Chapter 28 Wolf Ambitions
Cui Fufeng put down his pen, pondered for a moment, and then said solemnly, "The old Prince of Linhuai was the most meritorious official in the restoration of the country, so the court rewarded him generously. However, because his brothers command a large number of troops and are alone guarding the two major military garrisons of Beimo and Anxi, we naturally need to be on guard to prevent a recurrence of the An-Shi Rebellion."
Qian Deng knew this. After all, when her grandfather was in Beiting, he was accompanied by eunuchs sent by the court. They were called military envoys, but in fact they were supervisors to prevent the military governors from raising troops and causing rebellion.
"However, the old Prince of Linhuai could not tolerate being restricted by eunuchs, so he had a deep conflict with the eunuchs who supervised the army. Later, he even refused to enter the court, and his anger turned him into illness..."
When the old Prince of Linhuai was gravely ill, Prince of Wuwei traveled overnight from Bining to see his brother. No one knows what the two brothers said, but it is known that at the moment of his death, only Li Yingshang was summoned.
That night, Li Yingshang calmly led the military supervisor eunuch into the mourning hall and killed him with a single blow.
The uncles and brothers who wanted to seize power used this as an excuse and led their followers to besiege the central army.
But in the end, with the support of King Wuwei, Li Yingshang killed countless people in the northwestern towns in just a few days. He finally took control of the Linhuai Palace and the entire army, and successfully incorporated the eight armies including Shuofang and Bining, and his power was feared by all the towns.
The imperial court was furious and ordered him to come to the capital to confess his crime. However, he was fearless and refused to pay homage. Because he was so powerful in the northwest, the imperial court was helpless.
Qiandeng's grandfather, King Changhua, also rushed to Beiting at that time. He was vigilant day and night and never took off his armor to prevent any changes in the northwest.
On the day of her departure, under the candlelight in the early morning, her grandfather came in and hugged her, still half asleep, and reluctantly said goodbye to her family. In her daze, she heard her grandfather say to her father that the Prince of Linhuai was unruly and ambitious, and would definitely be a great threat to the court in the future.
The words she heard in a trance were deeply engraved on her heart. They left a deep impression on her little heart.
King Linhuai Li Yingshang, a man who represents separation and killing.
However, the war in the northwest did not break out. Instead, on the eve of the palace coup the following year, Prince Linhuai learned that something unexpected would happen in the capital, so he led his cavalry into the court and tried to turn the tide during the coup.
The emperor, empress, and crown prince were all saved because of him, and the rebels and cliques were all killed. To protect the greater good, the imperial court had no choice but to swallow this loss and officially recognized Li Yingshang's control over the northwestern armies.
From then on, Prince Linhuai became even more arrogant and domineering. The imperial court could no longer send eunuchs to his side, and no one could monitor and interfere with him and his Northwest Iron Cavalry as they had with the old Prince Linhuai.
Any person or thing in the world that could restrain him has been crushed into dust by him.
Qian Deng listened to him talk about the path he had walked on corpses over the years, and thought of those eyes that were more terrifying than fire and darkness, and unconsciously clenched his hands.
The uneasy premonition she had always had in her heart was correct.
Li Yingshang could slaughter his relatives, defy the imperial court, and even let her ancestors bleed on the steps, as long as it was beneficial to him.
"Prince Linhuai is now powerful, and Your Highness the Crown Prince is alone in his army, unable to even touch any of the battle lines. In Lord Cui's opinion, if Prince Linhuai harbors rebellious intentions, does Your Highness have any way to resist?"
She spoke in a very low voice and did not say it explicitly, but Cui Fufeng knew what she meant.
The court could not control the Prince of Linhuai, and the emperor and his ministers were helpless against him. The Crown Prince was now in his hands, unable to come or go freely. How could we be sure that he didn't intend to seize Chang'an and take over the world?
Cui Fufeng's usually cold expression couldn't help but change slightly. "If Prince Linhuai really had this intention, he wouldn't have rushed to the capital to save the court from danger during the palace coup three years ago. Even at the cold pond a few days ago, he thought the crown prince was in danger, so he led the people to rescue us."
Yes, he saved the court and saved her, more than once.
But he saved her twice because he mistook her for the prince. Naturally, he only cared about people and things that were worth helping.
The guards of the Eastern Palace said that Prince Linhuai was very strict in disciplining his army, but why did he discipline the Crown Prince so strictly that he couldn't move freely?
Because the emperor and empress fled west and the central government was in chaos, controlling the prince was a great opportunity to command the world.
"When Prince Linhuai went to the capital to quell the rebellion, he had just inherited the military power from his grandfather and great-uncle, and he needed a legitimate reason to achieve the transition of power. But now he's fully grown. Who in this world can stop him?... Master Cui, Chang'an is now deserted. If you were a skilled chess player, controlling the most crucial piece, would you take it away and plunge the entire board into a chaotic, leaderless struggle, or would you control this crucial move and seize control of the situation?"
Even though Cui Fufeng was known for his composure, he finally lost his composure and even grabbed her wrist. Even through her sleeve, she could feel the burning, tight grip of his hand. "County Lady, did the East Palace guards tell you something? What's His Highness's current situation?"
