Chapter 483 A Court Meeting in the Capital (5k)
"So, are we going back to Beijing to stabilize the situation?"
In the courtyard, the wind blew across a large sheet on the clothesline. Zhao Duan sat on the stone bench and raised his eyebrows.
Xu Zhenguan sat across from him. He put down his teacup with his slender fingers and nodded, saying, "This is the best possible outcome."
Zhao Duan was not surprised, because the current situation was within his expectations to a certain extent.
According to the original plan, the empress successfully ascended the throne and could calmly deal with the "martial arts competition" that was supposed to take place "next year".
It can also deter the Eight Kings, and there is a high probability that they will give up resistance, accept the reduction of their power, and resolve the hidden dangers in a gentle way.
However, the Fengshan ceremony failed, and the eight kings were fighting for the throne. It should have entered a new chapter of competing for the new emperor, and the layout of Shenlong Temple was also successful.
Unfortunately, the empress ascended to heaven again, which was unreasonable, leading to a series of chain reactions.
Now a large number of masters under Xuan Yin have been killed, and the main hall of Shenlong Temple is about to be destroyed. The Eighth King is in a dilemma and can only continue to rebel with no way out.
As for Xu Zhenguan, although he successfully advanced, he looked around and saw wars everywhere and the situation was deteriorating.
It can be said that in the chess game of the State of Yu, none of the parties achieved their goals and had no way to retreat. They could only go down one path to the end and fight for victory or defeat under a weak balance.
"With Your Majesty's current level of cultivation, it won't be difficult for him to stabilize the situation after returning to the capital. The eight kings' original plan to rush to the capital first has failed. It is very likely that they will form alliances with each other and adopt a new strategy of separatist rule." Zhao Duan analyzed calmly.
Zhenbao is in charge of the capital, and any of the eight kings who attacks the capital will die.
After all, when it comes to life and death, the so-called agreement naturally doesn't count.
Therefore, the best strategy for the eight kings was to "besiege but not attack", form alliances with each other, first swallow up the various territories of the Yu State, and then divide themselves from each other.
When the imperial court is left with only a small piece of territory, they only need to join forces to block the flow of supplies, and the capital will fall without a fight.
By then, the empress will be in name only.
Perhaps there would be no need for fighting, as the morale within the court would be demoralized and everyone would lose the will to resist, similar to the Three Kingdoms period and the last emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Emperor Xian of Han.
In that situation, Zhenbao could not withstand the pressure from his ministers and voluntarily abdicated and let others take over.
Whether they are in a stalemate and the throne exists in name only, to a certain extent, the Eight Kings have already won.
Similarly, Zhao Duan suspected that if the imperial court successfully defeated the various rebel forces in the next war and the winner was completely determined, the old bald donkey Xuan Yin might still tear up the agreement.
But at least at the moment, when both sides have a chance of winning, no one wants to overturn the chessboard directly... because this is a pure lose-lose situation.
"Yes, so the most urgent task is to return to the capital and stabilize the situation. Only when I am still here will the locals have the will to resist. The reason why all places surrendered at the sight of the enemy is largely because the capital is leaderless."
Xu Zhen nodded, his tone serious, then turned to worry:
"Furthermore, I suspect that after so much time has passed, the capital may have changed."
Change? Yes, in many cases, a city is not breached from the outside, but collapses from the inside.
Given the military strength of the capital, it is impossible for the rebels to attack in a short time, but if there is a problem internally, it is hard to say what will happen.
"In that case, there's no need to waste time. We should set off immediately." Zhao Duan stood up, patted his head, and said:
"There are still some spoils here. My scrolls can no longer fit. Your Majesty, please help me store some of them."
As he spoke, he pulled out a cloth bag from nearby, which contained various weapons and magic tools...all of which he had obtained from the corpses.
This is a harvest!
Xu Zhenguan raised his eyebrows and smiled: "Do you like these?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she gently brushed her fair hand across the ground. A flash of light appeared, and a pile of various magical instruments, weapons, pills, and talismans appeared on the ground...
Hiss…were these all newly captured? Are there still so many enemies being held back by the Tianshi Mansion disciples outside?
Speaking of which...after I return to Beijing, I have to personally thank Lao Zhang. I can't lose this basic human connection...
And, is Lao Zhang so kind? He sent someone specifically to rescue me. I have a feeling he has an agenda... Zhao Duan was surprised and delighted, rubbing his hands together.
Xu Zhenguan glanced at the "imperial husband" who seemed to have never seen the world and reminded him:
"I want to give you all of these. But I must warn you, be careful not to overindulge. You don't need too many miscellaneous magical instruments, or even martial arts techniques, or spells right now. The correct approach is to be precise and single-minded."
