Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

The Crown Prince approached the Emperor Emeritus and respectfully bowed to greet him.

The retired emperor praised, "Well done."

The Crown Prince dared not take credit for it at all: "It's all thanks to my grandfather's excellent teaching."

The Emperor Emeritus nodded, smiling as he looked at the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince, somewhat apprehensive, whispered, "Grandfather, when should we make our move?"

The Crown Prince had already seen it; the opposing Imperial Guard had retreated completely and was now hastily constructing their defensive line and setting up horse-drawn stables. If they were to be fully prepared, it would be difficult to break through.

This betrayal of Emperor Ningkang must have put a lot of psychological pressure on the crown prince, who has been under Emperor Ningkang's control for so many years.

If I can't bring Emperor Ningkang down as soon as possible, I can't help but feel worried.

The retired emperor said quietly, "What, are you also so eager to turn against your own father?"

"Your grandson wouldn't dare!"

The crown prince was startled and immediately knelt down, saying, "Grandfather, you are wise. I only did not want to see Father Emperor sink deeper into depravity and wanted to help him turn back from his misguided ways as soon as possible. I had absolutely no intention of harming Father Emperor."

Get up.

The retired emperor said, "Don't underestimate your father."

"He dared to attack me this time, which means he has obviously made a lot of preparations."

Besides those people on the mountain, who knows how many hidden hands he has left outside the mountain?

Getting him to see the error of his ways is not something you can accomplish with the mere ten or twenty thousand men you don't even fully control.

"Just wait. I've already issued more than ten imperial edicts. The fastest troops should arrive in less than a day."

Leaving aside the fact that the retired emperor ruled for fifty years, when he was able to ascend the throne, the dynasty had only recently been established and was beset by internal and external troubles. The bloodshed he experienced back then was incomparable to the peaceful world we have now.

He was confident that, in terms of imperial strategy and political tactics, even Emperor Ningkang couldn't compare to him. This time, he had only gained the upper hand temporarily because he had the advantage of being caught off guard.

However, he also knew that since Emperor Ningkang dared to take action, it was impossible that he hadn't done something similar in the capital.

There are also two large camps outside the city, and their situation is currently unknown.

Therefore, although the retired emperor sent imperial edicts to the capital and the northern and southern military camps, he did not have high expectations for these places.

His main hopes, however, lay outside the capital region.

Juyongguan Pass to the west, Shanhaiguan Pass to the northeast, and even the places beyond these passes...

In the years since his abdication, although he gradually relinquished power to Emperor Ningkang, he still harbored reservations about military control.

This can be seen from the fact that, seven years later, only one of the six old battalions of the Imperial Guard was promoted by Emperor Ningkang.

Under normal circumstances, Emperor Ningkang would not dare to interfere with military power, because he knew that it would provoke his dissatisfaction and control.

However, the retired emperor still did not expect that Emperor Ningkang had already secretly established such a foundation.

He had just personally stepped forward and exposed Emperor Ningkang's conspiracy in order to intimidate Emperor Ningkang and cause him to collapse without a fight.

However, no one expected that Emperor Ningkang's control over the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Bodyguard had reached such a level that his appearance hardly caused any disturbance in these two major Imperial Guard units.

This is one of the reasons why he said, "Don't underestimate your father."

The Emperor Emeritus's authority had been building up in everyone's hearts for a long time, so the Crown Prince had no objection to the Emperor Emeritus's arrangements and obediently followed the Emperor Emeritus's instructions to surround Emperor Ningkang's palace.

"By the way, since this is your first time personally commanding an army, it's not advisable to manage too many troops."

"You can keep the troops from the Beijing Garrison; consider it training for you. As for the several thousand infantrymen, let someone else command them."

"Shi Ding..."

"Your subordinate is here."

The Emperor Emeritus's words, though seemingly a discussion, were in fact an unquestionable command.

The Crown Prince's heart skipped a beat as he looked at the imposing generals emerging from behind the Emperor Emeritus, his face grim.

"What, you're unwilling?" The Emperor Emeritus's expression turned dangerous.

The crown prince was slightly startled and suddenly became alert.

Yes, at this time, all the troops on and around the mountain totaled only thirty or forty thousand, but he controlled more than half of them.

