Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

While the battle raged fiercely at the foot of the mountains on the east and west sides, the Iron Net Mountain remained unusually calm.

"Your Majesty! We can't wait any longer; we must send troops immediately!"

Inside Emperor Ningkang's temporary palace, his trusted ministers were divided into two factions.

The commotion down the mountain naturally reached Emperor Ningkang.

Some advocated a coordinated attack from within and without, deploying troops from within the palace to join forces with the troops below the mountain to launch a pincer attack and break through the two lines of defense of the infantry camp and the northern camp in one fell swoop.

However, another group of people insisted on remaining inactive.

"We cannot send troops. The Imperial Guard has not moved yet. If we do send troops, the palace will be undefended, and the Imperial Guard will attack. What will become of His Majesty's safety then?"

The conservatives argued vehemently.

It's unclear whether they were genuinely worried about the emperor's safety or feared that the elite cavalry would attack and take their lives.

Emperor Ningkang also frowned.

He knew that if he chose to attack from both inside and outside with the troops below the mountain, the infantry camp and the northern camp surrounding him would not be able to withstand it at all. At that time, the retired emperor would definitely not be able to sit still and would definitely send out the elite cavalry.

The elite cavalry...

He knew the true value of this army, which his father had always kept firmly under his control.

Moreover, the Imperial Guards are the foundation of the Great Wei, and the Valiant Cavalry is the foundation of that foundation.

Is it really worth spending time here?

He also knew why the retired emperor, despite clearly having the upper hand, hadn't been in a hurry to attack him. Firstly, he didn't have an absolute advantage in military strength, and the other side wasn't entirely confident of defeating him.

Another reason is that the retired emperor was also unwilling to waste the empire's resources, so both sides tacitly chose to remain in a stalemate and decide the outcome through external competition!

If we launch an attack now, coordinating with the troops outside the mountains, our chances of winning are indeed very high.

However, even if they win, the entire Royal Guard will be severely weakened...

Only two troops have arrived so far. If we wait a little longer, not only will other troops arrive, but perhaps some manpower can also be freed up in the capital.

While waiting may seem like a safer option, it actually carries significant risks.

The retired emperor obviously wouldn't sit idly by and wait for his death; he must have already mobilized reinforcements from all over the country. If all the troops in the country were to gather together, Emperor Ningkang knew that his chances of winning were slim.

"His Majesty!!"

"As Your Majesty knows, the first to arrive to our aid are Baron Xie and Marquis Zhenyuan. Leaving aside Baron Xie, Your Majesty, Marquis Zhenyuan comes from the Rongguo Mansion!"

Not to mention that the Rongguo Mansion has been favored by that place for decades, the grandfather of the Marquis of Zhenyuan, the former Duke of Rongguo Mansion, was originally the commander of the guards there.

That's why they showed such favor to Marquis Zhenyuan during his birthday celebration last year.

His Majesty!

We are now trapped inside the palace, but over there, we can move freely!

What if, what if they personally come down the mountain to pacify them...

Your Majesty must not forget the Crown Prince's coup...

A civil official knelt down and wept. His words caused the expressions of both civil and military officials present to become unnatural.

Yes, even the crown prince can betray us, let alone others.

The retired emperor had been in power for too long and had the authority to suppress Emperor Ningkang, so they couldn't help but worry about those who led the troops turning against them.

They didn't know what would happen to Emperor Ningkang if he lost his bargaining chips, but none of them, who had served him faithfully, would escape unscathed.

Emperor Ningkang's face was grim, and he ultimately said nothing more, only saying in a deep voice, "Feng Sheng!"

"Your subject is here."

"Quickly gather five thousand troops, divide them into two groups, and attack from the west and southeast."

The goal isn't to kill the enemy, but simply to disrupt their formation. Then, try to establish contact with Xie Jing and Jia Lian's troops down the mountain.

"Yes."

Feng Sheng was the commander of the Imperial Guard Battalion and a veteran general. After receiving the order, he left without saying a word.

……

Chaos has broken out; the entire Iron Net Mountain is in complete chaos.

At the foot of the mountain, artillery fire raged and battle cries shook the heavens; on the mountain itself, the fighting was fierce and dangerous, with men and horses falling and bruised.

Those nobles who were used to living a life of luxury and privilege, and those of high enough rank, had long since taken refuge in the retired emperor's palace. The others could only huddle in the lower ranks, trembling with fear, silently praying that the mutinous soldiers would not reach them.

