Chapter 852: After Modification - 849: Turbulence
Seeing the Crown Prince hold the Imperial Edict with an expression that seemed like crying yet smiling, Ren Shijie also didn’t know whether to cry or laugh.
However, at least the Crown Prince had managed to pull himself together. If the Jin Kingdom was to fall into chaos... the Crown Prince needed to survive, and survive with determination.
Bai Jinxiu had already calculated the time from Dadu City to Yuanping... a fast horse would take two days, and bringing soldiers from Yuanping to Dadu City with ample time would take three days. The soldiers would need one day to rest after their journey from Yuanping to Dadu City. In total, it would take six days.
Thus, Bai Jinxiu planned to escort the Crown Prince out of the city on the night of April 27th. After finalizing her plan, she sent word to Ren Shijie, informing him to be vigilant of Hongmei, who was by the Crown Prince’s side. She told Ren Shijie to tell the Crown Prince that they were leaving via the South Gate while secretly preparing for an exit from the North Gate. By doing so, they could test whether Hongmei was a spy planted by King Liang or Fan Yuhuai.
After receiving the message, Ren Shijie truthfully conveyed Bai Jinxiu’s plan to leave via the South Gate to the Crown Prince.
Upon receiving the news, the Crown Prince hurriedly ordered Ren Shijie to dispatch guards to return to the Crown Prince’s residence and inform Hongmei and Quan Yu. He also commanded the guards to stay there, and once night fell on the 27th, to escort Hongmei and Quan Yu to the South Gate to leave the city together.
Ren Shijie appeared to be the most loyal counselor to the Crown Prince in everyone’s eyes, but in reality, Ren Shijie was a Yan native... loyal to the Yan Kingdom. He would never miss any opportunity to sow chaos in the Jin Kingdom.
He schemed that if King Liang and others learned the plan and set an ambush at the South Gate to capture or even kill the Crown Prince, the Crown Princess Consort, and the young prince, it could lead to a rebellion among those restless in the Jin Kingdom, further plunging the kingdom into turmoil.
Ren Shijie folded his hands inside his sleeves, looking up at the sunny sky, pondering on finding an opportunity to send out the information.