Ming Dynasty: pacifying the rebellion and defending the border, dominating the world

Chapter 98: Alarming the Court, Confrontation in the Palace

at the same time.

Ming Dynasty, Beijing.

The news of the emperor's disappearance eventually reached the palace and alarmed the cabinet.

The Empress Dowager met with the cabinet ministers in Renshou Palace.

"Is the news accurate?"

"Reporting to the Queen Mother, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Eastern Depot, and the Six Gates have confirmed it several times."

"How dare you! What does Prince Su want to do?" The Queen Mother slammed the table and stood up, shouting, "By holding the Emperor hostage, are you trying to emulate Cao Cao and use the emperor to control the other princes?"

Cabinet Chief Minister Yang Yanhe, Li Dongyang and others sighed helplessly.

Based on their understanding of Zhu Jinzhen and the Prince Su's Palace, it is not impossible for the other party to emulate Cao Cao and use the emperor to control the princes.

Seeing the silence of the cabinet ministers, the Queen Mother could only temporarily quell her anger and ask: "The Emperor has been held hostage. What are your plans?"

Cabinet Minister Liu Jian bowed and replied, "Queen Dowager, please calm down. Upon learning of Your Majesty's plight, the Cabinet, along with the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commandery, has mobilized troops from the four border garrisons of Datong, Xuanfu, Yansui, and Shanxi to prepare them and be ready to march to the king's aid at any time."

"Although this matter was urgent, it is still an act of usurpation. Please punish me, Your Majesty."

After these words were spoken, the Queen Mother was still unmoved.

All the ministers in the cabinet changed their expressions and looked surprised.

Yang Yanhe and Li Dongyang looked at each other and saw the strangeness in each other's eyes.

No one knew better than the Cabinet, the Ministry of War, and the Five Military Commandery why they suddenly mobilized troops. However, Liu Jian portrayed it as an emergency measure, a move for the emperor's benefit.

Yu Luo, the Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion, could not help but admire, "After Liu Jin was executed, he was quickly reinstated and put back into the cabinet. This Liu Jian is indeed a man of quick wit and eloquence."

A strange look flashed in the Queen Mother's eyes. She knew a little about the cabinet and the civil servants.

Otherwise, Zhu Houzhao would not have established the Leopard House and tried so hard to consolidate military power to check and balance the civil officials. She still remembered the look on her face when she asked her to force the emperor to obey.

However, in this matter, since Liu Jian had already brought it up, he also deliberately pointed out that "things happen in a hurry". Even if the empress dowager knew that there was something fishy, ​​looking at the cabinet ministers in the hall, she could only pretend not to see it.

But he still complained in his heart: "Anyway, this is the emperor's problem to worry about. I just want the emperor to come back."

At this point, the Queen Mother smiled. "In an emergency, we must act with discretion. My dear minister, you are also thinking about the Emperor. Why are you accusing me of a crime? Stand up!"

"Thank you, Queen Mother." Liu Jian straightened up decisively.

The eyes of the cabinet ministers flickered, and they had a clearer understanding of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.

"Although I am in the harem and unaware of state affairs, I do know a little about Prince Su's affairs. He is an exceptional martial artist, known as the number one swordsman. He also commands hundreds of thousands of troops from Tiance, Cangyun, and the Twelve Guards of Shaanxi."

"If we rashly mobilize our forces, the emperor's safety will be in jeopardy..."

Upon hearing this, Liu Jian quickly bowed again and replied, "Don't worry, Queen Mother. This time, we are mobilizing troops from all sides only for deterrence, not for war. As for Prince Su..."

"He is a land-based swordsman, incomparable to ordinary masters."

"I have no idea what to do at the moment."

As he said that, Liu Jian bowed and retreated to the back, leaving the main field to another person.

"What should we do then?" The Queen Mother looked worried.

Jiao Fang, a cabinet elder, stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Replying to the Queen Mother, although Prince Su's strength is unfathomable, I do have a way to deal with him. I can welcome Your Majesty back, but I'm afraid it will be difficult to silence the people's gossip."

