My father, King Chu, was besieged at Gaixia

Chapter 122 Good Intentions

"Hurry up and invite Xiang Chang, the eldest son of the Great Chu, to come here." Compared with the power that is second only to one person and above ten thousand people, life is more important after all. Chu Licuo, who did not want to enjoy the blessing by force, came to his senses and gave the order decisively.

"You are entrusting the safety of the kingdom to outsiders, Chu Licuo, are you going to bring disaster to the Kingdom of Linjiang? The king promoted you from a lowly official to the position of Grand Marshal, such a great favor, but you did not think of repaying it. Before the king's body is cold, you are actually advocating to sell out the kingdom? Chu Licuo, tell me honestly, are you still a human being? Are you worthy of the king's kindness?"

As soon as Feng Chang Li Cai returned to the palace, he heard that during the short time he had been collecting the body of Linjiang Prince Gong Wei, Chu Li Cuo and Bo Pi had agreed to invite Xiang Chang, the eldest son of the Great Chu, to entrust the safety of Jiangling City to him to resist the next attack by General Huang Jizhong. He was immediately shocked, pushed the door open, pointed his halberd at Chu Li Cuo and cursed him.

Li Cai was not so angry at first because he invited Xiang Chang to prepare the army to resist Huang Jizhong. When he was collecting the body of Gong Wei just now, he accidentally discovered that the wound on Gong Wei's body was not on the chest, but on the back. In addition, the fatal wounds on the brothers Gong Lian and Gong Yan were also located on the side and back ribs of the body, and it did not seem like they were killed head-on by the rebellious army.

Realizing this, Li Cai felt a chill running from the soles of his feet all the way to the top of his head. Even though the sun was shining brightly and he was wearing a fox fur coat, he still shivered.

He turned around and looked around, and felt that the entire Linjiang Palace seemed to be completely covered by a layer of dark curtain called conspiracy.

Looking back on past events, it seemed that he had fallen into the scheme of others and became a part of the conspiracy when he was ordered by the king to appease General Huang Jizhong.

It was precisely because he was keenly aware of the existence of the conspiracy that he incurred his hostility towards Chu Licuo, the biggest suspect in the conspiracy. He rushed back and started beating people with guns and sticks as soon as he entered the hall. Chu Licuo, a villain who had just risen to a high position and had no talent, was beaten so hard that he saw stars and became dizzy.

"Lord Fengchang is wrong. The Grand Marshal is devoted to the country and has an open mind that is known to all. But in your mouth, how come he has become a person who brings disaster to the country and the people? My Linjiang Kingdom and Da Chu were originally two in one. We are monarch and minister, and brothers, indistinguishable from each other. Now that Linjiang Kingdom is in trouble, what's wrong with asking Da Chu for help? As for why Lord Fengchang disagrees with this proposal, please explain your reasons. We are all ears to your opinions." Seeing that Chu Licuo's face was purple due to being scolded, and he was clucking like an old hen but couldn't say a single useful word, Zhongjuan Wuxin stepped forward, bowed and said in a deep voice.

"That's right! That's right! If you don't agree, tell me the reason." Chu Licuo finally recovered his breath, and said angrily, like a noble goddess who was falsely accused of being a prostitute.

"Great Chu is Great Chu, and Linjiang Kingdom is Linjiang Kingdom. They belong to two different countries and have nothing to do with each other. When the king was alive, he had always made this clear. Who among you doesn't know this? Why are you pretending to be deaf and dumb now? Saying that Great Chu and Linjiang Kingdom are two in one is simply nonsense. He should be killed and beheaded." Li Cai clenched his fists and shouted harshly.

"Lord Fengchang has great authority. He can sentence someone to death with just a few words. We only have one question here. If we do not invite Master Xiang Changchang to lead the military strategy, who will take on the responsibility of protecting the people of Jiangling City in the face of the attack of Huang Jizhong's 20,000 troops? Lord Fengchang, is it you?"

Facing Wu Xin's sharp questioning, Li Cai sneered and said loudly: "This is exactly what I want to say. Just now, when I collected the king's body, I found that the king was stabbed in the back. It seems that he was stabbed from behind. Huang Jizhong was sitting in front of the king, how did he get behind the king? And General Huang Jizhong also repeatedly explained that he was not the one who assassinated the king. Is there another hidden story? Therefore, I asked to go to the Northern Army to meet General Huang Jizhong and thoroughly investigate this matter."

As soon as Li Cai said this, the faces of the ministers in the palace changed drastically and there was a great uproar.

Chu Licuo's face turned from purple to blue-white, his whole body stiffened, and he lacked quick wit, so he could only open his mouth and stammer, unable to utter a word.

