son, don't mess around

For Zhao Xiang, he, like the current Great Ning Dynasty, has no choice.

The current imperial court is in its most perilous situation.

From the night His Majesty passed away, Prime Minister Zhao realized this.

His Majesty's will bequeathed the throne to the Eldest Princess, not only because she is the only suitable heir, but also because of her relationship with the Prince of Lin's residence... or more precisely, her relationship with the Prince of Lin's heir.

Now, the rebel army of Prince Xu in the north is coming on strong, and the imperial army alone is simply not enough to resist it, not to mention that there are many pro-peace factions in the court.

Coupled with an empty treasury and a severe shortage of military pay and provisions, the morale of the imperial army was declining day by day. Under such dire circumstances, it was questionable whether the court could even defend the capital, let alone quell the rebellion.

Anping City was the only way for Xu Wang's rebel army to advance north, and it was also an important pass between the capital and the north. Once this place fell, Xu Wang's rebel army could advance unimpeded and head south, directly threatening the safety of the capital.

Therefore, defending Anping City is of utmost importance.

However, given the current state of the imperial court, even with the eldest princess personally leading a large army to resist at the front lines, no one knows how long the court's army, lacking funds and supplies, can hold out.

The only thing that can change the course of the battle is the Prince Lin's mansion!
Only by sending troops from the Prince Lin's Mansion can the court be quelled as soon as possible. The Prince Lin's Mansion, being a powerful family in Jiangnan, can provide a large amount of military supplies, provisions, and various weapons and equipment, which are exactly what the court needs most right now.

More importantly... now that the rebel army of Prince Xu has supported Li Yuan's ascension to the throne, all forces within the Great Ning Dynasty are watching and waiting, and officials and soldiers in various prefectures and counties have their own ulterior motives.

To them, the conflict between the imperial court and the rebel army of Prince Xu had now become an internal struggle within the royal family over imperial power. They wanted to stay out of it and negotiate with the court to blackmail it.

The addition of the Prince of Lin's Mansion will not only change the course of the war, but also allow all parties to re-examine and weigh the pros and cons.

In other words, the Prince Lin's Mansion is now the most crucial link in this whole process.

Therefore, Zhao Xiang had no choice!

Cooperating with and trusting the Prince Lin's Mansion is currently the only path for the imperial court. It is also a plan that the late emperor had already rehearsed and decided upon before his death.

Only now has Zhao Xiang finally seen through everything!
The late emperor and Her Highness the Eldest Princess have played a grand game!
In this grand scheme, the most crucial figures are Her Highness the Eldest Princess and the Crown Prince of Lin before us!

Zhao Xiang narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the handsome young man before him. He disliked this man, but he had to admit that this young man had indeed secretly planned everything.

What will the future hold? Nobody knows.

He couldn't predict how far things would go between the imperial court and the Prince Lin's residence. But for now, this was indeed the imperial court's last resort.

"When will the Prince of Lin's residence be able to send troops?"

Zhao Xiang stared at Lin Jiangnian and asked in a deep voice.

"As long as Prime Minister Zhao agrees, the Prince of Lin's mansion can raise an army at any time."

Lin Jiangnian picked up the hot tea on the table and took a sip: "Now that His Majesty's decree has been issued, as a citizen of Da Ning, I, the Prince of Lin's Mansion, should naturally help His Majesty solve his problems."

"With Zhao Xiang's cooperation, my Prince Lin's Palace can announce to the world at any time that we should raise an army to defend the king!"

Zhao Xiang stared intently at Lin Jiangnian, his gaze deep: "How can I cooperate?"

"Our Prince Lin's army, having risen from Linzhou, will advance northward in three routes. One route will sail upstream by water, heading straight for Xuzhou. The other two routes will pass through Yanzhou and Jiangnan respectively. But ultimately, they will all converge on Zhongzhou..."

"Therefore, when passing through the territory of Zhongzhou, we need Prime Minister Zhao to give orders to allow our soldiers from the Prince of Lin's Palace to pass through here to go north, so as to avoid any misunderstandings or conflicts."

