Deposed Crown Prince: After three years of service on the frontier, the entire court knelt and begge

Qian Dafang's son continued, "Moreover, Your Highness, the main reason I came here this time is not to talk about this, but to tell you about the major event that has occurred in the palace!"

Xiao Ce asked in surprise, "Your father is really well-informed! How did he find out what happened so quickly?"

Qian Dafang's son nodded: "It was precisely when he was talking to that deputy team leader that they managed to get that information out of him..."

Xiao Ce chimed in, "Oh? What happened?"

Qian Dafang's son lowered his voice and recounted the story of Consort Yun and the new emperor being poisoned in the palace.

To be honest, Xiao Ce considered himself to be quite resourceful.

He considered many possibilities, but he never expected it to be this way.

"Poisoning? So, according to you, it was Consort Hui who did it?"

Qian Dafang's son gave an awkward smile and said, "Your Highness, I don't know either. People in the palace suspect two people: one is Consort Hui, and the other is Prince Anyang... But it's obvious that Prince Anyang isn't him... So it must be Consort Hui. And Consort Hui also disappeared around this time, so I don't know if this is just a coincidence?"

Xiao Ce muttered to himself, "According to Xiao Yang's description, this Consort Hui is not normal... She poisoned someone..."

Xiao Ce felt that things here were becoming increasingly confusing.

"Alright, then Xiao Yang has already left, right?"

Qian Dafang's son: "Before I left, the Prince of Anyang was already at our house, waiting for my father. He should have left by now..."

Xiao Ce nodded: "Alright... What about your father? Although this was all an act, it will still be a bit of a hassle for your father to completely clear himself of any wrongdoing... Tell your father that things aren't going well and that he should leave."

"According to my estimation, the Central Plains of Xiao Kingdom are likely to become a chaotic mess... If you want to make money, come with me to the Northern Desert... We can make big money together."

Qian Dafang's son nodded and said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness the King of Mobei. I will pass on the message to my father."

Xiao Ce nodded: "Alright, tell your father that as long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn... If a war breaks out here, your business environment will be very harsh. Although your father says he can handle things with ease, if it really becomes a multi-party fragmentation, it will be completely impossible for you to avoid getting involved in politics!"

Qian Dafang's son nodded again, his face full of gratitude: "Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness, King of Mobei. However, Father has spent his whole life running businesses here. If he wanted to leave, he would have too many properties to move overnight..."

Xiao Ce nodded: "Alright! I'll just offer one suggestion: the possibilities are endless as long as people are alive... If you die, then all the wealth you leave behind will become meaningless..."

Qian Dafang's son nodded approvingly and said he would pass on the message.

Then, without lingering, they left in a hurry...

At this moment, Hu Yidao said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, I'm finding it increasingly difficult to understand the situation in the capital."

Xiao Ce said, "Actually, it's not that complicated. It's common knowledge that Xiao Dingbang, that dog emperor, was definitely not killed by Xiao Wenqin and his mother."

Hu Yidao looked puzzled, then smiled awkwardly at Xiao Ce: "Your Highness, how come it's common knowledge?"

Xiao Ce explained, "It's actually quite easy to understand. That dog Emperor Xiao Dingbang just wants Xiao Wenqin to be the crown prince and inherit the throne... So, they don't need to fight for it for now. And their normal approach is to let Xiao Dingbang support Xiao Wenqin little by little... so that Xiao Wenqin has a solid foundation."

"Even if he wanted to rebel, now would be the time. As you've seen, Xiao Wenqin has no real power base in the court. Those he left behind are all incompetent, and even the corrupt old officials of the Xiao Kingdom... their military strength is no more than that of a mere scholar-general!"

Hu Yidao nodded as he listened: "Your Highness, I understand... So, it was Consort Hui who poisoned the Emperor?"

Xiao Ce shook his head and said, "Actually, I didn't think so at first either... After all, Consort Hui had no motive to poison the Emperor... After all, Xiao Yang was also in the Northern Desert at that time! With the Emperor dead, Xiao Yang certainly wouldn't have gained any benefit..."

