The emperor angrily swept his arm and swept half of the things on the desk to the ground. Bang, clang, snap, and thud sounds of things falling to the ground came one after another.
Deputy Commander Kong still had his head bowed, with a large area of his shirt on the back being wet.
"This Gu Jue, he disobeyed the imperial edict, ignored the imperial instructions, was disloyal and unjust, and acted recklessly. If I don't teach him a lesson, does he really think I'm afraid of him?"
"Come here, pass on my order to transfer the troops from the five military camps to the capital. I don't believe that we can't break into the Prince Chen's mansion."
The emperor was so angry that his mind was overwhelmed. He roared regardless of the consequences, and made Eunuch Ni and Deputy Commander Kong silent.
"Your Highness."
A eunuch's feminine voice was heard from outside, and then a young eunuch of medium stature came in leading the Crown Prince Gu Nanjin.
Gu Nanjin's eyes were extremely complicated. After hearing this, he felt physically and mentally exhausted, and his hands hidden in his sleeves clenched into fists.
Gu Nanjin had just returned from the posthouse. Because Wuhejialou was preparing to return to Nanhao, he went to persuade him to stay and proposed again to escort him back to Nanhao. However, Wuhejialou was a man of few words and evaded him with just a few words.
He wanted to negotiate with the other party for a while longer, but then he heard the news that the Jinyiwei went to Prince Chen's Mansion. He had to say goodbye to Wuhejialou in a hurry and rushed back to the palace.
At this moment, Gu Nanjin didn't know whether he was glad that he had returned in time, or whether he was helpless because his father insisted on making things difficult for the Ninth Uncle.
No matter what, Gu Nanjin couldn't just sit back and watch the situation get worse.
He walked forward quickly, saluted to the emperor, and advised in a gentle voice: "Father, the Ninth Prince is innocent. If you casually order the destruction of Prince Chen's Mansion, this matter will be difficult to handle."
Is the emperor going to turn against Prince Chen now? ! Gu Nanjin sighed inwardly.
Seeing the prince arrive, Deputy Commander Kong secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Gu Nanjin continued to persuade him: "Father, in the end, Prince Chen's Mansion did nothing wrong in today's incident. It was the Jinyiwei who was disrespectful to the Ninth Princess first."
Gu Nanjin gave Deputy Commander Kong a cold look.
What the Jinyiwei did today was really ridiculous. They even dared to tease the Princess of Chen!
In his opinion, his father should ask his mother to reward the Ninth Princess as a sign of appeasement. How could he add fuel to the fire and instead let the Imperial Guards lead people to the Prince Chen's Mansion to search and provoke her?
Although the Ninth Prince is now in the capital, he is not a toothless tiger. He is still the Prince of the Northern Army, with hundreds of thousands of Northern Army soldiers behind him. If the Ninth Prince is moved at will, it will inevitably lead to a backlash from the royal family and the generals in the court. It can be said that as long as the Ninth Prince does not rebel, the father can't do anything to him.
Even if my father really sent people from the Five Military Camps to Prince Chen's Palace today, the outcome would certainly not be good. Instead, it would make him, the Emperor of Great Qi, a laughing stock.
"..." Deputy Commander Kong had just felt half relieved when his worry suddenly came back to him. His body stiffened and he cursed that damn General Ding to death in his heart.
Sweat dripped from his forehead along his ears, but he didn't dare to wipe it off, nor did he dare to refute the prince. He could only maintain the posture of bowing and clasping his fists, motionless.
Gu Nanjin ignored Deputy Commander Kong and racked his brains to persuade the emperor to calm down and be tolerant...
The emperor behind the imperial desk looked at Gu Nanjin, who was speaking righteously, with a sinister look on his face, and his expression became increasingly uglier.
Just now the emperor said to order the people from the five military camps to come to the capital. In fact, it was just an impulse. He regretted it the moment he said it, but he couldn't save face. He was racking his brains on how to back down. As a result, the prince's advice became more and more irritating to the emperor. His anger was rising and veins on his forehead were throbbing.