Zhao Xiang remained expressionless, his demeanor stern and profound.

This was a difficult choice for him!

but……

"no problem."

Zhao Xiang said in a deep voice, "At that time, I will arrange everything myself. I hope that your Prince Lin's Mansion will keep its promise."

Lin Jiangnian put down his teacup and chuckled, "Prime Minister Zhao, please rest assured, the imperial edict has arrived in Linzhou. I expect the Prince will take action soon. As for the capital, Prime Minister Zhao will need to put in more effort."

Zhao Xiang replied expressionlessly, "I will handle this matter myself."

"Then I'll have to trouble Prime Minister Zhao."

Lin Jiangnian spoke with a smile.

The purpose of my visit to see Prime Minister Zhao today has been largely achieved.

With His Majesty's decree and the cooperation of Prime Minister Zhao, the Prince Lin's residence will have no further worries.

As for the remaining half of the plan...

"Then, Prime Minister Zhao..."

Lin Jiangnian then brought up, "What about Miss Zhao?"

Zhao Xiang raised his eyes and stared at Lin Jiangnian.

"What do you want to say?"

"Well, Miss Zhao and I are deeply in love..."

With the business concluded, it was time to discuss some personal matters. For Lin Jiangnian, these were even more important personal matters.

"So, Prime Minister Zhao has agreed to this?"

Zhao Xiang remained expressionless: "When did I agree to that?"

Is this old man trying to turn his back on us?
Lin Jiangnian sneered inwardly, but his expression remained calm: "So, what does Prime Minister Zhao mean?"

"Public matters are public matters, and private matters are private matters; they should not be mixed up."

Zhao Xiang said expressionlessly, "I only have this one daughter, and I would never sacrifice her happiness."

"Isn't Prime Minister Zhao's obstruction sacrificing Miss Zhao's happiness?"

Lin Jiangnian glanced at the old man and said, "If Prime Minister Zhao truly cares about Miss Zhao's happiness, why not ask her what she thinks?"

Zhao Xiang stared at Lin Jiangnian with a deep gaze for a few moments.

"This is a private matter of the Zhao family, so there's no need for Your Highness to concern yourself with it."

Zhao Xiang said expressionlessly, "Show the guest out!"

Tsk!
This old man really turns his back on people.

Lin Jiangnian was not annoyed. He poured another cup of hot tea on the table and savored it.

I must say, the tea that Prime Minister Zhao drank was quite good; it was fragrant and had a sweet and refreshing taste. I should probably take some with me next time I have the chance.

"I have said all I needed to say today. As for what the old Prime Minister Zhao will decide, I will not disturb him any longer!"

Lin Jiangnian stood up and looked at Prime Minister Zhao with a smile: "However, I believe that Prime Minister Zhao would not sacrifice his daughter's happiness, so please think it over carefully."

After saying that, Lin Jiangnian turned and left.

Zhao Xiang remained seated at the table, silent. The room was filled with the aroma of steaming tea, and Zhao Xiang's aged face seemed lost in thought. After a long while, a sigh escaped his lips, lingering for a long time.

……

With the death of the emperor of the Great Ning Dynasty, the political landscape of the land was thrown into turmoil. This upheaval affected the entire dynasty and drew in various factions.

Of the seventeen prefectures of the Great Ning Dynasty, excluding the prefectures and counties governed by two kings of different surnames and the Central Prefecture where the imperial court was stationed, various forces remained in a wait-and-see state in the remaining dozen or so prefectures.

No one expected that His Majesty would suddenly pass away.

Even more unexpectedly, His Majesty would pass the throne to the Eldest Princess!

Unexpectedly, Li Yuan, who was originally a traitor who intended to use the Prince Xu's mansion to start a rebellion, seized the opportunity to ascend the throne and claim to be the legitimate ruler, and then attacked the Princess for illegitimately gaining the throne.

For a time, various forces around the world were discussing the matter, and no one knew how the situation would ultimately turn out.

