Jiuxi

Chapter 858 856 [Horn]

After entering the camp, Chen Lanyu immediately realized the difference between inside and outside.

When he was outside the camp before, he could clearly feel the murderous intent of the border cavalry inside, as if they would launch the most fierce charge at the slightest disagreement.

When he entered the depths of the camp accompanied by Ye Jitong, he found that this cavalry was not nervous at all. Even though there were more than 20,000 Beijing troops surrounding the entire camp, from their calm demeanor, it could be seen that the confidence and composure of this cavalry had reached a very high level.

In other words, even though the troops were at an absolute disadvantage, the Sharp Warriors Battalion still had the momentum to be invincible.

This is obviously not a false appearance they put on, but the confidence they developed after experiencing countless brutal battles.

Chen Lanyu couldn't help feeling a little emotional.

He saw several familiar soldiers in the queue, and remembered that they were the backbone of the border army and now they were members of the Sharp Warriors Battalion. It can be seen that these 3,000 cavalrymen are the elite of the hundreds of thousands of border troops of Da Qi. No wonder Lu Chen was so calm in letting them stay outside the city.

"Master Hou, we're here."

Ye Jitong stopped outside a barracks.

Chen Lanyu nodded slightly, then walked in with him.

"Marquis Linjiang?!"

A middle-aged man in the room suddenly stood up, his face full of shock.

Chen Lanyu's attention was attracted by another person, a middle-aged man with an unremarkable appearance and the temperament of an old farmer in the fields. He sat calmly at the table with a long spear leaning against the table. He did not react at all when he saw Chen Lanyu come in.

However, Chen Lanyu suddenly felt a strong sense of crisis in his heart. This old farmer was just sitting there, but he felt that he might suddenly attack and kill someone at any time.

When hearing those three words, Chen Lanyu turned around and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

He could never have imagined that Lu Chen really had someone hidden here, but the person he hid was not the legendary criminal Ning Bugui, but Ding Hui, the new governor of Dingzhou and the representative of the Ningtan Ding family in the court, who was said to be recuperating in Ruyin City, Dingzhou!

"Master Ding, you——"

Even though Chen Lanyu had been through a lot and had an extremely strong mind, he couldn't help but be speechless at this moment.

Ding Hui was no longer as graceful as usual. After all, only twenty days had passed since he was assassinated. During this time, he was under the close protection of Jiang Yangsheng, the master of Tingyun Spear. The two of them, on two horses, avoided the main road and quietly headed south. The distance from Dingzhou to the capital was a thousand miles, and they had to hurry all the way, which made this high-ranking official, who had always lived a life of luxury, miserable.

He originally thought that he would be able to expose Li Shizhi's true identity in public once he arrived in the capital, but he did not expect that Jiang Yangsheng would take advantage of the cover of the night and take him to hide in the Rui Shiying camp.

Seeing Chen Lanyu at this moment, Ding Hui was overwhelmed with grief. All the ups and downs, worries, fears and anger he had experienced during this period turned into tears.

In fact, the moment he met Ding Hui, Chen Lanyu had already thought through many things and no longer had any doubts about Lu Chen, but he still asked cautiously: "Master Ding, what is going on?"

Ding Hui told the story with tears in his eyes, from how Li Shizhi sent people to Dingzhou to assassinate him, to his various conspiracies with Li Shizhi when he was in the capital, to the role Li Shizhi played in the rebellion in the capital, and the secret layout at the beginning. It was amazing that he could tell the story so vividly and clearly in a flashback style at such an emotional moment, which showed that his eight years as the Minister of War were not in vain.

At this point, Chen Lanyu's doubts were suddenly cleared up.

He suddenly heard the news of the assassination of the emperor early this morning. His self-blame and regret were beyond words. After all, he was secretly ordered by the late emperor to stay in the Beijing camp, and his most important duty was to protect the country.

This was the reason why he had drawn a line between himself and Lu Chen earlier, because he did not know Lu Chen's true thoughts. Who could be sure that this powerful official in his twenties would never have a change of mentality?
In Chen Lanyu's view, as long as he holds on to the 50,000 Beijing troops, he can at least ensure that the overall situation will not be shaken, and at least he can become the most powerful support for the emperor.

However, he still underestimated Li Shizhi's ambition. He thought that the head of the Jinlin Li family wanted the position of prime minister, but he did not expect that the other party was actually eyeing the imperial power!

Through Ding Hui's statement, Chen Lanyu was now sure of what Li Shizhi was going to do. He couldn't help but feel his scalp tingling and waves of fear came over him.

If Lu Chen had not kept a trick up his sleeve and had not always had some recognition for him, Ye Jitong would not have made such a decision today. A conflict would inevitably break out between the Rui Shi Battalion and the Beijing Army. By that time, the situation would develop exactly as Li Shizhi expected.

The Confucian general's face showed deep guilt and self-blame.

Seeing this, Ye Jitang interrupted Ding Hui's rambling narration and said calmly, "My Lord, I said before that my Duke had made three preparations. If it wasn't you who led the troops here today, or if you didn't show goodwill, Lord Ding wouldn't have met you. Now my Lord should be able to understand my Duke's good intentions. Next, I need your help to do two things."

