How could a little servant have the guts to murder the Fifth Prince? What's more, such a precise layout is absolutely impossible for a small servant, and there must be someone behind it.
Who is the one
Guan Yubai lowered his eyes slightly, deep in thought.
The third prince contributed all his efforts to this request for rain. If something happened to the fifth prince, he would be blamed, and the empress might directly take the blame. Now he has long lost the favor of the emperor, and his power in the court is weak. Even if the fifth prince is gone, he will not be able to take the position, and will only make his whole body smelly.
The eldest prince has a reckless personality. If he was impulsive, he bribed his servants to push the fifth prince down the steps. However, he did it very carefully, which is not like his style of handling things.
so…
Is it the second prince Han Lingguan
The Second Prince has always been good at hiding, he is not as reckless as the First Prince, nor is he as obvious to others as the Third Prince. He has always been cautious and meticulous in doing things, which is quite in line with his style.
"Chirp—"
Guan Yubai's thoughts were interrupted by a childish cry. The voice came from the desk by the window, and a fluffy little white eagle poked its head out of the bamboo basket. After waking up, it With its bright yellow beak wide open, it screamed pitifully...
The slight sound immediately attracted several attentions, from Guan Yubai and Xiao Si in the room to Xiao Hui outside the room, they all looked at the table.
Xiao Hui flew down from the tree in the courtyard flapping its wings, stopped on the window sill, and affectionately pecked the fluff under the wings for Xiao Hanyu.
Xiao Si looked at Xiao Hui with disgust, and was thinking about driving him away, when he saw Guan Yubai walking towards the window, stretching out an index finger to rub against Han Yu's neck, Han Yu immediately moved his little head past.
Obviously, on weekdays, it is mostly Xiao Si who takes care of it, but Han Yu is the closest to Guan Yubai. Once he feels Guan Yubai's breath, the cry of "Jijiu—" becomes even more pitiful, as if there is still a trace of it. A kind of coquettish meaning.
Xiao Si went to the side and brought a large celadon bowl over, and put it on the desk, half of the bowl was bloodshot diced meat.
Guan Yubai picked up the diced meat with his chopsticks, seemingly leisurely feeding Han Yu.
Xiao Hui tilted his neck, a pair of golden eagle eyes stared at him coldly.
Han Yu was obviously hungry, and he ate quickly, bite by bite.
Guan Yubai looked at Han Yu softly, just like Han Yu, the current fifth prince is just a fragile young eagle, attached to the eagle of the emperor, he was thrown from a height before his wings were fully fledged. Down... Whether he can fly again depends on his life.
If the Fifth Prince really cannot escape this catastrophe, then the situation in the capital is bound to undergo earth-shaking changes...
After a while, half a bowl of diced meat was eaten up. Guan Yubai wiped his hands with a white towel and returned to the desk.
If this matter was really done by the Second Prince, then he should try to frame the First Prince and push the whole matter onto the First Prince...
Guan Yubai didn't have much interest in the position reserve battle, but if he wanted to live a stable life in southern Xinjiang, some things still couldn't be out of control.
He quickly finished writing a letter on a piece of silk paper, folded it carefully and put it in a small bamboo tube, and said, "Xiaosi, post this letter for me. Then go and ask Baihui to bring a message..." As he spoke, Guan Yubai explained in detail how the Fifth Prince was injured and his current condition.
Xiao Si responded, took out a gray pigeon from the pigeon cage, and carefully tied the bamboo tube to its leg.
He glanced at Gray Eagle who was preening its feathers on the desk, took the opportunity to let the pigeon fly, and then went to Baihui...
When Nangong Yue heard Baihui's words, she was stunned. Her hands couldn't help shaking, and a mask she had just picked up fell into the pot full of medicinal juice, and the hot medicinal liquid splashed She stood up, leaving mottled medicine stains on her purple skirt.
"...Young Master said, Second Young Master offered the life-saving pill you left behind, and His Highness Fifth Highness is safe for the time being."
After Baihui finished speaking, seeing that Nangong Yue hadn't moved for a long time, she picked up another pair of long chopsticks, picked up the mask that had just fallen, and skillfully placed it on the hourglass aside to drip the medicinal juice.
Nangong Yue came back to her senses and sighed slightly: "What else did Mr. Guan say?"
Baihui replied: "The young master said that he has sent someone to monitor the movements of the capital, and if there is any change in the fifth prince's condition, he will come to inform you."
Nangong Yue nodded and said nothing.
She lowered her head to examine the mask carefully, stirred the pot of medicinal juice again, and after confirming the heat, she said, "Thrush, take this pot of medicinal juice to the front yard."
