The princess is killing like crazy again

"Write a letter to teach you Chu Le's poems?" Xiao Yurong asked.

Zuba paused and nodded, "Yeah."

His golden brown hair sparkled in the twilight. He had such a bright and handsome appearance, but why was he so silent like a dormant beast?

"It wasn't spring when I came to Chule before, and it's not spring now either." Zuba sighed softly, his tone full of longing, "I hope it will be spring when I come next time."

His sighs always made Xiao Yurong feel uneasy, as if she could see his evil ambitions.

His expression became a little lonely. "The elders in the tribe always say that the flowers in Chule are very beautiful, all over the mountains and plains. Especially in spring, the flowers in spring are really beautiful. It's a pity that I never get to see spring."

People say that the flowers in Yujing are as beautiful as brocade, but it is not spring when I come.

"When winter passes and spring comes, I want to come and take a look again." Zuba smiled.

When he smiled, the silent hostility dissipated a little, and his eyes and brows became bright.

It seemed as if the coldness that had enveloped him had faded away, and fate was no longer unfair to him.

Xiao Yurong felt an inexplicable sadness weighing on him, so she said, "If it had been faster, you could have caught up with spring. Or if it had been later that year, spring would have been coming soon."

He never caught up with spring, as if spring was deliberately avoiding him.

When Zuba smiles, his two pointed fangs are exposed, which makes him look bright and cute, but when he is not smiling, he looks eerie, like a wild beast.

He tilted his head and stared at Xiao Yurong for a moment, then asked, "Your Ata loves you very much. He really loves you."

"Yes." Xiao Yurong frankly admitted the fact, "Among so many princes and princesses, he loves me the most."

Only in front of Xiao Yurong, Emperor Xiao is his father. In front of the princes, he is just the emperor.

Only she had ridden on Emperor Xiao's neck to pick flowers from the branches, only she had lay on Emperor Xiao's lap and acted coquettishly, and only she had made mistakes that would not really affect her status.

Even when he gave food to the Balman tribe at that time, it was also to bring blessings to the frail and sickly Xiao Yurong.

"Where's your Ana?" Zuba asked.

Xiao Yurong replied: "She is in heaven."

Zuba raised his head and looked towards the sky, "My Ata Ana is also in the sky."

His mother died in a snowstorm one winter, and his father died after being wounded in a war with other tribes.

There are already a few dim stars in the dim sky, hanging hazily.

"The dead will become stars and watch over us from the sky," Zuba said. "The Gray Wolf God and the White Deer God will protect us, as will our families."

"Is this a consolation?" Xiao Yurong asked.

Zuba shook his head, "No, it's a blessing."

"Princess, they said your name is Xiao, Xiao Yu...Long?" He pronounced her name with some stiffness.

"Xiao Yurong." Xiao Yurong corrected him.

Zuba read softly, and although it was stiff, he seemed to be savoring these words: "Xiao...Xiao Yurong."

Xiao Yurong nodded, "Yes, Xiao Yurong, my name is Xiao Yurong."

"What does this mean?" Zuba blinked slowly.

"Yu is my generation name, and Rong is the name my mother gave me." Xiao Yurong answered, "My father said that it means to "Rong Rong Yu Wan Hu". I think my mother meant that Rong Rong Yu Ye summoned the vitality."

She sighed with some emotion: "Father is thinking about everyone, but mother is thinking about her small family."

"This is the hope they give you." Zuba understood, "Zuba means a brave person. Ata Ana hopes that I will become such a person, so she gave me this name."

Xiao Yurong smiled and said, "Didn't you meet their expectations? I haven't become what my father and mother expected me to be."

"No, this is not expectation." Zuba shook his head again, "This is hope. It has no burden, so you don't need to bear the burden, because this is just a blessing for you."

Xiao Yurong was stunned for a moment. She looked towards Zuba, and at that moment the ancient bell of the temple happened to ring with a dull sound.

Tired birds return to the forest at dusk, and the setting sun shines on the sky, dyeing it a brilliant color, as if it were a jewel box that was overturned by a noble.

Zuba lowered his head slightly, his golden brown eyelashes covering his green eyes, and said very seriously: "Freedom."

"I want you to be free," he said.

May she be free from pain and worry in the future. May she be as bright as wildfire and as free as the breeze.

This is also hope, Zuba’s hope for Xiao Yurong.

*

East Palace.

"Why does no one dare to speak? What happened?" Xiao Yuxie sat on the main seat, looking at the group of aides below.

The people below looked at each other, and finally someone stepped forward and spoke.

But as soon as he opened his mouth, he said something that Xiao Yuxie didn't like to hear: "Princess Zhaoyang went to Xiangguo Temple to receive the leader of the Northern Kingdom. This matter should have been the responsibility of the crown prince."

Xiao Yuxie glanced at him and said, "I am very busy. As a child of the royal family, it is normal for Rongrong to help."

