I, the prince, only want to be deposed.

Chapter 532: His Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s body becomes holy!

"What is your Highness going to do?"

Guo Zhen became even more surprised and suspicious when he heard this.

He did not think he was qualified to interfere with Liu Ju, but he was worried that Liu Ju might do something rash in the heat of the moment, which would cause even worse consequences.

After all, Liu Ju had stabbed Jiang Chong to death in the street before, and was deposed as crown prince because of it.

This time, Liu Ju's push for these two national policies had already caused a lot of controversy. If he did something else that aroused public anger, it would not be as simple as deposing and enthroning the crown prince...

“This time I will sanctify my body.”

Liu Ju grinned.

"what?"

Guo Zhen naturally didn't understand and stood there in confusion.

"Go quickly, I know what I am doing. As long as I get this done, everything else will be smooth sailing."

Liu Ju waved his hand and said confidently.

……

An hour later.

Liu Ju drove the five-green covered carriage on the streets of Chang'an, heading towards the most prosperous East Market at a leisurely pace.

The Crown Prince's horseman Guo Zhen was driving the car as usual, with the Crown Prince Zhongdun following in front and behind, and a relatively simple procession of ceremonial guards leading the way. Although it was not as grand as some formal occasions, it was enough to highlight Liu Ju's status as the Crown Prince.

"The prince is here, why don't you get out of the way!"

Under the scolding of Prince Zhongdun, the people along the way looked aside and retreated.

Some people have already started to discuss quietly:
"Have you heard that? This prince is extremely confused. He just received the imperial order to hear the government and he has already made two national policies that compete with the people for benefits."

"I'm not deaf, how could I not know? But I watched two plays that were recently performed, and the scripts didn't seem to say that. Instead, they said that these two national policies are beneficial to ordinary people like us."

"How can what is in the script count? My master said that the script is just a trick used by the court to fool people like us who have never been to school. If we believe it, we will be fooled."

"Who cares? I know that we can't take the imperial examination because we haven't been to school, and we don't have any land. The imperial examination and land measurement are competing with the people for profit, not for our benefit. What do they have to do with us?"

"That's true. Anyway, it's all the business of the higher-ups. Watching them is no different from watching a show..."

"..."

Just when most people's attention was on Liu Ju driving the five-green-covered carriage.

No one noticed that some people who were dressed no differently from ordinary people, wearing straw hats on their heads and holding something covered with sackcloth in their hands, squeezed into the crowd.

next moment.

"Clap! Clap! Clap!..."

Accompanied by a noise that was not very common in Chang'an City.

People had no idea what was happening when they saw several crossbow arrows suddenly shot out from the chaotic crowd on both sides of the road. They instantly pierced through the tarpaulin and curtains of the five-green covered carriage and shot into the carriage.

"what!"

Someone was frightened and screamed.

Guo Zhen, who was driving in front, seemed to finally react at this moment. He looked back at the carriage and was immediately horrified:

"There are assassins! Escorts! Escorts!"

"Escort!"

The accompanying Crown Prince Zhongdun was also greatly alarmed, and quickly rushed towards the chariot with five green covers, surrounding the chariot and horses with his body to be on guard.

After hearing Guo Zhen's shout, more onlookers finally realized what had just happened. They immediately fell into greater chaos and fled without caring about their lives, just to leave this dangerous place as soon as possible.

This is no small matter.

Even if they don't understand the court, they have a deep understanding of the Chief Justice.

The prince encountered an assassin in the street, and the court judge will certainly intervene soon. If he doesn't get away from here now, once he is taken back to the imperial prison for questioning by the court judge's cruel officials, even if he has nothing to do with this matter, he will be severely punished.

"The prince was assassinated!"

"The prince was shot!"

"Run away..."

For a moment, the entire East Market was in chaos.

"Leave some people to escort His Highness back to the palace immediately, and the rest of you to capture the assassin. Don't let him get away!"

Guo Zhen was still shouting orders.

"promise!"

The princes all agreed verbally, but they were troubled in their hearts.

Now there are people fleeing everywhere, and those assassins have no obvious characteristics. The most important thing is that they didn't see where the crossbow arrows were shot from. How can they catch them?
However, they have to carry out orders, otherwise they will have a hard time explaining themselves later.

What they are most concerned about at the moment is:
What happened to Liu Ju?

Although there were not too many crossbow arrows, they all penetrated the tarpaulin and curtains and shot into the carriage. Liu Ju's situation was extremely dangerous.

If something really happened to Liu Ju.

