My Chinese ancestors

Chapter 310 The final stumbling block

It's almost mid-February, and the night wind is still chilly.

In the Qin Mansion, a square courtyard was surrounded by the palace guards and fifty soldiers. A low hum of insects gradually began to sound in the corners of the courtyard.

Several figures who had been invited quietly entered from the side door of the Qin Mansion, followed by the accompanying servants, and hurriedly passed by in the light of lanterns under the nearby eaves. Under the watchful eyes of the guards, they entered the courtyard under martial law.

The steward led several older maids, brought tea and pastries, and silently exited the room and closed the door.

Qin Wenwen sat at the head of the hall, with a cane to support his walking next to him. He blew on the floating tea stems from a porcelain cup. His colleagues sitting on both sides sat squarely with calm faces, drinking tea.

The classics are rich and thick, the case is clumsy, and the small stove lit with incense curls up with a faint green smoke.

This is the study room of the Qin Mansion. It is Qin Tongwen's favorite place, and it is also the place where she often discusses things with Xiang Nu. Now there are several colleagues in the court here.

With their weight, during the reign of the late emperor, they were enough to influence the situation in the entire north.

However, after King Xia took control of Yanjing and took control of the north, many old ministers died one after another in the last palace coup. Those who were not involved were disheartened and many resigned and returned home.

The remaining people tried to save the court, but unfortunately the power in their hands was gradually taken away by the new courtiers step by step. Now that King Xia is about to inherit Zuo of Yan State, there is no room for recovery.

Regarding the matter of King Xia, he was not sure whether he could succeed. Qin Tongwen decided that he could not wait any longer, but he would definitely not be able to accomplish such a big thing by himself.

So he invited the remaining veterans of the Yan State. They had some conflicts of interest in the past and still had some power in their hands, such as Zu Zhou, the minister of punishment, Wang Qi, the captain of Jingzhaoqi, Kong Lingde, etc.

"...Since King Xia entered Yanjing, his power has become more and more powerful. Time has not waited for me. Now he returns to the court with a victorious army. Under the monument, he swears an oath to the three armies with unparalleled prestige.

Now it is even rumored that His Majesty has retired to him. Regardless of whether it is true or not, it is a great shame and a great insult to us and other loyal ministers of Yan State... In the past two years, I have been trying to persuade King Xia to return to the right path and return power to His Majesty. Don't be that violent minister who insults His Majesty.

But it seems that I was wrong. He became the King of Xia just for the throne. I and other veterans can no longer sit back and wait for death. Even if we are broken into pieces, we must give it a try! "

Qin Tongwen took a deep breath and slapped her hands on the table a few times, her weak body shaking with excitement.

Servants have all avoided such occasions, so there is not much concern about speaking loudly or not.

Wang Qi, the waiter on the lower side, put down the tea.

"We all know what Qin Shangshu said, but the King of Xia is so powerful that he controls all the soldiers and horses in the world, and all the land in the capital belongs to him. We don't have much power in our hands anymore, so how can we check and balance him. "

When he said these words, the other five people had different expressions. Some were stroking their beards and being silent, or they were closing their eyes and nodding. Kong Lingde, the Cavalry Commander, spoke up: "Although the veteran is sixty-two, he was promoted when the late emperor was still the prince. This is a great opportunity." I cannot repay my kindness, but I am willing to risk my life for the great Yan Kingdom Zuo!"

"What are you fighting for? Are you stubborn? Or are your necks, young and old, not afraid of the edge of a knife?"

"No, Ling Dejun is talking nonsense. What can dozens of people under your command do? It's not enough for a fierce general under King Xia to kill him with his bare hands."

"Speaking of powerful generals, Lu Bu, Zhao Yun, and Li Xuanba under King Xia are all top-notch powerful men. They are also in Yanjing City. What should we use to fight him?"

"Qin Shangshu, it seems that Lu Bu had an affair. Did you really give him a girl from Hunan?"

The flurry of words made Qin Tongwen's face turn red, and he banged the table.

"Let's talk about how to get rid of the King of Xia. What's the point of involving me? We, a group of people who have been officials for decades, are not as good as a young man of ten or so. Tell us where to put our old faces!"

He was also touched on a painful spot, and what he said was rather impatient.

"Qin Shangshu, we are all half dead, so we are not afraid of death, but our death is worth it. You and I both know that we have no soldiers, no power, no power, and there is nothing we can do against the King of Xia."

Among the court officials here, apart from Qin Tongwen, Zu Zhou, the minister of the Ministry of Justice, is the oldest. He is not young at all. He is 69 this year. "If Qin Shangshu has a way, please tell me and we will discuss with Shangshu whether it is feasible." "

"There is a way."

Qin Tongwen leaned back, put his fingers on the side of the tea cup, and tapped lightly with his fingertips. After a while, he looked away from the candlelight.

