bookcurios Chapter 336 Jiangzhou Amidst the Flames of War
Chapter 336 Jiangzhou Amidst the Flames of War
Su Qingyan finally settled the score with Yongkang. As the dust settled, Mu Qingcheng rushed over to meet her.
After a brief reunion, Mu Qingcheng decided to travel to Shouchun with the Su siblings.
Almost simultaneously, the situation in Jiangzhou became extremely precarious.
With Yun Qing stationed in Jiangzhou, her first priority is to control the rampant plague.
Cang Xu secretly kidnapped Duan Muyao and Duan Muchen, forcing Duan Qingzhou to raise an army to attack Jiangzhou.
At this time, an imperial edict arrived in the capital, proclaiming to the world that Yun Qing "possessed military power and plotted rebellion," and that troops were dispatched to punish him.
Yun Qing was suddenly attacked from both sides.
Meanwhile, in the capital city, thousands of miles away, another silent battle had already begun!
First, rumors spread like wildfire, with people saying: "The Crown Prince has established himself in Jiangzhou with an army, intending to usurp the throne. He disregards the lives of the people and is about to start a war."
"Jiangzhou forcibly conscripted able-bodied men, taxes skyrocketed, people sold their children, and refugees were everywhere..."
The rumors spread like wildfire, causing widespread anxiety among the people.
But soon, another rumor was thrown into the riverbed like a boulder, stirring up a pool of muddy water!
“Crown Prince Yunqing is actually the orphan of the former Crown Prince Shaojun. For many years, Emperor Shengwu has repeatedly tried to get rid of him. He was forced to come to Jiangzhou—Jiangzhou has never prepared for war, nor have there been any refugees fleeing.”
These words caused a stir in both the court and the public.
Those with a keen eye seized the opportunity to uncover a series of old stories buried by time:
Why was the Crown Prince sent to the mountains to "learn skills" at the age of six, while other princes were able to stay in the palace and be carefully cared for?
"Why was the crown prince sent to fight on the harsh frontier at the age of twelve?"
Why has no one ever seen his true face?
"Why would he kill his own uncle, Lord Shang?"
"And why is he the least well-regarded among all the princes?"
In teahouses and taverns, discussions were in full swing. The people meticulously pieced together a chilling truth!
At this moment, another rumor exploded in the capital! When the Crown Prince was six years old, Princess Shaoyue, the only one who could protect him, was forced into a political marriage, and Emperor Shengwu wanted to kill the Crown Prince in the palace. It was the people of Xuantian Palace who secretly rescued him and hid him deep in the mountains.
"I see!" Everyone suddenly realized.
Another person said indignantly, "The Crown Prince was twelve years old when he was guarding the frontier. The Emperor thought he wouldn't live more than a few days. But the Crown Prince not only survived, but he also guarded the frontier for five years. He built an iron wall around the northern border, defeated the Northern Di, and made great military achievements. However, all these achievements were deliberately covered up by the court."
The people were indignant on behalf of the crown prince!
Five years later, the emperor summoned him back to the capital. Instead of bestowing honors, he was subjected to even more intensive assassination attempts and poisonings. Fortunately, the crown prince was a disciple of the Xuantian Palace and possessed superb martial arts skills, allowing him to escape death multiple times.
The more the rumors spread, the more believable they seemed, and people's minds gradually became clear. Every "why" ultimately pointed to the same answer: "It's not that the crown prince is disloyal or unfilial, but that the one on the dragon throne cannot tolerate him."
Yun Qing did not utter a word in his own defense, but instead used the voices of the world to wash away the mudslinging that had been smeared against him for years.
His name was cleared of suspicion amidst the widespread rumors and gossip.
Yun Qing has won a complete victory in the battle of the capital!
Just as Jiangzhou was in grave danger, outside the gates of the Ning Mansion in the dead of night!
Madam Ye, the matriarch of the Ning family, directed her trusted confidantes to quietly load chests of gold, silver, and valuables onto the carriage at the back gate. Her headdress of jewels shimmered in the dim lantern light, yet it offered no warmth; only greed and fear flickered in her deep-set eyes.
The industry can be abandoned, but the hard-earned money accumulated over decades must be taken with us.
