The Bad Guys: Everyone, let’s revive the Tang Dynasty together!

Chapter 370: Why did Your Majesty rebel? (V)

Outside the palace, more than 100,000 troops were either galloping or moving secretly in Longyou and Guanxi. Within the territory of hundreds or even thousands of miles, the brave warriors from Qi, Shu and Daliang were all using their wisdom and courage to prepare for a battle that could overturn the situation in half of the world.

No matter how many conspiracies and intrigues are carried out in this vast territory, they will all be turned into the sharpest blades and end with the lives of thousands of people.

Inside the palace, although the water surface is calm, there are undercurrents surging underneath. The danger is not from swords and knives, but it is far more dangerous than swords and knives. The undercurrents caused by it are definitely not inferior to the collision of tens of thousands of troops!

In Ziwei City, in front of the Jixian Hall of the Yingxian Palace, an eunuch hurried in with several eunuchs and maids from the Yeting Palace. Ye Bushou, who was on duty at the entrance of the Jixian Hall, naturally saw them from afar.

These eunuchs and palace maids were originally servants of Zhu Youzhen's palace. When Zhu Youzhen became the emperor, these people also entered the palace with him, and their status was different from before. Although the power of eunuchs had been compressed to the extreme since the end of the Tang Dynasty, they were still people close to the emperor, and they had face both inside and outside the palace, and ordinary ministers were unlikely to offend them.

But Zhu Youzhen was just a puppet. Even though he had high-ranking eunuchs who were influential and even served as the Junior Supervisor of the Internal Affairs Bureau, he had to nod and smile when facing Ye Bushu, an ordinary young general.

The young general did not put on airs and bowed slightly, but then he immediately stretched out his hand to block the palace door and said, "What brings you here, Ma Shaojian?"

Ma Shaojian smiled and then turned around to gesture to the baskets held by the palace servants behind him: "The weather is getting hotter and hotter. The emperor is feeling stuffy and wants to have something cool, so he sent me to get some tribute melons. I also reported to General Li Mang and bought some new things to relieve the emperor's boredom.

Well, I guess the emperor is about to get up for his lunch break, so I'll just take these melons and other things with me to report... Or, the captain can also take a few and distribute them to the soldiers? This is a tribute from Dingnan Town, and it is said to be produced in Liangzhou."

Ma Shaojian's words were extremely polite, and even had a hint of flattery, which really made him feel sad. Even when he was in Prince Jun's mansion, he had never suffered such grievances. In front of outsiders, he was the only one who could bully others in the name of Prince Jun.

Now Prince Jun has become the emperor, while those who rose from the palace are actually going backwards!
After hearing this, the young general did not move away, and did not respond to the question of taking the melon. As for Zhu Youzhen, the puppet emperor, Xiao Yan did not lose money. Generally speaking, Zhu Youzhen could still act like an emperor in the palace, so these little things were naturally nothing.

The young general simply walked around a few palace maids. The palace maids who were holding baskets lowered their heads and wore gauze-covered hats. They were all fair-skinned and of similar height, and looked the same.

However, the young general walked around and finally stopped beside a eunuch who was bending over.

Ma Shaojian's face froze for a moment, and he laughed dryly, "Captain, this is... it's getting late, and these things were delivered late. It's okay, but I'm afraid the emperor will take it out on us..."

But the young officer finally smiled and waved his hand: "Forget it, I am an old acquaintance of Ma Shaojian, no problem, go in."

"Captain, you are so considerate. I have an errand for you. I will invite you again tomorrow..." Ma Shaojian hurriedly bowed and went straight into the palace. Several eunuchs behind him also hurriedly followed. No one dared to stay in front of Ye Bushu for a moment.

Entering the Yingxian Palace is like entering the royal backyard, where the emperor usually stays. Behind it are the palaces where the concubines and others live. People generally don't go in at night. Although Xiao Yan gives people a domineering attitude, he will not do anything to humiliate the royal dignity at this critical juncture.

