Chen Caozhi shook his head. "That the capital troops and central troops should be so weak is truly beyond expectation."
Xi Chao said, "Duke Huan must only just have reached Gushu. Before his seat has even warmed, something this serious has happened in the capital. He will have to make another trip to Jiankang."
Chen Caozhi said, "Lu Song's scheme was exceedingly sinister. Had his plan to escort the Deposed Emperor back to court succeeded, even if Duke Huan raised troops to call him to account, he could still have taken the Deposed Emperor hostage and fled to Xuzhou. Then Jiangdong would have been plunged into chaos, and disaster would have hung over all our heads."
Xi Chao laughed. "Once events have passed and circumstances changed, success or failure is all that matters. As things stand, that recklessly audacious Lu Song has actually helped you achieve your wish, Zizhong, and given Duke Huan grounds to demote Yu Xi. Hahaha."
Chen Caozhi understood what Xi Chao meant. Lu Shi and his son Lu Qin would find it hard to escape blame this time. With Lu Shi out of power, there was hope that he could marry Lu Weiwei. But Huan Wen had long been at odds with Lu Shi, and if he seized this opportunity to ruthlessly suppress the Lu Clan, that was certainly not what Chen Caozhi wished to see.
Chen Caozhi returned to the East Garden by the Qinhuai River. Chen Shang, Xiao Chan, and the others had also stayed awake all night, waiting anxiously for his return. Ran Sheng, Su Qi, and the others had come back ahead of him, all covered in blood. Su Qi had suffered a minor wound, and there were wounded men among both Ran Sheng's soldiers and the Su Clan's private soldiers. Fortunately,