The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 214 Catch them all in one fell swoop

Seeing Mr. Liu seemingly driven to madness, Prince Jin belatedly realized what he was about to do.

He wanted his brothers, who were vying for the throne, to be buried with the crown prince and his two nephews!
"You...you knew everything?"

The Prince of Jin's voice trembled.

The Crown Prince took in a concubine surnamed Liu. The concubine became pregnant with twins. When the children were born, the Emperor personally went to see them and was deeply fond of them.

He was very envious.

I heard that women who could conceive twins were also more likely to give birth to twins, so I sent someone to inquire. That's when I learned that the woman and her parents had come to the capital to find someone. However, the capital was too big, like finding a needle in a haystack. The family of three was good at growing flowers and trees, so they entered the Eastern Palace with a rare orchid. That's how they met the Crown Prince and were chosen by him to give birth to his child.

Upon discovering all this, the Prince of Jin knew things were going badly and hurriedly covered it up.

Liu Yuan was his secret weapon. He was afraid that people would find out about him, so even if he occasionally let him go out for some fresh air and have a bowl of mutton soup, he would make him come back quickly.

Later, the crown prince's entire family died, and he thought the matter was over, but unexpectedly...

"What do you think?"

Liu Yuan smiled, but his eyes were filled with hatred. "You people who don't deserve to be called human beings, do you think your family can live after my family dies?"

No one should live.

"Prince Jin, you used me to kill the Crown Prince and my nephew. How about I use you to harm your entire family and wipe out all your brothers, so that even the high and mighty Emperor Emeritus can taste the pain of heartbreak?"

how is it?

The Prince of Jin was utterly terrified.

For a moment, he even found it difficult to breathe.

How could there be such a person in the world?
They are kings! They are kings!

They are the offspring of dragons and phoenixes, born noble.

This lowly person...

"No, no, you can't do that."

The Prince of Jin gasped for breath. Thinking of the way he had come, he struggled to his feet, wanting to rush out. But after only two steps, he was struck hard in the back with a 'thud' as the round chair crashed down on him.

"Ah~~~"

As the Prince of Jin fell to the ground, tears streamed down his face. "Kill me! Kill me!"

"Want to die?" Liu Yuan burst into laughter. "Hahaha, you want to die now? Too late." He strode up to Prince Jin, looking down at him. "Do you know what's the hardest thing in the world? It's when everyone else is dead, and you're alive. Hahaha, hahahaha, you're alive, hahahaha~~~~"

He lives.

But he would rather be dead.

No one will want the body.

Even if my parents and sister come looking for me, they won't stay long, and they certainly won't try to get close to the Crown Prince.

By staying away from the Crown Prince, no matter how fierce the royal power struggles become, his family will remain unaffected.

Mr. Liu felt so much hatred and pain!

He's gone mad, and he knows he's gone mad.

He entered school at the age of five, studied hard, and went to the capital to take the imperial examination with great ambition, but what was the result?

He clung to life, bowing his head to the Prince of Jin, believing he could follow the Prince to the highest position and bring glory to his ancestors.

Liu Yuan thought he could do it.

In fact, he truly used his own hands to help the Prince of Jin remove the Crown Prince and eliminate his political opponents. However, just when he and the Prince of Jin were full of ambition and about to succeed, the Crown Prince set a fire...

The thought of the tragic fate of the Crown Prince's family, of his able-bodied parents being swallowed by the fire along with his sister and two young nephews, made him unable to go on living. He felt as if he wanted to cut himself into a thousand pieces.

The instigators of all this were the King of Jin and the so-called sons and grandsons of the dragon and phoenix, including the King of Jing.

Without the Crown Prince's busy schedule in his early years, they would be nothing.

The retired emperor was always sickly, and without a crown prince to handle state affairs for him, how could he possibly keep sowing seeds in the harem?

Liu Yuan hated them, hated that for the sake of the throne, they disregarded father-son and brotherly affection, disregarded the common people of Da Zhao, and turned into beasts...

Since they are beasts, why do they still live high and mighty in this world even after the crown prince has died?

The retired emperor suffered a stroke; he deserved it!
He deserves this suffering.

He should have just watched his sons kill each other.

On this day, Liu Yuan, having learned about his family's situation, began plotting with the help of the Prince of Jin.

It should have been even more perfect, but unexpectedly, as soon as the Emperor Emeritus fell, all the princes became obedient.

They behaved themselves, and for the sake of his reputation, the emperor couldn't do anything to them.

Liu Yuan had no choice but to act ahead of time.

"Prince Jin, I want you to live like a dog."

As he spoke, he grabbed the Prince of Jin's head and forcefully shoved a large, dark pill into his mouth.

Prince Jin struggled desperately, but he had been given a drug in the Imperial Clan Court prison that made him extremely weak. He had just been hit in the back and his internal organs were in pain. He was being trampled by Liu Yuan and could not struggle at all.

