Wow!
Upon hearing the seemingly casual words of Chen Qingzhi, the Duke of Han, a commotion broke out in the large central tent of the rebel camp. The rebel generals, who were lined up on both sides of Chen Longxiang, the regent of Daxin, were briefly stunned, but then all showed expressions of relief and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
yes!
Whether it was Regent Chen Longxiang who restored the previous dynasty or Prince Chen Longxiang of Jin, he was ultimately the same brother of the current emperor, Chen Huai'an, the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty, sharing the same mother and the bond of blood.
It's perfectly normal for brothers to have some conflicts. Just clear up the misunderstandings and estrangement, and you'll still be good brothers!
At this moment, the rebel generals present seemed to have been swayed by the words of Chen Qingzhi, the Duke of Han.
In fact, these rebel generals were fundamentally unwilling to fight the imperial army, let alone restore the so-called Great Xin Dynasty.
However, they were forced by the tyrannical power of Prince Chen Longxiang of Jin to grit their teeth and continue down the path of rebellion.
If His Highness Prince Jin could bow his head to the Emperor and admit his mistake, the matter of everyone being forced to rebel on the Goguryeo Peninsula might just be put to rest.
Even if the emperor later orders him to retire from the army and return to his hometown, it's better than dying far from home and implicating his entire clan in the Central Plains!
To be fair, these rebel generals, who were promoted from the ranks of centurions and chiliarchs, did not have a positive view of the Prince of Jin's rebellion and restoration of the previous dynasty.
Firstly, Prince Chen Longxiang of Jin is just a young man who is not even twenty years old. Apart from his physical strength that is beyond the reach of the Four Elephants, he has no strategy, no skill, and no cunning. Such a person can at best be a great general who expands the territory of the dynasty, and is unlikely to have the aura of an emperor.
Secondly, the small peninsula of Goguryeo could not possibly compete with the powerful Tang Dynasty in terms of population, resources, or strategic depth. Even if it had inside help in the Central Plains, it was only a matter of time before it was wiped out by the powerful imperial army.
Moreover, Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an has now eradicated all the rebels' internal collaborators in the Central Plains. With the supplies currently stockpiled by the rebels on the Goguryeo Peninsula, the army will run out of food in less than three months.
At that time, the soldiers will not even have enough to eat, and the imperial army that comes to quell the rebellion will not even need to attack the city; they can simply starve the rebels on the Goguryeo Peninsula to death.
Therefore, knowing that rebellion and restoration would lead to certain death, Chen Qingzhi, the Duke of Han, has now brought these rebel generals a glimmer of hope and a chance for survival.
For a moment, all the rebel generals turned their gaze to Regent Chen Longxiang, who sat on the main seat, anxiously awaiting the Regent's final decision.
Look at how anxious they are, they all wish they could step forward and make a decision for the Regent, and immediately submit a memorial to the Emperor admitting their mistake and surrendering.
The changing expressions of these rebel generals were observed and remembered by Chen Qingzhi, the Duke of Han, who sat in his tent, sipping his hot tea.
Finally, out of the corner of Chen Qingzhi's eye, his gaze returned to Chen Longxiang, the Regent of the Great Xin Dynasty, who sat in the main seat of the tent.
On the throne, the young Regent Prince Chen Longxiang of the Great Xin Dynasty wore an expression that was gloomy and extremely complex.
It was easy to see from the change in his expression that Chen Qingzhi's words had indeed influenced Chen Longxiang's thoughts and judgment.
Ultimately, Chen Longxiang was just a teenager, not even twenty years old, and his life experiences had already determined his immature mind.
For more than ten years of his life, he spent his time cultivating his mind and spirit in Longhu Mountain. After returning from Longhu Mountain, he happened to be "kept" in the Prince's mansion in Longcheng, the fiefdom of the Prince of Jin, when his elder brother Chen Huai'an raised an army to quell the rebellion.
Even later, under Chen Huai'an's arrangement, he was put in charge of Longcheng, the fiefdom of the Prince of Jin. He was assisted by talented people in both literature and military affairs, such as the black-robed monk Dongfang Xiao and the white-robed scholar-general Chen Qingzhi. When he returned to the Prince's Palace, his mother, Empress Xu Ruoyun, was in charge of the overall situation.
Even after the founding of the Tang Dynasty, when it launched an eastern expedition against Goguryeo, Chen Longxiang, as the vanguard general of the army, was still under the command of Duke Qi Jiguang, leading the army into battle.
Ultimately, Chen Longxiang spent the first half of his life under various forms of "protection," rarely having the opportunity to stand on his own and gain experience.
How big can the rebellion of such a "rebellious boy" really be?
At this time, more than a month had passed since Chen Longxiang raised the banner of restoration and rebellion on the Goguryeo Peninsula.
After a month of experience commanding the three armies, even with the secret assistance of the former empress Su Wan'er, Chen Longxiang still felt powerless and extremely exhausted.
Therefore, when Chen Qingzhi, the Duke of Han, came alone and immediately tried to appeal to his emotions, Chen Longxiang's mind was indeed somewhat shaken.
He was thinking, he was weighing the options.
If, as Chen Qingzhi, the Duke of Han, said, as long as he surrendered and admitted his mistakes, his elder brother Chen Huai'an would forgive him and they would be on good terms again;
Should I just back down and end this farce of the prince's rebellion?
"Report—"
"Your Majesty, an urgent report from the royal palace!"
Just as Chen Longxiang, sitting in the main seat, was hesitating, a messenger in armor and carrying a sword suddenly rushed into the central command tent.
After glancing at Duke Chen Qingzhi of Han, who was sitting upright in the main tent, the messenger ultimately did not report to Regent Chen Longxiang in front of everyone. Instead, he went directly to his side, leaned close to his ear, and whispered something in his ear.
Um?
Upon hearing the messenger's report, Chen Longxiang first raised an eyebrow, then his brow furrowed deeper and deeper.
Teng!
The next moment, Chen Longxiang, who was in the main seat, suddenly stood up and strode towards the outside of the tent.
After taking a few steps, Chen Longxiang suddenly came to his senses and his gaze fell on Chen Qingzhi, the Duke of Han, who remained calm and composed.
After a moment's thought, Chen Longxiang waved his hand and said, "Duke of Han, although it is said that envoys are not to be killed in battle, I have urgent business to attend to."
"Therefore, we can only ask the Duke of Han to make this difficult!"
With that, Chen Longxiang shouted sternly, "Guards! Seize the Duke of Han for me! No one is to touch him without my decree. Anyone who disobeys will be punished according to military law!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Soon, a group of fully armed traitorous soldiers attacked from outside the main tent, and without saying a word, tied up Duke Chen Qingzi of Han with ropes, and then escorted him away from the central army tent.
Only after he personally witnessed his personal guards arresting Chen Qingzhi, the Duke of Han, did Chen Longxiang, the Regent of Daxin, regain his composure.
Then, he issued another command: "All generals, listen to my command—"
"Your subordinate is here!"
"Issue the order: the entire army shall be on high alert to prevent the Tang rebels' naval fleet from landing at Nanpu Port. From this moment on, no one shall leave the camp without my command. Anyone who disobeys will be punished according to military law!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
After issuing several orders, Chen Longxiang hurriedly left, leaving a group of rebel generals looking at each other in the central command tent, at a loss for what to do.
He thought to himself, "Weren't we just having a good chat? Brothers should clear up misunderstandings and turn hostility into friendship."
What, you suddenly turned on me?
So, does this mean we have no choice but to fight?
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