The Second Master of the Red Chamber

Chapter 737 The Final Situation

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense, and everyone was looking at Jia Lian's reaction.

The generals of the Firearms Battalion, in particular, looked at each other unconsciously, and then gathered together.

Because they could all see that with the disclosure of Jia Lian's "true identity" and the solemn promise made by the retired emperor to recruit him, the generals of the Guard Camp and the Royal Army Camp, who were originally in the same camp as them, looked at them with wariness.

This made them feel like the target of public criticism in an instant.

But then they all felt relieved, because from each other's firm expressions, they also understood each other's thoughts.

No matter what choice the Marquis makes, they will stand firmly on his side and believe in his judgment. This is a tacit understanding developed over a long period of time.

Jia Lian stopped his horse in the middle, looking silent.

No one could guess what he was thinking at this moment.

Royal family status?

Prince?

Noble indeed.

  However, in the current situation, what does it matter?

Didn’t you see that among the large group of people who fled out of the palace in a swarm and were driven away like chickens by the imperial guards, there were always members of the royal family, princes, and dukes!

Moreover, how credible can a promise made by a person under duress be?

If the emperor really valued him so much, why didn't he show any expression in all these years?

Jia Lian didn't know whether the retired emperor chose to ignore their lineage because he valued his own reputation, or whether all this was just a lie made up by the retired emperor in order to make a comeback.

None of it matters.

After the emperor spoke these words, they became facts in the eyes of everyone.

Isn't it true that as the emperor, how could he joke about his own reputation and matters concerning the royal bloodline?

In other words, in everyone's eyes, he is now the grandson of the retired emperor!

On one side is the grandfather, a close blood relative.

On one side is just my uncle.

It seems that any normal person should know which side to choose.

Perhaps this was also the calculation of the retired emperor. When he acknowledged his identity in public, he actually severed the bond between him and Emperor Ningkang as a wise monarch and a good minister, forcing him to have only one choice.

Let me ask, with his special identity, will Emperor Ning Kang dare to use him in the future?

  Isn't Emperor Ning Kang afraid that Jia Lian will suddenly take out a secret decree from the retired emperor and raise an army to rebel against him under the banner of "serving the king and suppressing the rebellion"?

Given his status, it makes sense.

Therefore, as long as Jia Lian was smart enough, he should know that from this moment on, Emperor Ning Kang would no longer trust him, or at least would no longer use him as much as before.

He had no choice but to stand on the side of the emperor.

But is this really correct?

Jia Lian smiled at himself inwardly.

If it weren't for the current situation, or if the time was changed to yesterday, no, it just happened a few hours ago.

  As long as the emperor revealed his identity before the battle last night started completely, he might have dared to follow the emperor and take a chance, fighting for wealth and fame, and reaching the sky overnight!

But right now...

  Even if all the soldiers in his musket battalion chose to follow him without hesitation, could these thousands of men and horses alone really protect the retired emperor and break out of the encirclement of Emperor Ning Kang, and finally help the retired emperor turn defeat into victory?

It's so unrealistic.

Emperor Ningkang originally had more troops than the retired emperor.

After several hours of night fighting, a large number of imperial guards and Beijing camp soldiers were defeated and incorporated.

As one side gained strength, the other side lost strength. At this time, the military force under the command of the retired emperor was only one-tenth of that of Emperor Ning Kang.

Not to mention, as far as he knew, Emperor Ningkang had mobilized several batches of troops and horses to rush to the rescue. Many of them had already arrived, and most of them were placed by Emperor Ningkang at the foot of the mountain to prevent the emperor from escaping. A small number of them had already climbed the mountain after dawn...

As a weapon, the Firearms Battalion is sharp enough.

But in this battlefield, if he chooses to turn against them, first of all, the one hundred difficult-to-move cannons and hundreds of artillery troops will definitely be easily captured.

The remaining 3,000 musketeers, if Emperor Ning Kang is willing to pay the price and sacrifice a certain number of soldiers, will surely be killed without a single piece of armor left...

What if we were lucky enough to escort the emperor down the mountain?

It's just a matter of risking the lives of thousands of soldiers in the Firearms Battalion and taking a slim chance.

The emperor had no other choice but to take a gamble.

But there is no gratitude or affection between him and the retired emperor. Why would he go through fire and water for him just because of the so-called "blood relationship" he talked about?

He can't do it, and he can't do it.

So he did not look at the expressions of the people around him, nor did he cast any inquiring glance at Emperor Ning Kang.

  He silently raised his head and bowed to the Emperor:

“Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but I am a humble official and cannot afford it.

I only know one truth: to be loyal to the emperor while receiving his salary.

Since I have received Your Majesty's great favor, I should repay you with my life! How can I be like that fickle villain who forgets his gratitude for fame and gain?

In addition, my grandmother was the first-class Duke of Rong and the legitimate daughter of the first generation Marquis of Baoling, Jia Shi, not the sister of Marquis of Anyang. I have never heard any elders in my family say anything that casts doubt on my life experience.

There must be some misunderstanding here.

The royal bloodline is of great importance. I ask the Emperor to send people to investigate again and make sure there is no mistake.

