The secret guard saw that Rong Yunhe did not speak for a long time after listening to his words. He just stood in the courtyard with a frown on his face, and no one knew what he was thinking.
However, just looking at Rong Yunhe's solemn and serious expression, one could tell that he must be considering something extremely important at this moment.
The secret guards didn't urge Rong Yunhe to make up his mind immediately, but simply stood by him quietly to prevent assassination attempts. After all, Su Qi and General Guangwei had disappeared when Tongzhou was captured. Now that they were in the open, while Su Qi and the others were in the dark, they naturally had to be extremely cautious.
"Do you have a map of Western Chu with you?" Rong Yunhe pondered for a while, and finally spoke slowly. His heavy heart made his voice solemn, like the coolness in the morning mist.
"Yes. Sir, do you want to familiarize yourself with the terrain of Western Chu before deciding on your itinerary?" The secret guard was extremely sensitive. As soon as Rong Yunhe finished speaking, he understood Rong Yunhe's thoughts.
Hearing this, Rong Yunhe looked up at him, but in his heart he couldn't help but admire that all the people under Chu Feiyang were capable of great use.
Nodding carefully, Rong Yunhe and the secret guard stepped into the house together. The secret guard quickly pulled out a sheepskin map from his sleeve and spread it on the eight-immortal table. They both looked down at the mountains and cities on the map.
At the same time, the secret guard also patiently told Rong Yunhe about the cities that had been captured by the Sea King, and analyzed the official roads, mountain roads, waterways, etc. in detail.
"Master Rong, please look! The Sea King has captured Tongzhou, Zhengzhou, and Yicheng, four cities in the southeast, northwest, and northeast. Countless other cities surrounding these four cities have also been captured, forming a siege." The secret guard's powerful fingers drew a square on the map, centered around the four cities. He then continued, "The Sea King controls the vital transportation routes in the southeast, northwest, and northeast directions. Whether inside or outside the siege, he holds the initiative. Therefore, he can block the arrival of the Prince's reinforcements and the supply of food and fodder along the official roads."
"What if we take the smaller path?" Rong Yunhe frowned slightly as he listened to the guard's detailed explanation. His gaze shifted to the narrow, narrow paths or mountain roads marked with blue lines. But before the guard could even speak, a hint of dissatisfaction and denial appeared in Rong Yunhe's eyes.
The secret guard noticed the change in Rong Yunhe's expression and immediately turned serious. He then spoke, "Of course, we can take the side roads, but firstly, these side roads are unmaintained. Not only are the roads narrow and uneven, but compared to the official roads, they are also very detours. Time is everything when marching or fighting, so this is generally not something that generals would use. Secondly, I think the Sea King must have already thought of this. I'm afraid these side roads are full of ambushes. I'm afraid whether the food and reinforcements can reach their destination is uncertain."
After analyzing everything, Rong Yunhe raised his eyes and looked at the secret guard. He was slightly surprised, but his face remained calm and indifferent as he said, "You have become your prince's lobbyist."
The secret guard naturally understood the implicit meaning of Rong Yunhe's words, but he also knew in his heart that Rong Yunhe meant no harm. His expression remained solemn and stern, his gaze fixed on the map. He spoke calmly, "Young Master Rong knows that Prince Chen's two greatest concerns are the throne and our princess. Now that Prince Chen is forcing the emperor to abdicate, the capital is completely occupied by his city defense forces. The most unsafe place is Prime Minister Chu's residence. Before the prince left the capital, he gathered all the secret guards to protect the princess, but the princess couldn't let go of the Prince Fuguo Mansion, Prime Minister Yun's Mansion, and the Rong Mansion, so she divided the secret guards into several groups to protect these three residences..."
"What did you say?" Hearing this, Rong Yunhe was shocked. He had never thought Yun Qianmeng would still be thinking about the Rong Mansion at this moment. A warm feeling washed over him, yet he was also a little angry that she didn't know how to protect herself. After all, compared to the Rong Mansion, Yun Qianmeng's situation was even more difficult. Prince Chen would never let go of such a great opportunity.
