I am a prince in Zhutian Films

Chapter 137 A letter
Northern Qi, Shangjing City.

Ever since the national teacher Ku He returned to Shangjing City from Dadong Mountain, the young emperor Zhan Doudou announced in the court that he would declare war on Nanqing, which caused an uproar throughout the State of Qi.

You have to know that Qi and Qing had just fought a war last year, and Qi was still in the stage of recuperation. What's more crucial was that even the great general Shangshan Hu was defeated, causing Qi to lose another state. Now suddenly they have to go to war with Qing that defeated them. This is something that many officials cannot accept.

Naturally, there was strong opposition in the Northern Qi court. After all, most of the officials were civil servants, and among them, except for a small number, the vast majority did not want to see war break out.

To put it bluntly, if the country wins the war, they are officials, and if the country loses the war, they are still officials. The consequences of the war do not have much impact on them. In this case, why not be peaceful? Why fight a war?

Therefore, the vast majority of civil servants do not agree.

As for the military generals, Uesugi Tora strongly supported going to war.

After nursing for half a year, he felt that he was able to recover and wanted to have another fight with the Blood-Clothed Army.

Unfortunately, there are not many generals who support him.

There was no way. Although there had not been many wars between the two countries in recent years, only two or three times in total, there had been a lot of friction on the border between the two countries. Northern Qi had never won once, and the generals of Qi were really scared of being beaten by Qing.

As most of the civil and military officials were against it, Zhan Doudou had no choice but to give up the war. However, since the death of Emperor Qing was a good thing for Qi State, she naturally wanted to take advantage of it.

As long as Nanqing is in chaos, no matter who wins or loses in the end, it will be beneficial to Qi, but the size of this benefit needs to be manipulated. Of course, the premise is that Nanqing must be in chaos.

In Zhan Doudou's opinion, the death of Emperor Qing would not be serious enough to cause chaos in Qing Kingdom, because Qing Kingdom had Chen Pingping, the Queen Mother in the palace, the former Prime Minister Lin Ruofu, the Minister of Revenue Fan Jian and so on, these people could completely maintain the order in Qing Kingdom.

Although she didn't know why her great uncle went to Dadong Mountain to assassinate Emperor Qing, she could more or less guess that the assassination was related to Chen Pingping of Qing. However, although Chen Pingping committed treason, he would definitely not see Qing fall into chaos.

This can be seen from the fact that after the death of Emperor Qing, the wars in all directions of Qing Kingdom suddenly subsided.

So if you want to cause chaos in Qing Kingdom, only one person can do it.

Fan Xian!

After the death of Emperor Qing, there were not many truly powerful people in Qing Kingdom. Apart from Chen Pingping, Fan Jian and Lin Ruofu, there were only Qin Ye and Ye Chong who were loyal to the Qing royal family, and the eldest princess Li Yunrui.

But if Chen Pingping, Fan Jian and Lin Ruofu wholeheartedly support Fan Xian, the Qin and Ye families and Li Yunrui will not be able to suppress them, so Zhan Doudou is very optimistic that Fan Xian will win the fight for the throne.

It can be said that as long as Fan Xian chooses to fight for the throne, it will be beneficial to the State of Qi and will not cause any harm.

If Fan Xian was defeated, the Qing royal family would not be able to bear it well, and Qing would definitely suffer heavy losses, and it might not be able to withstand the Northern Qi army.

If Fan Xian won, given the relationship between Fan Xian and Northern Qi, the world would surely usher in decades of peace.

However, as an emperor, Zhan Doudou did not want decades of peace. What she wanted was to annex Qing Kingdom and let Northern Qi unify the world.

So she didn't want Fan Xian to win, and she didn't even want to see Fan Xian fight for the throne.

In Zhan Doudou's opinion, if the death of Emperor Qing was one of the sources of the chaos, then Fan Xian's death would ignite the final fire.

Once Fan Xian dies, Chen Pingping, Fan Jian and Lin Ruofu will definitely go crazy and will do everything they can to avenge Fan Xian.

By then, the Qing Kingdom will surely be in chaos.

When the capital of Qing Kingdom was in chaos, her brother-in-law, who commanded the imperial guards and was on good terms with Fan Xian, would be the ultimate winner.