After they passed through a ceremonial gate and turned a corner, Ma Shaojian finally breathed a sigh of relief and dismissed several eunuchs, leaving only the eunuch who had been stopped and stared at by the young general. They and the eunuch each held a basket and went straight to Zhu Youzhen's bedroom in the palace.

After walking a few steps away, Ma Shaojian turned around, wiped his sweat and smiled bitterly, "Doctor Li, you now know why the emperor has been reluctant to see you, right? Two days ago, after I got your letter and handed it to the emperor, the emperor didn't dare to close his eyes all night, fearing that he would be discovered. Today you risked entering the palace again, this... is there anything that can't be said in the letter?"

The young eunuch who had been bowing his head finally raised his head at this moment. He looked very scholarly and had a lazy temperament. His small eyes gleamed slightly as he glanced around. It was Li Ting who had met Niu Cunjie, Yuan Xiangxian and Kou Yanqing two days ago.

However, he had already shaved off the three beautiful strands of whiskers at the corners of his mouth, and his face was fair and clean, making him look no different from a eunuch. Only after he spoke did he seem a little different from a eunuch, and he looked more masculine.

"Some important matters, which are not clearly stated in the letter, require the emperor to make a decision as soon as possible. If the emperor hesitates after receiving the letter and is unwilling to make a decision, what will the loyal and dedicated people below wait for?"

Ma Shaojian gave a bitter smile, and felt that the cold sweat on his back had not yet dried. But he did not say much, and just led Li Ting inside.

The so-called Yingxian Palace Jixian Hall was originally named Jixian Hall, also called Changsheng Hall. It was built by Empress Wu Zetian and changed to Jixian Hall after Kaiyuan. It has always been the emperor's bedroom. The inner and outer palaces are elegant. Although a little old, compared with the small and compact palace in Bianjing, it is like a palace in heaven, magnificent and magnificent. After Zhu Wen became emperor, he only stayed in this Jixian Hall when he visited Luoyang every year.

Although Zhu Youzhen was hastily enthroned by Xiao Yan and his power was far inferior to that of Zhu Wen, he was still an emperor after all. This time, he was forced by Xiao Yan to lead the army to Guanzhong against his will, so naturally he stayed in the Jixian Hall without any hesitation.

In the past, when the Zhu family fought for the throne, there were always two factions, the Ghost King and the Underworld Emperor. Although Zhu Youzhen was Zhu Wen's legitimate son, his chances of becoming the crown prince were slim. Naturally, he could only guess about his feelings about living in the Jixian Hall. He had beautified this place countless times in his mind.

But when he actually moved in, he felt like a prisoner in the palace, unable to sleep or eat, and the longer he lived there, the more tormented he became.

There was really no way out. Since arriving in Luoyang, the freedom of him, a dignified emperor of the Zhu family, was limited to the Yingxian Palace and the back garden area. If he wanted to go out, he would be stopped by Ye Bu Shou.

He, Zhu Youzhen, claimed to be the Emperor of Daliang, but in fact he was just a prisoner called the Emperor!

Nearly two months had passed since the Bian Jing mutiny. When he first ascended the throne, Zhu Youzhen was naturally submissive to Xiao Yan. He was right beside Xiao Yan when Xiao Yan abducted Zhu Wen and openly forged an imperial edict that night. Not to mention the scene of nearly a thousand cavalrymen led by Ding Badu killing people in the city of Bian Jing, which he still remembers vividly.

Throughout history, how many puppet monarchs have been forced and persecuted by powerful officials? Not to mention the distant past, Tang Zhaozong Li Ye did not have a good end when he fell into the hands of his father Zhu Wen. The miserable scene of Tang Zhaozong made Zhu Youzhen excited back then, and it frightened him now. He didn't even dare to think about it, otherwise he would not be able to sleep at night, for fear that a fire would suddenly start in the harem while he was sleeping, and then a big man in armor would come in and stab him.

Therefore, even if there was no human rights, Zhu Youzhen could only keep comforting himself at the beginning that his Zhu family had no deep hatred with Xiao Yan, and if he cooperated with Xiao Yan honestly, he would be able to live for ten or twenty years. Not to mention whether he would have a chance to overthrow Xiao Yan, as long as he could be a peaceful king for ten or twenty years and have a good end, it would be a blessing.

