Chapter 49 The Pledge of Allegiance +1
After drinking with Nian Gengyao, Yunxing went to the palace with a worried look on his face and reported back, describing Nian Gengyao as extremely down-and-out.
On the one hand, he naturally wanted to dispel the fourth prince's suspicions and fears for his good ally; on the other hand, he also wanted to completely cut off Nian Gengyao's escape route and not give him a chance to back out.
Yongzheng put aside most of his suspicions, but a small part remained, mainly his distrust of Yunzhi. Just in case Yi Gengyao was faking it and the Tenth Prince hadn't seen through it, Yongzheng once again sent his beloved Seventeenth Brother to visit Yi Gengyao under the guise of delivering a reward.
Yunli accepted the imperial decree readily, saying that he was "sharing the burden with his elder brother," but in his heart he was secretly thinking what a great opportunity it was to see how he would take down Nian Gengyao!
“Nian Gengyao met with Prince Guo.”
Seeing Nian Gengyao walk out with a pale face, looking somewhat lost and defeated, and bowing respectfully to him, Yunli nodded. Instead of kicking him while he was down, he politely helped him up.
"General Nian, please rise quickly. His Majesty is concerned about your injuries, saying that you are a meritorious official of the country with outstanding achievements, and specially sent me to visit you. These medicinal herbs are all treasures from the palace or were found from famous doctors in various places, just to help you get rid of your pain as soon as possible and recover completely."
"Your Majesty's concern is of great honor. It is only a pity that my body is now too weak to don armor and go into battle, and I have failed Your Majesty's grace."
Nian Gengyao appeared deeply moved, ashamed, and fearful, and Yunli continued to offer verbal comfort. But in his heart, he knew this was the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the situation.
It's because of anxieties about the future that one bows their head and starts looking for new ways out.
"General Nian, you are too kind. Everyone has witnessed your achievements, and I admire you greatly."
Nian Gengyao's eyebrows twitched slightly, a glint of light flashed in his eyes, and he smiled, saying to Yunli, "Your subject has been impolite. Prince Guo, please come inside and take a seat. Someone, bring tea!"
Yunli did not refuse, after all, he came with the idea of winning him over, and since Nian Gengyao took the initiative to keep him, he also had a legitimate reason to test him further.
After taking a sip of tea, Nian Gengyao said with a sigh, "Your Highness is outstanding in appearance and talent; no wonder the Emperor trusts you so much."
"General Nian, you flatter me. I am merely doing my humble best for Your Majesty."
"Your Highness is too modest..."
Nian Gengyao smiled, increasingly pleased with his idea as he looked at Prince Guo. The Emperor trusted Prince Guo so much. If he could also win him over to the Fourth Prince's side, even if he couldn't smoothly ascend the throne in the future, it would be easier to seize power through a coup!
After successfully winning over Prince Dun, Nian Gengyao was brimming with confidence. So, he asked what he thought was a tactful but was actually quite blunt: "Now that I am in this state, I can no longer serve the court. I feel regret and loss, but I am even more worried about Consort Hua in the palace."
Preparing to use the same tactic against Prince Guo, Nian Gengyao continued, "Fortunately, the Fourth Prince is there to look after the Empress. Does Your Highness have any opinion on the Fourth Prince?"
It's a pity, Yunli isn't Yun. Hearing this, his heart tightened. Was Nian Gengyao testing him? Could it be that he suspected his relationship with Hongli?
Yunli smiled casually, but replied cautiously, "I have met the Fourth Prince a few times at Shou Kang Palace. The Fourth Prince is filial and often goes to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager."
"Yes, although I am not in the palace, I have heard of the Fourth Prince's good reputation."
Nian Gengyao thought to himself, "He's already hinted at it this far. The Fourth Prince's personality is much better than the current emperor's. It's just a matter of whether Prince Guo will accept the challenge."
Yunli was startled. Indeed, the Nian family's capabilities could not be underestimated. Even though Nian Gengyao could no longer lead troops into battle, he was still quite cunning. This was a clear indication that he knew everything and that he knew about Yunli's private dealings with Hongli.
Observing Nian Gengyao's expression and noticing him being scrutinized, Yunli fell into thought. So what did Nian Gengyao mean by revealing this now?
He tentatively asked, "Is it true that General Nian's meaning is..."
Yunli boldly admitted it. Come on, he wanted to see what Nian Gengyao was up to.
Nian Gengyao was overjoyed. Was he wavering? Was he wavering? So, he said, though he was trying to be tactful, he was also eager to speak: "I think the Fourth Prince is quite good. He takes good care of Consort Hua. It's a pity that I am outside the palace and cannot thank him in person."
Do you understand? It's inconvenient for me to be outside the palace. If you're interested, please help the Fourth Prince!
Yunli understood. He suddenly realized, and a wave of joy washed over him! Nian Gengyao was actively seeking to pledge his allegiance to Hongli! No wonder he was talking to him about these trivial matters; he knew about Nian Gengyao's relationship with Hongli. Unable to enter the palace, he was coming to him to offer his services!
Yunli was overjoyed and replied, "I know General Nian's intentions. If I meet the Fourth Prince in the palace in the future, I will definitely convey the General's message."
"It's all settled!" Nian Gengyao thought to himself with delight. "As expected of him, he's so good at winning people over! With Prince Dun and Prince Guo as two pledges of loyalty, the Fourth Prince should be able to forgive his disrespect, right?"
"Thank you, Your Highness."
"General Nian, you're too kind."
Yunli smiled even more kindly. Nian Gengyao still had some discernment and knew who the wise ruler was. Considering how proactive Yunli was, he wouldn't hold his past disrespect against him.
The two had a pleasant conversation. After Prince Guo returned to the palace to report the decree, Nian Gengyao paced back and forth in the main hall, feeling quite pleased with himself.
As he walked, he suddenly stopped. Helping the Fourth Prince win over two people was merely his way of apologizing. Now that he could no longer lead troops into battle, his father had retired, and his eldest brother disliked scheming in officialdom, how could he guarantee the future status of the Nian family?
"No, no..."
Nian Gengyao spun around, slammed a card on the table, and decided that since he had such a talent for winning people over, he would help the Fourth Prince win over more people to prove his worth!
Who should we start with?
Nian Gengyao stroked his chin thoughtfully. If the Fourth Prince really rebelled and seized the throne, having only Prince Guo wouldn't be enough to ensure his safety. "It's you, Su Peisheng!"
...
On the other side, on his way back to the palace, Yunli pondered for a while. Since Nian Gengyao had taken the initiative to surrender, he should give him some benefits. At the same time, to be on the safe side, he should further deepen his connection with Hongli, lock him onto this ship, and leave him no way out.
With a change of heart, Yunli, after reporting the news to Yongzheng, exaggerated Nian Gengyao's disappointment and frustration, and then pretended to be worried that if Nian Gengyao had a change of heart and committed suicide, it would be detrimental to Yongzheng's reputation.
"Seventeenth brother, do you have any good ideas?"
"In my humble opinion, Your Majesty, you should bestow a favor upon General Nian and appoint him as the chief martial arts instructor for the princes. He doesn't need to actually practice; he can simply hold the title. Your Majesty would then have a reason to summon him to the palace frequently, and this would spread the word that Your Majesty's grace is boundless and that Your Majesty cares for loyal subjects..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
