bestfiction Chapter 381 Ambush at the Post Station
Chapter 381 Ambush at the Post Station
The result of this discussion was that Emperor Wenjing ordered the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice to thoroughly investigate the source of the rumors and to find out the culprit who slandered Prince Yong!
The officials received their orders and left the palace.
The important official positions in the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice are now in the hands of powerful families.
Previously, the position of Minister of the Court of Judicial Review was held by Su Mu, a man who was upright and incorruptible, and who was difficult to persuade, which caused headaches for these aristocratic families.
Unexpectedly, Su Mu died suddenly. Emperor Wenjing was furious and ordered a thorough investigation.
They were initially worried about this matter, thinking that the emperor, who had been incompetent for many years, had finally come to his senses. However, the matter was dropped in a few days, and they were relieved.
In retrospect, Emperors Wen and Jing were indeed incompetent and foolish; they were still in charge of the court.
After discussing the matter, several officials from the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice decided to cater to Emperor Wenjing's wishes.
Since the emperor was convinced that Prince Yong had been wronged, they went to find out 'this person' for the emperor.
An opportunity presented to you shouldn't be wasted.
Powerful families band together to seize power, but there are always a few unexpected events.
This is their best chance to eliminate dissidents.
Officials such as Xie Shi, the Taixi clan, and Xie Shifu, the Left Chancellor, who called themselves the "Qingliu faction".
They couldn't touch Xie Shifu, that old pedant, for the time being, but they could deal with other "pure stream" officials, such as Xie Yuanxiu and Cui Huai Ren.
Yu Wan was unaware that her scheme had become a game of chess in the power struggle among several factions in the Great Zhao Dynasty.
She would write down what happened in the capital in a letter every day and have it delivered by carrier pigeon to Yun Shang, who was traveling to Huizhou.
She wasn't good at court politics, so there were some things that only Yun Shang could analyze.
During this period, Princess Changning was married in a grand ceremony.
Yu Wan was invited by Princess Changning to attend the wedding banquet, where she met the heir apparent of Yanbei.
Han Yun, the heir apparent of the King of Yanbei, was handsome, with sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, a high nose bridge, and slightly pursed lips.
Perhaps because he was stationed at the border, he had a more bloodthirsty aura than ordinary young people. Yu Wan felt uncomfortable and uneasy the moment she saw him.
But Han Yun had clear and bright features, and didn't seem like someone with bad intentions.
Moreover, since Princess Changning's marriage to him was already a done deal, it would be inappropriate for Yu Wan to say anything discouraging in front of Princess Changning.
When adding to Princess Changning's dowry, Yu Wan only whispered to her, "Your Highness, if you suffer any grievances in the future, don't endure them. Whoever wrongs you, just return the favor, no matter what."
Princess Changning, who was still crying sadly because of her marriage to a distant place, was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then smiled through her tears and said softly, "Thank you, Sister Yu."
Her father and mother had repeatedly warned her that harmony between the Prince of Yanbei and the royal family was very important. As a married woman, she was bound to suffer some grievances, so she should be more patient and prioritize the harmony between the two families.
Although she trusted Han Yun, she was already quite anxious about marrying so far away, and hearing her father and mother's words only made her more uneasy.
Now, with Yu Wan's words, she thought that if she were ever truly wronged in the future, she should have the courage to fight back.
……
Meanwhile, Yun Shang and his companions traveled swiftly and arrived in Chen County, Lingzhou, about two hundred miles from the capital, three days later.
The Li family of Chen Commandery—Chen Commandery was naturally also the territory of the Li family.
On the surface, Lady Li maintained neutrality in the power struggle among the princes, refusing to take sides easily. However, in reality, she had already secretly pledged allegiance to Prince Qi.
Outsiders may not easily know that the Prince of Qi had a close personal relationship with Li Zhuoyue, the eldest son of the Li family of Chenjun, but the Prince of Yong was well aware of this relationship.
