Jiuxi

Chapter 598 596 [Ambition]

"And one more thing."

Lu Chen picked up the teacup and took a sip. Under Su Yunqing's steady gaze, he briefly repeated his initial inference about Li Tianrun.

There is a dark hand hiding in the dark in the court.

After listening to this, Su Yunqing fell into a long period of thought.

Lu Chen waited patiently.

"Your inference is correct, especially the suspicious points in the rebellion, which can indeed prove that someone is stirring up trouble in secret."

Su Yunqing's experience and knowledge in this area are even richer than Li Tianrun's. He is also one of the few think tanks who can provide assistance to Lu Chen, besides the brave generals under his command.

Lu Chen asked, "Who do you think is the most suspicious?"

Su Yunqing pondered and said, "The two prime ministers can be ruled out. Although they have the ability to do so, they have no need to do so from any perspective. Moreover, Prime Minister Li and Prime Minister Xue have been loyal for so many years. If they have made any small moves in this regard, the late emperor would not have failed to notice it. In my opinion, only someone who relies on the passive cover-up of the two prime ministers and tries to hide under the surface can do this."

Lu Chen nodded slightly and said slowly: "That makes sense."

Su Yunqing said: "Since we know that the mastermind behind this is seeking profit through the rebellion in the capital, we can directly rule out most of the Jiangnan clans. In fact, the remaining range is already very small. There is nothing wrong with the Shangshu Zhong and Lord Han you suspect, but I think you overlooked a candidate."

"who?"

"His Majesty."

These two simple words were like thunder that came out of nowhere.

Lu Chen couldn't help but fall into silence.

Su Yunqing's speculation was actually correct, because there was a very important thing in the rebellion in the capital, that is, the eldest prince died in a bloody battle. Under the premise that the third prince had already lost hope, the death of the eldest prince meant that there was no suspense about the second prince's position as crown prince.

After a long while, Lu Chen slowly said, "If the rebellion in the capital city is indeed related to the emperor, he did not have the ability to accomplish this at the time."

Su Yunqing nodded and said, "Yes, someone must have teamed up with him."

Lu Chen raised his hand and pinched his eyebrows.

If the truth of the matter was really like this, he didn't know how to treat the young emperor.

He and the eldest prince did not have a very deep friendship. Even if it could be confirmed in the end that his death was related to Li Zongben, it would be difficult for Lu Chen to abandon his family and career for the eldest prince. But the problem was that the death of the eldest prince was too much of a blow to the late emperor and was the direct cause of the late emperor's worsening condition.

Another point is that Lu Chen could not tolerate anyone using such means to deceive the late emperor, even if that person was his son.

Su Yunqing continued to analyze, "It's unlikely that Minister Zhong is the mastermind. If he is the real mastermind behind this, he is definitely not a reckless person who can weave a conspiracy of this scale. He would not instruct a group of people to praise you to death at the first grand court meeting after the new monarch ascends the throne. As for Lord Han of the Duke of Jing's Mansion, I don't know if Lord Han can manage the affairs now. As long as Lord Han can stand up, no one dares to do anything wrong. I will have someone investigate."

"No need."

Lu Chen shook his head and said calmly, "First, we should not alert the enemy now. Second, we should try to reduce direct contact between you and me in the future. Your most important task is to gain the trust of His Majesty as soon as possible and prepare for taking over the Weaving Department. Under this premise, if you take action one more time, the risk of being exposed will increase. It is obvious which is more important."

Su Yunqing responded: "Okay, I understand."

Lu Chen stroked the teacup and said in a deep voice: "As for the mastermind behind this, I don't think he will hide for too long. If he is secretly colluding with Your Majesty, then the next moment will be the time for him to receive his reward. So we just need to keep an eye on Your Majesty's subsequent actions and see who stands out from the chaotic court situation. Then we can determine the candidate."

Su Yunqing's eyes suddenly lit up.

……

In the mansion of Duke Jing, inside the Anguo Hall.

Ordinary mansions would certainly not dare to use the word "An Guo" as their hall name. This was a plaque specially written by the late emperor and bestowed upon Han Lingfu when he begged for his remains.

Han Zhongjie walked in slowly, dismissed the maid, went into the bedroom, bowed respectfully beside the couch and said, "Father, it's late, please go to bed early."

Lying on the couch was an old man with gray hair and a thin body. He was none other than Han Lingfu, Duke of Jing, who was nearly 70 years old.

As the founder of the Da Qi Jiangnan Army, this old man has reached the final stage of his life after the passing of the late emperor.

Han Lingfu looked up and said in an old, muddy voice, "Sit down."

Han Zhongjie looked at the round stool beside the couch and slowly sat on it. He then reached out to tuck the corner of the quilt for the old man and said, "Father, do you want to know what happened at the court meeting today?"

"Ah."

"Your Majesty has conferred the title of Duke of Wei on Li Tianrun, and considering his illness, he has been allowed to leave the palace and return home after accepting the title, and has specially sent a carriage to see him off."

Han Lingfu closed his eyes slightly and did not ask for details.

