Priceless: A widow with a baby asks the prince to marry again

"How come you didn't even know you were pregnant!"

Suddenly I found out that I might have a child, but I lost it because of my impulsive violence! I felt regretful, but it was irreversible, and I turned into a helpless anger!

Chu Shihuan grabbed Shen Yuqin by the collar and slapped her hard again!

"Brother! Stop fighting! Find a doctor quickly, the most important thing is to save the baby!" Chu Shixuan hugged his brother anxiously, still holding out hope for his nephew who was not yet pregnant.

Chu Shihuan knew very well how hard the kick was, but he had suffered so many tragic events in succession that he couldn't bear to break his brother's hope...

"Go to Qin Tao's training ground."

...

There were only 800 personal soldiers in the training ground of Prince Changtai, who were just within the limit.

There are not many people, but it is very lively every day. The 800 personal soldiers are mostly drawn from the Qin Family Army, and they are sometimes replaced. For the Qin Family Army, this is the branch of the Qin Family Army in the capital.

Veterans who have retired to Beijing, as well as the nephews and nieces of the Qin family army, often come here to compete in martial arts, horse racing and archery, having a great time.

The horse galloped! The man in red waved his stick, and the ball that was hit by all parties turned around! It flew into the goal posts unstoppably!

Amidst the shouts, Qin Tao dismounted with a triumphant smile. The messenger waiting on the side found a gap and came forward to report: "Young General, the Fifth and Ninth Princes are here to see..."

"Shi Huan? Just let him come in directly. It's not like he hasn't been here before." Qin Tao picked up the kettle beside him, took a few gulps, and signaled the horse servant to change horses for another game of polo.

"Young general... the fifth and ninth princes have just escaped from a chase, and they are still in the capital. We are sending more people to search for them. If we let them in, won't it bring trouble?" An old member of the Qin family army reminded worriedly.

Qin Tao stopped what he was doing and asked in surprise, "Chasing? What's going on?"

The people around him roughly recounted the events of the street chase that took place this morning. Qin Tao walked out quickly after listening and said, "How come no one told me about this strange thing?"

"Your Highness! It was the Queen's order. She was afraid that you would put yourself in danger!" The servant beside him tried to dissuade him anxiously. The Prince of Changtai stayed at the parade ground last night. The servant was glad that he could easily hide it from the Prince of Changtai...

“Now that Shi Huan has come, how can we just sit there and do nothing!” Qin Tao strode out of the training ground, and the servants beside him could not stop him at all.

Chu Shihuan and his party tidied up their clothes a little on the way here, but they were still in a mess. At this time, they were in the woods near the training ground, and they were worried about Qin Tao's possible reaction...

"Shi Huan! Don't sit here, come in quickly!" The energetic young man in red strode over. His attitude was no different from usual, and he even looked a little excited!

Qin Tao took Chu Shihuan's arm and said as they walked towards the training ground: "Tell me later how you fought your way out? How many people were there on each side? How good are your kung fu?"

Chu Shihuan felt a little relieved, but still a little uneasy, he asked, "Qin Tao, aren't you afraid that Chu Shiqi will find out that I'm here with you and it will implicate you?"

"What are you afraid of? You are my brother. How can I ignore you if you are in trouble?" Qin Tao said as a matter of course.

Brother... The one who wants to kill him is his half-brother. Qin Tao is just a cousin... While Chu Shihuan was questioning, he turned his eyes to his brother who was following him and trusted him completely...

"Isn't Chu Shiqi also your cousin?" Chu Shihuan asked softly again.

Qin Tao paused for a moment, obviously not considering this yet, but soon grinned and said, "I'm not familiar with him... He's so arrogant, if he follows you, I will definitely help you!"

Chu Shihuan couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. It seemed that his intention to befriend Qin Tao was useful...

5. The Ninth Prince and his entourage were able to hide and rest in the training ground of Prince Changtai. The servants who could not stop them had to hurry back to the *** Mansion in the capital to report.

The servants had bitter looks on their faces, waiting for the emperor to punish them.

But the empress nodded silently and agreed to let the servants bring the doctor from the princess's mansion to treat the fifth prince's wife...

In the elegant and fragrant tea room, the lady's expression changed for a long time before she asked the maid beside her in a deep voice: "Have all the officials such as the Minister of Personnel and the Minister of Revenue left the capital with their families?"

"Yes, today dozens of high-ranking and low-ranking officials have left the capital for their hometowns for various reasons. The Eighth Prince ordered the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice to send people to arrest them, but nothing came of it."

"Hmph..." *** could naturally guess that this was because the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of War did not respect Chu Shiqi as the new emperor, but they did not want a direct conflict and just dealt with the matter.

However, the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice should all be Chu Tianming's people. If the imperial edict was true, how could they not respect Chu Shiqi's orders? I'm afraid it's really like the rumors, Chu Tianming was assassinated, and the prime minister's faction forged the imperial edict!

