After rebirth, I made the princes cry

After the Jiantai incident, Ke Cao Ling received Jiang Tai's latest order to relax the surveillance on the Dongyu envoys for the time being to avoid alerting the enemy. However, Ying Shu went to the envoy post today only to meet up with the Third Prince and Nan Ci. Now the three of them have come to Kunjiang in Xishi, which is an important stronghold of the Flying Eagle Tribe. However, Ke Cao Ling had investigated Kunjiang's background and naturally did not find any suspicious points.

The shop owner from Kunjiang is a Qiang.

Why would the Qiang surrender to Dayu? Just like there were many children of Dayu's noble families willing to serve the barbarian tribes such as Northern Zhao, it is not an iron rule that those who are not from our tribe must be killed. Things in the world are full of unexpected things.

For example, the shop owner from Kunjiang had lived in Chang'an before the fall of Luoyang. At that time, he was hired as a chef by a noble family because of his excellent mutton soup. His family was able to live and work in peace and contentment without being forced to be conscripted as soldiers. They lived a stable life. They never expected that the situation would change suddenly in one day, Luoyang fell, and Chang'an would no longer be safe.

Although he was a Qiang, Chang'an had not been occupied by the Qiang at that time. His master had already decided to cross the river to the east as soon as possible. Before that, he wanted to kill his family to vent his anger, but he would have no power to fight back.

But the master did not kill him.

He even left him some money, saying that they had been master and servant but now they had to go their separate ways, and suggested that he open a food shop.

"I can't take these properties with me. If I leave them to you, I'm afraid you won't be able to keep them. So it's better to leave some gold and silver. You can judge the situation and decide when to buy property. I don't think the Xiongnu will leave Chang'an. Even if the Qiang tribe is divided, it will probably be in the Jincheng area. If this is the case, you should not stay in Chang'an. It is always safer to follow your own tribe."

He never expected that his master would treat him so kindly, so he was deeply grateful.

Later, he was able to stay in Chang'an and opened Kunjianglai. His business was always good, but he was often blackmailed by the nobles of the Qiang tribe. In addition to taxes, he had to use a large sum of money to bribe those greedy people in order to keep the store.

However, his two sons were still forcibly conscripted into the army. His eldest son died in the war, and he had to pay a large sum of money to bribe his second son who was seriously injured. His son, who was originally strong and healthy, did not receive timely treatment after his injury and was even beaten with a stick. One of his legs had completely lost sensation and he became disabled.

Not only that, even after being redeemed, some people even held their son responsible for the defeat in the war.

His eldest grandson was furious and argued with the officers, but was beheaded on the spot.

He gritted his teeth, endured the humiliation, knelt down and begged for mercy, and paid a large bribe before he survived the disaster.

But he did not want to accept his fate. A raging fire of revenge burned in his heart. He did not understand why, even though he was under the rule of the Qiang people, he had to suffer several disasters that almost destroyed his family. One of his sons died and another was disabled, his eldest grandson was killed, and his daughter was forcibly taken as a concubine by a minor nobleman. He also had to pay a large dowry.

He endured these humiliations, but he couldn't endure them forever.

He secretly contacted his old master, and then, with his old master's introduction, he joined the Flying Eagle Tribe. He was a Qiang, but he would rather help Dayu conquer the Northern Han. He did not want to live like pigs, dogs and livestock, enduring endless exploitation and oppression.

Kunjianglai thus became an important stronghold of the Flying Eagle Tribe.

The Third Prince certainly knew at this time that Kunjianglai was a safe place. They could talk in Kunjianglai without any need to be on guard. The owner would certainly refuse other diners from entering to harass them on the grounds that the courtyard had been temporarily rented out. Therefore, when a commotion broke out suddenly, the Third Prince was frightened - had Kunjianglai been exposed?

Someone did break into the yard.

The intruder had a fierce look on his face, spoke in a barbaric language that the Third Prince could not understand, and scolded the shop owner who tried to stop him.

