Chapter 100 Chapter 100 is the only genuine version...
Western Xinjiang is in rebellion.
An urgent military report was delivered to the emperor, who was horrified.
In the past few years, due to the connivance of the general and the suppression of the military supervisor, small-scale harassment in Xiliang has never been absent, and villages have been massacred and civilians have been killed.
Now, among the thirteen cities in Western Xinjiang, the people in ten cities rebelled at the same time. After killing the military supervisor, they forced their way to the city of Sarka, where Xie Qiyun, the general of Western Xinjiang, was.
They demanded that Xie Qiyun's head be chopped off as a sacrifice and that the general be reappointed.
He demanded that the imperial court not lie down and pretend to be dead, but expel the people from Xiliang.
It is demanded that there should be no military supervisors in the Western Frontier from now on!
Xie Qiyun was trapped in the city of Sarka and urgently asked the court for help.
Xie Qiyun is the eldest son of Prince Jin and also the crown prince. Upon hearing the news, Prince Jin almost went crazy.
At the beginning, he snatched Gu Taotao's military achievements and sent his son to Western Xinjiang in order to one day take Western Xinjiang into his possession just like the Duke of Zhenguo occupied Northern Xinjiang. In the past few years, the military supervisors of the thirteen cities in Western Xinjiang were all his confidants who were transferred there one after another. Xie Qiyun was in charge of military and political affairs in Western Xinjiang and had the final say.
In just a few years, after establishing permanent diplomatic relations with the State of Liang, the Western Frontier would belong to his Prince Jin's Palace.
They said that some people from Liang came in to plunder, so what if they stole some food? They could just plant more.
Poor places and bad waters produce unruly people!
Those unruly people even dared to kill the military supervisor. If we let them break through the city of Sarka, my son would be in danger.
This sudden change in the western border made the King of Jin feel uneasy. He immediately proposed to dispatch troops to suppress the rebellion, but the cabinet rejected the proposal.
From the afternoon until dawn the next day, he argued and quarreled in the imperial study. The cabinet and the emperor both wanted to appease the people as much as possible. Western Xinjiang was the border with Liang State. Once there was civil unrest in Western Xinjiang, Liang State would probably take advantage of the situation.
However, appeasement means agreeing to their conditions...
When he walked out of the imperial study, Prince Jin was exhausted both physically and mentally.
The emperor was frightened by the Liang Kingdom, and as long as it could quell the civil unrest, he would rather let these unruly people do whatever they want. What else could he think of?
Unless he had no other choice, he really didn't want to use "that matter" to threaten the emperor like he did last time.
Using too many handles will only bring disaster to yourself.
Prince Jin walked out slowly.
He needs to think about it, think carefully... He only has this one legitimate son, and he must not lose him.
While he was thinking, a red, fiery figure passed by him. King Jin's mind moved, and he quickly called out, "Superintendent."
Shen Xu didn't even turn his head. A tabby cat was lying on his shoulder, its golden eyes wide open, meowing in his ear, as if to alert someone.
"Shut up."
"Meow!"
Shen Mao wasn't afraid of him at all, and patted his cheek with its soft paw pads, making a slapping sound. When he frowned and raised his hand, he immediately grabbed his shoulder tightly, his ears flying back, as if he would be thrown out without mercy if he was a little late.
Wu Shang, who was following behind him, had a blank expression on his face. This cat would never learn its lesson and would always push its limits.
"Lord Shen."
The King of Jin hurriedly caught up from behind and said politely, "Please stay."
"What's up?"
Chen Xu raised his thin lips, as if smiling, but his dark pupils were filled with a coldness that kept people at a distance.
"There is one thing indeed. This prince would like to ask Lord Shen to persuade the emperor to dispatch troops to quell the civil unrest in the Western Frontier. The people of Liang are accustomed to taking advantage of others' misfortunes. If there is unrest in the Western Frontier, there will be war..."
Chen Xu slapped the cat's face away and said in a soft voice, "Your Highness can let the prince return to the capital. I'm sure the emperor will agree."
The King of Jin naturally knew this, but doing so would be tantamount to fleeing in panic. Not only would all his operations in the Western Frontier fail, but it would also become a stain on his son in the future.
Just like him, he inherited Gu Taotao's military merits. Even if he climbed to his current position, once the Duke of Weiguo couldn't argue with him in the court, he would mock him for his illegitimate prince title.