Zhao Duan calmed down and nodded seriously:
"Your Majesty is right."
Before, he fought with Tian Hai and defeated him with ease. It seemed easy, but in fact, it was only for a short time. At the same time, he had to support himself and Pei Niannu, which consumed a lot of internal energy.
In other words, his strength now lies in his dual cultivation of magic and martial arts, and the destructive power he can unleash in a short period of time is astonishing, exceeding that of his peers.
The drawback is that it is not long-lasting and cannot fight a protracted war.
"With Pei Niannu around, I only need to collect talismans for her to use, and I can focus on my martial arts. But every time I use Pei Niannu, my body will be drained..."
Zhao Duan pondered:
"So, what I should pursue is a short burst of power, rather than mastering more methods. Zhenbao reminded me to avoid being greedy and distracted, and to focus on one thing. This is the reason."
Seeing him deep in thought, Xu Zhenguan continued:
"After we return to the capital and stabilize the situation, I will take you to see the next scene of the Martial God Picture."
The third scroll after "Martial God Picture" and "Six Chapters Sutra"? Zhao Duan asked curiously, "What is that?"
Xu Zhenguan smiled and did not explain:
"It's hard to describe it in a few words. Once you see it, you'll understand."
Zhao Duan was stunned and became more curious about the third scroll left by Old Xu.
However, the most urgent thing was to return to Beijing as soon as possible. Zhao Duan got up and packed his bags. He looked up at the mansion where every corner was left with traces of the battle between the two men, and for a moment he felt a little reluctant to leave.
Xu Zhenguan twirled the teacup with his fingers and asked suddenly:
"By the way, what is your relationship with Zhang Yanyi? If I help you this way, you wouldn't be secretly colluding with the Tianshi Mansion behind my back, right?"
Zhao Duan's forehead was covered with sweat. He turned around to meet the empress's smiling eyes and forced a stiff smile:
"Your Majesty, please listen to my explanation..."
…
…
Huai River Road.
Near a dock, the "Jiancheng Army" armed with sharp weapons was a huge crowd, extremely oppressive.
Prince Jing Xuwen walked out of a house at the dock with a gloomy face.
He was not wearing armor, but rather a rather noble purple robe. Outside the door stood one of his generals, who bowed and said:
"Your Highness, the remnants of the Fengshan Sect were last seen right here. Unfortunately, they've been relocated and we haven't been able to capture them."
Prince Jing nodded, not surprised.
The so-called "remnants of Fengshan" naturally refer to Mo Chou, Sun Lianying and his group.
"This group of people are guarded by experts, and they can also mobilize local shadow guards to support them along the way. They are indeed difficult to catch." Prince Jing sighed softly, with a hint of regret in his eyes.
"What a shame. If we had known that these stray dogs could cause such trouble, we should have paid the price from the beginning and kept them in Jiancheng Road."
Not long ago, the ship that Prince Jing was on was blocked by a bunch of sunken ships in the narrow canal and was forced to anchor early and go ashore.
As a result, the army's progress northward was hindered, and the reason was the work of Ning Zechen, the governor of the Grand Canal.
"He's a tough guy who drilled a boat to block the river. It's a pity that I can't use such a person." Prince Jing felt a little regretful.
On the side, the prince Xu Jinglong said attentively:
"Father, don't blame yourself. The false emperor was on the run at the time, and you sent all your experts to hunt her down. It wasn't enough, and you didn't have time to deal with these small fry. This was a wise move. These minor obstacles are insignificant compared to the greater cause."
Prince Jing's expression eased slightly, and the corners of his lips curled up:
"Now, the five rebel kings are rushing to the capital, all believing that whoever enters the capital first will have the upper hand. In reality, this is not the case. Xue Shence is stationed in the capital, commanding the capital's army. No matter who goes there, a sudden attack will be difficult to capture. Only a coordinated attack from within and without can break the city."
After a pause, he said, "By now, the Li family should have arrived in Beijing."
Xu Jinglong smiled and said, "I think it should be these few days."
Prince Jing nodded slightly:
"As long as we succeed, the capital will not fall into the hands of others. As long as we take steady steps, we will be able to achieve the throne."
Xu Jinglong said, "It's a pity that Prince Mu of Yunfu has used some means to check and balance us, slowing down our march. This time, traveling by land will be much slower and more difficult."
Prince Mu... Xu Wen snorted coldly. Among all the princes, Prince Huai'an and Prince Lingnan were not worth worrying about. Prince Chen had no ambition. Prince Heng of Qingzhou had ambition but was actually a fool. Princes Yanshan and Hejian were both controlled by the border troops.
Only Prince Mu of Yunfu poses a threat to him. Apart from him, the missing empress remains a major concern.