They, Prince Zhongdun and Guo Zhen's Prince Xianma, are all to blame, and no one can expect to have an easy outcome!

Please, Prince, please don't make any mistakes...

……

Not long after, the five-green covered carriage rushed into Bowang Garden and finally stopped in front of Liu Ju's Qiufang Gate.

After Guo Zhen dismissed all of the prince's followers and servants.

The door of Qiufang slowly opened, and Liu Ju, with his right ear wrapped in silk cloth, slowly walked out. He looked at the small holes on the awning and curtains of the carriage, and asked with a smile:

"How about it?"

"Everything was carried out according to your Highness' instructions. All the Nuzhang soldiers have escaped unscathed. The onlookers all thought that your Highness had been assassinated. No one knows whether your Highness is alive or dead at this moment."

Guo Zhen bowed to answer, but his eyes could not help but glance at Liu Ju's right ear wrapped in silk cloth.
"Your Highness, what are you..."

"Of course I have to perform the whole act, but I just scratched my skin on purpose. If you had come back a little later, the wound might have healed."

Liu Ju said with a smile.

"Uh……"

Guo Zhen didn't understand again. If it was such a minor injury, it would be harmless and after it healed, it would hardly leave a scar and would not have any adverse effects.

But he still couldn't figure out what this had to do with what Liu Ju had said before about "the sanctification of the flesh"?
Could it be that this assassination scene was actually a sacrificial ritual?

Did Liu Ju deliberately scratch the skin on his right ear in order to get some blood to complete the ritual?

Then, Liu Ju can become a saint?
But looking at Liu Ju now, he seems no different from before, so how could he become a saint?
How could he know that Liu Ju was actually imitating a famous foreign political event in later generations. The only difference was that he did not show up on the spot, raise his fist and shout "fight" in public!
After all, he was not in the car at the time, but sitting comfortably in Qiufang drinking tea. "Don't think too much, don't ask too much, just do what I tell you to do, and you will soon know what impact this incident will bring."

Liu Ju naturally knew what Guo Zhen was thinking. He just smiled mysteriously and turned back to Qiufang.
"By the way, announce to the public that I was assassinated and injured. From now on, I will not see anyone except my father."

"His Majesty?"

Guo Zhen was stunned again. Isn’t His Majesty recuperating in Ganquan Palace now?
During this period, His Majesty has not seen anyone, and no one can tell what His Majesty's physical condition is like. All kinds of rumors are spreading among the people.

Now that His Highness has been assassinated again, he has refused to see anyone and has not explained the severity of his injuries.

Wouldn’t the Han Dynasty soon be in a state of being leaderless?
……

Prime Minister's House.

"What did you say? Liu Ju was assassinated in the street?!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Qing suddenly put down the teacup in his hand, and the lines on his nasolabial folds and forehead wrinkles on his old face became deeper.

"Father, this is absolutely true. Many people in the East Market saw it with their own eyes. It also alarmed the Minister of Justice and the Prefect of Jingzhao. Now the gates of Chang'an have been closed, and they are working together to hunt down the assassin."

Shi De told all the information he had learned so far.

"What is Liu Ju's current situation?"

Shi Qing asked again.

"My son only knows that there is news from Bowang Garden that Liu Ju was injured in the assassination and will have to recuperate in the mansion for the next few days."

As Shi De answered, a hint of anticipation appeared in his eyes.

"Father, if Liu Ju's injury is serious and His Majesty is also seriously ill, should we..."

"What a fart!"

The wrinkles on Shi Qing's face became deeper and deeper.

"You must immediately go to Bowang Garden as the Crown Prince's tutor and bring generous gifts to visit him. Make sure you find out the extent of Liu Ju's injury!"

"Also, inform your brothers to bring some servants with them to the streets to assist the Imperial Court and Jingzhao Yin in catching the assassin. You must spare no effort. Even if you cannot catch the assassin, you must let people see the loyalty of the Shi family!"

"Forget it, it may not be enough for you to go to Bowang Garden alone!"

"I'd better go with you in person. Go and get ready!"

Shi De was a little puzzled after hearing this, and couldn't help asking:

"Father, I don't think this is necessary, right?"

"It's not us who did this. No matter how much we investigate, we will never be found to be responsible. It's enough for our family to have a representative visit us. No one can find fault with us afterwards, right?"

"My son thinks that in this situation, our family should take advantage of the chaos to make preparations in advance. Once His Majesty passes away and Liu Ju has any mishap, we can help Liu Hong ascend to the throne and establish the merit of following the emperor..."

