Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 736 The Secrets of That Year

One hundred and twenty paces in front of the Emperor Emeritus's palace, banners fluttered and armor gleamed.

Shi Ding, clad in general's armor, rode out on horseback.

"Qian Yi!"

"Sun Jia!"

"You two scoundrels! The Emperor Emeritus has treated you well, yet you dare to collude with the Crown Prince to plot rebellion!"

"They've kidnapped the Emperor Emeritus and are plotting something nefarious!"

"His Majesty's army to quell the rebellion has arrived! Why don't you all come out and face your deaths!"

His words, each one filled with indignation and passion, drew the attention of tens of thousands of soldiers in front of and behind him.

In front of the imperial palace, Sun Jiaqi, the deputy commander of the elite cavalry, was so angry that his mustache stood on end.

"Shi Ding, you despicable and shameless scoundrel, you..."

Extreme indignation caused his speech to be intermittent, sounding weak and lacking in confidence.

But when Shi Ding heard Sun Jia's words, his old face couldn't help but turn red and then pale.

He knew that Emperor Ningkang only needed him to put on this show in front of everyone; how many people believed him was not so important.

Historians would record his words and actions at that moment as important evidence for "history".

He would thus become a meritorious official who exposed the Crown Prince's conspiracy and helped Emperor Ningkang quell the rebellion and save the emperor.

Not only will they no longer risk their lives and fortunes, but they may even be promoted and ennobled as a result!

Therefore, the guilt only lasted for a short moment before being suppressed by a strong mental fortitude.

In order to prevent Sun Jia from ruining things, he didn't wait for Sun Jia to finish speaking before he started arguing with Sun Jia in a louder and more righteous voice in front of tens of thousands of soldiers.

Surrounded by the three armies, Emperor Ningkang only watched the verbal battle for a short while, and once he saw that Shi Ding was not at a disadvantage, he stopped paying attention.

He turned to look at Feng Sheng, Jia Lian, and the others.

Feng Sheng said, "Your Majesty, the three armies are in position and ready for a general offensive at any time."

Jia Lian also said, "As His Majesty instructed, we have replaced the exploding shells with solid lead bullets. With the palace's rudimentary defenses, at most three volleys will be enough to destroy most of it, allowing our army to advance unimpeded."

"good!"

Only then did Emperor Ningkang finally show a hint of excitement on his face.

My long-cherished wish can finally be fulfilled today!

Just as Emperor Ningkang was explaining the final battle details to his generals, a commotion arose from the front, along with cries and curses.

Emperor Ningkang looked up and saw that Shi Ding had also "returned victorious." He said to Emperor Ningkang, "Your Majesty, the princes, dukes, and ministers in the palace want to leave the palace to avoid disaster. The traitor Sun Jia is trying to stop them, but he seems unable to do so."

Emperor Ningkang frowned slightly.

He knew, of course, that since the commotion on the mountain the night before last, many of the "wealthy idlers" on the mountain had chosen to enter the Emperor Emeritus's palace to avoid trouble.

Indeed, even his palace was almost completely breached last night, but to this day, the Emperor Emeritus's palace remains intact.

Unfortunately, with his massive army pressing in, and a violent conflict about to erupt between the two sides, the princes, officials, and their families who valued their lives were naturally panicked and afraid, and wanted to flee the battlefield.

Although Emperor Ningkang didn't care much about these people, he knew he couldn't let them all die in the chaos.

So he instructed his generals: "If they come, make them leave, and do not cause any unnecessary disturbance."

"Yes."

……

Inside the palace, when Shi Ding's words reached the ears of the retired emperor, the retired emperor was completely enraged.

Shi Ding was just an ordinary member of the Shi family who was neither the eldest nor the legitimate heir. It was only after Shi Ding took a liking to him and promoted him step by step that he had the opportunity to rise to prominence!

Later, despite the opponent's meager military achievements, he was exceptionally granted the title of Marquis, a great honor indeed.

But even someone like that would betray him; he actually dared to betray him!

Unforgivable! Unforgivable!

Just then, Qian Yi, the commander of the elite cavalry, entered the palace to report: "Your Majesty, news has come from the front that the princes and nobles who have been staying in the temporary palace are making a fuss about leaving..."

"Get them out!"

"Yes." Qian Yi didn't dare say a word more and left with his head down.

After Qian Yi left, the Emperor Emeritus seemed to be in great distress, his chest tightening and he was breathing heavily. The old eunuch beside him immediately knelt down to help him catch his breath.

But he was pushed away by the retired emperor in no time.

Looking up, the retired emperor seemed to have calmed down a lot, but his face was even more gloomy.

He propped himself up from the golden chair and said coldly, "Doesn't he like to put on an act? I'll go and see for myself whether he can still put on his show in front of me."

So the retired emperor, sitting in his personal four-wheeled wheelchair and pushed by eunuchs, arrived at the gate of the temporary palace.

On the periphery, Emperor Ningkang temporarily suspended the attack because he was unwilling to sacrifice the lives of those hundreds of nobles.

