Jiuxi

Chapter 853 851 [Before Dawn]

The Duke of Qin's Mansion was brightly lit.

In the east courtyard, the three hundred personal soldiers who had already filled their stomachs were getting dressed in an orderly manner under the command of Qin Zilong.

All of them wore light armor and were equipped with two steel knives, one for use and one for reserve. This steel knife was made by Zhang Hua, a blacksmith in Dingzhou, under the order of Liu Yuan, the chief clerk of the Governor's Office. It was made of the same material as the special long knife that defeated the Jing army's cavalry. This knife was extremely sharp and could cut iron like mud. It was unique to Lu Chen's personal soldiers.

In addition, each person is equipped with a special crossbow made by the Dingzhou Army, with dozens of crossbow arrows that can pierce the enemy's armor within fifty steps.

In addition, these three hundred people can be said to be the best of the best. The Rui Shi Camp originally gathered the elite soldiers of the border army, and Lu Chen's three hundred personal soldiers were the elite selected from the Rui Shi Camp.

Not only are they well-equipped, each of them possesses outstanding martial arts skills, and they have also followed Lu Chen in battles all over the country, so they have extremely rich experience in battle.

Even so, Qin Zilong still treated them like rookies. He walked up to each person in the light of the fire and helped them check their armor and weapons, muttering to himself, "Something big has happened in the capital. The Duke's safety today depends on us. We must not be careless."

A personal soldier said solemnly: "Commander, even if we all die, we will not let anyone harm the Duke."

"That's right. No matter who wants to be the enemy of the Duke, I, Old Chen, will kill him with one blow."

Another person immediately took over the conversation.

Some people gradually echoed the sentiment, but the atmosphere remained very orderly without any noise or unrest.

Qin Zilong smiled with relief, but there was an indelible worry deep in his eyes.

Now he is one of Lu Chen's core confidants, and he must know much more secrets than other soldiers. He is well aware of the recent turbulent situation in the capital. He thinks Lu Chen should find a way to leave the capital. Not to mention returning to Jiangbei immediately. As long as he can join up with the 3,000 cavalry stationed outside the city, no one in Jiangnan can really threaten his safety.

However, Lu Chen had no intention of forcing his way out of the city. Qin Zilong was worried, but he could only do his own thing, which was to ensure that these three hundred personal soldiers could protect their master at all costs at the most critical moment.

In the main hall of the front house, Lu Chen took a sip of tea and said to Tan Zheng and Qi Lianfu who were sitting below him: "From now on, I will leave the house to you two."

The two immediately responded: "Yes, sir!"

Lu Chen looked up at them and said seriously, "The brothers brought by Uncle Qi will be responsible for close protection and setting up secret sentries, and your men, Tan Zheng, will be responsible for the outer perimeter security. In the short term, the imperial guards will not come to our door, but we must be on guard against the henchmen in the dark. You don't have to worry about me, and don't be misled by false news. Your only mission is to protect this Duke's Mansion, and there must not be any mistakes."

The two of them looked extremely resolute and said without hesitation: "Yes!"

"it is good."

Lu Chen nodded slightly and said with relief: "Go and arrange it."

The two men took the order and left.

Lu Tong, who had been sitting next to him sipping tea, put down his teacup and asked calmly, "When did you realize Li Shizhi's true purpose?"

"Probably after the Beijing inspection incident."

Lu Chen's eyes were clear, and he said slowly, "Looking back, the Jingcha incident gave me some relief, but it also exposed a flaw. I was able to find evidence against so many officials. Even if it can't directly prove that I have a relationship with the Textile Bureau, it can show that I have colluded with foreigners. However, with Li Shizhi's scheming mind, he was indifferent to this. Isn't this strange? He has been trying to sow discord between me and Li Zongben. This incident is a great entry point, but he never acted. This shows that his real purpose is far from that simple."

Lu Tong nodded.

Lu Chen continued, "After Uncle Wang's words, I had a clearer understanding of the ambitions of the aristocratic families. So the foggy state I had before disappeared, and Li Shizhi's true face gradually emerged. From that time on, I was sure that Li Shizhi really had that ambition. Maybe he also wanted to deal with me, but compared with his ambition, I was more like one of the chess pieces he could use."

"That's true."

Lu Tong sighed with a complicated expression, "Looking at the court and the public, you are the only one who has the ability to rebel. Li Shizhi has made the emperor's suspicion of you reach its peak through his planning over the past six months. The contradiction between the emperor and his subjects has surfaced, especially the assassination of Ding Hui and the arrest of Gao Huan. These two incidents have almost forced you into a corner. In this way, you do have a reason to take action."

"So I am just a chess piece in his eyes. Now that Li Zongben died suddenly in the palace, I became Li Shizhi's scapegoat. He can rely on the support of Empress Dowager Xu and the Jiangnan clans to truly seize power."

There was still no anger on Lu Chen's face, and he seemed to be telling someone else's story.

Lu Tong asked again: "Then how do you determine that Li Shizhi will take action in the next few days?"

"Chu Long said in the letter that Ding Hui is a very useful chess piece. As long as this unresolved state is maintained, the mastermind behind the scenes can be forced to show his true colors. I agree with her judgment. Regardless of whether Ding Hui really turns against him, Li Shizhi has no other choice."