Chen Lanyu took a deep breath and said without hesitation: "I feel guilty towards the late emperor and the Duke, but I will obey your orders. Do you want me to lead the troops to open the east gate of the capital and let you enter the city?"

Ye Jitang said frankly, "I dare not underestimate you, but as long as you lead your troops outside the city, the defenders inside the city will never allow you to get close. My Duke said that Li Shizhi is meticulous and will never fully trust you. If you suddenly change your position, you will definitely be framed as a traitor by Li Shizhi and Queen Mother Xu."

"rational."

After all, Chen Lanyu is not like Han Zhongjie, and he immediately understood the complexity of the current situation.

It has been nearly twenty years since Li Duan crossed the Yongjia River to the south. The defense system of the capital has been continuously strengthened. Even if Chen Lanyu's troops merged with the Ruishi Battalion, and the soldiers did not doubt his loyalty to the court and were willing to obey his orders to attack the capital, it would be impossible to succeed in a short period of time.

After a brief thought, Chen Lanyu gave up his reckless plan and asked, "Does the Duke have any arrangements?"

"Have."

Ye Jitang said methodically: "Your Majesty can help with two things. One is to continue to follow the Queen Mother's order to check whether there are any imperial prisoners here. Of course, this is just a false appearance. As long as the people in the city think that Your Majesty has no other ideas, I believe that with Your Majesty's control over the Jinwu Camp, it will not be difficult to do this."

"This is no problem."

Chen Lanyu's mind raced, and he immediately asked, "How long will it last?"

Ye Jitang's eyes flashed with admiration, and he quickly replied, "At the latest, the morning of the day after tomorrow. Yuan Yuji was ordered to capture the Gao brothers, and he will arrive in the capital around that time. By then, Li Shizhi and Empress Dowager Xu will definitely throw out all their cards, because they dare not delay too long."

Chen Lanyu nodded in agreement.

Ye Jitang added: "The second thing is that my Duke asked the Marquis to lead his troops to stop the Brave Camp. Even if the Marquis's Jinwu Camp cannot enter the capital, as long as they can stop Yuan Xingqin's troops, it will be a great achievement."

Chen Lanyu understood immediately.

Nowadays, the troops inside and outside the capital can be roughly divided into four parts. The first is the imperial guards controlled by Shen Yulai, which is also the most powerful force in the city. The second is the 50,000 troops of the Jinwu Camp. The third is the 50,000 troops of the Xiaoyong Camp. The last is the 3,000 cavalry in this camp.

It is difficult for Chen Lanyu to lead his troops into the city at the moment, but if he just wants to block the brave camp that is also outside the city, it is obviously not difficult for him.

Thinking of this, Chen Lanyu said with a slightly serious expression: "I have a question. If I really go along with those people, and the 150,000 troops inside and outside the city are all standing on the opposite side of Duke Qin, how will he break the situation? Based on my judgment of the Duke, he should not pin all his hopes on someone like me who is uncertain about his position."

Ding Hui's worries resurfaced because Chen Lanyu pointed out a very realistic problem.

If Chen Lanyu had not entered the camp alone today, and if a conflict had occurred between his troops and the Ruishi Camp, how could Lu Chen reverse the situation?
Jiang Yangsheng obviously didn't quite understand these things, but he also looked over curiously.

Ye Jintang thought for a moment, then said frankly: "My lord, the soldiers in the camp are ready for fighting. If my lord finally chooses another way, we will kill our way through the positions of the Beijing army, and then go to the city to support the Duke. After that, this rich land of Jiangnan will be plunged into war, and the border cavalry will no longer have any mercy, and anyone who dares to block the way will be crushed to pieces. Because for my Duke, what kind of situation will eventually emerge does not depend on him, but on whether there are enough loyal and righteous people in this court." Chen Lanyu was slightly stunned.

Ye Jitang continued, "If no one can stand up, my Duke will not hesitate any longer. The reason why he is willing to take a look at someone like the Marquis is that he does not want to cause great suffering, because no matter what, the real enemy of Da Qi is in the north."

Ding Hui murmured: "The Duke is truly a blessing to the Great Qi..."

Chen Lanyu took a deep breath and said seriously: "Chen understands, thank you Brother Ye for your guidance."

Ye Jitang said calmly: "I don't deserve it."

Chen Lanyu did not ask again how the Sharp Warriors Battalion could enter the capital. At this moment, he was already prostrating himself before Lu Chen, and the only option he had was to repay him with his death.

……

The morning light permeates the world.

After a whole day of anxiety yesterday, most people couldn't sleep all night. Fortunately, no terrifying things happened that night.

Inside the Cining Hall of the Imperial Palace, the commander of the Imperial Guards, Shen Yulai, was reporting the situation in the city to Empress Dowager Xu behind a pearl curtain.

Following the instructions of Empress Dowager Xu, the imperial guards have implemented temporary control over the imperial palace, not allowing anyone to enter or leave at will. At the same time, the nine gates of the capital city have entered a battle stance, and any unrelated people, whether inside or outside the city, who dare to approach the city defense area will be shot immediately.