Before the outcome of the matter is clear, I will never dare to curry favor with you and taint the purity of the royal bloodline."

Jia Lian's words stunned the emperor.

After Jia Lian finished speaking, he could not help but shout, "Fool, don't be stubborn!

Don't you know that now that I have made your background public today, he will never be able to tolerate you again?

If you don't repent, you will be doomed. By then, it will be too late to regret!" Jia Lian said nothing more. He bowed to the emperor, turned his horse around, and did not return to the musket army. Instead, he went directly to the side of Emperor Ning Kang, respectfully called him "Your Majesty", and joined the ranks of generals.

Emperor Ning Kang nodded at him, then took a step forward and said to the retired emperor who was so angry that he couldn't speak:

"Please rest assured, Father, Jia Lian is one of my favorite ministers.

In the past, people did not know that he was the bloodline left by their father, and they often criticized and despised him.

Now that I know that he is my nephew, from now on I will love and care for him even more, and there will be no room for such talk.

As for father, since you are old, you should take better care of yourself and give priority to your well-being.

Don't worry too much about your children and grandchildren.

I, as a son, failed to educate my son properly, which led to the Crown Prince's rebellion and brought harm to your father. This is my fault.

Now please move to a safe place. After I have eliminated all the Crown Prince's minions, I will personally escort you back to Chonghua Palace to rest."

"you you……"

"Rebellious son, rebellious son, you..."

No one knew what part of the retired emperor's heart was touched by Emperor Ningkang's last words, causing him to completely lose his composure.

He stood up from the wheelchair regardless of everything, pointed at Emperor Ning Kang and seemed about to curse him, but in the end he couldn't catch his breath, fell back on the chair, and fainted.

Seeing this scene, the people on the side of the retired emperor naturally panicked and hurriedly escorted him back.

Emperor Ning Kang breathed a sigh of relief.

Yes, if the emperor stayed sitting in the middle, how could they move?

  What if the emperor gets hurt?

Emperor Ning Kang watched quietly as the eunuchs pushed the retired emperor away. Only when their figures completely entered the palace did he slowly turn around and nod to the generals behind him.

Upon receiving the order, the generals dispersed and advanced towards the palace with their troops.

……

Perhaps it was the big drama before the palace that almost made the remaining officers and soldiers in the palace lose their fighting spirit.

Emperor Ningkang's army easily broke into the palace. Except for a very few who resisted stubbornly, the rest all knelt down and surrendered.

The one hundred Zhenyuan cannons that were originally arranged in an array completely occupied the palace of the retired emperor without firing a single shot.

The outcome is finally decided.

Emperor Ning Kang, along with his generals, slowly entered the bedroom of the retired emperor.

He was not unfamiliar with this bedroom, as he had often come here before.

But this time, it's different from every time before.

Different moods lead to different behaviors.

At this time, the emperor had regained consciousness under the treatment of the accompanying imperial physician.

Looking at Emperor Ningkang coming in armor, the retired emperor was not at all furious as before, but stared at Emperor Ningkang quietly.

It was not until Emperor Ning Kang bowed slightly and called out "Father" that he sighed:

"you win."

Emperor Ning Kang said: "I won, but I also lost."

The emperor showed a sarcastic look, "Isn't this what you want?"

Emperor Ning Kang smiled and walked towards the dragon bed of the retired emperor, and the attendants scattered in panic.

Emperor Ning Kang sat beside the couch, looking at the retired emperor who was emaciated and had wrinkles all over his face.

At this moment, the emperor looked so weak that he didn't look like a supreme ruler on earth at all. He was just an ordinary 80-year-old man.

Suddenly, all the hatred and resentment didn't seem so heavy anymore.

He turned around and looked at the imperial physician: "How is the emperor's health?"

The imperial physician knelt down in fear and said tremblingly, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the emperor is fine, but his emotions fluctuated too much and his blood flowed backwards, causing him to faint.

I have already prescribed medicine for you. You just need to rest well and you will recover..."

Emperor Ning Kang nodded, then suddenly frowned and said, "These slaves around my father, I have repeatedly told them to take good care of my father, but now they have made my father so tired, they are all useless.

How about this, I will select a group of useful people to take care of your daily life, and those who neglect their duties will not be given any place to stay. "

Emperor Ningkang seemed to be discussing with the emperor, but as soon as he finished speaking, a large number of soldiers rushed in from outside, and without thinking twice, they took away all the eunuchs and palace maids inside and outside the palace one by one...

The retired emperor did not stop it. This was just a matter of course. He had expected it when he woke up.

Even so, he still looked at Emperor Ning Kang with a sarcastic look, as if he was mocking how ridiculous it was that Emperor Ning Kang was still acting at this time.

However, when two soldiers came to the couch and were about to take away an old eunuch who had been standing there with his head bowed, the emperor finally spoke:

"Leave him here!"

Seeing that Emperor Ning Kang did not respond, he added: "He has served me for most of my life. Among all the people serving me in and outside the palace, he is the only one who can still talk to me."

The retired emperor looked at Emperor Ningkang, with a hint of pleading in his eyes.

Emperor Ning Kang was silent for a moment, but still nodded.

The two officers and soldiers retreated.