Chapter 2202: Adding insult to injury

"I heard that a seven-member discussion group was formed in the Imperial Capital?" Duan Zeyun asked.

"Humph, they are just seven people fighting for power." Duan Wanming said disdainfully: "Although I don't know what is going on, I am sure that not only can this seven-person group not solve major issues in the DPRK, but it will also cause many problems in the country. There were constant disputes and arguments, and in the end nothing was accomplished.”

Duan Wanming knows those people too well, or in other words, knows himself too well. To put it nicely, it is called a seven-person discussion group, but to put it badly, it is a power struggle group. Everyone will express their opinions for their own rights and interests. They don't He will consider issues from the perspective of the court and will only try his best to gain more benefits for himself.

Duan Wanming would have done the same thing, so he was so sure.

"Dad, will this seven-member group have an impact on the selection of the new emperor?" Duan Zeyun asked.

"Of course!" Duan Wanming said with great certainty: "Among the seven people, they all have different opinions and are unwilling to compromise. Some even do not want to elect a new emperor so quickly. Therefore, with this group of seven people here, they want to be short-lived." It is very difficult to elect a new emperor within a short period of time.”

Having said this, Duan Wanming smiled and seemed very happy: "However, this is a good thing for us. The more chaotic the imperial capital is, the better it is for us."

Duan Wanming has great ambitions, which can be seen from his control of the eldest prince Zhao Xuan, but after all, he has a dishonest reputation and his words are inconsistent. Therefore, he naturally hopes that the whole situation will appear chaotic, so that it will be easier to act.

"Okay, you go down first." Duan Wanming said: "By the way, after going out, announce to the outside world that the person who assassinated the eldest prince is none other than Hou Zhong. Our city lord's palace is doing our best to capture the assassin Hou Zhong. For this kind of blasphemy, We will definitely bring this vicious person to the royal family to justice!”

"I got it, Dad!"

Soon, a message came from the city lord’s palace in the southern neighboring city:

According to witnesses that day, the person who assassinated the eldest prince Zhao Xuan was none other than Hou Zhong!

As for whether there was anyone else behind Hou Zhong, the City Lord's Mansion did not disclose it.

As soon as this news came out, all parties were in an uproar.

When it was reported that Hou Zhong assassinated the eldest prince Zhao Xuan, many people were skeptical. Although Hou Zhong's reputation was not very good, even most officials in the court hated him very much.

But the rumor came out of nowhere, and there were obviously people behind the incident who were adding fuel to the fire. In addition, there was no evidence mentioned in the rumor.

Therefore, many people don't really believe it, and some even think that this is a deliberate frame-up, and the person who framed it is very likely to be the real murderer of this matter.

But now, such news comes from the palace of the city lord of Nanling City, making people who were originally doubtful become certain.

After all, the assassination of the eldest prince took place in the city lord's palace in the southern neighboring city, so their words are naturally the most credible. As the parties involved, it is very normal for some of them to have seen the assassin's true face.

Therefore, when such news came from the city lord's palace in the southern neighboring city, almost everyone believed that the person who assassinated the eldest prince Zhao Xuan was none other than Hou Zhong!

As for why Hou Zhong did this and whether there was anyone else behind it, it depends on everyone's own speculation.

And this guess is actually quite different.

Hou Zhong and Zhao Xuan had no grievances in the past and no enmity today. Why did they suddenly want to assassinate Zhao Xuan?

You know, Zhao Xuan is the eldest prince, a member of the royal family, and a direct descendant! Assassinating him is a very serious crime, and even if the nine tribes are wiped out, it is very possible. Without any grievances and no grudges, Hou Chong does not need to take such a big risk to do a meaningless thing.

Therefore, most people speculated that there was someone behind Hou Zhong and that he was ordered by others.

If the old emperor is not dead yet, then the person standing behind Hou Zhong must be him. After all, everyone knows that Hou Zhong is the old emperor's minion and only obeys the old emperor's orders.

But now that the old emperor is dead, it is naturally impossible for him to order Hou Zhong to assassinate Zhao Xuan. In this case, there must be someone else behind Hou Zhong.

And who this person is is actually not difficult to guess.

Since the fight for the throne began, Hou Zhong has always clearly stated his support for the second prince Zhao Ke. Even when Zhao Ke was imprisoned by Guan Zhuo, Hou Zhong never changed his position.

Therefore, the person behind Hou Zhong is probably the second prince Zhao Ke.

Thinking back to the previous rumors, everyone thought so even more.

Although the second prince Zhao Ke and Zhao Xuan were brothers, he had the motive to assassinate Zhao Xuan.

This motive is the throne!

Since ancient times, in order to compete for the throne, it is not uncommon for brothers to kill each other. In front of the throne, family ties are very weak. Everyone wants to ascend the throne and become the emperor and become the best in the world.

There is only one throne, and now that the eldest prince and the eldest prince both want to sit on it, this conflict naturally arises.

Therefore, in order to compete for the throne, it is entirely possible that the second prince Zhao Ke would send someone to assassinate the eldest prince Zhao Xuan.

Thinking of this, almost everyone concluded that the one who assassinated the eldest prince Zhao Xuan was Hou Zhong, and the one who instigated Hou Zhong was the second prince Zhao Ke!

Yuan Ji and Hou Yi almost vomited blood when they heard the news. At this time, they were on their way to the Xingbu Yamen. After hearing the news, their faces instantly became extremely ugly.

"Duan Wanming, this bastard! He actually added fuel to the fire at this time!" Yuan Ji said through gritted teeth.

Originally, the rumor had been spreading like wildfire, and Yuanji and Hou Yi were trying to clarify it. As a result, Nanlin City came up with such a move, which caught them off guard and embarrassed them instantly.

More importantly, as everyone believed, the assassination took place in the Nanlin City Lord's Mansion. Therefore, the statement of the Nanlin City Lord's Mansion was very credible. If it was just a rumor before and everyone didn't know whether it was true or not, now Duan Wanming let people spread such a rumor, which basically confirmed Hou Zhong's identity as an assassin.

Yuanji didn't know whether Duan Wanming really knew that it was Hou Zhong who assassinated Zhao Xuan, or whether Duan Wanming, like some people, just wanted to put the blame on Hou Zhong.

However, this is not important now. No matter what Duan Wanming's purpose was, his words have confirmed Hou Zhong's identity as an assassin. Now, no matter how Yuan Ji and Hou Yi explain, it is useless. Even if Hou Zhong appears in front of everyone, he still cannot clear his name.

Duan Wanming's move is too cruel!