King Jin said, "My Lord, Yun'er is now the commander-in-chief of the Western Frontier. How can he escape without a fight?"
Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by a sneer. Shen Xu sneered impatiently: "Since Your Majesty is so righteous, let the prince open the city gate to appease the public anger."
"To put it bluntly, the prince is reluctant to give up his legacy in Western Xinjiang, and he's also afraid that the prince will be accused of fleeing without a fight and return to the capital, becoming a laughing stock."
"Don't beat around the bush. I'm tired of hearing that."
"you……"
The Prince of Jin endured and endured. Shen Xu had always had a bad temper, and being sarcastic was the least of his problems. Last time, he didn't know how he had offended him, but he had been making trouble in front of the Emperor, and he had almost made a mistake.
But the emperor believed him, especially after his recent illness, Shen Xu's status had risen sharply. If there was anyone else who could convince the emperor, it was only him.
In this situation now, I can only rely on him.
Prince Jin lowered his stance and said bluntly, "I would like to ask the Governor to persuade the Emperor to send troops. As long as the Governor is willing to help, you can ask for anything you want."
Shen Xu looked at him with interest, and King Jin slowly frowned.
"Meow!"
Cat Shen got tired of waiting and yawned lazily, nestling his furry head into the crook of his neck, his breath warmly caressing his neck.
Chen Xu curled his fingers together, hesitated for a moment, and didn't push it away.
He said calmly, "What about the transfer?"
The King of Jin also thought about transferring him, but if he was transferred back to the capital, it could not be a downward transfer. At least it had to be a lateral transfer or a promotion, otherwise it would be no different from abandoning the city and fleeing.
The general is already of the first rank, so even if he is transferred to a lateral position, he must have a position.
Is there any first-rank official in the capital that he can squeeze out at will?
"Five Military Commandery, what do you think, Your Majesty?"
"How can the Five Armies Commandery have free time... Oh, right!" Prince Jin's eyebrows moved, his eyes brightened, "What does the Commander-in-Chief mean?"
Sunlight filtered through the dense foliage, falling on Shen Xu's face, leaving specks of light that made the cinnabar mole at the corner of his eye appear dazzlingly red. He rarely spoke to Shen Xu face to face like this, and he couldn't help but stare at the cinnabar mole a few more times.
Chen Xu brushed his sleeves, a smile on his face as he said slowly, "The Emperor gave Admiral Gong a ten-day deadline, and there are still six days left."
King Jin's heart skipped a beat. It must be said that this was an excellent idea.
Not only can we take the opportunity to transfer Yun'er back to the capital, but if she can replace Gong Hai, it will be a real vacancy, a very important one.
Prince Jin's attitude improved: "Thank you for your advice, Governor."
Chen Xu glanced at him sideways, as if no one was worthy of his attention. His posture and eyes were exactly the same as the cat lying on his shoulder.
The tabby cat half-closed its eyes and its head drooped from time to time.
"Your Majesty, can the prince hold on for six days?"
Chen Xu's fingers stroked the red rope on his wrist and said with interest: "If the prince can't hold on for six days, no matter how much I say, it will be useless."
Prince Jin's face turned pale for a moment, and he hurriedly said, "Please, Lord Governor, do me a favor. If this is accomplished..."
"If this can be accomplished." Shen Xu took a step towards him and said, "The prince has appointed Jiang Youzheng as the general."
The strands of hair on his forehead rose slightly, and a dark shadow fell on Prince Jin.
No matter how many times he recalled it, he could not clearly see the appearance of the guerrilla general in his memory. He only remembered the bloodshot eyes and bloody hands when he ordered the massacre of the Yin family.
Xie Yingchen said, it was him.
Shen Xu believed it.
Prince Jin was also examining him, and asked tentatively, "My Lord, are you interested in the Western Frontier Commander?"
Chen Xu clutched the small jade token hanging from the red string. He didn't answer directly, but instead said meaningfully, "The Emperor is not in good spirits right now. Will Your Highness choose to follow the Emperor again, or become the regent?"
Prince Jin's eyes flickered: "Master, you are joking."
"Your Highness, what do you think I will choose?" Shen Xu raised his hand, his long, white fingers with distinct joints. "Western Xinjiang is in my hands. I can choose whatever I want."
Shen Xu made no secret of his ambition, which actually made King Jin feel more at ease.
He is just a general of the Western Frontier. It is hard to say whether Shen Xu can catch him or not. Why should he be reluctant to give him up?
