NCCnovel Chapter 237 Liuzhou
Chapter 237 Liuzhou
"Damn it, who the hell got there first and took away all the treasures!" Baozi muttered and spat on the ground fiercely, his eyes looking as if he wanted to eat someone.
"Bah! This is so abominable!" Yuan Zhiqiang watched helplessly as this great opportunity to make a fortune slipped through his fingers, like a fat duck that had been caught flying away. He was so angry that he was fuming.
He suddenly raised his foot, filled with anger, and kicked Li Si, who was lying on the ground like a dead dog, hard, as if this could slightly ease the resentment in his heart.
"Okay, stop fighting, Baozi. Go ask Miss Murong and see how she plans to deal with this man."
Chifeng was afraid that Yuan Zhiqiang would lose control of his impulsive temper and beat Li Si to death, which would be troublesome.
He hurriedly stepped forward, stretched out his hand to stop Yuan Zhiqiang, then turned his head and winked at an official next to him, indicating that he should go to Murong Ling'er for a decision.
The instigator of the emptying of the bandit camp was Murong Ling'er, who had already made up her mind.
At this moment, after listening to the official's report, she raised the corners of her mouth slightly, revealing a barely perceptible sly smile, and then said with feigned calmness: "Let's hand him over to Chifeng and the others to deal with!"
Chifeng stood there, lowered his head and thought for a moment, then came up with an idea. He did not immediately order Li Si to be killed, after all, this man might still be of some use if he were alive.
He waved his hand and said coldly, "Come here! Cripple his limbs and make him mute with poison. After we get down the mountain, we'll hand him over to the authorities. Maybe we can even get a reward for him, so this trip won't be in vain."
After receiving the order, the officers nearby stepped forward immediately and, like a wolf pouncing on its prey, soon subdued Li Si.
Murong Ling'er and Chu Lingfeng just looked at each other indifferently about Qifeng's decision and did not raise any objections.
In their view, this is just making the best use of resources. In this treacherous world, more resources mean more protection. No one knows what unexpected crises they will encounter in the future.
After everyone had packed up, they left the village and continued on their way.
Before long, Liuzhou was about to arrive.
The city of Liuzhou seemed prosperous and bustling, with people coming and going and traffic jams everywhere. However, people had no time to appreciate the city scenery because as soon as they stepped into the city, they heard a piece of news that was like thunder: the State of Zhao was about to marry the State of Min'an, and the princess of the State of Min'an would soon set off for Beijing.
When Chu Lingfeng heard the news, his face instantly became solemn, and he couldn't help but start to worry about Crown Prince Zhao Hao.
Thinking back to the last time the prince escaped back to Kyoto after a life-or-death experience, he fell ill and never recovered. The young man who was once so heroic and valiant has now been tortured by the disease and is no longer recognizable.
It is said that Emperor Zhao took his anger out on many officials because of the prince's illness. Now everyone in the court is in danger and there is a sense of panic.
However, even though Emperor Zhao was furious and sought medical treatment everywhere, the prince's condition showed no signs of improvement and instead became more serious.
Chu Lingfeng knew in his heart that if Min'an Kingdom came to propose marriage at this time, he would definitely not choose this sickly prince.
If the crown prince fails to be selected, the eldest prince and the second prince will definitely fight to the death for this rare opportunity. In addition, Concubine Rong is now in the limelight in the palace, and there is a spy who is manipulating everything behind the scenes. The position of the crown prince is like a candle in the wind and rain, which may be extinguished at any time and is in danger.
Chu Lingfeng frowned, secretly thinking of a countermeasure in his heart.
He knew very well that the court situation in Zhao State was now like a huge powder keg. If he was not careful, it would cause an earth-shaking explosion. He had to find a way to survive in this chaos, while also protecting the people he wanted to protect.
He looked up into the distance, his eyes revealing a hint of firmness and determination, as if he was ready to face all challenges.
At this moment, in the East Palace bedroom with carved beams and painted rafters but filled with a strong smell of medicine, the Crown Prince Zhao Hao, whom Chu Lingfeng was worried about, lay like a wounded and dying white dove, his face as pale as snow, lying bloodless on the brocade quilt and embroidered couch.
His chest rose and fell weakly, and every breath seemed to use up all his strength, as if it would stop in the next moment.
Beside the bed, the elderly imperial physician's beard was trembling, his fingers were on the prince's pulse, his brows were furrowed into a deep "chuan" shape, beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and his heart was trembling.
The pulse was as weak as a candle in the wind, sometimes coming and sometimes not, intermittently, as if the god of death was gently pulling at the prince's lifeline, and could cut it off completely at any time, causing this young life to end.
Beside, Emperor Zhao sat upright on a carved pearwood chair, his posture as stiff as a stone. He held the warm white jade teacup tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white, and a faint sense of strength was revealed, as if he was about to crush the teacup to pieces in the next second.
However, that cold and majestic face was like the surface of a frozen lake, calm and undisturbed, making it difficult to glimpse his inner emotions.
Eunuch Zhao, who was standing behind Emperor Zhao, lowered his head, staring at the gold bricks under his feet, not daring to breathe.
He has served in this palace for many years and knows the emperor's temper very well. He is afraid that beneath the calmness at this moment, there is a storm that is about to break out.
Ever since the crown prince returned from his serious injury, the East Palace has been shrouded in a haze. The crown prince has been in a coma, like a sleeping beauty, but there is no prince to wake him up from this slumber, which has instead worried the hearts of everyone in the court and the country.
The wrath of Emperor Zhao spread like wildfire, quickly reaching every corner of the former court and the harem, leaving devastation wherever it went.
Eunuch Zhao understood everything clearly. Although the emperor usually acted indifferent to the crown prince, and doted on the eldest and second princes born to Concubine Rong in the court and rewarded them continuously, in fact, the one the emperor cared about most in his heart was still his eldest son - Crown Prince Zhao Hao.
After all, the prince has been intelligent since childhood, well-versed in classics, history, and literature, and has the ambition to govern the country and ensure its security. Many of his insights in the court have impressed the emperor, and he secretly hopes that he can become a wise ruler.
This time, the prince was ambushed and nearly lost his life, which undoubtedly touched the emperor's sore spot.
The emperor was furious and had all the officials involved in the incident, regardless of their rank, either exiled to a desolate place or beheaded outside the Meridian Gate.
During this period, the air in front of the Meridian Gate was filled with a bloody atmosphere every day. Heads fell to the ground one after another, and the blood dyed the cold stone floor red, making everyone in the court and the country feel insecure and silent.
The emperor's rage this time was like a bolt from the blue, making everyone completely aware of the prince's unshakable position in the emperor's heart.
Unfortunately, fate played a trick on him. The prince was seriously injured. The knife in his heart pierced straight into his vitals and almost took his life.
Although the imperial doctors tried their best to save him and he was temporarily saved, he could only stay in bed, his life or death uncertain, as if he was wandering on the edge of hell.
It so happened that at this critical juncture, Min Anguo suddenly proposed a marriage for some unknown reason without any warning.
This news was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly shattering the already fragile peace.
For this reason, Emperor Zhao became furious again.