In theory, the imperial court, based in the capital, should have supported the eldest princess's ascension to the throne, thus legitimizing the Great Ning Dynasty. However, the problem was that the eldest princess, as a woman, ascended the throne, violating ancestral precepts.

Although Li Yuan was a traitorous official, he was, after all, a legitimate member of the royal family with the right to inherit the throne. In terms of ancestral precepts, he was more orthodox than Her Highness the Princess.

In a sense, he was the true rightful heir to the dynasty!
However, the eldest princess held the moral high ground in the court, with the strong support of Zhao Xiang, a veteran of three reigns. Naturally, the eldest princess, who ascended the throne in the court, was on the side of justice.

Therefore, with the two forces locked in a stalemate of open and covert struggles, all parties remain in a wait-and-see state.

Everyone is waiting, waiting for the final result.

They wanted to know whether the imperial court would ultimately prevail, with the newly enthroned princess personally leading the expedition to quell the rebellion of Prince Xu's mansion and capture the treacherous minister Li Yuan.

Or will Li Yuan lead the Xu Prince's army south to capture the dragon, break through the capital, ascend the throne, and finally reclaim everything that rightfully belonged to him?
Judging from the undercurrents between the two forces, it is clear that all parties are more optimistic about Li Yuan on Xu Wang's side.

After all, Li Yuan had the support of Prince Xu. As one of only two non-royal princes in the Da Ning Dynasty, Prince Xu's mansion had guarded the northern border for the dynasty for many years, with strong and powerful troops, and its cavalry was unparalleled in the world.

Furthermore, as the former third prince, Li Yuan naturally garnered considerable support from the conservative faction. From the perspectives of law, morality, and even ancestral traditions, Li Yuan possessed a significant advantage.

On the other hand, the imperial army's efforts to quell the rebellion had been fruitless for months. Faced with the offensive of Prince Xu's army, they could only retreat and defend.

Rumors are circulating that the Great Ning Dynasty's treasury is now empty, and it's almost impossible to pay the soldiers at the front lines. In the dead of winter, the soldiers at the front don't even have enough warm clothing.

This contrast is extremely unfavorable for the imperial court.

If this drags on, internal turmoil within the court is likely to erupt soon. Even a mutiny could very well occur within the army at the front lines.

While all the various factions were observing and waiting for the court to collapse, and for the newly enthroned empress to be repeatedly defeated by the rebel army of Prince Xu, they could then seize the opportunity to profit and obtain even greater benefits from the court.

At this moment, something unexpected happened.

The Prince of Lin's residence has raised an army!
When the news spread, the first thought that came to everyone's mind was... that the Prince Lin's mansion had also rebelled?

It's finally here?!

As early as when Prince Xu in the north rebelled, many people were waiting for the reaction of Prince Lin's mansion.

However, even after nearly half a year had passed since the rebellion began, there was still no news from the Prince of Lin's residence in the south.

Only the heir apparent of the Prince of Lin was very active, traveling from Linzhou to Jiangnan, and then to the capital...

Apart from that, there was no further news about the Prince Lin's residence, and many people had almost forgotten about its existence.

Forget about this one of only two non-royal kings in the Great Ning Dynasty, who was also the only newly appointed non-royal king in the hundred years since the founding of the Great Ning Dynasty.

Just when everyone thought that the Prince Lin's Mansion would stand idly by, news came at this crucial moment that the Prince Lin's Mansion had raised an army.

Just when everyone thought that the Prince Lin's Mansion was finally planning a rebellion... or that they wanted to take advantage of the court's preoccupation with dealing with Prince Xu's rebel army to plunder and blackmail the court, wanting to establish their own power base, or perhaps they had other motives, another unbelievable piece of news arrived...

Lin Hengzhong, the Prince of Lin who had been silent for a long time in the south, announced that he would raise an army of 100,000 to respond to the imperial decree to quell the rebellion. He would divide his troops into three routes and head north to assist the court in suppressing the rebellion of Prince Xu in the north.

This news caused an immediate uproar.

