The Prodigal Son

The next morning, the Prince of Chengyang handed over the affairs of Yinzhou to Ji Lianhuan and led his men to Ningzhou to pay homage to his ancestors.

However, as a vassal king, the Prince of Chengyang was not allowed to lead his troops out of his fiefdom without imperial decree.

Therefore, the Prince of Chengyang only brought his family and a thousand personal guards.

The Prince of Chengyang made a high-profile trip to Ningzhou under the guise of ancestral worship.

Although the Prince of Chengyang did not bring a large number of people, his presence was extremely imposing.

It was quite a spectacle, with drums and firecrackers going off all at once.

By noon the next day, they had entered Ningzhou territory.

During their journey, they received news that Emperor Yizu had appeared again last night.

Blood still seeped from the merit stele of Emperor Yizu, and overnight, the merit stele, weighing tens of thousands of kilograms, grew three inches from the ground.

Various strange phenomena made the story of Emperor Yizu's miraculous appearances increasingly mysterious.

But all the rumors point to one thing: there are treacherous officials causing trouble in the court!

Upon receiving this news, the Prince of Chengyang was even more delighted.

The more exaggerated the story becomes, the better!

Once this matter spreads far and wide, Zhao Luan will likely find it impossible to avoid coming to Ningzhou to pay respects to his ancestors and appease the people.

However, they hadn't gone far when the scouts returned to report: "Your Highness, there are people blocking the road ahead!"

A cold glint flashed in the Prince of Chengyang's eyes, and he said with a dark face, "I am here to pay respects to my ancestors. Who dares to block my way?"

"They're from the Ningzhou garrison!"

The scout replied, "The leader is a centurion named Yang Shu!"

"A thousand generals?"

A hint of disdain flashed in the Prince of Chengyang's eyes. "I'll go and meet him right now!"

The Prince of Chengyang waved his hand and led his people to continue forward.

Soon, the Prince of Chengyang saw the imperial troops blocking his way.

The Prince of Chengyang rode forward.

"Greetings, Your Highness!"

Yang Shu stepped forward and bowed in greeting.

"You must be Yang Shu, right?"

The Prince of Chengyang, mounted on his horse, looked down at Yang Shu and asked, "What is the meaning of your setting up a roadblock to obstruct me?"

"Your Highness, please calm your anger!"

Yang Shu bowed again, "It is not that this humble general intends to obstruct you, but according to the laws of the court, Your Highness, as a vassal king, cannot lead troops away from your fiefdom without authorization. I beg Your Highness not to make things difficult for this humble general!"

The Prince of Chengyang narrowed his eyes and asked in a deep voice, "Are you aware of the matter of Emperor Yizu's divine intervention?"

"this……"

Yang Shu glanced at the Prince of Chengyang and answered with a forced smile, "This matter has already spread throughout Ningzhou, and I have also heard about it."

The Prince of Chengyang asked again, "Since Emperor Yizu has manifested his spirit, as his descendant, should I go and pay my respects?"

When asked by the Prince of Chengyang, Yang Shu lowered his head even further and said, "Indeed, it should be."

"Open your eyes wide and take a good look!"

The Prince of Chengyang's face suddenly fell, and an invisible aura of power spread out. "I was merely taking my family and personal guards to the imperial mausoleum to pay respects to my ancestors. Is this what you call leading troops away from my fiefdom without permission? What, do you think I should go to pay respects to my ancestors with just my family and no guards?"

"this……"

Yang Shu looked at the Prince of Chengyang awkwardly, speechless.

He really couldn't refute that.

Let alone members of the royal family, even a county magistrate going to worship his ancestors wouldn't bring only his family!

The Prince of Chengyang dismounted and approached Yang Shu, his expression softening. "It was your duty, so I won't blame you! Get out of the way quickly, don't delay my ancestral worship ceremony!"

Yang Shu craned his neck to look behind the Prince of Chengyang, hesitated for a moment, and then ordered his men to remove the roadblock.

"That's right."

The Prince of Chengyang smiled with satisfaction. "By the way, how many people witnessed Emperor Yizu's divine intervention?"

"There weren't many the night before last, but there were quite a few last night."

Yang Shu replied, "I heard that Emperor Yizu manifested his spirit before thousands of people last night, his dragon roars and mournful cries echoing all night long, causing those who heard it to grieve and those who saw it to weep..."

"Ugh!"

The Prince of Chengyang sighed with worry and muttered to himself, "What on earth is going on?"

With a worried expression, the Prince of Chengyang remounted his horse and led his entourage onward.

About an hour later, they arrived near the Tiger's Mouth.

