144. Defeat

"What do you mean?"

Rong Jing sensed something vaguely, and the bright moon and fresh breeze that he had pretended to have disappeared, and there was only endless fear and uneasiness in his eyes.

"Guzhuling was defeated miserably because the old marquis's deputy general betrayed him and leaked military secrets, which led to the tragic deaths of the crown prince and the second son. The old marquis was also killed in battle due to a trick in his grief. The deputy general who colluded with the enemy that day was named Duan Chao. Before he entered the Jinbei Cavalry, he was Rong Xu's trusted bodyguard."

Rong Se spoke slowly, looking at Cao Lun, whose expression had changed, and raised his eyebrows slightly, "Looking at Lord Cao's expression, I think he must have known about this. Oh, yes... I almost forgot that it was Lord Cao who recommended Duan Chao to ride into the Jinbei Army."

All the ministers present could now hear what the Regent meant. He was clearly hinting that the disastrous defeat at Guzhuling fourteen years ago was related to the late emperor and Cao Lun. They all had different expressions, most of them were suspicious, and looked at Cao Lun.

Collaboration with the enemy is different from the open and covert struggles in the court. The court officials each serve their own masters and often have different political views. The secret means they use are not necessarily fair. However, collaborating with the enemy and treason allowed the Huns to pass through the border and almost reach the capital. If the Jin Dynasty was destroyed, would these court officials have any way to survive?

As a result, the officials' eyes gradually became unfriendly.

Cao Lun knew that victory or defeat outside the palace was more important. He was not completely defeated at the moment, so he managed to calm down and asked, "So what? Duan Chao's collusion with the enemy is his own business. What does this have to do with me?"

"What's the connection? Let Duan Chao speak in person."

Rong Se's expression was as cold as the winter snow and frost.

Cao Lun was surprised. "What?"

Rong Se laughed contemptuously: "Do you think Duan Chao is really dead?"

Cao Lun suddenly understood something and cried out, "It's Liang Shenyu?!"

Rong Se snorted coldly, which was considered as his tacit agreement.

Before Liang Shenyu's men arrived in Qiangzhou, he had already ordered them to secretly escort Duan Chao to the capital, along with the news of Zhou Haiyi's assassination. Rong Se and Liang Shenyu both knew that there would be no peace in the palace during this period, and Liang Shenyu handed the chips in his hand to him.

He had hidden Duan Chao for all these years because he wanted to let the world know one day how the emperor had let down the Jin Beiqi.

Liang Shenyu, who was thirteen years old at the time, encountered a great change in his family. He also learned that there were some strange circumstances in the deaths of his father and brother, but he did not even tell Tang Jingshao. After secretly figuring out the truth by himself, he executed the traitor in Xuancheng, but in fact he secretly hid Duan Chao.

Rong Se had also thought that perhaps from that time on, Liang Shenyu had isolated everyone from the outside, and he walked alone on that road destined to be full of blood and gore, not allowing anyone to get close.

Soon, a skinny man with gray hair was brought into the hall. Fourteen years of imprisonment and torture had worn away Duan Chao's edges. He knelt on the ground fearfully, like a taut string, wishing he could shrink into the cracks in the ground.

"Is this Duan Chao?"

"I heard that this man was killed by Marquis Dingbei a long time ago."

"Then why is it here?"

The ministers whispered to each other, and naturally there were some who did not trust Rong Se so much.

Lu Shangqian looked carefully for a moment and suddenly said, "It is indeed Duan Chao Wuyi."

Lu Shangqian had been an official in the court for many years and had met Duan Chao in his early years. Moreover, with his reputation, since he said it was true, it must be true, and the officials' doubts were dispelled.

Rong Se smiled at Lu Shangqian, then looked at Duan Chao coldly and said in a deep voice: "Duan Chao, it was you who leaked the military secrets and colluded with the enemy, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it is the guilty minister." Duan Chao was frightened and trembled like a frightened bird. He kowtowed repeatedly, and did not need Rong Se to ask any more questions. He just poured out beans and said, "The guilty minister admits his guilt, the guilty minister admits his guilt. It was the guilty minister who did it, but, but this is not what the guilty minister meant! Your Majesty, I am so brave, but I dare not surrender to the enemy! Besides, what good can it be for me to collude with the enemy? I am just following orders. Your Majesty, I am so brave, I dare not deceive you!"

From the moment Duan Chao appeared, Cao Lun looked as pale as death. Even if he could not kill the Regent today, he would still have a chance in the future. But if the emperor completely broke his promise to his courtiers, then all his painstaking efforts over the years would be completely ruined!

"Then explain it clearly in front of all the civil and military officials in the court." Rong Se glanced at Rong Jing, gave him a look that said "watch your back" and said slowly, "Under whose orders did you follow, why did you leak military secrets!"

"Yes, yes." Duan Chao said without hesitation, "It was the order of His Majesty. Lord Cao sent someone to deliver the letter, asking me to plot a cavalry defeat in Jinbei. I thought... I thought victory and defeat were common in the military, and there were winners and losers on the battlefield, but I really didn't think of harming the lives of the Crown Prince and the Second Young Master!"

Cao Lun slowly closed his eyes.

The court was in an uproar again.

The great defeat fourteen years ago shocked the whole country. The Marquis of Dingbei and his two sons died in the battle. At that time, no general in the Jin court dared to go to meet the enemy. Even the Minister of War, Lou Kui, just shrank his neck and wanted to ask for peace.

Qiangzhou fell into the hands of the Xiongnu. It was the first time in hundreds of years that the Jin Dynasty was separated from its territory. It was a great shame and humiliation!