"Judging from the reactions of the other princes, it doesn't seem like they would poison the dog Emperor Xiao Dingbang... I had no clue at first. However, now that Xiao Wenqin and Consort Yun have been poisoned, and Consort Hui has suddenly disappeared."

"Actually, it's quite clear that it was Consort Hui who did it!"

Hu Yidao was completely dumbfounded when he heard Xiao Ce's analysis.

"Your Highness, didn't you say that you sent Consort Hui out of suspicion, since Xiao Yang wouldn't get any benefits?"

Xiao Ce nodded: "However, we overlooked one point. Since Xiao Yang's return, Consort Hui has completely ignored him..."

"In fact, Consort Hui already knows that Xiao Yang has become one of my men. Moreover, she has confirmed the extent to which Xiao Yang obeys me. She certainly knows very well that even if Xiao Yang becomes the Crown Prince and then the Emperor... he will still obey my orders..."

"From Consort Hui's perspective, it's all about paving the way for my own success. Therefore, by doing this, Consort Hui has clearly abandoned her son... and very likely wants to take power herself... or perhaps she's already found a proxy among those obedient princes..."

Hu Yidao suddenly realized: "There are some obscure, little-known princes in the capital. If Consort Hui supports just one of them, she can seize the throne?! And thus avoid being controlled and restrained by you?"

Xiao Ce nodded: "That's right...that's how I analyzed it. What she's doing now is very likely a ploy to kill someone else, taking advantage of Xiao Wenqin and Consort Yun's hysteria before their deaths...to get rid of Xiao Yang!"

Hu Yidao's expression darkened as he listened: "Your Highness, if it's really as you analyze it, then it's absolutely terrifying... They say even tigers, though fierce, won't eat their cubs..."

Xiao Ce nodded and said, "Of course, that's just my guess... We've clearly lost control of the situation here. The situation seems to be more chaotic than we imagined."

Hu Yidao nodded: "Your Highness, with you here, nothing is a problem!"

Xiao Ce waved his hand and smiled wryly: "I underestimated things back then... Managing a country is much more difficult than managing a listed company..."

"A listed company?" Hu Yidao and his group were puzzled again.

Xiao Ce did not offer an explanation.

...

Inside the Imperial Palace in Kyoto.

Xiao Wenqin seemed to have become a completely different person overnight.

He lay on the bed, looking like a dying man.

Consort Yun lay down on another bed.

Their faces were as white as paper.

Hearing the words of the deputy leader of the Imperial Guards, their expressions turned extremely grim.

"What? The person burned to death! How could you do this... I told you to leave them alive, didn't you understand?" Yunfei almost roared.

The deputy leader reported, "Your Majesty, the Prince of Anyang is determined to resist to the death, and they possess some highly lethal weapons... We..."

Consort Yun trembled, her eyes bloodshot, and said, "Go...go...cut him down!"

The deputy team leader was so frightened that he kept kowtowing and begging for mercy.

Standing to the side, Xiao Wenqin, who also looked terminally ill, raised his hand and said, "Mother, wait..."

Consort Yun looked at Xiao Wenqin with a puzzled expression, and said weakly yet excitedly:

"Your Majesty, you must not be so soft-hearted at this time... Our lives, mother and son's, are in their hands!"

Xiao Wenqin nodded and said, "Mother, of course I know..."

"Deputy team leader! Have you seen the body?"

The deputy leader of the Imperial Guards shook his head repeatedly: "Your Majesty, the fire burned for several hours. Not only would mortal bodies be burned away, but even steel bones would be melted! Therefore, we did not find any bodies in the ruins..."

As the deputy leader of the Imperial Guards was speaking, he suddenly thought of something.

He came to his senses and realized that the emperor was giving him a chance to live.

After all, if it were said that Xiao Yang was dead, then he would probably be doomed...

However, if we were to say this now, Xiao Yang might not be dead, but rather has escaped...

Upon realizing this, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards immediately knelt on the ground: "Your Majesty is wise... There are no bodies, and the smoke from that fire was very thick, so they may have escaped using the smoke... Your Majesty is wise, please, Your Majesty and Empress Dowager, give me a chance... I will go and search for them immediately! Your Majesty and Empress Dowager, please rest assured... I have placed the capital under martial law!"

