Chapter 39: Cut the weeds
Chapter 39 Cut the weeds and eradicate the roots
The young chariot and cavalry general Hou Junji came to the Linhu Palace with high spirits.
"My lord, we won."
Li Shimin turned around, "No, not yet."
"Your Majesty, His Majesty has already signed and stamped the imperial decree establishing you as the heir apparent. Jian Jian and Yuan Ji have also been executed. We have won. After years of forbearance, we have finally succeeded in seizing the heir apparent. Your Majesty, you should be happy."
"I'm still not happy." He shook his head.
"Is Your Majesty worried about the safety of the family members of Prince Qin's Mansion? Du Ruhui has already sent someone to report that Qin Sanlang came to the rescue in time and threw out Jian Jiancheng and Yuan Ji's heads. With just a few words, the rebel army broke up. Even Xue Wanche and Xie Shufang escaped. Hongyi The palace is safe."
Li Shimin shook his head, "I already know this, and Qin Sanlang made another great contribution. What I worry about is other things!"
Hou Junji turned his thoughts, "Could it be that your majesty is worried about the remnants of Yuanji? Please rest assured, your majesty, the two culprits of Yuanji will be executed, and the rest of the party will collapse."
"It's not just them."
Now Hou Junji understood, "Those little brats don't have to worry."
"But the wolf cubs will eventually grow up. Jiancheng and Yuanji have five sons each. I am worried about the future."
"I understand, I'm going to get rid of these little bastards, and ensure that we will eradicate the roots and leave no future troubles."
Today Hou Junji was the first to rush into the Palace of Eternal Life to control the emperor, and now he is willing to kill his nephews for King Qin again.
"This matter should be done more cleanly and secretly." Li Shimin confessed.
Since there is no way to turn back, I can only make up my mind and go all the way to the dark.
Eastern Palace.
At the time of the second watch, Youku Zhi'an Yuanshou of Prince Qin's Mansion led his troops straight to the vicinity of the East Palace. At this time, there were still about 800 guards in the East Palace, but Wang Ling had already secretly surrendered to the Palace of King Qin. He secretly led people to respond, set fire to create a commotion, opened the palace gate, and led An Yuanshou to lead troops into the East Palace.
At this time, the important figures in the East Palace were basically not in the palace. Prince Zhan Shili Li Gang was released, Prince Zhongyun Wang Yu was released, Prince Xianma Weizheng was recuperating at home, Prince Zuo Shuzi Zheng Shanguo was in Dali Temple, Xue Wanche and other generals also led Soldiers are out.
At critical times, no one person can preside over the overall situation.
An Yuanshou is brave and good at fighting. He is the son of An Xinggui, the great general of Youwuhou, the Duke of Liang. He entered the Qin Palace and became Youkuzhi at the age of sixteen. He has been guarding Li Shimin. He led his troops into the East Palace and attacked He captured the rate change mansion on the south side of the East Palace, killed all the staff officers on duty, and completely lost the command system of the East Palace.
He then sent people to block the gate of the East Palace, went straight to Prince Zhan Shifu, locked up the officials, sealed up the accounts of the classics plan, etc., and then attacked Zuochunfang and Jialing Temple.
When Hou Junji arrived, An Yuanshou had already completely controlled the East Palace, and sent troops to surround the prince's bedroom. Lu Wang Chengdao, Hedong Wang Chengde, Wu'an Wang Chengxun, Runan Wang Chengming, Julu Wang Chengyi, etc. were all surrounded inside.
"Why haven't you captured the family of the traitor yet?" Hou Junji asked dissatisfiedly when he saw that An Yuanshou was only surrounding the bedroom and did not capture anyone.
"Crown Princess Zheng and Anlu King Li Chengdao are guarding the palace gate with bows and crossbows. We are afraid of hurting them." An Xinggui replied.
"If you are afraid of a bird, give it to me. Who dares to resist stubbornly and kill without mercy. This is the order of the new prince."
"New prince?" An Yuanshou was stunned.
"Just this morning, His Majesty has issued an imperial decree, and all ministers have used their seals. The King of Qin has officially become the prince of the Tang Dynasty. Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanji, and his children are all common people. Come on, who dares to resist on the spot?" kill."
Speaking, Hou Junji took out an imperial edict, and asked An Yuanshou to go forward to announce the edict, and asked the inside to open the palace gate and surrender.
After the palace gate.
Crown Princess Zheng wore silver armor and held a longbow. When she heard the decree read aloud outside, saying that her husband had been abolished as a commoner, she couldn't help being dizzy for a while.
"Mom, what should I do?"
Several county kings asked in unison.
Li Jiancheng had six sons and five daughters in total. The eldest son Wang Chengzong of Taiyuan died young, and now he has five sons and five daughters. Except for Chengdao who is older, the others are still relatively young.
"Mother, father will come to save us, right?"
"Mother, why did Grandpa Huang want to abolish father?"
Zheng Guanyin shook her head to wake herself up.
At this time the sun has risen and penetrated through the windows of the high palace wall.
My husband has been away for so long, and there is still no news. Instead, soldiers from Prince Qin's Mansion broke into the East Palace.
Without reinforcements, there is only one possibility.
This is a mutiny.
The king of Qin conspired for a mutiny, and her husband may have been captured or even killed. It is estimated that the emperor has been controlled.
