The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 724 The Princess's Plan
On the second day of November in the sixth year of Guangde, Dongzhuang in Suzhou Prefecture, Nanzhili, was surrounded by bamboo trees and had a quiet and peaceful atmosphere.

In a secluded nunnery, Princess Liu Yufei of the Great Qi Dynasty had a resolute expression on her face, holding a scattered book in her hand, and slowly scanning the people in the room with her eyes.

A group of warriors in black casual clothes with strong bodies stood respectfully around, all wearing muskets and short swords on their waists.

There was a commotion outside the nunnery. A servant pushed the door open, walked up to the princess and whispered something.

Upon hearing this, the eldest princess's expression changed slightly. She put down the book and sighed without saying a word.

The warriors looked at each other in confusion, and after a long pause they anxiously asked, "Excuse me, Princess, where did you get this news from?"

"Ningguta."

Liu Yufei pondered for a long time, then said helplessly, "Emperor Guangde sent Li Juying to Ningguta to search for criminals. I heard that General Pu's family was beaten to death."

Everyone was furious when they heard this:
"What? Didn't the emperor already dismiss him from office? Why did he still want to kill him all?"

"General Pu fought so hard for the Great Qi, but I never thought he would end up like this."

"The emperor is so heartless! He confiscated the Pu family's property without any charges. This is intolerable..."

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Finally, several attendants said in unison: "Your Highness, if you hesitate to make a decisive move, you will only suffer the consequences! Rise up the army! We are willing to follow Your Highness to quell the rebellion and bring peace to the people! Follow the example of Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty in quelling the rebellion."

A civil servant also stepped forward, knelt on the ground and said, "Your Highness, the people miss the retired emperor like babies miss their parents, like drought-stricken land longs for rain. Rumor has it that Emperor Guangde is not the retired emperor's biological child, and his reign is not legitimate. The people all over the world know that Your Highness is deeply favored by the retired emperor and is the only flesh and blood relative of the late emperor in this world. In our dynasty, men and women are equal, as the saying goes, women can determine the fate of the world. In this extraordinary time, I hope Your Highness can consider the people of the world..."

The eldest princess waved her hand to signal her confidants to stay calm.

"Everyone, be quiet,"

The confidants did not calm down, and the civil servant continued:
"Your Highness, the Emperor Emeritus went on an expedition to Japan, and his fate remains unknown. The world is now in turmoil, with alarm raging in both the north and south. Emperor Guangde, for his own selfish reasons, has allowed the Great Qi to stagnate, allowing the army to rest. He first expelled the civil officials, then murdered the military and drastically reduced the army, even slaughtering all the meritorious officials. Emperor Guangde's actions have brought grief to his loved ones and joy to his enemies! If Your Highness does not take action, I fear the world will collapse before our very eyes."

Seeing that everyone was difficult to appease, Liu Yufei said earnestly:

"I understand your point. It's just that Da Qi is already chaotic enough with just one emperor. You're still thinking of having two. Aren't you afraid of even greater chaos? Those who do too much evil will eventually perish. Just wait and see. I will personally travel to Nanjing and persuade my brother one last time. I hope he can stop and not lead Da Qi into an irretrievable situation. As for rising up in rebellion and causing the suffering of millions of people, that's not what I, the Princess of Da Qi, should do."

"Your Highness, please stay!" A civil servant rushed forward, knelt at Liu Yufei's feet, grabbed the hem of the princess's robe, and cried bitterly:
"Don't worry, Your Highness! The commanders of all the corps have sent envoys to Suzhou, and the news has reached all parties. Right now, not only are the troops dissatisfied with the court, but many people in the civil administration and workshops also oppose the new policies. If Your Highness raises an army now, there will surely be a large number of people to respond. Within ten days, Nanjing will be conquered with a single edict, and the culprit will be eliminated without any effort!"

Liu Yufei stared at the civil servant and asked word by word, "Do General Deng and the First and Second Corps also agree with the Jingnan Campaign?"

The civil servant who had been speaking eloquently just now was immediately speechless.

The princess said leisurely, "The court's three most elite military corps are still firmly in the hands of Liu Kan. If we launch an uprising rashly and fail to capture Nanjing in one battle, there will only be rivers of bloodshed, and others will reap the benefits. I don't want to be the second Wu Zetian, but my father has high hopes for me, and he cannot let the Great Qi be destroyed in my hands."

"The time is not yet ripe. Those who do evil will eventually perish. Wait until I have persuaded Liu Kan. If he still doesn't stop, we can talk about it then." How could his confidants wait any longer?

Many of them had lost their power due to Emperor Guangde's "New Deal" and had gathered around the eldest princess. They bet their lives, property, future and wealth on this prestigious princess in a gamble of wealth and fame.

One counselor angrily said, "A country cannot have two masters. Your Highness, what do you want us to do? If you want us to die, please continue to condone the culprit. If you want us to serve Your Highness, please send troops immediately. We will follow you until death..."

Liu Yufei sneered twice and interrupted with a wave of her hand.

"From what I know about Liu Kan, he won't be satisfied with this. He might exempt the gentry from taxes and transfer the burden of corvée and taxes back to the common people. He will also change the number of places for the imperial examinations in the northern and southern provinces. In short, he will protect the rights of the civil servants and gradually restore the Great Qi to the pre-Ming Dynasty."

"Most of you are well-educated people. You should know the story of the ancient text 'Duke Zheng Conquers Duan at Yan' better than I do."

Everyone looked at each other.

The princess's metaphor is obviously biased.

The Emperor Guangde who holds power today is not Gongshu Duan, and the eldest princess is not Duke Wu of Zheng.

Liu Yufei said with a slight disappointment:

"It seems that you have read all your books in vain."

The princess picked up the "Tao Te Ching" she was reading and put it down again, holding a Buddhist whisk in her hand, and said in a detached tone:
"So if he doesn't fight, no one in the world can fight him. After all, I've been with Liu Kan for over a decade, and I know my brother isn't one to act rashly. He's being so aggressive now, hoping to lure the snake out of its hole. If you raise an army or disobey now, you'll fall into his trap and die without a burial place. You all think of yourselves as Duke Zheng, but have you ever considered that you're actually Gong Shuduan?"

"As long as he has more determination than Duke Zheng, Gong Shuduan may have a chance of winning."

Liu Yufei continued, "While my brother is making enemies everywhere, you should make all kinds of plans and preparations, especially with those dismissed military officers and civil officials. When the time is right, you can fight and decide the outcome."

"When my father was on the throne, he taught me many times that the outcome of every war is determined before it begins. This is the best strategy, to defeat the enemy's plans."

Civil officials and military generals all bowed in submission.

The eldest princess waved her hand wearily, signaling everyone to leave.

"If there is nothing important in the future, please do not bother Dongzhuang easily. If you have something to say, just inform the Chief Secretary. The Suoyi Guards are not pushovers. If you push Emperor Guangde too far, not only you, but I too will be sent to the Imperial Prison."

Although everyone had their own ulterior motives, they all shared the same goal of opposing Emperor Guangde's tyranny, so they naturally regarded Princess Liu Kan as their spiritual leader.

After listening to the eldest princess's teachings, everyone slowly left the nunnery and left this quiet and peaceful Suzhou villa.

(End of this chapter)