"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Shen. Come here and give me a reward."

Empress Dowager Xu spoke in a gentle tone, and then a female official came to Shen Yulai holding a brocade box, and then opened the lid of the box, revealing a piece of fine ginseng.

It's not that Shen Yulai has never seen good things before. Two generations of emperors have trusted him and have never stopped giving him various rewards. However, when he saw this ginseng, he felt quite relieved. After all, he had hardly slept in the past two days.

He bowed and said, "Thank you, Queen Mother, for the reward."

Queen Mother Xu smiled and said, "If it weren't for Lord Shen protecting the palace, I wouldn't be able to rest assured. However, the situation is unpredictable and I'm afraid you can't take care of it alone, so I'm going to ask someone to help you, is that okay?"

Shen Yulai's heart shuddered, and he subconsciously looked at the Minister of Personnel Li Shizhi standing next to him, and responded: "The Queen Mother is sympathetic, and I am grateful for it. How could I have any objections?"

"That's good, call him in."

Empress Dowager Xu gave an order, and not long after, a middle-aged military hero strode in and saluted respectfully, saying, "Your servant Han Zhongjie pays homage to the Empress Dowager."

"No need to pay tribute."

Empress Dowager Xu said to Shen Yu slowly, "From now on, Shen Qing's family will still be responsible for the defense of the imperial city, and the defense of the nine gates of the capital will be handed over to Han Qing's family. How about letting him help you share some of the burden?"

Shen Yulai did not expect Han Zhongjie to appear, but he knew the status of the Han family in the entire Beijing Army system. Although Han Zhongjie was disgraced because of the defeat in Kaocheng, he still had a strong influence in the Beijing Army, and the expansion of the Imperial Guards also selected soldiers from the Beijing Camp.

In other words, the subordinates that Shen Yulai can fully control are the more than 10,000 imperial guards guarding the imperial palace, and his control over the rest is slightly weaker.

Seeing his silence, Empress Dowager Xu asked gently, "Mr. Shen's family?"

Shen Yulai came back to his senses and quickly responded: "I have no objection, thank you Queen Mother for your sympathy."

Queen Mother Xu smiled and nodded, saying, "In an emergency, we must act according to the rules. The two of you should work together and not give the thieves an opportunity to take advantage of us."

Shen Yulai and Han Zhongjie responded in unison, then bowed and took their leave, taking Empress Dowager Xu's decree to make a temporary handover.

The hall fell silent.

Empress Dowager Xu dismissed the female officials and looked at Li Shizhi who was still standing calmly and solemnly and said, "Do you really want Han Zhongjie to be reinstated?"

"Don't worry, Queen Mother."

Li Shizhi said calmly: "It's just a stopgap measure. We are temporarily using Han Zhongjie's name to prevent Shen Yulai from controlling the military power alone. As for the various imperial guards stationed at the nine gates, I have also made arrangements."

Empress Dowager Xu was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Yuan Yuji will arrive in Beijing tomorrow."

Li Shizhi said softly, "When he brings the Gao brothers to Beijing, Jin Qiaolan will be caught. Then the Queen Mother can legitimately eliminate Lu Chen and Xiao Wangzhi in front of all the civil and military officials. Judging from the current situation, even if Chen Lanyu is hesitant, he is following the Queen Mother's order. At least there will be no accidents in the Jinwu Camp. In this way, when the Queen Mother suppresses Lu Chen with thunder and lightning tomorrow, the overall situation can be settled, and we can slowly wait for the opportunity to solve the hidden danger of Chen Lanyu."

Queen Mother Xu breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Okay."

Li Shizhi said, "Empress Dowager, it's time for the Textile Bureau to take action."

Empress Dowager Xu said with a slightly tired look, "Sure, you can go and do it with my imperial decree."

Li Shizhi bowed, and the corners of his mouth slightly raised as he lowered his head: "I obey your order."

About half an hour later, at a mansion in the south city.

Three hundred elite soldiers surrounded the mansion in the shortest time possible, and Shen Yi, the chief of the Weaving Bureau, led dozens of spies and walked straight through the gate.

The mansion was extremely quiet, and it seemed as if no one noticed the movement outside.

Shen Yi led the crowd straight into the main hall, looked at his immediate superior who was sitting calmly at the table, and said in a deep voice: "Su Yunqing, we have found out that you colluded with Wu Xun to plot treason. I am here to arrest you by the order of the Queen Mother. If you dare to resist, you will be killed without mercy!"

The bright sunshine outside poured in and shone on Shen Yi's back, covering his face in shadow and exuding endless coldness.

Su Yunqing calmly picked up the teacup and took a sip, then slowly stood up.

Shen Yi remained calm, but the spies from the Weaving Bureau he brought with him couldn't help but clench their weapons.

Su Yunqing said calmly: "Okay, I'll go with you."

Shen Yi narrowed his eyes slightly, hesitated for a moment, raised his hand and said: "Put on the shackles!"

Su Yunqing did not resist from beginning to end, and he was escorted out of the main hall.

He looked up at the clear sky, a smile appeared on his face, and he said something softly.

"What a nice day."

(End of this chapter)