Phi-Fic Chapter 53 Undercurrent surging
Chapter 53 Undercurrent surging
After receiving the message from the eunuch in the Prince's residence, Li Mao frowned slightly. He knew that Li Longji's suspicions about him had not been completely dispelled.
"Your Highness, it seems the Emperor still has some doubts about you. What should we do?" Lady Wang asked worriedly.
Li Mao grasped Wang's hand and comforted her, "My beloved consort, do not panic. I have a plan to deal with this."
At this moment, the servant rushed over, knelt down and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, Lord An Sishun has sent another message."
Li Mao's eyes lit up, and he said, "Bring it here quickly."
The servant handed the letter to Li Mao, who opened it and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
“An Sishun’s side is progressing smoothly, it seems our plan can continue,” Li Mao said.
Lady Wang asked curiously, "Your Highness, what did Lord An Sishun say?"
Li Mao smiled and said, "An Sishun has already begun preparations for the breeding of warhorses, and he is also secretly contacting other military governors to help our great cause."
Lady Wang was overjoyed and said, "That's excellent! Your Highness's grand ambitions are just around the corner."
Li Mao nodded slightly and said, "However, we cannot let our guard down. Although Gao Chen was reprimanded by the Emperor, he certainly will not let this go."
Just then, a guard rushed over, knelt down and saluted, saying, "Your Highness, news has come that Gao Chen has made new moves in secret."
Li Mao frowned and said, "Do you know what he's plotting?"
The guard shook his head and said, "It's not clear yet, but according to our informant, Gao Chen has been in frequent contact with some ministers recently, as if he's plotting some kind of conspiracy."
Li Mao's eyes turned cold as he said, "Hmph, this Gao Chen is truly a persistent ghost. Send men to keep an eye on him, and report to me immediately if anything unusual happens."
"Yes, sir." The guard accepted the order and left.
Li Mao looked at Wang Shi and said, "My dear consort, you must be careful during this time. Gao Chen may be a threat to you."
Lady Wang said gently, "Your Highness, please rest assured, I will be careful."
Meanwhile, Gao Chen was in his residence, discussing a conspiracy with a group of ministers.
“Eunuch Gao, Prince Shou’s power is growing stronger and stronger. We must get rid of him as soon as possible,” a minister said.
Gao Chen said with a gloomy face, "Hmph, I certainly won't let him succeed. What good plans do you have?"
Another minister said, "We can send people to create chaos at Prince Shou's racecourse and restaurants, so that he loses the support of the people."
Gao Chen nodded slightly and said, "This plan is feasible. But we must do it cleverly so that no one suspects us."
Several ministers nodded in agreement.
At the racetrack, some new faces deliberately stirred up trouble, causing a series of conflicts.
Meanwhile, in restaurants, some people deliberately poisoned the food, causing diners to get sick.
These events quickly spread throughout Chang'an, causing widespread panic among the people.
"How could so many things have happened at Prince Shou's racecourse and restaurant? Could it be that Prince Shou is really colluding with the local military governor, as the rumors say, and plotting something sinister?" a commoner said.
"Yes, the various branches of the Shouwang Banquet used to be so popular, but now they have so many problems. It's really disappointing," another citizen said.
Wang Fugui stood at the entrance of the Shouwangyan No. 1 branch, looking at the chaotic scene, feeling extremely anxious.
"Boss, what are we going to do? All the customers have been scared away, and we can't do business anymore," one of the shop assistants said.
Wang Fugui frowned and said, "Quickly send someone to inform the Prince and see what his instructions are."
The waiter quickly replied, "Yes, sir, I'll go right away."
Looking at the chaotic restaurant, Wang Fugui's mind went blank for a moment. He hoped that the prince could resolve this issue as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, in the Prince's mansion, Li Mao smiled contemptuously after learning about the situation at the racetrack and the restaurant.
“This Gao Chen dares to be so audacious. I will absolutely not let him get away with this,” Li Mao said.
Wang said worriedly, "Your Highness, the people are now questioning us. How can we win back their hearts?"
Li Mao pondered for a moment and said, "Everyone, don't panic. First, send people to capture those who caused the chaos alive and find the mastermind behind it. At the same time, close the racetrack and lock all the troublemakers in the dungeon to stabilize the situation."
Madam Wang nodded and said, "Your Highness is right. We cannot let Gao Chen's conspiracy succeed."
Li Mao added, "Furthermore, we must find evidence of Gao Chen's crimes as soon as possible, expose his true colors, and let the people know that we have been wronged."
Lady Wang said gently, "Your Highness, rest assured, I believe you can solve this problem."
Li Mao looked at Wang Shi, his heart filled with gratitude, but his guilt also grew heavier...
Meanwhile, Gao Chen watched the chaotic scene with smug satisfaction from his own residence.
"Hmph, Prince Shou, let's see how you turn things around this time," Gao Chen said.
One of the ministers said, "Eunuch Gao, our plan has been very successful. The people's trust in Prince Shou has been greatly diminished."
Gao Chen said with a gloomy face, "Continue to intensify the efforts and put Prince Shou in a desperate situation."
The minister nodded and said, "As you command."
……
Inside the Prince Shou's residence, Lady Wang followed behind Li Mao with a worried expression. Although she believed that Li Mao would definitely be able to solve this problem, she was still concerned for him.
"My beloved consort, I will not let Gao Chen succeed," Li Mao said firmly.
Lady Wang looked at Li Mao tenderly and said, "Your Highness, I believe in you. No matter what difficulties we encounter, we can overcome them together."
At this moment, the servant rushed over, knelt down and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, the people sent to investigate have news."
Li Mao turned to the servant and said softly, "Speak."
The servant immediately cupped his hands in a fist and said, "The people who caused chaos at the racetrack and restaurant have been spotted by our people, but they seem to be very cautious and have not yet found conclusive evidence that Gao Chen was behind it."
Li Mao frowned and said, "Keep an eye on it. We must find evidence."
"Yes, sir." The servant took the order and left.
After a moment of contemplation, Li Mao said to Lady Wang, "My beloved consort, we cannot sit idly by and wait for our doom. I must personally go to the racetrack and the restaurant to see the situation."
Wang said worriedly, "Your Highness, isn't this too dangerous? Gao Chen might have set a trap there."
Li Mao smiled slightly and said, "My beloved consort, rest assured, I will be careful. Moreover, I want the people to see that I will not shirk my responsibilities and will definitely resolve these troubles."
Lady Wang nodded and said, "Your Highness is right, I believe you."
Li Mao arrived at the racetrack with his guards. The racetrack was still in chaos; the sounds of arguing could be heard from a great distance…