A large number of medicinal materials have not been delivered yet, but there are still medicinal materials in reserve in Yanding City. Yesterday, the military came forward to recruit some doctors in Yanding City. Early this morning, those doctors came with their apprentices. Most of these apprentices were orphans in the city. Although it was Nangong Yue who proposed that the doctors accept some orphans as apprentices, after discussing with Guan Yubai, Xiao Yi and Guan Yubai finally accepted them. The apprentices are not only doctors, but also some craftsmen, such as blacksmiths, carpenters, weavers, embroidery workshops, etc... so that some orphans in the city can count on them.
Of course, this kind of apprenticeship is voluntary on both sides.
Although craftsmen need to pass on their craftsmanship, orphans need to have a craft to make a living.
Now, these doctors and apprentices who were urgently recruited as military doctors have done a great favor to the Southern Border Army.
The concoction in this pot was prepared by Nangong Yue herself. Let them help soak and dry the masks today, so that these doctors can get used to it.
Huamei hurriedly went to do it, and Baihui handed her a wet cloth to wipe her hands, and said, "Concubine Shizi, do you want to rest for a while?"
"No." Nangong Yue shook her head, "Finish things early so as not to miss important military affairs..."
The batch of pills sent from Luoyue City went into the warehouse yesterday after counting. This is already the third batch. The previous two batches were sent to Yanding City after Nangong Yue personally inspected them. Now this batch, naturally It also needs to be tested by her before it can be distributed.
Nangong Yue took Baihui on the way to the warehouse, still thinking about the Fifth Prince.
The life-saving pill she left behind can indeed protect the heart in an emergency, but it does not mean that the disease can be cured, especially because the fifth prince is critically ill due to a broken head, relying on the life-saving pill alone is useless.
When I first met the little prince, after escaping a catastrophe of life and death, he grew up slowly, Nangong Yue saw it in his eyes, and was still very relieved in his heart, but now... Is this predestined
Nangong Yue was in a very depressed mood. She was far away in southern Xinjiang now, with more energy than energy.
The Fifth Prince's illness is mostly treated with silver needles and supplemented by decoctions, but the acupuncture points on the head are all very important, and there can be no slightest mistake. Even if you get his pulse, before you see his condition with your own eyes, It was difficult for Nangong Yue to come up with a diagnosis and treatment plan.
"Shizifei." Baihui called out, "The warehouse is here."
Nangong Yue calmed down, this batch of medicine was of great importance, there must be no mistake.
The moment she stepped into the warehouse, she was fully focused.
After spending the whole afternoon, Nangong Yue checked all the medicines one by one, and then asked Baihui to take a small box to destroy it.
On the same day, Guan Yubai gave the order to distribute the medicine.
The eldest son Xiao Yi led 20,000 people to the expedition. Today's Yanding City has three battalions of Youyi, Xiandeng, and Xuanfeng as defenses. The third battalion has a total of 5,000 people. Once the enemy makes a large-scale change, they will definitely not be able to escape their eyes and ears.
The defenders in Yanding City, including the Shenarm Battalion, also numbered 5,000 people.
A total of 10,000 defenders will have no problem facing small-scale enemy raids. Even if the enemy invades massively, it will take at least one day and one night to march from Dengli City to Yanding City. There are three battalions patrolling and guarding. They will be discovered before approaching the boundaries of Yanding City. Yanding City can also enter martial law immediately, and only needs to guard for two or three days, and the eldest son Xiao Yi can lead the army back in time.
Therefore, Yanding City must be worry-free.
It was mid-November, and it was the most prosperous season for Qianmanlan. More pollen fell along the Yanlai River Basin, which had a great impact on the three battalions stationed outside. Therefore, whenever medicine came, these three battalions were always given priority. . This time was no exception, Guan Yubai made the decision, and all the medicines were sent to the third battalion.
No need to be overwhelmed by the "acclimatization", the soldiers of the third battalion naturally cheered.
Nangong Yue also breathed a sigh of relief after completing this important event. In the following days, she began to be busy teaching the doctors in the city to make medicinal juice. Two days later, Luoyue City sent a large number of medicinal materials, and the doctors also took it. Hands, soon, masks soaked in medicinal juice were left to dry...
Time passed quickly in the busyness. On the night of this day, outside Yanding City, on the northeast side of Yulan Mountain, a group of hundreds of Nanliang elite soldiers walked quietly at night, taking a mountain path around the mountain. And down, came to the middle and upper reaches of the Yanlai River.
At this moment, the sky is lit up, and the sky looks gray-blue, only a half-moon-shaped golden light shines through the east...
"Chief Commander," several nimble spies returned after exploring the way, "the younger ones have already searched for a mile around, and they haven't seen anyone from the Southern Border Army."
The team leader was a lean middle-aged commander. Hearing this, he breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that their whereabouts had not been exposed.
