On the deck of the Longcheng naval fleet's lead ship, the "Destroy the Japanese," Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin, clad in golden armor and holding a monocular telescope, stood proudly at the bow, gazing towards the mouth of the Yangtze River.
Qi Jiguang, the Admiral of the Longcheng Navy, approached him and reported, "Your Highness, the mouth of the Yangtze River is just ahead. After entering the Yangtze River channel, the Longcheng naval fleet will reach Jiangyin in just half a day."
"Should the officers and men of the naval fleet rest for one night after entering the Yangtze River channel before marching on Jiangyin City?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Huai'an immediately waved his hand and said, "General Qi, after the naval fleet enters the Yangtze River channel, it will not rest but head directly to the enemy's naval camp at Jiangyin."
"After wasting a night in Jiaozhou, our naval fleet has fallen to a lower level in terms of seizing the opportunity to attack."
"If we rest for another night at the mouth of the Yangtze River, I worry that Wu Sanjia's elite naval forces might seize the initiative. If Wu Sanjia reaches Jiangyin first and successfully takes Emperor Lingwu away..."
"Then our Dragon City naval fleet's surprise attack to the south will have been completely meaningless!"
Qi Jiguang immediately cupped his hands in a fist and said, "Your Highness, this humble general understands!"
Immediately afterward, Qi Jiguang summoned his personal guard commander and ordered, "Pass on my command: after entering the Yangtze River channel, the Longcheng naval fleet will proceed without stopping, heading directly north along the river to seize Jiangyin."
"Our Dragon City naval fleet must arrive in Jiangyin before dawn tomorrow, without fail!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
After Admiral Qi Jiguang and his personal guards left, only Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin remained alone on the spacious deck of the "Destroy the Japanese Pirates".
Looking at the surging waves at the mouth of the Yangtze River, he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Fang Tianyao, you must withstand Wu Sanjia's attack!"
"We absolutely cannot let Emperor Lingwu and the Imperial Seal fall into Wu Sanjia's hands!"
......
Achoo—
Inside the main hall of Fang Tianyao, the King of the Four Seas, at the Daxin Naval Camp, General Wu Sanjia, who had come to the city to greet the emperor, inexplicably sneezed several times in a row.
But Wu Sanjia wasn't a superstitious person. He simply assumed that he hadn't slept all night, which had caused him to catch a cold. He didn't even consider the possibility that someone was talking about him behind his back.
At this moment, Empress Dowager Su of the Great Xin Lingwu Dynasty was holding the young Lingwu Emperor Zhao Lingwu and sat down in the main seat that originally belonged to the Four Seas King Fang Tianyao.
Fang Tianyao and Wu Sanjia sat on either side of Empress Dowager Su and Emperor Lingwu, respectively.
Then, the generals of the Tiger Fleet and the Great Xin Fleet gathered in the naval hall to discuss whether to return the Emperor to quell the Lingwu coup and appease the people.
As the commander-in-chief who controls all the troops of the Great Xin Dynasty and is in charge of this mission to rescue the emperor, Wu Sanjia is naturally the leader of this military conference.
Wu Sanjia slowly and deliberately said, "Your Majesty and Empress Dowager, the treacherous minister Qin Ruhui is now controlling the court and has installed Zhao Lingzhan, the son of the Prince of Fu, as the Hongxi Emperor;"
"And spread false news of the Emperor's passing to confuse the public and take advantage of the chaos."
"Yet it was precisely Qin Ruhui who, with such clumsy tricks, misled countless unsuspecting people and local officials into believing him, and they all expressed their support for Emperor Hongxi's regime;"
At this point, Wu Sanjia's expression froze, and he said in a solemn tone, "I worry that if this continues, the people of the world will truly believe that His Majesty has met with misfortune, thus acknowledging the legitimacy and orthodoxy of the Hongxi regime."
"Therefore, this humble general and the officers and soldiers of the Tiger Fleet risked our lives to come here, just to welcome back His Majesty and proclaim to the world that Qin Ruhui is a traitor who usurped the country, and Emperor Hongxi is nothing more than a puppet he supported;"
"Only when His Majesty the Lingwu Emperor returns to Jinling City can the turmoil of this Lingwu coup be quelled!"
"Your Majesty, I dare to suggest that Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager depart overnight with the Tiger-like naval force and return to the Tiger-like army camp on the north bank of the Yangtze River outside Nanjing. They should raise the banner of defending the Emperor and calling on all those with aspirations to come to the capital to defend the Emperor!"
Upon hearing that Wu Sanjia intended to take the Emperor and Empress Dowager away overnight, Fang Tianyao, the King of the Four Seas, immediately objected.
You must understand that the Emperor and Empress Dowager are the foundation upon which Fang Tianyao has remained invincible in this chaotic world.
Now, most of the warships of his Daxin Navy have been burned by Wu Sanjia in the waters outside the camp, which is equivalent to cutting off one of Fang Tianyao's arms.
