Wang Lu drove for three days in a row, only resting a little while eating every day, and sleeping only four hours at night, and finally drove the carriage back to Hongzhou.

During the three days on the road, the third prince spoke very little, only saying the most necessary words. Not a word more.

Sometimes he accidentally saw the face of the third prince, and saw that the expression on his face seemed to be calm, but he seemed to be able to understand the uneasiness under his calm appearance.

Anyway, he was the same as the first time he came to Hongzhou.

After the carriage entered Hongzhou.

As soon as he drove the carriage into a street in Hongzhou, Wang Lu found that many people were gathered at an intersection and said something.

"Is the emperor really so despicable and shameless?" Someone asked.

"It's not a fake." Someone replied.

"That Zheng Jin is too sad, he once had such a great credit to Dali, and now he ended up like this."

"That's why King Pingkang wants to raise the banner to rebel, I respect him as a man......"

Many others were whispering, "King Pingkang is indeed a man. ”

Wang Lu said to Lu Shikang: "Third son, do we want to stop and listen?" ”

Lu Shikang said: "No need. ”

"Then let's go back to the inn where we stayed before?"

"Hmmm......"

Wang Lu then drove the carriage to the Mingyue Inn.

On the way to the Mingyue Inn, I met several group chats along the way, all of which were at the intersection, and the crowd was all in a dark place, talking about the same content, that is, how the emperor was mediocre and how chivalrous Zhou Peng was.

About half an hour after entering the city, Wang Lu drove the carriage to the Mingyue Inn.

Mingyue Inn is one of the most luxurious inns in Hongzhou City, just in the center of the city, with an elegant appearance and low-key elegance inside, and the people who come and go inside are powerful or wealthy businessmen.

When he arrived at the second floor of the inn, Lu Shikang ordered Wang Lu to call Qi Fang.

After Qi Fang came to Lu Shikang's room from his room, Lu Shikang said to him: "You quickly go and report to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Ma Changhui, the prefect of Hongzhou, has rebelled and asked him to go to Li Dongcheng." ”

"What? The prefect of Hongzhou has rebelled? Qi Fang was surprised.

Lu Shikang replied: "Yes, you still have to tell him that at the same time, there are several small cities on the border, Longshang City, Kueh Han City, Mingde City, Citrus City, Guangjin City, etc. Among the cities close to Chenzhou, the only cities that have not yet rebelled are Cui Guangcheng and Guang'an City, and Li Dongcheng north of Hongzhou. ”

Qi Fang's eyes widened and said, "How did the third prince know?" ”

The third prince took them to visit these cities a few days ago, but the third prince didn't have much communication with people from the government, so how could he deduce which cities had rebelled and which cities had not?

What is the basis for the third son?

You can't just talk about it, right?

Lu Shikang replied to him: "Every time we go to a city, we can see the attitude of the local government towards rumors. In the cities where the officials I just mentioned have defected, the common people can freely spread rumors on the streets that are unfavorable to the emperor, but no officers and soldiers have stopped them, which shows that the local government is acquiescing in the rumors, and even adding fuel to the flames. Have you noticed that many of the rumor-mongers look like Lian Jiazi, and these people are often the ones who scold the emperor the hardest, and they must be disguised as soldiers in the city or guards in the yamen. ”

He paused for a moment and then said: "But in those cities where there has not yet been a mutiny, when the officers and soldiers encounter someone gathering somewhere to spread such rumors, they either disperse the crowd or capture the most impassioned people in the crowd, so that the rumors cannot be spread. ”

Only then did Wang Lu and Qi Fang understand that the third prince took them in and out of various cities a few days ago, not to play, but to observe the situation of the officials in various cities towards rumors.

And deduce from this which city officials have rebelled, and which city officials are still loyal to the emperor.

At that time, the two of them were still thinking about how the third prince was about to fight, and they still had the heart to travel in the mountains and rivers.

Now it seems that the third son was misunderstood at that time.

Qi Fang sighed in his heart how meticulous the third prince's observation was, how careless he was, and never knew how to analyze the scenes he saw.

He replied to the third prince: "Then I will go to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince tomorrow to report to him and ask him to turn around in Li Dongcheng." ”

Li Dong City is in the northwest direction of Hongzhou City.

Since His Royal Highness the Crown Prince still has a few days to arrive, why should he go now, seeing that the time is already dusk.

"Go today." Lu Shikang said.

"Yes, Third Prince, I'll leave now." Qi Fang had no choice but to say.

.

Qi Fang rode along the road from the capital to Hongzhou, and met the military horses of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince at noon on the second day.

After Qi Fang reported to his home and saw His Royal Highness the Prince, he explained the situation to His Royal Highness the Prince, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince praised: "This prince knows that he has invited the right person, and your son-in-law has analyzed it very well." ”

Qi Fang said: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has praised it falsely. ”

The third prince was so appreciated by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and he also felt that his face was very glorious.