allonlinenovel Chapter 679: No Wrong Kill
Chapter 679: No Wrong Kill
In the winter of the seventeenth year of Qianwu, a bitter cold wind was howling.
The weather in Liaodong is much colder than in Chang'an.
Li Chengqian was sitting alone on the kang. The charcoal fire in the room was burning brightly, but his face was extremely gloomy.
When the secret letter from Li Ke was presented to him, Li Chengqian's hand trembled violently and the expression on his face froze instantly.
He eagerly scanned every word, his breathing becoming more rapid as he read deeper, almost catching his breath. The contents of the letter stirred up a storm in his heart.
His lips trembled slightly. He could never have imagined that his son, Li Jingyou, whom he had carefully nurtured, would have such a ridiculous idea.
Those thoughts were completely contrary to his expectations and teachings for his son, making him feel extremely sad.
Li Chengqian leaned back in his chair, his eyes empty, and fell into deep reflection.
He recalled the education he had given his son over the years, and every detail kept emerging in his mind.
He found that although he provided his son with the best resources and gave him meticulous care and guidance, his son was still too immature in many key matters and did not truly understand many principles.
Li Chengqian realized that there might be problems with his previous educational methods and that he did not understand his son well enough.
After careful consideration, Li Chengqian resolutely decided to return to the palace in person and teach his son well no matter what.
He couldn't bear to watch his son go down the wrong path. He wanted his son to understand what was right, what was wrong, and what true responsibility and accountability were.
So he immediately summoned Qin Ruzhao.
"Ruzhao, Jingyou has been acting too recklessly lately and has caused a lot of trouble. You must immediately take capable people with you to properly deal with all the foolish things he has done. Don't leave any hidden dangers."
"This matter is of great importance. I am counting on you."
Qin Ruzhao's expression was solemn, and he responded firmly, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will do my best to live up to your trust."
After saying that, he turned around and left quickly, ready to deal with those difficult matters.
At the same time, the secret plan that Li Ke had arranged in secret also began to move quietly.
Their actions were silent and did not attract anyone's attention.
Their target is the people who make the Five Stones Powder. These workshops are hidden in every corner of Yunnan Road. They seem peaceful on weekdays, but they actually hide mysteries.
Shadow Guard took advantage of the cover of night to sneak into the workshop.
Inside the workshop, the people making the Five Stones Powder were still busy, completely unaware of the impending danger.
Suddenly, a cold wind blew into the room, the candlelight flickered a few times, and then went out in an instant.
In the darkness, only a few faint sounds of struggle and painful groans could be heard. Everything happened so quickly and so silently.
After a moment, everything returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.
Those who were responsible for making the Five Stones Powder were quietly sent to meet the King of Hell and completely disappeared from this world.
The Yuan Day Ceremony in the 17th year of Qianwu.
Li Jingyou presided over this grand celebration on behalf of his father.
This year, Li Jingyou was only fifteen years old, in the prime of his youth and full of vigor and vitality.
He was dressed in gorgeous clothes and stood on a high altar, overlooking the dense crowd and envoys from various countries below.
His eyes revealed confidence and pride, as if the whole world was under his control.
Because of a series of policies implemented by Li Jingyou after he came to power, trade between the Tang Dynasty and neighboring countries became more frequent.
This year, Chang'an City was extremely bustling, and many foreign envoys came from afar. They brought with them rare treasures and unique cultures from their respective countries, making this ancient city full of exotic atmosphere.
Looking at the envoys with different skin colors and strange costumes below the stage, Li Jingyou felt an irrepressible excitement in his heart.
He felt that he was becoming more and more like his grandfather Li Shimin, who initiated the Zhenguan Reign and was honored as the Heavenly Khan. His heart was filled with lofty ambitions, and he secretly vowed that he would also create a prosperous era in which all nations would come to pay tribute and let the reputation of the Tang Dynasty spread throughout the world.
The atmosphere at the ceremony was warm and solemn.
