GBP Chapter 913 Finding Allies
Chapter 913 Finding Allies
Although Chi Bao had been through many trials and tribulations with Zhang Ping'an, this was the first time he had encountered such a major event.
Hearing Zhang Ping'an and his son ask this, he dared not be negligent and immediately said in a serious tone, "Master, young master, I dare not speak nonsense. I have confirmed it repeatedly. It is indeed His Majesty. However, he looks a little drowsy and not in good spirits. I guess he was given medicine, so we did not dare to disturb him in the end. We came back to report to you first and see what to do."
After these words were spoken, the carriage fell silent.
Everyone knows that this involves far more than just the Second Prince's rebellion; it's a much deeper issue.
There are only a handful of people in the entire court who have both the courage and the ability to pull off this stunt.
Moreover, now that the late emperor has passed away, the new emperor's prestige is at its weakest. In addition, the rebellion of the second prince has purged half of the court, and all the civil and military officials are trembling with fear as if walking on thin ice. They have finally been able to catch their breath, and now this matter is really difficult to handle.
After a moment, Xiaoyuer couldn't help but suggest, "Dad, should we discuss this with Grandfather? After all, he has served as an official in the court for many years and is very knowledgeable. Maybe he has some good ideas. Besides, Grandfather is tight-lipped and knows how to act. Regardless of whether he helps in the end, he won't talk about this with anyone."
"Sigh," Zhang Ping'an shook his head in distress and sighed upon hearing this.
"You don't know yet, do you? Your maternal grandfather is preparing to resign from his official post and return to his hometown. He just hasn't had a suitable opportunity to bring it up recently."
"Resign? Why?" Xiaoyuer sat up straight, completely puzzled.
"My maternal grandfather has always been in good health; it's not time for him to resign and retire yet!"
At this time, the higher the position and the more power a person holds, the less willing they are to resign and retire. Saying that they are resigning and retiring is mostly just a rhetoric used to oppose the emperor.
So Little Fish was very shocked.
"It's all because of the Second Prince's rebellion. To put it bluntly, it's fortunate that the late Emperor passed away suddenly, otherwise, who knows what would have happened to your maternal grandfather's family and our family now!"
Your maternal grandfather's decision to resign at this time was not foolish; rather, it was the wisest decision he made because he clearly understood the political situation at court. The reason the Qian family has prospered for a thousand years is precisely because every clan head and leader has had this kind of resolute courage to make tough decisions.
As Zhang Ping'an spoke, he felt a great deal of admiration for his father-in-law, while Xiao Yu'er still seemed to understand but not quite.
Without saying much, he earnestly advised, "You are still young. What you need to do is write down everything you see and hear. One day, when you have more experience, you will understand."
Xiaoyuer nodded seriously and asked, "Then, Father, what should we do about this? We can't just pretend we don't know anything. Although this matter is indeed of great importance and very dangerous, there is also an opportunity. If we can help rescue His Majesty from that old bald monk Yuantong and help him regain the throne, then our family's status among the aristocratic families will definitely rise to a higher level!"
When he was young, he always dreamed of achieving great success and making a name for himself. Zhang Ping'an had been through it all, so how could he not understand his son's meaning?
He didn't rush to answer, but instead asked again in detail about the situation when the meal was over, "Did Your Majesty have any wounds at the time? Were you tortured? Also, how was the food? Are there any other secret passages nearby?"
After eating his fill, he immediately recalled the story carefully and said in a deep voice, "Hmm, there are wounds, quite a few, mostly from whipping. But when I looked through them, I saw that most of these wounds had been treated with medicine. It seems that Abbot Yuantong didn't intend to kill His Majesty immediately. As for the food, it was very simple, just water and steamed buns, enough to keep people from starving."
"As for the secret passages, apart from the ones Master Huiyuan helped draw before, my men and I haven't discovered any other secret passages below yet. Before we left, I sent people to closely monitor all the exits of the secret passages, and they will report to us if there is any movement."
After finishing his meal, he felt quite saddened. "A dignified ruler of a country has fallen to such a state. It seems that sometimes it's better to be an ordinary person."
After listening, Zhang Ping'an didn't say anything, but then asked Xiaoyuer, "What was the situation when Zhong Zheng met his mother? Tell me everything that happened after you and Abbot Yuantong rushed over."
Xiaoyuer nodded and slowly recounted the situation carefully. "When Abbot Yuantong and I arrived, Zhong Zheng and his mother were both silent and looked rather unhappy. It seemed they had been arguing. Abbot Yuantong, being a highly respected monk, immediately and kindly dispersed most of the onlookers. If we hadn't arranged for someone beforehand, he might have easily resolved the matter by turning it into a minor issue."
Throughout the altercation with the people we had arranged, Abbot Yuantong remained remarkably calm, never giving Zhong Zheng and his mother any special attention. He seemed to be handling the matter fairly and impartially, without any hint of favoritism. If I hadn't already known his true colors, I would have been completely fooled. This is what they call knowing a person's face but not their heart!
Zhang Ping'an hummed in agreement and continued, "Has Abbess Miaozhen returned to Qing County yet?"
Xiaoyuer shook his head. "When we left, one of our men reported that she had settled in a courtyard near the capital and didn't seem to have any intention of returning to Qing County for the time being. I wonder if she will arrange to meet Abbot Yuantong tomorrow?"
“Okay, then keep a close eye on them,” Zhang Ping’an instructed.
He then explained his plan: "Zhong Zheng is a child we raised. Although he doesn't seem like a bad person, he has been cunning since he was a child. With one thing after another happening now, we don't have time to keep an eye on him. When we get back, let him accompany Xiao Hu to the outskirts of the country to keep him company. On the surface, we're letting him go, but we can't let our guard down. We need to send people to keep an eye on him, and have our subordinates report any incidents immediately."
"Understood!" he replied immediately after finishing his meal.
"As for rescuing His Majesty, I need to think carefully about what to do. I can't do it alone; I'm outnumbered and outmatched! We need to find allies! And I suspect that the King of Qin probably already knows what's going on."
He had grown up with the late emperor and empress, and was also very familiar with the princes. Disguise could imitate appearance and personality, but the small habits and details of daily life would not change. The fake emperor in the palace could fool others, but he could not fool the Prince of Qin.
But the King of Qin remained unmoved by the matter, and I wondered what he was planning. I needed to sort things out first,” Zhang Ping’an concluded.
Both Xiaoyuer and Chibao understand.
After eating and thinking things through, he reminded him, "Master, although the person is still in the secret room under the meditation room, we can't guarantee that they won't make any new moves in the next few days and might move the person elsewhere. If you have any plans, it would be best to make a decision sooner rather than later."
"Yes, I know, no rush!"
Especially in situations like this, Zhang Ping'an is less likely to make a decision easily; otherwise, this might just be a game of elimination!
Each hurdle is harder than the last!
When they returned to the mansion, Zhang Lao Er and Xu Shi were still discussing how good the vegetarian meal at Daxiangguo Temple was that day, completely unaware of the turmoil in the court.
Xiao Hu is the same; he is very content with his current life.
Only Zhong Zheng, though young, seemed to sense something, and when he got off the bus, he didn't forget to look back at Xiao Yu'er a few times.
When Zhang Ping'an looked over, he immediately looked away as if he had been electrocuted, pretending to be nonchalant.