Chen Qin's room was full of people.
Lu Fengnan, Wu Jin, Zuo Wende, Gao Bo, Chen Qin.
Five people sat around Yang Zhaozhong's body.
The people who were fighting side by side yesterday are now like cold corpses. Others couldn't help but sigh.
"The traitor among them has been found by me. Now that I have no worries, I can do whatever I want without any worries."
"What do you think, Your Highness?"
"Let's be direct, it's time to discuss important matters for the few of us."
Chen Qin stared at everyone and said word by word: "When I ascend the throne today, I need someone to persuade me to come in. Who among you is willing to do this?"
"Go back to your highness, I'm fine with you!"
Lu Fengnan was the first to express his support with a smile on his face, while Chen Qin smiled and nodded.
The remaining three people all had tangled expressions on their faces.
This was also within Chen Qin's expectation.
Among the four, only Lu Fengnan was a bachelor without parents, wife and children. He could feed the whole family without worrying about one person.
His background is simply tailor-made for rebellion. Now that he is being hunted by the poisoned queen, he must devote himself wholeheartedly to Chen Qin's imperial career.
But the other three, either with parents or wives and children, were all trapped in the capital.
If they were to stage a "persuasion" scene here, they would probably be poisoned and beheaded in public.
Chen Qin also knew the concerns of several people, but he had no choice.
After ascending the throne, he had to go against the powerful new emperor and Wan Mengyan. This was the right time to hire someone.
You can't put your own future on the line just to take care of other people's emotions.
"I know that you are worried that your family members in the capital will be implicated after you show your loyalty here. But I also have something to tell you."
Several people raised their heads to look at Chen Qin, who looked serious.
"This king and the Poison Queen are fighting to the death. It is impossible to give in. You have offended the Poison Queen, and there is no chance of a good outcome no matter what, so you have taken refuge with me."
"But this king is not a good person who raises waste."
"If I can't rely on you for everything, then why should I keep you?"
The other three people knew that what Chen Qin said was very reasonable and slowly lowered their heads.
"Once you get involved in the struggle for the throne, you weaklings with no foundation will not have the option of neutrality."
"So, if you can't persuade me to come in, then pack your things now and leave from my place."
Wu Jin and the other three people thought that Chen Qin was easy to talk to, but they didn't expect that his personality completely changed overnight.
Looking at the extremely unfamiliar Chen Qin, the three of them didn't know what to say for a moment.
Chen Qin continued to write every word like a knife.
"If you feel that you are connected by blood to your family and want to return to the capital to die with your family, then I can let you go back and die."
"If you feel that hiding outside can protect yourself and your family at the same time, I will also give you some travel expenses in consideration of our friendship over the past few days."
"But if you want to take advantage of my protection but are unwilling to do anything, I will never allow it."
Chen Qin firmly believes that it will be easier to do things later if you say ugly things first.
The pungent smell of blood made Wu Jin and the three of them feel uncomfortable, and cold sweat even broke out on their foreheads.
They thought they could try a two-way route, but they never thought that Chen Qin would block their way out.
Chen Qin said slowly: "No matter what you choose, I will not kill you. This is my promise."
Gao Bo hesitated for a moment and asked: "Your Highness, is it really... that there is no room for negotiation?"
"Discuss? Do you think you are doing business, making more or less?" Chen Qin sneered, "I want to ascend the throne and proclaim myself emperor! Do you understand that there are no two days in the sky and no two masters in the country? ?! I will give you a way out, but who will give me a way out?!"
"Can……"
Chen Qin stretched out his finger and pointed at Gao Bo's nose, with an unquestionable look in his bloodshot eyes:
"As long as the support is not complete, it is a complete lack of support."
This sentence was like a steel knife, stabbing into the three people's luck.
There is no leeway.
At this point, Wu Jin and the other three people fully understood.
Although this little beggar is not as sinister as Wan Mengyan, he is more ruthless than Wan Mengyan.
Wu Jin gritted his teeth: "To achieve great things, you must give up something. When I took refuge with the third prince, I had the idea of becoming a prosperous person in the future. Now, no matter whether I go back or not, everyone in my family will die. So why should I go back like a bird?! "
Zuo Wende closed his eyes and continued: "I have a wife and a daughter at home, and I have caused them trouble. Since the third prince has no way to succeed in the capital, they are already destined to die. I will not come back."
Gao Bo's lips were bitten by himself, his eyes were red, and he gritted his teeth for the last time: "I am a stupid person who accepts death. My parents gave birth to me and raised me. My wife and children love me and respect me. My whole family is in the capital. I am alone outside. I'm afraid I won't be happy if I just live an ignoble existence. Thank you, Your Highness, for giving me the opportunity to go home and reunite with my wife, children, and children."
After speaking, Gao Bo knelt down and kowtowed three times to Chen Qin.
"Your Majesty, can you let me go as you said before?"
Chen Qin sighed and nodded: "I will never break my promise. I admire you from the bottom of my heart for being a filial son and a kind father. If it is not absolutely necessary, I don't want to push you to a dead end."
"It's a pity that in the fight for the throne, being virtuous is of no use. Just go ahead."
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
Gao Bo bowed solemnly again, then turned and left Chen Qin's house.
Chen Qin looked at Zuo Wende and Wu Jin and said, "Follow me, you will never regret it."
"My head will be tied to His Highness from now on!"
"I, Zuo Wende, am willing to go through fire and water for His Highness, no matter what!"
There was a sense of sadness when the two of them spoke. Because their families have been sentenced to death at this moment.
Although their choices were different, they admired Gao Bo from the bottom of their hearts. Even if you die, you will die with your loved ones.
