The people sent out came back to report: they didn't find the whereabouts of the third prince, but they saw that he went to Anhou Mansion, but he didn't block anyone.

"Because it is Anhou Mansion, his subordinates did not dare to act rashly." After speaking, the Iron Cavalry General kept his head down, not daring to look at the face of the eldest prince, and only waited quietly to the side.

The fourth prince, Xiao Chuling, raised his eyes and looked up, only to see that behind the bead curtain made of jade beads, the eldest prince Xiao Chuhe was in golden armor, sitting on the throne leisurely with his head in one hand, and playing with the will that had already been prepared with the other.

"Huh." He sneered, "Lord Pingning intervened in this matter? Fourth, what do you think? ”

The fourth prince said respectfully: "An Hou has always been loyal to the royal family before his death, and it is understandable that the third child will go to the Hou Mansion for help." It's just that as we all know, the troops of the Hou Mansion have been transferred to the battlefield, and he may not be satisfied. ”

Xiao Chuhe looked at the will in his hand playfully and hooked his lips. "You mean that the county lord of Pingning may not accept the third child?"

"Brother Chen didn't know, he just thought of something and said."

Xiao Chuhe pondered for a while, hummed softly, and said, "What you said is not reasonable, that girl in Pingning is a smart person, what good is it for her to help the third child?" ”

"That's what the royal brother said." Xiao Chuling complimented.

Then Xiao Chuhe's gaze moved downward, squinting at him, and the corners of his mouth rose: "I remember that you seem to be a little interesting to that girl?" ”

The fourth prince was stunned, and couldn't help clenching his fists, his throat a little dry. "Brother..."

"If you like it, say it, that girl is really beautiful. You've been with me for so long, and you haven't married a concubine yet, have you? I like it, I gave her to you! ”

Before he ascended the throne, he already called himself me, and it seems that this Xiao Chuhe has concluded that he has no worries.

Xiao Chuling's eyes darkened, and for a moment he was no different from usual, only kneeling down on one knee with his fists in front of him, "Thank you, Brother Huang." ”

Xiao Chuhe seemed to be more sure of what he was doing when he saw him. A prince who can be satisfied with a woman, why wouldn't he do it? In the future, whether he is single-minded to the county lord, whether he likes the new and hates the old, it is a good thing for him. "You're infatuated. What happened to Lao Qi and the others? ”

Since he was a child, he has been fighting with the third and seventh children, and the situation has become more and more out of control in recent years. If he hadn't received information that his father had made an edict to let the third child inherit the throne and announce that the auxiliary minister would enter the palace, he would not have been in such a hurry to force the palace. In the end, it's still not right.

The third child escaped, and the seventh child wanted to say that there was no movement without him, and he didn't believe it.

"Back to Your Majesty, the Seventh Prince and the Eighth Prince are confined in the palace separately, and there are special guards. The second prince was injured, and he was in Bixi Palace with the ninth prince, and there was no abnormality. ”

Xiao Chuhe nodded, "I usually don't see that the second child would actually block the sword for Xiao Chulan, isn't it bullying feelings?" That Xiao Jiu's relationship with the county lord of Pingning seems to be good, and the county lord got close to him when he was still in the palace... Fourth, you have to pay attention. ”

Xiao Chuling: "Brother understands that he will definitely take good care of people." Brother Huang rest assured. ”

"Hmm."

Xiao Chuhe unfolded the edict and couldn't help but laugh when he saw that it was clearly written on it that the three princes would inherit the unification. Xiao Chuzhan, what else will that kid do besides winning people's hearts? He will inherit the throne? Scold. Okay, then let's see if he has this life!

With a wave of his hand, he threw the edict of the former emperor to the seat, and a dark light flashed in his calm eyes. "Hunt down Xiao Chuzhan, and after discovering it, there is no mercy for killing."

"The last general commands."

*

The Imperial Palace, the Seven Princes.

The moon and stars outside the window are scarce, and there are not even eunuchs and maids serving tea and water in the huge palace. But Xiao Chulian knew that his eldest brother, who couldn't wait to force the palace and looked ugly just after his father's death, must have sent someone to make the outside of the palace like an iron bucket, for fear that he would do something.

