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◎For the first time, Concubine Li cursed Emperor Xingwu fiercely in her heart.◎
Liangzhou, Wuwei City, General's Mansion.
July 15th is the Ghost Festival. Although it is a day for ancestor worship, Pingliang Hou Yuan Zhaoxiong was thinking about his three sons and two daughters who were far away in the capital, especially his second legitimate son Yuan Chongli and his only legitimate daughter Yuan Jie. As for his first wife Gao, who was already old and ugly, she had long been forgotten by Yuan Zhaoxiong, who had seven or eight beautiful concubines in the backyard.
The steward came in and saw his own marquis leaning listlessly on a rattan chair under the shade of a tree, a few pieces of letter paper pressed against his abdomen. The steward guessed something and came over to ask, "Is the marquis thinking about the second young master again?"
Yuan Zhaoxiong looked at him and said worriedly, "How could I not think about this? This year, the Emperor first sent the Censor to investigate me, and now he's revoked Chongli's permission to study with him. This is a blatant slap in the face of our Yuan family. I think the Emperor must know about everything I did in Liangzhou and is determined to punish me."
He was really happy when he was making money, but every time he thought that one day the truth would be revealed and he would be held accountable by the emperor, Yuan Zhaoxiong would become very worried.
The steward helped his master to commit these corrupt and illegal acts, so naturally he had already made plans for the future. It was nothing more than a matter of fighting back when the enemy came and covering up when the water came.
He comforted him, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. Even if the Emperor suspects you, he'll need evidence to convict you. The Censor Song Zixiao has been frightened by our beatings. Your Majesty has also sent money to his hometown and tied him securely to our ship. This way, Song Zixiao will have no choice but to do as Your Majesty wishes."
Yuan Zhaoxiong patted the letter in his arms and asked, "What about Chongli losing his study partner?"
The steward laughed and said, "Your Majesty forgot that our Emperor's father was a gambler, so the Emperor hates gambling the most. The Second Young Master has been unlucky and this time he just happened to offend the Emperor, so it's only natural that he lost his position as a tutor."
Yuan Zhaoxiong was still frowning, feeling that things were not that simple.
The steward leaned over and lowered his voice, saying, "Even if what the Marquis is worried about is true, the Marquis has been prepared for it over the years. Of the 100,000 Liangzhou border troops and the twenty guard commanders, most were promoted by you, and the remaining few have also received your grace for many years. When the day comes, as long as the Marquis gives the order, the 100,000 Liangzhou troops will support you in your uprising."
"Your Majesty has already anticipated the three possible outcomes of this rebellion. The best scenario is that you will march south with unstoppable force, capture the capital, and ascend the throne. The second best scenario is that you will occupy Liang Province, cede territory, and become king, stalemate with the imperial court. The worst scenario is that you will be defeated by the imperial court, lose Liang Province, and surrender to the Western Hu. In any of these three outcomes, Your Majesty will be able to escape unscathed. Why should Your Majesty be so concerned? You have no way out. Instead of worrying about gains and losses, you should seize the time to accumulate military supplies and prepare for war before the Emperor launches a rebellion."
Yuan Zhaoxiong closed his eyes and said in agony, "I can indeed escape with my family here, but what about the capital? As soon as I rebel, the emperor will immediately chop off the heads of Chongli, Jie'er and the others. They are all my own flesh and blood!"
The steward sighed: "At this point, the Marquis can only reluctantly let it go."
Yuan Zhaoxiong didn't want to give up his children, but he was also afraid that if he sent someone to the capital to pick them up, it would directly expose his ambition. Maybe the emperor had no evidence?
Yuan Zhaoxiong hoped that Emperor Xingwu would never be able to find evidence of his guilt until his death. After Emperor Xingwu passed away, he would incite generals from all over the border to rebel against the new emperor, who had a weak foundation. As long as there were one or two people willing to rebel, he could take advantage of the chaos to bring back his wife and children and establish himself as the emperor of Liangzhou.
Although he was troubled, once he decided to let it go, Yuan Zhaoxiong's life became comfortable again. He went to the military camp to train during the day, and returned to the general's mansion at night to have several concubines to hug him. He also had more than ten children, big and small, including the prince Yuan Chongguang, to share the family life with him. It was very lively and noisy, and Yuan Zhaoxiong rarely had the time to think about his children who stayed in Beijing.
On the morning of July 23rd, Yuan Zhaoxiong was handling official business in the military camp when a soldier suddenly ran up to the camp gate and said anxiously, "My Lord, a group of guards are outside. They say the emperor has an order to be read, and they want you to go and receive it as soon as possible."
Yuan Zhaoxiong's expression changed, and he stood up and asked, "How many guards are there?"
