Prince Liu Yan was pacing back and forth alone in the study room of the East Palace, his hands behind his back, his red cheeks looking restless. After Liu Yan muttered for a while, he shouted outside the room: "Come here, go and ask Xun Mou to come over!"
It was already the third watch, and the cold air was getting more and more pressing. Listening to the howling wind outside, it seemed like there was a sign of snowfall. After several knocks on the door outside the study, a familiar voice said: "Your Highness, General Xun is here."
After the butler finished his report, another voice said: "My subordinate Xun Mou, please pay homage to His Highness..."
Liu Yan stood in the hall and heard that it was Xun Mou, so he turned around to collect himself, straightened his clothes, and then sat back in front of the desk, "Come in!"
After Xun Mou entered the room and exchanged a few words with Liu Yan, Liu Yan went straight to the topic and told Xun Mou everything about tonight. After hearing this, Xun Mou shook his head repeatedly, feeling that something was wrong, so he said, "It seems that Liu Xun's move is either to hide his power and bide his time, or to build a plank road in secret." He then asked, "Do you want people to continue to monitor Liu Xun?"
"Now the care of Prince Ning's Mansion is getting tighter and tighter. Since the New Year, Liu Xun has used various excuses to remove all the servants who have served in the Mansion for less than seven years. Now our people have no chance to get close to Liu Xun!" Liu Xun! Yan was also very frustrated, "Now, no matter whether I demote or dismiss his people, or execute him in prison, Liu Xun is indifferent. In addition, I invited him to a banquet tonight, and he has been flattering me." , It really makes me restless. In my opinion, he must be doing something, just like what you said, General, he must be secretly plotting against Chen Cang!"
Xun Mou buried his head deeply, then raised his head after a moment and said, "I guess the person who made the plan must be Lu Zuo." When he said this, he asked coldly, "Is there no news about the person who was sent?"
"Deng Zhuo, this loser, has not succeeded before. Now it is difficult for him to get close to Lu Zuo." Liu Yan said helplessly, "It seems we have to think of other ways."
Suddenly, Xun Mou's mind flashed, "Does the prince still remember Yin Ji?"
"Yin Ji...of course I remember." Liu Yan got angry when he mentioned this name. "He also won a beloved Zhanlu sword from me. Why did General Xun mention him?"
"Didn't you say that the person sent to assassinate Lu Zuo was rescued by another unknown person? And Lu Zuo's personal attendant Yin Ji, didn't you say that he had also been driven away!"
Liu Yan's eyes lit up, "Are you saying that the person who secretly rescued Lu Zuo was his apprentice Yin Ji!" His face darkened again in an instant, "This is not surprising, Yin Ji is his apprentice, even though he has been driven out Although he has left home, his past feelings are still there, so it is reasonable for him to save his old master."
"My master, Marshal Zhou, said before he died that he had planted a traitor next to Lu Zuo. No matter how I asked him who the traitor was, he always kept silent. I think this person was Lu Zuo’s disciple Yin Ji.”
"Oh?" Liu Yan exclaimed, "How can you see it?"
"Otherwise, Lu Zuo would have driven Yin Ji away just after my master passed away? So he must have known Yin Ji's identity." Xun Mou said, "If not, Yin Ji had committed some serious and unforgivable mistake. , how could Lu Zuo drive away his beloved disciple!"
"Then General Xun means..."
"Find Yin Ji, he is the only one who knows where "Guigu Zongheng Lun" is!" Xun Mou looked a little excited.
Liu Yan disagreed, "But Yin Ji's whereabouts are uncertain, how can we find him? Even if we find Yin Ji, how can we get him to hand over "Guigu Zongheng Lun" honestly? I'm afraid it will be in vain!"
Xun Mou showed a sly smile, "This is not difficult, I have my own way. As for whether he is willing to hand over the treasure, it depends on whether he understands the current affairs. Just hand it over. If he doesn't hand it over, it will be a waste sooner or later if he keeps it. Woe.”
What Liu Yan is most worried about is the threat from Prince Ning, "What about Liu Xun? He is the biggest threat right now."
"Your Highness, don't worry. As long as you capture Yin Ji and kill Lu Zuo, Prince Ning will have his limbs broken."
Liu Yan looked at Xun Mou suspiciously, "Then I'll leave this matter to you..."
At dawn, the sky was already covered with ice and snow, and the weather was extremely cold. Before Liu Yan and Crown Princess Xu Fang changed their clothes, there was a rapid knock on the door.
When Prince Liu Yan was about to change his clothes, he heard the commotion outside the door. He couldn't help but get upset and cursed: "What's so important to get so angry? You're dead, mother..."
An old woman outside the door said: "Your Highness, Butler Qin said that it is extremely urgent and asked the slave family to report it!"
Crown Princess Xu Fang had just put on her clothes and hurriedly opened the door and asked, "What happened?"
The old lady said: "Butler Qin said he is waiting for His Highness in the study!"
Xu Fang looked back at Liu Yan. Liu Yan adjusted his clothes and said nonchalantly: "Why are you making such a fuss so early in the morning?"
"Your Highness, you should hurry up and take a look!" Xu Fang said, "Butler Qin used to be very measured. If he is so anxious today, he must have encountered something urgent!"
Liu Yan shook his head helplessly, walked straight out of the door, and went to the study. Before arriving at the study, Butler Qin was already waiting under the eaves of the corridor. When he saw the prince walking towards him angrily, he hurriedly stepped forward. Without waiting for the prince to speak, he hurriedly said: "Your Highness is not well! Prince Ning vomited last night. Everyone said that the diarrhea was caused by the Lantern Festival dinner yesterday!"
"What?" Liu Yang suddenly retracted his right foot as he stepped into the study door. After stopping, he asked again in confusion, "What did you say about Prince Ning?"
"Prince Ning had vomiting and diarrhea last night, and there are rumors going around..." Steward Qin was frightened by the prince's eyes and did not dare to say anything further.
After hearing this, Liu Yan said angrily: "What's the crazy rumor?"
Butler Qin curled his lips and said innocently: "It is said that it was because of the banquet at the Prince's Mansion yesterday. They said it was you..."
"Say..." Liu Yan said angrily.
Steward Qin murmured: "I said you... poisoned... the food and wine."
"It's a lie! Why did I poison his food and wine?" Liu Yan said angrily, "What about Prince Ning now?"
"I heard that he is still in a coma!"
Liu Yan frowned and began to worry, but then he thought about it, now that the emperor's grandfather is ill, and now he is in charge of the country's affairs, what are you afraid of what he will do? Prince Ning must be faking his illness.
Just when Liu Yan was stunned, a man wearing navy blue court clothes hurriedly came outside the corridor. When Liu Yan looked up, it was his father-in-law, the Minister of War, Xu Bingde. Seeing that he was in a hurry, he must have known about it.
Xu Bingde also came to the door, pulled Liu Yan into the study, and then asked Liu Yan in a low voice with a panicked look: "Yesterday, there was a Lantern Festival banquet for Prince Ning. Did you poison his food?"
