Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 734 Shi Ding's Surrender

Following Emperor Ningkang's orders, Jia Lian deployed one hundred cannons on the wide field west of the Emperor Emeritus's palace.

The reason for choosing the west was quite simple: the crown prince was in the west.

After a night of fighting, the retired emperor's troops were completely decimated. At this point, if the retired emperor wanted to pose a threat to Emperor Ningkang again or to protect himself, his only option was to join forces with the crown prince.

With the most powerful artillery force blocking this way, the outcome would be predictable if the remnants of the retired emperor's army chose to charge head-on.

However, if they try to break out from another direction, they will easily be wiped out by Emperor Ningkang's abundant military strength.

This would completely eliminate any potential risks caused by the Emperor Emeritus leaving Tiewang Mountain.

After inspecting the position, Jia Lian was waiting for Emperor Ningkang's next instructions when Zhang Yong, the deputy captain of his personal guard, came to his ear and whispered something that made Jia Lian's expression change slightly.

After giving Jia Yu, Feng Ziying, and the others a brief instruction, Jia Lian quietly returned to the main tent with his personal guards.

Sure enough, a burly figure appeared inside the tent at some point.

He was very enthusiastic when he met Jia Lian.

"Lian-ge'er~"

Jia Lian glanced around the tent and, finding no other strangers, guessed the purpose of the man's visit, since the man before him was dressed as an ordinary Imperial Guard officer.

With a slight wave of his hand, the others consciously withdrew from the tent.

"So it's Uncle Shi the Third. How have you been?"

Shi Ding looked at the handsome and upright Jia Lian in front of him, a look of regret on his face.

When he rose to fame and was granted a noble title, it was precisely when the Jia family was in decline.

At that time, he didn't really care about the entire Jia family, let alone one of the younger members.

In fact, of the four major families at the time, only Prince Teng was somewhat taken seriously by him; the others were all mediocre and incompetent in his eyes!

Times have changed, and in the blink of an eye, he, a close guard of the emperor and the deputy commander of the elite cavalry, has been reduced to disguising himself to meet a descendant of the Jia family.

A few thoughts flashed through his mind, but he dared not show any hesitation on his face.

He disregarded pleasantries and his expression became extremely solemn: "Nephew, please come with me immediately. The Emperor Emeritus has specifically requested to see you!"

Shi Ding's words were solemn and natural, just like when he used to relay imperial edicts for the retired emperor. Back then, no one dared to refuse the retired emperor's summons.

Jia Lian's expression suddenly became meaningful.

Upon seeing this, Shi Ding sensed something was amiss.

It is said that Jia Lian was a trusted confidant personally promoted by Emperor Ningkang and was extremely loyal to him, but I fear...

"What? My dear nephew, you dare disobey even the Emperor Emeritus's summons?"

"Uncle, you jest. As a subject of the Great Wei, I naturally dare not disobey the Emperor Emeritus's decree, but..."

Jia Lian walked to the side and sat down on the simple wooden table. He said quietly, "Not to mention that I have important responsibilities, it's hard not to suspect your intentions, Uncle, that you came in such a secretive way."

The situation is currently chaotic, and my nephew cannot afford to be careless.

Shi Ding angrily said, "What good intentions could I possibly have? I have been entrusted with the title of 'Loyal and Tranquil' by the Emperor Emeritus himself, and for more than ten years I have been ordered to protect the Emperor Emeritus's safety. My loyalty to the Emperor Emeritus is as clear as day and night. Would I possibly deceive you by falsely conveying an imperial edict?"

"Very well, this is the Emperor Emeritus's own edict. You can see for yourself."

Shi Ding angrily pulled out a roll of bright yellow silk from his pocket.

Upon seeing this, Jia Lian hesitated slightly.

The reason the retired emperor wanted to see him at this time was simply to make him betray Emperor Ningkang, just like he had done with the crown prince.

At this point, Jia Lian must have been insane to sneak off to see the Emperor Emeritus.

If Emperor Ningkang were to find out, even if he hadn't promised the Retired Emperor anything, Emperor Ningkang would likely find it difficult to maintain his trust in him.

They might send a beautiful woman to approach him and carefully examine his belt to see if there's anything like a "blood edict" hidden in the lining...

Jia Lian was naturally not going to fall for such a self-inflicted trouble.

However, he did not expect that the Emperor Emeritus would actually write him a special edict? Wasn't that giving him far too much credit?

Could it be that the retired emperor thinks that as long as he submits to him, he can turn the tide?

Or perhaps the retired emperor still has some unknown trump card up his sleeve?