Caught off guard by the local powers of the various prefectures of the Great Ning Dynasty... No one expected that the Prince Lin's Mansion would raise an army. But surprisingly, the Prince Lin's Mansion wasn't rebelling, nor was it trying to take advantage of the chaos; instead, it wanted to assist the imperial court in quelling the rebellion of Prince Xu?
No?

Is Lin Hengzhong mentally ill?
The more chaotic the Great Ning Dynasty is, the better it is for Prince Lin's Mansion, isn't it?
The imperial court and the Xu Prince's Mansion are locked in a fierce battle, while the Lin Prince's Mansion, by remaining uninvolved, could easily reap the benefits. Why, then, would they choose to help the Great Ning court against the Xu Prince's Mansion?
Once the imperial court pacifies the Xu Prince's Mansion, how could it possibly let the Lin Prince's Mansion off the hook?

When the various factions learned of this news, they were basically stunned. No one knew what Lin Hengzhong was going to do, or what the Prince Lin's Mansion was going to do.
How could the Prince Lin's residence suddenly be in cahoots with the imperial court at this time?

Or is there some hidden story behind this?
Or perhaps, the imperial court and the Prince Lin's residence reached some unspeakable secret agreement?

Many people with a keen sense of smell noticed something amiss.

They certainly didn't think Lin Hengzhong was a fool. A man who rose from humble beginnings to become the only non-royal king to be granted a title in a century, who built this vast empire with his own strength and whose influence spread throughout the Great Ning Dynasty, was definitely not a fool!
What's even more suspicious is that... for the past six months, the imperial court and the Xu Prince's Mansion have been locked in a fierce and brutal war. The Lin Prince's Mansion had remained inactive throughout, yet suddenly launched an attack at this crucial moment.

Why is this?

Why did it happen at the very moment when the eldest princess ascended the throne and issued the imperial edict?

It's hard not to be suspicious.

This has led some people to recall the relationship between the Eldest Princess and the Prince of Lin's residence... Many people remember that at the beginning of this year, the Eldest Princess visited Linzhou and the Prince of Lin's residence.

More importantly, Her Highness the Eldest Princess and the Crown Prince of Lin were once engaged...

Whether there is any connection between these events is unknown. But one thing is certain... with the Prince of Lin's uprising, the balance of power in the world will soon be disrupted.

The battle situation in the north is about to be reversed!

The Xu Prince's Mansion in the north may not fear the imperial court, but if the imperial court and the Lin Prince's Mansion unite, it would undoubtedly be the worst outcome for the Xu Prince's Mansion.

The 100,000-strong army of the Prince of Lin's mansion was enough to be the key to changing the course of the war.

But the bad news for the Xu Prince's Mansion didn't end there... Just as the Lin Prince's Mansion announced the mobilization of 100,000 troops to march north to defend the emperor and quell the Xu Prince's rebellion, Yuan Zhongnan, the governor of Yanzhou, swiftly announced the gathering of 20,000 local troops to assist the imperial army in suppressing the rebels.

At the same time, Yuan Zhongnan will also provide the court with a large amount of military pay and provisions, as well as various cold-weather supplies, weapons and armor, and even five hundred warhorses, which he will give to the court free of charge.

This news caused an uproar throughout the land!

The imperial court and the Xu Prince's Mansion have been fighting for half a year, but Yuan Zhongnan hasn't made any move or reaction.

Now that the Prince Lin's mansion has just raised an army, you, Yuan Zhongnan, are already eager to pledge your loyalty and take sides. Everyone can see that Yuan Zhongnan is clearly targeting the Prince Lin's mansion.

And this is the same thought in the minds of all the forces... The Xu Prince's Mansion is probably doomed!

The appearance of the Prince Lin's Mansion will surely change the course of the war!

Now is the crucial moment to choose sides!

Following Yuan Zhongnan's announcement of raising troops to defend the emperor, various forces within the prefectures and counties of the Da Ning Dynasty followed suit, one after another, declaring their support for the emperor.

For a time, the world was in turmoil.

Various forces emerged like mushrooms after rain, delivering a heavy blow to the Xu Prince's Mansion in the north at this critical moment!
...(End of chapter)