Lu Chen raised his hand and pinched his brows, and said softly: "If he does nothing, when Ding Hui comes back, Li Zongben will know what this loyal Minister of Personnel has been doing, and then Li Shizhi will have no chance to turn the situation around."

Lu Tong stared at his son, the concern in his eyes no longer concealed, and asked, "Do you have to go to the palace? It's not too late for you to change your mind now. You can force your way out of the city and join the cavalry of the Ruishi Camp. By then, no one will be able to do anything to you."

Lu Mo remained silent.

After a moment, he said calmly: "Father, I know this decision involves certain risks, but I still have to go."

Lu Tong looked at his determined expression and couldn't help but sigh softly. He said, "I understand. Judging from the current situation, Li Shizhi and Queen Mother Xu will definitely seek a reasonable and legitimate way to pin the crime of regicide on you. Even if they can't convince everyone, at least they have to get the support of the important officials in the court, so as to maintain the overall situation. If they rashly take action against you, this matter will become an unsolved case, and it will be difficult for them to hold on to their position. If you leave the city directly, it will undoubtedly prove that you have something to hide. At that time, even if you jump into the Hengjiang River, you can't clear the suspicion, and all the hard work over the years will be in vain."

Intellectually, he certainly knew that Lu Chen had no better choice now, but he only had this one son, so how could he bear to watch him take risks?
Lu Chen looked at the old man's increasingly aged demeanor, so he slowed down his tone and said, "Dad, do you still remember that case?" "Hmm?"

"Six years ago, the spies of the pseudo-Yan Inspection Office framed the Lu family. At that time, you were detained by the Guangling prefect Zhan Hui. After the search at Panlong Pass, I met the family servant Sun Yu who came to report the news when I was about to return to the city. He said that you were arrested by the officials for collaborating with the enemy and asked me to escape quickly."

Hearing these words, Lu Tong's frown suddenly relaxed.

Lu Chen smiled and said, "Are there some similarities between that time and this moment? Li Shizhi and Queen Mother Xu deliberately left me a way out. As long as I choose this path, they will nail my coffin shut. I was not frightened by Sun Yu back then, so I will certainly not be frightened by them now."

Lu Tong couldn't help but chuckle. He said with relief and emotion, "Since you have made up your mind, no matter what the outcome is, we, father and son, will deal with it side by side."

"Father, don't worry."

Lu Chen said seriously: "Even if those people really want to go crazy, I am not a fish on the chopping board. This capital city still has unexpected surprises hidden in it."

At this moment, Li Bingxue, wearing light armor, strode in, bowed to Lu Tong and greeted him, then said to Lu Chen, "My husband, I want to go into the palace with you."

Lu Tong was slightly startled, and an expression of appreciation and approval immediately appeared on his weathered face.

Lu Chen stood up and looked at his wife, smiled slightly, nodded and said, "Okay, let's go together."

Li Bingxue said no more, but her determined gaze said it all.

"My lord."

The voice of the butler Chen Shu sounded outside the door, and he said hurriedly: "Duke Rong is here."

Lu Chen and Lu Tong looked at each other and then went to greet them together.

As soon as they arrived at the ceremonial gate, they saw the family servant leading Xiao Wangzhi and Yuchi Gui towards them side by side.

Xiao Wangzhi looked Lu Chen up and down and said concisely, "Have you decided?"

Lu Chen replied calmly: "I still have to go there eventually."

Xiao Wangzhi praised: "A soldier on the frontier should have such a heroic spirit. Let's go together."

Lu Chen agreed, and then said to Yuchi Gui: "Master, no matter what happens, please protect Uncle Xiao first."

Facing the gazes of the crowd, Yuchi Gui remained as calm as usual, but his tone was faintly filled with thunder and lightning: "Unless I die."

Lu Chen turned around and knelt on his knees facing Lu Tong. Li Bingxue was just a little slower.

The couple paid their respects in the still hazy sky.

Lu Tong helped them up and said softly, "Go."

Watching the crowd gradually going away, he stood in the morning mist, his hands subconsciously clasped in his sleeves, just like he did back then.

……

The more than 200 personal soldiers brought by Xiao Wangzhi joined forces with Lu Chen's personal soldiers and left the Qin Mansion in a mighty manner. However, they stopped after walking out of one street because another group of soldiers appeared in front of them. Although there were only more than 100 horses, it could be seen from afar that their military appearance was neat and their momentum was fierce. They could easily defeat ten people on the battlefield with one.

A thin figure stood at the front. Although he was no longer as majestic as he used to be, he still looked down on the world.

Li Bingxue's eyes suddenly turned red and she pursed her lips tightly.

Lu Chen jumped off his horse and walked quickly forward.

Duke of Wei Li Tianrun, who had been away from the court for two years and was suffering from illness, was wearing armor and holding a sword. He looked at the young figure walking towards him and smiled slightly, saying, "I'm not dead yet and can still move. I'll accompany you into the palace today to see how many evil spirits there are in this capital."

Lu Chen said with deep emotion: "Father-in-law."

"The late emperor specifically allowed me to enter the palace with a sword, but I have never done so before."

Li Tianrun slowly drew out his long sword, stared into Lu Chen's eyes and said, "Today, I will make an exception for you."

Lu Chen bowed and saluted completely.

At that time, the sky was slightly bright.

(End of this chapter)