Chapter 700

He looked at the lines on the timber, made a rough estimate, and his heart suddenly jumped.

Well, well, well, under heaven, besides the dragon throne, where else could there be such a huge chair?

His heart raced wildly—this is the city wall! Why would the dragon throne be placed here?

Could it be that they intend to have the emperor sit here on the day of the siege?

What a vicious scheme!

But, how brilliant!

If this marquis could inform Princess Jiayou of this news, wouldn't that be a great merit for Xiao Jieyun?

Zhou Jinhua suppressed his excitement, feigning boredom: "This marquis will return to the manor first; you must give it your all, never slack."

"Yes!"

He slowly descended the wall and lazily slipped into the carriage.

When the carriage returned to the city, Zhou Jinhua then said: "Tonight, place the cloth that previously wrapped the secret letter in a conspicuous spot at the gate."

"Yes!"

That night, Xiao Er and Lu Qi, with Tuan Tuan and Xiao Ran, went as usual to the imperial kitchen to scavenge for food.

Tuan Tuan was about to have Xiao Feifei repeat her trick when voices of the eunuchs came from inside:

"Have you heard? Everything outside the city has been burned to ashes, not a tile left!"

Xiao Er quickly grabbed Xiao Feifei and held her down.

"What's the big deal about being burned? Cannons are set up on the walls! I heard that sandbags are piled in the gate passage so thickly even a cat can't squeeze through."

"Is this really going to be a fight? Do you think Jingcheng can hold out?"

"Who knows!"

After a moment of silence: "Forget it, forget it, let's not talk about this."

"At least we won't starve in the imperial kitchen, which is far better than those laborers hauling logs on the walls."

The adults exchanged glances, each startled—after not going out for days, Jingcheng has completely changed?

They quickly packed the food and brought it back to the secret room, recounting everything they had heard.

Xiao Ningyuan frowned: "I don't even know if all the secret passages have been cleared."

"Yes," Xiao Er also deeply worried, "there are cannons and rolling logs on the walls; the outside has been burned bare—they're fighting with their backs to the wall."

Xiao Ran was glum, her food tasteless: "I don't know where Father Emperor is, or when the attack will come."

Even Feng Zhou couldn't help taking a sip of wine: "They've prepared really thoroughly."

"But the city gates can't possibly be completely sealed; there must be a few left open, otherwise how would the common folk come and go?"

Eunuch Cheng looked worried: "His Majesty's nature, since he's personally leading the campaign, he'll surely stand at the front—let's hope he isn't hurt by those cannons."

"Big brother," Tuan Tuan looked at them with worried faces, "how about we go see second brother tonight?"

"It's time to go out," Xiao Ningyuan thought, "but not to find your second brother—rather, to go to the Jinghai Marquis's manor."

Lu Qi understood: "The eldest master means, ask him what he knows?"

Xiao Ningyuan nodded: "First go to the Jinghai Marquis's manor; if he has any news there, then go find the second brother—perfect to tell him."

After discussion, they agreed to wait until midnight, then crawl out of the secret passage and arrive outside the Jinghai Marquis's manor.

Xiao Er immediately saw the cloth he had originally used to wrap the secret letter: "Eldest master, look."

Xiao Ningyuan understood at a glance: "Indeed we came to the right place—he has something to ask us, let's go!"

Several people, feeling their way from the roof, reached Zhou Jinhua's bedroom.

Lu Qi carefully lifted a tile and saw Zhou Jinhua pacing alone in the room.

Tuan Tuan softly called out: "Hey! Are you waiting for us?"

Zhou Jinhua snapped his head up: "Princess? You've finally come! I've been dying of anxiety!"

"Please come in quickly! This marquis has important matters to say!"

They leapt down from the roof and pushed the door open.

Everyone took their seats.

Xiao Ningyuan asked: "Marquis, what urgent matter do you have?"

Zhou Jinhua recounted everything he had seen on the city wall today, then voiced his own speculation.

They looked at each other, bewildered.

Tuan Tuan immediately panicked upon hearing: "Little Eleven? They want to use him to block the Imperial Uncle?"

"Then we must hurry to rescue him!"

Xiao Ningyuan shook his head: "Tuan Tuan, even if we could rescue the Eleventh Prince, what about the Emperor's other sons?"

"If the Eleventh Prince disappears, they can still use another prince."

Zhou Jinhua nodded: "The eldest master is right; even if you could rescue all the princes and princesses, the palace still has the Grand Princess, the Empress, and countless consorts."

"As long as they hold even one, the throne won't be empty on the day of the siege."

"Moreover, you could never possibly smuggle that many people out of the palace."

Xiao Er's face darkened: "Their methods are too despicable!"

Lu Qi gritted his teeth: "Shameless scoundrels! Unable to win in open combat, they actually devised such a vicious plot!"

But, cursing aside, no one could think of a way to break the deadlock; the room fell into silence for a moment.

"Big brother," Tuan Tuan blinked, "let's just save one, count it as one—first rescue Little Eleven, okay?"

Xiao Ningyuan held his sister, patted her little head: "A drop in the bucket!"

He handed Tuan Tuan to Xiao Er, stood up, and cupped his hands toward Zhou Jinhua: "Thanks a lot this time, Marquis; we won't disturb you further—we'll go back to discuss countermeasures."

"If there is any further news, please have the marquis place that cloth outside; seeing it, we will come here to meet you."

Zhou Jinhua stood up: "Good, if there's anything you need this marquis to do, Eldest Young Master, please don't be polite."

Several people left the Jinghai Marquis Manor; they did not go look for Xiao Ningchen, but instead went straight back to the secret room and explained the whole troublesome matter.

Eunuch Cheng trembled with anger: "How could they use the Eleventh Prince to make things difficult for His Majesty!"

Tuan Tuan hurriedly grabbed his hand, pressed him into the chair, poured a cup of water and handed it over: "Grandpa, don't be angry! Have a drink."

Xiao Ran sighed: "If I had known this would fall on the Eleventh Younger Brother, I would have gone myself! He's only a year older than Tuan Tuan."

This is all the misfortune my father brought upon himself!

Chen Hao lowered his head silently.

Lu Qi held his breath: "Don't think too much about it, Xiao Er; tomorrow night we two will enter the palace and first rescue that Eleventh Prince."

Xiao Er shook his head.

Tuan Tuan fiddled with her small embroidered pouch, wondering how she could help.

【71> She then boredly untied her small sachet.

She again boredly untied the small sachet.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up: "Big brother! I have a solution!"