Rong Yunhe's face gradually turned pale, and his eyes, which were usually dull, quickly gathered anxiety. He suddenly lowered his head, and looked at the map on the table with anxious eyes. His slender white fingers tapped lightly at the position where he was at the moment, and then slid towards the surrounding cities. Hidden under his calm demeanor was his imperceptible wisdom and shrewd mind.
I only watched Rong Yunhe's fingers tap a few more times on a few inconspicuous and relatively safe cities, then raised his head to look at the secret guards, and then spoke again, "The prince has someone like you by his side, which really makes Rong envy him. I understand what you meant just now. Although Prince Chen forced the emperor away, in the hearts of the people and officials, the emperor of Western Chu is still Emperor Yugan. All officials still obey Emperor Yugan. Su Qi escaped the disaster by leaving the capital because of the imperial edict, and he also met "With General Guangwei, who is loyal to the Emperor, he will surely seize the opportunity to embarrass the Prince. If this transport envoy delays the delivery of grain and fodder, even the Prince's extraordinary abilities will be in vain, and the entire Chu army will surely suffer defeat. My Rong family may not have much else, but we do have more than enough silver and food. Furthermore, our Rong family has banks and rice shops throughout Western Chu. If we need to circulate military rations, we can use the Rong family's first. It's not only safer but also saves time."
The secret guard didn't expect Rong Yunhe to be so straightforward. He immediately clasped his fists towards Rong Yunhe and said loudly, "Thank you, Master Rong, for your great help. I'm sorry for being too nosy about what happened today. I hope Master Rong won't take it personally."
Rong Yunhe raised a hand to stop the guard from blaming himself, and said with a hint of regret, "It's not because of what you just said that I made this decision. The Rong family has been connected with the princess and the King of Chu for a long time. At this moment, if we don't unite and fight for a future, I'm afraid that the future will not be good for everyone. Tell the prince that I'm not going anywhere for the time being. Leave the grain transfer from Jiangnan to me for the time being. By the way, please notify Si'er and ask him to rush north as soon as possible to supervise Mei and Zuo."
The words were not explained in detail, but Rong Yunhe believed that the secret guard could understand.
The secret guard's heart tightened, so he nodded to Rong Yunhe, then turned and walked out of the main room...
In the palace.
The two armies fought, the battle met, the smoke of gunpowder rose, the halls and pavilions were filled with corpses, the magnificent palace was flooded with blood, the palace maids and eunuchs were fleeing everywhere, screaming and shouting for mercy were endless, the tragic scenes of the world were all displayed before people's eyes.
After the fierce battle, the Chen army annihilated over 26,000 Imperial Guards, while suffering fewer than 8,000 casualties. The disparity in strength was staggering. Perhaps no one could have known that the city defense forces, usually only guarding the city gates, actually possessed such hidden strength.
"Your Highness, except for the deputy commander of the Royal Guard, Xia Ji, who was captured alive by us, the rest of the people were all annihilated." Ning Feng walked to the side of King Chen with a long sword in his hand and reported the battle situation.
At the same time, guards were escorting Xia Ji forward. Two guards pressed down on Xia Ji's shoulders, trying to make him kneel down and kowtow to King Chen.
Unexpectedly, Xia Ji was extremely stubborn. Not only was there indifference and sarcasm in his eyes when he looked at King Chen, but his legs were also standing straight. No matter how the two guards pressed him, he refused to kneel down.
"What a stubborn man you are! Even at this time, you still refuse to surrender to me." King Chen's armor was already stained with countless blood. Even though he had already taken control of the palace, the murderous intent in his eyes and the hostility in his body were still strong and lingering around his eyes, making people tremble with fear and dare not look directly at this soul-catcher who seemed to have walked out of hell.
But Xia Ji was also bloodthirsty, and Jiang Muchen killed his entire family, which made Xia Ji hate Jiang Muchen to the core. Naturally, he was not afraid of the pressure from King Chen. He stared at Jiang Muchen with wide eyes, wishing to skin King Chen alive.