But as the situation progressed, after he was brought from Bian Jing to Luoyang, Zhu Youzhen finally saw some signs.

Xiao Yan's foundation seems unstable.

Not to mention whether Xiao Yan could maintain stability in the court, outside the court, several powerful military leaders forced Xiao Yan to maintain the authority of the central government, and even had to pull Jing Xiang and others to stabilize the hearts of the people in the court and the country.

Although Zhu Youzhen was trapped in the palace of the rear court, he had heard from his trusted eunuchs that Xiao Yan had arrived in Guanzhong with his army and had not left Luoyang to march out because the situation in Chang'an was unclear. It was said that although the Grand Marshal Yang Shihou had expressed his obedience to the new dynasty, he was unwilling to give up his military power and wanted to force the court to transfer him to Zezhou to command all the troops in the western camp.

After Zhu Youzhen carefully found out the intermittent news, he finally changed his mind.

Well, Xiao Yan has no foundation in the court, and can only rely on the Hebei troops. I am the emperor of Daliang, and I control half of the world! Why should I let Xiao Yan manipulate me?

I have already ascended the throne and have already held a suburban sacrifice and changed the reign title. Why should I rely on Xiao Yan to secure the throne?

After realizing this, Zhu Youzhen immediately became eager to get rid of the days where even his life was held in the hands of Xiao Yan.

He had spent the past few days trying to gather information about the previous dynasty, but it was easier said than done. Outside the imperial palace, Li Mang personally led layers of security at night. The so-called protection of the emperor was nothing more than using Xiao Yan's minions to monitor him, the emperor. He didn't even know how many of the eunuchs on his left and right were loyal.

But even so, Zhu Youzhen was extremely enthusiastic and sent his confidant Ma Shaojian to look for loyal people inside and outside the palace in the name of obtaining enjoyment for him. Unfortunately, the operation was unsuccessful. Even though Ma Shaojian took great pains to disguise himself and secretly find some prestigious officials in the court, these officials all stayed away for fear of getting into trouble.

After a while, not to mention Ma Shaojian who had to leave the palace, even Zhu Youzhen didn't dare to send Ma Shaojian out again. The officials avoided him like a disaster. If someone secretly complained to Xiao Yan, who would have thought that Xiao Yan would be angry and give him a taste of his own medicine. As a result, Zhu Youzhen became obedient again. The only thing he could catch was to let Ma Shaojian secretly inquire about Yang Shihou's movements from time to time.

Until two days ago, Ma Shaojian secretly received a letter from Li Ting, saying that he would find an opportunity to meet Zhu Youzhen in person. At this moment, Zhu Youzhen seemed to have met a savior, and although he was afraid of being discovered by Ye Bushou, he immediately asked Ma Shaojian to arrange a secret meeting.

But in fact, Zhu Youzhen didn't know much about who Li Ting was. It was Ma Shaojian who found out about Li Ting's official position and many of his deeds. But things had come to this point, and Zhu Youzhen was unwilling to let it go even if it meant trying to save the situation. He was too afraid that Xiao Yan would suddenly come in with a knife one night and say something like "The emperor takes turns to sit on the throne, and this year it's my turn."

Until today, Zhu Youzhen was like an ant on a hot pan, feeling uneasy in the Jixian Hall. One moment he was worried that the matter would be exposed and Li Ting would be found out to be related to him. The next moment he was regretting why he had agreed to meet Li Ting on impulse. Although he was a puppet emperor and was worried, at least he was not in life-and-death crisis before warlords like Yang Shihou were controlled by Xiao Yan.

When his legs were starting to feel weak and he was filled with a feeling of anger or fear, a eunuch who was waiting outside with the same fear came in and reported: "Ma Shaojian is back..."

Zhu Youzhen almost jumped up from his chair and said hurriedly, "Let him in!"

After a while, Ma Shaojian was brought in by the eunuch. Zhu Youzhen did not even look at the two of them. His eyes were fixed on the people behind Ma Shaojian. Then, as if he remembered something, he shouted to his left and right: "Get out."

