dognovel Chapter 181 The Crown Prince and Prince Cheng have been kidnapped.
Chapter 181 The Crown Prince and Prince Cheng have been kidnapped.
Granny Chen couldn't help but glare, "Your Highness, how can you treat the Imperial Concubine like this?"
Yu Chi Ling pointed to the tents under the shade of trees not far away, his deep voice suddenly rising, "Of all the tents, only this one is sheltered from the wind and sun. It was originally intended for Father Emperor, but Father Emperor, out of consideration for Mother Consort's pampered nature, gave it to her. But Mother Consort is far too pampered. Throughout the entire Wangqiu Mountain, whether on the mountain or below, whether soldiers, officials, or young masters from noble families, no one complains of hardship or fatigue. The moment she arrives, she makes demands and orders, showing no consideration for anyone. If she only cares about comfort and enjoyment, how can those soldiers who brave the bitter cold and scorching heat to train and who are willing to fight to the death think about it?"
Granny Chen's face was a mixture of pale and ashen, and she kept her head down, unable to utter a single word.
Not far away, listening to the sounds outside the tent, Consort Lan almost dug her nails through her palms. With an embarrassed expression, she couldn't help but rush out of the tent, but she had only taken two steps when she saw Yu Chi Sheng enter from outside.
"Emperor...Emperor..."
With his hands behind his back, Yu Chi Sheng's face was filled with anger, and his words were harsh: "Consort Lan, can't you even endure this little hardship? This is a military camp, a place of great importance. How can you act so spoiled in front of the soldiers? What do you think of those soldiers who have risked their lives for the country? Over the years, as the Empress, you have truly spoiled yourself and become arrogant! I even considered making you Empress, but how can you be the mother of the nation when you only care about your own pleasure and disregard the suffering of others?"
"Your Majesty, I didn't... I didn't..." Consort Lan shook her head in fear, denying it. It wasn't that she hadn't been reprimanded by the Emperor before, but in the past, she had at most been criticized for not caring about Prince Cheng; never before had she been told she was unworthy to be Empress!
"You have truly disappointed me!" Yu Chisheng said through gritted teeth, then turned and strode away from her tent.
His words kept echoing in Consort Lan's mind, like a club relentlessly pounding on her head, making her not only feel a headache but also a terrible panic.
When Granny Chen entered, she saw the woman swaying precariously and quickly stepped forward to support her. "Your Highness, what's wrong? This servant will call the imperial physician for you right away..."
Consort Lan grabbed her wrist, struggling to find her voice, "No...no need..."
Granny Chen helped her to sit down on the simple wooden bed and poured her a glass of water.
Consort Lan held the cup in both hands, her hands trembling uncontrollably as her heart raced.
"Your Highness?" Granny Chen had never seen her like this before and asked nervously, "What did the Emperor say to you just now?"
"Granny, did I do something wrong?" Consort Lan looked at her, her eyes filled with regret and unease. "I originally thought that being good to the Crown Prince would earn me the Emperor's praise and the support of the court officials. But why is the Emperor becoming more and more impatient and disgusted with me? He even said that I am not worthy to be Empress! I treat other people's sons as my own flesh and blood, yet I am indifferent to my own son. Doesn't that demonstrate my virtue and kindness? If the Empress were alive, could she have treated my son as her own?"
Granny Chen closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Your Highness, please don't overthink things. Don't hurt yourself."
It's too late to say all this now.
Moreover, the Empress's assumption is completely unfounded, because she does not regard other people's sons as her own flesh and blood, but the Crown Prince is her own flesh and blood!
Consort Lan's expression darkened, and her eyes suddenly filled with malice. "Since all my efforts over the years have been unappreciated, then this time I'll make it all clean!"
Apart from sighing, Granny Chen didn't say another word.
……
In the other tent by the stream.
Yu Chi Rui was waiting for nightfall.
As soon as it gets dark, his Qilin Guards will enter the mountains to set up their formation.
Tomorrow is the day of death for Yuchi Ling and Ye Shishu...
In addition, several of the officials accompanying him had a close relationship with Ye Gengxin. They claimed to be royalists, but secretly they harbored prejudice against him, the crown prince. He had long disliked them!
This time, he will bury all of these people in Wangqiu Mountain!
With these officials dead, Ye Gengxin, who was in charge of the hunt, would be held accountable and severely punished!
"hehe!"
The thought that this operation would kill multiple birds with one stone and remove all his obstacles made Yu Chisheng laugh.
Finally, the sun set.
The attendants who had been surrounding his tent had vanished without a trace.
He lay on the wooden plank couch, happily imagining tomorrow's achievements.
Suddenly, a delicate fragrance wafted into his nostrils.
His expression suddenly changed, and he immediately sat up.
But the fragrance grew stronger and stronger, and before he could even put his boots on, he involuntarily fell back onto the couch—
……
In another tent.
Wu Yue reported, "Your Majesty, the Qilin Guards disguised as attendants of the Crown Prince have entered the mountains and set traps in many places."
Yu Chisheng was so angry that he wanted to draw his sword and kill someone.
"That bastard, he actually dared to do that!"
"Your Majesty, to prevent everyone from encountering a trap when entering the mountains tomorrow, His Highness Prince Cheng has decided to take action tonight."
"Yes!" Yu Chisheng gritted his teeth and said, "That beast should have been taught a lesson sooner!"
Many people were busy that night.
Just before dawn, a startled cry pierced the air, waking everyone from their sleep—
"His Highness the Crown Prince has been kidnapped!"
As Yu Chi Sheng was being dressed by Qi Sui, Consort Lan rushed in excitedly, crying out, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has been kidnapped! You must send someone to rescue him immediately!"
Yu Chi Sheng looked like he hadn't woken up yet, and said with a stern face, "This is a military camp, a place of great importance. Who dares to act so recklessly? The Crown Prince is such a grown man, who knows where he's off to play. What kind of behavior is this, shouting and yelling like this?"
Consort Lan handed him the note and said urgently, "Your Majesty, I am not joking. This was left in the Crown Prince's camp by the bandits!"
Yu Chisheng took the note and read that it read—
'The Crown Prince and Prince Cheng are both in my hands. If you want them to live, send Consort Lan to the Western Hills to exchange them.'
The signatory is Hua Ping!
He looked horrified. "What? The Crown Prince and Prince Cheng have both been arrested?"
Just then, Ye Shishu ran over anxiously, "Father! Father, save me! The Prince has been kidnapped!"
Yu Chi Sheng glared at her angrily, "Aren't you with Prince Cheng?"
Ye Shishu looked like she was crying. "Your Majesty, I was with Physician Hua last night... Just now I heard the Imperial Concubine calling out, so I went to the Prince's tent to find him, hoping to go with him to the Imperial Concubine to ask about the situation. But all I saw was this!"
After she finished speaking, she handed over a slip of paper.
Yu Chisheng snatched it away.
The handwriting and content on the two slips of paper were exactly the same.
"Isn't Hua Ping a traitor to Hua Xiang Pavilion? Consort Lan, why do you need to exchange Hua Ping for the Crown Prince and Prince Cheng?"