Therefore, Prince Yong was secretly waiting for an opportunity along the way.
What he had been waiting for was the moment when the disaster relief team arrived in Chen County, Lingzhou.
This place is an excellent starting point. The Lingzhou area has always been plagued by bandits. Even if Yun Shang and the others die here, Prince Yong can still absolve himself of all responsibility and pin the blame on the bandits.
As the sun sets, its afterglow is gradually swallowed by the twilight.
The group hadn't had a proper rest along the way, and Yun Shang sat in the swaying carriage, intently flipping through the books.
The sound of horses' hooves came from outside the carriage, growing closer and closer. The approaching figure was a guard of Prince Yong.
The guard raised his hand and gently tapped the carriage wall, saying, "Lord Yun, the Prince said he is exhausted from the long journey and his body can't take it anymore. We are only a dozen miles away from Chen County's main city. Why don't we rest here at the Chen County post station tonight and continue our journey tomorrow?"
Yun Shang paused slightly in the hand holding the book, and after a brief pause, replied calmly, "Hmm."
The carriage was completely dark. After the sound of horses' hooves had faded into the distance, Yun Shang decided not to continue reading. He put the book aside and closed his eyes to rest.
Having endured it all the way, Prince Yong finally couldn't hold back any longer.
Soon, the relief team arrived at Chenjun Post Station.
The post station was located outside the city of Chen County. Prince Yong had sent someone to inform everyone at the post station in advance, so as soon as the group arrived, all the officials at the post station were waiting at the door to greet them.
Chenjun was Li's territory, so these officials naturally all depended on Li. They would never dare to disobey Li's orders.
Yun Shang stepped off the carriage, his gaze sweeping over the people with a calm expression, seemingly oblivious to the scheming in their eyes.
The group followed the post station officials into the post station, which was brightly lit and very clean.
An official at the post station exchanged a glance with Prince Yong without making a sound, then smiled broadly and stepped forward.
"Your Highness, Lord Yun, Lord Li, this way please. Your humble servant has arranged accommodations for you."
Prince Yong glanced at him and nodded slightly.
The post station official led the way, and the three followed behind him, going up the stairs to their respective rooms.
Just as Yun Shang was about to push the door open and go in, he heard a voice beside him, "Lord Yun, you have been traveling hard these past few days. You must get a good rest tonight."
Yun Shang turned her head and saw that the Prince of Yong was looking at her with a gentle smile on his face.
He looks harmless; judging by appearance alone, one would never guess that he is such a beast in human form.
Yun Shang lowered his eyes slightly, his tone respectful yet somewhat distant and indifferent: "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."
"It is my duty to provide disaster relief for the court, no matter how hard it may be."
Prince Yong's lips curled into a meaningful smile, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. There was no smile in his eyes; instead, they revealed a hint of coldness.
He stepped forward and reached out to put his hand on Yun Shang's shoulder.
Yun Shang could have dodged, but he thought of something and didn't.
Prince Yong placed his hand on his shoulder and patted him. "I am aware of Lord Yun's loyalty, but the journey has been arduous. I hope you will not overwork yourself, lest you fall ill and delay the important disaster relief efforts."
Yun Shang truly loathed this kind of touching.
He endured it for two breaths, but he could no longer bear it.
He bowed slightly, subtly avoiding the Prince of Yong's hand, and said in a respectful tone, "Your Highness's concern is deeply appreciated. However, the people are suffering from the disaster and are extremely anxious. I dare not be negligent in the slightest."
His eyes were calm as still water, revealing no inner turmoil.
Prince Yong smiled faintly, a hint of malice flashing in his eyes, which disappeared in an instant. "That's good. I also look forward to completing the disaster relief as soon as possible, so as not to fail my father's expectations."
After saying that, he turned and went into his room, leaving Yun Shang standing alone at the door.
Yun Shang watched the departing figure of Prince Yong, his eyes darkening.