He laughed, a smile running through his long, narrow fox-like shrewd eyes, picked up the porcelain on the shelf, and shook it with both hands. Moving his gaze to the heavily guarded temple door, "Hey" smashed things on the door.

Hearing the sound, all of them were Xiao Chuhe's private soldiers, and naturally they didn't have a good face for him. "Do what?"

"Tsk, Xiao Chuhe's dog is really the same as him." Xiao Chulian put his hands behind his back, slowly turned around and sat down in front of the couch, with a flirtatious smile on the corner of his mouth. With one hand on his head, he raised Erlang's legs and said lazily: "Brother Emperor wants me to die, wants to cut me with a thousand knives, and wants me to die ugly." But starving me to death and dying of thirst would be too shabby to say it, right? Bring me something to eat and drink. ”

The guard rushed up with a "you don't know whether to live or die" expression, as if to teach him a lesson. "You still want to eat and drink? Do you think you-"

"Hey." Another guard hurriedly followed to stop him, cautiously glanced at Xiao Chulian, and after making sure that there was no problem, he said, "If he wants to eat, let someone bring it, don't talk nonsense with him." ”

After going out, the guard who was stopped said unhappily: "What are you stopping me for?" He still thought he was the high Seventh Prince? ”

"Say less. If the Seventh Prince really didn't have to be careful, the Great Prince would still send so many of us to guard it with heavy troops? He shook his head, "You and I don't know what he's up to, so it's better to talk to him less." ”

The guards think about it.

In the hall, Xiao Chulian sat up straight, and said in his heart: "It's a good thing to be cautious, but it's a pity if you see the wrong object." He showed his hand hidden under his sleeve, and between his fingers was a small wax sealing pill that had been passed to him by the rude and reckless guard just now.

Crumpling the beeswax on the outside, he unfolded the slender strip of paper, and he quickly swept it over.

The note read: Three princes, on the run.

"What a pity..."

The note was lit up close to the candle flame, and a cloud of black smoke rose in the air. Seeing that the flames were about to burn his hands, Xiao Chulian suddenly let go and chuckled.

"The eldest brother hasn't even solved the third brother yet, so the main hall will come to help him." After speaking, a strange dark light crossed his eyes, as if a patterned poisonous tongue that was watching in the dark gradually took the initiative to reveal his figure, and he was about to attack his prey.

In the night, the tall horses galloped wildly, standing out on the empty and silent streets, with one group of men running in front and another group chasing behind, and the two teams chased them all the way out of the city. Seeing that he couldn't escape, Xiao Chuzhan drew his sword and turned his head.

"Your Highness!"

"The eldest brother is so undead to me, I'm really afraid that he won't succeed. Kill! ”

He is the heir to the throne appointed by his father, Xiao Chuhe forced the palace to usurp the throne, and the Anhou Mansion was closed, and he was at the end of the road? No, he didn't believe he couldn't kill himself!

The two teams of men and horses exchanged hands in the wilderness outside the city, and for a moment the swords and swords met. The cavalry under the eldest prince did not expect that the third prince looked gentle and elegant, and the people under his command were on par with the trained ones. For a while, the casualties on both sides were equal, and it was difficult to capture Xiao Chuzhan immediately.

At this time, another group of men and horses came from the direction of Wangcheng, wearing the cavalry uniforms of Xiao Chuhe's men. Xiao Chuzhan saw a thorn in his eye and ordered to evacuate. The cavalry fighting with him couldn't help but look back when they heard the sound of horses' hooves coming from far and near behind him, and only relieved when they found that the other party's attire and horses were under the command of the great prince.

"Withdraw." Although Xiao Chuzhan was unwilling, he could still see the situation clearly, and now was the time to be reckless.

The later team of centaurs saw that Xiao Chuzhan was about to go, and suddenly sped up, and the leader rode his horse close and rose from the horse, with a thin gossamer in his hand, jumped to Xiao Chuzhan and immediately threw it, put it on his neck and tightened it again, turned over and forced, and in the blink of an eye, Xiao Chuzhan's head rolled to the ground like cutting tofu.

