bookrebus Chapter 742 Ancient Robbery 25
Chapter 742 Ancient Robbery 25
Meng Liu paused for a moment.
Prince Duan, Fu Wenting, these two words have not appeared in her life for a long time.
When she found out that Fu Wenting had not been caught, she tried to write him a letter, but unfortunately the soldier he had sent to communicate with her never showed up again.
She couldn't find anyone to pass the message to him, so the matter was left alone.
Come to think of it, the two have not been in touch for several years.
Three years ago, the old emperor passed away and King Cheng ascended to the throne, and the Meng family and the princess's mansion also rose in status.
After all, King Cheng was still a young man and had just ascended the throne. He was much more aggressive than the old emperor, so he began to reduce the power of the princes with great fanfare.
The new emperor was not diligent, perhaps because he came to the throne too easily. The only thing he did after taking office was to reduce the power of the princes, and the rest of his time was spent drinking and having fun.
The king was incompetent, and the people's lives were not easy as well. The heavy taxes were about to break everyone's back.
The first to be affected were some members of the royal family.
There are only seven princes still alive. The fiefs of these old princes are far away from the capital, and some of them have barren land. They are already living in poverty, and you still come up with this.
If one person stops doing it, none of them will do it.
Finally, Prince Duan stepped forward and organized these old princes. He gathered all his forces and started the attack under the banner of clearing the court of corrupt officials.
Fu Wenting has grown rapidly in the past few years, and gradually Prince Duan no longer hides many things from him, such as the death of Prince Duan's wife.
The main suspect is the old emperor, but his son King Cheng is also involved.
As Prince Cheng was the most beloved son, the old emperor had already told his son the dangers of Prince Duan and his power. The subsequent death of Prince Duan's wife was also due to Prince Cheng's behind-the-scenes counsel.
With the revenge of his mother's murder in front and the disaster of his fiefdom being reduced behind, no man of blood could tolerate this.
Prince Duan summoned all his generals and announced his decision: "The court is incompetent and the country has no peace. We, the border soldiers, shoulder the heavy responsibility of defending our country. How can we sit back and watch? Today, I have decided to raise an army, attack Huanglong directly, remove the emperor's entourage, and restore peace to the world!"
After hearing this, the generals were all excited and responded one after another.
With Prince Duan as the commander and Fu Wenting as the deputy commander, they led the elite cavalry they had raised in the northwest in recent years, and they were invincible all the way. They passed through the desolate border, crossed the steep mountains and rivers, and headed straight for the capital.
When the imperial court heard the news, it was shocked and hurriedly mobilized troops from all over the country in an attempt to stop Prince Duan's army.
However, there have been fewer wars both inside and outside the court in recent years, and the army's food and fodder have been reduced again and again by the court. The soldiers left in the barracks were exhausted from training and could not resist the high-spirited and well-trained army of Prince Duan.
Originally thought it might take three to five years to capture the capital, but unexpectedly, the enemy was at the gates of the city in just one year.
The people fled in all directions, and the usually prosperous capital city was now shrouded in gloom.
Outside the city, Prince Duan’s flags were like a forest, the sound of iron hooves was heard, and all the people were in panic.
In the city, the streets were empty, the hustle and bustle of the past no longer existed. Every household had their doors and windows tightly closed, fearing that the sound of wind and rain outside would bring bad news.
The old people sat in the dim corner of the room, praying silently, while the children hid in their mother's arms, their eyes full of fear and confusion.
Some of the young men held the only weapons in their homes, ready to protect their families if necessary, while others helped their parents pack up their belongings at home, ready to flee in the worst-case scenario.
The women were busy preparing food and water in preparation for a possible siege.
On the city wall, the guards watched the enemy in the distance nervously. They knew that this was the last line of defense for the people in the capital. Regardless of whether they were dissatisfied with the current emperor or not, since they were the city guards, they would be worthy of the armor on their bodies and must stay here for the sake of their country.
In the temples in the city, monks were also holding solemn ceremonies, praying for the protection of the gods and hoping that the war would end soon.
At this moment, everyone's heart is filled with uncertainty about the future and desire for peace.
The Gu family crowded in the hall of the princess's mansion.
Princess Pingyang looked extremely ugly as she hadn't had a good rest for many days.
The prince consort held her hand tightly and comforted his wife silently.
"He will definitely come to take revenge on me, he will." Princess Pingyang murmured.
Meng Liu glanced at her and asked, "What were you doing before? Who told you to report Fu Wenting in the first place? Now you're afraid. The old saying is right, things change over time.
Gu Zhige held his mother's hand, his face turning pale.
The maid beside the princess brought four cups of wine, and Princess Pingyang took the first cup.
"It is better to die for the country than to fall into the hands of thieves and avoid being bullied."
Once these words were spoken, there was no need to explain what was in the four glasses of wine.
The prince consort frowned, and his usually peaceful face no longer had that kind look.
Over the years, they have helped King Cheng do many things that are not worthy of being mentioned in public. In the eyes of everyone, they, the Princess' Mansion, are the emperor's confidants, plus they reported Fu Wenting back then.
I dare not even think about what will happen to them.
Only Meng Liu was still relatively leisurely.
She vaguely remembered Prince Duan's character. He was a rough man who was not bound by any rules and did not look cruel.
She couldn't say what happened to the princess and her husband, but their innocent families were not without hope.
What's more, she and Fu Wenting are good friends.
Although she hadn't contacted him for several years, Meng Liu still subconsciously believed in him.
Gu Zhige did not have high hopes for this. He was not sure whether Prince Duan knew the truth about what happened back then, but he thought he should know it.
At that time, he discovered Fu Wenting's existence and used a trick to let his mother know through someone else's mouth.
Almost caught Fu Wenting.
What a pity, it was just that little bit short.
To this day, Meng Liu still doesn't know.
The enemy is at the gates and even the current emperor is about to die. How could he let go of the man who secretly harmed Fu Wenting?
Gu Zhige looked at his beautiful wife beside him. His only regret was that he could not have a child with her.
Thinking of Fu Wenting’s past dependence on Meng Liu.
Calculating the time, he is about 17 or 8 years old now.
Gu Zhige picked up the cup without saying a word and looked deeply at Meng Liu: "After all, I failed to protect you. Mother is right. Rather than living in disgrace in the world, it is better to die for the country. This can also be regarded as a favor from His Majesty."
He pressed the cup into Meng Liu's palm without question.
"Would you like to be my wife in the next life?"
Meng Liu was dumbfounded. He didn't realize that the family in the princess's mansion still had some integrity. But did you get the direction wrong?
Even a person like the King Cheng would still be grateful for his kindness? Sacrifice his life for his country?