Qu Meng had no time to react.

Seeing this change, the soldiers of the Wude Division of the Great Zhou and the Gaochang Imperial Guards under Qu Meng outside the gate all drew their swords and pointed them at each other.

It turned out that the swords of the Wudesi soldiers were hidden in silk clothes and brocade and brought into "Tantai".

Qu Meng was shocked and angry, and said quickly:
"Mr. Chen, what are you doing?!"

Chen Ding's face was no longer flattering, but full of calmness and determination. He said:

"General Qu, I have nothing to fear from telling you the truth now. I am Chen Ding, the pacification envoy of the Wude Division of the Great Zhou Dynasty. I have come here on the orders of His Majesty to rescue the Queen and the eldest prince!

General Qu was loyal to King Lu Sheng and saved the queen and the eldest prince from the clutches of the treasurers several times. He was a loyal and righteous man.

Now, Your Majesty is leading a large army to Gaochang and will arrive in a few days. General Qu should abandon his evil ways and obey the orders of this pacification envoy!"

Qu Meng's mind raced, knowing that with the skills Chen Ding had just displayed, he would not be able to escape at all. If he said no now, he would be killed on the spot.

Qu Meng hesitated and said:
“So you are the Great Zhou Wude Division’s Chen Zhenfu Envoy. I have heard of your great name for a long time. No wonder you are so skilled!
But the families of the soldiers we are guarding are all in the city. If we defect to the Great Zhou, we might be killed by the troops led by Mo Zang clan..."

Chen Dingdao:
"This is easy to do. As long as General Qu pledges allegiance to our Great Zhou, we can immediately send someone to take his family out of the city and flee to the mountains.

You only need to hide for a few days, because the Emperor of the Great Zhou will lead his army to arrive!"

Seeing this, Qu Meng had no choice but to agree.

After considering for a moment, only his brother-in-law, who was also a captain under his command, could go as he would not worry about informing Mo Zang.

After giving some instructions to his brother-in-law, Qu Yi ordered him to lead 500 soldiers to rush into the city to transfer the families of his 1,000 imperial guards.

At this time, the Queen of Gaochang had also been brought in from the right wing by the soldiers of the Wude Division. After listening to a few words of explanation from Chen Ding and the eldest prince Milige, she immediately obeyed the order.

Chen Ding held a knife and escorted Qu Meng, and a hundred Wudesi held knives and escorted the remaining 500 Gaochang guards, and they immediately rushed to the north of the city along the predetermined route.

After more than two quarters of an hour, they had reached the city wall, where they were met by the Longxiang Guards who had been lurking there. They immediately climbed up the ladder and scaled the city wall, which was only a dozen feet high, and escaped from Gaochang City, heading towards the mountains not far north of the city.

(End of this chapter)