We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

The emperor's edict was announced, and the court was in turmoil again.

The emperor had been very lenient in dealing with these northern families. Apart from the hundreds of masterminds beheaded by Li Che on the city wall, he had not killed any extra people. At most, they were exiled.

As for those branches and collaterals that are not in the north, they are naturally innocent because they have nothing to do with the rebellion.

Moreover, Emperor Qing punished Prince Yan for the first time.

You must know that after the princes were crowned kings, even if they had committed crimes that incurred the wrath of heaven and man like the King of Qin, Emperor Qing would at most issue an imperial decree to reprimand them.

However, the aristocratic families were still dissatisfied.

In their view, merely stripping Li Lin of his princely title was not a serious punishment. Moreover, although he was demoted to a prince, he still held the military and political power of Yan State.

The main culprit, Prince Feng Li Che, was not punished at all. He was only ordered to leave the country immediately and not to get involved in the affairs of Yan State again.

He picked it up high and put it down gently.

The noble families were dissatisfied, so the officials naturally would not stop and continued to submit memorials, but the emperor still did not respond.

It was not until the third watch of the winter night that the funeral bell suddenly sounded in the Yuncheng Earl's Mansion.

Duan Shao, the commander of the Black Armor Army, lay backwards on the white tiger-skin couch, with half a cup of poisoned wine condensed on his lips, like a crescent moon.

He left no last words or letter, and there was only a newborn son at home.

When the news reached the palace, the emperor was deeply saddened and issued an edict to change Duan Shao's title to the Earl of Loyalty and Righteousness, which was hereditary.

When the news spread, the noble officials in the capital immediately quieted down.

They knew that the emperor's patience had reached its limit.

The world is not ruled by Emperor Qing alone, but the court is ruled by Emperor Qing alone.

Duan Shao's death was both a concession and a warning from Emperor Qing.

For the stability of Daqing, even the trusted generals who have followed him for many years are abandoned. What are you, a group of officials from aristocratic families?

Just stop while you are ahead, and don’t force me to purge the court!

The turmoil caused by the demise of the four great families was resolved by Emperor Qing with this seemingly insignificant and even gentle thunder-like method.

He never killed anyone indiscriminately, never lost his temper and scolded anyone, and never even made a positive statement.

But the ministers still felt a chill, thinking that the methods of the almighty emperor were truly unfathomable...

Such a big thing happened in the capital, the night watchman would naturally not let it go.

That night, in a secret base of the Night Watch, several white doves took off and flew towards the north.

. . . . . .

In Yan area, a white dove landed on a barren hill outside Dongping City.

An old man stepped forward quickly and picked up the white pigeon from the ground.

The white dove, which would fly away at the slightest movement, was surprisingly well-behaved in this man's hands, not hiding or avoiding.

This old man is a pigeon trainer and one of the extraordinary people Li Che invited from the Heavenly Prison.

China has a history of pigeon breeding that dates back thousands of years. Archaeological artifacts related to pigeons appeared as early as the Shang Dynasty, but people at that time only regarded pigeons as delicacies.

It was not until the Tang Dynasty that pigeons were domesticated and became "messenger birds", and the practice of carrier pigeons to send messages began at this time.

The selection and breeding of homing pigeons is very important, and whether a pigeon can become a homing pigeon is closely related to the individual's personality, genes, and physical fitness.

Of course, the most important thing is the training of the pigeons.

The means of taming pigeons to make them carrier pigeons are often passed down as a family secret, and the profession of pigeon trainer is born from this.

It is said that the family of Zhang Jiuling, a famous prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, was a professional pigeon breeder. Zhang Jiuling had the ability to train carrier pigeons and often relied on pigeons to communicate with the elders in his family.

The same is true for this old man. Not only can he train pigeons, but his skills are also among the best among the pigeon trainers in the imperial capital.

It was precisely because of these methods that he brought disaster upon himself. A nobleman was extremely fond of pigeon fighting.

The pigeons trained by the old man are all strong. They are not only excellent carrier pigeons, but also first-class fighting pigeons.

The nobleman became greedy and used some despicable means to throw the old man into prison and took possession of his pigeons.

After seeing his file, Li Che immediately thought of using carrier pigeons to deliver information, which was simply an ancient version of email.

So he decisively rescued the old man, took him to the nobleman's house, took back all the pigeons, and gave the nobleman a severe lesson.

The old man loved pigeons like his life, so he was naturally grateful and joined Li Che.

Unfortunately, carrier pigeons are too limited; their ability to deliver messages essentially stems from their instinct to return home.

Pigeon trainers need to build "pigeon nests", and carrier pigeons can only travel back and forth between fixed pigeon nests, and it is impossible to deliver letters to unfamiliar places.

However, it was barely enough for Li Che. He first built the first "pigeon nest" at the night watchman's place in the imperial capital, and now he has built a second one in Yan. In the future, he will also build pigeon nests in various cities in Fengguo.

The old man took off the small note tied to the pigeon's leg, didn't dare to look at it any longer, and hurriedly ran behind the mountain.

In the back mountain, there stands a solitary grave.

There are no extra words on the tombstone, only Mr. Tong's name and hometown are engraved.

The prince with a heroic appearance sat in front of the grave, holding a wine pot, his eyes dull.

Another handsome prince stood not far from him, frowning, seeming very dissatisfied with the situation.

"Your Highness, Your Highness!" Hearing the pigeon trainer's voice, Li Lin was still staring at the tombstone, but Li Che looked back.

"It's Lord Luo." The discontent on Li Che's face faded, and he said softly, "Please run slower, and don't fall."

The old man surnamed Luo has been training pigeons all his life. He has a very good character and reputation, and has earned the respectful title of "Luo Gong" in the circle.

Li Che simply called him that. The title "Mr." did not represent a noble status, but was a recognition of his ability and virtue.

"Your Highness, a slave from the capital has brought a letter."

Feinu is a nickname for pigeons.

Li Che was delighted when he heard this. These carrier pigeons were released back as soon as they arrived in Yan. He didn't expect that they could already remember the route and fly back and forth.

It can be seen that Luo Gong’s pigeon training skills are indeed very high, and the plan to establish an information transmission network using carrier pigeons is also very feasible.

Unfortunately, carrier pigeons have too many limitations. Not only are their flying locations fixed, but they are also prone to getting lost or shot down along the way, especially in the border areas where there are so many skilled archers per capita.

Only some ordinary messages can be delivered by pigeons, but top secret messages and military intelligence must never be delivered by pigeons.

Li Che took the small note from Luo Gong's hand and unfolded it in front of him.

After a quick glance, he nodded slightly with a blank expression: "I see, thank you for your hard work, Lord Luo."

Luo Gong did not ask any further questions. He just bowed and turned around to take care of the pigeon that had come a long way.

Li Che clenched the note in his hand and quickly came behind Li Lin.

"News has come from the capital that your title has been stripped by your father and you have been demoted to a prince. The imperial edict will arrive in a few days."

Hearing this, Li Lin remained indifferent and just kept pouring wine into his mouth.

Li Che was furious at his lack of resistance, and a nameless rage rose in his heart. He stepped forward and kicked him, making him stagger.

"Fourth brother, it's time to wake up!"