Ma Shaojian immediately left with the eunuchs serving in the palace, and even did not forget to guard the door himself.

Li Ting had been holding the basket with his head down since he entered the palace. Only then did he slowly look up and see Zhu Youzhen had already squeezed out a few tears. She walked over in two steps and supported Li Ting. Her voice was even more intimate, as if they were old friends: "I have finally been waiting for Doctor Li to come!"

Li Ting was slightly stunned. He did not expect that he and Zhu Youzhen had such a close relationship. However, he immediately chuckled and then bowed down with his clothes lifted: "Your Majesty, I am Li Ting, and I greet you."

Although Zhu Youzhen had a violent temper, he had already tamed it over the past month. He was not a fool, and he immediately helped Li Ting to sit down. He did not bother to exchange pleasantries. He and Li Ting had never met before, so there was no point in exchanging pleasantries. Moreover, Zhu Youzhen was very excited and was afraid that Ye Bushou would suddenly barge in. He was anxious to finish the conversation as soon as possible, so he immediately asked, "Mr. Li, is there anything important that you have come to see me for? What is the matter of eliminating the thieves mentioned in Mr. Li's letter?"

Li Ting did not keep the secret and said directly: "The emperor sent Ma Shaojian out to gather information before. Does he know what is going on outside?"

Zhu Youzhen was startled, then said carefully: "But Yang Taiwei of Chang'an..."

"That's right." Li Ting nodded and said, "Your Majesty is trapped in the Forbidden City. Although he can send eunuchs to investigate, the deeper things are not accessible to Ma Shaojian. Does Your Majesty know that the King of Song is in big trouble now?"

Zhu Youzhen's eyes widened immediately. If he was grateful to Xiao Yan on the night of the mutiny, he would even regard Xiao Yan as his reborn parent. But until today, he was already afraid and hated Xiao Yan. He wished that Xiao Yan would die immediately and his subordinates would become a mess, so that he, the legitimate emperor, could take control of the power. So he hurriedly urged, "Li Qing, please speak clearly!"

"The Emperor knew that General Yang had his troops in Chang'an and obeyed orders but not decrees, so the King of Song could not concentrate on attacking Qi and Shu. But the King of Song was young and hot-tempered after all. General Yang refused to give in, and he was unwilling to retreat either. He immediately sent his personal army to Dingbadu to advance westward. Now the King of Song's troops in Luoyang are only the imperial guards."

"Hmph, Xiao Yan is short-sighted and only wants to be a powerful official. How can he retreat to General Yang?" Zhu Youzhen couldn't help sneering after hearing the previous words. Of course, he was willing to see Xiao Yan and Yang Shihou at odds with each other, and even hoped that the two of them would fight and have a spectacular civil war.

But after hearing what happened next, he was stunned again and asked in astonishment: "What kind of trouble is this?"

This Zhu Youzhen is such a fool that he doesn't pay attention to the key points at all. Li Ting's eyelids jumped, but he also patiently explained: "The left and right personal troops of the King of Song have all gone out, and the Imperial Guards are willing to serve the King of Song only because the King of Song lured them with huge benefits in advance. The King of Song previously forced the retired emperor to abdicate, and now he is constantly oppressing General Yang, which has already aroused the dissatisfaction of the ministers. If the ministers do not stand on the side of the King of Song, they will naturally disturb the morale of the Imperial Guards. How can this situation not be considered a trouble for the King of Song?"

Zhu Youzhen's eyes widened again, and then he clenched his fists and muttered, "So, does this mean I have a chance? As long as I escape, I can call on the imperial guards to get rid of Xiao Yan?"

Li Ting froze involuntarily. He looked at Zhu Youzhen as if he were a fool, then sighed and said, "How difficult it is! The emperor is a new king, and he has no foundation in the imperial guards. Although the King of Song is unpopular, he still holds huge benefits. Even if it is you, the emperor, I am afraid it will be difficult to encourage the imperial guards to rebel..."

"Then what should I do?"

