The king of Ninghe County asked his servants to place the incense table and asked the eunuch to read out the imperial edict.
He pressed his forehead lightly against the stone slab, only seeing the eunuch's boots, and his heart was as cold as the stone slab.
After that night, Prince Ninghe was in a state of panic. Now that the knife hanging above his head was finally about to fall, not only was he not relieved, but he was even more terrified.
Life and death, misfortunes and blessings all depend on other people's thoughts. If I had known what would happen today, why bother in the first place?
However, such thoughts passed by in a flash.
Prince Ninghe himself also understood that he had this idea because of his current fate.
If you give yourself another chance, you still won't be willing to accept it.
But whoever was born into an emperor's family and had a chance would be willing to accept it?
He just felt sad.
"The edict says: The late emperor's son, the Prince of Ninghe County, behaved erratically. The late emperor, remembering the kindness of his father and son, gave him leniency. However, the disease of violent change has not been cured. It is difficult to distinguish between right and wrong. It is a great loss of people's hearts. Today, the foundation of Taizu Taizong, It is the result of hard work and dedication, and it is passed down to me. When we are trying to clean up the winds of the Nine Provinces and establish the foundation of the eternal world, how can we not punish such a surly person who cannot win the hearts of the people? Remove him from the title of county king and demote him to the rank of king. The Duke of Ninghe County admires this."
After reading the imperial edict, Prince Ninghe, although he had been prepared for it, still heard a "buzz" and felt half-conscious.
What?
The Prince of Ninghe County descended into the Duke of Ninghe County?
He is the son of the late emperor, but now he can’t even become a county king?!
After hearing the content of the imperial edict, Prince Ninghe's face suddenly turned pale even though he was mentally prepared. Even the faces of the uninformed people in the Prince's palace also changed drastically.
Does the new emperor not treat Prince Ninghe as a prince at all?
The son of the former emperor not only did not receive any grace from the new emperor, but was also demoted again?
This is humiliating!
"My lord, no, my lord, why don't you thank me?" Eunuch Tu said grimly.
Prince Ninghe... no, now he is Duke Ninghe. His veins are rising and his whole body is tense. He needs to suppress his anger so that he will not do anything that will harm himself, his wife and children in front of everyone.
No matter how hard it is to accept, the imperial edict is right in front of you. Do you really dare to resist it?
Ninghe County Duke suddenly choked with grief. He did not dare to resist the decree. He had known since he was demoted to the county king that he did not dare to resist the decree. No matter it was the former emperor or the new emperor, he did not dare to resist.
Because resistance means death and brings harm to the whole family.
"My lord...thank you...thank you..." Prince Ninghe knelt down on the ground, his whole body trembling, and kowtowed to thank the emperor for his kindness.
Lepingfang
Gao Ze's momentum became even greater, and hundreds of horses gathered around him and headed towards the gate of Prince Shu's Mansion.
Before reaching the gate, Gao Ze rode on horseback. The sky cleared after the rain. At a glance, he saw green tiles and pink walls, pavilions and pavilions, flower fences along the way, thick as dye, pebbles feeding the road, and insects chirping. It looked the same. It's full of greenery and lush greenery, and I can't help but shake my head.
"In the past, the palaces of several generations have experienced uncertain rise and fall, but their pavilions remain the same."
When the King of Shu turned over and dismounted from his horse in front of the screen wall, the Tiqi had already lined up immediately and stood with their hands lowered in front of the closed red-lacquered copper-nailed gate.
Seeing Gao Ze dismounting and coming over, there were still people in the palace porter. Seeing this battle, someone had already rushed towards him and saluted: "My father-in-law, what do you want me to do?"
Gao Ze did not answer, but a guard answered on his behalf: "This is Eunuch Gao, and he has a will."
"Yes!" The porter immediately kowtowed: "I will go and report to the prince right now."
With that said, the main door opened.
Gao Ze was in the middle, and the guards on both sides followed suit and came in along the corridor without going deep, just under the corridor.