Seeing that Prince Chen still expected him to kneel before him at this moment, Xia Ji suddenly laughed three times, then with a cold and bloodstained face, he angrily shouted at Prince Chen: "Traitor, you actually expect me to kneel before you, you want to be a traitor yourself, but you drag me into the water! You are disloyal to the emperor and have no mercy on the people. You have killed my entire family and you still want me to kneel and beg for mercy. Prince Chen, forget it! I swear I will never kneel before a despicable villain like you! I don't even bother to talk to you, bah!"
The thorough scolding immediately relieved Xia Ji's resentment, and a happy expression appeared on his face.
But after Ning Feng and the others heard what Xia Ji said, cold sweat broke out on their palms. They shot cold rays of light at the weak Xia Ji in front of them, trying to suppress Xia Ji's arrogance.
However, Xia Ji was now alone and was not afraid of anything. He accepted all the fierce looks from all around and smiled arrogantly and freely.
Ning Feng immediately dodged behind Xia Ji and fiercely kicked towards the bend of Xia Ji's legs with his right foot...
"Dong..." Everyone only heard an extremely crisp sound of something hitting the ground, and Xia Ji had actually knelt on one knee in front of King Chen.
Seeing that Prince Chen and his men were going too far, Xia Ji endured the severe pain in his knees and turned to glare at Ning Feng. Then he turned back to glare at Prince Chen. Even though he was kneeling, he still maintained an air of neither servility nor arrogance. Xia Ji raised his head and cursed, "You want to force me to submit? Even if I kneel, what does it matter? I am not convinced. I will never recognize you, a traitor, as my monarch! Prince Chen, give up this idea! There is no reconciliation between you and me!"
Jiang Muchen, however, remained silent, allowing Xia Ji to curse to his heart's content. He stood outside the Golden Throne Hall, his gaze fixed far ahead, watching his soldiers still engaged in a bloody battle. Jiang Muchen abruptly retracted his gaze, turning to the unyielding Xia Ji. With an icy aura, he took a step forward and said in a cold voice, "You are truly loyal to Emperor Yugan. Rest assured, I will make sure you die a worthy death!"
"Hmph, if you have the guts, kill me now!" Xia Ji had already seen through life and death, so how could he be afraid of the life and death, chopping and killing in King Chen's words?
"Kill you now? Humph, I will make your death meaningful! After I have rectified this palace, I will personally chop off your head as a sacrifice!" With a cold snort, King Chen waved his hand and asked the guards to drag Xia Ji away.
But Prince Chen turned around, looked up at the solemn and majestic Golden Palace in front of him, stepped up the stairs one by one, and walked towards the Golden Palace on the blood-stained red carpet.
Generals who had fought shoulder to shoulder with King Chen were already standing on both sides of the red carpet. They respectfully welcomed King Chen as he walked step by step into the golden palace and towards the supreme Nine Dragon Throne.
With every step Prince Chen took, traces of blood oozed from the bottom of his boots. His face was stern with a murderous aura that had not yet faded, mixed with his innate nobility. Under the gaze of everyone, he stepped into the golden palace, and his hawk-like cold eyes instantly shot towards the Nine Dragon Throne ten feet away.
He walked for twenty-four years for this day, and no one knew the hardships he went through.
He paid too much for the Nine Dragon Throne, and even missed out on a unique woman like Yun Qianmeng.
However, as long as he sat on the Nine Dragon Throne, the world of Western Chu would be completely in his hands. Even if Yun Qianmeng fled to the ends of the earth, he would not let her go. Even if Chu Feiyang stood between him and Yun Qianmeng, he would first grind Chu Feiyang to dust and snatch Yun Qianmeng back.
Thinking of this, a hint of determination flashed across Leng Ning's eyes. Jiang Muchen's pace towards the jade steps slowly quickened, and in the blink of an eye he was standing in front of the dragon table.
He stared calmly at the soldiers fighting bloody battles below, and slowly raised the long sword in his hand...
"Your Highness, long live the emperor." Ning Feng was the first to kneel in front of King Chen, shouting the emperor's name.
"Your Highness, long live the emperor." When the other people saw that the first guard beside Prince Chen had spoken, they immediately followed Ning Feng and knelt down to perform the solemn ceremony, their shouts reaching the sky.