Tianjia is ruthless.
Thinking of the next possibility, she couldn't help feeling sad.
Turning her head to look at several children, some were born by herself and some were born by other concubines, but they may not survive today.
"Thirteen Niang, follow me."
Zheng Guanyin saw Thirteen Niangs among the crowd, and she came to the palace to visit Chengyi's niece yesterday.
In the temple.
Zheng Guanyin dropped the spear in her hand, she looked at Thirteen Niang who was still holding the sword, "That thing is useless, throw it away, it can't protect us."
"Auntie, what's going on?"
"What else can happen, shameful treason, the king of Qin rebelled. Thirteen Niang, I ask you to do me a favor."
"Auntie, if you have anything to say, just tell me." Zheng Shisanniang was wearing a pair of armor and a horizontal knife in her hand, with a look of panic on her face.
"Thirteen Niang, now it seems that that shameful guy has succeeded. The Tian family has always been ruthless. It’s hard to escape. Chengyi is the one I’m most reluctant to part with now. He’s still so young, and he’s only survived after getting acne. Unexpectedly, he will be killed by his uncle after being confiscated by God. I want you to take this child away. And Mistress, although this child is a daughter, she is the most talented and cute, I hope you can take the two of them away."
"Auntie, let's go together." Zheng Shisanniang said.
The Crown Princess smiled slightly, even at this juncture, she was still so calm and beautiful.
"I can't go, and I can't leave those children with me."
"Then take them with you."
"Impossible, I can't go. You take Chengyi and Yu Niang together, and then I will say that Chengyi died of chickenpox. As for Yu Niang, a woman, it is not uncommon for a woman to disappear in the chaos." Zheng Guanyin told her niece in the bedroom. There is a secret passage, few people know about it, from which one can secretly lead to another part of the Eastern Palace. "You take them with you and escape from the palace while taking advantage of the chaos. I'll give you some more time."
"Auntie, let's go together."
Zheng Guanyin reached out and took her niece into her arms, stroking her hair, "Thirteen Niang, remember, no matter how capable a woman is, she is still just a vine. After all, she has to attach to a tree. No matter how good the vine grows, but once attached Even if the trees fall down, you can't survive. You are a high-minded and talented person, but listen to my aunt's advice, find a more ordinary man in the future, and don't marry into a rich and powerful family, that will make you happier."
"I have also inquired about the son of Qin Qiong who the prince proposed for you before. He is actually a nice person, but since he has rejected the marriage several times, let's just let it go."
"Let's go, take the two of them, and treat it as my aunt begging you."
·······
Hou Junji yelled outside for a long time, but the Crown Princess refused to open the door.
"Strong attack."
"The Crown Princess is at the front."
"Don't hurt the princess, as for those county kings, if they hit the knife edge by themselves, then it's no one's fault, attack!"
The strong attack began, but a group of women, children, children and court ladies could not defend after all.
Li Chengdao held up his sword and fought to the death, but was pierced through the chest by Hou Junji's sword and died on the spot.
The Crown Princess screamed and was knocked out by An Yuanshou's palm.
Several other county kings and princesses were also captured.
In the temple.
Soldiers back out.
Only Hou Junji and the three captured prince's sons remained, and the body of Chengdao who had been killed was also placed there.
In the secret passage between the walls of the main hall, Zheng Shisanniang stared at the hall with her cousins through the narrow air hole.
She saw with her own eyes that her aunt lay unconscious with blood flowing from the wound on her forehead, while that heroic cousin, Anlu Wang Chengdao, stared wide-eyed.
The three brothers from Chengde, Chengxun and Chengming had their hands cut behind their backs and knelt on the ground.
"On Huangquan Road, I met your father and uncle, and I happened to be a companion for them, so I'm not lonely anymore."
After Hou Junji finished speaking, he killed three bound young men one after another with one sword strike.
Zheng Guanyin woke up and just saw Hou Junji's sword pulled out from Li Chengming's chest. Looking at the four children who were killed beside him, Zheng Guanyin howled sharply.
"No!"
"You executioner, kill me too!" Zheng Guanyin shouted.
Hou Junji held a blood-dripping sword and said coldly, "Jiancheng still has another son, where is it?"
"I got chickenpox and didn't get over it, so I died young."
"Then there is another princess, I only found four princesses, and Princess Wenxi didn't see it."
"Then I want to ask you, it was you rebellious officials and thieves who broke into the East Palace to make trouble, and you killed Princess Wenxi."
"I asked, and no one killed Princess Wenxi, but no one was able to find her." Looking at the beautiful princess, Hou Junji couldn't help swallowing, but finally restrained himself.
"Where's my husband?"
"Dead, together with Yuan Ji was executed at Xuanwu Gate."
"Thieves, you killed my husband, you killed my son, kill me too."
Hou Junji shook his head, "I won't kill you, and I advise you not to commit suicide. The new crown prince didn't say to let you die, so you can't die. If you want those princesses to live, don't commit suicide, otherwise they will kill you." It will end badly."
After speaking, Hou Junji came outside the hall.
"The Giant Deer King Li Chengyi is gone. If you want to see a dead body or a person, even if you search the East Palace, I want you to find him. And, by the way, find Princess Wenxi."
"Also, take the princess and the four princesses to a side room and put them under house arrest. In addition, take away the corpses of the four remnants."
(end of this chapter)