Chapter 572: Dogs Have Better Brains Than Him
The Crown Prince felt more and more that Emperor An had ill intentions, but he didn't know what he was up to. However, previous lessons had taught him that the more he spoke, the more mistakes he made. He replied respectfully, "I am not very familiar with military affairs, and Prince Pingshan's rebellion is a serious matter. I will obey your orders, father."
Upon hearing this, Emperor An frowned and scolded him directly: "Stupid thing!"
"As the crown prince, and even the future emperor of Wei, you must have learned a lot from managing state affairs during this time. Even if you're not familiar with military affairs, you should still have your own opinions. How can you be so indecisive, relying on me like a child?"
"Did you know that all the people exiled by the Lu family died? That Lu Jiuan and King Pingshan were determined to frame me?!"
The prince's face froze, and everyone else in the hall looked shocked.
All the exiled members of the Lu family's side branches died?
Emperor An simply looked at the Crown Prince and said gravely, "Prince Pingshan's rebellion occurred while you were in charge of government. You were completely unaware of it, which was a grave mistake. Do you really want me, even though I'm sick, to handle it for you?"
"If that's the case, then I seriously doubt whether you have the ability to hold the position of Crown Prince and manage the affairs of the court and the Wei Empire for me!"
Emperor An's harsh words made the prince feel as if his face had been ripped off.
All the important officials of the court were standing in the hall. Emperor An had said so much. If he continued to shirk his responsibilities, wouldn't he be just being childish and making everyone think that he was really as incompetent as Emperor An said, and was not qualified to be the crown prince of the Eastern Palace?
What's more, King Pingshan and Lu Jiuan cruelly killed all the members of the Lu family and put the blame on the palace.
It's really cruel and ruthless!
The Crown Prince said calmly, "How could I shirk my responsibility? The affairs of the court are my responsibility. I just feel that the matter of Prince Pingshan is of great importance. I want to discuss it with my father before making a decision. But since my father has asked this, I naturally feel that Prince Pingshan's rebellion must not be forgiven!"
He had once added insult to injury when the Lu family was in trouble, and even after they were convicted, he was credited with half the responsibility.
Since Lu Jiuan could kill all the people of the Lu family, how could he possibly let him go?
If such a vicious and cruel person is not eliminated, he will not be able to rest day or night.
The prince stood in front of the palace, feeling both frightened by Lu Jiuan and indignant at Emperor An's deliberate denigration of him. He straightened his back and tried his best to show the prince's majesty on his face, and his words were firm and resolute.
"The Lu family's conspiracy to rebel and Lu Jiuan's escape are already serious crimes, and Prince Pingshan's harboring of a fugitive is an unforgivable crime. They are unrepentant and yet dare to slander my father for starting a rebellion. Such evil deeds must not be tolerated."
"I propose sending troops to suppress the Pingshan Prince's rebels and annihilate the Pingshan Prince's Palace to intimidate other princes and those with ulterior motives!"
The anger on Emperor An's face eased: "This is what our Xie family's son should be like. He has some of the dignity of a crown prince."
The prince raised his chin slightly, revealing a bit of royal dominance.
The next moment, Emperor An said, "The Crown Prince's words reflect my intention. Prince Pingshan's crime of treason is unforgivable. The rebels must be annihilated as soon as possible. What do you think, Duke Dingguo?"
The smug look on the prince's face froze in an instant, and a flash of thunder flashed through his mind.
When dispatching troops to suppress the rebels, the commander must hold a tiger talisman.
The tiger talisman is in Xiao Yan's hand...
The prince immediately understood Emperor An's intention and looked at Xiao Yan abruptly, his face turning pale.
Xiao Yan looked expressionlessly at the prince who jumped into the pit without noticing anything and looked smug. He suddenly felt that it was not good for this "mascot" to be too stupid. Even a dog's brain could be smarter than the prince's. He glanced at the prince's face which seemed to be at a loss as if he suddenly understood something, and walked forward calmly.
"Since Your Majesty and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince have both stated that they want to annihilate the rebels, I naturally have no objection."
Emperor An looked up at him and smiled gently, "I knew that Duke Dingguo, as a member of the He family, would share my feelings. I don't want to see a villain like the Prince of Pingshan start a war and bring misery to the people of the world."
"I originally wanted to personally lead the army and capture the traitor Prince Pingshan, but I am truly unable to do so. I have already given the military command to Lord Xiao, and I have known your abilities for many years. How about you lead the troops south to eliminate the rebels and quell the rebellion in Prince Pingshan's mansion for me?"
The prince's face turned even paler. His father really wanted to expel Xiao Yan from the capital!
Liang Guangyi and others didn't think much of it when they first saw Xiao Yan and Liu Tongen arguing, but after listening to Emperor An's words, they understood what he meant.
They all looked at Xiao Yan, and Cao Dejiang and Qian Baokun both frowned.
Prince Pingshan's sudden rebellion actually helped Emperor An.
Emperor An was originally in a difficult situation in the capital, as Xiao Yan had suppressed him to the point where he could not move, but now rebels suddenly emerged.
If Xiao Yan left the capital to quell the rebellion, the good situation he had created in the capital would be destroyed in an instant. After the Crown Prince lost his support, Emperor An would definitely take the opportunity to seize back the power of the government.
If Xiao Yan refused to leave the capital, Emperor An would have an excuse to take back the military command...
Qian Baokun felt that Xiao Yan was too unlucky. The capital had just been stabilized when such a dilemma arose. However, Cao Dejiang was familiar with Emperor An's temperament and knew his true nature better. He looked at the hypocritical gentleness on Emperor An's face and thought of more in an instant.
Was Prince Pingshan's rebellion truly an accident?!
Xiao Yan met Emperor An's gaze and said calmly, "Of course I am willing to lead the troops south. It is my duty to lead the troops to capture the traitors and eliminate the rebels on Your Majesty's behalf."
Emperor An smiled and said, "My dear Minister Xiao, you are indeed loyal. I will order the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue to coordinate the allocation of supplies and food so that we can dispatch our troops as soon as possible..."
“Wait!”
"Lord Xiao?"
The smile on Emperor An's face froze. He knew that Xiao Yan would not give up the capital so easily. However, he was certain that whether Xiao Yan led his troops out of the capital or returned the military command, it would be beneficial to him. He was not in the least bit anxious, just waiting to see how Xiao Yan would "choose" his ugly unwillingness.
Xiao Yan met Emperor An's faintly excited gaze and said calmly, "I am indeed willing to lead the troops south and help Your Majesty to eliminate the rebels. However, just before I entered the palace, I received a secret report that Lu Jiuan is suspected to have appeared in Qinghe, and there is an army of tens of thousands nearby, and I am afraid he is planning to move north."
“Wow—”
The others in the hall were in an uproar. Cao Dejiang frowned and said, "Duke Dingguo, are you saying that Lu Jiuan is not in Pingyang County?"
“No.”
Xiao Yan said it with absolute certainty, without any hesitation.
"I think that Prince Pingshan may seem to be using the Lu family's affairs as an excuse to rebel, but in reality, he and Lu Jiuan have probably already split up their forces. One is sending troops to suppress the rebellion in the south, while the other is lying dormant in secret. If I lead my troops south directly, I will fall directly into their trap. By then, the capital will be empty, and Lu Jiuan will definitely lead his troops north to attack the capital."
"Impossible!" Liu Tong'en subconsciously retorted: "Why is Lu Jiuan in Qinghe?!"
Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow: "What Commander Liu said, why can't he be in Qinghe?"
He paused, with a half-smile:
"Or does Commander Liu know where Lu Jiuan is?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com