When the Eighth Prince heard that Jiang Shaoan had learned a big secret about Lin Jiangnian, he could no longer sit still.
Having just been humiliated and beaten, the eighth prince was filled with rage and had nowhere to vent it. He was worrying about how to take revenge!
If he was hostile towards Lin Jiangnian before, it was because of the Third Prince and his natural sense of superiority towards this prince from the southern barbarian land.
So now, the Eighth Prince simply hates Lin Jiangnian!
From childhood to adulthood, except for the beating he received from his imperial sister when he was a child, he had never suffered such humiliation.
After all, the imperial sister is her eldest sister, her martial arts skills are unfathomable, and she is deeply loved by her father. Even if the eighth prince is unhappy, he can only endure it obediently.
But Lin Jiangnian is different!
You, a prince of a vassal state, what right do you have to fight this prince?!
If he doesn't take revenge, how will the Eighth Prince survive in the capital in the future?!
How can he establish his authority in front of those lackeys who follow him around?
Therefore, when the Eighth Prince heard Jiang Shaoan suddenly talk about Lin Jiangnian's secret, he was immediately interested.
However, the Eighth Prince was no fool after all. He narrowed his eyes at Jiang Shaoan in the courtyard and sneered, "What secret?"
"Tell me about it!"
At this moment, in the courtyard, Jiang Shaoan's face was bruised and swollen, looking a little miserable. But even so, he still had a somewhat flattering attitude on his face.
He has absolutely no dignity as the eldest son of the Jiang family and acts like a servile and fawning dog.
"That's what happened..."
Jiang Shaoan took two steps closer and spoke in a low voice.
"Eighth Prince, when I returned home yesterday, I passed by the courtyard where Lin Jiangnian lived and saw him and his subordinates plotting something... Out of curiosity, I eavesdropped for a while..."
"As a result, I actually overheard a secret!"
Jiang Shaoan said with a courteous look, "I heard from Lin Jiangnian that he seems to have sent people to look for something outside the city recently... I also heard from his subordinate, a woman named Lin Qingqing, that they discovered a private army of unknown origin outside the city..."
Private army?
Hearing this, the Eighth Prince frowned and looked displeased.
Is this a secret?
What does this secret have to do with him?
He doesn't care whether it's a private army or not!
Seeing the Eighth Prince's impatience, Jiang Shaoan's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly added, "I, I also heard that Lin Jiangnian said he suspected... that the private army was related to His Royal Highness the Third Prince..."
Third brother?!
The originally impatient Eighth Prince suddenly fixed his gaze when he heard that it was related to his Third Brother: "Third Brother?"
"What does it have to do with my third brother?!"
"No, I don't know..."
Jiang Shaoan shook his head and said cautiously, "I was hiding far away and couldn't hear clearly, but I roughly heard the name of His Royal Highness the Third Prince... I also heard Lin Jiangnian say that he planned to report this matter to the Princess in a couple of days..."
"I felt that this matter might not be simple, so I hurried to report it to you, the Eighth Prince..."
After Jiang Shaoan finished speaking, he felt very uneasy.
Is this really possible?
He followed Lin Jiangnian's instructions completely and displayed his servile and fawning attitude to the fullest.
Of course, it doesn’t look like an act!
However, he did everything according to Lin Jiangnian's instructions... Really, can it work?
Just as Jiang Shaoan became more and more nervous, the eighth prince's eyes gradually brightened.
Is it related to the third brother?
Private army?
What private army?!
The Eighth Prince didn't realize it for a moment. After all, he was only in his teens, the age when he loved to play, and was an absolute playboy prince in the capital.
He obviously didn't realize the seriousness of the matter, but when he heard that this matter was related to the third prince, he thought for a moment and decided to tell his third brother about it.
By the way, let’s see if I can get my third brother to stand up for me and teach Lin Jiangnian a lesson!
Thinking of this, the Eighth Prince glanced at Jiang Shaoan in the courtyard and said coldly: "You did a good job. In this case, I will not bother with you about what happened yesterday!"
When Jiang Shaoan heard this, he felt so aggrieved!
What do you mean by not bothering with me anymore?
You hit me, and you say you don't care about me anymore?!
Is there any law?
Although he felt aggrieved, Jiang Shaoan did not dare to say anything more. He said flatteringly, "Thank you very much, Your Highness the Eighth Prince!"
"Get lost!"
The Eighth Prince waved his hands. He was originally in a bad mood and wanted to beat Jiang Shaoan again. However, since he came to report the information so loyally, the Eighth Prince decided to spare him this time.
Let him go!
As for Jiang Shaoan's humble attitude, it seemed perfectly normal to the Eighth Prince! In his eyes, Jiang Shaoan was just a dog beside him, so what if he beat him?
