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

In the lobby of the Ministry of Justice, royal relatives, high-ranking officials and ministers are working together to unravel the mystery and find the truth.

The sky was already bright, the truth was revealed, and the whole process of the incident was roughly deduced.

On that day, as usual, Concubine Shu informed Eunuch Cheng, who was in charge of the emperor's food and clothing, that she wanted to send the stewed bird's nest porridge to Taiyang Palace. However, she just wanted to show her kindness and did not expect that the late emperor would enjoy it.

Eunuch Wang met Eunuch Cheng on the way and said that Concubine Xian wanted to ask Eunuch Cheng to come over.

Eunuch Wang had important matters to report to the late emperor, and Eunuch Cheng knew that the late emperor did not eat the food of the concubines. According to convention, the food would be taken to Taiyang Palace, left for a while, and then distributed to the servants after it cooled down. So he simply asked Wang Hailin to deliver it to Taiyang Palace.

What happened in between is still unknown. In short, the bird's nest porridge fell into the hands of the late emperor and was poisoned.

Wang Hailin must have known about it, as he showed nervousness at that time and even broke the glass bowl in front of the late emperor.

As for finding Wang Hailin to verify the facts, it was impossible because Wang Hailin became the eunuch beside the Eighth Prince and followed him to Jiangnan...

Therefore, there was no need for verification. The Left Censor-in-Chief's harsh rebuke was the final verdict: "You are an accomplice to the tiger!"

As for what happened next, the ministers also reasoned coherently.

After confirming that the late emperor had taken poison, the Prime Minister should have made two preparations.

One is to put the imperial edict of succession in the imperial study, but this does not necessarily make people sure of it, and how to make people discover the imperial edict of succession in time is also a problem.

Second, if the imperial edict was placed next to the late emperor, it would definitely be discovered and easily believed. The only problem was how to place it.

But when the eighth prince got the news, he was more anxious to rescue the late emperor than to issue the imperial edict of succession.

The Prime Minister was at a loss, and he could not let anyone else take over such an important item as the imperial edict of succession. So he sent people to lure away the guards outside Taiyang Palace, and brought a dozen experts into Taiyang Palace in person to place the imperial edict of succession.

The eunuchs and maids in Taiyang Palace all said that the reason they hid and did not make a sound at that time was because they knew they were no match for him.

Now the ministers also believe that the prime minister brought so many people in with the intention of killing people to silence them.

As for why the Prime Minister was able to bring his men into the palace late at night, Concubine Xian had the empress's seal in her hand, so she could certainly find a way.

After this, Concubine Xian wanted to pin the blame of poisoning the late emperor on Concubine Shu, killing two birds with one stone and getting rid of the fifth and ninth princes at the same time.

Then the Prime Minister might have judged that mentioning poisoning would only lead to complications, so it would be better to acknowledge his death and then find another opportunity to kill the Fifth Prince, and the matter would be over.

The Imperial Medical Bureau had just been exposed by the Eighth Prince, and a group of people including Ma Yuanshi were punished. Naturally, no one would suspect that the imperial physician would dare to falsify the results.

But looking back now, the entire Imperial Hospital may be under the power of Concubine Xian. Their boss was killed by the Eighth Prince, and the people below are even more afraid and want to please him, not for promotion but to save their lives!

The next step is to clean up the mess and cover up the crimes. Once the emperor dies, there is no empress and no crown prince. The entire palace is controlled by Concubine Xian who holds the empress's seal. Wouldn't it be easy to deal with some people?

By the time the eighth prince ascended the throne, the conspiracy should have been concealed from the world!

However, it is not as good as God.

The Prime Minister and his men certainly didn't expect that there were servants in Taiyang Palace who witnessed everything!

What was even more unexpected was that the late emperor had previously instructed against human sacrifice! These people who were supposed to remain in the imperial mausoleum came out again a hundred days later with the truth!

...

The truth was like a storm, sweeping across Daxia with the flying pigeons!

This happened to King Kang, who was about to go to the Yaque Palace to rest after finishing his business!

"Your Highness! This is God's help! The Eighth Prince is now doomed to be doomed!" The Minister of Personnel was ecstatic.

The ministers who were rejoicing suddenly felt a chill... It was King Kang who was awakened from his daze. His eyes were cold and his voice was like frost. He asked coldly: "God's help?"

The official was stunned for a moment, then reacted immediately. He quickly knelt down and said, "It is the spirit of the late emperor in heaven! Helping Your Highness to rule Daxia!"

But Chu Shikun no longer cares about others!

Father, was he really poisoned by the Prime Minister? Then...wasn't the assassination that day also ordered by Father?

The expression on the young face shifted in a trance, seemingly half laughing and half crying, and finally turned into anger: "Send the order! Dismantle the camp immediately! Lead the army to fight against the rebellion!"

Several ministers paused, and the Minister of Revenue said anxiously, "Your Highness! We have only mobilized 20,000 troops now. Should we wait for two more days until the troops are fully assembled before setting off?"