As long as Yun'er can come back safely.
Chen Xu would not help him for nothing. He would only do his best if it was profitable for him.
It is worthwhile to exchange the general of the Western Frontier for the military power of the Imperial Guards.
"When the matter is accomplished, it will be as the Governor wishes."
As for the future.
Shen Xu was right in saying that whether to follow the emperor or to be regent, one needs to think about it carefully.
"Meow."
The tabby cat was hungry and called out urgently.
Chen Xu nodded and walked away without looking back, as if he was arrogant and didn't say goodbye. Wu Shang followed closely behind him.
Prince Jin watched him walk away with a restless mind and hurried out of the palace.
The Prince of Jin's Mansion also had its own sources of information in the Western Frontier. He stayed in the imperial study for a day and a night, arguing his case. When he returned, the desk was piled with various urgent letters sent by carrier pigeons.
The situation is far more serious than the military reports the court has received. As expected, the Liang Kingdom took advantage of the civil strife and ambushed troops at the border with a covetous eye.
Xie Qiyun, accused of treason, attempted several times to dispatch troops to exterminate the civilians besieging the city, but was stopped by his deputy general and his men, arguing that "indiscriminate killings were forbidden." Even the soldiers turned a deaf ear to his orders. In those few days, Xie Qiyun was plagued by external and internal troubles, feeling as if he had been sidelined.
King Jin quickly read all the letters sent by carrier pigeons.
So far, the rebellious people have not forced their way into the garrison, nor have they engaged in any conflict with the soldiers defending the various cities. They have simply killed the military supervisor and his personal guards, and then united to expel the Liang people who entered and looted. They have not stormed the border, have not advanced eastward, and none of them has declared themselves king.
The emperor would definitely choose to appease.
If this continues, Yun'er will become an abandoned child.
"Can the prince hold out for six days?"
King Jin was upset when he thought of what Shen Xu said.
If they couldn't hold out for six days, or if Gong Hai really managed to gain leverage over the Gu family and regain his position as Left Admiral, they would have truly missed their only chance. Furthermore, even if Gong Hai couldn't retrieve the arrow, given the Emperor's trust in him, he most likely wouldn't actually be dismissed.
Now the only option is to take risks and pull Gong Hai down no matter what.
The King of Jin summoned his staff and confidants, and after a day of discussion, he drafted a memorial impeaching Gong Hai for embezzlement and misappropriation of millions of arrows with the intent to commit crimes.
This memorial was like a raging fire, instantly igniting the court. The Jin prince's followers unanimously impeached Gong Hai, alleging that he had poor character, abused power, and abused his authority, as well as that he had engaged in sexually immoral activities, competing with Princess Zhaoyang for an actor, and forcing women from the countryside, and that he had a bad moral character.
Gong Hai never expected that this fire would burn on him in just two days. Seeing the storm rising, Gong Hai quickly fought back, but he had already lost the initiative. Then, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War impeached Gong Hai for embezzling empty salaries and the number of imperial guards was only half of the registered number.
In other words, the imperial guards nominally had 150,000 men, but in reality there were less than 80,000. A list was also submitted along with the memorial.
The memorial concluded by stating that if Liang sent another force, Daqi's forces would be too thin and the situation would only be worse than it was six years ago. Daqi no longer had Gu Taotao, the Duke of Zhenguo, so who could lead the troops?
The emperor had received the news that the Liang Kingdom had ambushed troops at the border. This memorial once again reminded him of the nightmare of being invaded by the Liang Kingdom.
In shock and anger, the emperor scolded Gong Hai and ordered him to write a memorial to defend himself.
Overnight, Gong Hai was pulled down from the clouds.
It happened so fast that he didn't even have time to discuss it with his staff.
Who among them is not drawing the empty salary? The full establishment of each garrison is 3,300 people, and it is already very good to have 2,000 people. But it is unreasonable to say that they defended themselves and stole and swallowed millions of arrows.
The first memorial was submitted by King Jin. How had he offended King Jin that made King Jin deal with him at any cost?
Gong Hai immediately submitted a self-defense memorial and stood outside the imperial study to ask for an audience. The emperor did not see him. After reading his self-defense memorial, he threw it out.
Gong Hai heard the sound of something heavy falling inside. He knew something was wrong and knelt outside, saying loudly, "Your Majesty, I have absolutely no evil intentions. I beg Your Majesty to investigate."