"Now we have joined forces to start an army. Before the imperial court falls, Prince Mu will still be an ally. The most important thing right now is the empress." Xu Wen said.
As soon as the words fell.
Outside the dock, behind the dense crowd of soldiers, came the sound of trumpets and the sound of hurried horse hooves.
That was the clarion call of extremely urgent intelligence in the army.
Prince Jing and his son were shocked and turned their heads to look back. They saw a large group of soldiers carrying the Jiancheng army flag and cutting a path, like the inky sea, splitting it to the left and right.
A rider whipped his horse, dismounted, and rushed forward. The cavalryman knelt on one knee and raised a military intelligence report above his head with both hands: "Your Highness, an urgent report from a secret agent!"
Could it be... that the operation to hunt down the empress has yielded results?
Prince Jing's eyes lit up, and he grabbed the envelope with his big hand and tore it open quickly. An urgent message filled with dense handwriting came into view.
Xu Jinglong observed curiously and felt a pang in his heart.
Prince Jing's face suddenly turned pale, and then turned gloomy. His tall body staggered slightly, as if hit by a thunderbolt.
"Father!"
"Your Majesty!"
A group of rebel confidants around were shocked and rushed forward to help.
Prince Jing bit his lips hard, took a deep breath, and his expression returned to normal. He seemed to have just lost his balance and looked around at everyone with cold eyes.
After confirming that his misconduct had not attracted the attention of other nearby soldiers, he squeezed out a sentence from between his teeth:
"Follow me back to camp!"
As the commander-in-chief, he must never lose his composure publicly and shake the morale of the troops.
…
The group returned to a large camp set up nearby. The moment Xu Wen stepped into the tent, he suddenly staggered, covered his chest with his hands, and spit out a mouthful of blood!
"Father!" Xu Jinglong was stunned, and the other core officials of Prince Jing's Mansion were also trembling in their hearts.
What kind of news could make the prince, who was so confident of victory, so angry that he vomited blood?!
"Don't make any noise, I am fine."
Xu Wen spat out a mouthful of blood, but felt much more relieved. With the support of the prince, he sat upright in the camp and handed the secret military report in his hand for everyone to read.
Soon, all the officials and generals in the camp changed their expressions!
Urgent report from the front:
The three groups of people who were hunting the empress all died tragically, with no one surviving. The empress was suspected to have entered the realm of heaven.
Heavenly being!
"How is that possible?!"
"There must be a mistake. The false emperor failed in his Fengshan ceremony and was seriously injured. There must be something fishy about this information!"
"For such a major event, how could a spy do it without a purpose?"
There was a lot of noise.
"Silence!" Prince Jing slammed the table, suppressing his restlessness. His face was unusually calm as he said:
"Orders, first, quickly send someone to contact the Law God Sect to verify the authenticity. If it's true, then say that this king wishes to see the 'Law God.'"
"Second, send a copy of this information to King Mu and the other kings. If this is true, invite King Mu to meet at the Huai River."
"Third, block the news and strictly prohibit any leakage. Any information circulating among the troops will be immediately suppressed."
"fourth……"
As orders were issued one after another, the officials and generals in the tent calmed down and responded in a hurry to carry out the orders.
Soon, Xu Jinglong was the only one left in the tent. His voice trembled, and his face no longer looked proud: "Father, is she really a celestial being? Then don't we..."
"Waste! Even if I were a god, what would I be afraid of?" Prince Jing's eyes were as fierce as a tiger's, like a hero who always finds courage in desperate situations, and he bared his white teeth:
"If you were a celestial being, you could rule the world. Wouldn't the throne have long been in the hands of my Xu family? Xu Zhenguan...Okay, very good. Your uncles can continue playing this game with you. The outcome is still unknown!"
A hint of madness appeared on his face as he looked towards the capital:
"You'd better return to Beijing quickly, otherwise, hehe..."
Outside the big tent, Princess Lu Yan'er walked out of the next tent and looked at the large group of Jiancheng Dao officials who were running out of the tent in a hurry, as if they had lost their parents, and seemed to be lost in thought.
…
…
Capital city.
It was another cloudy day. The sky in the capital had been gloomy recently. The mood of the people in the city was as heavy as the clouds above their heads, as if a storm was brewing.
In recent days, news about the empress's disappearance and the princes from all over the country rising up in arms and marching into the capital has spread like wildfire in the city. Initially, the imperial court tried its best to suppress it.
But as more and more news came out, and with the help of people with ulterior motives, the rumors penetrated the upper circles in Beijing almost everywhere. Finally, the relevant rumors could not be stopped, spreading from top to bottom and reaching the streets and alleys.
Early in the morning, in the Grand Tutor's Mansion.