"Yes, Your Highness! The Eighth Prince has already raised countless private soldiers! I heard that he is still recruiting soldiers on a large scale. All the families in Jiangnan are contributing money and manpower. I am afraid that there will be hundreds of thousands of troops by then!" The three ministers were all advising.

"What a rabble! Even a million soldiers wouldn't be able to withstand a single blow!"

Prince Kang stood up and strode out, but he was no longer heading towards the Crow Palace. His eyes were filled with rage: "Chu Shiqi!"

...

The rumbling thunder was accompanied by heavy rain, and the mighty river surged and surged, as if it was going to sweep away the dense ants on the shore.

"Why does it always rain!" Qin Tao complained in annoyance.

"In the south, there are beautiful mountains and rivers, but also a lot of rain..." The soldiers on the side hung their wet clothes by the campfire.

"It's raining, and the problem of insufficient military tents will probably become more serious." Deputy General Zhao, who stayed in the new army to assist Qin Tao, is still a deputy general. He has been in the army for many years and can see some practical problems more clearly.

If it hadn't rained, these volunteers would have had no complaints about sleeping in the open air. But now, the tent that originally accommodated ten people has to be crowded with twenty or thirty people. Not only is it crowded and hot, but if it continues for a long time, it is easy for plague to break out.

The south is where Chu Shiqi's faction is based. The further south they go, the greater the resistance they encounter, and they have to navigate through layers of obstacles!

Many local officials, noble families, and gentry have set up obstacles to obstruct the process. Fortunately, the atrocities committed by the new emperor's private soldiers have aroused public anger, and many people have spontaneously helped them overcome the difficulties.

But the people were like scattered sand, and at most they were given some food here and there to keep them full.

Without the support of a force that can coordinate and allocate resources, everything they need is in short supply!

The military tents were only one problem; the more important issue was the weapons. They couldn't even find horses or equip cavalry! They didn't even have basic armor or weapons! Most of the soldiers wore thin cloth, and some even had to carry their own axes and hoes! They even had no shoes to replace when they were worn out!

They were barred from every city, and even if they had money, they couldn't buy anything! If they asked the common people to buy things for them, they could only buy a small amount secretly, which was not enough to fill the gaps in their stomachs! If they bought more than that, they would be discovered, and it would also bring trouble to the common people who helped them!

Qin Tao then understood why Chu Shihuan needed three Shangshu to introduce him to local tyrants!

Wars are fought for resources! Without the support of local forces, there will be no supplies. Even the strongest army will be defeated by the depletion of resources!

Fortunately, they had previously hunted down and wiped out a group of private soldiers of the new emperor that were rampant in the countryside. The people along the way who heard about their deeds spontaneously supported them. Although their lives were difficult, they were still able to hold on.

For example, now that they are camping by the river, some villagers from the surrounding villages have brought food and cooked ginger soup for them to dispel the cold.

Starting from Jinyan City, Qin Tao led the newly formed Qin family army to chase Chu Shiqi's private soldiers all the way. Logically, they should not be able to catch up.

However, Chu Shiqi's private soldiers were not hiding in one place, but were scattered in the area south of the Yangtze River. Each private soldier acted on his own, so the marching speed was uneven. Some had already arrived in the south of the Yangtze River, while others were still halfway.

The most important thing is that some private soldiers are vicious and hard-to-reform. Now, relying on the fact that they are the army of the new emperor, they are even more unscrupulous, burning, killing and looting from time to time, causing public outrage wherever they go! That private army of thousands of people was therefore stopped and was caught up by Qin Tao's army!

"General! Fifty miles from the river, there's an army of twenty to thirty thousand men heading south! They have over a thousand horses, all fully saddled, and every man is armored and armed with sharp weapons. Their military appearance is well-organized, far superior to the bandits we encountered last time!"

The messenger spoke in an urgent tone, saying that ten miles was not far. If they hurried, the two armies would meet in half an hour!

Qin Tao's face was also solemn. Although their new army, which was inadequately trained and poorly equipped, had driven Chu Shiqi's thousands of private soldiers into a panic with only their zeal, that was when they had the upper hand in numbers! The troops arriving this time were of comparable strength, but the disparity in armaments was enormous. If they fought, they would likely lose more than they won!

"Does this army have a flag?" asked Deputy General Zhao.

The messenger was stunned for a moment, then thought for a moment and nodded, "Yes, there are many flags in front of the army!"

This new army consisted of only a few dozen veterans of the Qin Family Army left to Qin Tao by General Wei Yu. The rest were new recruits, and they had no time for training, so including this messenger, they did not understand many matters related to marching and fighting.

Lieutenant General Zhao didn't ask what the messenger's flag looked like. These new recruits didn't know what it looked like, and if his description was wrong, it would only delay military operations. He clasped his fists and said to Qin Tao, "Young General, I will go on a quick expedition first. You will order the entire army to prepare. Wait until I return, or a moment later, and then decide whether to fight or flee."

Qin Tao blushed slightly and nodded in agreement. This was his first time leading troops, and he had actually forgotten to first know himself and the enemy...

