The Evil Emperor's Favorite: The Sickly and Poisonous Concubine Goes Crazy

The capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

In Su Jingmo's courtyard, before he entered the palace, he suddenly received an eagle letter from the north.

He removed the bamboo tube from the falcon's feet, ordered people to feed the falcon some dried meat, and then he took apart the bamboo tube himself.

"Hua Wen surrendered to the enemy and wanted to kill Beiyang. Be careful, Crown Prince. Report in secret."

After reading just a few words, Su Jingmo's expression changed in shock. It was Ningning's handwriting. If something big had not happened in the Northern Frontier that had to be kept secret, Ningning would not have delivered the letter to him.

He took the brocade strip and hurried into the palace.

Fortunately, today, His Majesty happened to summon him and Mu Xi before the morning court.

Su Jingmo ran into Mu Xi in front of the imperial study.

Mu Xi saw from a distance that Su Jingmo looked more serious than usual. He noticed that his expression was different and thought that the Duke's wife was forcing him to see someone again, so he teased:

"Master Su, did you go to see beauties with the Duke's wife again yesterday? I would say you should fulfill your wife's wish and get married soon. There are so many beautiful girls in the capital, there must be one who can catch your eye."

Su Jingmo glanced at her, his mind full of the brocade note he received in the morning, and said nothing.

"Your Highness, Lord Su, His Majesty has summoned you two to an audience." Sheng Fu smiled and invited the two of them into the hall.

When Emperor Zhou saw the two men coming in, he put down the memorial in his hand, nodded, and exempted the two men from the formalities.

"I have something to entrust to you two today."

"In Tongzhou in the eastern border, there has been heavy rain for half a month, and the people have suffered. I want you two to go on my behalf and personally escort the disaster relief silver."

Mu Xi nodded in agreement. Some people in the court were dissatisfied with her participation in politics, saying that she had little experience and no real achievements. This time she went to the East Border to shut those people up.

But no one knew that since she started traveling around the world at the age of thirteen, she had secretly handled many things for her father. In terms of seniority, she was on par with her brother the Crown Prince, but the Crown Prince was in the open while she was in the dark.

Su Jingmo looked hesitant and did not reply. He hesitated for a moment before presenting the brocade strip in his hand to Emperor Zhou.

"Your Majesty, this is the eagle letter I received today from the north."

"North?"

When he heard that it was from the north and that it was presented by Su Jingmo, Emperor Zhou was slightly stunned and ordered Sheng Fu to take the brocade strip.

Looking at the handwriting on the note, Emperor Zhou's expression changed drastically, and Ying Yi's face was instantly covered with dark clouds.

When Mu Xi heard that the letter came from the north, he was curious at first about what it contained and why it was sent in an eagle letter instead of a victory report.

But when he noticed that his father's face had changed drastically, he immediately realized something was wrong and suddenly became nervous. He asked:

"Father, is there something wrong in the Northern Frontier?"

Emperor Zhou came back to his senses, calmed down, handed the note to Mu Xi, looked at Su Jingmo, and asked in a calm voice:

"Do you know who sent this eagle letter?"

Su Jingmo hesitated for a moment and said:

"Your Majesty, it was my sister, Princess Beiyang, who sent the message. My sister is a steady person and would never send such a letter unless it was an emergency. I dare to ask Your Majesty to investigate this matter thoroughly."

Mu Xi also saw what was written in the letter, and there was shock in his eyes, followed by anger and anxiety.

"Father! Brother...I request your permission to go to the northern border and capture the rebels personally!"

Emperor Zhou had a grim expression and was silent for a long time. He looked at the memorial handed to him by the crown prince on his left, with coldness in his eagle eyes.

"Before the news reaches the Northern Frontier, only the two of you know about this matter. You must not make it public!"

"Xi'er, stay calm and don't let anyone notice. I have my own plans for everything." He turned to look at Mu Xi and whispered.

Mu Xi knew that he had just been anxious and lost his composure. When his father reminded him, he immediately calmed down and nodded in response.

"Back off. You two don't need to get involved in this matter."

"Yes."

After the two left, Emperor Zhou's face suddenly turned gloomy.

