Dressed as the prince's substitute? I took the throne

"hiss!"

Xu Hanyan took a deep breath and looked at Zhou Chuxuan in shock. She had not believed that Emperor Wu had really discovered the truth of all this.

But looking at Zhou Chuxuan's solemn eyes and expression, Xu Hanyan slowly picked up the tea bowl and sipped the tea in it bit by bit.

"So, he's afraid! He's afraid that I'll kill him, seize the throne, and overthrow the entire Wu Dynasty! If that happens, the Wu Dynasty will no longer be ruled by the Zhou Dynasty!"

Zhou Chuxuan always had a faint smile on his face, and didn't seem to take this matter to heart: "He wants to find someone to check and balance me. Obviously, the old, weak, and sick people left in the court are not enough!"

"The Li family has long since collapsed. As for the Xu family, thanks to your existence, they've tacitly accepted that we're in the same group! Looking for someone to counterbalance me, Yang Li is the best choice!"

"First, we are not familiar with him. We don't know his behavior or the power of his subordinates. He can be a good check and balance on me, making me cautious!"

"Secondly, he's from a small country in the Western Regions. If we establish good relations with him, we can naturally ease the conflicts with the other countries in the Western Regions. We might even be able to avoid fighting and reduce the conflicts on the border to small ones!"

Xu Hanyan drank the bitter potion, her knuckles tapping on the table, and whispered, "So, what do you want to do with those people in Fuling Mountain?"

"If not handled properly, it is very likely to cause their rebellion!"

"I've spent some time with them. They're not some heinous bandit. Back then, they had ambitions to serve the country, but those corrupt officials extinguished their true intentions!"

"Don't tell me, you really want to kill Ma Sandao?"

Zhou Chuxuan shook his head: "How is that possible? But I have to think of a win-win strategy to deal with Yang Li!"

"You still have tens of thousands of troops in your hands, why don't you..." Xu Hanyan's eyes flashed with coldness, and the hand holding the tea bowl slowly tightened.

"Not very likely!" Zhou Chuxuan chuckled. "Although I have the military token in my hand, those soldiers are not fully convinced of my loyalty. Forcing it will only backfire!"

"We must find a way to protect the people of Fuling Mountain while making the whole court convinced and speechless!"

"It seems like I have to go meet Ma Sandao!"

In the capital's prison.

In a gloomy and damp cell, Ma Sandao was sitting in shackles, with a gloomy face and no words.

"Second in command has a generous personality. He won't bear a grudge against me, right?" Zhou Chuxuan walked slowly into the cell and sat down on the floor regardless of the damp, cold and dirty ground.

Seeing Zhou Chuxuan's arrival, Ma Sandao's eyes, which had been as still as water, finally gleamed with a little light: "I dare not. I am just a bandit. How dare I bear a grudge against His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"

"It seems that you are still blaming me!" Zhou Chuxuan smiled lightly: "In fact, I came here this time just to talk to you!"

"Do you want to die alone and save the brothers of Fuling Mountain, or do you want to die with all the brothers of Fuling Mountain?"

Hearing this, Ma Sandao's eyes suddenly flashed with anger: "What do you want to do? Do you want to kill them all?"

Zhou Chuxuan shook his head gently: "Whether they live or die depends solely on your choice! If you are willing to bear the blame alone, I can absolutely guarantee their survival! On the contrary, if you think you are not at fault, and that the entire Fuling Mountain is not at fault, then I'm sorry..."

"mean!"

Ma Sandao clenched his fists in anger: "I thought His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was an upright person, but I didn't expect that he would be plotting something like this behind the scenes!"

Ma Sandao held the straw on the ground tightly in his hand and then threw it away.

Ma Sandao vented his anger for a long time before finally letting out a sigh of relief, as if all his strength was gone. "Alright! In that case, I, Ma Sandao, will take full responsibility for my actions! As long as Your Highness can protect the brothers of Fuling Mountain, even if I die, it will have been worthwhile!"

"Alright! I admire the Second in Command very much. Then, in three days, he will be executed at the South Gate!"

......

"Beheaded at the South Gate? Is this the outcome for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"

Next to the imperial palace, a brand new mansion was built. It was magnificent and extremely luxurious, and its grandeur was even comparable to the Tai Chi Hall.

There was no one else in the hall except Zhou Chuxuan and Yang Li sitting opposite each other.

Zhou Chuxuan nodded slightly: "Yes! Killing one to warn the rest is enough. There is no need to involve more people. Otherwise, it will be difficult for this powerful army to submit to the court!"

"Haha, it seems that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is not confident in the Wu Dynasty army!" Yang Li lightly brushed off the dust on his body, which might not exist.

"If this so-called Fuling Mountain bandit group dares to express dissatisfaction with the imperial court, wouldn't it be better to take advantage of this opportunity to eliminate them?"

Zhou Chuxuan frowned slightly, crossed his arms, and spoke slowly, "Prince Consort Yang, you can't say that! There's a rule in the art of war called 'driving a tiger to devour a wolf!'"

"If we don't kill the people of Fuling Mountain, then they will become a sharp blade in our hands! In our hands, they can play a greater role!"

"Oh?"

Yang Li's eyes flickered, a sinister smile hanging on the corner of his mouth: "Not bad, Your Highness, I hadn't thought of this!"

"Very good, very good! As expected of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince! His strategy is extraordinary! I admire you, I admire you! In that case, then let's follow His Royal Highness's ideas!"

"Alright! Then, the execution will take place at the South Gate in three days. Prince Consort Yang, remember to come and watch!"

"It's natural!"

When Zhou Chuxuan's figure completely disappeared at the door, a figure hiding in the dark slowly walked out, his whole body covered by a bamboo hat.

"Tsk tsk tsk! Prince Consort Yang is really good! He got into the role so quickly! Not bad, not bad!"

Yang Li, who had been so arrogant just now, immediately stood up nervously after the man in black appeared: "I... I followed your instructions! If, if there is anything I did not do well, please..."

"Don't be nervous!"

The man in black smiled lightly: "As the current emperor's son-in-law, you should be calm and collected and maintain the dignity of your superior!"

"I dare not, I dare not!" Yang Li smiled apologetically, without any trace of his previous arrogant expression and arrogance.

"Are you really only doing this for that group of people in Fuling Mountain?" Yang Li asked cautiously.

The voice of the man in black suddenly became cold and sinister: "Don't ask about things that you shouldn't ask about!"

"Yes Yes!"

"Here's what you're going to do next, write it down, and burn it!"

As the man in black spoke, he threw a booklet to Yang Li, then turned and disappeared into the dark corner of the mansion.

"Remember, don't try to figure out who I am!"