Chapter 1251 The Last Piece
Shen Tu Tai had expected him to refute him, but to his surprise, Shen Wuzheng said, "Is it just a major disturbance in the Twelve Guards?"
Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback.
Pei Xingyuan also looked at him: "What do you mean?"
Shen Wuzheng said, "The Twelve Guards will indeed be thrown into chaos because of Xiao Yuansui's death, but I think you are being too conservative. Even with the Qin King's expansion of the Twelve Guards to this extent, the original garrison in the entire Xijing was only tens of thousands of men. If Xiao Yuansui's death really causes chaos in the Twelve Guards—then the chaos will not be limited to just the Twelve Guards!"
Almost simultaneously, the people in the lobby gasped.
Immediately afterwards, a gleam of excitement flashed in the eyes of the group.
Even the usually calm and composed Shi Yuxin couldn't help but clench her fists, looked up and exchanged a glance with Shen Tu Tai, while Shi Yu Tao, sitting next to her, couldn't wait to say, "In that case, can we—?"
His words naturally expressed the sentiments of some people.
On the surface, the chaos in the Twelve Guards doesn't seem like a good thing for them; but what if the chaos in the Twelve Guards leads to chaos in Chang'an, and what if they are the ones who are controlling this chaos?
It's important to understand that Yuwen Ye isn't currently vying for power with the Crown Prince, but rather battling the Emperor. When vying for power with the Crown Prince, the Emperor is still above him, and many methods cannot be too extreme, otherwise he will be directly punished by the imperial authority and completely excluded from the power struggle. But battling the Emperor is different; sometimes, the most direct methods may yield the greatest results!
Shen Tu Tai immediately looked at Yuwen Ye: "Your Highness, Shen Wuzheng's words make sense!"
"..."
"You are the Grand General of the Twelve Guards, all the troops are under your command. If the Emperor really intends to force you to this point, then you might as well just—"
Faced with the excited expressions of the crowd, Yuwen Ye's expression became even more solemn than when he had just entered. He said in a deep voice, "No."
Upon hearing these two words, everyone in the hall immediately showed displeasure and frustration. Shi Yuxin said softly, "Your Highness, this is an opportunity that will not come again."
Yuwen Ye still shook his head: "No."
His repeated refusal made everyone even more uneasy—after all, these people were already part of the Qin King's forces, and almost all of them had staked their lives on him. If Yuwen Ye could ascend the throne, everyone here would rise to prominence and achieve great success; but if he fell, almost none of them would have a good ending.
Seeing the growing discontent among the crowd, Shang Ruyi, sitting next to Yuwen Ye, also became somewhat anxious.
She understood that Yuwen Ye still had reservations in his heart.
So he said softly, "Whether it is our dynasty or the previous dynasty, the world is ultimately governed by filial piety. There are some things that should not be done lightly unless absolutely necessary."
Everyone turned to look at her.
Shang Ruyi then looked at Shen Wuzheng and said, "Brother, you probably still have something to say, right?"
Meeting her gaze, a gentle smile flashed in Shen Wuzheng's eyes. He nodded, then looked up at the crowd and said, "Gentlemen, the death of Xiao Yuansui may cause chaos in the Twelve Guards, leading to internal strife. Even I can see this, so how could His Majesty the Emperor not see it?"
"..."
"Could it be that he, as the supreme ruler, would want to see such an outcome?"
Upon hearing this, everyone was startled once again.
Xue Lin then suddenly realized: "Yes, His Majesty couldn't possibly be unaware of the significance of Xiao Yuansui's existence to these people. Killing this one person, even if it intimidates His Highness Prince Qin, would cause such a huge upheaval that even if it could be controlled, it wouldn't be a worthwhile deal."
"so,"
Shen Wuzheng said, "The emperor will not kill Xiao Yuansui."
Shen Tu Tai immediately asked, "Then what is his decree this time—"
Shen Wuzheng stared intently at Yuwen Ye: "It's all to force His Highness Prince Qin to submit. He wants you to obediently go to Luoyang and give up Shangdang and Puban."
"..."
"Ultimately, it's a form of intimidation."
"..."
"But I can guarantee that the emperor will not easily kill Xiao Yuansui unless absolutely necessary."
"..."
Yuwen Ye's brows slowly furrowed.
In fact, he had already thought of this on his way to the palace today. Especially after waiting in the palace for so long, and Yuwen Yuan still refused to see them, not even giving Shang Ruyi any face, he realized that Yuwen Yuan, as the emperor, was putting pressure on him.
Upon hearing Shen Wuzheng's words, Shen Tu Tai retorted, "After all this talk, we still have to go to Luoyang!"
Shen Wuzheng glanced at him, his lips moved slightly but he didn't say anything. Yuwen Ye, however, remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "But what if I just refuse to go to Luoyang?"
"...!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Tu Tai and the others immediately widened their eyes and stared intently at him.
A faint smile appeared on Shen Wuzheng's lips as he said, "Your Highness Prince Qin, Xiao Yuansui is the last piece of chess the Emperor can play against you."
"..."
"Once you get through this hurdle, not only will you not have to go to Luoyang, you might even—"
Yuwen Ye said, "In other words, I have to protect Xiao Yuansui."
"yes."
"But my father refuses to see me now. What means do I have to protect him besides obediently going to Luoyang?"
Shen Wuzheng said, "Whoever wants to kill, can protect."
A glint flashed in Yuwen Ye's eyes: "You mean—the Crown Prince? Or the Prince of Qi?"
Shen Wuzheng said, "So far, the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi are still one entity. Moreover, there are many things that the Prince of Qi needs the Crown Prince to do."
"..."
"And over there, some people have been eyeing the Twelve Guards' troops for more than just a day or two."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi's eyes lit up.
Previously, Yuwen Ye had used Shen Tu Tai's 5,000 troops to provoke a chaotic battle between the Thousand Bull Guards and the Valiant Guards, which forced Yuwen Yuan to keep Shen Tu Tai. After this battle, both the Thousand Bull Guards and the Valiant Guards suffered some losses. Even though Shang Shoufei has now been released, neither side has gained any advantage.
For them, it would certainly not be a wise thing to reach out to the Twelve Guards again.
However, if something falls into your hands, there's no reason not to accept it.
Shang Ruyi immediately turned to Yuwen Ye: "Your Highness, this plan is feasible!"
"..."
Yuwen Ye did not immediately respond to her words, but instead frowned and pondered for a long time, so long that the people in the hall gradually felt uneasy. Shen Wuzheng also couldn't help but frown and said in a deep voice, "Does Your Highness doubt my judgment?"
Yuwen Ye gently shook his head: "No, I have no doubts about you."
"That--"
"I was just thinking that since Xiao Yuansui is already Father Emperor's last pawn, then this is also my last move with him. In this move, I cannot miss any detail or any person."
"certainly."
"For example, Xiao Yuansui."
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