"Sheng Fu, immediately send Chi to the northern border to investigate this matter. If there is any abnormality, kill him directly! Order him to save Yan An's life at any cost."

Sheng Fu guessed that something must have happened to Prince Beiyang, otherwise, His Majesty would not have such a demeanor, nor would he have sent the head of the four shadow guards around His Majesty to the Northern Frontier.

"Yes."

After arranging everything, Emperor Zhou once again glanced at the memorial written by the prince, and his eyes gradually turned cold.

Outside the palace, Mu Su and the others looked serious. Su Jingmo didn't know what the current situation in Northern Xinjiang was. He was worried about Su Jingning's safety. Thinking of the meaning of those words, he felt a little confused.

Ning Ning said that Hua Wen surrendered to the enemy and wanted to kill King Beiyang, but he had to be careful of the crown prince. Was it the crown prince who ordered Hua Wen to kill Gu Yan'an? But why did the crown prince want to kill Gu Yan'an? He didn't seem to have any conflicts with the Gu family.

Mu Xi lowered his eyes, with deep worry in them. Then he seemed to have thought of something, and there was a bit more ruthlessness in his eyes, which were exactly the same as Emperor Zhou's.

The prince wanted to kill his brother, did he know something? If he really knew something and attacked his brother, then she would fight with him until her head was broken and bloody to make Mu Feng roll off the throne of the prince!

The atmosphere in the court was solemn and dignified, with civil and military officials standing on both sides, waiting for the Emperor to speak. Yesterday, the flood in Tongzhou in the eastern border had been reported, and His Majesty should send people to provide disaster relief today.

Emperor Zhou walked into the hall, his eyes were like torches, and he scanned the whole place. Although his face did not show much emotion, his deep eyes were filled with an unpredictable storm. All the officials were silent when they saw this, and no one dared to speak easily.

"Tongzhou in the eastern border has been hit by heavy rains and the people are suffering. I want to send people to provide disaster relief. Do you have any candidates?" Emperor Zhou's voice was low and powerful, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

Emperor Zhou's voice echoed in the empty hall, and every word seemed to hit the hearts of the ministers like a heavy hammer. He deliberately paused for a moment, letting the tension and expectation spread in the court. Then, his eyes slowly fell on the prince, and there was both deep meaning and unquestionable majesty in his eyes.

"After much thought, I feel that it would be safest to leave this matter to the Crown Prince." Emperor Zhou's voice was steady and powerful, as if he had already planned it.

"There are wars everywhere right now, and the people are uneasy. The Crown Prince has acted carefully and cautiously in dealing with the flood in the eastern region. As the crown prince, you should go to the disaster area in person on my behalf and show your sympathy for the people. This will demonstrate the royal grace and calm the people."

As soon as this was said, the court immediately started to discuss it. Many ministers looked surprised. They actually ordered the crown prince to go. Obviously, they had never expected that the Emperor of Zhou would make such an arrangement. But now the people in various parts of the Great Zhou Dynasty have complained a lot. This time, sending the royal family to personally go to provide disaster relief is indeed a way to calm the people's hearts.

The prince himself was slightly stunned, but he quickly regained his composure, took a step forward, and bowed to receive the order.

"I, your son, will obey your order and live up to your father's high expectations. I will do my best to provide disaster relief and save the people from this dire straits." The prince's voice was calm, as if he had accepted the emperor's sudden order, but he was somewhat suspicious in his heart. Did his father really want him to go and reassure the people?

Moreover, this decree disrupted his plans, but he could not refuse.

Emperor Zhou nodded with satisfaction and continued, "Disaster relief cannot be delayed. The Crown Prince will set out early tomorrow morning. I will send people to escort him, and the Ministry of Revenue will assist him and prepare disaster relief silver and supplies. We must ensure that the affected people receive timely and effective assistance."

"My son obeys the order!"

"I obey your order!" The Minister of Revenue and the Crown Prince responded in unison.

Among the court officials, Mu Xi and Su Jingmo looked at each other. His Majesty suddenly changed his mind and transferred the prince out of the capital. This was the beginning of his defense against the prince.

After the court session, the prince looked as usual. He and the Minister of Revenue dealt with the matter of leaving the capital for disaster relief tomorrow, and then returned to the East Palace.

