No one dared to say another word. Gao Liangcheng had gone mad, and the worst part was that he was going crazy and dragging everyone else down with him. Everyone knew the consequences of a war between Dali and the Song Dynasty - the destruction of the country.
As a frontier state, surviving in the cracks between several powerful enemies, their way of governing the country is to show weakness. Of course, they are not really weak. Dali is easy to defend and difficult to attack. They have their own methods to stand firm for a hundred years.
The Gao clan members were driven out, and they immediately became unhappy. The guard commander Gao Xingming said, "Clan leader, we should think of a solution. Gao Liangcheng is crazy. You are a man of high moral character and respect. We cannot be destroyed along with you."
"Yes, yes, clan leader, the most important thing right now is how to explain to the Song Dynasty. We were the ones who provoked them first. If the Song Dynasty uses this as an excuse to declare war on Dali, what can we do to resist?" These words were spoken by Gao Rongsheng, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites.
Gao Xuantai pondered for a moment. "The only solution now is to release His Majesty and stage another coup. Arrest Gao Liangcheng and the others in prison, and then have His Majesty administer justice. He will be escorted to the Song Dynasty and sent to the court for punishment. Only in this way can we avoid war."
Everyone was shocked when they heard this. A coup d'état overthrew Gao Liangcheng and brought Duan Yu back. Then Duan Yu came forward and, just like Prince Zuzan, pushed Gao Liangcheng out to take the blame.
"This, clan leader. If we do this, our Gao family may no longer have a foothold in Dali. Once Gao Liangcheng falls, who in the court and outside the court will support our Gao family?" Someone began to object again.
This was a thorny issue. Gao Liangcheng was the most powerful of the Gao clan. Duan Yu was wary of him because of Gao Liangcheng, the prime minister who commanded a large army.
If Gao Liangcheng is captured, these people in the tribe will have no support, and Duan Yu can kill anyone he wants.
Gao Xuantai was mature and prudent, and he was relatively rational. "If we don't capture Gao Liangcheng, we will all die together. Only by arresting Gao Liangcheng can we have a chance of survival. As long as we capture Gao Liangcheng and bring him back to Your Majesty, it will be a great service to Dali. Your Majesty is not an ungrateful person. Although our Gao family will lose their influence in the court, it is better than being destroyed by this rebellious son."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Catching Gao Liangcheng would be a great achievement. Although Duan Yu would suppress the Gao family, the Gao family wouldn't be too upset in Dali because of their contributions in capturing Gao Liangcheng.
After all the discussion was completed, everyone went to Gao Xuantai's residence in the evening to discuss matters, waiting for an opportunity to launch a coup and capture Gao Liangcheng.
In the capital of Dali, the streets were exceptionally deserted at night. Night watchmen walked the streets with wooden hammers, shouting things like, "Heart fire candles, dry things out."
However, Gao Xuantai's mansion was extremely lively. All the members of the Gao family gathered together to discuss how to deal with Gao Liangcheng.
"Clan leader, I think we should unite with the ministers in the court to launch an uprising. This way we will have more confidence." Gao Xuantai's grandson Gao Lan stepped forward.
Gao Xuantai shook his head. "No, this matter must be kept absolutely confidential. The more people know, the more dangerous it becomes. We must find some trustworthy people to take charge. Those idlers are just fence-sitters. We should only recruit the important people to participate."
Gao Xingming stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Clan leader, I've already taken care of the matter you asked me to contact the guard commander, Ba Le. He's expected to arrive at dawn. He's in charge of the palace guards. If he's willing to side with us, our rebellion will be much easier."
Gao Xuantai nodded slightly. "Well, we must be cautious in this matter. Has the Minister of the Imperial Guard, Lord Chang, arrived?"
At this time, an old man stood up from the side and clasped his fists and said, "Master Gao, I've been here all night and you just discovered it."
Gao Xuantai's old face was somewhat shocked. "Oh, Lord Chang, please forgive me. My Gao family has produced a rebellious son, and I am deeply troubled. Now the fate of Dali depends on you all. I believe everyone has told Lord Chang what happened, right?"
Chang Qihuai, the Minister of the Imperial Guard, was a senior official in the court like Gao Xuantai. Chang Qihuai said, "I have no choice but to do this. If I can bring His Majesty back to attend court, it will be worth it even if I sacrifice my life."
Gao Xuantai nodded slightly. "Lord Chang is truly a loyal minister of Dali. We should act now. We have decided to launch the rebellion at tomorrow morning's court session. We will first lure Gao Liangcheng into the palace, and then capture him after closing the palace gates!"
Gao Liangcheng was furious. What tribesmen? They were all selfish people. Now that he had been defeated, these tribesmen were pointing fingers at him. Why didn't they think about the time when they could benefit from following him?
Gao Liangcheng was now in a difficult position. Defeated, he could either be made a scapegoat and sent to the Song Dynasty for punishment. Or he could fight to the death and lead the Dali army into another war against the Song. It was like an egg against a stone, but no one could predict what happened on the battlefield. Who could have imagined that the 3,000 troops of Chengdu Prefecture would defeat his own 20,000-man army?
The next day, Gao Liangcheng led over 500 of his personal soldiers to the palace. He intended to force the emperor to declare war on the Song Dynasty in front of all the ministers. If he could tie up the emperor, they would all die together.
It seemed like the guards at the palace gate had been changed today. Gao Liangcheng was moved: "Where are the guards from before, you guys?"
One of the guard commanders stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Excellency, Commander Ba has ordered three shifts of guards at the city gate. They're supposed to be on night duty, rotating every five days, and today happens to be a vacancy."
Gao Liangcheng said nothing and led his men into the palace. The guard hurriedly reached out to stop them, then bowed respectfully and said, "Prime Minister, the palace is under the protection of Lord Ba, so why should you be worried? Bringing so many guards into the palace would be inappropriate if the ministers saw us."
"Humph!" Gao Liangcheng sneered, "If anyone thinks this is inappropriate, I will kill them!"
The guards didn't dare to talk and just stood aside. Although Ba Le was also a member of Gao Liangcheng, he was suspicious by nature and still entered the palace with his 500 personal soldiers.
After entering the palace gate and passing through Chengqi Hall, you will reach the imperial palace compound. Going north, you will find the main hall, Huanglong Hall. Huanglong Hall was where the emperor and his ministers held meetings, similar to the Purple Palace of the Song Dynasty.
Gao Liangcheng led his men through Chengqi Hall and into the palace courtyard. He noticed the surroundings were completely silent, and suddenly sensed something was amiss. None of the guards who usually guarded the gates of Huanglong Hall were there, and he sensed something was amiss. "Send a few men to guard the palace gates!"
Before he could finish his words, the gate of Chengqi Palace suddenly closed, followed by the sound of orderly footsteps and the chaotic clashing of weapons and armor.
The rooftops, corridors, the entrances to Chengqi Hall, and Huanglong Hall were densely packed with countless palace guards. Some of them raised long swords, while others drew their bows and arrows and aimed at Gao Liangcheng and his men.
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