Chapter 92 The Prince Who Failed to Revolt
Arriving in Youcheng, Yao Yanwen bowed respectfully: "I pay my respects to the Emperor, may the Emperor be well. I pay my respects to the Princess of Jing."
The emperor nodded slightly, his eyes firm and steady. "Yan Wen, assemble your troops and set out with me back to the capital to quell the rebellion."
Yao Yanwen immediately responded, "As you command, give me a quarter of an hour and I will gather the troops."
The emperor responded briefly: "Okay."
At this moment, Zhang Xiaojia's eyes fell on the commander of the Youcheng Cavalry. Her mind went blank in an instant, and complex emotions surged in her heart.
The emperor noticed something was wrong with Zhang Xiaojia and asked with concern, "Jia'er, what's wrong?"
Zhang Xiaojia came back to his senses and asked in a low voice, "He's the younger brother of the queen you deposed, right?"
The Emperor's expression remained calm as he spoke slowly, "That's right! When Yao Wanqing committed treason and murdered my mother, the Yao family immediately petitioned to depose the empress and demanded that three generations of the Yao family be barred from taking the imperial examinations. All members of the Yao family resigned from their official positions and returned to their hometowns. I agreed, but Yan Wen is still very capable, so I asked him to help me manage the cavalry."
Zhang Xiaojia frowned slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. "Back then, you ordered the siege of the Yao family? With that situation, everyone thought the entire Yao family was going to be executed."
The emperor sighed softly, his eyes filled with helplessness and deep sorrow. "Silly Jia'er, I did this for the world to see. Yao Wanqing was so audacious that she actually poisoned Mother and Jingwen. If I didn't take drastic measures, how could I shock the court and the people? How could I explain this to the world? Fortunately, Mother and Jingwen are safe. Otherwise..." He paused, his tone suddenly cold, "Otherwise, I would have exterminated her entire clan as a warning to others."
Zhang Xiaojia was shocked when he heard this and asked in a low voice, "Then you still dare to use the Yao family? After all, they are criminals, and there will inevitably be criticism in the court."
The Emperor smiled faintly, his eyes gleaming with wisdom and confidence. "The Yao family has been loyal and righteous for generations. If it weren't for that fool Yao Wanqing acting on her own, how could this have happened? I know the Yao family's loyalty, and Yan Wen is a rare military talent. How can I abandon such a talented person because of the mistake of one person? Moreover, the Yao family has already asked to depose the empress, and three generations have not served in the government. How can I betray this awareness?"
Zhang Xiaojia nodded thoughtfully and said softly, "Your Majesty is far-sighted and I admire you. But... is it true that the Yao family has no grudges?"
The emperor's gaze narrowed slightly, his tone firm, "I have treated the Yao family well, and Yan Wen is a man of understanding. If he harbored resentment, he wouldn't be standing here today. Jia'er, governing a country requires both drastic measures and tolerance. I trust the Yao family."
A trace of admiration flashed in Zhang Xiaojia's eyes: "Your Majesty, you really have achieved the goal of recruiting talents regardless of their background. Brother, you are really amazing."
The emperor smiled slightly, his eyes revealing determination and wisdom: "For the country and the people, this is what we should do."
Following Yao Yanwen's command, the army quickly assembled and prepared to go.
The emperor stood on the high platform, his gaze sweeping across the thirty thousand cavalrymen below. The reserve cavalry of Youcheng lined up in neat formations, their armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight, their horses neighing, their momentum surging. Yao Yanwen stood at the front of the column, his expression solemn and his gaze determined.
The emperor nodded slightly, quite satisfied with Yao Yanwen's performance. He turned to Zhang Xiaojia and said, "Jiaer, get ready to go."
Zhang Xiaojia nodded and jumped onto her horse with a clean and neat movement. She glanced at the emperor, a trace of worry flashing in her eyes: "Brother, what's the situation in the capital? Can He Fei hold on?"
The emperor looked calm and composed, his tone filled with confidence: "Although Jingwen laughs and scolds on weekdays, he is never vague at critical moments. With him around, the capital will not be in chaos."
Zhang Xiaojia felt relieved after hearing this. She knew He Fei's abilities, but she only knew the emperor's thoughts.
She gripped the reins tightly and said, "Then we must hurry back to the capital and put down the rebellion."
The Emperor nodded, then waved his hand to signal the army to march. Thirty thousand cavalrymen set out on their journey back to the capital, the sound of horses' hooves shaking the earth and raising clouds of dust.
Along the way, the emperor and Zhang Xiaojia walked side by side, and the two talked in low voices from time to time.
The Emperor's expression was solemn, his gaze etched with a hint of coldness. "Jia'er, I'm afraid it's not just Concubine Xian who's behind this rebellion. I suspect there are others within the court secretly colluding with ulterior motives."
Zhang Xiaojia frowned slightly and asked in a low voice: "Brother, who do you suspect?"
The Emperor's gaze was deep, and his voice was deep. "I cannot confirm it yet, but this rebellion came suddenly and was obviously premeditated. The virtuous concubine has been imprisoned in the cold palace, but she alone could not mobilize such a large number of troops. I suspect there is another mastermind behind this."
Zhang Xiaojia nodded thoughtfully: "Then we must act carefully and not alert the enemy."
The emperor smiled slightly, a cold look flashing in his eyes. "Don't worry, I have my own plans. This time I return to the capital, not only to quell the rebellion, but also to uncover the mastermind behind it."
As the two men were talking, they heard the sound of hurried horse hooves. A scout galloped over, dismounted, and reported, "Your Majesty, we've spotted a suspicious group of approximately five thousand men heading our way."
The emperor frowned and asked in a cold voice, "Can you see who it is?"
The scout shook his head. "The enemy's flag is unknown, but they are well-equipped and move quickly. They are obviously not ordinary bandits."
A cold light flashed in the emperor's eyes, and his tone was stern: "Pass the order, all troops are on alert, ready to meet the enemy!"
Zhang Xiaojia gripped the reins tightly and looked ahead warily. She whispered to the emperor, "Brother, be careful, there's a trap."
The emperor nodded, his eyes sharp as a torch: "I know. Jia'er, you stay by my side and don't act rashly."
A moment later, a group of men appeared ahead, a dense mass of black soldiers, their momentum fierce. Leading the charge was a general in black armor, his face stern and his gaze sharp as a knife. He spotted the emperor's army from afar and immediately waved his hand for the troops to halt.
The emperor rode forward and asked in a cold voice, "Who is coming?"
The general sneered, his voice hoarse and cold: "You pretended to be Yan Feng, and you are still alive."
The emperor frowned, secretly on guard. He hadn't revealed his identity, but the other party had already known that he was not Yan Fengli, clearly coming prepared.
He said in a deep voice, "Who are you? Why are you blocking the path of my army?"
The general snorted coldly, his tone tinged with sarcasm: "Do you think you can just lead the troops back to the capital?!"
A cold light flashed in the emperor's eyes, and his tone was stern: "Who are you?"
The general laughed loudly, with a hint of madness in his voice: "Who am I? I am here to take your life!" He waved his hand violently, and the more than 5,000 soldiers behind him immediately rushed up with murderous intent.
The Emperor sneered and waved his hand, signaling the army to meet the attack. Thirty thousand cavalrymen surged out like a tide, instantly surrounding the enemy. The battle was imminent, with swords flashing and sabers blazing, and the cries of killing shaking the earth.
Zhang Xiaojia followed closely beside the emperor, holding a spiked iron whip in his hand, and looking around vigilantly. They were surrounded by cavalry.
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