nashuaworldcup Chapter 527: Taking Chestnuts from the Fire
Chapter 527: Taking Chestnuts from the Fire
Chapter 527 Taking Chestnuts from the Fire
After reading the secret letter, Zhu Youjian broke out in a cold sweat. Wang Wenzhou's power was simply too great. In just a few days, chaos had broken out in various places because of Wang Wenzhou's imprisonment. Hundreds of thousands of elite troops were ready to be deployed. If he killed Wang Wenzhou, his wives and concubines might really rebel.
"Minister Yang, please take a look." Zhu Youjian handed the secret letter to Yang Sichang.
Yang Sichang was equally stunned after reading it.
"Your Majesty, Wang Wenzhou is a traitorous minister. This old minister begs Your Majesty to execute this villain!" Yang Sichang calmed himself down and once again asked Zhu Youjian to kill Wang Wenzhou.
Zhu Youjian said with a wry smile, "Minister Yang, you don't understand Bo Xin. I do understand him. If you say he has disloyal intentions, that's plausible. But if you say he wants to rebel, I think that's impossible."
"Huh?" Yang Sichang was stunned. Your Majesty, have you taken the wrong medicine? You clearly know that Wang Wenzhou is a traitor with disloyal intentions, why don't you kill him sooner to prevent future troubles?
Zhu Youjian continued, “If Boxin wanted to rebel, he would have done so long ago. Gao Yingxiang is his father-in-law. He was able to capture Gao Yingxiang, so why would he rebel? To be honest, I also feel somewhat sorry for Boxin. The reason he made so many enemies was all to share my burdens and take responsibility for me.”
"Pfft..." Yang Sichang was completely dumbfounded. Your Majesty, what exactly is your relationship with Wang Wenzhou? Why are you blaming yourself? It's a subject's duty to take the blame for the emperor!
Seeing that Zhu Youjian had no intention of punishing Wang Wenzhou, Yang Sichang was helpless. He knew that even if he tried to persuade him again, it would not only be a waste of breath, but would also displease Zhu Youjian.
Just then, another agent from the Eastern Depot came to report that Liu Rushi had appeared outside the palace gates.
Zhu Youjian thought for a moment and then ordered, "Wang Chengen, go and invite Liu Rushi to the palace. I want to have an open and honest talk with her. I absolutely have no intention of killing Wang Wenzhou. Tell her to stop making such a fuss."
"This old servant accepts the imperial decree and thanks you." Wang Chengen hurriedly accepted the order.
Just as Wang Chengen was about to leave, Zhu Youjian hurriedly said, "Wait! Don't say this is my decree, just say it's the Empress's decree. With Bo Xin's personality, if I summon his wives and concubines to the palace, he'll misunderstand."
"Pfft..." Yang Sichang felt his brain was a bit overwhelmed. He had been away from court for only two years, and he never expected Wang Wenzhou to rise to prominence so suddenly. What surprised him even more was that, judging from Zhu Youjian's appearance, the relationship between the emperor and Wang Wenzhou was quite deep.
After Wang Chengen left, Zhu Youjian instructed Yang Changsi to quickly send a large force to maintain order and prevent the situation from deteriorating.
"Bang bang bang..." Suddenly, the emperor and his minister heard several loud explosions coming from the direction of the palace gate.
A moment later, a guard rushed over to report: "Your Majesty, there are thieves in the square who have caused explosions, slaughtered civilians, and shouted slogans: 'Unless Wang Qingtian is exonerated, the people of the Ming Dynasty will never have a day of peace.'"
"What!" Zhu Youjian was dumbfounded. How could this be? Who on earth wanted to take such a risk?
Zhu Youjian immediately realized that these people were definitely not Wang Wenzhou's men. Wang Wenzhou wasn't that stupid. But no matter who was behind it all, this was forcing him to kill Wang Wenzhou.