But tens of thousands of soldiers, arrayed like mountains and seas, stood before the palace, ready to pounce.

The sudden appearance of the retired emperor's imperial carriage caused the tense atmosphere to subtly decrease by seven or eight points.

Everyone held their breath, watching this rare confrontation between the two saints.

The retired emperor did not require any protection; he simply walked naturally to the open space between the two armies.

Seeing that all the imperial soldiers in front of him lowered their heads in silence under his gaze, his mood improved somewhat.

"Young man, come out and see me."

His authoritative rebuke sounded somewhat weak due to his advanced age.

But the entire place was silent, and the sound, carried by the mountain wind, could be heard by many people.

Emperor Ningkang was facing the retired emperor, so he naturally heard it as well.

His lips twitched involuntarily; he vaguely remembered that he seemed to have said the same thing not long ago.

In that instant, he suddenly felt that the retired emperor was quite similar to him, and in a daze, he recalled his father, whom he had respected and admired.

Without any hesitation, he waved for his guards to disperse and rode forward.

"Father."

Compared to the retired emperor, Emperor Ningkang's voice sounded much calmer.

The retired emperor frowned, seemingly realizing that his demeanor had been overshadowed by Emperor Ningkang.

"Is this what you wanted?"

The retired emperor asked, his voice sounding calmer than before.

"Father knows what your son wants."

Do you know how many innocent people have lost their lives because of your selfishness?

The soldiers who died last night were the very foundation of our empire; you are jeopardizing the fate of our Great Wei."

The retired emperor, standing on the highest moral ground, criticized Emperor Ningkang.

Emperor Ningkang finally lost his composure: "Father, do you really think that all of this is my fault?"

Is Father really without any fault?

"My mistake was entrusting the ancestral empire to you in the first place!"

The Emperor Emeritus's words silenced Emperor Ningkang.

He knew that saying anything more would be pointless.

He silently bowed to the retired emperor from his horse, then turned and returned to the formation without saying a word.

His rude behavior caused the Emperor Emeritus's barely suppressed anger to threaten to erupt again.

Ultimately, he did not lose his composure in front of the three armies.

Just as everyone was speculating what the retired emperor, ignored by Emperor Ningkang, would do, he suddenly called out:

"Jia Lian".

Everyone followed the Emperor Emeritus's gaze and looked at the white-horse general in front of the musketeer army formation in the southwest.

Jia Lian looked stunned, but inwardly he was cursing.

Your Majesty, if you can't beat me, just admit defeat. Why are you targeting me?

What good would it do you to kill me?

He couldn't help but look at Emperor Ningkang, but Emperor Ningkang, who was surrounded by the Imperial Guard, seemed not to understand his meaning. He only glanced at him and gave no other instructions.

With tens of thousands of eyes watching, Jia Lian dared not ignore the Emperor Emeritus. After hesitating for a moment, he rode forward, bowed, and said, "Greetings, Emperor Emeritus."

Because Jia Lian was a bit far away, the retired emperor, sitting in his wheelchair, didn't have to look up at him.

"How similar... Seeing you now is like seeing myself back then."

Looking at the handsome and dashing young Jia Lian, the Emperor Emeritus couldn't help but sigh.

Jia Lian was stunned and speechless, while several invisible question marks involuntarily appeared above his head.

He believes that at this moment, many people share the same doubts as him.

Has the retired emperor been driven mad by Emperor Ningkang, and is now trying to get close to his ministers?

"It is said that children and grandchildren resemble their ancestors. Among all my blood relatives, you are the one who most resembles me in appearance and demeanor when I was young."

Before anyone could speculate further, the retired emperor dropped another bombshell, leaving everyone stunned.

Jia Lian was also stunned. He didn't quite understand what the Emperor Emeritus meant by those words, but he instinctively sensed that the situation was not good.

"Your Majesty, I do not understand your meaning. I come from the Rongguo Mansion. My father was the late First-Class General Jia She, and my grandfather was the First-Class Duke Jia Daishan."

The retired emperor smiled, his aged eyes now filled with immense kindness.

He disregarded the entire army, seemingly only having eyes for Jia Lian.

"You don't need to overthink it. You are indeed a bloodline I left behind, just like your father."

Jia Lian's heart skipped a beat.

It is indeed his bloodline, and he is the same as Jia She?

Does this mean that Jia She was not Jia Daishan's son, but the illegitimate son of the retired emperor?

So... he and Jia She were both descendants of the retired emperor?

"I originally wanted to tell you this matter a long time ago. However, your background involves a secret from back then, which is not convenient to tell the world, so I delayed until now."

Ignoring the shock of Jia Lian and the others, the Emperor Emeritus spoke to himself:

"Back when I was still the Prince of Dai, I was ordered by my elder brother, the Emperor, to inspect the border. At that time, Jia Daishan was just a captain in the Imperial Guard, serving as my accompanying general."