If, at this moment, Wu Sanjia were to be allowed to take away Emperor Lingwu and Empress Dowager Su, it would be tantamount to severing Fang Tianyao's other arm as well.
In the end, whether Emperor Lingwu regained power or Emperor Hongxi, supported by Qin Ruhui, won the palace coup, Fang Tianyao gained nothing from either side.
Therefore, he absolutely could not let Wu Sanjia snatch the emperor and empress dowager away from him.
At least, they took people away so easily without paying any price.
Fang Tianyao immediately voiced his objection, saying, "Your Majesty and Empress Dowager, I believe that General Wu's actions are inappropriate!"
"Not to mention the extremely high risk of this night voyage, if anything goes wrong, who can bear the responsibility? What will become of the Great Xin Dynasty's empire, its people, and their livelihood?"
"Furthermore, the Emperor and Empress Dowager are of noble birth, while the Tiger Legion's new army camp on the north bank of the Yangtze River outside Jinling City is the front line for quelling the Lingwu coup. General Wu, as the commander-in-chief, surely understands the principle that swords have no eyes?"
After a pause, Fang Tianyao stated his position firmly, replying, "Your Majesty and Empress Dowager, I believe it would be safer and more secure for you to remain at the Jiangyin naval camp."
“Jiangyin is far from the war zone. The soldiers and civilians in the surrounding cities all support the Lingwu Emperor’s regime. There is enough popular support to ensure the safety of the Emperor and Empress Dowager.”
"In my opinion, looking across the entire Great Xin Dynasty, there is no place more suitable for Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager to settle down temporarily, except for Jiangyin."
After thinking for a moment, Fang Tianyao added, "If His Majesty and Empress Dowager find the conditions in the naval camp's temporary palaces too harsh, they may move to Jiangyin City to find a temporary palace."
"Your Majesty, I can lead the entire naval force to garrison Jiangyin City and protect Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager!"
snort!
Upon hearing that Fang Tianyao dared to contradict his proposal, Wu Sanjia immediately understood Fang Tianyao's intention: he was afraid that if he lost control of the Emperor and Empress Dowager, he, Fang Tianyao, would not be able to gain enough benefits in this Lingwu coup!
The country is on the verge of collapse, and they're still thinking about internal strife!
How pathetic!
Feeling compassion, Wu Sanjia was even less likely to back down or compromise on this issue. He retorted sharply, "Your Highness, are you considering this based on the safety of the Emperor and Empress Dowager?"
"In my opinion, you are clearly thinking about your own official hat. Are you afraid that if the Emperor and the Empress Dowager leave the naval camp, you will lose your official hat as the King of the Four Seas?"
"Martial Arts Top Three—"
Fang Tianyao's face flushed red and then turned pale when his thoughts were exposed. He immediately roared in a rage, "Wu Sanjia, you're spouting nonsense!"
"If you ask me, Wu Sanjia, you now hold military power and want to bring the Emperor and Empress Dowager to your Tiger Warriors' camp. Such actions inevitably make people wonder what your true intentions are?"
"Fang Tianyao!"
Wu Sanjia was also enraged and was about to engage Fang Tianyao in close combat when he heard a delicate shout in his ear: "Enough!"
It was Empress Dowager Su Wan'er, who was sitting in the main seat, who had to step forward to stop the two from continuing their argument as the situation was about to get out of control.
Su Wan'er could even see that the generals under Wu Sanjia and the soldiers under Fang Tianyao had already quietly placed their hands on the hilts of their swords.
If no one intervenes, the soldiers under these two men might start fighting each other on the spot.
Su Wan'er, after all, was the Empress Dowager who had been ruling from behind the curtain in the Golden Palace for several months, and she had developed some of the majesty of the emperor's mother.
Her sharp shout indeed intimidated all the military officers in the hall.
Those military officers who had secretly reached for their swords withdrew their hands again under the pressure of Empress Dowager Su's authority.
Eyes were drawn to Empress Dowager Su, who sat on the main seat in the hall.
Su Wan'er, though not angry, spoke with an air of authority and in a cold tone: "General Wu, Your Highness, what you both say makes sense. I have taken your suggestions and opinions to heart."
"The Emperor's safety is just as important as quelling the Lingwu coup. I need to give this matter some thought!"
After a pause, Su Wan'er continued, "Your Highness, General Wu, I have witnessed and deeply appreciated your unwavering loyalty."
"You two pillars of the nation saved the crumbling edifice of the new dynasty during a time of crisis. Once the turmoil of the Lingwu coup has subsided, I will, on behalf of the Emperor, fulfill my promise to you two, as well as to all the soldiers of the new dynasty who came to your aid."
"Please rest assured, my esteemed ministers, on this matter!"
"Let's leave it at that for today. I'll consider it tonight and give you all an answer tomorrow!"
"Your Majesty is tired, court is adjourned!"
"Court adjourned—"
Empress Dowager Su Wan'er, under the pretext of needing to consider it overnight, finally brought an end to the heated argument between General Wu Sanjia and King Fang Tianyao.