The residence of the retired emperor.

The retired emperor played chess with the old prince while listening to reports from below about the situation outside.

"Can't hold on?"

The retired emperor looked up at Shi Ding, who was kneeling, and Shi Ding broke out in a cold sweat.

He was originally the deputy commander of the elite cavalry battalion, but was temporarily transferred by the retired emperor to take command of the infantry battalion. Previously, he was only responsible for keeping Emperor Ningkang in check, and everything was fine. With his years of military experience and the retired emperor's imperial authority, naturally no one dared to act recklessly.

However, as chaos erupted at the foot of the mountain, the people on the mountain naturally became chaotic as well.

With the morale of the Imperial Guard high and their sudden attack, the seven or eight thousand infantrymen under his command could no longer contain Emperor Ningkang.

It was late at night again... The situation on the mountain was so chaotic that even he, a veteran who had seen many big scenes, was extremely frightened.

"Where is the Crown Prince?"

"His Highness the Crown Prince is leading troops to block the rebels below the mountain... As far as I know, His Highness's forces are also lagging behind, and he just sent someone to request reinforcements..."

Previously, the retired emperor had set up two encirclements for Emperor Ningkang in order to cut off his external ties.

One was Shi Ding's infantry camp, and the other was the Northern Camp led by the Crown Prince.

Now that his defenses have been breached, it seems the Crown Prince's side is also struggling to hold on. The situation is turning sour.

The retired emperor seemed to have realized this as well, and slammed the chess piece he was holding onto the chessboard, instantly ruining a perfectly good game.

Seeing this, Prince Su was not annoyed, and silently picked up the chess pieces that had fallen on the table and the kang (heated brick bed) one by one...

Seeing that the Emperor Emeritus was angry, everyone in the hall and below fell silent.

The retired emperor was indeed somewhat annoyed.

He, who had always been in complete control, could not tolerate the current situation that was out of control.

He could not tolerate that, given the Crown Prince's huge blunder of surrendering to Ningkang, he still could not completely control Ningkang.

"Sun Jia".

"Your humble servant is here."

Marquis Zhongjing Shi Ding, Marquis Zhongyong Sun Jia, and Marquis Zhongyi Liu Sheng are the three deputy commanders of the Xiaoji Camp.

"You will lead two thousand elite cavalry, together with Shi Ding, to capture that rebellious son for me."

"Your humble servant obeys the decree..."

"If we fail again this time, you two will bring your heads to me."

Sun Jia and Shi Ding paused, but dared not hesitate. They responded to the order and left.

"This rebellious son has caused trouble, making a fool of himself in front of his twenty-first brother."

The retired emperor glanced at Prince Su, who was sitting upright opposite him, and suddenly said.

Prince Su quickly waved his hand: "Your Majesty is joking. His Majesty has only made a mistake for a moment. Sooner or later, he will understand your good intentions."

"Is that so? I'm afraid he'll never understand."

"Alright, I'm a little tired. You may leave now."

……

The retired emperor deployed his trump card, the elite cavalry, and adopted a strategy of capturing the king, heading straight for Emperor Ningkang's temporary palace.

Whether Emperor Ningkang could resist, and how he could resist, is another matter.

On the eastern mountainside, Pei Fengnian led dozens of disheveled soldiers, fleeing in disarray into the command post.

Before he could even settle in, several men rushed into his tent and shouted, "The Crown Prince has ordered that the situation in the west is critical. General Pei is requested to immediately dispatch two thousand troops to assist the Crown Prince in suppressing the rebels!"

Pei Fengnian's hand holding the teapot froze in mid-air. He suddenly slammed it to the ground and cursed, "Bullshit! He's in trouble in the west, but don't you think we're in trouble here too?"

Go back and tell the Crown Prince that he has no soldiers, but he can take your life! Damn it, didn't you see I just barely escaped with my life? I was even hoping to beg for help…”

Pei Fengnian, who had just abandoned a defensive line and narrowly escaped with his life from Jia Lian's gunfire, was furious.

But the person who came was a confidant of the Crown Prince. How could he be intimidated by the furious Pei Fengnian?

Seeing that he seemed to be disrespecting the Crown Prince, he said in a sinister tone, "General Pei, this is the Crown Prince's own decree. Are you sure you want me to do this?"

"Get out! Get out! Get out!"

"Fine, you've got guts!" The crown prince's confidant turned and left.

Seeing this, Pei Fengnian's confidant stepped forward and said, "General, you have offended the Crown Prince's man. Who knows how this person will slander you to the Crown Prince when he returns..."