In the East Palace, the prince sat alone in the study, playing with an exquisite jade pendant in his hand, with a complex light flashing in his eyes. He couldn't guess whether his father transferred him away from the capital just to reassure the people or because he noticed something.

"Come here, has there been any news from the Northern Frontier?"

He raised his voice and called someone in.

"Your Highness, according to the letter I received yesterday, everything is going well in the Northern Frontier."

"The post stations in the northern border have also been properly arranged. The news will be investigated by the people below before it is delivered to the capital."

The prince felt slightly relieved and nodded.

"Did the Crown Princess come to the palace to deliver medicine today?"

"The Crown Princess has gone to visit the Queen and has not returned to the palace yet." The palace servant replied in a low voice.

"Well, step back." Maybe he was worrying too much. He had painstakingly set up the plan and could not afford to make any mistakes.

Then I'll go to the East first. It happens to be far away from the capital, so it will be more convenient to find a job there.

Five days later.

Northern Xinjiang.

The news of Shan Ruohan's death spread like wildfire, which greatly dampened the morale of the Northern Yan. Without their leader, the Northern Yan was defeated and soon withdrew from the Great Zhou territory. The rumor that Beiyang King Gu Yan'an was "seriously injured and unconscious, and his life was in danger" made the situation in the Northern Frontier even more confusing.

Because the prince was seriously injured, the defense of Beiyang Palace has been as solid as an iron barrel these days. Not even a mosquito can fly in. People from all over the place want to find out the news that Prince Beiyang was seriously injured, but they don't know how to do it.

The palace meeting room.

"The post stations in various places in the Northern Frontier have already delivered the news. As expected by the princess, someone tampered with the post stations, and the victory report from the Northern Frontier was withheld for two days and was only delivered this morning. But now, the commander of the Western Frontier Army has surrendered to the enemy, causing the Beiyang King's army to be attacked from all sides. The news that the prince is seriously injured has spread. Even if they want to stop it, they can't stop the people from talking." Liu Feng reported to Su Jingning.

By intercepting the military plan, the prince wanted to conceal the truth from the emperor. If he wanted to conceal it, she would let everyone know:

"Okay, got it. Keep spreading the news. Make it as big as possible."

Su Jingning tapped the table beside him with his fingertips, his eyes cold, he pondered for a while, then continued:

"Also, strengthen the defense of Hancheng, mobilize 80,000 elite soldiers, march at night, and secretly rush to Jinchang City within seven days."

"I obey your order!" A look of surprise flashed across Liu Feng's eyes, and then he bowed his head and accepted the order.

The enemy of the palace right now is unusual; he is the crown prince. The princess suddenly wants to mobilize the troops. Is this an anticipation of what the crown prince wants to do?

The affairs of the palace had been piling up for several days and had become a mountain. It was already past noon when Su Jingning finished dealing with them and returned to his room.

Military doctor Ge Lao was changing the dressing for Gu Yan'an. Gu Yan'an was leaning casually on the couch. When he saw her coming in, his deep eyes seemed to be instantly illuminated by the gentle sunlight, and a hint of imperceptible warmth flashed across them. He tried to sit up, but he seemed a little powerless due to his serious injuries.

"The wound on your shoulder hasn't healed yet, don't move."

Su Jingning spoke in a gentle voice, with a slight reproach, and stepped forward to hold him down, then took the ointment from Ge Lao:

"Mr. Ge, give it to me. I'll do it."

Gu Yan'an turned his head slightly, his eyes gently falling on Su Jingning, his eyes seemed to contain endless tenderness and doting, and he said softly: "You have worked hard these past few days."

Su Jingning shook her head gently, tied the gauze in her hand, and then raised her eyes to Gu Yan'an's pale face, with an indescribable pity in her heart. She stretched out her hand and gently stroked the scattered hair on Gu Yan'an's forehead. The coolness from her fingertips made her tighten her palm involuntarily, as if she could pass more warmth to him.

Thinking of the strange look in his eyes when he looked at her when the poison took effect that day, she suddenly felt a little scared. What should she do if one day he really forgot about her?

