Chapter 433 A good step to 'escape the golden cicada'
In the dark night, the heartbeat was deafening.
Perhaps Lin Yunyan suddenly thought of a direction that she had never thought of before, and it was difficult for Lin Yunyan to calm down for a while.
A thread was drawn from the mixed thoughts, and it was sorted out and gradually became complete.
"Ayan."
Lin Yunyan turned her head when she heard Xu Jian calling her.
"Are you having a nightmare?" Xu Jian asked.
"No," Lin Yunyan's voice was muffled, "Why are you awake too?"
"I thought of something in my sleep and woke up feeling flustered." Xu Jian said in a deep voice.
Subconsciously, Lin Yunyan felt that what they couldn't let go of must be the same thing.
Thinking of those faces that flashed past, Lin Yunyan simply turned over and asked Xu Jiandao: "Su Yi secretly left Gu Yue without being discovered, could it be that he left someone behind? They have similar faces, and even if someone says he is ill, he will not show up."
Visiting, because I am depressed because I am ill and I won’t reveal my secrets if I don’t talk much.”
She finished speaking in one breath, and then her arm next to Xu Jian was buckled.
Xu Jian had just woken up and his voice was hoarse: "Maybe what we should think about is whether there will be another Li Du."
Lin Yunyan took a deep breath and felt goosebumps all over her body.
"You mean, a substitute?" she said, "The one confronting us in Prince Jin's Mansion today must be him. No matter how similar he is, he can't be fake in that situation. His flaws will be exposed in front of so many people."
"It's me who is in prison," Xu Jian recalled the situation at that time. "My appearance can be modified, my behavior can be imitated, but my royal demeanor is not that studious."
If there is even the slightest bit of unnaturalness, the Holy Sage, Eunuch Cao and him will see it.
"If, if there really is another Li Du, it can indeed explain Li Du's complacent attitude," Lin Yunyan said, "He feels that he will not die, and he is very sure of it."
With Li Du's status, it is not surprising that he is a health care practitioner.
And if you are bent on seizing the throne, if you fail once, you will try again latently. It is reasonable to think carefully and raise a substitute.
The most difficult thing is not "raising" but "finding".
Finding a substitute that can look real is the hardest part.
But what if Li Du found it?
"Death escape," Lin Yunyan snorted, "His losses in this step are really huge."
The evil deeds originally hidden in the shadows were exposed, and he was left with a pile of charges after his death.
After losing his identity as Li Du, whatever he wants to do in the future will be much more difficult than it is now.
Judging from the gains and losses alone, Li Du's step was definitely not wise, but from another perspective, it became clear that this was a step he had to take.
No one else knows, but Lin Yunyan knows it clearly.
These days, she and Xu Jian have gotten closer and closer to the people behind the scenes.
Li Shao remembered what happened to Dingguo Temple. The identity of "Tong Gonggong" was also caught, and the house was also exposed.
It doesn't take long for all the points to be strung together into threads, and the threads to form a web.
If other people were taking matters into their own hands, they would have to work hard to get His Majesty's support, but when it comes to Dingguo Temple, His Majesty is the one who is most active.
Even if he behaves calmly and orderly, his heart is on fire.
Once caught in the big net, Li Du couldn't escape.
Sooner or later, those charges will be brought to light, and as a defeated bandit, what use will the prince's identity have?
It's better to give up in exchange for your life.
When the day comes that he becomes king again, who can say that he is not Li Du or the son of the late emperor?
Thinking about this, Lin Yunyan suddenly realized: "That's why Li Du chose to take risks and strike first - to kill Li Jun."
No need to foreshadow, Xu Jian could understand whatever she said: "We all feel that Li Jun's death is strange, and now we have a way to explain it. It is certain that he will be caught. Rather than handing the initiative to the Holy One, it is better for him to play the game himself."
Li Du did it on purpose.
He lit all the gunpowder barrels at once, without giving the Holy Sage a chance to slowly make plans and press forward step by step. He killed Li Jun and sacrificed the flag, forcing the court to make a noise, and the Holy Sage had to deal with it.
"Kill Li Jun, send Li Rong away, and let all the servants and dead soldiers around him evacuate," Lin Yunyan said, "He is waiting for Yu Lin to surround the mansion."
Xu Jian nodded: "He is very talkative today. What crime did we ask him to plead guilty to?"
"His main purpose is to abscond, and at the same time he can easily expose Concubine Dong and give justice to Zhang Xuanshi," Lin Yunyan chuckled, "Should I say that he is a thief who never misses the mark, or that he is easy to do with ease? All the benefits can be obtained.