However, after the court session, Wu Sanjia was still unwilling to give up. He secretly followed Empress Dowager Su and Emperor Lingwu to their palace and reported to Empress Dowager Su that Governor-General Su Chen of Liangjiang was willing to abandon the darkness and return to the Lingwu dynasty.
After meeting Empress Dowager Su Wan'er, Wu Sanjia got straight to the point: "Your Majesty, I was able to lead the elite naval forces southward to Jiangyin without incident."
"It was the treacherous minister Qin Ruhui who secretly facilitated the transfer of the rebel troops deployed on the Yangtze River to Su Chen, the commander-in-chief of the defense of Nanjing and the governor-general of Liangjiang, appointed by him."
"To avoid any unforeseen complications, I would like to humbly advise Your Majesty and Empress Dowager to return to the Tiger Fleet's main camp tonight with the Tiger Fleet Navy!"
snort!
Upon hearing the name of Su Chen, the Governor-General of Liangjiang, Empress Dowager Su Wan'er immediately snorted coldly.
It was this Governor-General of Liangjiang, Su Chen, who led his 50,000-strong Liangjiang New Army to attack the capital city, forcing Empress Dowager Su and Emperor Lingwu to abandon the city and flee.
Subsequently, he began a life of wandering and living as a dependent in exile.
Su Wan'er wished she could exterminate Su Chen, the Governor-General of Liangjiang, and his entire family.
She replied coldly, "General Wu, Su Chen, that two-faced scoundrel, must have made some condition for granting favors to the Tiger Fleet, right?"
"The Empress Dowager is wise!"
Wu Sanjia didn't hide anything and said frankly, "Your Majesty, Su Chen wants to repent and leave the treacherous minister Qin Ruhui and the Hong Xi dynasty, and return to the Lingwu dynasty."
"He facilitated my journey, enabling me to lead the elite naval forces to Jiangyin to welcome back His Majesty, and indicated that if I successfully brought back the Emperor and Empress Dowager..."
"Su Chen is willing to lead the Liangjiang New Army stationed on the south bank of the Yangtze River to cooperate with the Tiger Legion New Army on the north bank to quell the Lingwu coup turmoil!"
After a pause, Wu Sanjia continued, "However, Su Chen also made a small request: after the matter is settled, he wants the position of Minister of War in the imperial court!"
snort!
Empress Dowager Su Wan'er snorted coldly again, saying irritably, "I knew it! Su Chen definitely had no good intentions. He must have failed to obtain the position of Minister of War because of Qin Ruhui."
"That's why they set their sights on me and the Emperor!"
"Even if I were the most unreasonable person in the world, I would never so easily hand over the position of Minister of War of the Lingwu Dynasty to such a despicable person who is two-faced!"
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"
Wu Sanjia patiently explained, "Your Majesty, you may not know this, but the Great Xin Dynasty is currently in dire need of manpower. With only the Tiger Warriors under my command, it is truly difficult to hold the line alone!"
"The traitorous Chen Huai'an's rebel army in Longcheng has already captured Jinan Prefecture, the last major town on the southern expedition route, and their advance is heading straight for Nanjing City;"
"According to the intelligence I have, the rebel army in Longcheng will reach the north bank of the Yangtze River in ten days at most."
"Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty to prioritize the well-being of the Great Xin Dynasty and to use the nominal position of Minister of War to appease Governor-General Su Chen of Liangjiang. We will make a final decision after the Lingwu Rebellion has been quelled!"
With that, Wu Sanjia knelt down before Su Wan'er and said firmly, "Your Majesty, I beg you to reconsider!"
Eh—
Empress Dowager Su Wan'er sighed deeply. How could she not know the current predicament of Emperor Lingwu?
It's nothing more than that they can't swallow the anger of being kicked out of the palace by Su Chen!
Even towards Fang Tianyao, the King of the Four Seas, Su Wan'er harbored considerable resentment.
After a moment of contemplation, she finally spoke: "General Wu, let's go with your suggestion regarding the Emperor's journey north to Jinling!"
"However, if we leave overnight, it might cause dissatisfaction among Fang Tianyao and the naval officers and soldiers, and even bring the risk of mutiny. In the end, all this fighting will only deplete the Lingwu Emperor's military strength!"
Finally, Su Wan'er made the decision: "In that case, Your Majesty and I will stay overnight at the naval camp and depart for Jinling early tomorrow morning."
"I will also take this opportunity to draft an imperial edict to stabilize the morale of Fang Tianyao and the naval officers and soldiers!"
"Empress Dowager—"
Wu Sanjia wanted to say something more, but Su Wan'er rudely interrupted him: "General Wu, this matter is decided. You may leave now!"
Only after Empress Dowager Su issued the order to leave did Wu Sanjia reluctantly leave her palace.
He looked back repeatedly at the slowly closing door, finally shaking his head helplessly.
Afterwards, they returned to the dock outside the naval camp without stopping, and overnight assembled the Tiger Fleet officers and soldiers to board the ships and prepare for battle, ready to welcome back the emperor early the next morning and return to Nanjing.
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