The Arab envoy, Kula, beamed with a smile and a look of flattery as he repeatedly paid respects to Li Jingyou from afar. Speaking in broken Chinese, he exclaimed, "Your Highness, you are worthy of the Heavenly Khan! Your wisdom and bravery earn the Arab Empire's deep admiration."
"The Arab Empire is willing to submit to the Tang Dynasty forever and become its most loyal ally."
Kula's flattery was like honey, which made Li Jingyou very happy. The smile on his face became brighter and brighter, and he felt like he was floating in the air.
He was immersed in the praise, as if he had really become a great monarch like his grandfather Li Shimin.
After the ceremony, Li Jingyou returned to the Prince's Eastern Palace with a heart full of joy.
He was still immersed in the glory he had just experienced, feeling exceptionally happy. However, this wonderful mood did not last long.
The sound of breaking porcelain broke the tranquility of the East Palace.
Li Jingyou suddenly turned his head and looked at Xu Yuan.
Xu Yuan looked panicked, with beads of sweat on his forehead.
"What did you say? What do you mean? What do you mean all 30,000 muskets were stopped?"
Li Jingyou's eyes widened in disbelief, his voice unconsciously rising an octave as he roared angrily, "Who stopped them? Who has the guts?"
Xu Yuan looked at the angry Li Jingyou, sighed secretly, and said cautiously: "Your Highness, please be patient. It was General Qin Ruzhao who led his men to intercept them."
When Li Jingyou heard the three words Qin Ruzhao, he instantly lost his temper.
His face turned extremely ugly and his heart was filled with anger.
He knew in his heart that Qin Ruzhao was his father, Emperor Li Chengqian's right-hand man, had great power in the army, and was deeply trusted by his father.
There's nothing I can do about him.
He had already accepted money from the Arabs and had intended to use this batch of muskets to make friends with the Arabs and consolidate his own power, but now the goods could not arrive, which made him feel extremely upset.
"Xu Yuan, follow my orders. After tonight, no Arab envoys in Chang'an will be left alive."
Li Jingyou's eyes flashed with ruthlessness, and he said viciously, "If the Arabs ask about this later, just tell them we've already handed the goods over to them."
"Remember, this matter must be done cleanly and efficiently, without leaving any handle behind."
"Yes, Your Highness, I understand."
Xu Yuan nodded. In his opinion, this was the best way to deal with the situation at the moment.
Although he knew that doing so might cause some trouble, he had no choice but to do it for the benefit of the prince.
But fate always seemed to like playing tricks on people, and the bad news kept coming one after another. Not long after, Jiang Liuer hurried in.
He looked at the broken tea set on the ground, his heart tightened, and he was a little scared for a moment, not knowing whether he should speak.
When Li Jingyou saw Jiang Liuer coming at this time, his heart skipped a beat and he had a bad premonition.
"Jiang Liuer, what are you doing here at this hour? Is there something wrong in Yunnan Road?" There was uneasiness in his voice.
Jiang Liuer heard Li Jingyou ask this and could only bite the bullet and say, "Your Highness, we are all dead. We were in Yunnan. We don't know who did it. No one who had anything to do with the Five Stones Powder was left alive!"
Li Jingyou should have been angry, but when he heard Jiang Liuer's words, his first reaction was fear, a fear that arose from the bottom of his heart.
The matter of the Five Stones Powder is an absolute secret. Unlike the firearm transaction, it cannot be concealed even if you want to.
And in the whole world, there is only one person who can eliminate all the people he placed in Yunnan without making any noise, and that is his father.
"Was it the Jinyiwei who did it?"
Li Jingyou looked at Jiang Liuer, his voice trembling.
Jiang Liu'er shook his head and said solemnly, "Your Highness, it's not the Jinyiwei. I've never seen this kind of force before."
"One night, I arranged for 1,713 people in Yunnan, and the next day, all of them were dead. I didn't kill any of them by mistake."
"Their methods were extremely cruel and they acted in a very secretive way. We didn't receive any information in advance."