As long as the eldest prince of Qing Kingdom succeeds to the throne, and he marries the eldest princess of Northern Qi who has the blood of Dongyi City flowing in her veins, Qing Kingdom in the future will no longer be the aggressive Qing Kingdom.

Once Qing loses the bloodiness and enthusiasm for expanding borders that it has cultivated over the years, Qing will be a toothless tiger and will eventually be devoured by Da Qi.

So Fan Xian must die!

Even though Fan Xian was her daughter's father, she made arrangements for Fan Xian to die in the capital of Nanqing.

There was no way. If Fan Xian didn't die, she really had no chance of eroding the powerful Qing Kingdom.

Simply put, she was afraid of Fan Xian!
Unfortunately, what she didn't expect was that her elder sister did not take any action. She seemed to have forgotten her identity as the eldest princess of Northern Qi and completely regarded herself as the consort of the eldest prince of Qing, or the princess of the imperial family.

However, what she didn't expect was that the third prince of Qing, Li Chengzong, was not dead.

Not only did he not die, he also ascended the throne at an extremely fast speed, which allowed the Qing Kingdom to avoid any chaos.

Of course, it cannot be said that there was no trouble at all. At least Fan Xian and his family left Qing Kingdom and were heading towards Shangjing City.

It was already winter, and the city of Shangjing was covered in white. Snowflakes were floating gracefully and slowly in the air, filling the sky and earth with cold air, lowering the temperature to a level that humans hated.

In the back garden of the imperial palace, incense was burning in the pavilion, and a pot of tea was boiling on the charcoal fire in the stove on the table. White steam was rising from the spout of the pot, floating in the air and exuding a refreshing fragrance.

Zhan Doudou sat at the top, staring blankly at the teapot on the table, his slender fingers lightly tapping the edge of the table, his brows slightly furrowed, looking thoughtful.

Opposite her, the Saint Maiden Haitang Duoduo of Northern Qi was half lying on the fur couch. She had no saintly demeanor at all and looked very casual.

Haitang Duoduo picked up the teapot and poured herself a cup of tea. She blew on it slightly, raised her head and drank it all in one gulp. She said, "What are you thinking about?"

Zhan Doudou came back to her senses and asked, "Little Sister-in-law, why do you think Li Chengzong transferred the Dingzhou troops on the border back to the capital of Nanqing?"

Haitang Duoduo was stunned: "Is that all you want?"

"What else do you think?"

"I thought you were thinking about Fan Xian." Haitang Duoduo smiled awkwardly.

In addition to embarrassment, her smile also contained a hint of amusement.

Other people in Qi State may not know, but she and the Queen Mother know very well that the eldest princess Hong Doufan is Fan Xian's daughter.

Zhan Doudou rolled his eyes, poured himself a cup of tea, and filled Haitang Duoduo's cup again. He sighed, "To be honest, I don't quite understand Li Chengzong's actions. Isn't he afraid that I will lead my army south?"

"Is it possible that he set a trap for you? In fact, the Dingzhou Army's recall to Nanqing Kyoto was just an illusion, or he secretly sent the Blood-Clothed Army to hide at the border, waiting for you to fall into the trap." Haitang Duoduo guessed.

Zhan Doudou shook his head: "The spies have investigated and found that the Ye family's Dingzhou Army has indeed returned to the capital of Nanqing, and the Blood Clothes Army has been transferred to the western border of Nanqing. Nanqing does not have a large army stationed on the border of our Great Qi."

"Are you sure?"

"It's certain!"

"Then what does he want to do? Isn't he afraid that our Qi army will march south?"

Zhan Doudou was speechless, "I asked you a question, and you asked me back?"

"If you can't understand his actions, I can't understand them either. It's no use asking me." Haitang Duoduo smiled, and suddenly an idea flashed in her mind. She suggested, "Why don't you send troops to test it?"

Zhan Doudou looked solemn. He pondered for a moment, then shook his head and changed the subject.

"How long will it take Fan Xian to get to Shangjing City?"

"I thought you really didn't care." Haitang Duoduo laughed, her laughter full of teasing.

"Little Master-in-law!"

Zhan Doudou has very complicated feelings towards Fan Xian.

She admired Fan Xian's talent and was a loyal fan of his books. She had long wanted to recruit Fan Xian to serve as an official in the State of Qi and had always hoped that Fan Xian would serve the State of Qi.