"Pass on my order and announce to the world that the late Emperor Yugan unfortunately died suddenly of illness, and the throne will be passed to Prince Chen. From today on, the reign will be changed to Dexi!" The cold voice came out of Jiang Muchen's mouth, and the determination between his brows was like a thousand-year-old black ice that could not be melted.
But when Ning Feng heard the word "De Xi", his expression was stunned, his brows wrinkled slightly, and his heart skipped a beat.
The Princess of Chu's maiden name was Yun Qianmeng. "Meng" is composed of one "Xi" (darkness) and two "Mu" (wood). "De" (virtue) and "De" (de) are homophones. The Emperor has actually designated the reign title "De Xi." Does this mean the Prince intends to take action against the Princess of Chu?
Ning Feng broke out in a cold sweat because of the reign title Jiang Muchen mentioned. If the emperor took someone else's wife, he would probably be criticized by the world in the future. This is definitely not a good thing.
"Long live our emperor." The ministers kowtowed and paid homage to Emperor Dexi.
"Report." However, the guards who had been searching the palace for the whereabouts of Emperor Yugan and others hurried into the hall and knelt on their knees to report, "Your Majesty, we have searched the palace thoroughly but have found no trace of the late emperor, the empress dowager, or anyone else. We have gathered the remaining concubines of the late emperor in Fengxiang Palace, awaiting your Majesty's decision."
"Hmph, the monk can escape but the temple cannot. He thought that just because he escaped from the palace, I can't do anything to him? Pass on my decree, if you meet Emperor Yugan, the Empress Dowager and the Empress, kill them without mercy." With a cold snort, Jiang Muchen issued the second imperial decree.
"Your Majesty, where are the other ministers? We have wiped out less than half of the imperial guards this time. I believe the rest of the imperial guards must have escaped with the late emperor." It was not just the three who disappeared, but also many important ministers in the court. These people played a vital role in the court and the country.
Like Prince Duan, although he rarely participated in political disputes and did not have much ambition for state affairs, he was deeply loved by the people.
Just like Wen Xie of the Wen family, the Wen family is famous all over the world, and most of the Confucian scholars in Western Chu are from the Wen family. If the Wen family spreads messages outside, it will be extremely detrimental to the consolidation of the emperor's position.
The emperor ascended the throne in a hurry this time, and the Confucian scholars in the world will certainly have doubts. When the articles are leaked, it will definitely damage the emperor's prestige.
But if there is joint testimony from Prince Duan and others, I believe such rumors will be suppressed quickly, and the emperor will be able to sit on the throne smoothly.
What's more, the 50,000-strong imperial guards disappeared overnight along with the emperor and empress. This is really unbelievable and really makes people feel uneasy.
Jiang Muchen had obviously thought of this as well. He lowered his eyes and pondered for a long moment before saying in a cold voice, "The rest of them must be captured alive. I'll make a final decision after I've seen them. The late emperor's concubines and maids will all be given a bowl of safflower soup and banished to the cold palace. Those who refuse to obey will be executed on the spot. As for the Imperial Guards, they will be there to protect Emperor Yugan and the others. If they are encountered by our army, they will be killed without mercy. Not a single one can be spared!"
"Our emperor is wise, long live our emperor." The crowd shouted again.
"Your Majesty, what should we do with the people in the capital? The King of Chu now has 250,000 troops and Hai Chenxi's tens of thousands of troops are still stationed outside the city. It is really disadvantageous for us to fight one against two." Ning Feng was always worried that the hundreds of thousands of troops outside the city would turn their spearhead towards the capital.
Although the prince now has an army of 1.2 million at his disposal, these troops are distributed in the east, south, west and north of Western Chu. It is extremely difficult to gather them in a short period of time.
Jiang Muchen listened calmly to Ning Feng's analysis, allowing the generals below to express their opinions, but he already had a plan in his mind.
"Your Majesty, this city gate must not be opened. I have already counted the grain reserves in the capital, which is enough for the people of the capital to live for more than a year." At this time, Qu Yan walked forward with a smile on his face and reported the data he had in his hands.
Hearing this, Jiang Muchen nodded coldly, but then gave an order: "Military food and supplies are of paramount importance. Remember not to make any mistakes. Hai Quan and Chu Feiyang are both extremely cunning people, and they will do anything on the battlefield. If you want to defeat them, you must first guard against their actions."