Even if I beat a lowly servant, he still has to put on a smiling face and praise the prince for his good fight!
As for whether Jiang Shaoan would lie?
With the Eighth Prince's intelligence, he naturally wouldn't consider this. He wouldn't suspect that a lackey who had always been servile to him would suddenly lie.
He's not that brave!
…
In another hidden house in the east district of Beijing.
In the courtyard, the cold wind was howling fiercely.
The room was warm as spring.
The third prince Li Yuanzheng was wearing a white robe and lying quietly on the couch with his eyes half closed.
Inside the room, the military advisor Situ Yan, who was standing opposite the Third Prince, stood there respectfully.
"Your Highness, the situation in the capital is becoming increasingly tense. I'm afraid it's not very favorable for us!"
Situ Yan spoke in a deep voice.
A few days ago, the Third Prince went to the Zhao Residence to visit the Prime Minister. Prime Minister Zhao seemed to have anticipated the Third Prince's intentions, and the visit ended on a somewhat unpleasant note.
And Prime Minister Zhao’s attitude was also extremely firm!
Not having the support of Prime Minister Zhao is not good news for the third prince.
On the other hand, the frequent incidents at Mi Tiansi during this period also made them feel that something was not right!
The four guardians of the Secret Heaven Division were assassinated one after another in just a few days. Who dared to attack the emperor's personal guards so openly under the emperor's feet?
This force hidden in the dark has become a variable and must be guarded against.
The third prince didn't say anything. He narrowed his eyes and looked a little gloomy. It was obvious that he was not in a good mood.
"Now is a critical moment, we have no way out."
The third prince spoke in a deep voice, his hawk-like eyes revealing a hint of viciousness.
"How is Li Ci Ning?"
"Nothing's happening for now."
Hearing this answer, a hint of fierce murderous intent flashed in the third prince's eyes.
"Why isn't he dead yet?!"
"He should have died long ago!"
Li Ci Ning is still alive, which is not good news for the third prince.
He couldn't sleep or eat.
Although the situation in Beijing is still chaotic, it has not really reached that point.
The third prince needs a chance!
But now, the opportunity has not come yet.
He has waited too long!
"How are our preparations going?"
The third prince asked in a cold voice.
"Everything is going according to plan. Your Highness's private army, which has been trained outside the city, is already ready to go."
"What about the north?" The third prince raised his eyes and asked coldly.
"There's no news yet, but..."
Situ Yan said, "Calculating the time, it should be almost here!"
"call!"
The third prince took a deep breath, his gloomy expression showing a hint of impatience.
"I don't want to wait any longer!"
"Your Highness, please be patient. The more serious the situation, the more you cannot rush!"
Situ Yan began to persuade.
The third prince said nothing, but looked out the window with a cold gaze.
Doesn't he know this truth?
But he had waited too long and prepared for too long!
He doesn't want to wait any longer!
Just at this moment, a report from a servant suddenly came from outside the door.
"Your Highness, the Eighth Prince has arrived!"
Hearing the voice outside the door, the Third Prince's eyes fixed: "Li Ping? What is he doing here?"
"His Highness the Eighth Prince has come to report something very important to you, Your Highness?"
"Important things?"
Hearing this, the Third Prince was silent for a moment, "Let him in!"
"yes!"
Soon, footsteps were heard outside the door, and the door opened. The eighth prince, dressed in brocade clothes, walked quickly into the room.
"Royal brother!"
The eighth prince walked in and hurried to Li Yuan.
The Third Prince stared at the Eighth Prince in front of him and quickly noticed his face: "What's wrong with you?"
"Brother, you have to make the decision for me..."
When the eighth prince heard this, he immediately burst into tears.
When the Third Prince heard that Li Ping had been beaten by Lin Jiangnian yesterday, his eyes suddenly fixed. After hearing that Lin Jiangnian was with Li Piaomiao, his expression changed even more.
Lin Jiangnian, when did you start hanging out with Li Piaomiao?!
"You mean, Lin Jiangnian beat you yesterday?!"
“That’s right!”
The Eighth Prince nodded hastily, aggrieved: "Brother, you must make the decision for me!"
The third prince's face twitched slightly, he looked gloomy and said nothing.
Make the decision?
How to make the decision?
The humiliation he suffered last time was still fresh in his mind, and he had not yet had time to seek revenge.
The Eighth Prince naturally had no idea. He shouted that he wanted his Third Brother to avenge him. But his Third Brother had just been slapped in public by Lin Jiangnian, leaving him dizzy...
"Don't worry, my brother will definitely take care of this matter for you and help you get revenge when the time comes."