"What else can I do? My troops have already been decimated by those damned firearms. Where am I supposed to get another two thousand soldiers for him?"

"This defeat is not the general's fault. The general has witnessed the power of the cannons with his own eyes. Wherever they went, darkness turned into day, and our brothers died as soon as they were touched."

And then there are those muskets with a range even greater than our crossbows…

To be honest, General, the brothers below have lost their will to fight. We definitely can't hold this position!

The general should find a way out for himself...

Pei Fengnian, as one of the deputy commanders of the Beida Camp, was certainly not stupid.

In fact, if he hadn't been pragmatic, and if he hadn't been someone promoted by Prince Teng and didn't get along with Chen Zhao, he would have long since become a ghost under the Crown Prince's command.

He was ordered to guard the mountain, and at first he was quite relaxed.

After all, compared to the densely packed "rebels" to the east, he only had to face a firearms battalion of a few thousand soldiers.

With a similar number of people, and him holding his position on the mountain, he was naturally not worried.

But when the fighting actually began, he realized how wrong he had been.

In the battle at the foot of the mountain, the enemy annihilated more than a thousand of his troops without shedding a drop of blood, and the commander-in-chief was killed in battle.

The fleeing soldiers exclaimed that the enemy was a divine army sent from heaven, unstoppable, and many of them were so frightened that they went insane.

He initially didn't believe it, and decided to personally lead his troops to see for himself...

Then he fled back just like the routed soldiers at the beginning.

Of course, as a military officer of the third rank, he was not as ignorant as a soldier.

Although he was also shocked by the power of the firearms battalion's weapons, he did not feel that they were unstoppable. On the way back, he had been thinking about how to set up obstacles, organize assault teams, and launch ambushes based on the mountain terrain to hinder Jia Lian's progress up the mountain.

However, after what had just happened, and with his confidant's advice, his mind naturally began to stir.

"you mean?"

"Hasn't the general realized yet? The current turmoil is nothing more than a power struggle at the top; there are no so-called rebels or loyalist troops."

Regardless of who wins or loses, in the end, it's us soldiers who will die.

Previously, the Crown Prince and the Emperor Emeritus joined forces, putting His Majesty in a disadvantageous position. It was a wise move for the General to side with the Crown Prince.

Now that His Majesty's reinforcements have arrived, it's clear we can't hold them off. As for the Crown Prince, he's already stretched thin himself, so naturally he can't spare any troops to help the general.

"It's just as I've heard that the Marquis of Zhenyuan, who leads the firearms battalion down the mountain, is a junior of the former military governor Wang. For the sake of your future and your life, General, why don't you lead your remaining troops to surrender to the Marquis of Zhenyuan?"

His confidant's words hit the nail on the head.

Although many people were confused when the chaos first started in Tiewangshan.

However, as time went on, and even after the retired emperor reprimanded Emperor Ningkang in front of the three armies, many people naturally came to understand the true cause and details of this upheaval.

Sure enough, after hearing this, Pei Fengnian's expression changed for a moment, then he suddenly hardened his heart and shouted, "You're right! As a general of the Great Wei, I would never stoop to such a cowardly act as surrendering when facing the enemy."

But if the retired emperor is the sovereign, does that mean Your Majesty is not the sovereign?

This is no just war! If it is only to protect my own reputation, and thousands of brothers die without knowing why, and die meaninglessly, then it is my fault, Pei Fengnian!

Summon all the generals and tell them that I have important matters to discuss with them... Also, you personally go down the mountain to meet with Marquis Zhenyuan and tell him..."

Half an hour later, Jia Lian arrived at the mountainside, surrounded by musketeers.

Pei Fengnian ordered the soldiers on both sides to raise torches, illuminating the entire scene as if it were daytime. Then he went alone to Jia Lian's white horse.

"A defeated general greets Marquis Zhenyuan."

He bowed slightly, but Pei Fengnian still felt somewhat uncomfortable.

In terms of age, he was much older than Jia Lian. In terms of experience leading troops, he had more than ten or twenty years, while Jia Lian had only four or five years at most, and was extremely inexperienced.

Moreover, in terms of official rank, he and Jia Lian were of equal rank, yet now he was being asked to surrender to someone who was no higher than him in age, seniority, or even official rank...

I naturally felt terrible.

Jia Lian, mounted on his horse, surveyed the surrounding officers and soldiers of the Beida Camp before turning his gaze to Pei Fengnian.