"Your Highness——!" The entourage was still entangled with the group of people, watching Xiao Chuzhan's head fall to the ground.

The man who took the life of the third prince walked over and picked up his head, and said concisely and clearly to the people and horses he brought: "Your Majesty has an order, and no one will be left." ”

"Yes."

*

Xiao Chuzhan's head was presented to Xiao Chuhe in a box, and when he passed by Xiao Chuling, he couldn't help but take a second look, and sighed lightly in his heart. Yesterday's prince can't even leave a whole corpse today. It's sad, it's ridiculous.

Xiao Chuhe raised his hand, and the attendant on the side stepped forward to open the box. The pale head of the third prince, Xiao Chuzhan, was impressively placed in the center of the wooden box.

Xiao Chuhe laughed: "Third brother, third brother, when you bought people's hearts and won your good reputation, did you ever think that there would be today?" Take it out and throw it away. ”

No matter how you say it, they are all brothers, but I didn't expect Xiao Chuhe to be so ruthless. The bones of the royal brothers were thrown away, and they didn't even care about the royal decency. The chamberlain stood aside and buried his head deeply, and there were some words that he could only think about in his heart.

"My third brother, you killed me?" Xiao Chuhe looked at the man under the steps, and saw that he was wearing the riding clothes under his command, but why didn't he have any impression of such a character?

"Yes." The man replied.

"Well done, step down." Seeing that the man did not retreat, Xiao Chuhe became suspicious. "What, you want to get a reward?"

"Don't dare."

"And what are you doing here?"

"Naturally, it's because the person who should reward him is not the imperial brother, but the main hall." Xiao Chuhuan calmly walked in from the outside, and when he passed by the man, he couldn't help but smile and said, "It's hard work." ”

"It is for the sake of the ministers, and it is due."

"Xiao Chulian, I underestimate your seventh brother." Xiao Chuhe narrowed his eyes and glanced at Xiao Chuling.

Xiao Chuling smiled and raised his hand to stop Xiao Chuling. "You don't need to look at the fourth brother, most of the people outside are no longer yours." He clasped his hands and looked at Xiao Chuhe, who was invincible on the steps, and said: "My father has passed away, and my eldest brother has neither an edict nor an edict from the emperor, so why do you call yourself 'I'?" It's shameless. The name on the holy decree is clearly the third brother, but unfortunately now the third brother has been poisoned by you, and the brothers are killing each other, and the younger brother is really sad. ”

Having said that, Xiao Chulian had a smile on his face from beginning to end, and there was a trace of sadness on his face.

"The third child, but you killed it." Xiao Chuhe gritted his teeth and said.

Xiao Chuchuan shrugged, "So what?" As everyone knows, today it is the eldest brother and your cavalry are searching everywhere inside and outside the city for the whereabouts of the third emperor brother. And the main hall has been locked up in the palace, and now it is not easy to come out. ”

Xiao Chuhe: "You are a civil and military official, are the people of the world stupid?" ”

Xiao Chulian: "I've been stupid for so long, and I don't care how stupid I am." You forced the palace, and you did it to murder the new emperor, and the palace acted for heaven and killed the unscrupulous descendants of the Xiao family, which is the destiny of heaven. Brother Huang, I have to thank you very much. ”

"Thank me?" Something flashed through Xiao Chuhe's mind, and he suddenly reacted. "Could it be that there is no edict from beginning to end... Xiao Chulian, you! ”

Xiao Chuhuan smiled, he only thought that his imperial brother was a martial artist, but he didn't expect that he still had a little brain.

"Where is the edict, even if there is a main hall, you can't let other people's names appear on it, right? It's just that people put some fake news and create a fake edict, but I didn't expect the eldest brother to be fooled so easily, saving the palace a lot of trouble. ”

"Come on, take down the eldest brother and put away the third brother's head. As for the fourth brother..."

Xiao Chulian looked at Xiao Chuling, and his lips hooked up a wicked smile. "Does the fourth brother want to live?"

"What do you want, what if you don't want to?"

