Prince Li You of the Great Tang Dynasty begs the noble families to their deaths!

On the other side, Yan Hongliang, Liang Mengbiao, and Zan Junmo were also rushing on their way.

There were only a few hundred people around them, so the commotion wasn't too great, making it relatively easier for them to run.

The problem was that they had almost no food along the way, so they had to rely on robbing and looting to survive.

Because there are few people, there will inevitably be losses when fighting, but in order to survive, they have no choice but to fight desperately.

After fighting back and forth, they lost over a hundred men, leaving only a little over two hundred.

"Hongliang, I just discovered that Qin Yun is missing!"

Qin Yun was a loyal follower of Li You.

"He's gone... It's alright, I know where he went. Let's keep going!"

"promise!"

……

The body of the "King of Qi" arrived in Chang'an after a long journey.

Prior to this, news of the King of Qi's death had already spread throughout the court and the country.

The Zheng, Wang, Xi, and Pei families, who had been severely harmed by the King of Qi, felt that this person deserved his fate and that his death was truly worthy of respect.

To comfort the spirits of their deceased loved ones, on the day the coffin of "King Qi" arrived in the capital, these families joined together and invited a highly respected monk from the Great Ci'en Temple to perform a grand Buddhist ceremony.

Because it was a joint event organized by several powerful families, the ceremony was very grand, even attracting the attention of the emperor and the crown prince, who sent eunuchs to express their condolences.

With the two top leaders making a move, the officials below naturally dared not neglect it; they either went themselves or sent people over. Prince Li Tai of Shu and Prince Li Ke of Wu were two such bigwigs who went in person.

"Third Brother, you're here too."

"Well, we should at least come and take a look, shouldn't we?"

Although Li Tai was obese at this time, he was not so obese that he needed to be carried around.

Li Ke, on the other hand, did not have the problem of obesity. He was very healthy and had the most outstanding appearance among the princes.

Many of the socialites from the capital who came to watch the religious ceremony would steal a few glances at Li Ke.

However, some of the socialites were secretly watching the monks chanting sutras at Ci'en Temple.

This woman was none other than Princess Gaoyang.

Radishes and green vegetables are a matter of personal taste; everyone's aesthetic is different.

Then, Gao Yang caught sight of his two older brothers and ran over again.

"Third Brother, Fourth Brother, you're here too!"

"Oh, it's you. Why didn't Prince Consort Fang come with you?"

"That dead pig, he just loves to stay in the study, why are you mentioning him, Fourth Brother?"

Princess Gaoyang is now married to Fang Yi'ai, but their relationship is not harmonious.

Both Li Ke and Li Tai knew this; their younger sister had been spoiled since she was a child.

If she didn't cause some trouble, she wouldn't be Princess Gaoyang.

The three siblings chatted for a few more minutes when suddenly the monks' chanting became louder.

At the same time, many disciples of the Zheng, Wang, Xi, and Pei families carried food boxes out of the temple and distributed the food inside.

This step, in the rituals performed by monks, is called "offering food".

The purpose of the food offering ritual is to dedicate the merits to all sentient beings.

Li Ke, Li Tai, and Li Gaoyang also took the food distributed by the gatekeepers.

Li Tai took a bite, and his eyes immediately lit up: "This sugar cake made by the Great Ci'en Temple truly lives up to its reputation!"

Li Ke didn't like sweets, so he held the sugar cake to his nose, smelled it, frowned, and handed it to Li Tai.

Princess Gaoyang ate some sweet cakes as she spoke, "I heard that Li You's coffin has been placed at the Ministry of Justice. Consort Yin risked her life to find my father, wanting to go to the Ministry of Justice to see her son. My father refused and sent eunuchs to escort Consort Yin back."

Li Ke sighed, "The dead cannot be brought back to life, so why did Consort Yin do this?"

Li Tai swallowed the sweet cake in his mouth in a few bites: "Did you know? The Yin clan fled Chang'an two months ago and their whereabouts are unknown."

