"Where are you going after this is all over?" Jiang Yanqin knew she wouldn't stay here.
"I don't know. I'll just take it one step at a time. But after you ascend the throne, I'm afraid you won't be able to manage my courier station anymore, right?"
"If you want, I can still manage it."
"Come on. Once you're on the throne, you'll have a lot of things to do. The most important thing will be the border. The surrounding countries might take the opportunity to attack. You'd better be prepared."
"Don't worry. I haven't been wasting my time outside all these years."
"That's good. But I really can't hand the courier station over to you. You'll be so busy with your own affairs that you won't have time to manage my little courier station."
"What if I become a partner then? How about we split the profits fifty - fifty?"
Mu Fengqie gave Jiang Yanqin a look, speechless. Sure enough, Jiang Yanqin was still the same old Jiang Yanqin. His love for money deep in his bones hadn't changed.
"You're going to have a national treasury. And yet you're still eyeing my little courier station. Is that appropriate?"
"Why isn't it appropriate? Think about it. With me as your backer, no one will dare to bully you. And with me as a partner, your courier station will surely expand and open more branches, won't it?"
"Still, we can't split it fifty - fifty. I'll be at a great loss. It'll be thirty - seventy. You get thirty and I get seventy."
Jiang Yanqin wasn't having it. He wasn't stupid. He knew how profitable this courier station was. He had built it up with his own hands.
"No way. Thirty - seventy is too little. It has to be fifty - fifty."
"No. It's thirty - seventy."
The secret guards of both of them were speechless. Watching their respective masters arguing over money, almost ready to fight, they were really worried about themselves. If they did fight and one of them managed to win but scared the money away, they were surely doomed. It was really tough being a secret guard these days.
In the end, they each took a step back and reached an agreement. It would be forty - sixty. Jiang Yanqin would get forty and Mu Fengqie sixty.
Because of the pressure from the common people and the ministers, Li Tongyu was in a poor mental state and always in a daze.
"Your Majesty, the common people in the city are causing a huge ruckus. Please come up with a solution soon."
"Think, think, think! What's there to think about? I've protected them, provided them with food and shelter. And yet they turn against me and surround me. Since that's the case, I won't protect them anymore."
"Come here! Pass on my order. There are criminals hiding in the capital. Search every household. If anyone refuses to cooperate, execute them first and report later."
This time, Li Tongyu sent out her private troops. The soldiers searched every household for the true son of heaven who was supported by the common people.
Jing Xunce watched as the common people below were harassed by the soldiers, living in misery. If Jiang Yanqin was smart, he would surely take this opportunity to prove his identity and stand up to overthrow the Empress of Nanqing.
Counting the days, the Empress of Nanqing was already three months pregnant. He would ask Lü Yun to verify it later to prove his innocence. Otherwise, when Qie'er came back, she would be angry with him again.
Sure enough, just as Jing Xunce expected, Jiang Yanqin led his troops to the capital that very day.
"Attack! Capture anyone who harasses the common people! Kill anyone who resists arrest!"
"Yes!" A guard stepped forward and shouted with his internal energy, "By the order of Prince Yu of Nanqing, capture anyone who harasses the common people! Kill anyone who resists arrest!" This murderous order echoed through every corner of the capital.
But this didn't bring panic to the common people. Instead, their hearts were filled with hope. It turned out that what the Master Kongtong said was true. There really was a true son of heaven who had been living in exile, and he had really come to save them from the fire and water.
The common people rushed out of their houses and knelt on the street. "Please ascend the throne, Prince Yu, and protect our well - being!"
"Please ascend the throne, Prince Yu, and protect our well - being!"
"Please ascend the throne, Prince Yu!"
"Everyone, I know you've been persecuted by the current Empress and are suffering greatly. Once I depose that Li Tongyu, I will surely bring you a prosperous and peaceful era!"
"Prince Yu! Prince Yu!"
"Prince Yu! Prince Yu!"