Gu Jue was so arrogant that he didn't take him, the emperor, seriously at all. However, the prince not only did not help him to attack Gu Jue, but instead spoke up for Gu Jue again and again, and even turned around to scold him, his father!
There are so many generals in the court who support Gu Jue, and even the crown prince is not on the same page with him!
When the prince mentioned "tolerance", the emperor's anger exploded in an instant, and he called the prince by his full name: "Gu Nanjin!"
At this moment, the emperor thought of the late emperor. When the late emperor was alive, he always praised Gu Jue in front of him, asking him, as the eldest brother, to be more tolerant and so on, as if Gu Jue was so petty.
The past overlaps with this present moment.
The emperor was so angry that his facial features were slightly distorted and his whole body was shaking violently, as if something was about to burst out from under his thin skin.
“Bang!”
The emperor stood up angrily and slammed the imperial desk heavily with his palm.
His face flushed, even his eyes were bloodshot, and he angrily asked Gu Nanjin: "Have you been sitting on the throne of the crown prince for too long? Do you want to change your position?!"
The implication is that the prince is not qualified to teach him, the emperor, how to do things!
Gu Nanjin: “!!!”
The emperor's words were simply heartbreaking.
Gu Nanjin knelt down with a plop and said hurriedly, "I dare not!"
Deputy Commander Kong was also shocked, his heart pounding, and he wished he could just disappear right there. Oh, when the emperor and the prince make peace, will they think he has seen too much and knows too much? ! "Don't dare?" The emperor pulled the corner of his mouth sarcastically, thinking that Gu Nanjin was just trying to evade him.
His anger had not yet subsided, and his heart was like a raging wave. He continued to curse: "You are the son, I am the father; you are the minister, I am the king. Do you know what the moral principles of heaven and earth are? You have no king or father!"
"Gu Jue is rude and arrogant. Today I must teach him a lesson. Someone, tell me my order and destroy Prince Chen's mansion. Today I must let Gu Jue know who is the emperor of Great Qi!"
The emperor first scolded the prince, and then scolded Gu Jue, feeling that he must vent his anger today.
Gu Nanjin: “…”
Gu Nanjin hesitated to speak, his brows furrowed, his expression showing his worry, but he also knew that his father was angry and would not listen to his advice at all... His father's temper has been getting more and more irritable recently! The things in the imperial study have been broken at least four or five times in the past month.
Gu Nanjin always felt that something was wrong with the emperor, and he once indirectly asked the imperial physician to check the emperor's pulse, but the emperor felt that he was strong and vigorous, so he refused without saying a word.
Just as Gu Nanjin was in a dilemma, another young eunuch came in with an anxious look on his face. Seeing the prince kneeling on the ground, he was stunned for a moment, but still walked to the imperial desk, bowed to the emperor, and reported in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, there are unusual movements in the Black Armor Camp..."
There was a moment of silence in the imperial study.
“…”
“…”
“…”
The emperor's face turned pale, and he staggered, almost losing his balance. His body hit the armchair behind him, making a clattering sound, which was particularly harsh in the silent imperial study.
Gu Nanjin's face also didn't look good. On the one hand, he was shocked, but on the other hand, he felt that it was as expected.
His Ninth Uncle was not two years older than him, and they had studied together in the upper study room before. Gu Nanjin had some understanding of Gu Jue's personality.
Gu Jue has never been a person who would swallow his anger and accept defeat. He was not like that in the past, and he will not be like that now.
After all these years of experience on the battlefield, even though his personality had become more introverted, his essence had not changed, so on the day he returned to Beijing, he dared to leave his father, who wanted to show his power to him, and walked away.
This spring, when Gu Jue returned to the capital to report, he brought back 30,000 Black Armor soldiers and stationed them in the western suburbs of the capital, which was called the Black Armor Camp.