"I have received news that the arrow is inside the Qianji Camp. I beg Your Majesty to allow me to search the camp!"
"I will definitely find the arrow!"
"Your Majesty, it was Prince Jin who colluded with the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion and acted intentionally. I beg Your Majesty to investigate."
He knelt in the sun until dark. Li Deshun finally emerged from inside, stood on the high steps, looked at Gong Hai and said, "Admiral Gong, the emperor has ordered that from today on, you will be temporarily suspended from your duties."
Gong Hai blurted out in disbelief: "Impossible!"
"Commander Gong, Captain Pang Yi just confessed that the arrows were not stolen. You had someone take them away and hide them privately, and then instructed him to pin the blame on Prince Gu."
Gong Hai was stunned.
Pang Yi... confessed?
He must have confessed under torture!
East Factory? Not only the Prince of Jin, but also the Zhenguogong Mansion and the East Factory are in cahoots?
"Eunuch Li, I want to see the emperor. Please pass on the message."
Li Deshun smiled.
Gong Hai has always been very arrogant and looked down on eunuchs like them, but now he calls them "you" all the time.
Li Deshun walked down the steps, helped him up with both hands, and said kindly, "Commander Gong, it's not that the emperor doesn't trust you. It's just that there are too many impeachment memorials against you, and with Captain Pang Yi as a witness, the emperor is trying to protect you. If the emperor truly suspects you, think about it, Commander Gong, he should remove you from office and investigate, not just suspend you."
"Once the Emperor has discovered the truth, he will reinstate you."
Gong Hai couldn't tell how credible Li Deshun's words were. As a high-ranking eunuch in front of the emperor, he never flattered the powerful or put down the weak. He was always polite to everyone, which made him even more difficult to understand.
"Admiral Gong, please go back."
Gong Hai stood there in silence.
He hadn't knelt like this for many, many years. His knees were stiff and his legs were numb. He fell forward as soon as he took a step, and his head was bleeding.
Gong Hai was suspended.
This news was like a thunderclap, exploding throughout the court.
Immediately afterwards, the emperor ordered Deputy General Liu Guangming to temporarily take charge of the Five Military Camps. Pang Yi had already confessed, and the first thing Liu Guangming did after receiving the imperial edict was to order all the soldiers of the Five Military Camps to return to the camp immediately.
"Sir, all five military camps have withdrawn."
Qi Fu reported, "I sent scouts out to check, and they have indeed left."
Gu Yican was in the military camp, and he was fully aware of the changes happening in the capital. Gong Hai thought he had trapped him, but in reality, when the camp was first built, a secret passage was dug that allowed for free entry and exit.
The confrontation was nothing more than using Li Qing as bait to attract Gong Hai's attention so that Gong Hai wouldn't risk everything and set fire to the mountain.
A total of five days.
No more, no less.
Xie Yingchen was in the military camp, but he had everyone in the court and the country at his disposal, like chess pieces, which he could place and push around at will.
Black heart.
He is really cruel!
He is weak as a kitten, yet he is above the nine heavens, controlling the universe and stirring up wind and rain.
Oh, my sister is so gentle and kind, she must have been deceived by his tricks. Unforgivable!
After Gu Yican asked Qi Fu to take people to investigate the place where the arrows were hidden, they decided not to move for the time being.
"Liu Guangming is incredibly loyal to Gong Hai. Finding the arrow now is crucial to Gong Hai's recovery. He retreated so abruptly. It's all a trap."
However, Liu Guangming now only dared to act in secret, and he could not mobilize the imperial guards on a large scale. They had completely eaten up this batch of arrows.
"Sister, are you going back to Beijing now, or are you staying for a few more days?"
Xie Yingchen was talking to Qin Chen. Even when the imperial guards surrounded the camp, Qin Chen made two trips back and forth silently.
Upon hearing this, Xie Yingchen turned around and said, "There's new military news from Western Xinjiang. The remaining three cities have also rebelled. The Emperor summoned Prince Jin and decided to agree to the people's demands. He asked Prince Jin to persuade Crown Prince Xie Qiyun to commit suicide as a sacrifice to the city, but Prince Jin gritted his teeth and refused."
"Prince Jin can no longer wait. He has no other choice but to ask Gong Hai to immediately vacate the position of 'Left Admiral'."
He looked at her, and even just speaking seemed to carry a hint of tenderness: "Shall we go back to Beijing to see what's happening?"
"good!"
Gu Zhizhuo's face was full of joy.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