"I understand, Your Majesty, please rest assured." Qu Yan bent over and stood in the hall, stepping on the pools of blood, but he felt extremely proud in his heart.
"Now all the people in the capital are in our hands. Chu Feiyang will never attack the city without being sure of his safety. Ning Feng, pass the order down. All the aristocratic families and official palaces should send people to keep a close eye on them. No one is allowed to enter or leave their residences. Those who disobey the order will be executed. At the same time, bring a letter of persuasion. If they refuse to sign, all the members of the family will be thrown into jail until they sign." Jiang Muchen gave the order without hesitation.
Jiang Muchen then sat on the dragon throne, took out a blank imperial edict, picked up the brush on the dragon table, and wrote on the imperial edict. Finally, he took out the jade seal from the dragon table and stamped the lower left corner of the imperial edict.
Jiang Muchen handed the imperial edict, the ink of which had not yet dried, to Ning Feng, then stood up and spoke clearly, "This edict, first, informs the people of the world that Emperor Yugan has died suddenly and that Prince Chen has succeeded him. Secondly, Prince Chu and Prince Hai have rebelled and become traitors to Western Chu. I will lead the people of Western Chu to capture the traitor and the prince. I hope that all of you will work together with me to defend Western Chu."
"Our emperor is wise, and we, your subjects, are willing to fight to the bitter end with him." The truth of the matter was no longer a concern for the people in the palace. They had already imagined their own impending meteoric rise to prominence, high office, generous salaries, and beauties surrounding them. This had inflated their desires, and they couldn't wait to declare their loyalty to Jiang Muchen, believing it would secure them a bright future.
Ning Feng held the imperial edict written by Jiang Muchen in his hands and took a closer look. He couldn't help but be amazed. He didn't know when the prince had become so good at imitating Emperor Yugan's handwriting. Even the most experienced scholar would be unable to distinguish the authenticity of the handwriting. No wonder the prince rushed straight to the dragon throne as soon as he entered the hall. It turned out that the prince had already made preparations.
Thinking of this, Ning Feng couldn't help but feel excited. With this real imperial edict, all the situations would be reversed. King Chu and King Hai would become traitors and be cursed by the people of the world, while the prince, oh no, the emperor would be able to ascend the throne legitimately.
At the same time, it would be easy to get rid of Emperor Yugan. Even if the other party raised an army to denounce him in the future, I'm afraid no one would believe him.
"Right now, the rebel kings Chu Feiyang and Hai Quan are eyeing the imperial palace in the capital. It's not time to celebrate yet. My dear ministers, please don't get carried away by your current victory. I hope you will always remember the difficult times we, your ruler and your subjects, have endured. When my kingdom is stable and peace reigns, I will surely reward you handsomely." Jiang Muchen's words were both a reassuring gesture and a reminder to those in the hall. Two fierce tigers were watching closely outside the gates of the capital. Don't get carried away by your current victory. Otherwise, not only will you lose your chance to become king or prime minister, but you might even risk your life.
"Your Majesty's reprimand will be remembered." The people who were just feeling complacent about their victory changed their expressions because of Prince Chen's words. They straightened their minds and shouted in unison.
"There are many secret passages in the palace. Ning Feng, you personally lead the people to check them one by one for me. The rest of the people will follow me out of the palace." But unexpectedly, since Jiang Muchen ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, why did he abandon the magnificent palace and rush to leave the palace.
Only Ning Feng, who had followed Jiang Muchen for many years, understood that although the palace was now in their hands, they had still not found the secret passage that Emperor Yugan and his men had escaped. As a precaution, the emperor would not remain in the palace for long. Furthermore, the situation outside the palace was not optimistic. With the Princess of Chu imprisoned within the city, the King of Chu was sure to take action, so the emperor naturally had to take precautions.
However, when Ning Feng thought that the emperor would lose his usual calmness and composure when he saw the Princess of Chu, he felt a deep worry in his heart.
Looking up at Emperor Dexi who had already walked down the jade steps to explain things to his ministers, Ning Feng could only respectfully see Jiang Muchen off while he led the guards to the harem.