Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Chapter 746 Invincible Place
The ministers were speechless, thinking that with this delay, Goryeo might be destroyed. Even if someone came and insisted on calling a horse a deer and saying it was "Yan Shuangying", who could do anything about it? What a treacherous villain.

Feng Yuan smiled and said, "That's a good idea. Let's call the person over and let the envoy identify him. Then the right and wrong will be clear."

Niu Jizong and others all echoed in unison, wondering why they hadn't seen Yan Shuangying for a year or two. It turned out that he was sent by the Shao Bao to do something important.

Park Yonghui was in a state of confusion, anxious and angry. If the argument continued, Goryeo would be in danger. He hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I think our country has been deceived by the rebel army. However, since the rebel army is under the banner of Duke Dingguo, I think they are under the prestige of the Duke.

I beg Your Majesty to let the Duke assist Goryeo in quelling the rebellion. I will be grateful on behalf of my lord."

Jia Cong interrupted and said, "Your Excellency is wrong. Cong has behaved improperly and violated the law knowingly. He has been demoted to the first-class earl by the court and is currently serving his sentence in prison. If you mention the old title again, Cong will feel ashamed."

Park Yeong-hui was stunned. She thought Jia Cong was a powerful official who had great influence in the court and the country, but she didn't expect that he had been "brought down". She looked at Emperor Xifeng and said, "Your Majesty, please show mercy."

Emperor Xifeng looked coldly at Jia Cong's pretentiousness in the Golden Palace. He knew that Jia Cong had grown up, but he didn't know what other tricks he had. He didn't dare to order him to be executed easily, for fear of provoking a major change. So he said calmly: "The matter of Gaoli will be determined after verification. I will adjourn the court."

"The ministers obey the order."

After all the ministers respectfully saw Emperor Xifeng off, they left in an orderly manner. Jia Cong smiled, said hello to Feng Yuan, Niu Jizon and others, and walked out with a swagger.

Park Yong-hui hurriedly chased after him and said with a smile: "Thank you for taking care of the affairs of Goryeo. If you have any orders, our country will definitely follow them."

Jia Cong pointed at his left and right and said with a smile: "Your Excellency has really made a mistake. Cong is now a prisoner, so what is the point of talking about the emperor's decree? In Cong's humble opinion, your Excellency can enjoy the capital peacefully for two days, and the difficulties in Goryeo will be resolved by themselves."

All the ministers felt that his words were profound, as if he was saying clearly that even the emperor was sending troops to attack Goryeo, so they could not help but slow down their pace and listen attentively.

Park Yong-hui was shocked. Did Seoul fall? He wanted to ask again, but Jia Cong had already shaken him off.

"It's better to be safe. You're being wronged again." Niu Jizong, Feng Yuan and others came over and bowed and said with a smile.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "With all of you brothers speaking up for justice, why should I be afraid of rumors?"

Feng Yuan finally understood the meaning of the letter sent by Feng Yi, and hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Zilong. We will jointly write a letter later to get you out of prison."

"Thank you, Brother Zhengfang."

Everyone laughed and finally felt proud. This Korean incident was like a heavy hammer, hitting the current emperor, the New Party, Li Meng and others hard, letting them know that "the Jia Party is real" and not everyone can manipulate it.

Jia Cong raised his hand and said, "Everyone, Cong is still a criminal, so it is not appropriate for him to stay for long. He should go back to the prison to rest first, and then we will set up a wine party to thank you later."

"You are too polite, young master. We have no choice but to wait for you."

Li Meng and Wang Ning looked at each other anxiously. They never expected that Jia Cong, in addition to the Beijing army, also controlled a secret force that could easily destroy a country. If he rebelled, who could stop him?
Duan Zhun, Huo Peng and others were almost confused. They thought that Jia Cong was already trapped in a jar, and the only thing left was when to capture him and how to strangle him.

Unexpectedly, the turtle had more followers outside the jar. If we were not careful, not only would we catch the turtle, but the jar would also be broken.

