The acting king, who was remembered by the seven princes, was on his way back to Beijing, and he was still a hundred miles away from the capital.

At this time, he was leading a large army garrison in the field.

"Your Highness, there is a letter from Jingzhong." Fu Zhong took the letter he had just received, walked into the main tent and handed it to the acting king.

The acting king took the letter, opened it and looked at it, then his brows furrowed, and his face instantly became very ugly.

Fu Zhong saw that the acting king sank his face, and asked with concern: "Your Highness, is there an accident in Beijing?" ”

"The ninth brother's horse was drugged and almost had an accident."

"What, the horse of His Royal Highness Nine was drugged?" Fu Zhong asked, "Who gave the medicine?" ”

"The mother concubine said that the father and the emperor disposed of several eunuchs of Shang Fangling." The acting king raised the corners of his mouth and sneered, "Where did Shang Fangling's eunuch get the courage to harm the ninth brother." ”

Fu Zhong was very smart, and immediately thought of who it was: "It's the prince's person." ”

"If it weren't for the crown prince's person, my father wouldn't have come to the point." The acting king picked up the letter and put it on the candle flame and burned it, "In order to protect the crown prince, the father does not plan to investigate this matter thoroughly. ”

"What about His Highness the Nine?" Fu Zhong was upset for the Nine Emperors, "His Royal Highness the Ninth almost had an accident, doesn't the emperor care?" ”

"Nothing happened to the ninth brother."

"Just because His Royal Highness the Ninth didn't have an accident, so the emperor didn't thoroughly investigate the real culprit?" Fu Zhong said unfairly, "His Royal Highness Nine is the emperor's own son, how can the emperor treat His Royal Highness Nine like this?" ”

The king tightened his eyebrows, and did not speak with a calm face.

"Your Highness, we have to hurry back to Beijing as soon as possible, otherwise the noble concubine Niangniang and His Royal Highness the Ninth will be bullied." Fu Zhong said, "As long as you return to Beijing, no one will dare to bully the noble concubine Niangniang and His Royal Highness the Nine." ”

"Something isn't right." The acting king looked thoughtful, "There should be something else hidden in this matter." ”

"Your Highness, do you mean that the person behind the murder of the Nine Emperor Princes is not the crown prince?" Fu Zhong asked, "If it's not the prince's person, then whose person is it?" ”

"It's not as simple as it seems." The acting king guessed, "Even if the father emperor wants to protect the crown prince, the father will punish the prince's people, it is impossible to just forget it, there must be something in this that we don't know." ”

"Your Highness, who can make the emperor defend it like this?" Fu Zhong said, "Who else can there be besides the prince." ”

There were many people in the acting king's mind, but these people were not enough for his father to bother so much.

"The truth of this matter will only be known when I return."

"Your Highness, do you think this matter is coming at you?"

"It should be for me and the prince." The acting king said, "You want me to fight with the crown prince." ”

"You and the crown prince are already fighting, who ......" Fu Zhong immediately thought of who it was, "Could it be that the Wang family, the Yuan family, and the Xun family?" ”

"It's not impossible." The acting king's fingers tapped on the table, and he pondered, "The ninth brother is not in a hurry to do this, but I am in a hurry to add beads at the moment." In a few days, we will arrive in Beijing. Before returning to Beijing, I have to settle the matter of adding beads. ”

"Your Highness, you have always been favored by the emperor. On weekdays, whatever you ask the emperor for, the emperor will give it to you, but this time, the emperor has not agreed, and the emperor should not ......" Fu Zhong didn't dare to finish his words.

"Zhen Guogong and the Xie family are resistance." The acting king thought for a moment and said, "I personally wrote a letter to my father, expressing to him that I have no intention of adding pearls. ”

"Your Highness, are you planning to retreat?"

"That's right." The Acting King commanded, "Grind." ”

"Yes, Your Highness."

The acting king wrote a letter to Emperor Wu of Zhou, in which he was very sincere, saying that he had no intention of adding beads, and that it was his duty to lead troops to fight, and he did not need to be rewarded.

He wrote another letter to Concubine Rong, telling her to calm down and wait for him to return to Beijing.

Fu Zhong took the two letters written by the king on behalf of the king and sent someone to send them back to Beijing immediately.

Father, what do you think?

You have always said that I am most like you, and you obviously want me to inherit your mantle, why did you delay abolishing the crown prince?

You know that adding beads to me this time will make me more powerful to compete with the prince, why didn't you agree?

Although the Duke of Zhenguo and the Xie family are resistance, with your means, there is no need to be afraid of the Xie family at all. What the hell are you thinking?

This time, the matter of adding beads was proposed by the acting king, and it was the acting king who asked Xuanping Hou to propose it to Emperor Wu of Zhou.