Just as the Prince of Chengyang was about to lead his men onward, Cao Yuan, who was accompanying him, suddenly called out to him.

"Your Highness, something's not right!"

Cao Yuan frowned and surveyed his surroundings with a grave expression.

The Prince of Chengyang trusted Cao Yuan greatly, and upon hearing Cao Yuan's words, he immediately asked warily, "What's wrong?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's so quiet around here, there's not even the sound of birds or animals."

Cao Yuan scanned the forests on both sides, his aura tense. "There might be an ambush!"

Ok?

The Prince of Chengyang frowned, glanced at the surrounding terrain, and immediately ordered, "Send two teams to thoroughly scout the area!"

"yes!"

Upon receiving the order, the commander of the Imperial Guard immediately dispatched two teams of men to rush into the mountains and forests.

Before they could even step into the forest, the shadows of the trees suddenly swayed, and a dark mass of figures appeared and disappeared among them, their chilling killing intent assaulting their senses.

"All personnel on alert! Protect your families!" Prince Chengyang shouted sternly, his voice so powerful that the surrounding air trembled slightly.

The Imperial Guards reacted swiftly, instantly forming a square formation to firmly protect Prince Chengyang and his family in the center.

Swords and spears were drawn, their cold light gleaming.

The next moment, a large number of armored soldiers poured out from the forests on both sides, and arrows rained down on the formation, instantly casting a shadow of death over the entire team.

Upon seeing the gleaming arrowhead, the family of the Prince of Chengyang were immediately gripped by terror.

"Your Highness! How have you been?"

A faint laugh rang out.

Immediately afterwards, two figures leaped into the air, moving like lightning, and landed steadily ten feet in front of the group.

The powerful aura emanating from them swept over, startling the warhorses of the Prince of Chengyang and his personal guards, causing them to rear up in a frenzy.

Zhao Po!

Guo Yang!

The Prince of Chengyang tightened the reins, his pupils suddenly contracted, and he was filled with horror.

Two grandmasters!

But one of them is Zhao Luan's man, and the other is the Empress Dowager's man!

Two people who should be irreconcilable enemies are now appearing together in front of me?

After a brief moment of thought, the Prince of Chengyang finally realized what was happening, and boundless rage instantly filled his body.

"Ha ha……"

The Prince of Chengyang laughed in fury, "Well done, Zhao Luan! Well done, Guo Mei! To deal with me, they actually joined forces to stage such a grand show! Good, very good! They really schemed!"

The Prince of Chengyang praised him verbally, but his face was contorted with rage.

Now that things have come to this, how could he still not understand?

There was no purge of corrupt officials from the emperor's inner circle, and no confrontation between the Empress Dowager and Zhao Luan!

They used Qin Yu as bait, even sacrificing Lü Chunqiu's unborn child, to stage this grand spectacle, all to lure him to come to Ningzhou with only a small force to pay respects to their ancestors, and then eliminate him at the lowest possible cost!

All the drama in the imperial city was staged for Zhao Yan's benefit, to make him believe that the Empress Dowager and Zhao Luan had reached a point of irreconcilable conflict!

What a plan!

They truly are a mother and daughter!

"presumptuous!"

Guo Yang suddenly let out a sharp, furious shout, "Zhao Chong, how dare you address the Empress Dowager by her given name! This is utterly rebellious!"

The Prince of Chengyang stared intently at Guo Yang with eyes like knives, his face full of disdain. "I am a member of the royal family. Who gives you, a eunuch, the right to lecture me?"

He knew that the Empress Dowager had done Guo Yang a great favor, and could even be said to be Guo Yang's second parents!

Guo Yang entered the palace at the age of nine. He was once just an insignificant figure, but he was later favored by the Empress Dowager, who was then the Crown Princess, and was able to serve by her side.

The Empress Dowager discovered his exceptional talent and personally hired someone to teach him martial arts, and bestowed upon him the surname Guo!

Guo Yang did not disappoint the Empress Dowager's expectations and became a Grandmaster seven years ago!

Guo Yang and his gang of eunuchs are now the Empress Dowager's last resort!

The words "castrated dog" instantly ignited Guo Yang's fury.

Guo Yang's aura surged, and the pressure of a grandmaster swept out.

He was about to make a move when Zhao Po stopped him.

"Your Highness, don't try to fight a losing battle!"

Zhao Po stepped forward, issuing a powerful warning to the Prince of Chengyang, and then produced two imperial edicts. "Here are two imperial edicts; take a look for yourself!"

As soon as he finished speaking, two imperial edicts shot out from Zhao Po's hand like arrows piercing the air...