But how is this possible? Can Chu Tianming be easily assassinated? *** thought about it for a long time but couldn't come up with an answer...

But Chu Wei was sure of one thing: it shouldn't be Chu Shiqi who sat on the throne!

If this is the case, those greedy families in Jiangnan will exploit the entire Daxia! Daxia's territory is more than just Jiangnan! If Chu Shiqi sits firmly on the throne, Daxia will be in danger!

"Is there any news about King Kang?" *** asked again.

The maid shook her head.

Chu Wei took a deep breath and stood up.

Perhaps Chu Shikun was in trouble, and Chu Shiqi's party had already received the news, so they recklessly sent people to hunt down Chu Shihuan and others in order to eliminate the last threat... If it was Chu Shikun, it would not be her turn to intervene...

Chu Wei's eyes flashed with a strange light: "Send someone to catch up with the Minister of Personnel and the Minister of Revenue and pass on a message..."

...

At a glance at the Golden Throne Hall where all officials were paying homage, everything was still in good order, and the vacant seats of those important officials had been filled.

If you take a closer look, you will find that things have changed and people have changed. Those who have been appointed to the positions of clerks and households do not even wear the corresponding official uniforms. But it does not stop them from looking happy, because after all, they have been promoted to high positions!

But Chu Shiqi, who was sitting on the dragon chair, was still furious: "Minister of War! I... ordered you to send troops to capture the traitors, but you neglected your duty?!"

"I dare not, but troops need to be stationed everywhere and cannot be mobilized for the time being." The Minister of War bowed and explained.

"Okay! You still dare to shirk and quibble! Then I will remove you from your position as Shangshu!" Chu Shiqi said angrily.

The hall suddenly became quiet. Normally, when the emperor ordered a dismissal, the imperial guards would come forward, remove the criminal's official hat, and then drag him out of the hall to be punished.

However, at this time, the imperial guards on both sides did not move, and the Minister of War did not move either...

There were many more prime ministers in the palace, and they were not sure whether the new emperor they respected was speaking in anger. After all, half of the important officials in the court had left, and if more were to be removed in a short time, the state affairs of Daxia might not be able to be maintained.

"Your Highness...state affairs should not be treated as a joke!" The Grand Tutor once again spoke out to advise.

This time the old prime minister frowned and said, "Grandmaster, you are old and can't remember the title for the moment? The coronation ceremony was held the day before yesterday. You should change to Your Majesty."

Chu Shiqi didn't care about the title, but he felt unhappy because the Grand Tutor repeatedly said he was joking.

"The matter of the Minister of War can be discussed later. Taifu, you are old and weak, and your father has given you permission to report to the court for important matters. You have been exhausted these days, so you should rest well and enjoy your old age."

The Grand Tutor was speechless, and for a moment he was too weak to even sigh. He advised against the dismissal of the Minister of War, but he did not expect that he himself would be laid off.

After the morning court session, Chu Shiqi and the old prime minister were in the imperial study.

"Haven't you found Chu Shihuan yet?!" Chu Shiqi couldn't help but look anxious.

"What are you afraid of? The powerful Prince Kang and Prince Duan have been eliminated, and you have ascended the throne to become the emperor. Chu Shihuan and his men can't cause any big waves." The old prime minister was confident.

"We must also take precautions before it happens! The longer Chu Shihuan lives, the more variables there will be!" Chu Shiqi emphasized angrily!

"That's true, but to kill the fifth and ninth princes you have to send a large number of people. Now that you have just sat on the throne you have to make all officials submit. I'm afraid the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice will not be able to obey your orders in a short time, and you are short of manpower." The prime minister frowned.

Chu Shiqi cursed: "Ministry of War and Ministry of Justice, these idiots! Since you are willing to pay homage, why don't you obey orders? Do you think this ambiguous attitude will get you any good in the future?!"

As for those ministers who remained in the court but were not from the Jiangnan faction, the old prime minister could not fully grasp their situation and could only speculate: "The overall situation is still undecided, so they are still waiting and watching. Once the news of the assassination of King Kang is reported, I believe everyone will be united."

Chu Shiqi felt a little comforted after hearing this, and then asked, "Why not use the people who attacked and killed Chu Shikun to hunt down Chu Shihuan?"

"Those are assassins who were paid to do the job. They are extremely skilled in martial arts, but there are not many of them. They succeeded by telling King Kang the only way to return to the capital by horseback, and then they waited for him to come."

The old prime minister explained, "But now the fifth and ninth princes are hiding somewhere unknown. We still need a large number of people or spies to find them before we can make further arrangements."

Chu Shiqi couldn't help but feel annoyed. He knew early on that he had to fight for the throne, and the number of people he had was the key. He also started preparing early, but he didn't expect that it was still not enough! If he had hired more guards! I'm afraid he wouldn't let Huan and Xuan escape!

……

"Your Majesty! Baoding City is just ahead!"

Qin Tao was immediately excited when he heard the news! He urged the two people who were dressed as the sons of wealthy merchants around him: "Let's go in quickly!"