"What's wrong?" Gu Yan'an noticed the melancholy in her eyes when she looked at him. He reached out and held her hand, asking in a gentle voice.

"Nothing, just thinking about the prince."

"In the next two days, the news that Hua Wen surrendered to the enemy and caused trouble for the royal army will spread to the capital. Before that, I sent a letter to remind Your Majesty. However, since he is willing to destroy his plan that he has disguised for many years and wants to kill you, although I have spread the news that you are seriously injured and in danger, now that the matter has been exposed, the man has a deep mind. I am worried that he will reveal your identity, or at any cost... seize the throne."

Gu Yan'an's eyes darkened slightly, and a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth: "My identity? Even if he dares to say it, no one will believe it."

"As for seizing the throne? I originally just wanted to follow the old man's last wish and guard the northern border. I didn't want to get involved in the disputes of the Emperor family. But now he has caused so much trouble for Beiyang. He has to pay for the lives of those Beiyang soldiers who died!"

He spoke in a low voice, with a hint of ruthlessness and cruelty in his eyes and brows.

.......

On the seventh day after the Crown Prince left the capital, the Western Border Army Commander Hua Wen defected to the enemy, causing Prince Beiyang to join the battle alone and fight to the death. He managed to turn the tide and killed Northern Yan's main general Shan Ruohan in Yinzhou City, thus defeating the Northern Yan army. However, Prince Beiyang was also seriously injured, and the news of his critical condition reached the Imperial Capital.

As soon as the news reached the imperial capital, it caused a huge storm in the capital.

Emperor Zhou was furious and immediately ordered the Hua family to be confined. The Hua family was the crown prince's confidant, and although His Majesty did not mention whether the crown prince was involved in this matter, rumors had gradually spread in the court.

Prince Beiyang is aloof and his palace is powerful. He has rejected the Crown Prince's advances many times before. His Majesty is now interested in training Princess Xuyang to participate in politics. The intention is self-evident. Princess Xuyang is on good terms with the palace. If she cannot be used for his own benefit, then he will kill her for his own benefit.

So the prince openly sent the Western Border Army to support the Northern Border, but in fact he was trying to disrupt the situation and assassinate them.

However, the reputation of the Crown Prince as a gentle and virtuous person has long been in people's hearts, and many people feel that the Crown Prince would never do such a thing as murdering loyal officials. Perhaps the Hua family was bewitched and had ulterior motives, and wanted to take credit on the battlefield in the northern border, but failed, so they did something wrong.

There were so many rumors at once that I didn’t know which ones were true.

Eastern Territory.

Because the rain was too heavy, the prince and his entourage stopped to take shelter. Outside the carriage, the pouring rain blurred their vision. A man in a straw raincoat quietly approached the prince's carriage.

"Your Highness, urgent news."

A voice came from the carriage.

"explain."

"The Hua family has been exposed, Shan Ruohan died in Yinzhou City, and the King of Beiyang is seriously injured and in critical condition. The news has already reached the Imperial Capital."

"Gu Yan'an is not dead?"

"The palace is heavily guarded, and the exact situation is still unknown, but during the battle in Yinzhou City that day, someone saw with their own eyes that Prince Beiyang was seriously injured and unconscious. After that, Prince Beiyang never appeared in public again, and the affairs of the Northern Frontier have always been decided by Princess Beiyang."

"There is one more thing I need to report to Your Highness. Princess Beiyang has His Majesty's White Dragon Emperor Order in her hand!"

There was silence for a long time inside the carriage before a voice was heard:

"The Hua family, give up."

"Yes."

Inside the carriage, Mu Feng closed his eyes, unable to hide the worry and calculation between his brows. His father could even send out the White Dragon Emperor's Order. It seemed that if Gu Yan'an didn't die, there would always be hidden dangers for him to ascend to the throne! If he missed this opportunity, it would be difficult to kill Gu Yan'an next time.

After this, he was completely exposed in front of his father. Hua Wen's surrender to the enemy would surely push him to the forefront.

He cannot return to the capital before his father gives a clear order. He must do this disaster relief trip flawlessly in order to gain bargaining chips for himself and secure his position as crown prince.

"Give the order and continue on the journey. We must reach Tongzhou before tonight."