Han Zhongjie knew his father's habits very well and knew that he had no interest in this matter, so he continued, "Your Majesty, confer the title of Duke of Shanyang County on Lu Chen, the Marquis of Shanyang, and appoint him as the Grand Commander of Dingzhou. When the national mourning is over, he will go north to Dingzhou."

This time Han Lingfu let out a very slight sigh.

Han Zhongjie could probably guess what his father was thinking.

In fact, including himself, all the important officials in the court could see that the emperor was killing two birds with one stone. He could give an explanation to the border soldiers and at the same time, he could praise Lu Chen and let him be scrutinized by the people of the world. This kind of retreat to advance strategy is not uncommon.

Han Lingfu's sigh was meaningful. Obviously, he also realized that the emperor's move would cause some hidden dangers, but the Duke of Jing no longer had the energy to continue to interfere in state affairs.

Han Zhongjie waited for a moment and said calmly, "Your Majesty has made some adjustments to the military commanders. Duke Rong will return to Beijing to preside over the Military Academy. Liu Shouguang will take over as the Grand Commander of Jingzhou. Chen Lanyu was promoted to the commander of the Jinwu Camp for his meritorious service. Li Jingda returned to Beijing to serve as the Minister of Military Affairs. Zhang Xu's official position has not changed. As for the position of the commander of the Xiaoyong Camp, Your Majesty decided that I will take over temporarily."

The old man slowly turned his head and looked at him: "You?"

"Yes, Father."

Han Zhongjie looked calm and spoke in a steady tone.

Han Lingfu said: "You have finally got what you wished for."

Han Zhongjie lowered his eyes and said calmly, "What do you mean, father?"

"I know you haven't let go of what happened back then."

Han Lingfu retracted his gaze, a complex emotion in his eyes, and then said: "That matter is because your father is sorry for you."

"Father, your words are too serious. I have no complaints in my heart."

Han Zhongjie's demeanor remained impeccable, but there was a hint of coldness in the depths of his eyes.

When others mention this Han family's tomb tiger, everyone will give him a thumbs up.

He devoted a lot of effort in the preparation and establishment of the Beijing Army, and was willing to leave the court to serve his father. He was truly loyal and filial.

However, not many people know that Han Lingfu did not choose Han Zhongjie as his successor, but instead promoted Guo Congyi, until the latter served as the Privy Councilor and took over the power of the Beijing Army.

Han Zhongjie was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Father did this out of helplessness, and I can fully understand. At that time, the various clans were deeply rooted in the Beijing Army and tried their best to resist the support of the frontier army by the late emperor. Father allowed Guo Congyi, Wang Yan and others to take positions in exchange for the support of the clans for the late emperor. This was a helpless but necessary exchange. The world is bustling, all for profit. When it comes to issues in this regard, even the late emperor and father had to give in, so how can I stay out of it?"

Han Lingfu said meaningfully: "It seems that I have been worrying for nothing all these years."

Han Zhongjie said respectfully: "Father is loyal to the country, I have nothing but admiration for him, how could I have such wild thoughts?"

"Alright."

Han Lingfu's voice sounded a little tired. It was obvious that this not-so-long conversation and thinking were a little too much for him to bear. He then reminded him, "Since His Majesty has given you great power, you must assist him with all your heart and soul. In particular, you must pay attention to balancing the relationship between the Beijing Army and the Border Army. You must not create a situation where the troops are strong on the outside but weak on the inside, nor can you weaken the strength of the Border Army. You must carefully consider the balance."

"Yes."

Han Zhongjie stood up and agreed, and then said, "Please rest early, father."

Han Lingfu slowly closed his eyes.

Han Zhongjie walked out of Anguo Hall and stood in the cold moonlight.

A figure emerged from the darkness, approached and whispered, "Master."

Han Zhongjie still looked at the bright moon and said slowly: "My father only has one or two months left to live. During this time, I don't want anyone to disturb him. No one in the family can enter Anguo Hall without my permission. Tell my brothers that I will bring them in to visit father every few days. Usually they kowtow and pay respects outside the hall."

"Yes, sir."

The man bowed his head in response.

Han Zhongjie turned and left with steady steps.

Walking in the Duke's Mansion late at night, the newly appointed chief of the Beijing Camp looked calm, as if the conversation he had just had with his old father had not caused the slightest ripple in his mood.

Only when you walk up to him can you hear his occasional whispers.

"Father, looking at the entire Da Qi court, you are the only one who is truly perfect. Even people like Prime Minister Li have selfish desires that they cannot let go of, but you have never thought about how to bring blessings to your descendants."

"As your eldest son, I have been under great pressure these years. In fact, I don't mind it. Since I have enjoyed the glory brought by this Duke's Mansion, I have to pay some price."

"But you are too harsh on your own family."

"The Han family should have been the pillar of Da Qi, but because of your unpraised righteousness, it has fallen to its current situation."

"A son should not blame his father. I recognize your character, but I have to think about the children of the Han family."

"Some people say that justice and selfishness can be balanced, and I agree with this. Many things can be done not only by others, but also by the children of the Han family, and they can do them better."

"In this turbulent world of great strife, how can the Han family just be a spectator?"

Han Zhongjie walked forward slowly, his momentum gradually becoming more fierce.

It's like a long sword that has been dormant for many years and finally unsheathed.

(End of this chapter)