The revitalization of the Tang Dynasty began with the Ganlu Incident.

In late autumn, the cold wind howls.

The banner of Fengxiang Military Town fluttered in the air, and Zheng Zhu, the military governor, suddenly raised his head.

"What?"

Despite having prepared himself for the worst, he still felt a sense of disbelief upon hearing Liu Hongyi's words.

"Lieutenant Liu, isn't there some misunderstanding? I, no, I was acting on His Majesty's orders..."

As Wang Shoucheng's former advisor, no one knew better than Zheng Zhu what the so-called inner prison was.

Upon hearing that the emperor intended to imprison him, Zheng Zhu panicked and began to stammer.

However, just as he was about to defend himself, Liu Hongyi's expression suddenly turned cold, and he said sternly.

"General Zheng, please be careful with your words. If His Majesty issues an edict, there should be a written decree from the Secretariat and the Chancellery. If you insist that you are returning to the capital by imperial decree, then which of these two documents do you possess?"

"I……"

Zheng Zhu was momentarily speechless.

He definitely didn't have a handwritten edict.

In fact, his return to Beijing this time was part of the agreement.

In fact, in the original plan, Fengxiang soldiers were the main force behind the coup.

However, an unexpected incident occurred on the way, which is why we were a few days late.

As for this coup, the emperor was already wavering in his resolve, so naturally he would not give them anything substantial, such as a handwritten letter.

Originally, he and Li Xun planned that as long as they killed Qiu Shiliang and had made a great contribution, the court would naturally not care about such a trivial matter as returning to the capital without permission.

But who would have thought that he would miss this coup?

In this way, without an imperial edict, his purpose in coming to the capital would be unclear.

Taking a deep breath, Zheng Zhu's mind raced, and he quickly replied.

"Lieutenant Liu, you must know about the plot of rebellion by Qiu Shiliang and others a few days ago. Qiu, Yu and others harbored evil intentions and had long planned to rebel. I returned to the capital this time because I received a message from Prime Minister Li Xun to return to the capital to defend the emperor. Although there was no imperial edict, His Majesty was aware of this matter."

"You only need to return to the palace and ask His Majesty in person to find out the details."

Given the urgency of the situation, even though Zheng Zhu tried his best to remain calm, his words inevitably contained flaws.

A smile flashed in Liu Hongyi's eyes as he continued to press on, saying...

"So, General Zheng came to protect the Emperor, but there's one thing I don't understand. You mentioned a feud, but Yu and his companion have long harbored rebellious intentions. How did you come to that conclusion?"

"It's unacceptable that the military governor could simply declare a grudge and have Yu and his men lead their troops into the capital. If that were the case, wouldn't every warlord in the land be able to lead their troops into the capital at any time?"

Zheng Zhu's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

Where did you see that?

The answer, of course, is that they didn't see it.

Because Qiu Shiliang and others plotted a rebellion, it was merely a pretext they made up afterward to save face, and there was no evidence whatsoever.

The truth behind this coup is known to everyone.

But this truth is precisely what cannot be told.

If Zheng Zhu arrived as scheduled and participated in the execution of Qiu Shiliang, then any excuse could be used to explain it.

But now he's a step too late, and it's not so easy for him to justify his behavior.

He forced a smile and said.

"Lieutenant Liu, regardless of the circumstances, I am a military governor personally appointed by the imperial court. Even if I were to be punished, I should at least be allowed to meet with the Emperor and the prime ministers of the Secretariat and Chancellery. How can you just imprison me directly?"

"Why don't we set up camp at this post station? After Lieutenant Liu returns to the palace and reports the details, I will certainly explain everything clearly in front of His Majesty and all the civil and military officials. What do you say?"

At this point, Zheng Zhu still held onto a sliver of hope.

In his view, the emperor might have been bewitched by some treacherous person, which is why he suddenly punished him.

As long as one can meet the Emperor, or at least see Li Xun, then everything will have a chance to turn around.

However, Liu Hongyi's next words completely shattered his illusions.

A look of pity appeared on the face of the high eunuch, and he said.

"General Zheng, do you think the Emperor would imprison you for no reason?"

"You've served in the court for so many years, don't you know at all why you left the capital to take up your post back then?"

"What...what do you mean?"

Zheng Zhu was struck dumb, his voice trembling.

He was a smart man, so even with just a slight hint, he could make a lot of connections.

But precisely because of this, it is easier to fall into other people's traps.

Liu Hongyi's words revealed two pieces of information.

He said the emperor didn't punish him without reason, which means someone suggested it to the emperor.

So, who would have made this suggestion?

Liu Hongyi also provided an answer.

On the surface, Zheng Zhu's previous departure from the capital was to ensure the safety of the Fengxiang troops in order to eliminate his enemies.

But in reality, things are far from that simple.

Although both Zheng Zhu and Li Xun were favored ministers of the emperor and were trying to help him, their approaches differed.

As prime minister, Li Xun was originally mainly responsible for cultivating power in the outer court and eliminating factions.

In contrast, Zheng Zhu, as Wang Shoucheng's former advisor, had a deep understanding of the power of the eunuchs and focused more on planning to eliminate them.

This model was very effective when powerful eunuchs like Wang Shoucheng and Wei Yuansu were still around.

But as their achievements grew, the situation gradually changed.

Because of his higher official position, Li Xun's influence in front of the emperor grew, while Zheng Zhu, who had initially recommended him, seemed to have become his subordinate.

In fact, after Wang Shoucheng fell from power, Zheng Zhu's advice was not to rush things. He suggested waiting a few months until Qiu Shiliang and others held Wang Shoucheng's funeral, at which point they could ambush him outside the city.

This approach is highly secure and provides ample time for preparation.

But Li Xun disagreed. He felt that they should press on and directly mobilize the Imperial Guards to kill Qiu Shiliang and others in the palace.

The outcome of their argument is now obvious.

But what is more obvious is that this is not just a matter of how to eliminate eunuchs, but also signifies a rift in the relationship between Zheng Zhu and Li Xun.

Given Li Xun's intelligence, it's impossible that he couldn't see that Zheng Zhu's plan was the more prudent one.

The main reason he insisted on taking the risk was that if Zheng Zhu's plan was adopted, it would mean that the great credit would fall into Zheng Zhu's hands.

This is clearly something he doesn't want to see.

Therefore, he proposed a new plan and specifically sent Zheng Zhu out of the capital. On the surface, it was part of the plan, but in reality, he wanted to take all the credit for himself.

Zheng Zhu had actually noticed this long ago.

But there was nothing he could do. At that time, the emperor's favor towards Li Xun far surpassed that towards him. Even if he was dissatisfied, he could only carry out Li Xun's plan.

With this lingering doubt, Liu Hongyi's words successfully aroused deep suspicion in Zheng Zhu's heart.

Given condition 1: Li Xun had long been wary of him, and his transfer to Fengxiang as military governor was a deliberate attempt to sideline him.

Given condition two: I failed to arrive in the capital to support Li Xun as scheduled, and given Li Xun's personality, it's impossible that he wouldn't harbor resentment.

Given condition three: Qiu Shiliang is dead, and the Yuanhe faction of eunuchs has been basically eradicated. As the main person in charge from planning to execution, Li Xun has made the greatest contribution. For him, my existence is no longer an aid, but rather an obstacle.

Finally, looking up at Liu Hongyi's forced smile and the Shence Army that had already sealed off the post station, Zheng Zhu had no choice but to sadly draw a conclusion.

He... was betrayed by his own ally, Li Xun!