Wu Xin was able to remain calm, his face gloomy, and he said coldly: "So, Lord Fengchang suspects that I assassinated the king?"

"Whether it is you or not, the clear ones will be clear, and the turbid ones will be turbid. I will go to the Northern Army as an envoy, and the truth will come out. - What do you think?"

Feng Chang turned back and shouted when he left Cai. The officials including the Minister of the Imperial Household, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Clan Affairs, the Minister of Grain, and the Minister of the Imperial Household were all excited and spoke out in support. They surrounded Chu Li Cuo and demanded that he agree to leave Cai as an envoy to the Northern Army.

Originally, they thought that Huang Jizhong was dissatisfied with the small size of the crown and had been plotting evil for a long time, and was determined to assassinate the king and rebel, so as to satisfy his desire to be king. Therefore, they were afraid that Huang Jizhong would enter Jiangling City and slaughter them all. Naturally, they shared the same hatred and worked together to try to keep him out of the city. Now, after listening to Li Cai's words, it seemed that there was another hidden story, and Huang Jizhong might even have been framed. Naturally, these noble officials were quick-witted and naturally turned to Li Cai.

Bo Pi stood beside the couch, concentrating on watching over the new king Shang Gong Yin. Seeing Chu Li Cuo being besieged by the ministers, with sweat pouring down his forehead, he was unable to focus on one thing while another, and looked extremely embarrassed. He looked disdainful and just stood by and watched.

After ascending the throne just now and going through a set of cumbersome rituals, the new king Gong Yin felt very tired. He lay on the couch with his legs spread out and fell into a deep sleep.

Bo Pi keenly noticed that Chu Li Cuo had become arrogant due to the smooth implementation of his plan, and was trying to get rid of Xiang Chang and become the most powerful person in Linjiang Kingdom. He sneered in his heart, so he chose to stand by and watch when Chu Li Cuo was besieged by the ministers, so that he could wake up and know his own weight.

——The reason why he was able to sit on such a high position as Grand Marshal was because Gong Wei liked to flatter villains. Did he really think that he had extraordinary talents?

"Bang, bang, bang..."

Just when all the ministers were besieging Chu Li Cuo and were finally not satisfied and started to pull, tug, push and shove him, bullying him like a son until he was exhausted and had no power to defend himself, there was a knock on the palace door suddenly.

All the ministers were startled and turned to look, only to see a young general with a figure as tall as a pine tree and a spirit as strong as the scorching sun. He was clad in heavy armor and looked like a god descending from the earth. He was awe-inspiring and knocked lightly on the palace gate with his spear while scanning the entire palace with his eyes as cold as lightning.

When they were caught in that cold, lightning-like look, all the noble officials trembled with fear, and they all shut up.

Looking at the tall and straight figure, Great Pillar State Bo Pi raised the corners of his mouth and couldn't help revealing a proud expression. He lowered his head and looked at Gong Yin who was sleeping like a pig on the couch, and a hint of contempt flashed across his face.

"Just now I heard someone say that Linjiang Kingdom is Linjiang Kingdom, and Da Chu is Da Chu, and the two have nothing to do with each other? Haha, who gave you the courage? Do you think that we father and son cannot lift the knife, and cannot break into Linjiang Kingdom, killing people and making rivers of blood?" Xiang Chang slammed the spear into the ground in the hall, stuck it in the ground, and walked into the hall with his hands behind his back, walking like a dragon and a tiger.

Hearing his arrogant and unscrupulous words, with naked threats revealed, all the ministers, including Li Cai, felt a chill in their hearts, and no one dared to refute him.

Chu Licuo, who had been saved from the sea of ​​suffering, was gasping for breath. He saw that Xiang Chang had calmed down the crowd as soon as he showed up. The ministers who had surrounded him with such great power dared not even fart in the face of his angry rebuke. While he felt happy, he realized the huge gap between himself and Xiang Chang, and could not help feeling frustrated.

"Linjiang Kingdom was conferred by my father, Overlord, and Great Chu is its natural suzerain. Now it has encountered such a change, the new ruler is young, and the powerful ministers are holding heavy troops outside and watching covetously. If I am not careful, it will be in danger of overthrow. As the eldest son of Great Chu, I shoulder the responsibility of protecting it, turning the tide, and supporting the crumbling building of Linjiang Kingdom, so that it can turn from danger to safety, and live up to my father's wish to confer the title on it. Who has any objection to this?"

Facing Xiang Chang's eloquent speech, the other officials looked at each other in silence. Feng Changli Cai couldn't help but stepped forward, clasped his hands and said solemnly:
"My Lord, you are wrong. It is still unclear whether the king was murdered by General Huang Jizhong...ah!"