Compared with the more than 100,000 imperial guards stationed in Beijing from the Five Military Camps, these 30,000 Black Armored Army soldiers may seem dwarfed by a giant. However, these 30,000 soldiers are the elite among the elite. They have actually been to the battlefield and killed the enemy with their own hands. They have fought their way through the thorns and fought bloody battles in the battle between the two armies.
Now that the Xuanjia Camp has made this move, there is no guarantee that the Five Army Camps will not mutiny as a result.
Then, this matter became a big deal.
Gu Nanjin's heart almost rose to his throat and his thoughts raced.
Moreover, no matter how this matter is discussed, others will think that it was the emperor who was at fault first, that it was the Jinyiwei who provoked the Ninth Prince first, and that the Ninth Prince was just protecting himself.
It has only been less than five months since the Ninth Prince returned to the capital, but the Emperor has already made one wrong move after another. In the eyes of those military generals, it is the Emperor's repeated suppression of the Ninth Prince that has long been dissatisfied.
As the saying goes, lips and teeth are interdependent.
The Ninth Prince had made such great military achievements for the Great Qi, yet he was still suppressed by the Emperor. What about the others? How could these generals fight for the Great Qi again? Wouldn't this chill their hearts? !
Gu Nanjin raised his eyes to look at the emperor's face. Seeing that the emperor's face was as gloomy as water, he sighed inwardly and asked the young eunuch first, "What's the situation now?"
The young eunuch was at a loss as to what to do. Upon hearing this, he quickly replied, "Captain Yun went to the Black Armor Camp from Prince Chen's Mansion half an hour ago. As soon as he arrived at the camp, he ordered the Black Armor Army to assemble. 30,000 troops gathered at the martial arts field. That didn't look like a military training, but more like... like..."
The young eunuch could not continue, but everyone present knew the two words he did not say were -
Force the emperor to abdicate.
The atmosphere in the imperial study became more tense and cold.
The emperor's breathing was disordered. He held the imperial desk with one hand and gasped. At this moment, his breathing was so heavy and rapid.
“Gu, Jue.” The emperor gnashed his teeth and chanted Gu Jue’s name, wishing he could cut Gu Jue into pieces. He cursed, “Is he planning to rebel?!”
Deputy Commander Kong still had his head down, his undershirt was soaked, as if he had been fished out of the water.
If Prince Chen really rebelled, then the Jinyiwei would be the excuse and they would inevitably be the target of the emperor's wrath and be cursed by the court officials. If things went wrong, they would become abandoned pawns.
Gu Nanjin was also overwhelmed and sighed in his heart: It has come to this point, and my father still hasn't figured out the severity of the matter.
Gu Nanjin took a deep breath, calmed down a little, and suggested: "Father, let's call Commander Lu back..."
After a pause, he continued, "Please allow me to go see the Ninth Uncle."
No one knows a father better than his son. Gu Nanjin knows too well how much the emperor values his reputation. The emperor certainly cannot lose face, so Gu Nanjin can only go and apologize to Gu Jue himself.
The emperor frowned even more tightly, sat down again, and said in a harsh voice: "I want to see if Gu Jue really dares to rebel!"
The emperor was just strong on the outside but weak on the inside. Although his tone looked tough, he was actually panicking on the inside.
Although he did not admit some things verbally, he knew what was going on in his heart. Gu Jue joined the army at the age of fifteen and had been in control of the military power for many years. He had accumulated great prestige in the army, and most of the generals in the court were on his side.
Initially, when Gu Jue returned to the capital, he refused to hand over his military power, and many civil officials despised him. However, almost no military generals spoke out, and it was obvious that they all supported Gu Jue in retaining the military power of the Northern Army.
“Father…”
Gu Nanjin wanted to persuade him again, but the more he persuaded, the more the emperor felt frustrated.
He had been holding this breath in his heart for too long...
The emperor's breathing became more rapid, and memories of the past and the present flashed through his memory.
Gu Jue was intelligent since childhood and had a photographic memory. This became even more evident after he was ten years old. The late emperor praised him, the Grand Tutor praised him, and the court officials also praised the Ninth Prince. On the contrary, the Crown Prince had become mature and steady, as if there was nothing special about him except that he was a few years older than Gu Jue.