"Princess Zhaoyang's power and prestige are growing. Why doesn't the Crown Prince stop her arrogance?" The staff looked at each other, but finally stated their purpose.

Xiao Yuxie asked in a deep voice: "What do you mean?"

Once the first person spoke, the rest of the people came forward one after another.

"Although Princess Rong is the sister of the crown prince, she is arrogant and will inevitably make many enemies."

"Princess Zhaoyang now holds military power, has numerous aides, and your Majesty loves her deeply. She may become a threat in the future."

"Gongsun Qin and his ilk usually wrote countless articles praising Princess Rong, acting as her mouthpiece, and often influenced public opinion in the court and among the people."

"The Fuyang Guards are all under the princess' orders. The princess will execute any guilty ministers first, regardless of whether your majesty has punished her or not. This is a special permission granted by the emperor."

"Yes, if we wait until the future, he will definitely become a threat to the crown prince."

"Your Majesty treats the princess with all his heart and favors her to the utmost. The crown prince must be very careful."

Xiao Yuxie pinched his brows with a headache, "Rongrong is my biological sister, we are born of the same mother and are of the same blood. I will definitely do my best to satisfy her needs."

"Besides, she has always stood on my side. Can't I use her power for my benefit?" Xiao Yuxie asked.

The staff said: "Princess Rong is the younger sister of the crown prince, but she is also the younger sister of the Sheng prince, Cheng prince, etc. She has always had a close relationship with the other princes. No matter which prince ascends the throne, she will be the eldest princess."

"The crown prince may not necessarily be the emperor, but she must be a princess." The aide shook his head.

Xiao Yuxie's eyes were dark, "What do you mean? Do you want to kill your own sister alone?"

"Princess Zhaoyang can write 'I am a phoenix from the southern mountains, how can I be like ordinary birds?' and she also asks Your Majesty to hand over the military power to her on the grounds that it should be given to capable people. It is obvious that she is not content with just one corner. What if the princess intends to interfere in the government? The crown prince must not let her do that." An aide knelt down and pleaded.

Perhaps because Xiao Yuxie's expression was indeed ugly, another staff member tactfully suggested: "We don't want the crown prince to be a heartless person, but we hope that the crown prince can persuade the princess more."

"Oh?" Xiao Yuxie raised his eyebrows.

"Even weeds cannot be removed, let alone your beloved sister?" The aide said, "If you do too many evil things, you will surely perish. Just wait and see."

The staff member still pointed out the problem to the point that Xiao Yuxie was concerned about: "This is also a good thing for the princess, as it will prevent her from being hurt and affected in the future."

Xiao Yuxie was silent. This was the only thing that was true...

*

The news of King Wen's rebellion was rushed to Yujing over a distance of 800 miles, shocking everyone in Yujing.

Whether it was the previous unusual movements or Xiao Yurong's execution of Xu Chen without an imperial decree, it was enough to alert the court.

Despite all the precautions, King Wen was not able to be subdued.

The imperial court was well prepared, and with Cui's troops on high alert in Xuancheng, King Wen was unable to advance all the way to Yujing.

King Wen had actually stationed troops for a long time and had a complete army. The Cui family's main troops were stationed in the northern border, and the one in Xuancheng was just one of them.

Although there were several direct descendants of the Cui family, and the eldest son Cui Ci'an was also leading troops in Xuancheng, the situation was difficult because there was no reinforcement or food supply.

Emperor Xiao was furious in the court, pointing at the shocking battle situation and roaring: "Yunshui, Luoti, and Pingnan surrendered without a fight!"

"Where is General Yang Wei? Where is the son-in-law of the emperor Deng Qi? Where are they?" He walked down from the dragon throne.

The emperor was so angry that all his ministers were silent, and no one dared to speak at this time.

The battle report in his hand was thrown at the feet of his ministers. Emperor Xiao was furious: "A mere rebel king has made them run around in circles! He took down three cities in a row! Xuancheng! He went straight to Xuancheng!"

"King Wen plotted rebellion and attacked Xuancheng, and he is punishable by death." Liu Pinjue said slowly.

Xiao Yuxie stepped forward and reported: "I think we should immediately send troops to Xuancheng to quell the rebellion."

The Imperial Censor disagreed: "Your Highness, this is wrong. After all, King Wen is your Majesty's brother. I think we should recruit him to show your majesty's benevolence."

Xiao Yuxie glanced at him coldly, "King Wen is ungrateful and ungrateful. He has long lost the loyalty of a monarch and his subjects. He should be killed as a warning to others."

He turned to Emperor Xiao and recommended: "King Wen has tens of thousands of private soldiers, and the Cui family is brave and can rival them."

"The Cui family's army guards the northern border. If they suppress the rebellion, won't the border be in turmoil and barbarians will invade?" The Imperial Censor shook his head and spoke sharply, "Who will suppress the rebellion that the Crown Prince said?"

Li Yaozhi smiled and said, "Not long ago, the forty-nine tribes of the Northern Kingdom signed an alliance with our Chule to negotiate peace, didn't they?"