Lu Fengnan seemed to be looking at these people with sadness in his heart and stopped laughing: "Lu Fengnan, I am willing to serve His Highness."
The three people in front of him can be regarded as his only support at the moment. But Chen Qin didn't know much about the three of them.
Even though they traveled together for three days, they were still wary of each other and did not communicate much.
"I am very pleased that the three of you are willing to assist me in achieving my great cause. However, I don't know much about the three of you. Can you tell me about your situation, so that I can know how to rely on you."
Yes, the three of them remembered that they hadn't told Chen Qin about their affairs yet.
But how much does Chen Qin, a mud-legged beggar who was born into a beggar, know about official affairs?
I guess it was all in vain, but I had to be perfunctory.
Lu Fengnan said: "Go back to your highness. I am the deputy captain of the capital's guard, in charge of the capital's access control. I usually accompany the third prince to meet with the ministers who are closely related to him, so I am also concerned with political affairs."
"Guards? Are they the troops guarding the capital city gate?"
"Exactly."
Chen Qin frowned and thought for a while, then immediately raised a question: "You are in charge of the capital's access control. Your official position is not high, but your position is crucial. If there is a coup d'etat, and you have no clue where the guards who defend the city will turn, this position will definitely be locked up. You are firmly in the hands of the person most trusted by the late emperor. But you are so close to the third prince, wouldn't the late emperor be wary of suspecting you?"
The expressions on the faces of the three people were a little surprised.
Chen Qin, a little beggar, actually knows so much about political matters? !
Is he a beggar or a down-and-out royal? !
Could it be that there is really someone who is born to be an emperor?
Lu Fengnan was even more respectful at this moment: "Your Highness really hit the nail on the head. Yes, you are right. The official position of Captain of the Capital Guard is very important, and he must be one of the late emperor's own people. Therefore, I said, my official position is that of the Guard Deputy Captain."
"Without the permission of the captain of the guard, I, the deputy captain, cannot mobilize the soldiers of the guard. Therefore, the late emperor did not worry about the relationship between the minister and the third prince."
"That's it." Chen Qin nodded, and it made sense.
With Lu Fengnan in front, Zuo Wende and Wu Jin did not dare to slack off at all.
"My minister, Zuo Wende, serves as a political inspector and is responsible for investigating whether officials have committed any illegal crimes."
"That's too general. How about more specifics?"
"Your Majesty, I am mainly responsible for placing informants and collecting intelligence."
Zuo Wende's job sounds more like that of a spy chief. He will be indispensable for collecting intelligence in the future, and he will definitely be of great use.
Wu Jin said: "I am the chief archer and horse instructor of the capital army. I am usually responsible for training the troops."
Chen Qin glanced at Wu Jin, who was dressed more plainly than the other two, and asked: "Master Wu, your life is relatively tight in daily life?"
"Ashamed. I have never been good at delving into the disputes in officialdom, so I don't get along with my colleagues, and I only live on my salary."
Although Zuo Wende and Lu Fengnan didn't react on the surface, they must have resented Wu Jin who couldn't speak in their hearts.
You only live on your salary, which means the two of us have some shady money?
Saying this in front of His Highness, wouldn't it mean to harm both of us?
Unexpectedly, just asking a question would cause a faint confrontation among Chen Qin's current small group.
Chen Qin was keenly aware that this would be detrimental to his future career and the estrangement needed to be eliminated as soon as possible.
He thought for a while and said, "Master Wu, do you have as much knowledge as Captain Lu?"
"My lord, no."
"Then do you have the intelligence skills of Zuo Langzhong?"
"My lord, no."
"Exactly. If I want to turn over, I cannot do without the cooperation of the three of you. I will not mention the past things again. But I can promise you three that as long as you work hard and do your best, you will definitely have the dream you want. Everything you want.”
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
"Okay, then let's go with this king to see Chu Chengshou."
At noon that day, the entire army and civilians of Zhanfeng City received the order and gathered inside the city gate.
Chu Tang climbed to the top of the city and took the lead in saying:
"Dear soldiers and citizens of Zhanfeng City. Today, we have gathered you all together because we in Zhanfeng City have something big to announce."
"According to reliable information, Your Majesty, Wan Mengyan was poisoned and killed in the capital!"
It had only been three days since the late emperor's death, and the news had not yet spread.
Chu Tang's tone was extremely sad and angry, shocking the unknowing soldiers and civilians present.
"What?! His Majesty was killed?!"
"How can it be?!"
"Kill the Poison Queen!!"
"Yes, kill Du Hou and avenge His Majesty!!"
The crowd was excited, and Chu Tang stretched out his hand to signal everyone to quiet down.
"It was because Your Majesty found out that the Poison Queen was messing around in the harem, and felt that she and the Fourth Prince were not of good character and wanted to pass the throne to the Third Prince, so the Poison Queen killed her! Not only that, the Poison Queen also wanted to kill the Third Prince in order to eliminate future trouble!"
Everyone immediately exploded again:
"It's so cruel!"
"No wonder she is called the Poison Queen!"
"Dayong is ruled by this poisonous queen and false emperor. Is there any tomorrow?"
Chu Tang reassured everyone again.
"Don't worry, everyone! Although His Majesty did not escape the poisonous hands, the Third Prince was very resourceful and discovered that something was wrong in time, and successfully escaped to our Zhanfeng City! Everyone, tell us what we should do in Zhanfeng City!"
"Support the Third Prince's succession!"
"That's right! Support the third prince!"
"Third Prince, justice will prevail!"
Chu Tang said: "The third prince also has something to say to everyone."