"Grandmother, are you done yet? Didn't you say you transferred all the Ning family's money away a long time ago? How come there's still so much left?" It was Ning Haokun who was sitting in a carriage, impatiently shouting.
Madam Ning turned her head and said with a smile, "Alright, alright! Grandmother is only doing this for you all. How could I complain about having too much money!"
Madam Ning's eyes lit up as she looked at the boxes of gold and silver treasures: "Isn't this all because you have a father who knows how to make money!"
"Pshaw! He's not my dad!"
Madam Ning was not angry at all; instead, she said with a smile, "That's right. How could someone surnamed Ning be worthy of being the father of our Ye family's children and grandchildren!"
She glanced at the gates of the Ning residence one last time, then boarded the carriage without hesitation: "Let's go!"
Just as the carriage was about to move, several torches suddenly lit up as if it were daytime, illuminating the entire street.
A group of soldiers in armor blocked both ends of the street. Just as Madam Ning was still in shock, a man carrying a torch came over!
"Who are you? You're tired of living, daring to block our way. Do you even know who we are?"
"Oh! Who are you? I really don't know?"
As the person carrying the torch approached, Madam Ning looked over and saw a woman in her forties or fifties whom she did not recognize, but she recognized the person behind her!
Ning Haokun also saw it: "Ning Haochen, you little bastard, how dare you collude with outsiders to stop us! I knew long ago that you wanted to embezzle the Ning family's assets. You wolfish and ambitious dog, you don't deserve it!"
Ning Haochen chuckled: "I'm not worthy? Then you, a bastard who doesn't even have the surname Ning, are even less worthy!"
Ning Haokun was stunned for a moment, then recovered and said, "You, you actually know? Humph, so what if I know!" He pointed to the timber surrounding the courtyard wall and said, "From now on, the entire Ning family will cease to exist. Only our Ye family deserves the title of the richest family in the world!"
But Madam Ning sensed something was wrong. She kept looking at the woman in front of her, and the more she looked, the more familiar she seemed!
"You, you, you are Ning Huiying!"
Surprisingly, the person holding the torch was none other than Ning Huiying, the eldest daughter of Old Master Ning and his ex-wife, who had been sold into the "Holy Domain," rescued by the Su family, and finally brought back to Jiangzhou by Mu Qingcheng.
"It's rare that you can still recognize me!" Ning Huiying's voice was exceptionally cold in the quiet night, her eyes sharp as knives.
"Jiangzhou has not yet fallen, and the Ning family has not yet perished. Are you in such a hurry to take away the Ning family's assets to support your Ye family?"
Suddenly, the gates of the Ning residence opened from the inside, and a group of people walked out. Leading them were Ning Dechang and his wife, Madam Qin, along with elders of the Ning family and some members of collateral branches. All these people had been invited by Old Madam Ning under the guise of celebrating her birthday; she intended to wipe out the entire Ning family in one fell swoop.
The clan elder, seeing the timber outside the courtyard wall, was both angry and frightened: "Ye, you vicious woman, what are you doing? What have we, the Ning family, done to offend you so much that you would resort to such cruelty!"
Ning Haokun said in disbelief, "Grandmother, weren't they all drugged? How come they're still standing here perfectly fine?"
Ning Haochen calmly said, "Our Ning family's fate is not yet over, but your Ye family will not be so lucky. A bloodsucking worm dares to dream of swallowing its host whole. It is truly courting death."
The main hall of the Ning Mansion.
Ning Dechang and Qin Shi sat on either side of the main seat, their expressions filled with surprise and uncertainty. The clan elders and members of the Ning family sat on either side.
The hall was as bright as day. In the center, Ning Huiying stood alone, while Old Madam Ning and Ning Haokun were tied up and thrown on the ground.
"Today, I ask you all to be my witnesses." Ning Huiying looked around, her tone calm, yet every word was chilling. "I am Ning Huiying, the eldest daughter of the Ning family, the Ning Huiying who once married into the capital. But I never married into the capital; it was all a deception by her—the Ye family..."
After Ning Huiying recounted her experiences over the years, everyone present was deeply moved!
She then pointed to Madam Ning: "This person, Madam Ye, is not an orphan. She was originally from a poor family and had a younger brother. Because her family was poor, her parents starved to death, and she was later separated from her brother. My mother took pity on her and took her into the mansion to work as a cleaning maid."