King Cao Li Ming could only cry and couldn't even utter a complete sentence. If it weren't for the soldiers supporting him on both sides, he would have collapsed on the high platform like a puddle of mud.
"Don't worry and go, I will take good care of Li Jun and Li Jie." Li Hong turned his back to King Cao Li Ming, looking at the white fish belly on the horizon, and said lightly.
"Hong'er, please, please spare me. I don't dare to do it anymore. I can persuade the King of Yue and others for you to give up their resistance and not to kill me. By the way, report it to Your Majesty quickly. He won't." Those who will kill me, please, even if you depose me as a commoner and exile me to Lingnan, please Hong'er, I don't want to die, really, I don't want to die, I beg you, I am Your royal uncle, if you do this, my royal family will gain a reputation over the years..."
"Li Hong came a step late and failed to rescue Uncle Cao from the rebel Wei Chao. Li Hong feels deeply guilty." Li Hong said lightly, looking at the first ray of sunlight that was about to break through the horizon.
There was a soft sound behind him, and then there was no sound. The head did not roll down to the platform, but was blocked by someone's feet on the edge of the platform.
Li Hong said without even looking at it: "Find someone to sew it up and put it in the coffin."
Following Li Hong's order, this Zhechong Mansion, like the other two Zhechong Mansion, was disintegrated and frozen by the Tang Dynasty court overnight.
All this will not have any impact on the people in Yangzhou City. Even after the sun slowly rises from the horizon, some Yangzhou people who have just woken up do not know that Yangzhou City has been turned upside down that night. The change.
Even most of them didn't know that on this peaceful night, which was no different from usual, Yangzhou City had changed hands several times. Amid the surging undercurrents and under the watery night, it was slowly recovering its shape. The way it was before.
Scenes of fighting with open knives and open guns have always been the law of power in this era, but Yangzhou City tried its best to reduce the chaos to the smallest scope in the calm night.
The streets were much quieter than usual. Many people opened their doors and said hello as usual, but there seemed to be a hint of dangerous solemnity in the early air, warning them that when they did the same things as usual, they seemed He was careful, even his voice was deliberately lowered.
Some babies in their mother's arms would just burst into tears, and their mouths would be blocked with sweet milk. They were afraid that their cries would alert the unknown people outside and cause trouble for the family.
Slightly older children were not allowed to go out to play under the instructions of their parents, and were ordered to stay in a boring home, facing the wall in a daze.
Groups of soldiers walked through the streets of Yangzhou with solemn looks, proving to people that the crisis this night was still going on, and the turmoil in Yangzhou City did not seem to be over yet.
Some people quietly whispered to their neighbors, asking each other what the current situation was in Yangzhou City. Did the imperial court send troops? Did something happen last night? How is the governor doing? Where are King Cao and the others who came to Yangzhou some time ago now? Is His Royal Highness able to fight against them? Can His Royal Highness take back Yangzhou? How many soldiers and horses did the imperial court send to suppress it
Wealthy nobles and elders with high status in aristocratic families would make a pot of tea early in the morning, sit in the courtyard with a solemn expression, close their eyes and fall asleep, or prick up their ears and listen to what is going on outside. In short, they look dignified. Appearance.
The maid was a little more cautious than usual, standing quietly to one side to serve. These were the authorities who truly held the family's lifeline.
Compared with the turmoil outside the wall, the elders in the courtyard are more important in the eyes of the maids and are more intimidating to them.
She doesn't understand how the turmoil in Yangzhou City has anything to do with her. She only knows that if she fails to serve the authoritative elders in the mansion at this time, her fate may be much miserable, and she may even be sold to someone else. .
The children in the family are also very cautious. Every time they leave one room and go to another room, they can't help but glance at the solemn old man. They want to go over and find out what the old man's plans are and what countermeasures he has, but they are frightened by the old man's presence. Due to the prestige of the family, I dare not take the initiative to disturb you.
The whole city of Yangzhou is in the same calm as before, but it is also filled with some tense situations that make people feel nervous deep in their hearts. Everything is so normal, everything is so unusual, everything in the past The scenery was all there, and not even the slightest sound of fighting was heard, but the murderous aura of the iron horse seemed to be hidden everywhere.
The closer you get to the residence of Yue Wang Li Zhen, the invisible chilling air becomes stronger and stronger. The closer you get to the residence of Yue Wang Li Zhen, the more suffocating pressure you can feel.
The surrounding air seemed to be frozen, and the surrounding streets seemed to be under martial law. The doors and windows of the people's houses were closed tightly. In the gaps between the door panels, naughty children blinked and looked at the people holding spears and holding crossbows outside. Soldiers with swords and crossbows.
There was both envy and fear in my heart. In short, my little hands couldn't help but press the gap in the door panel, and I looked at everything outside with concentration, nervousness and excitement.