"Huh? The fourth brother is so calm, not afraid at all? Xiao Chuling couldn't help frowning, this Xiao Chuling was timid and cautious, following Xiao Chuhe's side only promised, and even looking at Pingning's girl was sneaky. Now so calm, not like his way of acting, or... He used to pretend?

Xiao Chuhe arranged less than forty percent of the people inside and outside the palace, he just wanted to fight, but he didn't have that ability.

"Fourth brother, what's the matter? Are you interested in the throne too? ”

Xiao Chuling sneered, "No, I'm not interested. ”

"So, the fourth brother wants to live?"

"Fourth!" Xiao Chuhe always felt that something was wrong, so he couldn't help staring at Xiao Chuling, his chest suddenly stagnated, and he couldn't help but fall forward to the ground, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't do it.

Not only him, but also Xiao Chuling and the rest of the people in the hall reacted the same way, but Xiao Chuling was still standing there.

"Xiao Chuling, you..."

Xiao Chuling pulled out the sword next to the cavalryman, put it against Xiao Chuling's neck, and sneered: "I want to live, do you have to give me the opportunity?" ”

*

When the Minister of Civil and Military Affairs, who had received a message from Xiao Chulian, arrived, only the bodies of the eldest prince and the seventh prince were left in the main hall, and their throats were sealed with a sword, and the heads of the three princes rolled out of the wooden box and fell quietly aside. A human skin mask of the Four Princes was casually thrown to the ground.

One day, the first emperor died, and the new emperor was murdered by his brother one night, and the remaining two princes who were suitable for the succession of the throne also died in this hall. The ministers couldn't help but sigh: Is it possible, is it really heaven that wants to destroy my dynasty?

……

Cui Jingyu wanted to say something in front of Ping Ning after hearing about it, but she hesitated and didn't speak, her eyes looked at Ping Ning and looked away, looked and looked away. In the end, Ping Ning couldn't stand it anymore, put down the book in his hand, and said, "Ask whatever you want, I look dizzy when you are dangling here." ”

"Sister, do you know anything about the palace?"

Ping Ning tilted his head and turned a page of the book, "Is there anyone who doesn't know now?" ”

"That's... When did you find out? Is it an afterthought, or... Beforehand? Cui Jingyu knew that it was inappropriate to say this, but she stirred her fingers, and she asked ruthlessly. She always felt that this matter was vaguely related to the Nine Emperor Princes in the palace.

Ping Ning was silent for a while, and said, "It's after the fact." ”

Cui Jingyu just breathed a sigh of relief, but listened to her again: "The specific thing is after the fact, probably beforehand." ”

Cui Jingyu chuckled in her heart, "What do you mean?" You said that you didn't participate in the struggle for imperial power, how... Something to do with that Nine Emperor Princes, isn't it? ”

"Jingyu." Ping Ning interrupted her and said only a word. "The Li Dynasty, we, all need a new emperor now—a new emperor who is on the same front as ours."

Outside the royal city.

Xiao Chuhan's injury was just a little healed, so he took Liu Guifei in the car and left immediately.

"Han'er, don't you want to fight for this throne? The eldest is gone, the third, and the seventh are gone, so you won't go-"

"Mother." Xiao Chuhan stroked his forehead, and didn't know how to explain to her for a while. "The royal city is in chaos, and the number of rites is approaching, doesn't my son want to live well with you?"

With Xiao Chulan here, no matter how busy the rest of the brothers are, they are busy in vain.

That kid has looked like nothing in the past few years, but the mute little eunuch who usually follows him is not a good stubble at first glance, Xiao Chulan's eyes are very different from a few years ago, and he is by no means a fuel-efficient lamp. He is leaving Xiao Chulan now, turning a blind eye, after all, the sword blocked for him in the main hall was not in vain, and it would be impossible to say in the future. It's better to go early.

The remaining princes are like a plate of loose sand, and they do not form a climate. Four years later, the ministers really had no choice but to help the Nine Emperors, the only one who was still on the throne, not asking him what he could do, just asking him to sit in peace. If you want to fight, then fight.