He didn't know what trick the man had used, but the pill actually went down his throat.

The Prince of Jin's eyes rolled back; he choked, and at the same time, a burning pain shot through his throat.

"Ugh~~~"

The Prince of Jin was in so much pain that he tried to gag, but it didn't work; his entire throat was sore.

The air I exhaled from my mouth felt very hot.

The Prince of Jin was terrified. He wanted to beg for mercy and ask Liu Yuan to give him a quick death, but it was no use. His voice was now hoarse and unrecognizable.

Is this going to ruin his voice?
The Prince of Jin struggled, and he felt Liu Yuan go down. He frantically tried to get up and run away.

Just then, Liu Yuan grabbed a stick and struck him hard on the leg.

Click~
"Ah~~~~"

The Prince of Jin, who had not yet fully gotten up, fell to the ground again.

But Liu Yuan did not stop. He continued to strike, breaking the Prince of Jin's left leg and then his right leg.

Moreover, he didn't just strike one spot; he seemed intent on breaking several parts of his leg, making it difficult for him to even become a cripple.

The Prince of Jin screamed several more times in a hoarse voice, but finally couldn't take it anymore and fainted.

But Liu Yuan didn't stop. After hitting his leg, he set his sights on his left arm.

Call ~
The sound of the stick falling seemed so violent in this underground space.

bang~
The stick broke, and the Prince of Jin was awakened by the pain. He screamed and rolled over, saw Liu Yuan with disheveled hair and red eyes looking like a demon, and slapped him again.

"Useless things."

Liu Yuan was also tired of smoking. He put down the stick, let his hair down, and went to find a dagger.
A short while later, the Prince of Jin's hoarse screams echoed once again from the underground passage.

His face was disfigured.

……

When Jia Zhen, who had borrowed troops and rushed back at great personal risk, took over the East Gate, the capital seemed to be in good condition. He breathed a sigh of relief and was about to send someone home to check when several fires broke out in the direction of the imperial city.

The Prince of Jin and others all placed some people among their brothers.

Upon receiving the prince's order to set fire, some people found an opportunity, while others did not.

However, with chaos outside, everyone found an opportunity.

Everyone felt they were working for their master.

As for whether it will succeed or not...

All we can do is try our best and leave the rest to fate.

In the palace, the emperor expected a coup attempt to be staged, but instead received news of fires breaking out in various princely residences.

"Your Majesty~"

Liu An rushed in, shouting, "The princes are here!"

How could Prince Jing and Prince Tang sit idly by?
My house was burned down.

What is that bastard Prince Jin doing?
"Your Majesty, how long are you going to detain us brothers?"

King Jing was concerned about his family.

He has a secret room in his house; what if it accidentally burns out...?

"Or are you saying that since the Prince of Jin set the fire, you have to compensate us for our losses?"

He knew how to pressure the emperor.

This poor man can't afford to pay the compensation. If he can't afford it, then they have to be released to take charge.

"Your Majesty, we can't always be on the defensive like this!"

The Tang King also called out from the side, and others such as the An King and the Kang King also looked anxious.

That bastard Prince Jin wants to fight the Emperor, so let him do it. Why drag them into this mess?
They dared to burn down their house, Grandma!
"Your Majesty, if you don't let us go back, then the compensation..."

Before Prince Jing could finish speaking, the Emperor had already raised his hand, "Go!"

You can forget about getting his money.

If you want to cause trouble with the Prince of Jin, then come on.

The emperor's murderous intent surged intensely.

He suspected that the Prince of Jin already knew that he had confined everyone in the palace, which was why he set fire to the palace, hoping that his allies would leave and join him in the uprising.

ho~
"I have said what I needed to say. You may return to your residences, but if you, my brothers, wish to take this path to your deaths..."

The emperor slowly stood up. "Then the brotherhood we shared in this life has come to an end. Goodbye—to traitors and rebels."

At this point, he shouted, "Please!"

"Your Majesty, we will be right back."

Prince Jing bowed and said, "If I am fortunate enough to capture Prince Jin, I will certainly send him to you and my father."

"Yes Yes Yes!"

"Your Majesty, rest assured, we will go and fetch Prince Jin for you."

The Emperor is already on guard, so what is the Prince of Jin doing making trouble?

The princes were all puzzled.

None of them knew that the people they had placed in the Imperial Guard, Tongzhou, and even the Five Cities Garrison had all received their so-called personal letters.

They were all asking to cooperate with the Prince of Jin and play the supporting role.

This time, everyone is working together to overthrow the emperor, and if they succeed, they will be rewarded accordingly.

So many people together...

The two captains of the Five Cities Garrison, one a man of Prince Jing and the other a man of Prince Kang, wanted to observe and make a move. However, Dong Xiaoquan had long anticipated the nature of the princes and was afraid that one of them might be courting death and trying to do something big while the situation was chaotic. So, after taking over the Five Cities Garrison, he quickly disrupted the original formations of the captains.