The Zhechong Mansion led by Li Jingye, plus the three Zhechong Mansion originally led by King Luo Bin and Wei Siwen, have surrounded the residence of Yue King Li Zhen. Some messengers rode fast horses back and forth to report the mansion to Li Jingye The surrounding situation.
The sun shines from a distance, bringing with it a hint of new life and blending into the solid air, working hard to dissolve and integrate this suffocating atmosphere.
"Grand Governor, there was no movement in Prince Yue's Mansion, but the spies sent in returned on May 1st and were all trapped inside." King Luo Bin quickly walked towards Li Jingye and reported in a low voice.
"Where is Wei Siwen?" Li Jingye saw only King Luo Bin but not Wei Siwen. He frowned and glanced at the main entrance of Prince Yue's Mansion not far ahead and asked.
"Go back to the Commander-in-Chief, Master Wei..."
"What's wrong with him? Tell the truth!" Li Jingye's heart sank. Wei Siwen had always hoped that he would cross the Yangtze River and attack Luoyang to the north instead of going south to Runzhou and Changzhou. Now that he is gone, has something happened
Or is it that he has always wanted to be carried on his back because he had colluded with King Yue and King Cao a long time ago
"After entering Prince Yue's Mansion, I never came out again." King Luo Bin said quietly.
"So, he has colluded with King Cao and others a long time ago?" Li Jingye directly expressed his speculation.
"I don't know, but before he went in, King Cao Li Ming had already gone to the Zhechong Mansion led by Wei Chao." King Luo Bin said, observing the expression on Li Jingye's face.
At this time, Li Jingye suddenly lowered his head, making it impossible to see the expression on his face clearly. After a long while, he heard Li Jingye suddenly say: "The father of Wei Chao was in the palace of King Cao Li Ming." Ren Dianjun was later exiled to Puzhou because of King Cao's crime. King Cao wanted to persuade Wei Chao. After the prince arrived in Yangzhou, he was afraid that he would change his direction and force Wei Chao to join King Cao. You immediately led two Zhechong Mansion to stop them. Close here."
"Then what should you do here? If something unexpected happens here, what should I do..."
"You don't have to worry about this. There are three thousand troops in two Zhechong mansions. We have an advantage against the one thousand men in one Zhechong mansion of the King of Yue. You don't have to worry about my safety." Li Jingye still lowered his head and let King Luo Bin couldn't see or hear clearly whether Li Jingye's words were true or false.
"but… ."
"There aren't that many but, you go immediately." Li Jingye raised his head and said deeply.
King Luo Bin's heart sank. It seemed that just as His Highness expected, Li Jingye had obviously realized that Yangzhou City was no longer under his control, so he was about to escape.
Otherwise, with the strength of four Zhechong Mansion, facing the thousand men of Yue King Li Zhen, why did they not order an attack for a long time, but instead divided the troops into two places? This was completely contrary to the plan he told himself and Wei Siwen at night.
During the hesitation, King Luo Bin only heard the sound of horse hoofbeats coming from behind him again, so he immediately looked back and saw a soldier galloping towards him on horseback, with a faint red rope flashing around his wrist.
When the horse was about to approach, the soldier suddenly tightened the reins. Before the horse's front hooves fell in the air due to an emergency stop, he jumped off the horse and rushed to him and Li Jingye to report: "Reporting to your lord, Wei Chao has surrendered to King Cao and is now blocking the city gate closest to here."
"What? How is it possible?" Li Jingye was shocked and stood up from the chair at the door of Prince Yue's Mansion. Did Prince Li Hong really stay in Manjiang Garden and did nothing this night
When King Luo Bin saw the looming red rope on the soldier's wrist, he was relieved. At this time, he knew better than anyone how important the speed of the carrier pigeon in transmitting information was.
The information obtained from his side can be known to His Highness within a moment, and the news from His Highness can also be known to him immediately.
But Li Jingye and others relied on the method of messengers to deliver messages. Compared with the prince using carrier pigeons to deliver messages, they were more like a blind man wandering around in Yangzhou.
"Sir, what should we do now?" King Luo Bin interrupted and asked at the right time.
Li Jingye's expression was gloomy and uncertain, his eyes wandering around the gates of King Luo Bin and Prince Yue's Mansion. He murmured to himself: "King Cao blocked the city gate? What is the purpose of this? Why should he believe that their power is so far away in Yangzhou City?" Better than me? The Yue Prince's Mansion is now surrounded by us. Why did he block the city gates instead of coming to rescue him? Is it because he was afraid that the prince would escape from the city? "
"Then... what if His Royal Highness the Crown Prince captures King Cao and the others, and then leads his troops to block the city gate?" King Luo Bin looked at Li Jingye tentatively and asked.
Li Jingye looked up at King Luo Bin in surprise again, squinted his eyes and said thoughtfully: "If Prince Li Hong captures King Cao and then blocks Yangzhou City, this will force us to negotiate peace."
(End of chapter)