"Not even a fly could escape, let alone a person... As long as he's still in the city, I'll dig three feet into the ground to find them!"

Xiao Wenqin nodded weakly and said, "Alright, Deputy Commander, then I hereby appoint you as the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guards! I order you to dig three feet into the ground and find Consort Hui or Xiao Yang for me."

"Your Majesty obeys!"

The Empress Dowager, her face grim, said, "If so, I'll give you two more days, twenty-four hours. If you still can't find him... then shave your head and come see me!"

"Your Majesty obeys."

The commander of the Imperial Guards, his face ashen, knelt down and agreed.

At this moment, Xiao Wenqin and Consort Yun were lying on the bed, looking extremely tired, as if saying these words had already exhausted a great deal of their energy.

After the commander of the Imperial Guards left.

Xiao Wenqin asked Yunfei with difficulty, "Mother, do you think... we can still wait until we catch them? If we do catch them, do they really have the antidote? If they don't have the antidote... are we doomed?"

Consort Yun's face was pale, and she swallowed hard. "No... Wenqin, I've been plotting for over ten years, just waiting for the day you ascend the throne... I won't allow you to die until you've ascended the throne... I won't die either!"

"We will definitely find that bitch, and that Xiao Yang too! Don't worry!"

As she spoke, Yunfei called out to the side, "Lu Yao! Lu Yao!"

After Yunfei called for a while, Lu Yao, who had been by her side, did not come.

Instead, a young eunuch approached, bowing low: "Empress Dowager, what are your orders...?"

Consort Yun glanced at the young eunuch and called out weakly, "Why is it you? Where is Lu Yao?"

The young eunuch maintained a respectful expression: "Reporting to the Empress Dowager, Eunuch Lu went out early this morning... saying he had important business to attend to!"

Consort Yun looked displeased: "I'm already in this state? Is there anything more important than my safety?"

After listening, the young eunuch bowed again and said, "Reporting to the Empress Dowager, Eunuch Lu was dying before he passed away. He asked me to tell you to hold on, saying that the 'benefactor' you are looking for has arrived!"

After hearing the eunuch's words, Consort Yun seemed to experience a sudden burst of energy before death.

His face, which had been as pale as paper, regained some of its vitality!

His tightly furrowed brows immediately relaxed considerably.

'Good! Good! Good! I knew it, Heaven wouldn't forsake me!'

"Your Majesty, you must hold on. Our saviors have arrived... our saviors have arrived... once they arrive, all our difficulties will be resolved..."

Xiao Wenqin looked puzzled. "Mother...who exactly is this benefactor you keep talking about? Why are you so certain they can help us..."

Consort Yun's gaze was very firm at this moment, and he had no intention of explaining things clearly...

He continued, keeping everyone in suspense, saying, "You'll find out when the time comes!"

Seeing this, Xiao Wenqin was curious... but he didn't say anything.

"I wonder where those traitorous kings are... In our current state, if they really come..."

Just then, a scholarly-looking man dressed in armor, Wang Guanzhong, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, we have already brought the entire capital under our control... If they dare to enter, I will make sure they never return!"

After hearing Wang Guanzhong's words, Xiao Wenqin's worried expression eased considerably.

"Alright! With you, General, I'm relieved!!"

...

At this moment, inside Xiao Tao's military tent, they were moving very quickly.

However, they still kept a close eye on the movements of other armies.

They wouldn't fall too far behind the others, nor would they go alone.

Moreover, they discovered that Xiao Zhan and his group were not moving very fast.

Clearly, they wanted to go in, but none of them wanted to be the first to go.

After all, there's a pitfall inside, as everyone knows.

Their thinking was that being the first to go in would definitely lead to a battle.

None of these people are stupid!

On this day, as Xiao Tao was setting up camp, a scout's report came from outside the military tent.

"Your Highness, there are two people outside who are completely covered up and are looking for you..."

Listening to the scout's words, Xiao Tao said calmly, "Wrapped up tightly? Who is it? Did they identify themselves?"