Don’t fall behind.”
"If everything goes as planned by Li Du," Xu Jian analyzed, "it means that the substitute will plead guilty and escape from the capital. Su Yi should be his escape route. It will not be easy for him to make a comeback, but he can still keep Qingshan.
"
At this point, Xu Jian paused and concluded: "It's better to dock the tail."
No matter how loud his movements were, or whether his posture was awkward or not, to put it bluntly, it was "tail-cutting".
The difference from the previous one is that this time the tail was cut very deep, almost to the waist.
From the beginning to the end, their organization and thinking were smooth.
The biggest question now is how to replace him.
"He is a prince after all, and if the Holy One wants to execute him, he will be poisoned by Bai Ling," Lin Yunyan asked. "Not to mention whether the Holy One will come out to 'send off', you and Eunuch Cao will definitely watch him die with your own eyes. Then when will he die with the fake one?"
exchange?"
Xu Jian pondered for a long time and then said: "Zhenjiu Bailing belongs to Zhenjiu Bailing, but he can decide where he will die."
People want to go on the road and pursue a decent life.
Li Duruo brought it up and wanted to leave in a dignified manner, and it was impossible for the Holy One not to agree.
"If he chooses to stay in the Jin Palace, and the guards escort him out of the palace and return to the palace, they can kidnap prisoners on the way," Xu Jian said, "If he chooses the Bihua Palace, he might be able to find something on the way.
He can also rob a prison. It is not easy to escape from the palace prison, but it is not impossible to let the substitute die in the chaos and escape intact.
Furthermore, the people around him are good at using strange medicines. If he also has a fake death medicine, then there will be even more tricks he can do."
Lin Yunyan pursed her lips: "There are so many weird ways to deal with a disaster."
If Li Du Jin Chan really escapes from his shell, there will be a lot of trouble in the future.
"I have to remind Your Majesty," Xu Jian said.
There is a magic medicine to prevent Li Du, and there is also a substitute to prevent Li Du.
Lin Yunyan half sat up, reached to the edge of the bed and opened the curtain.
There was no light in the inner room, but fortunately she had adapted to the darkness by now, and was aware of the interior furnishings, and could see clearly the shadows.
The windows were half-open for ventilation, and darkness enveloped the outside.
Lin Yunyan estimated the time and said: "It's still early before dawn."
The palace door was closed at this time, and there was no urgent matter. They could not rush to knock on the palace door, they had to wait until dawn.
Lin Yunyan withdrew her hand and the curtain fell again.
She was about to lie back down, but Xu Jian's hands grabbed her waist.
Lin Yunyan lowered her eyes and looked at Xu Jian.
Although she couldn't see her expression clearly, Lin Yunyan was keenly aware that Xu Jian's mood was much more serious and urgent than the previous moment.
"We can't wait until dawn," Xu Jian helped Lin Yunyan sit up, stood up, lifted the curtains and got out of bed, "We have to enter the palace now."
After hearing this, Lin Yunyan also got off the bed, took off her shoes and went to the table to light the lamp.
Outside the curtain, the voice of Wan Yue came: "Do you want a slave to come in?"
Wan Yue stayed outside, and at first there were a lot of chattering inside, and then she woke up in a hazy state.
Naturally, she couldn't hear what the two masters were saying in the inner room. She just thought it was a young couple who woke up in the middle of the night and rubbed their hair together. She steeled herself and didn't dare to fall asleep, lest she wait for her master to ask for water.
Just now, there was a lot of movement inside, but it seemed like the sound of getting up.
Wan Yue then also hurriedly put on her clothes and asked.
Lin Yunyan responded and asked her to come in and light the oil lamp.
Soon, the room lit up.
Lin Yunyan narrowed her eyes subconsciously.
Xu Jian was born as a military general, and he moved very quickly. He was able to clear up everything in the dark.
Seeing that Lin Yunyan was in a hurry to change her clothes after adapting to the light, Xu Jian knew that he could not dissuade her, so he simply did not dissuade her. He only ordered Wan Yue: "Send someone to go ahead and call Shen Chen and Xuan Su, and ask the porter to prepare the horse and carriage."
Lin Yunyan glanced at him and said, "You want to ride on horseback?"
Normally, it would be enough to take a carriage, but Xu Jian wanted to go a step faster and did not dare to delay for a moment.
"It's such a short distance and it won't be in the way of your legs." Xu Jian knew that she was concerned and comforted him. After thinking about it, he explained, "If I were Li Du, I would definitely finish the battle quickly."