However, as Fan Xian gradually rose to a high position in Qing Kingdom and even threatened the imperial power, she is now very wary of Fan Xian.

Frankly speaking, she was really afraid that after accepting Fan Xian, he would become a powerful official who was even more difficult to deal with than Shen Zhong.

More importantly, Li Chengzong knew about what happened between her and Fan Xian, and she was worried that Fan Xian's surrender to Qi was Li Chengzong's conspiracy.

"Okay, okay, I won't laugh."

Haitang Duoduo tried to suppress her smile, and noticed that Zhan Doudou looked a little strange, so she said seriously, "It's probably just these few days. What are you thinking about? You look so worried."

"I'm thinking about whether to accept Fan Xian and the others."

"Are you OK?"

Haitang Duoduo was surprised and asked, "Why do you want to exclude Fan Xian and the others?!"

As a friend for many years, Haitang Duoduo naturally knew Zhan Doudou very well, and was well aware that Zhan Doudou was inclined not to accept the surrender of Fan Xian and others.

Zhan Doudou did not hide anything and expressed his worries. Haitang Duoduo couldn't help laughing after hearing it.

"That's it? Based on my understanding of Fan Xian, if he surrenders to you, it can't be a conspiracy of Qing Kingdom. Of course, if you are worried, why don't you not entrust important matters to him? After all, he is Hongdoufan's father. Can you still reject him? Besides, he is not alone. He brought people from Dongyi City with him. Can you bear to leave those masters from Dongyi City?"

Yes, Fan Xian did not go to Shangjing City alone.

In addition to the people from the Fan family, there are also people from Dongyi City.

The reason why he came to Shangjing City after the winter was because he went to Dongyi City first, where Si Gu Jian died, and then Si Gu Jian entrusted Dongyi City to him.

Then, after paying homage to Si Gu Jian, he brought a group of masters from Dongyi City to Shangjing City.

After hearing what Haitang Duoduo said, Zhan Doudou was silent for a long time before finally making a decision.

There was no way. Just as Haitang Duoduo said, she really couldn't bear to leave those ninth-grade masters in Dongyi City.

More importantly, her great uncle said that Fan Xian has a great master by his side.

Just as he was about to speak, a wolf peach hurried over.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor of Nanqing sent someone to deliver a letter, saying it was a private letter, and someone was waiting outside the palace."

"Private message?!"

Haitang Duoduo was surprised and said, "You and Li Chengzong are in a relationship of exchanging private messages? No, when did you have any contact with Li Chengzong?"

Zhan Doudou was too lazy to pay attention to the little nun who was making a fuss, and said to Lang Tao, "Call the people in."

Soon, a middle-aged man followed Lang Tao into the pavilion.

"I greet your majesty."

The middle-aged man bowed and said to Haitang Duoduo, "Saint Haitang, how are you these days?"

"It's OK, but definitely not as good as Manager Zhao. After all, rising tide lifts all boats." Haitang Duoduo smiled, her smile showing satisfaction and vigilance.

"Little Sister, you know her."

Haitang Duoduo nodded: "Yes, I have dealt with him in Jiangnan before. He is a ninth-rank expert. Wang Shisanlang and I are no match for him together. He is the chief steward of Dingwang Mansion."

Zhan Doudou couldn't help but be shocked when he heard Haitang Duoduo say this.

You know, Haitang Duoduo and Wang Shisanlang are both top masters among the Ninth Rank, and they are still no match for him even when they join forces? !

Could it be another Grandmaster? !

With this question in mind, Zhan Doudou carefully looked at the middle-aged man in front of him and asked curiously: "Is Manager Zhao a Grandmaster?"

Zhao Huai'en shook his head. Before he could speak, Haitang Duoduo said, "Although he is very powerful, he is not a grandmaster."

Hearing this, Zhan Doudou couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Now Nanqing has two grand masters, Li Chengzong and Ye Liuyun. Although Beiqi only has one, Fan Xian will bring one soon.

In this way, judging from the number of grand masters, Qi and Nanqing are in a state of balance.

If a grandmaster suddenly appeared in Nanqing, the balance would be disrupted again, which is not what Zhan Doudou wants to see.

"What letter does Lord Qing have for me?"

Zhao Huai'en took out the letter and handed it to Zhan Doudou, but out of caution, Haitang Duoduo took it and saw five big words written on the envelope.