However, everyone in the court thought that it was because of a traitor in the Jinbei Cavalry. It was not until Zhu Lanshan, Zhang Haicheng and others were exposed for their corruption that people realized that they were also involved in the defeat. But now, they say that the real mastermind behind this incident was the reigning Jin emperor!

The generals on the front line fought desperately, but the emperor wanted them to lose.

Rong Jing cried out in amazement: "Impossible! You are talking nonsense! My father is the emperor! How could he issue such an order!"

"Am I talking nonsense?" Duan Chao suddenly raised his head, looking at Rong Jing with eyes full of disgust and malice, and laughed coldly: "Then Your Majesty, ask your uncle whether it is the will of the late emperor?! He knew this matter from beginning to end! War costs money, and the Jinbei Cavalry didn't even have food supplies at that time! The generals didn't even have enough food to eat, let alone military pay! The urgent reports sent back to the capital fell on deaf ears! The messenger said that as long as the Jinbei Cavalry lost a battle, the war would be ended openly, which was nothing more than giving Qiangzhou to the Xiongnu and giving some money. As long as the war could be settled, there would be a big reward after returning to the capital! I was really stupid, I actually believed it, but the blame for the Jinbei Cavalry's defeat fell on me alone!"

Rong Zhan understood and was somewhat incredulous. He frowned and said, "So the late emperor didn't want to fight anymore, but couldn't just order a withdrawal, so he could only let the Jinbei Cavalry be defeated. In this way, the responsibility would be on Dingbei Marquis, and he could just let it go. But he didn't expect that after the Jinbei Cavalry was defeated, the Xiongnu would cross the border and march straight in, almost destroying the Central Plains."

"Shut up!" Rong Jing was in a panic. He didn't care about the reputation of the previous emperor, but he knew that he was Rong Xu's son! Once Rong Xu was cursed, his throne would definitely be unstable. In this case, how could he make the people of the world submit?

Even though Cao Lun was plotting against his throne, Rong Jing could only turn to Cao Lun for help. He hurriedly said, "Uncle, this is not true. They must have deliberately framed and slandered my father, right?"

"Hahaha, frame-up!" Duan Chao hated Rong Xu and his son so much that he sneered out loud, his eyes full of resentment, as if he wanted to skin and tear the emperor in dragon robes apart. He said fiercely: "My life was ruined by that tyrant and the Cao family. You have enjoyed glory all these years, but what about me?! The imperial decree was issued by the emperor. No one dares to disobey the emperor's order. But I am the only one who should bear the blame?! On what basis?!"

Duan Chao was able to rise from being Rong Xu's confidant to the position of deputy general of the old marquis, and even to be on equal footing with the marquis's son in the Jinbei cavalry, precisely because he had extraordinary qualities, was good at fighting and commanding troops, and had good skills. Even the old marquis once praised him, saying that Duan Chao was a natural born general.

Only then are we willing to promote him.

But in the end it ended up like this.

But Rong Se had no pity or mercy for him, and just stood aside and watched the farce, dog biting dog, and got a mouthful of fur. Duan Chao was trying to link Rong Xu and the Cao family, and Rong Se was happy to see it happen, but it was Duan Chao who leaked the military secrets, and it was nothing more than because of the big cake Rong Xu drew, and he was rewarded after returning to Beijing.

The greedy snake will swallow the elephant and it will be insatiable. It does not deserve any sympathy.

Rong Jing knew that there was no chance of reversing the situation, so he was smart for once. His eyes flushed red, his face was filled with disbelief and sorrow, and he trembled as he said, "Uncle, uncle, tell me, is this true? Did my father really do these things?"

Cao Lun gritted his teeth and remained silent.

"Your Highness——" Yun Zhi's voice suddenly came from outside the palace.

Lan Ying and Rong Se looked over eagerly, only to see Yun Zhi, whose armor was splattered with blood, rushing to the palace, kneeling on one knee, and saying in a loud voice: "All the rebels have been wiped out, the rebel leader Cao Xun has been captured, and Hou Peihu and others have been captured alive!"

Rong Se's clenched fingertips suddenly loosened, and his palms were already wet. He breathed a sigh of relief calmly and said calmly: "Okay, thank you for your hard work, brothers of the Imperial Guards. Let the Imperial Guards rest first, and we will reward them according to their merits after the matter in Xuanzheng Palace is completed."

"Thank you, Your Highness. I will take my leave now." Yun Zhi came with murderous aura, turned around and left swiftly.

But the atmosphere in the hall fell into a brief stalemate.

The imperial guards won.

What this means is self-evident, the Regent wins.

The courtiers looked at each other in bewilderment.

The weather in Jinjing has really changed.

In just one year, half a year when the previous emperor was bedridden, the Ninth Prince suddenly became the Regent. Half a year after the new emperor ascended the throne, the Regent won again.

But it's different from last time.

At that time, the reputation of the Regent for his cruelty spread throughout the court and the country, but now the songs singing in the streets and alleys are all praising the Regent.

Rong Jing almost sat paralyzed on the dragon chair, unable to recover.

"nice."

Cao Lun suddenly spoke. He opened his eyes and suddenly looked like an old man, lifeless and no longer as calm as he used to be when he held great power and could call the shots. He smiled softly, "The one who issued the decree was the late emperor, and it was this old minister who drafted it. At that time..."

Cao Lun's tone was calm, without the slightest hint of embarrassment. He seemed to recall something for a moment before continuing.

"The imperial court has no money to fight again, but Dingbei Marquis is unwilling to retreat. What can we do if we continue to fight? They will be defeated sooner or later! It's just a matter of time. If it's earlier, we can still keep some land. But who would have thought that the Jinbei Cavalry would be defeated to the point of letting the Xiongnu pass through the border!"