"I don't know." Qian Deng silently withdrew his hand from Cui Fufeng's grasp, gently pressed it on his mother's coffin, and whispered, "I only hope that Your Highness can remain firm in his faith and not be weakened by the current situation. Even more so, he must not obey orders from others, causing Tai'a to be held upside down and the handle of the dipper to hang in reverse."
If she really could not do anything, she would try her best to help the prince escape from the hostage control and let him go to Fengtian with the emperor and empress to seek refuge.
Her grandfather and father both sacrificed their lives for the same belief.
Even if she was the only one left in the Changhua Palace, even if she was just a woman, she would definitely inherit the will of her father and grandfather, and try her best to protect the Tang Dynasty until her death.
Whether it was for the stability of the Tang Dynasty, for the faith and glory of her ancestors, or for the black lacquer coffin that the prince sent to her when she was at her wit's end.
Qiandeng grabbed the bow with the strange mark, put on a veil hat, and caught up with the East Palace guards alone.
The guards were all shocked to see her coming. Qian Deng simply said, "I'm going to thank the Crown Prince, and I also want to go to the Shuofang Army and ask someone to take a look at this bow."
When we arrived at the Shuofang Army’s camp, it was almost dusk.
Seeing that the guards of the Eastern Palace brought back a slender young girl, the soldiers in the camp cast surprised and ambiguous glances at them.
Qian Deng ignored them and quickly followed the guards into the prince's residence.
The Shuofang Army temporarily requisitioned several vacant villas in the suburbs of Beijing. Although the courtyard where the prince lived was narrow, it was clean.
After just a few days of not seeing him, the prince looked quite haggard, and under the dim light in the room, he looked a little dull.
He was surprised to see the guards leading a woman in, but then he saw her take off her veil, and the candlelight flickered faintly, illuminating that familiar and beautiful face, which made him feel as if he was in a dream.
He stood up suddenly and walked towards her, his voice sounding hazy: "Lingling?"
Qian Deng bowed and saluted him. "Lingling has come here to express my gratitude to His Highness. Even in this difficult situation, Your Highness still cared about my mother's affairs. Lingling is deeply grateful for this kindness and will never forget it."
The Crown Prince hurriedly supported her, "Why should we be so polite? Back then, you sacrificed your life to protect me, my father, the Emperor, and my mother. I will never forget that. I will do everything in my power to help you."
Qian Deng pursed her lips and nodded. After standing up, she quickly glanced at the surroundings. Feeling slightly relieved, she asked softly, "Is everything okay here, Your Highness?"
"That's fine, but Chang'an hasn't been recovered yet, and the situation is still unstable. Why would you risk coming to thank me for such a trivial matter?"
Qian Deng tried to downplay the situation, saying, "I heard the siege of Chang'an is in full swing. I'm sure Prince Linhuai will be able to recapture Chang'an as soon as possible and send His Highness to court, right?"
"Yes, we've been hearing frequent reports of success in the siege these past few days. Yesterday, Prince Linhuai personally led the battle and killed several of Zhu Ci's most capable generals at the Tonghua Gate. This morning, when he left the camp, he told me that the city gate would be breached today, and... he also asked if I wanted to go and watch the battle."
Qiandeng was stunned. Looking at the situation, Prince Linhuai did not seem to have detained the Crown Prince. Could it be that the thing she had been worried about all the way did not happen?
"In that case, Your Highness, why don't you go with Prince Linhuai?"
The flickering candlelight revealed the concern in her eyes. The prince subconsciously looked away, not daring to look into her glittering, clear eyes. He stammered, "Of course I trust Prince Linhuai. The scouts just sent word that the Danfeng Gate is about to be breached. But, I, I don't want to tread a bloody path into the palace..."
"The Emperor and Empress have already taken refuge in Fengtian. Your Highness, the Crown Prince, should enter Chang'an and stabilize the hearts of the people. How can you so willfully avoid it?" Qian Deng saw that he seemed to be shrinking from his position, so he advised, "Your Highness, rest assured. With the Prince of Linhuai and so many soldiers here, they will ensure that you enter the city safely and unharmed."
"But Lingling..." The prince finally couldn't hold it in any longer, his voice choking, "Do you know that the body of Prince Kunyang is still exposed under the Danfeng Tower, and the head of Duke Qi... is hanging on the roof... They are my cousin and uncle! Kunyang is only sixteen years old, and he... he was playing pot-tossing with me in Qujiang a few days ago, chatting and laughing, drinking, and saying that he would marry the third wife of the Du family at the end of the year..."
Looking at the deep fear on his face, Qian Deng finally understood, but at the same time, it was also accompanied by a little unnecessary disappointment.
It is still unknown whether Prince Linhuai intends to detain the Crown Prince and hold him hostage to power. Now, it is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince who is unable to overcome his fear and dares not step into the bloody vortex and shoulder the responsibilities that he must bear.
Qiandeng took a deep breath and was about to speak when he heard footsteps outside, a mixture of the friction of armor and the clatter of leather boots on the ground, rising and falling quickly.
The guard rushed to the door and reported: "Your Highness, Prince Linhuai has arrived."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com