Hearing Elder Xu shout "Zhu Fu," the Queen felt her heart sink. Hearing the words "tyrant," her whole being turned ice-cold.
Zhang Yuanqing was similarly chilled to the bone. Elder Xu of the Green Dragon Gang was not only a swordsman, but he even knew her.
This development almost completely blocked his path.
Zhang Yuanqing simply stopped pretending and said coldly, "You know me!"
Elder Xu's expression changed from astonishment to excitement, then from excitement to hatred. "Three years ago, during the autumn hunt in the southern suburbs, several assassins infiltrated the Sheep Palace to kill you. They failed, and only one of the three escaped. That one was me. Has Your Majesty forgotten?"
The entire dungeon is filled with treacherous subjects who want to harm me! Zhang Yuanqing sensed the strong hatred and loathing in the other's emotions. He stopped talking and turned his gaze to the Queen.
As the tyrant whom the Green Dragon Gang hated to the bone, no matter what he said, the other party would sneer at him. Saying too much would only provoke him, so he simply kept quiet.
Elder Xu would definitely be curious as to why a dignified emperor would become a stupid thief and why he would appear here, so he wouldn't kill him for the time being.
In this situation, he could only leave it to the Queen to perform. Elder Xu took a deep breath, calmed his emotions, and regained his serious and steady demeanor.
"Elder Xu, I have something to report," the Queen said, proving that she was not only well-endowed but also intelligent, having understood the Celestial Venerable's gaze, and seized the opportunity to speak.
"Bei Wang, take them to the basement." After thinking for a moment, he personally pulled Zhang Yuanqing out of the carriage, grabbed him by the back of his collar, and strode away.
Zhang Yuanqing hung in the air like a chick, feeling somewhat embarrassed, and angrily said, "I am the ruler of a country. How dare you be so rude? Put me down quickly!"
Wang Bei Wang stared blankly at the backs of Elder Xu and Zhang Yuanqing. Even at this moment, he had not recovered from the shock.
My cousin Li Erdan is the current Emperor Zhao Shun. Why would the Emperor appear in my house? I spent an entire day with the tyrant Zhao Shun, but I didn't kill him!
No, I stabbed him with a sword. I actually stabbed the Emperor with a sword.
The candlelight flickered, and in the dim basement, Wang Bei Wang's mind was in chaos. It was not until Elder Xu's figure disappeared into the corridor that he regained his senses. He hurriedly picked up Jiang Jingwei and the Queen and strode to catch up.
Zhang Yuanqing, wearing handcuffs and shackles, sat stiffly leaning against the wall, unable to speak or move.
Elder Xu took him very seriously. Not only did he not release the Muscle Weakening Powder, but he also acupunctured him. Now, several of his acupoints were injured by finger strikes, making him feel numb and unresponsive. It would take at least a few hours to recover. Beside him was Jiang Jingwei, who received the same treatment.
The Queen was not there. Elder Xu had taken her to the secret room next door.
In the room separated by a wall, the Queen told Elder Xu what had happened in the palace.
"The course of events is as such. After escaping the palace, I met His Majesty by the river in the south of the city and hid with him in a civilian residence. Little did we know that it was Wang Bei Wang's home."
Elder Xu sat at the table, holding a porcelain cup in his palm for a long time without moving or speaking. Even as an elder of the Green Dragon Gang, he needed time to digest such important information.
The Zheng family rebelled, the Emperor was in trouble, and the Southern Dynasty might usher in an unprecedented political upheaval.
Although the Green Dragon Gang was a Jianghu force, it also had a heart for the country and the people, and could not ignore such a major event.
After a full quarter of an hour, Elder Xu suddenly asked, "Since you have already escaped the palace and are with the tyrant, why didn't you bring him here?"
The Queen met his sharp, sword-like eyes that seemed to be able to see through everything, and calmly said her thoughts: "Because I don't want His Majesty to die."
Lying in front of a swordsman would only lose her advantage of identity and make the other party no longer trust her. Since she couldn't lie, she might as well be frank.
Hearing this, Elder Xu coldly snorted, "What? You've developed feelings for the Emperor? Back then, your father pleaded for the people but was met with the execution of his entire family. The gang leader admired your father's integrity, which is why he stepped in to save you. Now that the enemy is right in front of you, you've developed a soft heart? How can you face Zhu Da Ren, how can you face the gang leader?"
"Elder, allow me to explain," the Queen took a deep breath and explained the draft she had prepared: "Zhao Shun is indeed昏聩 fatuous, but he is not the main culprit. Based on my observations over the years, Zhao Shun only knows how to enjoy himself in the palace and has no interest in politics. Most of the matters in the court are decided by Zheng Wen Han. He is like a knife, Zheng Wen Han is the real culprit."
Zheng Wen Han is the knife...These were all truths. Seeing that Elder Xu was unmoved, the Queen continued, "I have another matter to report to you, Elder. I know who the mastermind behind the Zheng family is."
Elder Xu frowned, "There's someone else behind the Zheng family?"
The Queen nodded repeatedly, "It's the National Preceptor."
Elder Xu's expression changed drastically, "Nonsense! The National Preceptor is a Taoist master, helping the world and saving people, loving the country and the people. How could he do such a treacherous thing?"
The Queen looked directly into Elder Xu's eyes, "Elder, you have a pair of eyes that can see through people's hearts. You can tell whether what I'm saying is true or false with just one look."
The two stared at each other for a few seconds, and Elder Xu's expression gradually became serious. He pondered, "The tyrant is incompetent, and the National Preceptor supports the Zheng family perhaps to promote change."
"Elder Xu is still a fan of the National Preceptor?" The Queen sneered, "Changing things by sacrificing three hundred young boys and girls?"
"The notice during the day was issued after His Majesty escaped the palace. It was pushed by the Zheng family and the National Preceptor. Does Elder Xu still think that the National Preceptor loves the country and the people?"
Elder Xu's expression froze!
The Queen continued, "There is one more thing to report to Elder. The Zheng family and Shi Ba, the commander of the Northern Dynasty, a butcher, are secretly colluding. Once the Zheng family seizes power, they will definitely try to get rid of the Yang family, and then feed the 50,000 troops at the front line to the Northern Dynasty as a pledge of allegiance to Tuoba Ren Tu. Tuoba Ren Tu's army will directly attack the capital to support the Zheng family."
"Is such a thing possible?" Xu: Elder, "crack," crushed the porcelain cup, his anger was beyond control. What was the impact of this situation? It was even greater than the appearance of Zhao Shun. Zheng Wen Han, who was in charge of the cabinet in front of him, although he did not want to believe it, Zhu Fu's micro-expressions told him that she was not lying.