Soldier: "Twenty of them, all with stern faces and fierce looks."
Yuan Zhaoxiong also selected twenty personal soldiers to rush to the camp gate.
Seeing him come out, the twenty guards dismounted. The leading guard unfolded the imperial edict and read out loudly the charges against Yuan Zhaoxiong for corruption. When he was done, he saw Yuan Zhaoxiong kneeling there motionless, his face filled with fear. The guard raised his hand behind him and shouted, "Tie him up!"
Two guards immediately came forward with a rope.
The personal soldiers brought by Yuan Zhaoxiong drew their swords and stood in front of Yuan Zhaoxiong.
The chief of the imperial guards glared at Yuan Zhaoxiong and said, "Marquis Pingliang, are you going to disobey my order?"
Yuan Zhaoxiong, who had been kneeling for a long time, finally stood up slowly. Through the circle of personal guards who were protecting him tightly, he looked at the imperial edict in the hands of the chief of the imperial guards. As if he had finally believed the facts before his eyes, Yuan Zhaoxiong looked up to the sky and said in anger, "I don't believe it! It was the emperor who personally sent me to guard the border. In the past nine years, I have repelled the Western Hu cavalry fourteen times. My loyalty to the emperor and the court is evident to all. Last year, when I was seriously ill and unable to return to the capital to report on my work, the emperor specially sent an imperial physician to treat me. I am loyal to the emperor, and the emperor has treated me with great kindness. There must be a villain who framed me in front of the emperor!"
The Chief of the Imperial Guards said, "The Emperor has issued his decree. If you feel wronged, you can return to the capital and speak to the Emperor in person. The Emperor is wise and will surely give you justice."
Yuan Zhaoxiong smiled bitterly, "Don't try to deceive me with such words. Since those treacherous villains can deceive His Majesty, how can His Majesty believe my excuses? If the border is safe, I wouldn't be afraid of dying unjustly. But the Western Hu cavalry have been invading the border for years. If I leave, they will definitely take the opportunity to attack... No, I can't leave. You go back and report to the Emperor, saying that I, Yuan Zhaoxiong, am innocent and have never betrayed my master. The Emperor should thoroughly investigate the treacherous ministers around him. As for the crime of disobeying the Emperor's order today, after I have destroyed 300,000 Western Hu cavalry, I will definitely bring the head of the Western Hu King back to the capital to accept punishment!"
"Also, Your Majesty, please treat my family well and don't fall for the villain's scheme to alienate you from your loyal generals."
"you……"
"Return to camp!"
.
The twenty imperial guards who were ordered to capture Yuan Zhaoxiong did not return to the capital, but instead sent a report of Yuan Zhaoxiong's disobedience to the imperial order to the capital at an expedited speed of 800 miles.
Emperor Xingwu asked He Yuanjing to read the memorial at the court meeting.
Yan Xizheng angrily said, "Your Majesty, the Marquis of Pingliang is so eloquent and eloquent that he is clearly disobeying your orders out of fear of punishment and has the intention of rebellion!"
Deng Chong followed and said, "Your Majesty, I beg you to lead the troops to attack the traitor Yuan Zhaoxiong!"
Prince Yong and other generals also requested to attack Yuan Zhaoxiong.
Emperor Xingwu raised his hand, and after the ministers had quieted down, he said, "In fact, I also don't want to believe that the Marquis of Pingliang could have embezzled millions of taels of silver in just nine years, but the evidence from the Censorate is irrefutable, and I cannot help but believe it."
"Marquis Pingliang is a founding hero of my country. I originally planned to spare his life, strip him of his title, and allow him to return to his homeland with his family to spend his remaining years in peace, as long as he was willing to hand over the proceeds of his corruption. Considering his illustrious military exploits over the past twenty years, I would remove his title and allow him to return to his homeland with his family to spend his remaining years in peace..."
The hot-tempered Deng Chong was the first to roar, "The Yuan family is about to rebel. Why should we let them live out their old age in peace? Your Majesty, I know you are determined to be a wise ruler, but a wise ruler cannot let others ride on his brow and shit on him. Think about it, if you can easily brush off Yuan Zhaoxiong's corruption and rebellion today, who among the officials and generals in the world will fear you? If everyone dares to be corrupt and rebel, won't the world you fought so hard for be in chaos again?"
Prince Yong: "That's right, Yuan Zhaoxiong must be executed!"
The civil officials also advised the emperor to send troops to attack Yuan Zhaoxiong, but they used more gentle words.
Emperor Xingwu pondered for a moment and said, "Yuan Zhaoxiong is guilty, but it's possible that he's afraid to return to the capital for trial out of concern for border security. Since he doesn't dare come before me, I will personally go to Liangzhou to try him. If he surrenders, I will spare his life. If Yuan Zhaoxiong persists and rebels, I will personally lead an army of 100,000 to defeat him!"