Thinking this, Jia Lian finally took the silk scroll, unfolded it, and saw that it was indeed vigorous and powerful calligraphy:

"I am greatly pleased that the descendant of my late friend has become a talented individual. I have known Dai Shan for over sixty years, and our relationship is closer than that of brothers. I will keep all secrets to myself and not fail in my gratitude."

However, there is something that concerns you that I must tell you today.

This matter is of utmost importance; you must come to see me immediately and not speak recklessly.

Shi Ding stared intently at Jia Lian, who was studying the imperial edict.

He was unaware of the contents of the imperial edict. When the Emperor Emeritus gave him this decree, he instructed him to only present it if he could not persuade Jia Lian to come to see him.

But the retired emperor forgot that he was just a military general and not good at speaking. Therefore, when he saw that Jia Lian really refused to go to the palace to pay his respects, he immediately took out the things.

He was extremely nervous at this moment, because he knew that the current emperor emeritus had no other options.

Turning Jia Lian to the side is probably their only way out.

Jia Lian was quite surprised when he saw the Emperor Emeritus's edict.

If it were any other time or place, he would have rushed over to ask the Emperor Emeritus what had happened.

After all, it is quite rare for the emperor, who has ruled the world for over fifty years, to personally utter the words "I would rather not speak recklessly."

Jia Lian pondered for a moment, then looked up and saw Shi Ding's expression. Suddenly, his face darkened, and he slammed the silk on the table. The sound startled Shi Ding.

"You, Shi Ding, how dare you fabricate an imperial edict!"

"The Emperor Emeritus is the supreme ruler, whose word is law. He only needs to say one sentence to see his subjects, so why would he need to say so much?"

"Guards, seize him!"

Upon hearing the noise, the guards who had come to check the situation immediately pinned Shi Ding down.

Although Shi Ding was furious, he did not resist. He just scolded, "You, Jia Lian, dare to disobey even the Emperor Emeritus's edict. Do you want to use me to curry favor with His Majesty?"

"Hmph, our two families have been friends for generations. Aren't you afraid of being ridiculed by the world for doing this?"

Jia Lian did actually have some ideas about it.

At this point, it would be extremely unwise to even think of seeking refuge with the retired emperor or to have any connection with him or his confidants.

Therefore, Jia Lian did consider simply capturing Shi Ding and presenting him to Emperor Ningkang, thus completely severing ties with the retired emperor's side.

However, Jia Lian felt somewhat embarrassed after being scolded by Shi Ding.

Seeing Shi Ding glaring at him angrily, Jia Lian's eyes lit up, and he suddenly ordered his men to release him.

Just as Shi Ding was rubbing his shoulders and arms indignantly, Jia Lian said, "Uncle, do you know that you are about to face a great calamity?"

Shi Ding paused, then said, "It's nothing more than being loyal to the Emperor Emeritus."

Now that things have come to this, Shi Ding knows that there is no hope of turning Jia Lian to the other side, and he thinks that the others are not much different from him.

These confidants of the retired emperor, especially the generals who held military power, all knew that if Emperor Ningkang succeeded in forcing the emperor to abdicate, probably none of them would survive!

The retired emperor had been emperor for too long and was also the biological father of Emperor Ningkang. As long as Emperor Ningkang still cared about his own power, he probably wouldn't have the intention to kill the retired emperor.

However, Emperor Ningkang's actions were clearly not impulsive, nor were they child's play.

He wanted to seize power. Since he wanted to take power from the retired emperor, the only way to avoid harming the retired emperor was to eliminate all of the retired emperor's close associates.

Both Emperor Ningkang and the people themselves understood this point.

That's why they fought so fiercely when they led their troops to storm Emperor Ningkang's palace.

Unfortunately, it still ended up like this.

Even the emperor emeritus, high above all others, was at a loss and could only resort to emotional appeals. What could his subordinates possibly do?

Seeing that Shi Ding was clear-headed, Jia Lian nodded in approval.

As long as they're not stupid.

"Uncle is indeed carefree... However, Uncle is loyal and righteous, willing to serve the sage to the death."

But has your uncle ever thought about his wife, children, and elderly relatives at home?

What will become of them now that their uncle is gone?

Shi Ding was startled.

He had thought about it, but he didn't dare to think about it in detail.

What else can we do?

Emperor Ningkang had already prepared a pretext for his uprising.

The Crown Prince is plotting a rebellion!

These people will probably all be labeled as the Crown Prince's traitors.

Since it involves treason, then naturally... their property will be confiscated and their entire clan exterminated.

He and his elder brother Shi Nai had long been at odds, and he didn't care much about the other branches of the clan.

However, he could not help but care about his wives, concubines, and children!

He was also a man of great success, with no fewer than two hundred people in his household!