The acting king was not satisfied with being only a prince. He thinks that he has made great achievements for the Great Zhou, and the status of the prince is no longer worthy of him. Only the identity of the crown prince is worthy of him, but he can't be the prince at present, so only the identity of Prince Jiazhu is barely worthy of him.

He became Prince of Gazhu first, and then the crown prince. When he becomes the prince of Jiazhu, he will be able to become the prince in the future.

Also, he let the civil and military of the Manchu Dynasty and the people of the whole world know his contributions over the years. He also wanted to let the people of the whole world know that the prince had not made any military achievements for the Great Zhou. In this way, he will replace the crown prince in the future, and the people will also feel that it is right.

In fact, the acting king has long wanted to be the prince of Jiazhu, but he has never been able to find the opportunity. This victory in Liangzhou is the best opportunity.

I missed this rare opportunity, and I want to propose the beads again next time, but I don't know when I will have to wait. Therefore, this time it must be successful.

If the matter of Jiazhu cannot be settled before returning to Beijing, this matter will be half the failure.

I hope that after seeing his letter, my father will agree to his addition of pearls.

The acting king himself was anxious, and the Marquis of Xuanping and Concubine Rong were even more anxious than him.

In the past few days, the Marquis of Xuanping has been asking the ministers who support the acting king to put pressure on Emperor Wu of Zhou, and they have also united the ministers who support the three princes and others to force Emperor Wu of Zhou to agree to add beads to the acting king.

In the Chengguang Palace, in the imperial study, Emperor Wu of Zhou was drinking tea with He Xiang, Liu Taishi, and Song Dekang.

"He Xiang, do you think I should add beads to the acting king?"

He Xiang put down the teacup in his hand, stood up and saluted Emperor Wu of Zhou: "Your Majesty, adding beads to the prince is the rule of the previous dynasty, not the rule of my dynasty. ”

Emperor Wu of Zhou looked at Taishi Liu: "Old Liu, what do you think?" ”

Taishi Liu stood up and said, "It's good that the emperor is in charge." ”

"Old Song, what about you."

"Your Majesty, the minister also thinks that adding beads to the prince is the rule of the previous dynasty, and it has nothing to do with our dynasty, and there is no need for my dynasty to learn the rules of the previous dynasty." Song Dekang is much more straightforward than He Xiang and Liu Taishi, "Besides, the acting king has received a lot of rewards, so there is no need to add any more beads." Also, the things of the previous dynasty are unlucky, so it's better not to use them in my dynasty. ”

"Old Song, you are still honest." Emperor Wu of Zhou said, glancing at He Xiang and Taishi Liu with disgust, "It's not like the two of them who are cunning and cunning." ”

Song Dekang said: "Your Majesty, the ministers have always been honest and upright. ”

He Xiang and Liu Taishi glared at Song Dekang, but Song Dekang didn't see it.

"He Xiang, Lao Liu, you have really become more and more cunning over the years, and you have been sloppy with me."

He Xiang said: "Your Majesty, you have already made a decision in your heart about whether to add beads to the acting king, haven't you?" ”

"When did I make a decision?" Emperor Wu of Zhou looked innocent, "I don't have an idea, so I'm asking for your opinion." You are like Old Song to give me an accurate answer. ”

He Xiang has always followed Emperor Wu of Zhou, and he still has some understanding of Emperor Wu Zhou's thoughts. He knew that Emperor Wu of Zhou had said these words on purpose.

"Since the emperor said so, the minister said it bluntly, and the minister felt that he should not add beads to the acting king." If he hadn't given an accurate word today, the emperor would not have let him go back.

When Taishi Liu saw that He Xiang said it directly, he could only say directly: "Your Majesty, the ministers also think that they should not add beads to the acting king." ”

"You two said, it would be nice to just say it directly." Emperor Wu of Zhou said, "You two are really mothers-in-law. ”

He Xiang and Liu Taishi, who were said to be mothers-in-law, could only ask for guilt: "The minister is guilty, please punish the emperor." ”

"Don't be such a mother-in-law in the future."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Since you all think that you shouldn't add beads to the acting king, then how should I reward the acting king after he returns to Beijing, after all, he has made such a great contribution?"

"Your Majesty, just do the same as the previous reward, there is no need to reward the acting king." Song Dekang said, "Also, the acting king can't compare with you back then. You have made more contributions than the king back then, and I haven't seen you invite credit to add pearls. Wherever the king goes, he has to add beads. ”

"Your Majesty, Lao Song is right, there is no need to reward the acting king, just do it as usual." He Xiang said, "The matter of adding beads to the prince cannot be opened. ”

Taishi Liu said sharply: "Your Majesty, if you give the acting king a special reward, it will only make the acting king's ambition bigger and bigger." ”

He Xiang heard Taishi Liu say so directly, and looked at him in surprise.