Mu Fengqie watched Jiang Yanqin's actions. She never thought that Jiang Yanqin was actually the Prince Yu of Nanqing. She only knew that he was from the royal family, but didn't expect that he had already been granted a title.
It seemed that it would be much easier for him to handle things now.
Jiang Yanqin led his troops towards the palace. Along the way, they captured some and killed others. The common people all clapped and cheered.
When Jiang Yanqin led his troops to the palace, Li Tongyu was already prepared. The high walls were full of archers. Li Tongyu looked down at Jiang Yanqin below with a smug look on her face.
"Li Yanqin, I didn't expect you to still be alive."
"I didn't expect you to kill your father and brother either."
"That's because they deserved to die! If it weren't for him killing my mother back then, and you all piling on and bullying me and Yang'er, would I have been so decisive? They brought this on themselves."
"Don't frame us. Back then, I had just been granted the title of prince and was busy building my mansion. I didn't have the time to care about you. Besides, your mother brought this on herself."
"Having an affair with a guard behind the Emperor's back is a capital crime. The Emperor was kind enough not to implicate you and your mother's family. But I never thought you'd be so heartless as to do such a thing."
Now he finally understood why Li Tongyu had done this. He didn't expect that in that massacre, many of them were innocent, although not all.
"Impossible! You're lying to me! I don't want to hear it. Come here! Shoot them! Kill them! Kill them!"
Li Tongyu lost her mind. She simply couldn't believe that her mother would have an affair with a guard. This was all a lie from Li Yanqin, a lie!
"Humph! Stubborn fool. All generals, get ready..." Before he could finish his sentence, a secret guard came to his side, whispered a few words in his ear, and then disappeared.
"All generals, get ready. I'm going to capture Li Tongyu alive and give an explanation to the common people of the world."
That Jing Xunce was really a spoilsport. Just when the battle was on, he actually sent someone to say that Li Tongyu had to be kept alive, and the child in her belly couldn't be harmed either. Otherwise, he would send the troops of Qin Dynasty to attack Nanqing.
Damn it! He hadn't even ascended the throne yet, and this guy was already threatening him. How shameless! He didn't think Jing Xunce was bluffing at all. He was fully capable of doing it.
How dare he threaten him? Just wait. He wasn't going to tell Jing Xunce about Mu Fengqie. Let him worry on his own.
These days, Jiang Yanqin had tried to court Mu Fengqie, but she had always refused. Later, he thought it through. It was good to just get along with her like this.
He was already content to be able to be by her side as a friend. Once he ascended the throne, he would give Mu Fengqie a big gift, and also give Jing Xunce a "big gift". How dare you threaten me!
Li Tongyu watched as the attack from below grew stronger and stronger, while her own people were severely depleted and were starting to lose the will to fight.
Li Tongyu was so angry that her body trembled. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her belly. Before she could call for help, she fainted.
The others on the palace wall watched as Li Tongyu fainted. Suddenly, they were leaderless and didn't know what to do.
Jiang Yanqin took advantage of their chaos and attacked. The common people watched this palace coup and thought it was the one they had been most looking forward to in history.
"Prince Yu! Prince Yu!" The common people cheered loudly below.
"Come here! Tie up Li Tongyu and throw her into the prison. Then invite all the court ministers to the court."
Li Tongyu was captured. As for what Jing Xunce would use her for, he didn't care. As long as she was still alive then.
Jiang Yanqin was supported by the crowd and ascended the dragon throne. Almost none of the court ministers opposed it.
It wasn't that they didn't want to, but they didn't dare. The corrupt officials' dirty secrets were all in Jiang Yanqin's hands, so they didn't dare to oppose. And the honest and upright officials had long hoped for a new emperor. But back then, only Li Tongyu and Li Tongbai were left.
They had no other choice but to support the Empress. Now that there was a survivor from the royal family, who would still support Li Tongyu?
Thanks to Lord Chen's private conversations, those stubborn old officials finally agreed.