If he were the retired emperor, he would probably worry that he was just like his father...

Thinking of this, a thought that shouldn't have crossed his mind suddenly flashed through his mind... But he wasn't stupid, and immediately realized that there was basically no chance of success, so he immediately said: "Grandson dares not, what Your Majesty said is true, grandson is still young and lacks experience, and is indeed not capable of commanding too many troops."

However, although the traitor Chen Zhao and his deputy general were eliminated from the Beijing garrison, the grandson was not confident of completely controlling the garrison.

"Why don't you let Lord Shi take command of the capital garrison, Your Majesty? Lord Shi is exceptionally capable and has a distinguished military record. I'm sure he can reorganize the capital garrison in the shortest possible time."

Although the infantry battalion only had seven or eight thousand men, the Beijing garrison's northern camp had more than ten thousand soldiers.

However, firstly, he had many of his men in the infantry camp, giving him a high degree of control over it. Secondly, in terms of combat strength, he didn't believe that the more than 10,000 troops of the Beijing garrison could compare to the several thousand well-equipped Imperial Guards.

The retired emperor, however, did not consult him: "Since it's a training exercise, it's naturally going to be challenging. Do you not even have the confidence to command and organize such a small force?"

"Of course, your grandson will! Your grandson will obey your imperial grandfather's command."

The Crown Prince smiled bitterly. How could he possibly admit his incompetence in front of the Emperor Emeritus? He couldn't even allow the Emperor Emeritus to suspect him, let alone admit it.

The Emperor Emeritus nodded in satisfaction, beckoned the Crown Prince over, and gently patted his grandson's hand, saying, "Don't worry, your father has hurt me so deeply this time, I will naturally not forgive him easily."

Of all my children and grandchildren, you are the most obedient and sensible. I have no other choice but you, and I will not choose any other. Do you understand?

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince was overjoyed and immediately knelt down, bowing solemnly: "Grandson understands. Rest assured, Grandfather, grandson will certainly not disappoint Grandfather's high expectations!"

The retired emperor then took the opportunity to pat the crown prince on the head.

He didn't lie to the crown prince.

He dared not say that among all his children and grandchildren, at least among Emperor Ningkang's sons, the Crown Prince was the closest to him.

Over the years, he had been the one who visited Chonghua Palace the most. Although he rarely had time to see him, it had given him a fairly accurate understanding of the Crown Prince's character and shrewdness.

This is why he thought of starting with the Crown Prince so quickly in this incident.

Moreover, putting aside the fact that the Crown Prince has made great contributions this time, if he really wanted to depose Emperor Ningkang, then the Crown Prince would undoubtedly be the only and correct choice.

No?

If he were to depose Emperor Ningkang and install someone of another bloodline, it would invite criticism, regardless of the reason.

Establishing a crown prince would then become a logical step.

……

Emperor Ningkang entered his residence without saying a word.

All the trusted confidants and attendants who accompanied him were terrified. Apart from Dai Quan, no one dared to go in without orders.

After a long while, Dai Quan finally came out.

"His Majesty summons all the generals and officials inside."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and entered in an orderly fashion according to their rank, finally seeing Emperor Ningkang sitting behind his desk again.

For some reason, even though it had only been a fleeting moment, everyone felt that Emperor Ningkang seemed to have aged a little in an instant.

He bowed respectfully and Emperor Ningkang gently addressed him, then spoke first: "Minister Chen is a rare and loyal minister and general. This time, due to my oversight, he has suffered misfortune, and it is my fault."

Upon hearing this, everyone comforted him, saying, "Your Majesty, please do not blame yourself. The death of Commander Chen is not Your Majesty's fault, but rather the will of Heaven."

Moreover, Lord Chen is a man of utmost loyalty and integrity. If he knew that His Majesty was so distressed because of him, his spirit in heaven would be uneasy.

Emperor Ningkang listened silently to the ministers' advice.

However, he was not actually too saddened by Chen Zhao's death; on the contrary, he was very dissatisfied with Chen Zhao.

Chen Zhao was someone he relied on heavily. Although he had entrusted him with assisting the Crown Prince in feigning a rebellion, Chen Zhao should have known that his only master was the Emperor!