While other branches of the Shi family might be spared from his repercussions, it's highly likely that none of the two hundred people in his own household will survive.

Who could blame him when he was the Emperor Emeritus's right-hand man...

A cold sweat, mixed with a chilling fear, spread from my mind to my limbs.

"I heard that my uncle had another baby a few years ago."

I also happen to have a daughter who will be three years old soon.

Therefore, I deeply understand the happiness of watching my own flesh and blood enjoy the company of my children, and the impulse to risk everything to protect the health of my bloodline.

How could my uncle bear to let them suffer the calamity of being hacked and killed because of him?

Shi Ding could no longer stand steadily, large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his face turned pale.

His hands unconsciously clasped together as he murmured, "What can we do now that things have come to this..."

"If I told you I had a way to save your life, and the lives of your whole family, what would you say, Uncle...?"

"Really...really?" Shi Ding suddenly looked up.

"At this juncture, if Uncle wishes to survive, the only way is to pull back from the brink and surrender to His Majesty!"

The hope in Shi Ding's eyes faded at a visible speed, and he fell silent.

Jia Lian said, "While your side has not yet been completely defeated, and you still have some value to His Majesty, with my strong protection, perhaps we can still save your life."

This is my uncle's only chance.

You might as well tell your uncle that the reinforcements His Majesty has summoned to Iron Net Mountain this time are far more than the one I have!

Besides the Southern Camp that arrived with me, there were also the Northern Camp, the Four Horses Camp, and others. His Majesty, with a calculated strategy, had already amassed a large force in the Iron Net Mountain area.

If I'm not mistaken, the entire Iron Net Mountain is now completely surrounded by His Majesty's heavy troops, and not even a fly can get in.

The remaining troops under the Crown Prince's command will be wiped out in no time.

You won't have a chance.

Uncle, you must think this through carefully. This truly is your only chance. If you miss it again, it will be a regret for the rest of your life, and it will be too late to repent.

Jia Lian's words put immense pressure on Shi Ding.

He didn't think Jia Lian was trying to scare him. After all, if Jia Lian didn't have enough confidence, how could he stand so firmly on Emperor Ningkang's side, even disregarding the Emperor Emeritus's personal edict?

Therefore, the last glimmer of hope that the retired emperor could turn the tide was completely extinguished.

He couldn't help but glance at Jia Lian... At this moment, a burly man with rough facial features looked somewhat aggrieved.

"But the Emperor Emeritus has shown me immense kindness, I..."

Jia Lian impatiently interrupted his "speech on loyalty and righteousness," coldly saying, "Whether the Emperor Emeritus's grace is more important or your family, including your wife, children, and elderly relatives, is up to you, Uncle."

I'll just remind my uncle of one thing: there's no time for you to hesitate anymore.

The troops His Majesty left on the mountain have already surrounded the palace, and an attack could begin at any moment.

"We are surrounded by heavy troops at the foot of the mountain. Once we make a move, it will be the time of your death..."

The cold, indifferent words caused Shi Ding's expression to change repeatedly. Finally, he sighed dejectedly and said humbly, "But even if I were willing to surrender, I'm afraid His Majesty might not accept me..."

Previously, when he and Sun Jia and others stormed Emperor Ningkang's palace, they put in a lot of effort, causing terrifying casualties to Emperor Ningkang's side, and even almost captured Emperor Ningkang alive.

Seeing that Shi Ding's blockhead had finally turned around, Jia Lian smiled.

Although he and Shi Ding did not have a close relationship.

But there was no enmity between them.

Moreover, Shi Ding is right. Given the long-standing friendship between the two families, it would indeed be inappropriate to capture him and use him to curry favor with Emperor Ningkang.

Therefore, he suddenly thought that it might be a good idea to subdue him like Pei Fengnian had done.

As the third master of the Shi family, Shi Ding was able to earn a marquisate through his own abilities, which definitely makes him a remarkable figure.

If we can save his life this time, as long as he still has a conscience, he will naturally become one of his supporters in the future.

"I will plead on behalf of my uncle before His Majesty. My uncle only needs to do this..."

As he spoke, Jia Lian beckoned Shi Ding over and whispered some instructions in his ear.

Upon hearing this, Shi Ding's face flickered with hope, then with hesitation: "Will it really work?"

"Don't worry, Uncle will follow my lead."

Although Jia Lian did not show complete confidence on the surface, he was not worried that things would not go wrong.

Based on his years of experience flattering Emperor Ningkang, he knew that Emperor Ningkang was not someone who would be controlled by emotions and lose his rationality.

Given the current value of the historical bronze vessel, Emperor Ningkang would accept it.

……