Upon hearing this, the empress dowager asked obediently, "The emperor is related to the safety of the country and the stability of the Ming Dynasty. How can mere rumors be compared with the safety of the emperor? My dear, just tell me." "Foreign aid!" Jiao Fang said in a deep voice.

"Foreign aid?" The Queen Mother was shocked and looked at Jiao Fang in disbelief.

Cao Zhengchun, the head of the East Depot, who had been silent until then, could not help but ask, "Lord Jiao Fang, I wonder who the foreign aid you mentioned is? Who is it? What kind of power do they have?"

"This question, the king also wants to know."

A loud voice sounded.

Then, Zhu Wusi, dressed in a python robe, strode in.

Jiao Fang was horrified, "Divine Marquis? You are not..."

According to the cabinet's intelligence, Zhu Wusi should not be in the capital at this time, but in Shaanxi. Why did he suddenly appear in the capital?
Zhu Wusi glanced at Jiao Fang with a gloomy expression, bowed to the Queen Mother, and replied, "I hurried back from Lintao Prefecture, exhausting seventeen horses along the way. I didn't dare to stop for a moment, and only then did I manage to rush back to stop your plot."

"Conspiracy, what conspiracy?"

"Although the Divine Marquis is a royal relative, you cannot make random accusations without any evidence."

Jiao Fang frowned and replied.

"Really?"

Zhu Wusi sneered, his gaze sweeping across the cabinet ministers. "Weren't you just discussing seeking foreign aid to bring back His Majesty? I'm curious, what kind of foreign aid would give you such confidence to defeat Prince Su and bring back His Majesty?"

"This……"

Jiao Fang looked hesitant, not knowing how to explain.

Zhu Wusi pressed on, snorting coldly, "What? I'm a royal relative, your majesty's uncle, and I have the imperial seal and imperial sword bestowed upon me by the late emperor. Don't you think even I can't know?"

"Or, you dare not reveal in front of the Queen Mother and the ministers who exactly you are referring to as foreign aid?"

"God, please calm down."

Yang Yanhe stepped forward and gave Jiao Fang a look: "Elder Jiao, the Divine Marquis is in charge of Hulong Villa and has the responsibility to protect the country and the people. He is also the number one master of the Ming Dynasty. It is reasonable for him to know this."

Jiao Fang's body trembled and she looked at Yang Yanhe in surprise.

The latter just gave him a look that showed he understood, and then he returned to his original position, closing his eyes and looking like he was resting.

"Ok."

Jiao Fang's mind raced, and he quickly came up with an idea: "Since the Divine Marquis has asked, then I won't hide it anymore."

"The external aid I'm referring to is the three great Shaolin monks, the previous generation of the Kong family, the Duke of Yansheng, Zhang Tianshi of Longhu Mountain, the Great Sui Dynasty's Cihang Jingzhai's Master Di Ni, the Great Sui Dynasty's number one Taoist master Ning Daoqi, and the one in the palace!"

"So, is the Divine Marquis satisfied?"

All those people Jiao Fang mentioned were peerless masters who were famous throughout the world.

Zhu Wusi glanced at Jiao Fang suspiciously and asked calmly, "The strongest of the three Shaolin monks is only the Grandmaster of Celestial Phenomenon. That Duke Yansheng hasn't been seen in the human world for a hundred years. Could it be that he has already reached the realm of a terrestrial immortal? Are you sure you can invite him?"

"Also, the old Heavenly Master from Mount Longhu is rumored to have been in seclusion for ten years. In reality, he's been traveling the world, and no one knows where he is. According to information from the Guardian Dragon Villa, he's no longer in the Ming Dynasty."

"As for Di Ni of Cihang Jingzhai, although he claims to have a glimpse into the ways of the gods, he is far away from the Great Sui Dynasty and has not achieved many impressive battles. We have no idea of ​​his true strength. Ning Daoqi is known as the number one master of Taoism, and he can barely be considered a land immortal."

"Including Duke Zheng, there are only four land-based immortals at most."

"Jiao Fang, you are not telling the truth."

(End of this chapter)