Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 728 Competition

Just as the Emperor Emeritus's messengers were pouring out from all directions, and Jia Lian was under immense mental pressure.

At the summit of the majestic mountain, a few gray pigeons, under the cover of dusk, quietly flew out.

They flapped their wings and, following the memories they had developed over the months, easily flew into a royal garden in the west.

That night, several riders on horseback scattered in different directions. One of them charged directly into the firearms battalion's main camp.

"Get out of my way, all of you! I need to see the Marquis of Zhenyuan! If you delay this important matter, even ten of you couldn't pay for it!"

The officers and soldiers left behind by the firearms battalion had gloomy expressions.

When did a eunuch dare to come to the military camp and act so arrogantly?

Without saying a word, several people pulled the eunuch off his horse and detained him.

Ultimately, considering that the eunuch wasn't carrying any weapons and didn't seem to be looking for trouble, and that his attire appeared to indicate a certain rank, it was decided to take action.

The leading officer said coldly, "The Marquis is not in the camp. If you really have urgent intelligence, we can inform Commander Su for you, and he will make the decision."

"This is outrageous! What kind of damned captain is this? I want to see the Marquis of Zhenyuan. No one but him is qualified to accept this secret decree!"

Upon hearing the words "secret decree," the officers and soldiers of the firearms battalion finally became serious. They quickly loosened their grip on the old eunuch and hurriedly went to inform Su Keguang, who was left behind in the camp.

Su Keguang was recruited by Jia Lian from the original Shenji Battalion.

The firearms battalion was a small battalion and did not have a deputy commander, so the fourth-rank captain was considered Jia Lian's deputy.

Upon learning that an old eunuch had arrived with a secret imperial edict, he dared not be negligent and hurriedly came out to greet him.

The old eunuch maintained the same tone, refusing to speak until he saw Jia Lian.

Although Su Keguang knew less than Xie Jun, he was aware of the changes that had occurred in the capital and Tiewangshan.

Moreover, he had noticed Jia Lian's unusual behavior since the beginning of the day. Just now, Jia Lian had transferred most of the troops away from the camp, and even the cannons were being moved out of the warehouse, which made Su Keguang realize something was amiss.

Therefore, although the old eunuch looked down on him, Su Keguang didn't care. After asking for the other party's opinion, he immediately arranged for someone to take him to see Jia Lian.

……

It is located on a mountain peak only ten miles away from Tiewang Mountain.

Jia Lian stood there, holding a Western-style telescope, gazing at the distant mountains.

In his field of vision, he could clearly see the shimmering stars stretching across the mountains.

He knew that each wisp of fire might represent a battalion of soldiers.

To be honest, knowing that a battle that could affect the future and destiny of an empire was taking place right here, and that he, who held the weapon, could only watch from afar, was not a pleasant feeling for him, a man who always considered himself a man of destiny.

"My lord, someone from the foot of the mountain is requesting an audience. It's a eunuch who claims to be the steward of some Lingquan Villa. He says he has a secret decree to present to you in person!" Xie Jun came to Jia Lian's side and reported in a low voice.

Lingquan Villa?

Jia Lian vaguely felt that the name sounded familiar, and when he heard the words "secret decree" again, he suddenly realized something.

He immediately threw the binoculars into the hands of his personal guard, turned around, and strode away.

Inside the temporary command tent at the foot of the mountain, Jia Lian saw the old eunuch.

He looked to be in his fifties or sixties, with an undisguised air of arrogance on his face.

However, after confirming his identity, the old eunuch toned down his arrogance and immediately rushed to him, crying out in a sorrowful voice, "My lord, the Crown Prince has plotted rebellion and defied the emperor! His Majesty's health is in grave danger; we beg you, my lord, to immediately lead troops to his rescue!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian remained silent, but gave a look to those around him. Apart from a few people like Xie Jun, all the other guards withdrew.

"You claim the Crown Prince is plotting rebellion and intends to harm His Majesty. What evidence do you have?"

"this……"

"The Crown Prince led his troops to surround Iron Net Mountain, cutting off all communication between the inside and outside. The Emperor's secret edict was only delivered to the servants by carrier pigeon."

The Emperor has ordered that the Marquis lead the entire artillery battalion to reinforce Iron Net Mountain; delay could lead to unforeseen circumstances. This is a matter of urgency; the Marquis must not delay. Otherwise, if anything were to happen to the Emperor, we would both be guilty beyond redemption…

The old eunuch grew increasingly anxious as he spoke, but Jia Lian merely stared at him coldly.