……
Wang Chengen cupped his hands and said, "Mr. Liu, there are thieves causing trouble. To avoid harming you, please follow me into the palace for temporary refuge."
Liu Rushi smiled slightly and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Eunuch Wang, but I have some matters to attend to and I am afraid I cannot enter the palace today."
With a wave of his hand, Wang Chengen's Eastern Depot agents subtly surrounded him.
Seeing that things were going badly, Jiang Zhenghe quickly signaled to his men, and the Imperial Guards he had brought immediately surrounded Liu Rushi.
Amidst the commotion in the square, the two sides faced off in a tense standoff.
Liu Rushi thought for a moment and then said, "Eunuch Wang, to tell you the truth, these thugs were definitely not sent by me. I think you can see that someone wants my master's life. To be honest, all of my master's subordinates in the capital are now under my command."
Wang Chengen nodded; he was already familiar with what Liu Rushi had said.
Liu Rushi continued, "What I want to know now is who wants to harm my master. If I go to the palace and lose my freedom, the situation in the capital will be out of my control. If someone else takes control, it may not be a good thing for either the Ming Dynasty or our family."
Wang Chengen understood Liu Rushi's meaning. Wang Wenzhou's followers had a complex background, coming from various factions, including the Tartars. If Wang Wenzhou's forces were to fall into the hands of those opposed to the Ming Dynasty, it would be a disaster for the Ming.
Thinking of this, Wang Chengen said, "I will explain the situation to the Empress. Where does Mr. Liu wish to go? I will send someone to protect you."
Liu Rushi smiled slightly and said meaningfully, "Thank you for your kindness, but there's no need to trouble your subordinates. In the past, you sent many people to protect our Zhongyi Duke's Mansion, but my master still had three wives and concubines killed in assassinations."
"Ahem..." Wang Chengen coughed awkwardly a few times. Madam Wang, it wasn't that I sent someone to monitor Lord Wang, it was the Emperor's decree.
"Farewell!" Liu Rushi cupped her hands in farewell.
"Respectfully seeing off Mr. Liu," Wang Chengen said hastily.
After Liu Rushi left, Wang Chengen frowned and looked towards the square.
The masked men were still killing people when the palace guards began to move out.
Lin Qing beheaded an innocent civilian in front of him with a single stroke. He looked up and saw the palace gates not far away. The palace gates were wide open, and hordes of imperial guards rushed in.
Lin Qing shouted, "The wind's getting strong, let's get out of here!"
After saying this, Lin Qing threw the broadsword in his hand at a civilian in front of him, the blade piercing through his chest. Then, Lin Qing removed the mask from his face and threw it on the ground.
In an instant, Lin Qing transformed from a violent thug into an ordinary citizen.
"Help!" Lin Qing shouted, disappearing into the panicked crowd in the blink of an eye.
Upon hearing the signal, the masked men abandoned their weapons and removed their masks. In a short while, the rioters in the square vanished without a trace.
Wang Chengen was stunned by what he saw. These masked men were highly trained and well-organized; even agents of the Eastern Depot would find it difficult to disappear as quickly as they did. Who exactly were these people?
Wang Chengen thought for a moment and then ordered, "Wu Ying, immediately issue an order to all the Eastern Depot spies in the capital to be on the lookout for groups of strangers with accents from other places. If anything seems amiss, immediately arrest and interrogate them. No matter who these people are, they are probably not from the capital."
"Yes!" Wu Ying quickly accepted the order.
"Sigh..." Wang Chengen sighed softly, feeling very sad for Zhu Youjian.
Although Wang Wenzhou was arrogant and eccentric, he was still loyal to Zhu Youjian and the Ming Dynasty. However, after this incident, facing the anger of the people, even if Zhu Youjian did not want to kill Wang Wenzhou, he would probably have no choice but to do so.
However, if Wang Wenzhou is killed, the power held by his wives and concubines will definitely rebel. At that time, the people of the Ming Dynasty will once again suffer from the ravages of war.