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◎It was the new emperor who issued the decree to kill without mercy.◎
Qin Liang wouldn't contact Yongkang or Deng Kun and Deng Tai without a clear reason, but he had spies monitoring the movements of Yongkang and his wife, as well as Deng Tai and his brothers, to determine if anyone from either side was espionage at the palace. Deng Kun and his brothers were undoubtedly aligned with him, but Qin Liang was primarily wary of Yongkang, who might be timid and fearful, although he believed that Yongkang, greedy for money and power, would be more willing to cooperate.
By the end of the year, Princess Deng of Prince Yong had basically recovered from her illness, but she still looked haggard. During this half month, Yongkang had been staying in the Grand Princess's Mansion. Seeing that Fu Kui behaved as usual when he went to and from court, Qin Liang knew that Yongkang had kept his promise to him and would wait until the night of February 1st to inform Fu Kui of the plan to kill the new emperor. Anyway, the only thing Fu Kui had to do was to launch a surprise attack on Qin Bing, so there was no point in telling him in advance.
On New Year's Eve, families in the capital gathered together. In memory of the late emperor, Qingyang did not even hold a family banquet for the royal family. Instead, the royal family was asked to go to the palace on the morning of the first day of the new year to pay New Year's greetings to the empress dowager and the noble concubine.
After New Year's Eve, it is the first year of Tianqing.
Qin Liang came to wait outside Donghua Gate with his wife and four children right after breakfast. As he had the least relationship with the new emperor among the royal family, it was reasonable for him to arrive first. The second to arrive was the most polite Qin Hong and his family of three. Qin Bing and Qin Ren's families arrived shortly after each other. Although the Yongkang family of four arrived last, they were not too late.
After being helped out of the car by Fu Kui, Yongkang glanced at Qin Liang and said with a gloating look, "Why, Aunt Wang hasn't recovered yet?"
Qin Liang breathed a sigh of relief. He thought Yongkang was smart and did not become friendly to them just because of the alliance. Only by keeping everything as usual could he avoid arousing the suspicion of the new emperor.
He had already explained this to the three Qin Hong brothers, and now he repeated it with a calm expression, "Thanks to the princess's concern, mother's illness is no longer serious, she's just not feeling well. To avoid worrying the empress dowager and the noble concubine, she's staying at the mansion."
Yongkang just asked casually and didn't care about his explanation. Since everyone who wanted to go to the palace to pay New Year's greetings had arrived, Yongkang took the lead and walked towards the palace.
Twelve-year-old Fu Xi smiled and took six-year-old Ying'er's hand. The two cousins have always been very close.
Nine-year-old Zheng Ge'er was much quieter than when he lived in the East Palace. Fu Ming didn't want to go to him and bore himself. Three-year-old Rui Ge'er was a little afraid of his cousin from his uncle's family, and his two sisters had no intention of taking him out to play, so he just held his mother's hand obediently.
Qin Liang's family walked at the back, and they could see the relationships among the four siblings in front of them clearly. The closeness and distance of each family were still the same as before.
Qin Hong turned around and asked him, "Did you go to the imperial mausoleum to visit Uncle Wang yesterday?"
Qin Liang: "I went there this morning and brought over some dumplings that my mother had made herself."
Qin Bing interrupted, "That's not bad. Uncle Wang will be back in a month."
Qin Ren thought of his father's memorial anniversary and sighed silently.
In Qianyuan Hall, Qingyang and Zhang Su were talking with the Empress Dowager and the Noble Concubine. This was the first New Year's Day after the late Emperor's death, and the family gathered in Qianyuan Hall where the late Emperor's shadow was everywhere. The Empress Dowager couldn't help but shed a tear, and Qingyang felt sad, so the atmosphere in the hall became a little heavy.
After the families of Yongkang and Qin Hong came in, the adults first saw the empress dowager's red eyes and knew why she was crying. Qin Hong's eyes also turned red, but fortunately he still remembered the etiquette and took the lead in greeting the emperor, empress and the two elders.
Qingyang exempted everyone from the formalities.
Qin Ren secretly winked at his niece Fu Xi.
Fu Xi pulled Ying'er to the Queen Mother and acted coquettishly. The two sweet-talking sisters soon made the Queen Mother laugh.
