Chapter 427 also requires thorough preparation.
Upon arriving at the entrance of the Imperial Study, Zhao Fuquan was standing under the eaves. Seeing Jiang Yu, he hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Duke of Chu! His Majesty instructed me to wait for you here."
Jiang Yu smiled and returned the greeting, following behind him past the Imperial Study and towards the Yanhe Hall. The hall was deserted; even the cicadas had fallen silent. Jiang Yu unconsciously softened his steps. Zhao Fuquan announced from outside the hall, then opened the door to let Jiang Yu in, while he himself stood guard outside. Clearly, even the emperor's closest eunuchs had to avoid this private conversation.
Jiang Yu stepped inside and saw that Prince An and Marquis Chengen were already in the hall. She quickly bowed to the emperor on the throne, while subtly observing his expression: although he looked like he had stayed up all night worrying about the Empress Dowager's illness, he still seemed to be in good spirits.
"Minister Jiang, you may rise." The Emperor gestured for her to sit down and went straight to the point: "I have summoned you here today to devise a strategy for dealing with the Prince of Lingnan after his arrival in the capital. My intention is to detain the Prince of Lingnan and take the opportunity to reclaim Lingnan."
His last words were spoken with a resounding voice, carrying an undeniable authority.
Jiang Yu exchanged glances with Prince An and Marquis Chengen, all remaining silent. This matter was of utmost importance: the Lingnan Prince's Mansion had been operating in Lingnan for over two hundred years, its foundations deep and strong. Even with the court's now formidable firearms, extreme caution was necessary. If a large-scale war were to erupt carelessly, the court would inevitably expend enormous manpower, resources, and funds. Once bogged down in war, the nation's strength would be severely damaged, potentially even leading to a dynastic change. While they all felt this was a golden opportunity, they also understood that such a crucial matter required the emperor's final decision.
The emperor gripped the dragon head on the armrest of his chair tightly, his knuckles turning white. His gaze swept across the three men's faces as he said, "The King of Lingnan has left Lingnan, and without him in charge, his power has weakened considerably. We still have firearms that he can't handle. This is the best opportunity. If we don't act now, once he figures out how to deal with firearms, taking over Lingnan again will be as difficult as climbing to heaven!"
These words elicited nods from Jiang Yu and the other two, and the Emperor, seeing this, showed a hint of satisfaction on his face. His gaze first fell on Jiang Yu: "What does Minister Jiang think?"
He had already mentioned this to Jiang Yu yesterday, so he asked her first.
Jiang Yu did not refuse. He sat up straight, took out the strategy he had prepared, presented it to the imperial desk with both hands, and then returned to his original seat. He slowly said, "In my opinion, the Lingnan Prince's Mansion has been operating for more than two hundred years. It is deeply rooted in Lingnan, and its power should not be underestimated even in the capital. Pu Tonghe has fallen. Who can guarantee that there won't be another 'Pu Tonghe' in the court? Not to mention there is also a prime minister who is deeply involved with him."
The emperor's hand gripping the memorial tightened suddenly, his knuckles turning white. Jiang Yu continued, "Therefore, this matter must be planned out in every detail before we can take action."
The Emperor nodded, signaling her to continue. Jiang Yu's eyes narrowed slightly, and after a moment's thought, she said, "First, we must make the Prince of Lingnan believe that his entry into the capital is not a big deal, and that Your Majesty will definitely not take action against him at this time."
"Hmm," the emperor responded, then pressed, "What's your idea?"
Jiang Yu glanced at the emperor's expression, her fingers curling slightly, and said, "The Empress Dowager is unwell, and Your Majesty has been worried about her for days, even neglecting state affairs. To outsiders, it seems that you are preoccupied with the Empress Dowager's illness and have no time to attend to anything else, so naturally you would not have any designs on the Prince of Lingnan at this time."
The emperor frowned slightly upon hearing this and turned to Prince An and Marquis Chengen: "What do you think of Minister Jiang's plan?"
There was a moment of silence in the hall before Prince An spoke first: "Your subject believes that the Duke of Chu's plan is excellent."
"I second that proposal," said Marquis Cheng'en, bowing in agreement.
The Emperor tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his tone somber: "The Empress Dowager's serious illness has indeed troubled me. I was reluctant to use her condition as a pretext." He paused, his fingertips loosening their pressure slightly, "But given the current situation, the Prince of Lingnan is shrewd and cannot be fooled by ordinary pretexts. Although this excuse is not what I wished for, it is the best way to lower his guard right now, and this is the only way to do it."
Jiang Yu and the other two said in unison, "Your Majesty is wise!"
The emperor waved his hand casually, glanced down at the memorial presented by Jiang Yu, and said, "Minister Jiang, please continue."
Jiang Yu bowed slightly, lightly adjusting his sleeve with his fingertips. After confirming his thoughts, he spoke: "Even if the Prince of Lingnan believes that Your Majesty is worried about the Empress Dowager and has no time for anything else, given his meticulous nature, he will definitely make thorough preparations. So what we need to do next is to wait until he enters the capital and figure out how to detain him so that he has no time to think about anything else."
The Emperor tapped the memorial lightly with his fingers, his gaze falling on Jiang Yu, signaling her to continue. Jiang Yu organized her thoughts and continued, "Your Majesty is likely aware of the past between my grandfather and the mother of the Prince of Lingnan. Back then, my grandfather was in love with Pei Tinglan, the mother of the Prince of Lingnan, but due to the disparity in their social status, their relationship was opposed by their elders. My grandfather went to great lengths to gain their approval, and the two were betrothed."
"But later, Pei Tinglan fell into the water and was rescued by a man, which damaged her reputation. In the end, my grandfather could not withstand the pressure from his elders and broke off the engagement with Pei Tinglan."
The emperor nodded, indicating that he was aware of the matter.
Jiang Yu sighed softly and said, "Later, it was rumored that Pei Tinglan could not withstand the heavy blows and had hanged herself. My grandfather was saddened by this for a long time; the Prime Minister also stopped communicating with my grandfather for decades because of this. But the truth is that Pei Tinglan followed the old King of Lingnan to Lingnan, first becoming his concubine, and later becoming the Queen of Lingnan."
"Moreover, Pei Tinglan harbors resentment towards my grandfather for breaking off the engagement, and has targeted the Duke of Chu's mansion for decades. I was abducted as a child, my elder brother was replaced by a son born of a concubine, and many of the absurd things my father did back then were all orchestrated by Pei Tinglan and the Prince of Lingnan. I have evidence of all of these."
At this point, Jiang Yu's voice carried a hint of anger. She took a deep breath, suppressing her emotions: "Once the Prince of Lingnan arrives in the capital, I will find an opportunity to expose this matter. Once the truth is revealed, the relationship between the Prince of Lingnan and the Prime Minister will also be exposed. At that time, Your Majesty can take the opportunity to make trouble for the Prime Minister, while I will make the Prince of Lingnan give an explanation to the Duke of Chu's mansion. In this way, both the Prince of Lingnan and the Prime Minister, under duress, will likely have no time to attend to other matters."
"Excellent!" The emperor couldn't help but praise, and Prince An and Marquis Chengen nodded in agreement.
"Go on," the emperor said, his voice noticeably lighter this time.
Jiang Yu pinched the jade pendant at her waist with her fingertips and said in a steady voice, "We need to keep the Prince of Lingnan busy in the capital, and we also need to make full preparations in Lingnan."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