Li Cai was halfway through his words when Xiang Chang drew his sword and chopped off his head in front of all the ministers. The head rolled on the smooth and clean floor of the palace.

Blood spurted out from the neck, spraying all over the heads and bodies of all the ministers in the hall.

"Huang Jizhong assassinated Gong Wei. You were all present and saw it with your own eyes. How dare you say that there are doubts? Huang Jizhong secretly mobilized thousands of soldiers at night, and his rebellious intentions were exposed long ago. After the incident was exposed, he fled to the Northern Army and coerced the king. This traitor actually said that he was a loyal minister and a filial son? He is so confusing right and wrong, calling a horse a zebra. What does this guy want to do? Isn't he guilty of death?" "And you, who just followed Li Cai and shouted like that, have you also betrayed the king's grace and secretly joined the traitor Huang Jizhong, plotting evil and conspiring to cause chaos? Stand up! Today I will tell you clearly that the Linjiang Kingdom was established by my Great Chu, so even if it is destroyed and collapsed, it must be destroyed in the hands of my Great Chu. Anyone else who dares to plot to overthrow it or who recklessly reaches out to control it, my Great Chu will never agree and will kill them!"

Seeing how ferocious Xiang Chang was, all the ministers looked panicked, their legs trembling, and they were silent as a mouse, not daring to move at all, not even daring to wipe the blood off their bodies.

Seeing Xiang Chang being so domineering and completely putting himself above all of them, all the ministers turned their heads and cast hopeful eyes on Lieutenant Xu Liao and Weiwei Ji Jiang. They controlled the city gate guards and the palace guards, and were the only two who could compete with Xiang Chang.

However, to their great disappointment, Ji Jiang and Xu Liao, one of them hunched his shoulders, his face was pale, and he looked fearful and cowering, while the other had his eyes slightly closed, looked indifferent, and did nothing.

"What the eldest prince said is absolutely right! The thief Li Cai owed the king a debt of gratitude, but instead of repaying his kindness, he turned traitor and colluded with Huang Jizhong to plot a rebellion. It's well done for you, the eldest prince, to kill him!" Wu Xin became excited at this time and clapped his hands and cheered loudly.

The widow lost her son - the ministers who had completely lost hope suddenly woke up from their dreams and changed their attitudes. They pointed at Li Cai's body on the ground and cursed loudly, while expressing their support for Xiang Chang:
"Linjiang Kingdom was originally founded by your Xiang family. Now that it is in danger, it is only natural for you to come and lend a helping hand. We can only be grateful and have no reason to object."

"Yes, you have come all the way to rescue our Linjiang Kingdom from its distress. This great friendship will be remembered by everyone in our Linjiang Kingdom and we will never forget it."

"Sir, give the order. We will entrust Linjiang Kingdom to you. As long as we can defeat Huang Jizhong and save Jiangling City, we will obey any of your orders."

"Linjiang Kingdom is blessed to be protected under the wings of the eldest prince and avoid being harmed by traitors. Wherever the prince is, that is where the hearts of the people of Linjiang Kingdom are! We will closely follow the eldest prince as the center, just like a swarm of bees protecting the queen bee."

……

It must be said that facing the general trend that they were powerless to resist, the aristocratic officials who were flexible saw the opportunity clearly and immediately became Xiang Chang's staunch supporters. As for whether Huang Jizhong was wronged or whether Wang Shanggongwei died in a conspiracy, they no longer considered it. Are these more important than their own lives?
At this point, Xiang Chang took over Linjiang and there was no more objection, and it became a foregone conclusion.

Xiang Chang was not polite, knowing that there must be Huang Jizhong's people among these noble officials, and they would definitely collude with Huang Jizhong to overthrow Jiangling City. Therefore, as long as they were controlled and their connection with Huang Jizhong was cut off, Jiangling City would be free from the possibility of internal chaos.

So his cool move came about.

He kept all the nobles and officials in the palace to keep vigil for the king and not allow them to return to their residences. He also assigned two attendants to each of them to serve them and prevent them from having any private meetings or conversations.

Besides, - don't you all speak better than you sing? You look so grateful and loyal to me? You can't just say it. He immediately forced all the nobles and officials to give up their family soldiers and incorporate them into the army to defend the city, to show their determination to live and die with Jiangling City - he would not stop until he squeezed the nobles and officials to the limit.

Xiang Chang's thinking was also very clear. Once on the pirate ship, don't think about getting off easily. Instead of leaving it to help the enemy in the future, it is better to use it for yourself now.