After the Queen Mother gave out the New Year's money, the two sisters gave the Queen Mother to their younger brothers and went to act coquettishly with the Noble Concubine.
Because of these children, there was finally some more festive atmosphere during the New Year in Qianyuan Hall.
Qin Liang observed Yongkang and Fu Kui inconspicuously, and saw that they both just said some polite words. Until everyone left the palace together, the couple did not have any strange eye contact or physical contact with the emperor and empress, or even Qin Hong and his wife. He felt more relieved.
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The annual sacrifice to the previous emperor is a grand sacrifice, and the new emperor will lead the royal family and the civil and military officials of the capital to go to the imperial mausoleum to pay tribute.
The Ministry of Rites had already set the time for the departure of the imperial procession and the time for the memorial service, and informed the royal family and civil and military officials in advance. In Qingyang, Fan Huaizhong and Xue Ye selected 3,000 personal soldiers from the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Army to protect the emperor. In addition to these 3,000 personal soldiers, all the clan members and officials who accompanied him were not allowed to carry weapons.
Of course, the personal guards would not be so strict as to search the royal family and civil and military officials. They would just check to see if they were carrying obvious weapons such as knives, swords, and guns. Just like civil and military officials were prohibited from carrying weapons when attending court, the imperial guards would not be arranged to search the ministers every day to see if they were carrying hidden weapons. After all, assassinations and stabbings were too rare. If the emperor searched his ministers every day, he would be criticized by his subjects for being too suspicious. The guards guarding both sides of the hall and the personal guards accompanying him were enough to deter those with ulterior motives.
The imperial procession would depart at the hour of Yin on the second day of February, so Qin Liang would only stay in the North Camp for half a day on the first day of February before returning to Beijing to make preparations.
Beiying was also located on the Yellow River north of the capital, forty miles west of the imperial mausoleum.
How much did the late emperor value Prince Yong, his brother who also made contributions to the founding of the country?
In addition to rewards such as gold, silver, and land, the late emperor also handed over the Northern Camp of the Four Capital Camps to Prince Yong for command. The military officers of the Eastern, Western, and Southern Camps had to be selected and recommended by the Ministry of War, and the final decision would be made by Emperor Xingwu. As for the Northern Camp, Prince Yong could recommend whoever he liked, and as long as the other party was not found to have committed any crime, the late emperor would readily agree.
The late emperor often sent young men from noble families to the Imperial Guard, the Imperial Front Army, or the three major imperial camps, but never once to the Northern Camp. If the late emperor's placement of his trusted aides in the Northern Camp suggested a concern for Prince Yong's excessive military power, then the fact that he allowed Prince Yong to decide the transfer and demotion of military officers in the Northern Camp was precisely a testament to his trust in him.
Prince Yong was a man of temperament. He had two conditions for recommending military officers. First, the other party had to have real martial arts talent, and second, the other party's temperament had to suit his preferences. For example, if someone like Zhang Jie was capable, Prince Yong could not even communicate with him, so how could he possibly use him?
For example, Wang Fei, the deputy commander of the North Camp, was a good brother of Prince Yong who had a life-and-death friendship with the late emperor in the military camp when Prince Yong followed him to fight for the empire. However, Wang Fei will also go to pay tribute to the late emperor this time and will not stay in the North Camp.
Wang Fei is absolutely loyal to King Yong, because loyalty does not require Qin Liang to win over the other party in advance. In the event of a sneak attack, the Deng Kun brothers are enough to deal with Zhang Jie alone. If Wang Fei really needs to take action, Qin Liang will give a temporary order and Wang Fei will help.
Qin Liang was going to arrange 5,000 cavalry. He was confident in his plan of a surprise attack on Zhang Jie and his son, capturing the new emperor and his sister alive, and then relying on Yongkang and Qin Hong to intimidate the civil and military officials. But just in case, he needed another 5,000 cavalry to support him. In this way, if the new emperor could order the 3,000 personal soldiers to be loyal to her, Qin Liang could also use these 5,000 cavalry to assist Yongkang and Qin Hong in seizing the throne by force.
There are two cavalry guards in the North Camp. Prince Yong loves cavalry, and the chief and deputy commanders of these two cavalry guards were promoted by Prince Yong and Qin Liang together. Even Qin Liang has been dealing with four commanders and 10,000 cavalry for ten years, using both kindness and force. If Qin Liang was not sure that these 10,000 cavalry were loyal to the father and son, he would never have planned a rebellion.