"The King of Xia is about to ascend the throne, and all parties are under martial law. But the more this happens, the greater our chances."

He paused and looked at everyone.

"Ascension to the throne is a major event. The civil and military officials around King Xia should concentrate on preparing for the enthronement. You may be able to catch a glimpse of it in some corners, but not many. The Fengchan platform is already being built in the imperial city, and the court and the central government are backlogging affairs and coordinating all parties. Well, that King of Xia must be tired and won’t live in the palace. Although King Xia’s palace is large and heavily guarded, it is much simpler than the high-walled and deep courtyards of the Imperial City.”

"There are many soldiers and horses stationed in Prince Xia's Mansion, so it's so easy!"

"Haha, the high wall of the palace stretches for 27 miles. It is impossible for soldiers to be stationed at every section. Most of them are patrol soldiers and horses. Just think, I have more than a hundred people under my command! Both the parents of King Xia are in the palace, so he must be there every day. The city will be in the house every day, so in the dead of night, it’s the best time to take action!”

What Qin Tongwen said was not a high-level argument, but that was all they could do at the moment. Any conspiracy, trickery, or tricks in the court had no effect at this time.

Others will ascend the throne in a few days, and they are still making plans here. When the plans take effect, it is estimated that the emperor has been demoted to the throne and sent out of Yanjing.

At this moment, beheading the leader of the thieves is the truly effective strategy. Even if the death of the King of Xia causes turmoil, it will be worth it. When the time comes, everyone will unite with the big families of the states to calm down the turmoil. The country of Yan will still be Yan. country.

After thinking about it carefully, Zu Zhou and others sighed that Qin Tongwen's decisive methods were really the cornerstone and mainstay of the Yan Kingdom. They were all a group of old officials and were not afraid of death. Since they had made a decision, they must have planned something and discussed another one. At that moment, fatigue hit them, and they stood up to say goodbye.

After leaving this courtyard, although the smell of impending mountain rain hit their faces, Zu Zhou, Wang Qi and others couldn't help but sigh that they and their group also had the ability to change the weather.

Soon, they parted ways and took carriages to leave. On the way back, they thought about today's plan with Qin Shangshu, and the more they thought about it, the more feasible it became.

Kong Lingde, the captain of Jingzhao Cavalry, did not expect so much. He was old and concentrated on discussing many things with everyone. His mind was a little confused. At this time, he was already drowsy while leaning on the carriage.

While he was sleeping soundly, the slightly swaying carriage suddenly stopped, and he leaned forward suddenly, almost hitting his forehead.

"Old Wang, are you here? Why are you so careless about parking today?"

"No...Master, outside...outside..."

Kong Lingde, who was about to get out of the car, opened the curtain and saw a row of figures in brocade clothes and embroidered robes standing in the middle of the aisle on the street leading to the mansion, headed by a conductor from the embroidery department, looking at them expressionlessly.

"Who are you? Do you know that I am..." "You are Kong Lingde, the captain of Jingzhao Cavalry. I know!" The commander came forward with more than a dozen people from the Embroidery Department, took out the king's order and drove away the guards around the carriage. open.

"Captain Qi, do you recognize the token? Could you please come with us to the Embroidery Department?"

"You are impudent, I am a minister of the imperial court, Jingzhao..."

"Stop talking nonsense, take him away!" The conductor shouted loudly, directly interrupting the old man's words. With a wave of his hand, several embroidered Si Jinwei jumped on the chariot and threw the driver out of the car. One person drove and the other pulled the car. The knife was placed on Kong Lingde's neck, and he followed the command to get on his horse and disappeared into the night.

Outside the same official residences, the other five returning veterans, such as Wang Qi, Zu Zhou and others, were also stopped by people from the Embroidery Department on the road, arrested on the spot and stuffed into the carriage to leave.

In less than half an hour, government agents and government officials were dispatched and broke into the homes of these six court officials. They were carrying royal orders. These agents and government officials showed the arrogance of oppressing ordinary people, quickly sealed up the residences and confiscated the property. , searched everything inside and out, took all the other party's family members, and threw them into the government prison.

……

During this process, a six-horse carriage came out of Prince Xia's Mansion, drove through the mist that filled the long streets, and soon stopped outside the Qin Mansion.

When the guard guarding the door saw the figure coming out of the carriage, his legs became weak in fear. When the other party led two tall guards up the stone steps and walked into the eaves, the guard guarding here instinctively pushed the door open. Open, respectfully retreat to the sides and kneel down.

In the entire Yanjing, no one knows Xia Wang Su Chen.

For a while, the Qin Mansion was trembling with fear. After hearing the news, the steward sent someone to inform Qin Min of the news and led the servants of the family to kneel down to welcome him.

"Where is Qin Shangshu? Take me there."