"It's very deserted!" Gao Ze glanced at it and shook his head. In the past, the Prince of Shu's palace was always busy with traffic, but now, no one comes to the door at all.
Everyone in the capital is aware of the struggle between the King of Shu Qi and the Emperor.
Let alone the dignitaries, even ordinary people can say one, two, three, four, five. People from ordinary wealthy families can use their brains to fight for family property, let alone the royal family fighting for the throne?
There are examples from past dynasties. Last night, the sound of killing was so loud that all the households near the palace closed their doors tightly. When the cavalry passed by, the sound of horse hooves was heard, but there was not even a sound.
It stands to reason that when the sound of horse hooves arrives, something will be noticed inside.
The imperial envoy has arrived. No matter how slow the people inside are, they should still have some reaction.
But after waiting for a while, the place was empty. Gao Ze immediately frowned and then thought, a middle-aged man in his forties came forward. Gao Ze knew him, but he was Fan Zhu, the manager of the palace.
Fan Zhu looked good, walked over and knelt down, and said: "Father, my servant has sent you greetings. Please wait a moment. My king was very drunk at night. He just woke up and is washing up. He will come to receive the order soon!"
While he was talking, the servants of Prince Shu's palace were carrying tables and chairs and setting up the incense table. They looked busy, which made Gao Ze's frown slightly open.
The King of Shu is still a prince. Even if the grasshopper after autumn cannot jump for a few days, it is hard for him to really make an attack at this moment.
It is your duty to come to the Prince of Shu's Mansion to read out the imperial edict. It would be inappropriate to do too much of anything else.
Gao Ze nodded and planned to wait a little longer.
Receiving an order is a major event, and etiquette is very important. It is reasonable for the King of Shu to change into clean clothes since he was hungover.
"Why, the King of Shu hasn't changed yet?" After waiting for a while, the King of Shu had not come out to receive the order. Gao Ze's face became a little gloomy. He stared at the palace steward Fan Zhu and asked coldly: "It's past the time for tea.
, the King of Shu still doesn’t come out to receive the order?”
"Young man, go and hurry up my king." Butler Fan Zhu said and went inside.
"Is anyone out of the palace?" Gao Ze looked gloomy, watching the housekeeper trot inside, and suddenly asked others.
The emperor was busy with affairs, and before Gao Ze came to deliver the imperial edict, soldiers had already surrounded the Prince of Shu's palace, waiting for Gao Ze to arrive with the imperial edict.
"Father-in-law!" A family of a hundred people kowtowed: "After receiving the order, we immediately surrounded him and no one went out!"
"Really?" This was also the reason why Gao Ze was waiting just now, but now, after hearing this, he did not relax. He frowned and ordered: "You should continue to monitor the surroundings immediately. All the people I brought will enter the house to obey the order.
!”
"Yes!" With an order, the darkness outside immediately turned into light. In front of the screen wall of the palace, hundreds of people came to surround them, and Tiqi rushed in. They lined up in two rows and stood upright with their swords and swords in hand. Suddenly, they were filled with murderous aura and a chill.
"Is there no movement yet?"
It stands to reason that even if the King of Shu is no longer a grasshopper after the fall, as long as he is still the prince, Gao Ze cannot make an attack in public, at least not until he is not sure that he is disobedient.
But this kind of patience has its limits.
Seeing that the King of Shu never came out to receive the order, even when the housekeeper went in, but no one came out, Gao Ze's face became increasingly gloomy.
"Okay, okay!" Gao Ze was furious: "Does this mean you don't take the emperor seriously? Even the little housekeeper is so slow to treat the imperial edict. The Prince of Shu's Mansion is really easy to raise, come on!"
"Here!" People on both sides responded in unison, their voices solemn.
"Enter the palace to search! The King of Shu is here, so be sure to ask him to come forward quickly to receive the order. If the King of Shu is not in the palace..."
Gao Ze said coldly: "Then we will detain everyone in the palace. Except for the princess and the prince, everyone else can be severely tortured to find out the whereabouts of the King of Shu!"