Jie Jun then said, "You say this is His Majesty's secret decree, but what evidence can you produce? To tell you the truth, we caught a group of audacious scoundrels who were swindling people by falsely using the name of the retired emperor a long time ago."

Now you're just spouting nonsense about His Majesty's decree, but who knows if it's not a scheme by a villain?

"Our lord received an imperial decree before leaving the capital to garrison outside Iron Net Mountain to protect the safety of the two emperors. Now you want us to withdraw our defenses and attack the mountain. If anything goes wrong, who can take responsibility?"

"this……"

The old eunuch was speechless for a moment, and he saw that Jia Lian and the generals under his command were all looking at him coldly.

He suddenly slapped his forehead, frantically pulled something from his pocket, and stammered, "This was given to me by the steward. He said His Majesty once said that as long as the Marquis sees this jade pendant, he will know what to do!"

While Xie Jun and the others were still wondering what could have such a miraculous effect, Jia Lian suddenly stood up from his seat.

……

In the transition from spring to summer, a gentle night breeze blows.

Hundreds of torches illuminated the night sky.

However, apart from the acrid smell of burning kerosene and the slight rustling of the flames in the wind, the world was eerily quiet.

Jia Lian rode his white horse slowly to the front of the three thousand musketeer soldiers.

After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke:

"Some say that the firearms battalion is merely a means for me, Jia Lian, to curry favor with His Majesty. They neither train in archery nor swordsmanship, and are destined to be a bunch of cowards on the battlefield. Do you agree with this statement?"

The musketeers had no idea about any coup or mutiny, nor did they know why they were being gathered together so late at night.

However, they are soldiers, and they belong to the Imperial Guard. They also have their own pride. How could they be willing to be called cowards?

If these words hadn't come from their most respected commander, they would have pulled out their weapons and made him repeat them at gunpoint.

After a brief uproar, many musketeer soldiers loudly replied that they did not agree.

Although the voices rose and fell, they all undoubtedly expressed their anger.

"Some people say that each battalion of the Imperial Guard has more than 10,000 men, while the Firearms Battalion only has a few thousand. Moreover, it has not experienced any baptism of fire. Although it has a set of intimidating equipment, it is just a show and is not worthy of being compared with the other six battalions of the Imperial Guard."

Do you agree with this statement?

"I refuse to accept this!!"

This time, the three thousand voices suddenly rang out in unison, their deafening roars seemingly piercing the night sky.

"very good.

Currently, the two emperors are leading members of the imperial family and court officials on a hunt at Tiewang Mountain, but the crown prince is taking the opportunity to raise troops and surround the two emperors' palace, intending to rebel.

I received a secret decree from His Majesty, ordering me to go into the mountains to serve the King.

Gentlemen, are you brave enough to come with me up the mountain to rescue the emperor?

Jia Lian's words inevitably caused a stir.

But the lower-ranking soldiers had no idea about petty scheming and backstabbing.

They also have no way of discerning the truthfulness of what those in power say.

All they need to know is who they trust and who they are working for!

"I swear to follow you to the death, my lord!"

One man roared, and the entire army echoed.

"I swear to follow you to the death, Lord Marquis!!"

"We are all willing to follow you to the death, Lord Marquis!!"

"We are all willing to follow you to the death, Lord Marquis!!!"

The unified, angry shouts carried for miles.

Under the cover of night, Jia Lian's face was noticeably flushed.

He raised his arm and pressed down, silencing all the sounds.

"Good! Since you all have such courage, then tonight will be the battle for the Firearms Battalion to establish itself, and it will be the time for you and me to make a name for ourselves!"

Tonight, we will use the corpses of the rebels to tell everyone that not only are our equipment and supplies the best in the Imperial Guard, but our combat power is also the best in the Imperial Guard.

After tonight, I, Jia Lian, will let the whole world know that the Firearms Battalion is the strongest army in the land!

"Lord Marquis is mighty!!"

……

On the wide road, thousands of soldiers from the Firearms Battalion, carrying torches, moved slowly toward Iron Net Mountain like a winding dragon.

Jia Lian, fully armed, rode at the very front.

Military campaigns are no child's play, especially since there are tens of thousands of enemy and friendly troops on Iron Net Mountain, and it is nighttime. A slight mistake could lead to the annihilation of the entire army.

Therefore, Jia Lian naturally did not rashly lead his three or four hundred cavalrymen in a night raid on Tiewang Mountain; that would be too arrogant.