Su Chen carried the King of Xia Sword without looking at them, and strode straight past the kneeling crowd. Dian Wei and Xu Chu followed closely behind. Xu Chu picked it up casually and threw the old man in front of him who looked like he was in charge. , shouted in a low voice: "Lead the way."

At this time in the backyard, Qin Xiangwen finished washing up under the service of Xiangnu, and lay down on the bed to sleep. Qin Xiangnu covered him with a quilt, sat on the edge of the bed, and said softly: "Father, do you think you can do it this time?" Was it successful?"

"No matter whether it succeeds or not, as a father, you have to give it a try, otherwise you will have no chance."

The old man was so angry that he vomited blood in the court that day. Coupled with the previous punch from Lu Bu, the new injuries and old injuries made it difficult for him to move. "Xiangnu, you should go and rest too."

"Yes, foster father!"

Qin Xiangnu stood up and bowed her body slightly, and was about to blow out the candles when footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door, and a servant ran to the door in a panic.

He was panting through the door.

"Sir, it's not good, the king...the king is here!"

Qin Tongwen, who had closed his eyes, was so frightened that he opened his eyes. Before Xiang Nu came to help him up, he sat up directly. Before he could speak, Su Chen's voice rang out from under the eaves outside.

"Qin Shangshu, I am here to see you."

The door creaked and was pushed open by a giant man with a ferocious face. Su Chen came in carrying the Xia Wang Sword. He glanced at the graceful woman beside him, then raised his hand and pressed Qin Tongwen, asking him to lie down.

"Shang Shu has been injured twice, and he still has to deal with everything. It's really hard, so don't get up."

"Your Majesty..." Qin Tongwen didn't dare to struggle to get up, but the voice of Su Chen next to her suddenly became louder: "Lie down!"

The old man was so yelled that he didn't dare to move. He looked blankly into Su Chen's eyes, and all he saw was indifference. He slowly lay down, his heart beating wildly, and he asked tentatively: "Your Majesty, What do you want me to do when you come to see me late at night?"

"I just came here to visit you."

Su Chen tucked the quilt for him with a smile and continued: "The public security in the city has been bad recently. Let's see if there are any thieves at Shangshu's house. The embroidery department sent a message to Gu, saying that several people were arrested on the road, all of different ages. Little old thief, tell me, at this age, why do you still want to be a thief? Is the family short of money or food?"

"They..." Su Chen shook his head, smiled and sighed: "...This is forcing his own child to die, are you right? Qin Shangshu."

Hearing this, whether it was Qin Tong or Qin Xiang, the expressions on their faces changed instantly.

"Your Majesty...those people..."

"They are just a group of thieves. But don't worry, Qin Shangshu still needs to take good care of his injuries. When he ascends the throne, you must come. Do you understand?!"

Su Chen patted the quilt on the old man's chest and said with a smile: "I have been too busy recently and will be leaving soon. The minister must take good care of his health."

Qin Tongwen pursed her lips tightly and looked at Su Chen who stood up. He naturally knew that the old thief mentioned by the other party was Zu Zhou and others. How did the other party know about such a strict matter?

But now Su Chen was in this room, with two guarding generals standing at the door. He quickly winked at Qin Xiang's daughter. The woman also had some martial arts, and could easily kill seven or eight strong men.

The understanding woman kept her composure, and when she saw King Xia turning around, with his pretty face lightly painted with pink and white, she suddenly showed a charming smile, "Nv Qin Xiang's daughter has seen King Xia..."

While the gentle words were still being spoken, Su Chen, who was walking past the round table, glanced at him from the corner of his eyes with cold eyes.

next moment.

There was a "clang" sound, the cloak was raised, the Xia King's sword was unsheathed, and it slashed down the fair and thin neck under the shy and charming face that was slightly bowed.

Blood spattered on the round table and the wall next to it, forming an arc and slowly flowing down.

The gentle voice stopped suddenly. Dian Wei and Xu Chu who were outside the door peeked in and took a look, then turned their heads back. The Qin Xiang girl covered her neck and looked at Su Chen in front of her with wide almond-shaped eyes. A dagger clicked. fell to the ground.

A few blood bubbles appeared on the narrow neck that the woman was covering, and her delicate body fell backwards. She fell to the ground and twitched a few times, then stopped moving.

Su Chen took out his handkerchief and wiped the blade of the sword, sheathed the sword, and glanced at Qin Tongwen, who was pale and stunned on the bedside.

"Qin Shangshu, you need to clean up your house. Don't let all the cats and dogs get in. Look, isn't there a female assassin who sneaked in? Fortunately, Gu helped you kill her. Be careful next time."

Su Chen strode out of the room with a smile. Qin Tongwen's face was pale and her lips were trembling. Looking at the dead Xiang girl on the ground, he seemed to have lost all his strength and fell down on the bed with a thud.

The final stumbling block has been cleared.

(End of this chapter)