0p0 Chapter 598: Palace Fights Are All Scheming
Chapter 598: Palace Fights Are All Scheming
Everyone thought that the third prince who held military power and conquered the Western Hu was the biggest threat to Emperor Yongkang, but they didn't expect that the one hiding the most was the second prince.
Although he was quite popular when the late emperor was alive, that was because he had a powerful general in his family, and his mother was also favored, almost on par with the third prince's mother.
But the Second Prince is indeed not very outstanding. He is not good at civil or military affairs. He cannot rely on his maternal family and his mother alone. He is definitely not as threatening as the Third Prince who has top-notch conditions.
But isn't this the right time, right place, and right people all coming together? Because of Qiao Wan's instructions, the Qiao family took action with the tacit approval of Emperor Yongkang, killing the Duke of Zhenguo and his son, resulting in the military power finally falling into the hands of General Weiwu.
Afterwards, it was Prime Minister Qiao who used his granddaughter to get rid of Emperor Yongkang. To be honest, if it weren't for Prime Minister Qiao's strong support, the Second Prince might not have been able to succeed in ascending to the throne.
Xiao Yunyun wanted to say something on behalf of the Second Prince, thanking Prime Minister Qiao for his gift.
However, after the Second Prince Chu Mingli came to power, the first thing he did was to execute the entire family of Prime Minister Qiao. The Qiao clan members were also dismissed from office, their property was confiscated, and they were exiled. After all, plotting to murder the emperor was almost equivalent to rebellion, so not executing all nine generations of the clan was considered a mercy.
Although Qiao Danfeng was the empress of Emperor Yongkang, the Second Prince did not kill her. Instead, he asked her to practice in the royal temple with other concubines of Emperor Yongkang.
However, the protagonist Qiao Danfeng was a little love-sick. He thought that he was the one who killed Emperor Yongkang, so he hanged himself.
There was also the Empress Dowager. After Emperor Yongkang died, she fainted due to the shock. When she woke up, she was unable to move or speak. In addition, she was too sad and refused to eat or drink all day. She passed away within a few days.
As to whether someone took advantage of the chaos to kill him, it is unknown.
Xiao Yun quickly finished reading the world plot and was speechless for a long time.
As expected, many novelists like to leave an open ending, or end the story abruptly at the protagonist's happiest moment. If they really write to the end or explain all the supporting characters clearly, it would be really unbearable to read.
This situation now made Xiao Yun a little conflicted, and she had to rethink her previous plan.
I originally thought that when the Barbarian Kingdom and the Lie Kingdom invade the border next month, I would use some tricks to send General Weiwu to fight. Qiao Wan is targeting her and the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, so they shouldn't play tricks if General Weiwu goes to fight.
But it's no longer possible now. If she hands over the military power to General Weiwu in advance, it will not be easy to get it back. After all, even if she defeats the two countries of Manlie, they will still have to be stationed there. By then, after she has dealt with the Qiao family and Emperor Yongkang, the Second Prince may cause trouble again.
Xiao Yun is a person who hates trouble and likes to nip unstable factors in the bud.
So he simply went directly to the Prime Minister's Mansion while the talisman on his body was still effective.
Without doing anything unnecessary, he just searched the soul of Prime Minister Qiao while he was sleeping, turning him into a fool. By the way, he also learned the secret of Prime Minister Qiao Renliang.
Yes, a secret, and this unexpected surprise, Xiao Yun couldn't help but laugh.
It is said that Prime Minister Qiao is a mixed-race child. His father is from the Qiao family of Qi State, but his mother is from Lie State and is the daughter of a spy from Lie State.
Qiao Renliang's grandmother was the concubine of a seventh-rank official. She deliberately gave birth to a child with the mistress, then exchanged the two children so that her own daughter became the legitimate daughter.
Then, when the child grows up a little, he will be told his true identity, and secretly trained and brainwashed to become a qualified spy.
Then, as the daughter of an official, she married Qiao Fu, who was also a minor official, as his legal wife. Although Qiao Fu's official position was not prominent, he had a relatively good family background.
The Qiao family is a noble family that has existed since the previous dynasty. It is more like a family that remains unchanged despite the changing dynasties. Although Qiao's father came from a side branch and has limited abilities, he still relies on the Qiao family.
Qiao Renliang's mother was very smart. After marrying Qiao's father, she did not try to incite him to rebel. She only fulfilled her duties as a wife and only started her own plan after giving birth to her son.
She spared no effort to cultivate the child, making him much better than his father, and also instilled in him the idea that the country is his hometown and his backing from a young age, almost copying what her mother did to her.
Anyone who can be a spy for a country must not only be smart, but also have learned a wide range of things that are beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.
It may be related to the fact that his parents’ bloodlines are quite different, and he is a mixed-race of two countries. Qiao Renliang has been extremely intelligent since he was a child.
Coupled with his mother's deliberate training, he knew almost everything about astronomy and geography, and stood out in the imperial examinations every time, becoming the youngest number one scholar in the previous emperor's period. Then, with the support of his family and his own efforts, he climbed to the position of prime minister.
Of course, the Qiao family played a big role in this. For a big family, as long as there is such a talent from the same clan and with the ability, the family will also do its best to cultivate it.
It was also because of the power of the Qiao family that his daughter and granddaughter were able to become queens. The power of the family really cannot be underestimated.
However, the Qiao family probably didn't expect that Qiao Renliang and his mother were actually spies from the enemy country. After his mother's death, he took over the channel to continue contacting Lie State and gave out a lot of intelligence about Qi State.
It's just that he is not as loyal as his mother and grandmother. After all, he grew up in Qi State and received education in Qi State. Even if he was brainwashed by his mother, he would not swear allegiance to Lie State until death if he had not actually received any benefits from Lie State.
He took advantage of Lieguo without mercy, and his desire to take the throne was due to his own ambition.
Xiao Yun understood this point quite well. If she were in Prime Minister Qiao's position, she would not be controlled by the Lie Kingdom. She was already the Prime Minister and the father-in-law of the country, and her grandson was the crown prince. She was only one step away from controlling the entire Dali period. Anyone would have to give it a try.
Because of Prime Minister Qiao's identity, Xiao Yun also understood why he knew the news of the alliance between the Man and Lie countries before others, and was even able to accurately block the news from being transmitted back.
However, the war is supposed to start next month, and the two countries of Manlie should have united by now. This is a big deal, and it can't be a spur-of-the-moment decision.
But there is no news yet. Xiao Yun guessed there are two possibilities. One is that the two countries have not yet agreed on the specific matters, and the other is that the other side has not decided whether to cooperate with him.
No matter what, she has cut off his connection now, and he will become a fool tomorrow.
Xiao Yun thought about it and decided to sever his spinal nerves. This way, others would only think that he had suffered a stroke and was paralyzed in bed, unconscious.
After all, he was the prime minister and the father-in-law of the emperor. Anyone would find it strange that he suddenly became stupid. If he had a stroke, that would make sense. After all, he was not young anymore. Who doesn't have some old age problems? In addition, the prime minister of a country must be busy with state affairs every day, so he must have been exhausted and sick...