The attendant sneered, "My Lord, you are too naive. The Forty-Nine Tribes have always been treacherous and have repeatedly betrayed their alliances. Who knows if they will not betray their alliances and come back with a vengeance?"

"So what you mean is that if King Wen cannot surrender, then let him go directly to Yujing to change the dynasty?" Wang Fuxuan said with a smile.

"Your Majesty! I have absolutely no such intention!" The attendant hurriedly said to Emperor Xiao.

"How dare you! Have you had enough of the quarrel!" Emperor Xiao threw down another battle report and slapped the armrest of the dragon throne. "Prince Wen is about to invade Yujing, and you are still quarreling here!"

"Father!" Xiao Yuxie knelt on the ground, "All the family members of Cui clan who came with them went to the battlefield, and three of their direct descendants have died in the battle."

The whole court was in uproar.

"How do you know?" Emperor Xiao asked, full of suspicion.

Xiao Yuxie replied, "This is the news brought by the Fuyang Guards of the Yue Tribe under Zhaoyang."

Emperor Xiao's sharp gaze slowed down a little and turned to Xiao Yurong, "Zhaoyang, is that so?"

"That's right." Xiao Yurong raised his eyes and glanced at Xiao Yuxie, then turned and smiled at Emperor Xiao.

The news was not given to Xiao Yuxie by Xiao Yurong. It was obvious that Xiao Yuxie himself had connections in Xuancheng and knew the news.

However, if Emperor Xiao knew about this, he would inevitably be suspected, so Xiao Yuxie attributed the source of the information to the Fuyang Guards under Xiao Yurong.

The credit was given to Fuyang Wei, which also eliminated Emperor Xiao's suspicion.

Xiao Yuxie hadn't even told Xiao Yurong about this matter, but Xiao Yurong still naturally agreed to it.

Xiao Yurong sighed secretly in his heart.

Xiao Yuxie was obviously the crown prince, and in Emperor Xiao's mind, the throne would definitely belong to Xiao Yuxie. Why did he ask the princes to fight for it? Why was he still suspicious of Xiao Yuxie?

Is this the emperor's true intention?

"Yes." Hearing Xiao Yurong's response, Emperor Xiao's expression eased, nodded, and said to Xiao Yuxie, "Go on."

Xiao Yuxie reported back: "Cui led his troops to fight bravely and defend Xuancheng, but unfortunately the enemy is numerous and we are few. King Wen has many soldiers and strong horses, and Xuancheng is in danger."

"Your Highness, what you said makes sense." Liu Pinjue always spoke after the situation stabilized, "If we don't send troops, won't it make the generals feel disappointed?"

Xiao Yuxie clasped his fists and bowed his head, "Please ask your Majesty to send troops to help us."

Emperor Xiao pondered for a moment and nodded, "My dear ministers, who is willing to lead the troops to fight?"

For a moment, the court was silent.

Huo Zhao was about to step forward to ask for permission when an abrupt voice rang out, "Me."

"Your son is willing to lead the troops to the battle." Xiao Yurong stepped forward one step ahead of Huo Zhao and said loudly.

"Nonsense!" Emperor Xiao said immediately, "This is just nonsense!"

Huo Zhao's eyes widened in anger as well. "This is really ridiculous!"

Xiao Yurong said: "I am not making trouble."

Xiao Yuxie frowned and was about to say something more, but Xiao Yurong glanced at him and signaled him not to speak.

"Do you know that King Wen started learning martial arts at the age of eight, could lead troops to war when he was in his teens, and made great contributions in his twenties? Even your royal grandfather called him a genius." Emperor Xiao looked at her angrily.

Seeing Xiao Yurong still looking at him stubbornly, Emperor Xiao sighed, "Cui Qining was a young genius. He fought against the enemy and conquered the Wolf's Lair, but he still couldn't hold on."

"This battle is dangerous, and we need to send veterans who have been through many battles in the battlefield." He said earnestly.

"Since King Wen could lead troops into battle when he was just a teenager, Cui Mingyang also fought in the battlefield when he was just a teenager, and my royal brother was even able to quell the rebellion, why can't I do the same? Although I am still young, my riding and archery skills are not inferior to other generals in the court, right?" Xiao Yurong spoke frivolously, and was not afraid at all to persuade Emperor Xiao.

She said: "This time, I will take on the responsibility of conquering King Wen."

Huo Zhao frowned, "Yu'er, listen. This battle is dangerous. Which of Cui's children is not brave and good at fighting? They were defeated in the end, which shows that he has strong soldiers and horses."

"Uncle, there's no need to persuade me. I've made up my mind." Xiao Yurong shook his head.

Seeing that she was unmoved, Huo Zhao was furious, "Okay, okay! You are grown up now, and I don't have to care about you anymore!"

"Your Majesty, please give me permission to send my troops to the battlefield." Xiao Yurong said.