The lessons learned by Lieutenant Conanli's annihilation of the entire army in the swamp are still in front of his eyes, and what the commander-in-chief fears most is repeating the same mistakes-and being ambushed by the Southern Border Army.
They can't go wrong anymore!
"Hurry up and act!"
The commander gave an order, and hundreds of elite soldiers moved into action, untied the burdens on their backs, and sprinkled the powder in the burdens into the river...
The milky white powder was like a snowy goose feather, falling down with the gusts of cold wind, and finally fell into the clear river water, disappeared with the gurgling water, as if it had never existed...
The commander's mouth curled up slightly, revealing a sinister smile.
Except for the wells in Yanding City, the Yanlai River is the only source of water for a few miles around. According to the news from Baullach, the battalions stationed outside the city basically sent people to the river one after another around Chenshi. fetch water. Now it is more than half of the hour, and the sprinkled powder will go downstream with the water flow, and then be taken away by the Southern Border Army, and they will only think that the powder in the water is the pollen of Qianmanlan... The opportunity is fleeting, they must hurry up!
At this time, a sentry spy ran over in a hurry, clasped his fists and said, "Commander, there are about ten people from the Southern Border Army coming here..."
The other party seems to have come early... The commander frowned, and made a gesture, signaling his brothers to retreat hastily, while he himself brought two personal soldiers to the rear. After making sure that there was no trace of powder left nearby, the three of them The man nimbly climbed to several big trees.
After a while, I saw fifteen or six soldiers of the Southern Border Army walking towards this side with buckets, talking and laughing, seemingly unwarranted.
The three Nanliang people hiding in the tree unconsciously held their breath and did not move.
The dozen or so soldiers of the Southern Border Army stopped by the river very quickly, and the commander of Nanliang, who was hiding in a tree not far away, stared at them with shining eyes, thinking silently: Get water quickly. ! Get some water!
Seeing those soldiers leaning over to scoop up water from the river with buckets, there was another sound not far away, and some soldiers of the Southern Border Army came over, some with buckets, some with water bags... these two The group of people were obviously acquaintances, and they greeted each other regardless of the water on their coats. On the one hand, the Commander of Nanliang secretly liked the good news from Bolach, but on the other hand he was very anxious.
Fortunately, those soldiers only said a few words casually, each fetched water, and returned the same way with full buckets and water bags...
It wasn't until their figures completely disappeared into the woods that the commander and the two personal soldiers turned over and got off the tree neatly.
One of the dark-skinned soldiers couldn't hide his excitement and said: "Chief Commander, it's not yet Chen's hour. Those southern border troops must have just got up. After a while, there will definitely be more people fetching water along the river. By then..."
As he said that, the soldiers couldn't help thinking about the fate of those southern border troops, and their blood boiled with enthusiasm.
The commander glanced in the direction of Yulan Mountain and said, "Let's go, let's meet the five kings!"
Calculating the time, the 20,000 troops led by the five kings should be able to arrive within an hour. By then, all the Southern Border troops stationed outside Yanding City will have been poisoned, and their Nanliang army will be able to drive straight into Yanding. under the city.
Xiao Yi had already taken away most of the troops in Yanding City, and after removing the soldiers stationed outside the city, the Southern Border Army guards left in the city were only four to five thousand at most, comparable to their 20,000 Nanliang army. It is tantamount to hitting a stone with an egg.
Xiao Yiyuan was in Yongjia City, even if he received a call for help and rushed back, it was too late!
What's more, they still have an important pawn...
With "it", let alone a day, I am afraid that the city can be broken in half a day!
Yanding City will surely return to their Nanliang hands again!
The more the commander thought about it, the more excited he became, and he couldn't help but glance in the direction of Yanding City...
At this moment, on the streets of Yanding City, people began to travel one after another, and another new day began.
The main gate of the garrison mansion was wide open, and Sun Xinyi and the maid Caiwei were welcomed into the mansion by a woman in green with a smile, and led the master and servant to the second gate, only to see a green-covered carriage parked there, and several women The son waited at the side, busy before and after, and carried several baskets into the carriage.
The green-clothed lady who led the way said politely: "Miss Sun, please wait here a moment, the imperial concubine and Miss Han will be here soon."
Sun Xinyi raised her eyes and looked forward, and saw Nangong Yue and Han Qixia walking towards this side hand in hand, talking and laughing.
Sun Xinyi's eyes paused on Han Qixia's body, and a barely noticeable coldness flashed in her eyes.
She didn't think about inviting Han Qixia at first, but that day, when she was leaving the Garrison Mansion, she happened to meet Han Qixia, and suddenly she had a flash of inspiration.
Originally, this matter had nothing to do with Han Qixia, and the Nanliang people wanted to target the concubine Shizi, but Han Qixia's existence was too much trouble for him.