"They ran away?"

"That's right, if they don't run, are they going to stay in Chang'an and wait to die?"

"Fourth Brother, I've heard that the Yin family keeps a lot of assassins. Is that true?"

"Sister, why do you, a woman, keep asking about these things? Who told you all this?"

"Fourth Brother, you're talking about me again!"

Princess Gaoyang feigned anger and kicked Li Tai.

Upon hearing this, Li Ke immediately thought of the assassins he had raised.

Anyone with a modicum of ambition would engage in such actions. Not just myself, but the Crown Prince, Li Tai, and even many high-ranking officials have done so. Given the means to raise assassins, it's difficult to suppress one's desires.

As the religious ceremony was about to end, everyone was heading out.

After the three royal siblings bid farewell, Li Tai and Princess Gaoyang returned in a palanquin, while Li Ke rode back on horseback.

"Bu Nian" was the Tang Dynasty term for sedan chairs. According to the laws at the time, high-ranking officials of the third rank and above could travel by sedan chair, while lower-ranking officials of the sixth rank and below, even if they were wealthy, could only ride horses. Only when they were old or sick could they ride in sedan chairs with special permission from the emperor.

As a prince, Li Ke could have been carried in a sedan chair, but he preferred riding a horse.

After walking for a while, a trusted guard handed Li Ke a small, exquisite letter tube.

Upon seeing the letter, Li Ke knew who had sent it to him.

He opened the mailbox, took out a letter, and found it written in delicate and elegant handwriting.

"At the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), you will surely come to Taipingfang; I have important news to tell you."

Li Ke smiled slightly; it had been a while since he had seen her.

Men with outstanding modeling skills have a significant advantage in attracting women.

Using this advantage, Li Ke obtained a lot of useful information from many noble ladies.

Of course, a prince like Li You would never offer himself up as a gift.

The women he associated with were either from wealthy or powerful families, or they themselves were equally outstanding.

As Li Shimin grew older and the position of crown prince became unstable, the struggle between various forces in Chang'an intensified.

The one currently in the best position is none other than Li Tai, the King of Shu.

Li Ke was also surrounded by a large number of people.

But he knew that his chances were slim compared to Li Tai's.

However, not having an opportunity now doesn't mean there won't be one in the future.

With the Xuanwu Gate Incident as a cautionary tale, no one knows what the future holds until everything is settled.

The hour of Xu (7-9 PM) arrived quickly, and Li Ke arrived at the appointment on time.

The young woman, already eagerly awaiting her lover's arrival, pounced on him immediately.

After the lovemaking, let's get down to business.

The beauty's identity is Su Chuyi, the second daughter of Su Dan, the Secretary of the Secretariat.

Su Dan's eldest daughter, Su Xiangyi, was the principal wife of Crown Prince Li Chengqian.

This is the real reason why Li Ke seduced Su Chuyi.

The appearance of Chengxin caused great conflict in the relationship between the Crown Princess and Li Chengqian.

Su Chuyi often went to the palace to comfort her sister, and at the same time, she was able to learn about many secrets of the Eastern Palace.

Beneath the curtain, even the whispers between lovers can conceal deadly intent.

Two hours later, Li Ke rode back, completely satisfied.

Tonight was very fruitful.

……

Imperial City, Taiji Palace.

Li Shimin was pondering what kind of rites and rituals should be used to bury the body of "Prince Qi".

This matter had already been decided when the news of King Qi's death arrived.

However, the grand religious ceremony jointly organized by the Zheng, Wang, Xi, and Pei families still had some influence on the emperor's mood.

No matter how reckless the King of Qi is, he is still a member of the royal family.

If someone from your aristocratic family dies, it's not impossible to hold a funeral service.

But why choose the day when the body of the "King of Qi" was returned to the capital?

Have you considered the dignity of the royal family?

Aren't you slapping me in the face?