Lin Yunyan opened her eyes wide.
In just a moment, she understood.
For Li Du's plan to be a big success, the most important thing is "surprise".
In other words, we cannot leave enough time for the Holy Emperor and Xu Jian and others to think and organize.
Once someone thinks of "substitute" as a way to escape, all Li Du's arrangements may be in ruins.
The tail was broken to the waist, and Li Du would not accept such a failure.
After all, his life was really at stake this time.
After being seen through, Li Du's life is at stake!
Only the word "quick" can prevail.
Xu Jian acted quickly and gave Lin Yunyan a few more words before setting off: "I will ask Xuan Su to follow you. You should bring your sleeve arrows, just in case."
Lin Yunyan agreed.
She knew she couldn't help much this time.
If Li Du really takes action tonight, it's best for her to hide far away and not get involved, so as not to cause trouble to Xu Jian and the others.
But she had to go to the palace again.
First, if Xu Jian could not knock on the south palace gate, they turned to the west palace gate and used Cining Palace as a stepping stone.
Furthermore, the matter was serious and she had to let her empress know as soon as possible even if it was still midnight.
Xu Jian took the first step.
The sound of horse hooves pierced the silence of the night as they made their way to the imperial city.
Lin Yunyan walked out of the house, looked at the moonless and starless sky, and took a deep breath.
The door of the mansion was opened wide and the door bars were moved to facilitate the entry and exit of carriages.
Lin Yunyan stepped on the car and said to Uncle Niu: "As soon as possible."
The carriage galloped all the way and arrived outside the Nangong Gate.
Lin Yunyan got out of the car, Wan Yue held a lantern, and handed the other one to her.
She held up the lamp and as she got closer, she saw the tall figure standing in front of the palace gate.
"How is it?" Lin Yunyan asked.
Xu Jian turned around, tightened her cloak for her, and said, "The guards have gone to report."
Lin Yunyan nodded: "That's good."
I was afraid that the guards would refuse on the grounds that it was "nothing important" and "not in compliance with the rules". Since I had already gone to report it, the Holy Spirit would definitely summon Xu Jian due to his temperament.
The two stood side by side.
Xu Jian moved slightly and naturally stood upwind.
Lin Yunyan noticed it and was about to say a few words to him when she heard movement from behind the palace gate.
Those were urgent footsteps.
From far to near, while running, he was still panting and shouting "go fast, go fast".
The sound was blocked by the palace door, muffled and deep, which made Lin Yunyan's heart tighten and she couldn't help but raise her eyes to look at Xu Jian.
Xu Jian also frowned.
The palace door opened, and the guard saw the princess there. He was a little confused, but didn't ask any more questions.
And the one who was running all the way held his knees and said: "Holy, His Majesty asked you to hurry up and go to the prison!"
Jail?!
Xu Jian and Lin Yunyan exchanged a look.
That bad premonition seems to be coming true.
Lin Yunyan hurriedly asked: "What else did the Holy One say? What's the situation?"
The guard shook his head repeatedly: "The younger one didn't see His Majesty. When he ran halfway, he met the person in front of the Emperor. He said that His Majesty was summoning the Duke urgently. The younger one said that the Lord had already arrived at the gate of the palace, and the person said, "Let's go."
Hurry to the prison."
——
Less than half an hour ago.
In the prison, the guard guarding him yawned.
He glanced inside and saw Li Du sitting against the wall, head tilted, probably asleep.
"In the morning I am still a prince, and at night I am a prisoner. What a big change."
The guard glanced at the colleague who was speaking, and said in a low voice: "Be gentle, don't wake anyone up."
The colleague curled his lips and smiled: "Don't fall asleep."
Just as he was talking, another person came in from outside.
What comes is their top.
The two people stood up hurriedly and said hello: "Song Qianshi, why are you here?"
"Normally, we don't care about anyone here. I'm afraid that you are not used to keeping watch at night and will fall asleep immediately." Song Qianshi smiled, "Here, I brought some snacks and tea to refresh myself."
The two of them hurriedly thanked each other.
Song Qianshi sat down together.
Soon, the two guards became drowsy, leaned their heads on the table, and fell asleep.
Song Qianshi immediately walked out, and soon, another person came in with him.
The two of them walked to the cell, where Li Du had already stood up.
No one spoke.
Li Du took off all his clothes and handed them to the person who followed him. The person took off his guard uniform and put on Li Du's clothes.
The two made an exchange, and the man stayed in the cell, while Li Du followed Song Qianshi and left.
