Thief Emperor

Chapter 1148 Seemingly Heroic

The 28th day of the twelfth month of the fifteenth year of Zhangwu.

There are only two days left until the end of the year.

It was already cold at this time, and even colder in the northwest. In Lingzhou City, Prince Qin, Li Zheng, who was wearing full armor, took off his armor and led his brother Li Tong into the main hall of the Lingzhou Prefectural Governor's Mansion.

At this moment, he already knew that General Chen was in the governor's mansion. After entering the main hall, His Highness the Prince of Qin smiled and clasped his hands in greeting.

"Uncle Chen, the rebellion in the Northwest has been quelled!"

Prince Su, Li Tong, also clasped his hands in a salute and addressed him as "Uncle".

Chen Da stood up and returned the greeting with clasped hands: "Greetings, Your Highness Prince Qin, Your Highness Prince Su."

King Qin was older and more mature in his dealings with others. He pulled General Chen's sleeve, and the two sat down together. Then he looked at King Su and said with a smile, "Fourth Prince, you sit down too."

The three of them then took their seats.

After sitting down, His Highness the King of Qin was still excited. He said, "I didn't see Uncle Chen. Those rebels were chased by us. They were like stray dogs, fleeing hundreds of miles north."

"After chasing them for so long, we finally wiped out their main force, leaving only a few big cats and small cats who scattered like birds and beasts."

General Chen glanced at the two princes and forced a smile.

"Your Highnesses have pursued the enemy all the way and finally achieved this great feat. Congratulations!"

The King of Qin noticed Chen Da's somewhat strained expression. He stroked his chin, looked back at the King of Su, and said with a smile, "Fourth brother, you must be tired from your journey. Go and rest first. I'll come find you for a drink later."

Prince Su thought for a moment, then responded and stood up to bow to Chen Da, saying, "Uncle Chen, you and Second Brother can talk. I'll go now."

Chen Da quickly stood up and returned the greeting with clasped hands.

"Your Highness, please proceed with caution."

Prince Su didn't linger and withdrew immediately. After he left, Prince Qin looked at Chen Da, poured him a cup of tea, and said with a smile, "Did Father Emperor say something to Uncle Chen? Or does the court have some dissatisfaction with this suppression of the rebellion in the Northwest?"

Chen Da looked at the Prince of Qin and sighed: "The imperial court's strength is here, and there are imperial troops stationed in Guanzhong. The rebellion in the northwest can be quelled sooner or later. Why does Your Highness need to fight so hastily?"

His Highness the King of Qin didn't seem to care. He took a sip of tea and said, "That's different."

"Now that we've quelled the rebellion in the Northwest, of the ten thousand soldiers Uncle Chen gave me, including the seriously wounded, only a little over eighteen hundred remain."

"If we fight step by step and drag it out for a year or two, we might lose half of our troops."

The King of Qin raised his head slightly, his gaze carrying a hint of wildness.

"If we can reduce the number of brothers who die, then of course we should fight this way. No matter where you go, I will say the same thing, even in front of the Emperor."

Chen Da was taken aback and asked, "Does Your Highness not care about your personal reputation?"

The King of Qin put down his teacup and said with a smile, "I'm not going to compete for the throne, so reputation isn't that important."

He looked at Chen Da and said, "Uncle Chen, this time, the number of Hu people in the Northwest has probably reached twenty or thirty thousand. They must have suffered greatly."

"For the next ten or twenty years, the Northwest will no longer be in chaos. When my fourth brother arrives in Suzhou, he will have time to gradually establish the Su Province, so that he will not be caught in a predicament."

"Even from this point of view, I don't think I did anything wrong."

He patted his chest and said, "Even if it happened again, I would still fight like this."

Seeing that Chen Da was about to speak, His Highness the Prince of Qin smiled and said, "I know, Father's thoughts are somewhat different from mine. Father is too benevolent."

His Highness the King of Qin said calmly, "These barbarians fear power but do not appreciate kindness. They do not remember the benefits the court gives them; they only remember swords, spears, and gunpowder."

Chen Da was somewhat moved. He paused, then took out a newly published official gazette of the Tang Dynasty from his pocket and handed it to the Prince of Qin.

"His Highness's affairs in the Northwest have already been reported in the official gazette."

The King of Qin took it and glanced at it, then shook his head and laughed, "I'm not that powerful. This official report from the third brother is just exaggerating my abilities."

General Chen glanced at Li Zheng but said nothing.

His Highness the King of Qin also realized what was happening and gave a self-deprecating laugh: "That's right, Father Emperor went on an eastern tour to Jinling. My eldest brother is now in charge of Luoyang. Without his approval, the third brother probably wouldn't dare to do it on his own."

As he spoke, he looked at Chen Da and continued, "Uncle Chen, I don't think this is a bad thing."

"I'm not a person with many big thoughts."

He said calmly, "Even if I had such thoughts before, they gradually faded away after I was enfeoffed."

