“Father, it’s not just me. The other eight commanders are either high-ranking officials or members of noble families.”
The late emperor's inner guards were organized according to the nine-palace model, with nine commanders promoted.
They are: Qian Palace, Kan Palace, Gen Palace, Zhen Palace, Central Palace, Xun Palace, Li Palace, Kun Palace, and Dui Palace.
The nine commanders are named Gan (乾) Commander, Kan (坎) Commander, and so on.
They each commanded the inner guards of the nine most important prefectures and counties of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Then they would all obey the orders of the late emperor.
They gathered intelligence and monitored officials, leaving no stone unturned.
The identities of the nine commanders are all kept secret.
Perhaps they were members of the imperial family, important officials of the court, or even scions of powerful families who had been purged by the late emperor.
Apart from the late emperor and themselves, even their family and friends were unaware of their status as members of the Imperial Guard.
The plum blossom mark is just a marker.
And it is not necessarily in an obvious part of the body.
Their true trump card lies in their control over intelligence channels in various states and counties, as well as their extensive network of secret agents throughout the land.
Cui Wulang never regretted his choices.
Especially now, this is the greatest opportunity for myself and the Cui family—
“Father, when the late emperor passed away, Helian Jue did not get to see him one last time.”
"Therefore, the late emperor did not have time to tell him the true situation of our nine commanders."
Cui Wulang's voice wasn't loud, but his eyes burned with boundless ambition.
He was almost frantic: "Helian Jue doesn't control the Imperial Guard, which is extremely dangerous for an emperor!"
The eyes and ears that should have been his were right there, but he couldn't use them for his own purposes.
If things go wrong, this force could become a weapon against us.
Cui Wulang looked at Prime Minister Cui, "Father, you are the Prime Minister, and the Cui family also has relatives by marriage—"
Their family can represent the elite social class.
The fourth prince's wife, Lady Xu, came from a military family and could connect with those families of military merit.
Now, there's also a mysterious and unpredictable inner guard.
"Your Highness Prince Yong is definitely capable of challenging Helian Jue!"
So what if Helian Jue has troops?
Those troops were all stationed outside the city.
However, there were hidden imperial guards throughout the capital and the palace.
If we unite, we can quietly eliminate Helian Jue within the palace!
It's just another palace coup.
It's not like they haven't done it before!
Prime Minister Cui frowned.
He wasn't intimidated by his youngest son's ambition, but rather considering the feasibility of the matter.
"Your points are all somewhat valid, except for one: His Highness Prince Yong doesn't seem to have much ambition!"
The person in charge isn't being proactive, but these people are jumping around like crazy.
This could easily turn into a ridiculous joke.
Is it a lack of ambition, or a fear of having ambition?
Cui Wulang simply did not believe that His Highness Prince Yong truly had no interest in the throne.
That was the emperor, above all others!
If it weren't for the fact that he didn't want to be branded a "traitor," Cui Wulang would have preferred to take the position himself!
It's a pity that these aristocratic families, even when they do shameless things, still want to put on a facade of respectability to cover their shame.
They could control the government and turn the emperor into a puppet, but they couldn't, like those military generals, directly kill the emperor and sit on the throne themselves.
Among the Helian royal family, the fourth prince would be an excellent choice.
If he really can't afford it, other young princes can.
As long as it's not Helian Jue, it's fine.
This person is too domineering and too wicked; he's impossible to control!
If Cui Wulang could think of this, how could Prime Minister Cui, a cunning old fox in officialdom, not have thought of it?
only--
A palace coup is no child's play!
Even with an inside defender, success is not an easy task.
Needless to say, bloodshed and death are possible, but if things go wrong, you might end up losing more than you gain.
They have experienced too much in the past six months.
Helian Jue has already wiped out all the minor aristocratic families and collateral branches of aristocratic families in the capital.
The capital city has finally stabilized; is it about to be thrown into turmoil again?
The key question is, how much benefit can we actually gain from all this trouble?
Prime Minister Cui was not afraid of a palace coup, but rather worried about not getting the expected benefits!
"...Goro, are you really the commander of the Imperial Guard? How many Imperial Guards do you have under your command?"
"Six hundred Imperial Guards! They're scattered throughout every corner of the capital; there's one even in our backyard!"
At this point, Cui Wulang revealed a smug expression.
His father had just reminded him that "walls have ears," but little did he know that the "ear" was also one of his own.
Prime Minister Cui's expression was rather unpleasant.
He raised his hand and slapped his son on the back of the head. "You unfilial son! You've planted spies in your own home!"
"Father! I'm just following the rules! It's not just our family; the residences of Minister Zheng and Minister Wang also have internal guards!"
Cui Wulang felt wronged; he was simply following orders.
Besides, isn't it better for him to plant spies than for other commanders to do it?
At least he can keep a watchful eye, intercepting some truly confidential information and only reporting those unimportant details!
"So, according to you, you've done something meritorious?"
It would have been better if Cui Wulang hadn't explained; the more he explained, the angrier Prime Minister Cui became! (Reading...)
"I dare not boast of my achievements, but it's not a crime either. Father, don't worry, although I am an Imperial Guard, my surname is Cui!"
Cui Wulang rubbed his nose and said awkwardly.
"Hmph! Just remember your last name!"
Prime Minister Cui gave Cui Wulang a "you're smart" look, then returned to the main topic, "His Highness Prince Yong is blessed with a son, and as a relative by marriage, it is only right that we go to offer our congratulations!"
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