Chapter 249 Zhao Gou plans to ascend to the throne
The night was dark, and Kaifeng City was tightly wrapped like a thick mass of ink.
The messenger sent by Zhao Gou rode a fast horse and quietly left the south gate, carrying the secret edict, and headed straight for Shu.
His task was to convey the emperor's will to Liu Guangshi, who was far away in Shu, and to recall the former commander of the capital.
However, he did not expect that his every move would already fall into Wen Boyuan's eyes.
Wen Boyuan had already laid a dragnet in the city, just waiting for the messenger to fall into the trap.
Just when the messenger was not far from the city and entered a dense forest, suddenly, a gust of cold wind hit him, and accompanied by a "swish" sound, countless arrows were shot from the dark place.
The messenger was shocked and wanted to turn his horse back to the city, but it was too late.
He could only wave the riding crop in his hand with all his strength, trying to block the rain of arrows.
However, there were too many arrows and they were too dense for him to block them all.
An arrow penetrated his left arm, and the severe pain made him scream.
Immediately afterwards, several more arrows hit his horse, and the fast horse neighed and fell to the ground.
The messenger fell off his horse and rolled several times before coming to a stop. He struggled to get up, but found that his limbs were unable to move.
At this time, a group of men in black rushed out from the darkness and surrounded him.
"Who are you? How dare you intercept the imperial messenger!" the messenger shouted with stern expression.
"Hmph! You don't need to know who we are. You just need to know that your life is already in our hands."
A man in black said coldly. He stepped forward, retrieved the secret edict from the messenger's arms, and then waved to others to take the messenger away.
This move was done without anyone noticing, and Zhao Gou knew nothing about it.
In the afternoon, Zhao Gou slowly walked into the palace of his imperial sister Zhao Yingluo with steady steps.
There was a gentle smile on his face, but there was an imperceptible hint of cunning in his eyes.
In the palace, the fragrance of medicine filled the air, and the gauze curtains swayed gently in the wind. Zhao Yingluo was lying on the bed, her face pale and looking weak.
However, her eyes were clear and bright, revealing an unyielding perseverance. She watched Zhao Gou approach step by step, sneering in her heart.
Zhao Gou walked to the bed and said softly, "Imperial sister, I wonder if your shoulder injury has healed. I came here specially to visit you."
However, Zhao Yingluo turned her head slightly and avoided his touch. She said calmly: "Thank you for your concern, Brother Huang. I just suffered a slight shoulder injury and I expect to recover soon."
Zhao Gou's hand froze in mid-air and he took it back awkwardly.
He didn't care about Zhao Yingluo's indifference and continued: "You are my biological sister, how can I not care about your physical condition? For the time being, you can relax about the matters in the court. As long as I am here, everything will be taken care of. All right."
When Zhao Yingluo heard this, she sneered even more in her heart. She knew clearly that Zhao Gou's words were just a cat crying and a mouse pretending to be compassionate. The reason why he said this was simply to stabilize himself so that he could better control the power of the government.
However, Zhao Yingluo didn't want Zhao Gou to have his wish. She smiled slightly and said: "My brother is so concerned about me, I am really grateful. However, although my sister is not feeling well, she does not dare to slack off in the affairs of the court. After all, the safety of the Song Dynasty depends on it. How can I, my sister, rest in peace and recuperate?"
When Zhao Gou heard this, his expression changed slightly, and he couldn't help but feel a little angry. However, he quickly regained his composure and said with a smile: "I am very pleased that the imperial sister really cares about the world. However, the most important thing for you now is to take good care of your health. Leave the matters in the court to me." ”
After pretending for a while, Zhao Gou felt very embarrassed, so he made an excuse, saying that he was busy with work, and left.
Four days later, as the night grew darker, Zhao Gou quietly left the palace, avoiding the public eye all the way to Zuixian Tower.
This restaurant, located in a prosperous area of Kaifeng City, is usually bustling with people, but tonight it was cleared by Qin Hui to discuss big plans.
When Zhao Gou entered the private room, he saw that Qin Hui, Wan Qixi, Du Chong and others had already arrived. When they saw Zhao Gou, they all stood up and saluted.
Zhao Gou waved his hand and motioned for them to sit down, and then said in a low voice: "My dear friends, I have called you here today because there is a major matter to discuss."
When Qin Hui and others heard this, their expressions suddenly became solemn. They knew that the "big event" mentioned by Zhao Gou must be related to the power struggle above the court.
Zhao Gou paused and continued: "I want to return to Dabao. What do you all think of it?"
As soon as these words came out, the private room suddenly fell into silence.
Qin Hui and others looked at each other, each with their own plans in mind.
After a while, Qin Hui was the first to speak: "The Supreme Emperor has such ambitions, and the ministers will naturally support him. Most of the ministers in the court are already the Supreme Emperor's people. When the time is right, we can accomplish it in one fell swoop."
Wan Qixi also agreed: "What Mr. Qin said is absolutely true. I am willing to work hard for the Supreme Emperor and work together to achieve great things."
However, Du Chong said with some caution: "Your Majesty, this matter needs to be considered in the long run. After all, the official is your son, so you don't have to rush to regain the throne. Besides, Princess Zhao Yingluo's injury will soon recover, and the military power will be restored." It's in her hands. Once she recovers, our plan may fall short."
When Zhao Gou heard this, he frowned slightly and felt a little unhappy.
He glanced at Qin Hui and Wan Qixi, and saw both of them shaking their heads slightly, obviously not agreeing with Du Chong's view.
Zhao Gou thought to himself: "It's a little troublesome for Du Chong to be so cautious. But Qin Hui and Wan Qixi both support me, so there won't be any problem."
So, he said: "Du Aiqing's concerns are reasonable, but I have made up my mind and this matter cannot be delayed any longer. I have sent a messenger to Shu to recall Liu Guangshi. It is expected that King Qin's army will arrive in Kaifeng within ten days at the earliest. By then Liu Guangshi After Guangshi replaces Wen Boyuan as the commander of the palace, I will have great power. What will happen even if Zhao Yingluo recovers? "
At this point, he paused and added: "Of course we can't take it lightly and must be fully prepared." Then he looked at Qin Hui: "Qin Aiqing, do you have any good ideas?"
Qin Hui thought for a moment and then said: "What the Supreme Emperor said is absolutely true; we must ensure that nothing goes wrong. In my opinion, we can start from two aspects: first, find a way to prevent the princess's injury from getting better or even dying; secondly, 2. Strengthen security patrols and control inside and outside the city to ensure the stability of the situation.”
Zhao Gou's eyes lit up when he heard this and he said, "What Qin Aiqing said is exactly what I wanted. I wonder if you have any specific plans?"
Qin Hui smiled slightly and said: "Don't worry, Your Majesty; I have already made arrangements. We can manipulate the princess's soup so that she can die without anyone noticing; in addition, I have also arranged for Yu Wende to assassinate her secretly, just in case. one."
He spoke as lightly as if he were talking about a trivial matter.
Zhao Gou was overjoyed after hearing this, but on the surface he pretended to be hesitant and said, "Isn't it too risky to do this? What if someone discovers it?"
Upon seeing this, Qin Hui immediately said: "I will arrange this matter properly and no one will find any clues."
Wan Qixi also echoed: "Your Majesty, there is no need to worry; Mr. Qin always handles things safely and ensures nothing goes wrong."
Hearing this, Zhao Gou finally made up his mind. He nodded and said, "Okay! Let's do what Qin Aiqing said! But we must be careful not to reveal our flaws."
Qin Hui and Wan Qixi responded in unison: "Don't worry, Your Majesty!"