"Confused!"

Shi Qing interrupted Shi De in a harsh voice, angrily scolding him,

"How do you know that His Majesty will definitely die this time? How do you know that Liu Ju will definitely make a mistake this time? How dare you be so confident?"

"I tell you, no matter who planned the assassination of Liu Ju, it was an extremely stupid act. It is not an exaggeration to call them our enemies!"

"As long as Liu Ju's list still exists, it is tantamount to roasting the Shi family and all the people on the list on the fire!"

"What do you think of this, father?"

Shi De was still a little confused.

"I once explained to you the laws of public opinion, but you haven't understood a single word of them!"

Shi Qing sighed and cursed helplessly,

"The most important rule of public opinion is that speculation is fact!"

"Liu Hong knows that we want to help him take the throne, so he is sure that we are Liu Ju's enemies. So even if we didn't do this, even if we really caught the assassin and proved that this matter had nothing to do with us, I am afraid that it will not completely eliminate Liu Hong's suspicion!"

"Once such suspicion arises, even if Liu Hong no longer has a backbone, he will definitely be wary of us. After he takes power, he will only prioritize how to eliminate all of us to prevent the same thing from happening to him!"

"It's not just Liu Hong, it's the same even if we help other princes to ascend the throne!"

"Let alone Liu Ju. If he survives this time, we will be the first ones to be suspected!"

"This is only the best case scenario. If the worst happens and His Majesty does not die this time, and he learns about this after returning and sees the list in Liu Ju's hand, how do you think His Majesty will deal with us?"

"Given your Majesty's temperament and methods, even if it's just suspicion, I'm afraid the three Yi tribes have already been granted mercy and blessed by their ancestors!"

"Even if Liu Ju makes the list public, everyone in the Han Dynasty will think that we are the ones who planned to assassinate him. As long as we are charged with the crime of regicide, how can anyone be willing to associate with us, dare to associate with us, dare to defend us? Aren't they afraid of being convicted of the same crime as us?"

"This is to make our Shi family and the people on that list cut ourselves off from the Han Dynasty and the Han Dynasty!"

"This! This! This!"

Hearing this, Shi Decai finally realized the seriousness of the matter and immediately panicked.
"Father, what should I do? What should I do?"

"At this point, we can only hope that Liu Ju has been shot dead, and that the list is unknown to outsiders and has gone to the grave with him."

Shi Qing seemed to have aged several dozen years in an instant, and his face turned pale.
"Otherwise, Liu Ju is completely invincible. We must immediately submit our surrender and show that we have nothing to do with this matter, hoping that Liu Ju can have some compassion and give us a chance to forgive us..."

Shi Qing didn't need to explain more clearly what this token of allegiance was.

It is nothing more than Liu Ju's two national policies. The Shi family and the people on the list must support them with all their might, and all of them must transform into cruel officials and take the lead in implementing them. They must use the infamy they often use to attack Liu Che and the inner court officials of "competing with the people for profit" and completely cut off ties with all the forces that were originally in the same boat with them, just like a gecko cutting off its tail to survive.

And after such a thing happened, whether Liu Ju was dead or alive, he already had the halo of a "victim" in the hearts of the people. He was not a saint but was better than a saint!
The two national policies he is now promoting will bring about a certain degree of change, regardless of whether the illiterate people can understand them or not.

Just as Shang Yang and Chao Cuo were sentenced to death for multiple crimes, they actually left a good reputation among the people and in history books.

And those who still oppose the two national policies are the ones who can be reasonably suspected of planning the assassination!

"Alas, which bastard is so stupid that he killed us..."

Shi De slapped his thigh in anger, wishing he could grind the person who planned this to dust.

at this time.

"Report!"

Suddenly there was a report from outside the door.
"Prime Minister, I just received an urgent report that His Majesty has recovered from his illness and has returned from Ganquan Palace. He has entered the city in a six-gold carriage!"

"It's over! It's over!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Qing leaned dejectedly on the couch, as if all his energy had been drained away.

This was exactly the worst case scenario he had just mentioned. Regardless of whether Liu Ju was shot dead by an arrow or not, the matter would definitely not end well, unless...

Trying to hold up the last bit of his strength, Shi Qing shouted in a hoarse but urgent voice:
"Hurry! Go get the car ready!"

"To greet His Majesty?"

Shi De obviously still didn't understand who was controlling their fate now.

Shi Qing's hands were shaking with anger at his stupid son:
"I'm going to ask to see Liu Ju, no, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

(End of this chapter)