The Third Prince gave him a cold and perfunctory look and said, "What are you doing here today?"
"Just to talk about this?"
"Of course not, my Royal Brother, I have something very important to tell you..."
The eighth prince then told everything he had learned from Jiang Shaoan not long ago.
After the Eighth Prince finished speaking, the room suddenly fell silent.
The expressions of the Third Prince and Situ Yan in the room suddenly changed.
"What did you say?!"
The third prince stared at him intently.
The Eighth Prince felt a chill run down his spine from the gaze of his brother, and he stammered subconsciously, "What, what's wrong?"
"Did he really say that?"
"Yes, that's right!"
The Eighth Prince stammered, somewhat confused.
The Third Prince stared at him coldly, his eyes as fierce as a beast about to devour a man. It wasn't until a long while later that he finally took a deep breath and gradually calmed down.
"I see."
The Third Prince nodded and said, "You go back first."
The eighth prince looked confused, not knowing what was going on.
But seeing the ugly expression on the Third Prince's face, he realized that something serious might have happened, and nodded.
"etc!"
The Third Prince stopped him again and said in a cold voice, "Don't tell anyone about what happened today. Do you understand?"
“Okay, okay!”
The Eighth Prince nodded blankly.
After the Eighth Prince left the room, the Third Prince remained silent.
"Lin Jiangnian, you already knew?!"
Inside the room, Situ Yan's extremely solemn voice was heard: "Your Highness, this...I'm afraid something big is going to happen!"
As for the Eighth Prince, he had no idea what had happened.
But for the Third Prince and Situ Yan, this news was like a bolt from the blue.
Lin Jiangnian, has actually found clues that they are raising private armies?
At this moment, the Third Prince felt a chill running down his spine. This news must not be spread!
If the news gets out, their plan will fail.
"Your Highness, what should we do now?"
Situ Yan said in a deep voice.
Although the truth of the news was unknown, since Lin Jiangnian mentioned the private army, he must have uncovered something. It didn't necessarily lead to the Third Prince. But if he informed the Princess, and the Crown Prince discovered it... the consequences would be disastrous.
The Third Prince's face turned pale. After a moment, he gritted his teeth and said coldly, "We can't wait any longer!"
"Your Highness, you mean..."
“Plan ahead!”
The Third Prince spoke decisively, "While everyone is still unaware, we must act quickly..."
When Situ Yan heard this, his eyes became extremely solemn.
He understood His Highness's intention. His Highness wanted to...
"The night after tomorrow, the night after tomorrow!"
The third prince suddenly spoke in a deep voice and stood up from the couch. At this moment, he was shrouded in an invisible aura.
He said coldly: "Notify everyone and prepare for action!"
"yes!"
"besides……"
The Third Prince said coldly, "Send someone to keep a 24-hour watch on Lin Jiangnian. If he makes any move, we must find a way to stop him... We absolutely cannot let him see Li Piaomiao!"
"Yes, sir!"
“…”
The capital is still prosperous.
The New Year is approaching, and the whole capital is shrouded in a joyful atmosphere of the New Year.
The weather was sunny yesterday, but today the temperature dropped sharply. A cold wind howled and a freezing wind swept through.
The sky is gray, but it still can't stop the joy of the New Year.
The day after tomorrow is the end of the year!
It’s New Year’s Eve!
Lin Jiangnian stayed at home for the past two days and didn't go anywhere.
Towards the end of the afternoon, Jiang Shaoan finally came back. He found Lin Jiangnian and told him everything that had happened that day.
After listening to this, Lin Jiangnian knew that the plan was basically successful!
He deliberately informed the Third Prince again of the news that the Third Prince was raising a private army in this way, just to force him to take action!
Will the Third Prince believe it?
Do you suspect that this was information deliberately leaked by Lin Jiangnian?
It doesn't matter!
But he didn't dare to gamble.
After all, he really does have a private army!
Therefore, after learning the news, the Third Prince had few choices left.
Or he could find a way to assassinate Lin Jiangnian and silence him.
Otherwise, the only thing left is... act in advance!
Of course, it is not ruled out that the third prince will continue to endure and choose to take the risk to silence Lin Jiangnian.
As long as Lin Jiangnian dies, he can continue to lurk and wait for the opportunity.
Therefore, for his own safety, and to prevent the Third Prince from succeeding, Lin Jiangnian made up his mind to stay with Zhiyuan tonight... This way he would feel safer!
As his little maid, Zhiyuan has the obligation to protect her prince closely.
When an enemy approaches, he kills them. When no one is around, he warms the bed and body of his own prince, and helps him solve his problems...
This is her duty as a personal maid!
No resistance allowed!
…