"Wait!" Chu Shihuan said hurriedly, "With so many ministers gathering here, I'm afraid the Prime Minister and his group will know about it... Let's send someone in to investigate first!"

"The officials and gentry in Baoding are either related to my eldest cousin's people, or they are related to my mother. Chu Shiqi must send a large number of people, and it must not be done quietly. If it is just a few people..."

Qin Tao smiled proudly: "With me here, what are you afraid of?"

Chu Shihuan knew that Qin Tao's confidence was based on his increasingly powerful martial arts, but since his life was at stake, he had to be cautious. He sent several personal guards to inquire about the situation in Baoding City, while holding Qin Tao back and asking him to stay calm.

...

The guards came back and found no danger, so the group entered Baoding City and arrived at the agreed meeting place.

"Your servants greet the Fifth and Ninth Princes, and greet the Prince of Changtai!"

Many state ministers, including the Minister of Personnel, the Minister of Revenue, and the Minister of Rites, welcomed them at the gate of the local wealthy family's mansion. The original head of the household could only stand humbly in the corner, but he also looked honored.

"My Lords! No need to be so polite!"

Chu Shihuan quickly dismounted and pretended to help the ministers. He even stretched out his hand to help the bowing Minister of Personnel to stand up straight.

The meeting was facilitated by ***'s intervention. Both parties were "in love" as if they had grasped a life-saving straw. They immediately joined together and surrounded Chu Shihuan and walked into the borrowed mansion.

"Big brother..." Chu Shihuan showed a look of grief, and asked in disbelief, "No news yet?"

The Minister of Revenue showed a more genuine sadness, and sighed, "The news from Henan Province should not be false. When King Kang passed through the countryside of Kaifeng, he was ambushed by a group of experts. The more than 100 cavalrymen led by King Kang suffered heavy casualties... King Kang is nowhere to be found... Alas..."

"We have to prepare for the worst..." The Minister of Personnel lamented, but had no choice but to face the reality. He looked at the Fifth Prince in front of him. With the sudden participation of the Qin family army, plus the old faction of King Kang, it seemed that they could do a lot.

Qin Tao, who was not interested in these things, suddenly said: "Isn't the situation of my eldest cousin the same as that of my third cousin?!"

"It's almost the same. I'm afraid it's just the same old trick..." The Minister of Rites also sighed. If Prince Duan hadn't gotten into trouble, he wouldn't have to try to please both sides like this.

"Chu Shiqi is too cold-blooded and vicious! He has killed his brothers one after another!" Qin Tao frowned angrily.

The ministers did not dare to speak out directly about this accusation, but when someone said it first, they all agreed: "What the Prince of Changtai said is very true!"

"We cannot stand against such unkind and unjust people!"

“Even if Prince Kang really does... he should respect someone with both good morals and virtues!” The Minister of Personnel once again glanced at the fifth prince who was now surrounded in the center.

Chu Shihuan still had a sad expression on his face, but his heart was surging with excitement!

He knew the purpose of this meeting. *** stepped forward to facilitate it and asked Qin Tao to escort him personally, which meant that the Qin family army could be used by him!

But the eldest brother had an accident, and the Kang Wang faction had already torn its face with the Prime Minister's faction, so it was necessary to find another leader! As long as this meeting went well, it meant that he was very likely to be able to ascend to a position that he could only secretly hope for!

After a brief discussion, everyone reached a preliminary agreement, and Chu Shihuan and his companions went to the main courtyard which had been well arranged to tidy up the place.

Chu Shihuan had just finished washing up after changing his clothes, when a servant came to report: "The Minister of Rites is here to see you, and the princess is entertaining you first."

Chu Shihuan paused. At this moment, any power was very important to him, and the Minister of Rites had a closer relationship with him than the others he had won over...

I just don't know if his miscarriage of Shen Yuqin will have any impact...

In the small hall, Shen Yuqin, who looked sickly and pale, cried, "He beat and scolded me... He even killed my three-month-old baby..."

"You were pregnant and then lost the baby?!" The Minister of Rites was shocked.

Shen Yuqin burst into tears: "I want a divorce... Grandpa, can you take me back to the Shen family..."

"Divorce? Do you know what the situation is now? The Fifth Prince has a chance to ascend the throne! You are the Fifth Prince's legal wife. If nothing unexpected happens, when the Fifth Prince ascends the throne in the future, you will be the Queen! If you give birth to a boy, he will be the Crown Prince in the future!" The Minister of Rites could not help but feel distressed!

Shen Yuqin was stunned. Her old dream of becoming the queen seemed to be right before her eyes. However, her recent experience made her want to escape from the pain: "But... the baby has been lost... the doctor said that I may not be able to get pregnant again..."

"If you can't get pregnant, you can always adopt another concubine's child and register it under your name! The Shen family raised you, don't you want to think about the future glory of the Shen family?"

The Minister of Rites said sternly: "In any case, you cannot divorce! If you dare to act on your own, the Shen family will not tolerate you!"