His trump card was still the three hundred heavily forged Zhenyuan cannons in his hands.

It will take time to move those things to Iron Net Mountain.

As the mountains drew ever closer, Jia Lian's heart was still filled with turmoil.

He never expected that Emperor Ningkang would issue him a secret order in such a way.

The jade pendant that the old eunuch brought tonight was none other than the same jade pendant that Emperor Ningkang had given him.

Jia Lian still remembered that when Emperor Ningkang bestowed this jade upon him, he had said that it was one of two pieces he had worn when he was a prince.

At the time, he had not guessed Emperor Ningkang's intentions, but tonight, it was as if he had been enlightened.

Emperor Ningkang was so cunning and shrewd. Did he know that this day would come and therefore prepared a backup plan in advance?

No, Emperor Ningkang may not be aware of today's changes.

He did this merely to prepare for the future, leaving a talisman on him—a talisman that would allow him to easily mobilize the troops under his command in the future!

Indeed, not just anyone can be a good emperor.

Yes, Jia Lian has decided to side with Emperor Ningkang.

It wasn't just because Emperor Ningkang "personally" gave him the decree, but also because the old eunuch, after gaining his trust, brought him relatively complete intelligence.

At this moment, on Iron Net Mountain, although the retired emperor and the crown prince seemed to have the upper hand, not only had they surrounded Emperor Ningkang's palace, but with the prestige that the retired emperor had accumulated over decades, he could easily mobilize troops from all over the country to come to the aid of the emperor.

However, how could a belated and passive counterattack compare to Emperor Ningkang's meticulous planning?

Emperor Ningkang was determined to make this attack foolproof.

Therefore, although he had deployed enough troops in Iron Net Mountain, he still left many backup plans like his own on the outskirts.

Even months earlier, he had started raising carrier pigeons in Lingquan Villa, the royal garden where he used to cool off during his time as a prince.

This is also what impressed Jia Lian.

Before considering victory, consider defeat.

Emperor Ningkang had clearly planned to take action at Tiewang Mountain long ago, so he had considered all the possibilities in advance.

He even worried that he might be in danger himself after luring his opponent into a trap, so he left this contingency plan. In this way, no matter where he is, he can command all the forces at his disposal.

At this moment, Jia Lian was in Ningkang's shoes, thinking that even he might find it difficult to be as thorough as Ningkang if he were in the emperor's position.

"My lord, a large number of people have appeared on the main road to the right."

Just as they were about to reach Iron Net Mountain, their scouts came to report.

Jia Lian immediately ordered the entire army to halt their advance and rode his horse to a high place to inspect the situation.

Sure enough, on the distant main road, there were countless flames, and it was impossible to tell how many troops there were at a glance.

The other side seemed to have spotted them as well, and soon several riders galloped over, followed by a loud, booming voice:

"Is that Jia family's nephew on the other side?"

Jia Lian smiled slightly, and led only a few riders forward, stopping a few dozen paces away from the other party. He cupped his hands and said, "Nephew Jia Lian greets Uncle Xie."

"Haha, as soon as I heard that you guys weren't equipped with swords, spears, or halberds, but were all carrying some kind of dark thing on your backs, I knew it was your men."

"Well, my dear nephew, you're a step behind me."

His voice was rough, with a hint of smugness.

Jia Lian didn't mind.

He knew all along that Emperor Ningkang had not only conscripted his troops this time.

Clearly, the other party was also aware of his existence.

"My uncle has led troops for decades and is highly skilled in military strategy. As the saying goes, only the oldest ginger is truly spicy, and I, your nephew, certainly dare not compare myself to him."

"Hahaha……"

Perhaps pleased by Jia Lian's flattery, Xie Jing rode directly to Jia Lian, glanced behind him, and then said with a smile, "Isn't it said that your firearms battalion is His Majesty's favorite son? How come there are so few people?"

As he spoke, Xie Jing pointed behind him and said, "If we had more time, I could have brought twice as many men! How about that, fully armed and armored, over 15,000..."

Looking at the smug old man in front of him, Jia Lian secretly curled his lip in his heart.

How could he not know that the Southern Camp, at most, had less than 30,000 men? Moreover, Xie Jing was merely a guerrilla general, ranking only third or fourth in the Southern Camp.

He somehow managed to swindle and deceive his way into giving him over 10,000 men, and there were even more than double that number...

"Uncle is mighty!"

