That evening, Zhu Youjian also looked up at the sky.
However, he didn't feel too nervous or excited.
Not long ago, he had already dealt with Wei Zhongxian once.
Wei Zhongxian back then was far more powerful than he is now.
With one hand on the eunuch faction, hundreds of ministers followed Wei Zhongxian's lead.
With one hand holding the eunuchs, more than 20,000 eunuchs gathered together, shouting all day long that they were willing to go through fire and water for Wei Zhongxian.
However, once Zhu Youjian launched his campaign, these seemingly powerful forces vanished without a trace.
So he wasn't afraid at all.
However, Luo Yangxing and Wang Chengen, who followed behind Zhu Youjian, did not have such an easy time.
They knew how ruthless Wei Zhongxian was.
"The reason we were able to deal with him so easily back then was because His Majesty put on an act and fooled him into thinking that he had gained the new emperor's trust."
"But now, that old dog is practically openly rebelling, so we have no choice but to fight him."
The two men nervously looked around, fearing that an assassin might suddenly appear and injure Zhu Youjian.
Seeing this, Zhu Youjian waved his hand dismissively.
"Relax, there's no need to be so tense."
Wang Chengen forced a smile and said, "Your Majesty, how can this servant compare to you?"
Luo Yangxing, who was standing to the side, also nodded.
"Your Majesty remained unmoved even when Mount Tai collapsed before you; you truly deserve to be called a wise and benevolent ruler!"
"I have heard that the common people are now praising Your Majesty."
He casually launched into a string of flattery.
Zhu Youjian nodded happily.
"That's good! Master Gao just taught me not long ago that the people's hearts are as gentle as water."
"After dealing with Wei Zhongxian, I will put all the confiscated Donglin Party assets into the national treasury."
"When the court has the silver, it will be good to reduce some taxes for the people."
Luo Yangxing and Wang Chengen didn't take these words to heart.
He simply and subconsciously praised, "Your Majesty is wise!"
Just then, a member of the Imperial Guard trotted in and whispered a few words in Luo Yangxing's ear.
Luo Yangxing's expression changed, and then he said to Zhu Youjian:
"Your Majesty, Wei Zhongxian has already begun his operation."
"There are hundreds of men in black coming towards the palace."
"In addition, there was a report from Zhili Prefecture that the Prince of Fu had actually led a large army and had arrived outside the city."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Youjian's expression darkened.
"The Prince of Fu has come too?"
"Hmph, he's practically asking for death!"
Luo Yangxing quickly lowered his head, not daring to say anything more.
No matter how much Zhu Youjian disliked his uncle, the Prince of Fu was still a member of the imperial family.
If he joins in with a few curses now, he might immediately earn the emperor's praise.
But what if the emperor later changes his mind and doesn't want to kill Prince Fu?
Wouldn't Luo Yangxing be in trouble if he were caught in the middle?
Seeing that Luo Yangxing remained silent, Zhu Youjian said nothing more.
He thought to himself, "I'll ask Master Gao for his opinion on this Prince Fu another day."
"According to Master Gao, when the Ming Dynasty was about to perish, my uncle was still reluctant to part with his wealth and refused to use the gold and silver of the Prince's Palace to recruit soldiers."
"In the end, he met such an end, and he deserved to die."
"Moreover, now that he's involved with Wei Zhongxian, he's even more likely to meet his demise."
"However, Master Gao might still have a way to make use of him. Killing him directly would be a waste."
After thinking it through, Zhu Youjian said to Luo Yangxing:
"Alright, inform the Embroidered Uniform Guard and Li Ruolian that if they capture Prince Fu, they should not kill him yet, but try to capture him alive."
"I will deal with this matter separately after it is over."
Upon hearing this, Luo Yangxing breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as he doesn't kill Prince Fu on the spot, then this matter has nothing to do with him.
He knelt on the ground and kowtowed sincerely, saying, "Your Majesty is wise."
Zhu Youjian sensed the sincerity in his tone and chuckled irritably, saying, "The way you're talking makes it sound like my previous orders weren't wise!"
Luo Yangxing raised his head, his face full of a fawning smile:
"Your Majesty, you have always been wise, but that order just now was especially wise."
Zhu Youjian was too lazy to talk to him any longer and waved him out.
"Alright, alright, you should get back to work."
Luo Yangxing then withdrew, relaying the order to capture Prince Fu alive while personally going outside the city.
"General Li, it's been a long time since we last met."
Upon hearing this, Li Ruolian shook her head slightly.
"Lord Luo, this is not the time for pleasantries."
He got straight to the point.
"Upon hearing that the old traitor Wei Zhongxian was plotting a rebellion, I rushed back day and night."
"I wonder what the situation is like in the capital right now?"
Luo Yangxing was slightly displeased after being given a cold shoulder.
But he could distinguish between what was important and what was urgent, so he didn't get angry, but patiently said:
"Wei Zhongxian has already launched his attack. You should lead your troops into the city and annihilate all of Wei Zhongxian's men. Then, send half of your troops to guard the palace."
"Take the other half of the troops and arrest Prince Fu for me."
At this point, Luo Yangxing stared into Li Ruolian's eyes and instructed him, "That Prince Fu is the Emperor's uncle. When you take action against him, will you have any reservations?"
Li Ruolian didn't care about any of that.
"His Majesty trusts me so much, appointing me as a military scholar and then entrusting me with an important task, ordering me to lead troops into battle."
"With such great favor, I have only His Majesty in my heart. How could I possibly know anything about any imperial uncle?"
Although he meant it sincerely, Luo Yangxing thought it was nothing but flattery.
"Goodness, this kid is no pushover either. His flattery skills are almost on par with mine," Luo Yangxing thought to himself.
"It seems I'll have to be more wary of him from now on."
Although Zhu Youjian himself said that he would no longer pursue Luo Yangxing's past actions.
However, Luo Yangxing still harbored a grudge.
"If he gets to show off too much, then I'll have to step aside!"
However, at this point, Luo Yangxing wouldn't stoop to sabotaging him behind his back.
He nodded and said, "I'm relieved that you don't have to worry about Prince Fu."
"Alright, I'll take you into town right now!"
It had been snowing for the past few days.
Although the capital city is under the emperor's nose and the most virtuous place.
But by this time, the Ming Dynasty was already terminally ill, and even around the capital, there were many impoverished people.
Driven by hunger and cold, they went directly to the vicinity of the capital, intending to enter the city to beg for food.
The soldiers guarding the city were therefore very nervous and closed the city gates early, not allowing them to enter the city easily.
In the past few days, Li Ruolian had deliberately concealed her whereabouts, so the guards were unaware that she was returning.
So when they saw a large force of troops approaching, they immediately became nervous.
"Where are you from outside? If you're refugees, then get the hell out of here!"
"Hmph, this is the capital! If you cause trouble, you'll be considered traitors and will be beheaded, understand?"
The leading guards, though outwardly fierce, inwardly blustered and began to rebuke him angrily.
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