After watching for a while, just as Pei Fengnian was wondering if Jia Lian was deliberately humiliating him, Jia Lian clasped his hands in return and said, "Greetings, General Pei!"

Pei Fengnian said awkwardly, "I still remember the first time I met you, Lord Marquis, it was at the residence of Wang Jiedushi."

The Marquis was younger then than he is now, but he was already a brilliant and outstanding man, full of vigor and ambition, which made us, the generals of the Beijing Garrison, admire him greatly.

Who would have thought that only two or three years have passed, yet the Marquis has grown to such a level, even personally forming a firearms battalion that is like an invincible army, truly inspiring my admiration and making me feel deeply ashamed.”

Since he decided to surrender for the sake of his future and life, and now that everything is in Jia Lian's hands, Pei Fengnian naturally knows what to say.

"General Pei, you flatter me!"

Jia Lian suddenly shouted.

"I have only achieved this meager success by relying on the grace of Heaven and the virtue of my ancestors, which is not worth mentioning."

General Pei's actions tonight, however, truly demonstrated wisdom and reason, and were of immeasurable merit, earning my utmost admiration!

Because Jia Lian spoke loudly, many soldiers could probably hear him in the quiet surroundings.

"This, this..."

Pei Fengnian's expression turned somewhat unpleasant. Could it be that Jia Lian was so short-sighted and arrogant that he was determined to humiliate him?

But Jia Lian continued, "This war is a disaster caused by internal strife. If it continues, it will only waste the military strength and national fortune of our Great Wei!"

General Pei, in a crucial position, not only saw the situation clearly, but also disregarded personal reputation and decisively laid down his weapons to save the lives of thousands of soldiers in the North Camp and even my Firearms Battalion. This is truly a great act of benevolence and righteousness.

General Pei, please accept Jia Lian's bow!

Jia Lian, still on horseback, bowed deeply.

This move not only surprised Pei Fengnian, but also impressed the officers and soldiers who had surrendered from the Beida Camp, who looked at Jia Lian with admiration and gratitude.

Although, after explanations from their superiors, everyone understood that the deputy commander's decision to lay down his arms and surrender at this point was not wrong...

But looking at Jia Lian and the neat, imposing, and proud musketeers behind him, they, as fellow soldiers, couldn't help but feel inferior and ashamed.

Jia Lian's words and statement undoubtedly affirmed them and preserved some dignity for the generals.

Pei Fengnian also gave Jia Lian a deep look, then sincerely bowed his head and sighed, "This humble official finally understands why His Majesty trusts the Marquis so much. The Marquis's magnanimity and breadth of mind are beyond the reach of us."

This humble official is utterly convinced of his defeat at the hands of the Marquis.

In the Wei dynasty's nobility system, dukes and marquises were all of the first rank. From this perspective, it is reasonable for Pei Fengnian to refer to himself as "this humble official."

Seeing that Pei Fengnian seemed convinced, Jia Lian felt much more at ease.

His reason for making this statement was not only that Pei Fengnian's sudden surrender saved him a lot of effort, but also that he wanted to subdue these thousands of defeated soldiers and use them for his own purposes.

In the current chaotic situation, any force can potentially play a role.

"The situation is urgent. Even His Majesty's safety on the mountain is uncertain. I will not dismount to reminisce with the general. You and I..."

Just as Jia Lian was about to assign tasks to Pei Fengnian, he suddenly saw a rider galloping towards them.

"General, a force of soldiers has suddenly appeared and is attacking from the mountains behind us..."

Pei Fengnian's expression changed, and he exclaimed in shock, "Could it be that the Crown Prince has heard of this and is raising an army to attack?"

"For the sake of your safety, my lord, I urge you to retreat into the army formation for the time being, and I will stop you."

Pei Fengnian originally decided to rebel because he didn't think highly of the Crown Prince's side, so naturally he had to show off in front of Jia Lian, who was also Emperor Ningkang.

Jia Lian, however, did not move at all.

A moment later, two more riders arrived.

"General, it's not the Crown Prince who's come; it's Princess Zhaoyang. She's brought over a hundred light cavalry and ordered us to clear the way down the mountain..."

"Princess Zhaoyang...how could she...?"

Pei Fengnian didn't understand. At this time, even the prince had no right to speak, so why was a princess running out instead of staying in a safe place on the mountain?

Jia Lian, standing before him, laughed: "Let's go, General Pei, come with me to take a look."

……()