Deputy General Zhao went there quickly and came back with information in a moment.

"Young General! It's King Kang's flag! March quickly, we'll encounter it in two quarters at most!"

Qin Tao was stunned at first, and then he was surprised!

He had originally thought that after King Kang returned, he would be the one to lead the attack! But King Kang was hesitant to act! He secretly complained, why was he the only one doing the work?!

As for Chu Shihuan's ambition, Qin Tao planned to retire after defeating Chu Shiqi and neither of them would help each other.

"Come on, follow me to visit my cousin! With him in charge, we will definitely not be short of military equipment anymore!" Qin Tao was finally fed up with this tight situation.

Deputy General Zhao was stunned for a moment, then reminded him, "Young General, if we are to join forces, we must prioritize our forces... This new army was established not long ago, and their morale is still unstable..."

Lieutenant General Zhao has been in the Qin Family Army for many years, so he naturally knows the key to leading troops. The army will often respect whoever leads it as its leader, and the surrendered army will not easily defect. Just like the Qin Family Army, with General Wei Yu Qin Shuangyu in it, even the emperor's edict may not be useful.

But this new army is obviously not yet complete. If it is handed over to King Kang to command, I am afraid that within a few days, this new army will change hands!

"It's okay. My cousin has been the commander-in-chief for a long time. It won't be a problem to unite multiple armies." Qin Tao said as he strode out of the tent, mounted his horse, and galloped out directly!

Deputy General Zhao had no choice but to catch up and shouted from behind: "Young General!"

Under the same rain curtain.

The army led by King Kang had also discovered the Qin family's new army in front of them, but they had known about their movements many days ago!

He deliberately adjusted the direction and headed straight for the Qin family's new army!

"Report! The Prince of Changtai is leading the charge, heading towards us! Over ten riders are following closely behind!" The messenger knelt on one knee, reported the situation, and then inquired, "Should we shoot him?!"

King Kang asked calmly, "Where are the 20,000 soldiers?"

"Still on the banks of the river, stationed where we are!"

King Kang lowered his eyes slightly. He had thought that this new Qin army would avoid him just like the Qin army in the northwest...

"Don't make any rash moves for now. Tell Changtai to come in alone."

When King Kang's order was announced, a three-foot path was made clear between the soldiers.

Qin Tao, who was waiting impatiently, dismounted immediately and threw the unarmed sword to Deputy General Zhao who was following him.

Lieutenant General Zhao was immediately overwhelmed. If the young general went into the midst of the army like this, wouldn't he be at the mercy of the enemy? He quickly grabbed him and said urgently, "Young general! At least let me go in with you! Just you..."

"Oh, don't worry! My cousin is not Chu Shiqi!"

Qin Tao patted Uncle Zhao's hand to reassure him, then broke away from his hand and strode into the three-foot-long path lined with soldiers and horses!

When the Qin army's soldiers wanted to follow, the soldiers on both sides immediately raised their guns to stop them. Although the soldiers glared at them, they had no choice but to stop.

King Kang was surrounded by the central army, sitting on his horse, looking coldly at the figure in dirty and torn clothes striding towards him.

Changtai had a bright smile on his face and shouted from three feet away, "Cousin! You're finally here!"

The slight daze disappeared in a flash. King Kang's face showed no joy or anger, and he did not say a word. He just looked coldly at Qin Tao, who was full of joy.

King Kang's cold attitude made Qin Tao murmur a little, but when he saw that the other party was silent, Qin Tao spoke directly to the point: "Cousin, the 20,000 soldiers I lead are now without armor or weapons. If we go to Jiangnan like this, I'm afraid we will be like sheep walking into a tiger's mouth! Cousin, can you transfer military supplies to help us with this urgent need?"

With his eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a hint of surprise, King Kang asked coldly, "Why should I help you out of your urgent need?"

Qin Tao said frankly: "I am not going to help you, but if you can help me, then we can unite our two armies and conquer Jiangnan together with you!"

After a long silence, King Kang finally realized that Qin Tao was going to give him the power to decide on the 20,000 troops. Unbelievable, he asked in a deep voice, "Did you know that Wei Yu had defied the order and led 100,000 Qin troops straight to the capital, and that he would arrive in the next few days?"

Qin Tao was stunned. Ever since he and his father had led separate armies in Dongshan Village, they had lost contact. To be more precise, Qin Tao had written letters to his father, but his father had never replied. As for the movements of the Qin army, Chu Shihuan would initially tell him, but recently there had been no news from him either. Qin Tao simply assumed that they had entered Jiangnan territory and communications had been blocked.

An inexplicable uneasiness rose in his heart, and Qin Tao asked in confusion: "Chu Shiqi is now in Jiangnan, why would he go to the capital?"

All the confusion and uneasiness on the young face were clearly revealed, and Chu Shikun took it in...

After a moment's silence, Chu Shikun finally spoke: "If you don't know, forget it. Have the 20,000 militiamen you have collected line up and wait for me to inspect them before making a decision."