Later, the fifteen-year-old Gu Jue went to Beidi. He thought he could get rid of this imperial brother who was better than him in every way. However, in just two years, the news that Gu Jue had made great contributions to the Beidi army reached the capital. After that, Gu Jue made many outstanding achievements, won every battle, and defeated the Red Di people.
The name of Prince Gu Jue is well-known throughout the world.
More than once he heard people sigh and say, "What a pity!"
"If Prince Chen had been born a few years earlier..."
Even if they didn't continue talking, the emperor could guess what they had left unsaid.
They all felt that Gu Jue was more suitable to be the crown prince than him, and more suitable to become the future emperor of Da Qi.
The emperor was naturally dissatisfied. Gu Jue could read and fight, but that didn't mean he could govern the country! If someone like him, who was ignorant of etiquette and arrogant, really ascended to the throne, he would be nothing more than an unjust tyrant.
How could he compare to me! ! The emperor's eyes were blazing with fire, and he slowly ordered Eunuch Ni in a tone that was almost like an oath: "Let the five military camps smash the gate of Prince Chen's mansion. I must raid Prince Chen's mansion today."
Gu Nanjin: “…”
Gu Nanjin, who was kneeling on the ground, looked up at the emperor and moved his lips slightly, but the emperor spoke first: "Prince, if you continue to help Gu Jue, you will be Gu Jue's son."
The emperor's voice was so cold that it almost made ice chips fall out.
Gu Nanjin was no longer able to speak. His heart felt heavy, as if a huge rock was pressing on it.
Eunuch Ni hurriedly served the emperor with writing materials, and the emperor personally drafted the edict and stamped it with the big red imperial seal. Then Eunuch Ni hurried to the Five Army Camp in the Western Hills with the imperial edict which was still hot.
Gu Nanjin was still kneeling on the ground. The emperor didn't let him get up, so he could only continue kneeling on the gold brick floor. His knees were numb from kneeling, but he didn't dare to get up.
Deputy Commander Kong also did not leave. He was even more confused than the Crown Prince, after all, the Crown Prince was still kneeling! Deputy Commander Kong felt like he was being roasted on fire.
Time passes quietly. At this moment, time seems to be slowed down several times and goes especially slowly.
Deputy Commander Kong would quietly check the leaking kettle next to him from time to time. The monotonous cicada chirping outside was becoming increasingly shrill and harsh.
It was not until more than half an hour later that Eunuch Ni finally came back.
The weather in August was hot, and although he took a carriage to and fro, he was still sweating profusely.
Eunuch Ni's face looked extremely ugly, and he still held the imperial edict in his hand. Even though he hadn't said anything yet, the emperor, Gu Nanjin and Deputy Commander Kong in the imperial study had guessed the outcome of his trip to the Xishan camp.
Under the emperor's furious gaze, Eunuch Ni stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, the commander of the Fifth Army Battalion refuses to accept the order."
The five military camps are divided into the Central Army, the Left Wing Army, the Right Wing Army, the Left Sentinel Army, and the Right Sentinel Army. Each camp has an admiral who is in charge of the camp.
To be honest, Eunuch Ni originally thought that the worst might be that two or three of the five admirals would not respond to the emperor's edict, but he never expected that this edict to destroy Prince Chen's Mansion would fall to the point where no one dared to respond.
Recalling the scenes that just happened in the Xishan camp, Eunuch Ni broke out in a cold sweat.
He did not dare to repeat some of the things those generals said to the emperor. Most people thought that the emperor was being unreasonable by ordering the destruction of Prince Chen's Mansion. Some said that it was natural for Prince Chen's Mansion to teach the Embroidered Uniform Guard a lesson on behalf of the princess; some said that the emperor trusted the Embroidered Uniform Guard too much; others said that the emperor was just taking advantage of the situation.
Today I still favor Lady Wan, the second update will be at 12:30.
(End of this chapter)