Not only did the Third Prince feel as if he was facing a formidable enemy, Nanci also had his hand on the scabbard on the table.

Ying Shu heard the shopkeeper say, "Although you are from Northern Qi, you have indeed visited our shop several times. Every time you came, you sat in the elegant courtyard. But today the elegant courtyard has indeed been rented to a distinguished guest. I hope you will forgive me."

Did the shop owner deliberately respond to the Qi people in Chinese?

Yingshu saw Wenji flying into the elegant courtyard from somewhere, circling around the unreasonable Qi man affectionately.

She looked into the man's eyes and suddenly had an extremely bold guess.

"The store owner doesn't have to make it difficult. The courtyard is so big that you can put a table in the corner and let this guest sit there for a while."

The shopkeeper smiled, didn't even say thank you, and walked out.

He was well aware of this "incident", so there was actually no "outsider" in the hall today. The real diners saw that there were no seats in the hall, and after hearing that even the elegant courtyard was rented out, they turned around and went elsewhere. In fact, there was no need to cause this riot, but... the chief insisted on planning this riot, so he had no choice but to obey orders.

The Third Prince and Nanci watched Yingshu stand up and bow to the uninvited guest.

"Xinsu-kun?"

There was another clang in the third prince's head.

"Isn't it that Deputy Envoy Zuo recognized me through Wen Ji?"

"Yes, your Highness's disguise is flawless, and he even deliberately speaks Northern Qi language. If it weren't for Wen Ji, I wouldn't be able to see through your disguise."

"Is it really the Heart Moon Fox?" The Third Prince barely managed to "fall off the stool" and staggered over: "Show me your true appearance."

"I'm not wearing a mask. I just did something to my face. If I take off my disguise now, I'll have to spend half an hour to change my appearance when I go out. It's time-consuming and laborious. Third brother, please let me go."

Nan Ciwen sat still and asked, "Why is Fourth Brother here?"

"I've been here for some time." Sikong Yuehu took a few steps forward and sat down. His disguised face lost its sharp features, and his naturally raised eyes were drooping. There was nothing eye-catching about his ordinary appearance. Even the natural sesame mole on the bridge of his nose was covered up.

It's been a while since I came???

Sikong Yuehu glanced at Yingshu and said, "Before the fire in the Spiritual Tower, I had already arrived in Chang'an. I didn't show up before because I was sure that Deputy Envoy Zuo was capable enough to solve the problem. I think Deputy Envoy Zuo should not have told my third and fifth brothers about the plan to raid Hanzhong, right?"

Raid Hanzhong!!!

The third prince was originally still amazed, wondering what means his fourth brother had used to disguise himself into a completely different person. It seemed that his face had grown two inches longer. Upon closer inspection, even his nose wings had thickened??? But when he heard the words "raid on Hanzhong", the third prince's mind was suddenly cleared.

What is the surprise attack on Hanzhong? Is Hanzhong the Hanzhong he understands? If Sikong Yuehu wants to take Hanzhong, doesn’t that mean he has to declare war on Northern Han directly? ! ! !

Nanci also frowned tightly.

"Your Highness suddenly rushed to Northern Han, but something uncontrollable happened in Jiankang?" Ying Shu asked instead of answering.

"Jiang Mo told me that the reason he agreed to go on the diplomatic mission to Dayu was because Jiang Gaofan guaranteed that he would help Jiang Mo seize the throne."

"What?!" The Third Prince was like being in the middle of a stormy sea: "Jiang Gaofan is actually Jiang Mo's man???"

Yingshu understood.

"Your Highness, are you here to personally verify Jiang Mo's statement?"

"That's right. That's why I've been secretly investigating Jiang Gaofan's background since I came to Northern Han, but there hasn't been much progress."

"So, there is some progress?"

The Third Prince, who was left aside, was filled with righteous indignation. He gritted his teeth and said, "Shouldn't you two explain the raid on Hanzhong first?!"