Dong Da was dressed in a plain blue shirt, standing respectfully outside the hanging flower gate of his grandfather's back house, waiting.
When he saw Dong Xuan, who was already in his octogenarian years and wearing the robes of a university scholar, walk out, he hurriedly said:
"Grandfather, the carriage is ready. I will take you to the palace."
Grand Tutor Dong still looks the same as before, majestic and solemn, with the demeanor of an imperial teacher.
However, if you look closely, you will find that the old man's eyes are bloodshot, and although his face is made up, he still can't hide his fatigue.
Grand Tutor Dong has been in poor health these days, so Dong Da, the eldest grandson, has been given the responsibility of taking care of his grandfather when he travels.
"Well, let's go."
Grand Tutor Dong nodded slightly, and with the help of Young Master Dong, he walked out of the Grand Tutor's Mansion and got into a well-made carriage.
Rushed towards the palace.
During the period when the empress was away, the important affairs of the court were presided over by the Xiuwenguan headed by Dong Xuan, and today, the palace will hold a "court meeting" in the absence of the emperor.
There is at least one similar court meeting every day these days, but most of the time, they are small court meetings within the imperial party.
Today, the scale is a little bigger.
The carriage rumbled along the streets of the capital. Grand Tutor Dong used his wrinkled hands to lift the shaking curtain and looked outside.
In the early morning, the streets were far less bustling and lively than before, and a sense of unease was brewing.
People on the road were all in a hurry, as if they were preoccupied with something. The restaurants and theaters were deserted, but there was a long queue outside the rice shop.
"Is the price of food in the city still rising?" asked Grand Tutor Dong with a frown.
Mr. Dong, who was riding in the same car, respectfully replied:
"These past few days, prices have been changing almost daily. Not only rice, but other scarce items have also seen their prices skyrocket."
Although Mr. Dong has an ordinary appearance, he is actually quite capable and can answer these questions fluently.
"Shouldn't the government step in to stabilize grain prices and crack down on hoarding?" the Grand Tutor continued to ask.
"...Reporting to my grandfather, if the government had not taken action, the current prices would probably have increased more than this." Dong Da was silent for a moment and said.
Master Dong sighed softly and closed his eyes.
The people in the city have already smelled the bloody scent of war, and those who took the first step to take action are the powerful and well-informed people in the capital.
He believes that this is just the beginning. If the situation continues to go unchecked and panic brews, the first thing to be paralyzed will be the private economy.
"What are those people doing?" The carriage turned the corner.
Grand Tutor Dong noticed that there was a noisy argument coming from the teahouse, but the windows and doors were closed so he couldn't hear it clearly. He also saw scholars coming in and out nearby.
Dong Da hesitated and said, "It should be the scholars discussing the situation. My grandson is in the Imperial College, and almost everyone is talking about it these days."
“Nonsense!”
Master Dong was annoyed, his expression filled with anger:
"Scholars gathered in teahouses to discuss the court situation. Isn't that causing panic? What about the government? Why didn't any officers stop them?"
Dong Da said bitterly:
"Grandfather, let's not talk about the fact that many of the scholars here are sons of wealthy families. The clerks below don't dare to provoke them. Even if they dare, they are short-handed right now.
These days, gangs led by the Red Flower Society have been causing chaos in the city, and the number of cases at the government offices has increased dramatically. The constables and yamen runners are not enough to handle these cases, and there is really no one left to deal with this matter."
Master Dong was speechless and groaned, but he did not get out of the car to stop it. He whispered:
"This should also be the responsibility of the imperial court."
Young Master Dong remained silent.
The carriage drove all the way and finally arrived at the palace.
And stopped outside the Meridian Gate.
When Grand Tutor Dong took a step, pushed open the vermilion door, and stepped into the side hall used for the court meeting today, he heard the court officials in the main hall talking in a lively manner, and everyone's face was full of anxiety.
"snort!"
Grand Tutor Dong coughed loudly, attracting everyone's attention and the noisy voices stopped.
Inside the hall.
Yuan Li, Li Yanfu, Ma Yan...all the ministers and other important officials were present and looked over.
The scholars of Xiuwenguan, headed by Han Zhou, also stood in the hall.
"The Grand Master is here!"
"Greetings, Grand Master!"
"Everyone, be quiet..."
Under the watchful eyes of all court officials, Dong Xuan, the Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy and the contemporary imperial tutor who was in charge of all affairs in the capital at the empress's order, walked through the crowd step by step, came to the seat reserved for him, and sat down gently.
Yuan Li, Li Yanfu and others took the lead and took their seats.
——Since it was not a formal court meeting, there were many chairs placed in the hall.
After all the ministers were seated, Grand Tutor Dong spoke calmly:
"Tell me about the situation."
(End of this chapter)
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