As a prince, King Xin has probably reached the pinnacle of what a prince can do.
He is loved by all people and admired by all officials. In the position of prince, there is not much room for development. If he wants to climb up, the only way is to rebel and become emperor.
Becoming emperor is no longer a question of whether he thinks about it or not, but the general trend. The lives of his family, his subordinates, and everyone are tied to his thoughts.
After coming out of King Xin's study, Tangning did not go to find Li Tianlan, but went directly back to Jinxiu Palace.
He returned to his yard, borrowed a knife from Chen Zhou, stood in the yard, and made a slashing motion with the knife.
Strength is the last word. No matter how busy he is, he will still take some time to practice every day.
He didn't use any sword skills, he just simply swung the sword over and over again.
This is the method Lao Zheng taught him. Simple repetition, ten times, a hundred times, thousands of times, is more effective than any fancy knife skills.
Butcher Zheng was leaning under a tree while drinking, looking up at the sky at a 45-degree angle from time to time. Tang Ning once thought he was a rough guy selling meat, but along the way, she gradually discovered that Old Zheng was also a man with stories.
While waving his sword, he asked: "Old Zheng, do you think that if you were King Xin, would you rebel?"
Butcher Zheng took a sip of wine and asked, "If it were you, would you do it?"
Tangning was stunned for a moment, her movement of swinging the knife stagnant.
The word "rebellion" doesn't sound very good, and it might lead to eternal infamy. More importantly, he does not intend to be an emperor. All emperors in history are not short-lived. He still wants to live leisurely for a few more years.
.
He put down the knife with a look of doubt on his face--could King Xin think so too?
However, although he does not like to be an emperor, as a man, even if he has no ambition, he must still take some responsibilities. What kind of man is a man who cannot even protect his family, wife and children?
The small courtyard where he lived was guarded by Beggar Clan disciples. He walked outside the door, looked at one of them, and said, "Go and call Elder Ren."
After a while, Ren Pingsheng walked in from outside, raised his hands and asked: "Gang leader, what can I do?"
Ren Pingsheng is considered to be the most flexible person among the senior members of the Beggar Clan. Tangning waved to him and said, "Sit down first. I have something to do for you."
…
Xinwangfu.
During lunch, Princess Xin put some food into King Xin's bowl. She remembered something and asked, "Have you found the murderer of General Xu?"
King Xin shook his head and said, "It's not easy to find the murderer without any clues."
"General Xu will be assassinated in the camp..." Princess Xin put down her chopsticks, looked at him, and said, "If the prince goes out, he should bring more people with him."
As soon as she finished speaking, a figure walked in from outside the door and said, "Your Majesty, I have something important to report."
King Xin put down his chopsticks and asked, "What's the matter?"
The man looked up and hesitated to speak.
King Xin looked at him, stood up, and said, "Let's go to the study and talk."
"What's the matter? It's so mysterious..." Princess Xin watched him walk out, then looked at Li Tianlan and asked, "Why hasn't Tangning come to the palace in the past few days?"
Li Tianlan bit his chopsticks and said, "Maybe he is busy..."
In the study, after King Xin sat down, he looked at the man and asked, "What happened?"
The man looked up and whispered: "I don't know who they are, but they have spread some rumors about the prince in the market in the past few days, and they have spread all over Kyoto."
King Xin looked at him and asked: "What rumors?"
After the man took a deep breath, he said: "It is rumored that the Queen Mother was pregnant for three years before giving birth to the prince. When the prince was born, he could speak. On the night of his birth, a vision came from the sky, and a dragon hovered in the palace...
"
King Xin stood up suddenly and said in surprise: "What?"
After three years of pregnancy, he was able to speak when he was born, and there was a dragon circling when he landed. These were all visions. In ancient times, those who had visions on their bodies were either saints or emperors...
Although these rumors are not explicit, their implications are self-evident.
The servant looked at King Xin and continued to speak.
"The rumors also say that Your Majesty has the appearance of an emperor, and that Your Majesty's ascension to the throne is God's will..."
"There are also rumors that the prince is a disaster star and the source of disaster for the country. If the world is left in the hands of the prince, the Chu country will perish..."
…
"Stop talking!" King Xin rubbed his eyebrows and said, "Let the ministers come over!"
Prince's Mansion.
The prince was full of anger, pacing in the palace, and said angrily: "What vision, what dragon, rebellion, he wants to rebel!"
"Your Highness, calm down, Your Highness, calm down!" Someone stepped forward and said, "I have sent people to stop those who spread rumors. Anyone who spreads such rumors will be severely punished..."
The prince sat weakly on the chair, his chest heaving, and hissed: "That's what they think in their hearts, what's the use of punishing them severely!"
He thought for a while, gritted his teeth and said: "In this case, I will never stop doing anything..."
The person next to him trembled and immediately said: "Your Highness, it's inappropriate. King Xin has many gang members in the capital. It would be good if he wins, but once he loses, there is no way to recover!"
The prince clenched his fists and said, "I can't feel at ease until King Xin dies!"
The person next to him thought for a moment and said: "Your Highness, I have a plan. Maybe I can get rid of King Xin and let Your Highness sleep peacefully from now on..."
The prince turned his head, looked at him sharply, and said loudly: "Speak!"
In the palace of Xinwang.
Watching several ministers leave, the young general behind King Xin asked: "Your Majesty, if not these adults, who else could it be?"
"It's not important anymore." King Xin tapped the table with his index finger and said, "Let people clean up the other courtyard outside the city. The princess and the princess want to stay for a while."
The young general looked up at him, cupped his hands and said, "Yes."
In the room, Princess Xin looked at King Xin, frowned and asked: "Okay, why do you want Lan Lan and I to go to the other courtyard outside the city?"
King Xin smiled and said, "The weather has been hot recently, so you and Lanlan might as well go out to escape the heat."
Princess Xin looked at him and suddenly asked nervously: "Did something happen?"
King Xin patted her hand and said, "Don't worry, nothing will happen."
He looked back at Li Tianlan and said, "Take good care of your mother and concubine."
Li Tianlan looked at him and nodded silently.
…
"Are you leaving?" Tangning looked at Li Tianlan's room in Prince Xin's Mansion and asked, "Where are you going?"
Li Tianlan said: "Go to the other courtyard outside the city. At this time every year, my father will take my mother and concubine to escape the summer heat."
"It's been quite hot these days. It's a good idea to go out to escape the heat." Tangning nodded and said, "Kyoto is too chaotic these days."
The prince and King Xin have already made Kyoto uneasy. In addition, there are some people with ulterior motives who have been fanning the flames in the market these days, spreading rumors, and claiming the destiny passed down by King Xin. It is so magical that I believe the prince is already very panicked.
At this sensitive time point, a small spark may trigger the final explosion. Relatively speaking, outside Beijing is cleaner and safer.
He wanted to chat with Li Tianlan again, but a young boy came in from outside, looked at him, and said, "Master Tang, the prince has invited you."