Sikong Yuehu looked at Yingshu.

Deputy Envoy Zuo was really patient. Judging from the situation, she not only kept the core plan secret from Sikong Mujiao, but even Sikong Nanci didn't know about it? Did she want to solve all the problems by herself?

"The fewer people who know about it, the better it will be for the plan." Yingshu had only one straightforward explanation.

The third prince looked straight at Nanci. He felt that the two of them who were excluded from the core plan should have something to say, but he had not decided what to say, so he made eye contact first to confirm their expressions.

Sikong Yuehu felt a little sorry for them, so she had to add on behalf of Yingshu: "The original plan to raid Hanzhong was made before Jiang Mo arrived in Jiankang. At that time, I didn't expect that the third and fifth brothers would volunteer to go on the mission. You two were not actually included in the plan. It was probably because of this that Deputy Envoy Zuo didn't explain it to you first."

The third prince nodded repeatedly. He didn't care about anything else. He just wanted to know the specific plan.

Nanci remained unmoved, crossing his arms, wondering what he was thinking.

Sikong Yuehu explained the plan and concluded, "Most of the situations are within my expectations. Deputy Envoy Zuo is also advancing the surprise attack plan step by step. Originally, I didn't need to enter Northern Han. I only needed to lead the Shuzhou army to launch a surprise attack after receiving the news. However, if it can be confirmed that Jiang Gaofan wants to stab Jiang Tai in the back, with his assistance, it will be more certain that the Palace Master can escape smoothly. Therefore, I must come here and personally take charge of Northern Han.

Fifth brother, please call a envoy guard in for a while. I have to dress up as an envoy guard and follow the left deputy envoy into the Weiyang Palace..."

"Fourth brother." Nanci interrupted Sikong Yuehu's words: "Fourth brother just said that he is more confident in protecting Dianjun and escaping. So, apart from Dianjun, does it mean that the safety of third brother, me and Yingshu is not important?"

Yingshu sighed secretly.

"My third brother and you will leave Northern Han first. This is Jiang Tai's intention."

Therefore, his and Yingshu's plan never considered how to protect the two people outside the plan and ensure their safe escape.

"What do you mean?" asked the third prince.

Sikong Yuehu stopped talking, drank his tea and looked up at the floating clouds in the sky.

He was not worried about his elder brother Jiao Mujiao being stubborn, but about his younger brother Gui Jinyang not wanting to leave Deputy Envoy Zuo in the enemy country and go to a safe place first. But if he stepped forward to persuade him, the result would probably be worse. He could feel Gui Jinyang's deepening hostility towards him. He had been extremely careful to avoid words that would easily arouse more suspicion. He deliberately swallowed the word "we" that was lingering in his throat and just said "I". He had done his best, so let Deputy Envoy Zuo explain himself.

"Now that Jiang Tai has been forced to acknowledge the identity of the Lord of the Palace, he will definitely find another way and a reasonable excuse to keep the Lord of the Palace. I guess that the Emperor of the Northern Han Dynasty will pass away within a month, and Jiang Tai will definitely notify Jiang Mo to return to the country for the funeral. But Jiang Xiongying died at this time because Jiang Tai wanted to keep the Lord of the Palace, so..."

"The only way Jiang Tai can get Jiang Mo to return to the court is if he pardons my third brother and me and sends us back to Dayu?" Nan Ci said coldly.

Yingshu was helpless, but she didn't want to act aggrieved in front of Nanci, so she just nodded.

Sikong Yuehu pulled Sikong Mujiao up and said, "Third brother, let's go down to the corridor and sit down."

Sitting here is too conspicuous and will be bad for my fifth brother's marriage.

Sikong Mujiao realized that Nanci and Yingshu were in urgent need of a deep chat, but he didn't want to talk about life with Sikong Yuehu alone. He, the Lord of Jiaosu, was not afraid of anything, but he was afraid of Sikong Yuehu! He would always remember the time when he made Qinghe cry and jump up and down, insisting on blaming Jian Shuyuan as well. Sikong Nanci only glanced at him, and he immediately felt a gust of frosty wind blowing against his scalp, and his arrogance was extinguished with a "puff".