"Since I am not vying for the throne, my reputation is not that important. When I was young, I loved martial arts and always thought about joining the army to serve my country. That's why I followed General Meng and spent some time in the army."

“I know that many of the older soldiers in the army said I resembled my father.”

He looked at Chen Da and said with a smile, "If I know about this, it must have reached my elder brother's ears, which is why I was appointed to a post in Chang'an."

"This is no one's fault, especially not Father."

He began by saying, "I was able to come to Chang'an to become the King of Qin mostly because of my mother's influence."

"Now that the battle in the Northwest is over, I have quelled the rebellion for the country, cleared the way for my fourth brother, and completely dispelled my eldest brother's suspicions." He tilted his head back to drink his tea, looked at Chen Da, and smiled, "Isn't that wonderful?"

These words were too bold, and even Chen Da's expression changed. He stood up, walked to the door and closed it before returning to his original position. He looked at the King of Qin and sighed, "Now, he should be called General Li."

The King of Qin was taken aback, then nodded: "Yes, I misspoke."

General Chen also picked up his teacup, took a sip, and continued, "Your Highness's battle in the Northwest was quite impressive in terms of results. If I were to fight this battle, it would probably not be over until next year."

"I don't think Your Highness did anything wrong, but I do think Your Highness's methods were too extreme."

"but."

He whispered, "His Majesty has always disliked the army slaughtering civilians."

"I know."

The King of Qin remained calm: "At worst, I'll be stripped of my title, or I'll be confined to Luoyang for a while. If I really go back to Luoyang, I can still see my mother and sister."

He tilted his head back and drank the tea as if it were strong liquor.

"Anyway, I have a clear conscience."

He looked at Chen Da and said with a smile, "Uncle Chen, you didn't come here to kidnap me, did you?"

He stretched out his hands: "If it is my father's will, as his son, I will never resist."

Chen Da shook his head, patted Li Zheng's shoulder, and sighed, "Your Highness has the heroic spirit, just like His Majesty, but your thoughts are very different."

The King of Qin withdrew his hands and said with a smile, "I heard from my uncle, the King of Jin, that when Father Emperor was young, he had a moment of enlightenment, and since then he has been very different. I probably haven't had an enlightenment yet, so my thoughts are very different from Father Emperor's."

"but."

He patted his chest and said, "I have a clear conscience regarding the Northwest matter. Whether I see my father or my elder brother, I have something to say."

"I have been a prince for over twenty years, and now I can say that I have done something for the country and for my father!"

Chen Da patted the Prince of Qin on the shoulder and said quietly, "His Majesty means that after Erlang finishes the war in the Northwest, he should return to the Prince of Qin's residence in Chang'an and wait. After the New Year, in the middle of next year, His Majesty will come to Chang'an in person."

At this point, Chen Da hesitated for a moment before saying, "Originally, I was supposed to return to Luoyang at the beginning of next year to report to the court. But given the current situation, I'll stay in Chang'an for another six months until His Majesty arrives."

"Don't worry, Erlang. If His Majesty punishes you because of the war in the Northwest, I will definitely speak up for you."

At this point, Chen Da's title had also changed.

His Highness the Prince of Qin stood up, his eyes already brimming with tears. He bowed deeply to Chen Da, clasped his hands in thanks, and said, "Thank you, Uncle!"

Chen Da stood up, patted him on the shoulder, and sighed.

"Erlang should try to control his temper in the future."

His Highness the King of Qin smiled and said, "Nephew obeys."

General Chen shook his head, then looked at the sky outside and said, "The New Year is the day after tomorrow. I will stay in Lingzhou City and spend the New Year with Your Highness. After the New Year, we will return to Chang'an together and take care of the business in the Shuofang area."

"Let He Jun handle it. He comes from a logistics background and is good at these things."

His Highness the King of Qin nodded with a smile.

"Okay, I'll listen to Uncle Chen."

…………

Two days later, on New Year's Eve.

At almost the same time, fireworks lit up the night sky in Luoyang and Jinling. All kinds of fireworks exploded in the sky.

On the imperial city wall of Luoyang, His Highness the Crown Prince stood with his hands behind his back, gazing up at the fireworks exploding in the night sky.

Meanwhile, in Jinling City, thousands of miles away, His Majesty the Emperor also stood on the Imperial City Tower, looking up at the fireworks that filled the sky.

Beside him were Empress Xue and their son and daughter.

His Majesty the Emperor looked at her for a while before turning to Empress Xue and saying with emotion, "Madam."

Time really flies.

He held Empress Xue's hand and shook his head, saying, "The last time my husband and I were in Jinling, the children were still very young."

"Now, quite a few of them are adults."

Empress Xue hummed in agreement and looked at Li Yun.

"The children are all grown up, and my husband and I are getting old."

She sighed softly and looked towards Luoyang.

"I wonder how Yuan'er is doing in Luoyang..."

(End of this chapter)