He also held military power, yet at such a critical juncture where caution was required in everything, he still managed to fall into the Crown Prince's trap, causing him to suffer heavy losses.

If he had not been so loyal, Emperor Ningkang would certainly have severely punished him.

What truly saddened and distressed Emperor Ningkang was, of course, the Crown Prince's defection at the last minute...

Raising his hand to silence the crowd, Emperor Ningkang asked solemnly, "Given the current situation, do any of my ministers have any good strategies?"

"Your Majesty, although the Crown Prince has betrayed us, Your Majesty still has the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Guard, which together number well over ten thousand. This is enough to withstand the elite cavalry and the Crown Prince's forces. Therefore, Your Majesty need not worry too much. The situation is not too unfavorable for us."

It's not too bad; in other words, going with the flow is being turned into going against the trend!

"Your Majesty, although we still have the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Guard, with the Crown Prince's defection, Your Majesty's previous plans have almost all become ineffective."

Although they haven't attacked us yet, they are intensifying their construction and setting up an encirclement outside the palace. They clearly want to trap His Majesty in the palace, cut off all communication with the outside world, and then wait for reinforcements.

Your Majesty, I believe that remaining on the mountain at this time would be extremely disadvantageous for us.

Your Majesty, I believe that we should escort you away from the mountain before the situation becomes too dire.

Once His Majesty descends the mountain, he can readily mobilize troops from various locations, thus turning the tide of the battle.

Emperor Ningkang remained noncommittal and looked at the others.

The others also thought that breaking through and going down the mountain was a good strategy, since, after all, this incident was initiated by their side.

They all knew that in addition to deploying heavy troops at Tiewang Mountain, Emperor Ningkang also had many ambushes outside the mountain to guard against possible reinforcements summoned by the retired emperor.

Because the crown prince betrayed the emperor, the encirclement set up for the retired emperor turned into an encirclement by himself, which suddenly put the situation at a disadvantage.

But as long as they can get down the mountain, the advantage will naturally remain on their side.

only……

As close advisors to the emperor, they all knew that getting the emperor to "escape" was not an easy task.

On the battlefield, fleeing is a shameful thing for generals and commanders, let alone for emperors.

Moreover, withdrawing from Tiewang Mountain at this time would undoubtedly be a sign of weakness and surrender to the retired emperor, and Emperor Ningkang would probably not be willing to accept it.

As close advisors to Emperor Ningkang, they knew more or less the reasons behind his forceful coup.

As expected, after they had each offered their advice, Emperor Ningkang shook his head and asked, "Where is Feng Sheng?"

"Commander Feng is leading the guard battalion to speed up the construction of the defense line in case of any unforeseen circumstances."

"Well... the situation hasn't gotten that bad yet. Let's discuss the evacuation later."

All the generals in command went to assist Minister Feng in arranging defenses; the rest remained behind.

"Yes."

The military officers rose to take their leave, while the civil officials and strategists remained.

"Your Majesty, the longer the current situation drags on, the more disadvantageous it will be for us."

After all, they have ruled the world for too long, and most of the generals who hold power in the world would probably obey their orders.

Now that the uprising has begun, if the conflict cannot be quelled as soon as possible, I fear that when the troops from all over the country march to the capital to defend the emperor, it will be very disadvantageous for Your Majesty.

Moreover, our external communications have now been cut off by the Crown Prince…

There is no alternative.

Emperor Ningkang was in a naturally disadvantageous position compared to the retired emperor, and as a son, he was at a disadvantage compared to his father.

They reasoned that if they were the ones in charge of the troops, it was hard to say what would happen behind their backs, but if it were in front of the two emperors, most of them would probably choose to side with the retired emperor.

Emperor Ningkang naturally understood this principle as well.

But he wasn't too worried about that.

The idea of ​​sending troops from all over the country to the capital to defend the emperor sounds impressive, but in reality, it would be extremely difficult.

Given the current situation, even if the retired emperor were to successfully mobilize the troops stationed throughout the country, the rightful emperor would still have plenty of ways to trip him up.

However, since he was planning something big, he naturally wouldn't be careless.

As for the communication being cut off...

If a rebellious son truly believes that his father is so easily controlled, then he is sorely mistaken.

And Father, just wait, I'll have a good lesson from you!

……()