This is a secret that he cannot tell but keeps in mind.

"I'd better go somewhere further." Sikong Mujiao turned in the opposite direction.

He already knew the details of the surprise attack on Hanzhong and the whole process of how the plan was formed. He was not as sure as Sikong Yuehu, but he also knew deeply that this was caused by his confusion due to his lack of knowledge about the military situation. The person who made the plan was Xin Yuehu, and the person who was responsible for promoting the plan was Zuo Fushi. He could accept that he became an outsider who accidentally entered the plan. Now he understood that some credits cannot be disputed.

What he needs to do now is to study hard and keep up with the pace of Deputy Envoy Zuo. After returning to the country, he will figure out how to make the magic water... Alas, his mother was right to try to win over Imperial Doctor Liu to serve her.

The further Sikong Mujiao's thoughts drifted away, the more determined he became to leave.

The Fourth Prince saw that his Third Brother was hiding from him as if he were hiding from some evil spirit, so he pulled the corner of his lower lip and hid under the corridor alone.

Madam He and Madam Zheng have the same desires and are fighting for the same thing. The second and third princes have both inherited their mother's temperament. Madam He's wisdom is far inferior to Madam Zheng's, and her means of power struggle are destined to be full of lawlessness. The second prince's actions have also been absurd and he has gone astray and cannot turn back. Madam Zheng probably knows the basic qualities that a king of a country needs to possess. Therefore, compared with Sikong Yuewu, Sikong Mujiao's pattern is undoubtedly bigger. Now Sikong Mujiao is on the right path to get rid of the control of Changping Zheng. Even if he still has the determination to seize the throne, as long as he continues to maintain his current state of mind, he will not reach the point of life or death.

Out of the corner of Sikong Yuehu's eye, he couldn't help but see a pair of figures sitting in the pavilion, half-hidden by the blossoming trees.

Sikong Nanci was actually blessed, as he was lucky enough to live a relatively free life since birth. However, because of this luck, he encountered a destined disaster. A beam of light that "added icing on the cake" of his life accidentally illuminated the prince. This was not the fault of the beam of light, but the person in the darkness who did not want the sun that belonged to him to shine on the world.

Desire leads to obsession, and obsession leads to madness.

The biggest hidden danger in this world is not heartless people, but people who have too many desires for loyalty. They always use their loyalty as an excuse to do evil, as if they can justify killing everyone if they don't get enough feedback that satisfies them.

Sikong Yuehu drank his tea slowly. He actually had his own obsession.

If he tells others about this obsession, they will probably sneer at him. He will also sneer at the opinions of others. It is like some people firmly believe that what the vast majority of people believe in must be the truth. Therefore, even though their personal experiences and cognition are obviously different, they will still blindly follow the crowd. Some people will never believe that those seemingly elegant and knowledgeable families are actually full of lies. These people slander in unison and influence the "public opinion of right and wrong" - public opinion is actually the most untrustworthy thing, and morality has never been the yardstick for measuring good and evil.

The truth that everyone ignores is that the vast majority of people will not disregard their own interests.

He never looked down on women, but he could not deny that too many women were actually incapable of having broad knowledge because the space they lived in was generally narrow.

Among women in power, perhaps Wang Yingshu is the only exception.

He looked at the table in front of him. There was only a white porcelain cup on the table. There was no tea in the cup, not even a trace of residual tea stains. It was just there, empty and bare, staring at him indifferently, as if it was an accusation, but also as if it was a stranger.

Sikong Nanci, I actually really hope that you can get what you want. I hope that you can prove with me that the royal family is not necessarily so cruel and ruthless. Those who are born in the royal family can only kill like wild beasts.

In the power struggle, there is still warmth and vitality. Without it, no one can stay on the field.