Lead the army in person?
The civil officials immediately became concerned and pleaded with the emperor to exercise caution. However, the emperor had already made up his mind. Emperor Xingwu would not only lead the expedition himself, but also bring the crown prince, the second and third princes, his nephew Qin Liang, his son-in-law Fu Kui, and more than a dozen sons of noble families. Prince Yong and the two prime ministers would remain in Beijing to oversee government affairs. Among the military commanders, Prince Yong and Duke Cheng of Lü Guangzu would lead the North and East Camps to defend the capital, while Duke Ding of Deng Chong and Marquis Weiyuan Meng Ji would lead 100,000 troops from the West and South Camps to accompany him.
The emperor made this arrangement in one go, leaving no ministers any chance to question or object.
After the court meeting ended, Emperor Xingwu ordered two prime ministers and other important ministers to go to the imperial study to discuss matters later. Then he left the dragon throne and went to the imperial road to the west.
The little princess, who had been hiding here and heard every word spoken by the emperor and his ministers clearly, burst into tears when she saw her father coming over and threw herself into his arms.
Emperor Xingwu was afraid his daughter would cry out loud, so he first picked her up high in his arms and walked quickly out. All the way to the imperial study in the central hall, Emperor Xingwu held his daughter and sat on a chair, using a handkerchief to wipe her tears. "Lin'er, are you crying because you're afraid of hearing that the court is going to war, or are you crying because you can't bear to see your father cry?"
Qingyang had just hugged his father's neck, but now that he was shorter, he could only hug his father's waist. He said uncomfortably, "I can't bear to leave my father."
The more he realized how far Liangzhou was from the capital, the more reluctant Qingyang was to leave, including his three imperial brothers who were going to accompany their father.
Emperor Xingwu touched his daughter's head and whispered in her ear, "If you're reluctant, Lin'er, why don't you go with me to fight the Marquis of Pingliang?"
The little princess was stunned. She looked up in disbelief, tears welling in her eyes. "Can I go too?"
Because she often went to the previous dynasty, Yan Xizheng reported her, and the emperor also assured the ministers that her golden waist badge could only be used for another year. Joining the army is a more serious matter than going to the previous dynasty. Isn't the emperor afraid that Yan Xizheng or even Nie Ao will come out and strongly object?
Emperor Xingwu smiled and said, "This time when I go to Liangzhou, I will bring the Marquis of Pingliang's wife and the young men and women of the Yuan family with me. I want to deliver them to Yuan Zhaoxiong unharmed, so that he and the other soldiers will know that I have no intention of using the Yuan family's relatives to coerce him. So on the way, you will comfort the Marquis' wife and her daughter for me. If they can convince Yuan Zhaoxiong to surrender, then Lin'er will be the greatest hero of your father's trip."
Qingyang: "...Others can do this, so why does Father insist on me being the one to appease him?"
Emperor Xingwu tapped his daughter's forehead. "You're usually so clever, why are you so foolish this time? If you're completely useless, how can I legitimately bring you with me? Do you think you're the only one afraid of being reported by Prime Minister Yan and Lord Nie? I'm afraid of them too, afraid they'll use all sorts of pedantry to accuse me of disrupting the rules of state."
Qingyang understood that her father knew that she wanted to join the army and took the initiative to find a pretext for her.
The emperor was afraid of the advice from the civil servants, but he didn't want to disappoint her even more.
"Hey, why did you drop gold nuggets again?" Emperor Xingwu asked in a panic while waiting for his daughter to praise him.
The little princess leaned on her father's shoulder and said tearfully, "Father, you are the best father in the world."
Emperor Xingwu laughed. Among his five children, he could probably only hear these words from his youngest daughter.
.
On the first day of August, after Emperor Xingwu personally led an army of 100,000 and left the capital for dozens of miles, a little princess suddenly appeared in the carriage of the third prince Qin Ren.
The little princess ran to Emperor Xingwu's carriage, crying and shouting that she couldn't bear to leave her father. Her cries were heard through the carriage window, and even the commander of the Imperial Guard, Fan Zhong, who was standing by the carriage, had tears in his eyes. With such deep love between father and daughter, it was only natural that Emperor Xingwu allowed the little princess to join the army.
At the same time, Concubine Li in the palace also saw the letter left by her daughter, so she cried even harder than the little princess in the car, and hoped that the emperor would send someone to send her little princess back.
Unfortunately, that night Concubine Li only received a message from Emperor Xingwu telling her not to worry.
The timid Concubine Li cursed Emperor Xingwu in her heart for the first time.
【Author’s words】
[Poor] Here I come, 100 little red envelopes, see you tomorrow~
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