"Hahaha……"

Xie Jing let out another hearty laugh, looking every bit the harmless, rough-around-the-edges soldier.

But who would have thought that this same guy, just this morning, while drinking, would smile and plunge a half-foot-long dagger into his own boss's chest...

Seeing that Jia Lian didn't seem to like laughing much, Xie Jing finally suppressed his laughter as well.

He glanced at the night sky in the distance, then turned back to Jia Lian and said, "Judging from the situation, Old Man Zhou and that kid Chu Liang won't be able to come for a while."

Besides, with their limited forces, they wouldn't be of much use even if they came.

Your Majesty is now in a dangerous situation. Time is of the essence. I believe we should attack the mountain immediately.

Once we defeat those idiots in the Beida Camp, and then join forces with His Majesty to launch a pincer attack from both inside and outside, we can easily crush those empty-headed but incompetent infantrymen.

What do you think of this proposal, my dear nephew?

Jia Lian smiled. Although they knew that there were several troops coming to the aid of the emperor, Emperor Ningkang only ordered them to enter the mountains to rescue him, without requiring them to join forces in order to act.

Clearly, this old fellow was eager to make a name for himself, or perhaps he felt victory was assured, so he couldn't wait any longer.

Moreover, although this man surnamed Xie appeared rough and careless, he consciously avoided mentioning the Crown Prince, the Emperor Emeritus, and even the Imperial Guard in his words, which showed that he was definitely not as reckless as he seemed.

"Since Uncle has this intention, I will naturally comply."

"Haha, everyone says you've got guts, and they're right."

"Alright, since that's the case, let's get started. Hehe, little nephew, dare you spar with this old man?"

Jia Lian raised an eyebrow: "How do we compare?"

"How about we see who gets up the mountain first?"

Seeing that Jia Lian had designs on him, Xie Jing immediately smiled maliciously.

Everyone says that Jia Lian is the most talented man in the capital and the most trusted and favored minister of the current emperor.

He wanted to test whether it was all show and no substance.

Hmph, how would others know that he actually sided with Emperor Ningkang even before Jia Lian!

Why is it that Jia Lian can enjoy glory in public, while he can only suffer injustice and remain hidden in the Southern Camp for many years, unable to see the light of day?

However, he didn't intend to do anything to Jia Lian. The fact that Emperor Ningkang thought of asking Jia Lian to come to his rescue at such a critical moment tonight showed that Jia Lian did indeed hold a certain position in Emperor Ningkang's heart.

He just wanted to let Jia Lian know that experience really does matter!

Of course, if Jia Lian really was a good-for-nothing, he wouldn't mind mocking and belittling him.

Jia Lian smiled earnestly.

"Alright, but I wonder what will happen if Uncle wins, and what will happen if I, your nephew, win?"

"We are all commanders, so we don't need to act like pedantic scholars."

Well then, we are both of the third rank, so we can't judge each other by our positions... How about this: as long as you go up the mountain before me, I will never sit in the seat of honor when you are around. If we meet you on the road, I will let you go first.

In short, I'll follow my nephew's lead without question, hehe.

Hehehe, this old man.

He was just a second-class man, while he himself was a dignified second- or third-class marquis. He never suffered a loss.

"Alright, the same applies if my nephew loses."

"readily!"

Xie Jing laughed and patted Jia Lian on the shoulder, then said, "I arrived a moment earlier than my nephew and have already investigated thoroughly."

If the army wants to attack the mountain, there are two more appropriate routes.

One is in the west, and the other is in the southeast.

In my opinion, our two armies should attack the mountain simultaneously from both sides, so that the enemy cannot attend to both ends, which is exactly the situation for a pincer attack.

My nephew has fewer troops than I do, so to be fair, let him choose first.

"Since you are so kind, Uncle, I would be impolite to refuse."

"I'll choose the southeast side, nephew. I've heard the roads there are flatter. Since I'm inexperienced, I won't compete with you for the first spot, Uncle."

"Hehehe..."

Xie Jing smiled, but inwardly cursed him as a little sly fox.

Is it just a matter of being on a slightly flattering level? Emperor Ningkang's palace is located to the east, so going up the mountain from that side would naturally make it easier to see Emperor Ningkang and gain the upper hand.

However, that was his original plan.

He had several times the number of troops as Jia Lian. If he threw the tough nuts to Jia Lian, and Jia Lian managed to take them down, he would lose all face.

"In that case, my dear nephew, we'll meet again on the mountain!"

"Respectfully seeing off my uncle."

……