That night, the Emperor secretly summoned the New Party's four military officials, three princes, and two governors to the Yangxin Palace. There was only one topic on the agenda: Jia Cong.

Emperor Xifeng's face was as gloomy as water, and it was hard to tell whether he was happy or angry. He asked, "What do you think of the Goryeo issue?"

Prince Beijing was the first to say, "Based on the fearless reaction of the Shao Bao at the court today, I think it is very likely that these troops were really sent by him, and this army is very elite and good at using firearms, so it is easy for them to capture cities and plunder land.

Although the Goryeo army was weak in combat power, they were able to defeat the enemy in one fell swoop, which shows how fierce their situation was. "

Li Meng and Wang Ning also said: "I also hold this view."

The military officials also nodded in agreement.

Huo Peng said in a hateful voice: "The thief Jia is so arrogant, it is obvious that he has his own troops and is threatening the court, so that Your Majesty dare not punish him decisively. He will definitely rebel in the long run."

Everyone agreed, even Gu Tao, who admired Jia Cong the most, had to say: "From the current situation, Jia Cong had the intention of rebellion several years ago, so he secretly raised such a strong army with the help of the Western Barbarians, just to fight against the court when necessary.

Now that the situation is strong, if you want to attack him, you must be careful not to act rashly, or something unexpected may happen."

Dong Yi said, "What Gu Zhongtang said is true. With the Beijing camp and his private soldiers under his command, if they start to cause trouble, the harm they will cause will be far greater than Tu Fei. Where will the dignity of the court be? If we want to get rid of him, we must take a long-term view."

Prince Beijing knew that if Jia Cong gained power, he would be dead without a burial place, so he hurriedly said: "What you said is absolutely right, Jia Cong is a wolf with ambitions and is born with rebellious nature. If we don't get rid of him, the country will be in danger.

If we are not careful, the rebellion of the Tang Dynasty will surely reappear. Therefore, we must eliminate it with determination, scraping the bone to cure the poison, removing the sores to remove the rot, and we must not start a large-scale war, for fear that they will fear the crime and rebel. Even if we put it down, it will greatly damage the vitality of the country. "

"Your Highness is right." Everyone said.

Emperor Xifeng nodded and said, "What's the plan?"

King Beijing said: “I think we should first release him back home, comfort him with kind words to reassure him, and then send the Korean envoys to investigate who has invaded the border and report back.

Then, while his army is outside and unable to come back to help, we will find an opportunity to kill him and restore order in the court."

Li Meng said: "Your Highness, this is a great idea. Commander Wang and I can order the Beijing Camp and the West Mountain Camp to be on alert and monitor the six camps under Jia Cong's control day and night.

If something unexpected happens, even if we cannot defeat them, we can still contain them and prevent them from attacking the capital."

King Xining said: "The most important thing is to reorganize the imperial guards. As long as they are not in chaos, Your Majesty will be as safe as Mount Tai.

I heard that the newly appointed Shenwu General Feng Ziying is a close friend of Jia Cong, and I am afraid that he will betray his country and join the enemy. I think it is best to transfer him out of the capital."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Duan Zhun shook his head and said, "I have discussed this with General Xiao Feng several times. He is a man of integrity, loyalty, generosity, sincerity and filial piety. He will never join the bandits in rebellion and tarnish the good name of our ancestors. I can guarantee this.

Besides, if we suddenly attack him, how could Jia Cong not be prepared? "

Emperor Xifeng also nodded and said, "I agree with what you said, Lord Zhun. Lord Feng is not a treacherous and cunning person. I believe he can still distinguish between right and wrong, and between integrity and righteousness."

Everyone hurriedly said: "The imperial city is now as solid as a rock."

Huo Peng said: "Now we just need to think of a way to get rid of Jia Cong without showing off. As the saying goes, a snake cannot survive without a head. Without a leader, his followers will not dare to make trouble rashly. If we take our time, the world will be stable."