"The only chance is to bring General Yang to the court..." Li Ting said slowly, "General Yang has the Youguo Army under his command, and Chang'an also has the Zhenbing Army. In addition, the Tongzhou Kuangguo Army and the Huazhou Ganhua Army can also be used! As long as the three armies are deployed together, there is no need to worry about the King of Song not being defeated. And if General Yang enters the court, the Imperial Guards will also be intimidated and will not be used by the King of Song."

Zhu Youzhen was shocked and said, "Li Qing is the person sent by General Yang to contact me?"

Li Ting smiled faintly and said, "General Yang has tens of thousands of soldiers and horses under his command. He is not afraid of King Song at all. Moreover, General Yang's troops are swift and have already occupied Tongguan. As long as King Song leads his troops to leave Luoyang, General Yang can immediately lead his troops to support the king and block King Song between Tongguan and Luoyang. The only remaining trouble is that King Song is reluctant to lead the imperial army to leave Luoyang..."

Zhu Youzhen was like listening to a divine book at this moment. He could no longer argue. He just grabbed Li Ting's wrist and said, "What do you want me to do, General Yang?"

Li Ting smiled faintly and lowered his voice: "The emperor told King Song that you are willing to bring the emperor to persuade Yang Taiwei to cooperate with the court. Yang Taiwei has always respected the emperor. As long as the emperor shows up, not only can he stabilize the hearts of the imperial guards, but even Yang Taiwei will have no other excuses to cooperate. King Song will definitely agree."

This sentence exploded in Zhu Youzhen's ears like thunderbolt, shocking him so much that he was stunned for a moment, and then his face was full of anger, and he let go of Li Ting's hand: "General Yang obeys the emperor, so what should I do?"

As if he had expected this situation, Li Ting just laughed and said calmly: "The Ghost King and the Underworld Emperor are dead. The Emperor Retired has only one son, and the Emperor Retired is old. Is the Emperor still afraid that the Emperor Retired will be restored to the throne? After all, the Emperor Retired's appearance is your family affair. But if the King of Song does not fall, it is not just a family affair."

Zhu Youzhen had been staring at Li Ting angrily. He only reacted after hearing this, but he still trembled his lips and said, "Mr. Li, Mr. Li, please allow me to think carefully about this..."

"I have finished discussing my affairs. It is not my place to interfere whether the emperor wants to do this or not." Li Ting simply crossed his arms and bowed, and was about to leave: "But the opportunity is fleeting. I only have one thing to say. The emperor and the emperor emeritus are blood relatives after all."

After saying this, Li Ting bowed and said goodbye. Zhu Youzhen wanted to stop him but couldn't. It was not until Li Ting walked to the door that he gritted his teeth and said, "Okay! Okay! I'll listen to you. Tomorrow I'll go find that fellow Xiao Yan!"

Li Ting just smiled faintly, and finally bowed to Zhu Youzhen, and then left. Ma Shaojian didn't understand what was going on, so he followed him for a few steps and immediately turned back to look at Zhu Youzhen.

Zhu Youzhen was already in a state of confusion, and at this moment he just waved his hand in annoyance: "Go and protect Doctor Li out of the palace quickly."

Ma Shaojian could see that something unexpected might happen, and he was greatly encouraged. He immediately escorted Li Ting out of the palace more respectfully and carefully.

After the two left, Zhu Youzhen became even more agitated and paced back and forth in the palace.

His fear of Zhu Wen was no less than Xiao Yan's. It was not just because he had seized Zhu Wen's throne. He was even more afraid of Zhu Wen's prestige among the ministers over the years. He was afraid that if Zhu Wen were to return to the throne one day, he would be the first to kill his son.

But what Li Ting said was indeed true. Zhu Wen was old after all, and he was the only real heir left. Even if he was re-enthroned by Yang Shihou, Zhu Youzhen could only be demoted to the position of crown prince...

Xiao Yan, Xiao Yan...

Zhu Youzhen kept repeating these two words in his mind, and finally raised his head with gritted teeth.

If I had been given a little bit of power, I would not have done this, and I would not have joined forces with Yang Shihou.

You forced me to do this!
(End of this chapter)