The noble officials and ministers had never expected that he would be so cruel. Faced with this fatal "crotch grabbing", they wanted to refuse, but the blood of Cai's body was still warm, and they were cowardly. But they had to obey, and they were reluctant to do so. After hesitating again and again, they had no choice but to accept it.

After dealing with these nobles, Xiang Chang signaled to Bo Pi to take charge of all matters in the palace and guard these goods. He immediately began to reorganize the army accompanied by Xu Liao and Ji Jiang.

Xu Liao and Ji Jiang passed down the military orders, and five thousand city gate guards, five thousand palace guards, and more than a hundred officers were all lined up in the square in front of the palace gate waiting.

Since leaving Gaixia and rushing to Linjiang Kingdom, Xiang Chang had a very clear goal, which was to pull the Linjiang Kingdom back from control and put it under the control of Da Chu again. After his painstaking planning and implementation over this period of time, he finally got close to this goal.

As soon as Xiang Chang left, Bo Pi led a group of eunuchs, with two serving one, and went to the side hall where Gong Wei's coffin was placed to mourn and keep vigil, crying loudly.

All the nobles and officials separated into two lines, stood up and walked towards the spirit hall with unhappy expressions. Only the internal historian Tong Jiruo trotted upstream, carefully supporting the abandoned and dejected Grand Marshal Chu Licuo, who was left alone, and followed closely at the end of the line.

The two eunuchs who served Tong Jiruo, Chu Licuo and Tong Jiruo were their immediate superiors, so they did not dare to get too close and just followed behind obediently.

"Autumn wind reveals the strong grass; adversity reveals a person's true heart. Lord Tong, you are still a good person. Don't worry, as long as I am here, I will definitely protect you." Chu Licuo thought that Tong Jiruo was being so attentive and flattering just to stir up trouble for him and to seek refuge with him. He helped him walk slowly and couldn't help but become angry again, and made a promise generously.

The Nei Shi was also a high-ranking official with a rank of 2,000 stones. There had never been an official of this rank who showed goodwill and surrendered before. This would undoubtedly greatly boost the momentum of his own camp, and Chu Licuo was very happy.

Tong Jiruo had a hint of sarcasm on his face. He turned around and saw the eunuch who was serving him falling behind. He lowered his voice and said, "Grand Sima, someone asked me to bring you a message."

Chu Licuo was stunned and looked at Tong Jiruo with surprise.

Tong Jiruo remained calm and continued, "That man felt very sorry for the murder of your entire clan. But he was also deceived. He found a weapon with your Chuli clan's seal in the corpse of a clan member who was killed in the mansion, and thought that you, Lord Chuli, were colluding with the eldest son, so he made a big mistake in anger."

Chu Licuo was furious. He grabbed his collar and said angrily, "Okay, so you are Huang Jizhong's accomplice. That bastard killed my whole family, and now he says he was deceived. Why doesn't he just die? It's a pity that I failed just now and let this guy escape. Otherwise, I will cut him into pieces!"

Internal historian Tong Jiruo also secretly regretted it. He and Fengchang Li Cai, as noble officials close to Huang Jizhong, had just learned from Li Cai that Huang Jizhong had a reason for slaughtering Chu Licuo's entire family and was deceived and misled. He had always advocated telling Chu Licuo about this, but Huang Jizhong and Li Cai felt that even if they told Chu Licuo, the blood feud between the two sides could not be resolved. In particular, they disdained Chu Licuo for stealing a high position by flattering and fawning, but in fact he was a pure incompetent villain, so they disagreed.

Who would have thought that this incompetent villain, whom both of them looked down upon, not only killed the king for revenge, but also almost succeeded in killing Huang Jizhong here. As for Li Cai, he died tragically in this incident.

Now that one of the two opponents is dead and the other has escaped, Tong Jiruo can act on his own and seize this opportunity to quietly pass the news to Chu Licuo.

Facing Chu Licuo's questioning, he smiled lightly: "The Grand Marshal scolded well. Huang Jizhong never thought that he could be forgiven by the Grand Marshal. What he meant was that the Grand Marshal had the right to know the truth, so as not to continue to be used by others and become a spear for others without knowing it. - It was also a good intention."

Chu Licuo seemed to understand the meaning of Tong Jiruo's words, his face changed drastically, and he looked at the great pillar of the country, Bo Pi, who was directing the nobles and ministers in front of him to enter the hall one by one to mourn the deceased, and who looked like he was doing his best to manage the funeral. He slowly clenched his fists, and hatred as thick and hot as volcanic lava spewed out of his eyes.

(End of this chapter)