"What Huo Zhongtang said is right." Everyone agreed.

Emperor Xifeng asked, "Does Lord Huo have any good ideas?"

Huo Peng bowed and said, "I do have a plan that is foolproof. Since this matter is of great importance, please report it to your Majesty in secret."

Emperor Xifeng said, "Then all the ministers may go, but Lord Zhun and Lord Huo may stay."

"I'm waiting to retire."

Gu Tao returned to his house and asked for a pot of wine without saying a word. Then he locked himself in the study. Three cups of Immortal Drunk slowly went into his stomach, turning into a warm current that spread everywhere. Even his brain seemed to become much more active.

Then he picked up the pen and wrote a few words on the paper: the current emperor, the queen, Jia Cong. After thinking for a long time, he wrote the next prince and Pang Chao.

Then he wrote down the numbers six and fourteen, which obviously symbolized the six battalions of Beijing troops controlled by Jia Cong and the remaining fourteen battalions of Beijing troops.

After thinking for a long time, he still couldn't make up his mind. Out of inertia, rationality and following the crowd, it seemed natural to support the current emperor in getting rid of Jia Cong. However, Gu Tao was always a little uneasy, but he didn't know what was wrong.

Therefore, if the action against Jia Cong this time is successful, everyone will be happy. If it fails, it may lead to a chaos ten times more severe than Tu Fei's rebellion.

It can be seen that he was confident enough from the fact that he dared to go to the Taiwan prison and challenge the emperor in the Golden Palace even after being dismissed from office and demoted.

Although Huo Peng, Dong Yi and others had some tricks, could it be that Pang Chao was a vegetarian? Did he allow you to murder Jia Cong so easily?
The more Gu Tao thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong. If Jia Cong didn't die, he would either raise an army in rage and force the emperor to abdicate, or one or two hundred thousand Beijing troops would kill people indiscriminately in the capital. The thought of that was terrifying.

Even if he was defeated, with his skills and the military strength of various families, he could break out at any time, or go to Liaodong, Shaanxi and Gansu, or to the Western Regions. Who could stop him?

Or he could just flee and go to Goryeo to bring back his troops, reorganize the army from Liaodong, fight all the way back, and issue a manifesto calling on the old subordinates of the Duke's lineage to "serve the king" and "clear the court", and the situation would probably become even worse.

By then, there will surely be another An-Shi Rebellion. The dynasty cannot afford such turmoil, and billions of people cannot afford it even more.

Gu Tao thought about it for a whole shift but still had no clue, so he could only sigh.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Master, it's getting late, why aren't you resting yet?"

Gu Tao heard his wife's voice, and hurriedly got up to open the door, welcoming her in, and said, "I have some official business, why aren't you asleep yet, Madam?"

His wife, Zhao, also came from a rich family. She had slept with him for decades and knew him very well. She only took one look at him and smiled, "Even if you have something on your mind, you shouldn't stay up late. It might hurt your body."

Gu Tao always respected his wife for not looking down on him because of his humble status and resolutely marrying him. Over the years, she has been very virtuous, taking care of her husband and children and managing the household. He sent away the servants, took her into the study and sat down, sighing, "Politics is difficult."

Zhao glanced at the wine pot on the table and said, "I haven't seen you so exhausted in years. Is this drinking to drown your sorrows? I think that being drunk can hurt your body, but it doesn't solve your real sorrows."

Gu Tao bowed his hands and smiled bitterly, "Madam, your teaching is correct. I have learned my lesson."

Zhao smiled slightly and said, "I dare not perform the etiquette of the master in the hall. What is the master's trouble? May I have the honor to hear it?"

Gu Tao knew that his wife was even smarter and more resourceful than himself, so he circled Jia Cong's name on the paper and said, "It's all for him."

Zhao looked at the name on the paper, her mind racing, and said, "Master is not worried about his own future, but about the people of the world."