——Written personally by Zhan Mingyue!

Haitang Duoduo was stunned: "Is this a letter to my master?"

"It is a letter to His Majesty, but the head of the family said that in order to prevent His Majesty from getting hurt, please ask His Majesty to have Grand Master Ku He open it personally."

Zhao Huai'en shook his head and continued, "The Patriarch also said that although this letter is for His Majesty, it is also a return gift from the Patriarch to Grandmaster Ku He. No matter what, the late emperor is the Patriarch's father, and the revenge for killing his father must be avenged. If Grandmaster Ku He can survive, he will never mention revenge again."

"Is there something strange about this letter?"

Haitang Duoduo didn't dare to open it. She just looked it over from top to bottom and from left to right. She didn't find any problems. Finally, her eyes fell on the words on the envelope and she said in confusion, "Nothing..."

Haitang Duoduo suddenly fell silent. In the blink of an eye, her face turned extremely pale and she suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

"puff!"

"Junior Sister, are you okay?!" Zhan Doudou and He Langtao's faces suddenly changed, and they looked at Haitang Duoduo with worry. They could clearly see that Haitang Duoduo's body was shaking uncontrollably.

Haitang Duoduo breathed a sigh of relief and shook her head, "It's okay!"

Seeing this, Zhan Doudou said coldly: "Manager Zhao, shouldn't you give me an explanation?"

"I told you to ask Grandmaster Ku He to come and see. Saint Hai Tang refused to listen. What does this have to do with me?"

Zhao Huai'en shook his head: "By the way, this letter must be read by Grandmaster Ku He himself. If anyone else opens it, the head of the family will come to the capital in person. Except for the princess and the little princess, no one from the Zhan family of the Northern Qi royal family will be allowed to stay!"

"Li Chengzong is so arrogant!" Zhan Doudou was angry.

Zhao Huai'en smiled faintly: "Your Majesty, why not give it a try and see if the head of the family can do it?"

He really wasn't trying to scare Zhan Doudou. If Zhan Doudou really dared to ask someone else to open the envelope, he would definitely die if he tried.

"Do you think I scared you?"

Before he finished speaking, a clear voice sounded, as if coming from all directions.

"Your Majesty, please don't be impulsive."

As these words were spoken, Ku He fell beside Haitang Duoduo like a falling leaf.

"Master." x2
"Uncle, Li Chengzong is going too far!"

Ku He ignored the emperor's angry niece, checked on his beloved disciple, and said, "It's nothing serious. Don't be so reckless in the future. Give me the letter."

After receiving the letter, Ku He's eyes suddenly narrowed: "Retreat three feet!"

Then, he directly used the Tianyi Dao Mental Method, borrowed the essence of heaven and earth and his own true energy, formed a powerful protective shield around his body, and then opened the letter.

At the moment when Ku He opened the letter, the people present clearly did not feel anything, but they heard a series of crisp sounds coming from Ku He's body, and the sound was like the collision of metal and stone.

Ku He suddenly groaned, suppressed a mouthful of blood, and then took out the letter from the envelope.

As he began to read the contents of the letter, he could no longer suppress the blood rushing back and began to vomit blood in large mouthfuls, his face turning extremely pale.

After reading the contents of the letter, Ku He could no longer hold on and fell down.

"Master!"

Seeing this, Haitang Duoduo didn't care about anything else, and flashed to Ku He's side, helping up Ku He who was lying on the ground.

"Tell His Majesty... to do as the letter says, otherwise... my... the Zhan family will be in danger!"

Ku He finished speaking in a halting manner, then his head tilted and he fainted.

"Little Master, what about the Emperor's great uncle?"

"Your Majesty, Master asked you to do as the letter says. I will take Master back to heal his wounds first." Haitang Duoduo said this as quickly as possible, picked up the unconscious Ku He and flew out of the inner courtyard of the imperial palace.

After watching the two people leave, Zhan Doudou retracted his gaze, his face extremely ugly, and said in a cold voice: "Can I see now?!"

"can."

Zhan Doudou snorted coldly and picked up the letter on the ground. It read:

——Using the existing border line as the boundary, the two countries of Qing and Qi will cease fighting for twenty years. If Qi invades the border, I will go to Shangjing in person and kill all the members of the Zhan family. Don't blame me for not telling you in advance!
(End of this chapter)