Song Qian was familiar with the situation, so he bypassed the patrol and sent him off for a while. The two chamberlains who came to pick up Li Du were already waiting here.
Li Du then whispered to Song Qian: "Thank you, I'll leave the aftermath to you."
Song Qianshi had tears in his eyes: "My subordinates are waiting for your return in the imperial city."
After watching Li Du disappear into the night, Song Qianshi returned to the cell and lay down with his two men.
After half a stick of incense, he heard someone coming in quietly.
Song Qianshi opened his eyes and met the man's eyes.
The man nodded slightly, picked up the key on the side and walked to the cell. After opening the cell door, he walked out of the cell with the fake Li Du.
Song Qianshi was counting silently in his heart.
When he was done counting, he opened his arms and stood up, shouting and slapping his two men awake: "Oops, oops, oops!"
Those two people were in chaos.
"What's wrong?"
"Why did I fall asleep?"
Song Qianshi shouted: "It's broken! King Jin is missing! Where is the key? Who came in and let him go?"
The two guards were completely awake.
Song Qianshi ignored them and strode out, shouting at the top of his voice: "King Jin has run away! King Jin has run away!"
In an instant, all the guards were noisy.
The patrolman reacted first, raised his lantern and torch and looked around.
"there!"
"There's someone there!"
Some ran, some chased, and some rescued.
There was chaos for a while. In the dark night, the fire was dazzling and the swords were not very bright.
Song Qianshi took advantage of the chaos and drew his sword to attack him, but Li Du did not hide and went to die calmly.
The fighting lasted for a while, and the situation stabilized only after the prison robbers were killed and wounded and those who escaped escaped.
"What are you doing standing there in a daze? Why don't you hurry up and chase him? You can't let go of the prisoner!" Song Qianshi pretended to stamp his feet, then grabbed a torch from his men and shined it on the face of the man lying on the ground, "Where is King Jin?
Prince Jin didn’t run away, did he?”
The King of Jin is easy to recognize.
Jin Gui's outer robe was taken off when he was locked up, leaving only the white bottom garment underneath.
It has been closed for almost a day, and the bottom clothes are dirty, with gray patches, white patches, and a whole patch red.
"This..." Song Qianshi opened his mouth, "Prince of Jin? Prince of Jin?"
"Prince Jin" was struck by a sword.
A guard rushed to check, touched his neck, and sat down on the ground in fright: "No, I'm out of breath!"
Song Qianshi screamed, pushed the guard away and touched it himself: "I'm really out of breath... It's over, it's over now! Don't just stand there stupidly! Yes, yes, report it to the Holy One quickly! Go quickly!"
The smell of blood is obvious here in the prison.
When Xu Jian arrived in a hurry, he saw that there was already a queue in that compartment.
The living guards were lined up, and the dead were also lined up.
The Holy Sage stood between the two groups of people, the torch light shone on his face, and his brows were full of depression.
Eunuch Cao saw Xu Jian first and nodded slightly to him.
Xu Jian stepped forward and saluted.
The Holy One asked: "I heard from the messenger that you were already outside the palace gate at that time? What did you think of?"
"I want to see King Jin first," Xu Jian said.
The Holy Spirit agreed.
Xu Jian walked over, knelt down and looked at the people on the ground.
He was hit with a sword in the chest and died on the spot.
In terms of body shape, he is no different from Li Du.
Judging from the facial features, this man's face was scratched during the conflict. The wounds were deep and smeared with blood, but judging from the appearance at this moment, it was also Li Du.
But there is no such injury...
Xu Jian calmed down and tried to restore the person's appearance before the injury in his mind, and he knew the answer in his heart.
Along the way, Xu Jian kept thinking, if Li Du had already prepared a substitute, why was he still going to the prison?
Even if there are insiders, there are still risks in substituting people.
With Li Du's temperament, it was better to commit suicide in his mansion when he was "desperate".
After seeing the fake Li Du, Xu Jian understood.
Because it's not similar enough.
If this fake Li Du's face appeared completely in front of them, most people would be able to tell that something was wrong.
Therefore, a wound is needed to weaken the difference and raise the seven-point image to nine points, or even ten points.
I have to say, the effect is very good.
At least, neither the Holy Father nor Eunuch Cao noticed it.
Of course, it was also because it was dark under the lamp.
Li Du died elsewhere with a damaged face, so they would subconsciously suspect that there was fraud.
But Li Du failed to escape from prison and died. Whether it was the Holy Emperor or Xu Jian, he personally talked to Li Du in the cell during the day, so he probably ignored the truth and falsehood.