Gu Tao couldn't help but feel a sense of knowing a friend, and sighed: "Madam's brightness is like the sun and the moon."

Zhao rolled her eyes at him and pursed her lips and spat, "You are so smooth-talking, and you are still the prime minister."

Gu Tao said with a smile: "It's just a joke between an old couple. What does it have to do with the Prime Minister?"

Zhao ignored him and said thoughtfully, "Is the emperor going to deal with Shao Bao?"

Gu Tao nodded.

"Master, are you worried about how to reconcile the conflict between the Emperor and the Young Protector?"

"Well, my good wife knows me well." Gu Tao sighed, "If the emperor can successfully get rid of the young guard, it would be fine. If not... I am afraid that the world will be in chaos.

The current situation is like an arrow on a bow string, there is really no room for Shao Bao."

Zhao asked, "Master, what chance do you think of winning today?"

Gu Tao pondered for a moment and said, "If we take action in the near future and arrange it properly, we will have a good chance of success."

Zhao shook her head and said, "My opinion is exactly the opposite of what the master sees. The master seems to have forgotten that there is another person."

Gu Tao was stunned and asked, "Madam, are you talking about the Queen?"

Zhao nodded slowly and said, "I have met the Queen several times, and the current Queen is not an easy person to get along with.

If the Grand Protector falls, it will mean that the Second Prince will be blocked from ascending the throne. How can she just sit back and watch? How can Yingchuan Chen Shi just sit back and watch?"

Gu Tao said: "This makes sense, but Your Majesty must have been prepared."

Zhao smiled and said, "It depends on who is more skilled, the emperor or the empress. This is one of them.

Secondly, Shao Bao is the most talented person in the world. The master also said that he has a very powerful strategist by his side, who is no less powerful than Guo Jia and Zhuge Liang. Could he be defeated so easily?

Anyone who wants to deal with him will end up losing more than he gains."

Gu Tao sighed, "I'm worried about this. If Shao Bao escapes and strikes back, the country will be in chaos and the people will suffer a lot."

Zhao said, "Master seems to have forgotten one thing. To keep the world from being in chaos, it is not necessary for the Grand Guardian to die. Do the Queen and the Grand Guardian want the world to be in chaos?"

Gu Tao was startled and whispered, "Madam means..."

Zhao said, "Master, do you think the Queen and the Young Master are kind-hearted?"

Gu Tao shook his head and suddenly found himself in a dead end. If the emperor suddenly passed away, who could check and balance Jia Cong and the queen?
Could this really happen? The more Gu Tao thought about it, the more thrilling the fight in the palace became. His fingers trembled slightly, and he said no more.

"Master has been concerned about the people all his life. Now that it's a critical moment, he should leave some room for retreat." Zhao said.

"What does Madam mean?"

"Secretly warn the young guard and do him a favor.

In fact, there is no need for you to remind me. The young master naturally knew that Your Majesty wanted to put away the bow and birds after they were all killed, and he was just pretending.

It will not hinder Your Majesty from taking action against him, and it can also win some favor. If Your Majesty succeeds and Shao Bao is defeated, then naturally there will be no problem.

If your majesty fails and the young master rises, you can have the best of both worlds. " Zhao said.

Gu Tao nodded and smiled, "Madam is a true female Zhuge. But my identity is sensitive and I am not able to move around easily. If I let someone else pass on the message, it may leak secrets."

Zhao said, "I will do the work myself."

"How does Madam act?"

"That's easy. Just order someone to keep an eye on the Jia Mansion. When Princess Ruyi enters the palace, I will immediately go to the palace to pay my respects to the Queen. I will definitely run into the princess, and then find an opportunity to say a few words to her."

"Good, great. No trace left." Gu Tao clapped his hands and smiled.

Worrying about the people of the world is the ideal of Confucian scholars, but politicians are ultimately creatures who put profit above all else. If they can please both sides and be invincible, why not do it?
(End of this chapter)