The new emperor only brought 3,000 elite soldiers with him for the sacrifice, so Qin Liang only needed to dispatch 5,000 cavalry. If both cavalry guards ran away, it would be easy to alert the enemy.
Qin Liang summoned the deputy commander and five captains of the cavalry guard he was about to dispatch for reinforcements, and discussed his plan to abide by the late emperor's will and support the former Crown Prince Qin Hong in his bid for the throne. The commander-in-chief and deputy commander Wang Fei were to accompany him to pay their respects to the late emperor, and were not required to participate in the plan.
The deputy commander had a very famous name, He Jinglei. He was in his forties, with a strong build. He was a new soldier recruited by King Yong after he took over the Northern Camp. It can be said that he was promoted by King Yong himself. He had made military achievements during the Northern Expedition against the Donghu.
After hearing Qin Liang's plan, He Jinglei and the five thousand households looked at each other. Without even asking whether the late emperor's edict was authentic, they swore to be loyal to Prince Yong and his son and do whatever they were told to do.
Qin Liang naturally had to promise a benefit, and finally agreed on a time for He Jinglei and the others to dispatch their troops. The cavalry would go to the area outside the military camp where the hills and plains met for daily training. With the badge left by King Yong, He Jinglei could take 5,000 cavalry out of the camp under the pretext of training.
After arranging everything here, Qin Liang returned to the capital as if nothing had happened.
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On the second day of February, at the hour of Yin, when it was still pitch dark, the emperor led his clan members, civil and military officials, and three thousand personal soldiers on a mighty march towards the imperial mausoleum.
The Queen Mother and the Noble Consort each rode in a carriage, and carriages were also arranged for the four princesses and the women and children in their families. As for the officials, the older ones rode in carriages, while the young and strong ones walked.
It was daybreak after an hour's journey, and by then the imperial procession was more than ten miles away from the capital, so far away that no matter what happened elsewhere, those in the procession would have no way of knowing unless someone came to report it specifically.
When the imperial procession was still more than an hour away from the imperial mausoleum, He Jinglei successfully led 5,000 cavalrymen out of the camp in the north camp and headed east.
They wanted to avoid the common people as much as possible, so they took a mountain road far away from people. They were galloping on their horses when suddenly a group of soldiers appeared on the mountain road ahead to block the road. When the distance was close enough to see each other clearly, two teams of archers suddenly appeared from the hillsides on both sides. At the same time, the retreat was also blocked by another group of soldiers.
He Jinglei and the five captains reined in their horses simultaneously. He Jinglei rode forward alone and bowed to the deputy commander of the West Camp Cavalry Guard, who was blocking the road. "I wonder what Brother Li is doing here?"
Deputy Commander Li's expression was stern. He held up a red gold waist badge and said, "Military orders are as heavy as a mountain. Without the Emperor's decree, the commanders of the four major camps in the capital have no right to move troops out of the camp. Disobeying this order would be considered treason. Therefore, the Emperor has ordered me to execute the rebels here."
Without giving He Jinglei a chance to explain, Deputy Commander Li shouted "Shoot!" and the archers on both sides of the mountainside fired a wave of arrows at the 5,000 cavalry brought by He Jinglei.
No one is allowed to leave the camp without permission. This is a military law that every soldier must memorize. No matter whether these 5,000 cavalrymen followed He Jinglei or Prince Yong and his son willingly, or followed him unwillingly because they were afraid of being killed by He Jinglei, from the moment they rode their horses and left the North Camp and the North Camp cavalry training ground, they became traitors in the eyes of the emperor.
Since they are rebels, they should be killed on the spot. Otherwise, they can be persuaded to surrender. Doesn't this tell the soldiers of the four camps that they may not lose their lives if they rebel?
Deputy Commander Li was only following orders. It was the new emperor who ordered the killing without mercy.
The north wind blew the curtains of the emperor's carriage, and Qingyang, who was sitting on the couch with his eyes closed, opened his eyes.
A king should love his people and his soldiers as his own children, but a king who wants to maintain his throne must let his people know what will happen to those who dare to betray him.
【Author’s words】
Here I come, 100 little red envelopes, good night~
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