Even if they wanted to take action now, their soldiers weren't bought off long ago, so they couldn't do anything.

But just because they can't move doesn't mean that no one from the Imperial Guards or the Dragon Guards is moving either.

The emperor ordered the border generals to enter their territory overnight, which angered several troublemakers.

I received a letter from my own lord...

You can't do much openly, but you can still do things secretly.

Commander Sang Qingyu of the Imperial Guard even received the same letter as Chai Xuyao ​​of the Beijing Garrison. He was a man of the Retired Emperor, who had fallen from grace. Now, the Prince of Jin was coming with a secret order from the Retired Emperor…

Without hesitation, he decided to do it on the spot.

For Lord Sang, reaching this point was entirely due to the promotion by Prince Jin.

If the Prince of Jin can get all the princes to cooperate, why can't he do it?
So, at midday, Shen Ning, who was standing in Tianxiang Tower, saw that the palace was also on fire.

On the main street, all pedestrians were hurrying home to close their doors, while the Five City Garrison, Shuntian Prefecture, and the Imperial Guards were each performing their duties.

Although it looked perfectly normal, Shen Ning felt that everything was in disarray.

Is this what a mutiny looks like?
The only good thing right now is that no army or soldiers are coming after the Jia family.

But what if something happens to the Emperor...?

As Shen Ning sat upstairs, silently watching, she was unaware that the Duke of Shanguo's mansion, which was also one of the Four Kings and Eight Dukes, was involved.

The Duchess of Shan and the Princess Consort of Jin are cousins. Now that the Prince of Jin has taken action, it is impossible for the Duke of Shan's family to remain unscathed.

The emperor was already dissatisfied with these old noble families, and on top of that, the Duke of Shan was not good at managing the country and owed the national treasury more than 200,000 taels of silver. If they don't act now, when will they?
"Mrs!"

Qingzhu rushed over from the other side of the observation area, "Look, the old lady from the West Mansion is coming over."

what?
What is the old lady doing here at this time?
Shen Ning hurriedly turned west, only to find that not only was Grandmother Jia arriving rapidly in a sedan chair, but Jia She was also following behind.

This?
"Qingzhu, go and greet them, and ask the old lady and Master She to come upstairs."

"Yes!"

Qingzhu hurriedly ran down.

Shen Ning suspected that the old lady and Jia She came here at this time because of Tianxiang Tower, which offered a very distant view.

In fact, it does.

The old lady was really worried.

"Where did the fires start?"

As Grandmother Jia went upstairs, she waved her hand, saying "No need for formalities," while looking around and asking Shen Ning questions.

"It seems that all the princely residences are on fire."

Shen Ning said, "There was also a fire in the palace, but it was quickly extinguished."

Now, all that can be seen is a wisp of smoke.

"Do you know which prince is causing trouble?"

Grandmother Jia was filled with worry.

When the emperor is enraged, even if it doesn't result in a million corpses, at least tens of thousands of heads will fall to the ground!
When the Crown Prince went there, people were beheaded at Caishikou for a whole month.

"...It should be the Prince of Jin!"

Shen Ning sighed inwardly.

The main reason was that she didn't expect the Prince of Jin to dare to make a move at this time.

"Now, only the Prince Jin's residence is not on fire."

Jia Mu: "..."

Jia She: "..."

The two of them wandered around and looked in the direction of the Prince of Jin's residence.

Sure enough, although there was smoke over there, it looked like the Tang Prince's Mansion next door was on fire.

oops~
This is absolutely insane!

Where is Zhen'er?

Her eldest son told her that Jia Zhen had gone out on an imperial mission. "Has he returned?"

"Nope."

Shen Ning was also worried about Jia Zhen.

But that's how it was in ancient times.

"But as of now, it looks like a fight hasn't broken out yet."

There may have already been fighting in some localized areas, but Tianxiang Tower is too low for her to see.

But Tianxiang Tower was already the tallest building the Jia family could build.

For the safety of the imperial city, there are no buildings in the capital that exceed three stories.

"That's really brave."

They dare to do it in broad daylight.

Jia She's back was covered in sweat. "Now that the Emperor Emeritus has suffered a stroke, we can no longer protect him, can we?"

This?
Grandmother Jia and Shen Ning glanced at him, but neither of them said a word.

What they feared most was that if the Prince of Jin acted now, it would be on the orders of the retired emperor.

Or rather, the retired emperor's people were in his hands.

Although the emperor had made preparations, his action...

"If the Zhen family is also involved..."

Grandmother Jia gripped the railing tightly, saying, "I'm afraid there might be Japanese pirates or other forces involved."

For example, the Jurchens who were driven out, and the remnants of the previous dynasty.

It's not impossible.

"This mansion..."

"Don't worry, Auntie, it's safe."