As long as Han Qixia is gone, I and Fu Yunhe will have a chance!
Thinking of the scenes of these days, Sun Xinyi gritted her teeth, a look of ruthlessness flashed in her eyes, she blamed Han Qixia for insisting on going against her, so don't blame herself for killing someone with a knife! ... She forced herself to do all of this!
Sun Xinyi thought so in her heart, but with a gentle and warm smile on her face, she stepped forward gracefully, and saluted the two with a smile: "I have met the concubine, Miss Han."
After the three of them saw the ceremony, they got into the green-covered carriage one by one. After a while, the carriage slowly drove out of the garrison mansion, and headed along Dong'an Avenue all the way to the front city gate...
In the carriage, Sun Xinyi was sitting opposite Nangong Yue, looking at the carriage unobtrusively. From the outside, this carriage looks ordinary, but when you sit inside, you know that this carriage is specially designed. The inside of the carriage is more spacious and comfortable than it looks on the outside. Does not appear crowded.
Moreover, the various arrangements from curtains, carpets to box-style benches, etc., are very elegant, low-key but not luxurious, and even this carriage runs much more smoothly than ordinary carriages.
Sun Xinyi can be sure that even when her father, Sun Shoubei, was alive, the carriage of her mother-in-law, Mrs. Sun, could not compare to this one...
Ever since Nangong Yue came to Yanding City, she has always behaved in a simple and low-key manner. Even though Sun Xinyi knew that the other party's status was much higher than her own, she did not feel that huge gap. It was only at this moment that she caught a glimpse of it.
The other party is the concubine of the world, no matter in terms of status, status, food and clothing, she is different from herself... no matter in the past or in the present.
Sun Xinyi lowered her eyes halfway, hiding the strange look in her eyes, and said with a smile: "Prince Concubine, Miss Han, I made some dim sum by myself this morning, and I invite you two to taste it."
While she was speaking, the maid Caiwei had already opened the food box, and there were several plates of jujube paste and yam cakes in the mahogany food box.
In the carriage, the girls were chatting and laughing; outside the carriage, the street was empty, only occasionally a few pedestrians passed by, and the middle-aged coachman in a blue bunt raised his whip and started from time to time shouting: "Drive—"
"Da da da… "
The Garrison Mansion is not far from the city gate. After a while, the carriage arrived at Shunde Street, which leads directly to the city gate. There was a sudden noise from all around, and only the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside. Several people ran and shouted. :
"The Nanliang army is here!"
"The army of Nanliang is approaching the city!"
"..."
The coachman slowed down his horse with a "wow", and asked a little at a loss: "Miss Baihui..."
"Brother Yang, pull over first."
Baihui glanced at Nangong Yue, and hurriedly told the coachman.
The carriage slowly stopped at the side of the road. Nangong Yue raised a corner of the curtain to look out, and saw that the Shunde Street outside had become a mess.
"Tap Tat Tat..."
Groups of Southern Border Army soldiers, led by the soldiers, ran towards the city gate from all directions at high speed, and then stepped on the city wall with rumbling footsteps. Lian crossbow, or drawing out a long knife, or setting up a feathered arrow...all of them are ready to go, just looking at their backs from below, I feel a strong sense of crisis.
At the same time, thousands of soldiers from the Southern Border Army poured in like a tide, densely packed and full of heads.
Sun Xinyi opened the curtains on the other side of the carriage, also looking at the city wall, then slowly moved her eyes down, looking at the panicked people nearby, her eyes flickered, and for a moment, her eyes became firmer.
"Could the Nanliang people really come?" Not far away, a young man in his twenties said anxiously.
"That's fake." A middle-aged lady beside him frowned and said, "Since our Yanding City was taken back, when have you seen the Southern Border Army be so vigilant?!" Even if it was the last time Nanliang People sent envoys over, that is, they dispatched hundreds of soldiers.
"But, didn't the elder son go to lead his troops to attack Dengli city?" The young man became more and more nervous, and said with trembling in his voice, "Why is this Nanliang man here again! Could it be that the elder son..."
"Don't talk nonsense!" A middle-aged man in his forties walked up to the young man and interrupted him in a cold voice, "My son is wise and powerful, and he will definitely defeat the people of Nanliang!" He clenched his fists fiercely, bit his back molars and said, "Nanliang people killed my children and grandchildren. If I don't avenge my revenge, I can still be regarded as a man!"
"That's right!" An old man with white hair and beard also echoed, "Even if I die, I must let an old man from Nanliang be buried with me!" In the old eyes, the light of hatred burst out.
Seeing that the common people were full of anger, a sneer flashed in Sun Xinyi's eyes, and she thought to herself: I am really beyond my control.