Just then, the Marquis of Anyang rebelled, so I and Jia Daishan led troops to quell the rebellion. It was at that time that I met your grandmother.

She was the younger sister of the Marquis of Anyang. She was gentle and beautiful, well-educated and polite, and I fell in love with her at first sight.

However, at that time, Emperor Taizu had just passed away and the court was in chaos. For some reasons, I could not bring her back to the Prince's Mansion, so I placed her in the Rongguo Mansion and asked Jia Daishan to protect her.

But when I have time, I will still visit her often.

Later, your father was born.

Your father is a scoundrel, and I dislike him greatly.

But I never imagined that you would appear in my life many years later.

Do you know how overjoyed I was when I heard that you had rendered meritorious service on the frontier, and when I heard that you were both a scholar and a warrior?

"I have always longed for the day when we can recognize each other..."

As the Emperor Emeritus spoke, a look of reminiscence appeared on his face. Towards the end, he looked at Jia Lian with a kind and affectionate expression, just like Grandmother Jia seeing Jia Baoyu returning home after a day's absence!

Jia Lian remained silent.

His thoughts were completely absorbed in searching his memories.

He suddenly remembered something.

When Jia She died, a head eunuch suddenly came to offer his condolences at the high and mighty Chonghua Palace.

Although the eunuchs came and went quickly, without explaining who had assigned them, everyone at the time speculated that it was the Emperor Emeritus who, out of consideration for Jia Daishan, bestowed this honor upon his eldest son.

Looking back now...

If that's the case, then the strange and controversial family division system between the first and second branches of the Rongguo Mansion over the years can be explained.

Furthermore, although the Emperor Emeritus clearly treated him well, he forcibly separated him from...

Taking a deep breath, Jia Lian calmed himself down.

He knew that real trouble was about to begin!

As expected, seeing that Jia Lian seemed to have digested the bombshell information he had dropped, the Emperor Emeritus immediately spoke:

"You are my grandson, someone with whom I share blood! In this time of crisis, you should stand with me."

"Don't worry, after this matter is settled, I will issue an edict to allow you to be recognized as an ancestor..."

Before the palace, everyone was shocked. They stared blankly at the old man and the young man who were reuniting as a grandfather and grandson.

Even with their boundless imagination, they could never have imagined that the eldest grandson of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion, the Zhenyuan Marquis Jia Lian, who was personally cultivated by the current Emperor, would actually be a bloodline left behind by the retired Emperor!

Emperor Ningkang also had an expression of disbelief on his face.

Like Jia Lian, he instantly recalled some strange occurrences and things that had puzzled him before.

No wonder the Emperor Emeritus showed such favor to Jia Lian when they first met at last year's birthday banquet...

No wonder, when he intended to confer the title of Consort on Jia, the Emperor Emeritus, who had no connection to the matter, suddenly ordered him to confer the title of Imperial Noble Consort on Jia.

At the time, he couldn't understand it at all, and because he was wary of the retired emperor, he harbored a secret resentment towards Jia Yuanchun...

In retrospect, this was nothing more than another form of compensation from the retired emperor to the Jia family and the Rongguo Mansion.

Before he could recount the details of the past, Emperor Ningkang's expression changed again.

He could easily understand why the Emperor Emeritus had chosen this moment to reunite with Jia Lian!

Last night's battle certainly shocked him with the fighting power of the elite cavalry battalion, but the might of the firearms battalion pleased him even more.

Now, such a powerful army is in Jia Lian's hands...

He subconsciously looked to his left and right, and sure enough, some of the intelligent people around him also looked thoughtful.

Those with exceptional martial arts skills, upon noticing his gaze, subtly placed their hands on the hilts of their swords and cast questioning glances at him.

Emperor Ningkang made no comment. He didn't even move, nor did he seem to want to stop the retired emperor from launching an emotional offensive against Jia Lian. He just watched quietly.

In the center of the arena, the retired emperor looked at Jia Lian with fervent eyes.

"I will give you everything you deserve, and even make you a hereditary prince."

Because in my eyes, you are excellent enough…

In fact, the retired emperor had dozens of children, and countless grandchildren.

Logically speaking, no matter how outstanding a descendant is, he, being high and mighty, would never speak to him in such a "humble" manner.

He shouldn't even acknowledge Jia Lian as his father, at least not in public, as it would seriously damage his imperial dignity.

But he had no other choice.

Emperor Ningkang had driven him to the brink of despair, and he was unwilling to admit defeat.

He was absolutely unwilling to accept that he had once easily seized the throne amidst fierce competition from his brothers and nephews, only to be defeated by the rebellious son he had personally promoted!

Looking at the current situation, he knew that only by winning over Jia Lian could there be a chance for things to turn around.

His imperial edict to come to the emperor's aid was issued yesterday afternoon. Judging by the time, the first wave of reinforcements will definitely arrive in half a day at most.

Therefore, as long as Jia Lian is won over, with the advantage of his firearms battalion and the remaining troops he has, there will definitely be a chance to maneuver!

For this possibility, he did not hesitate to publicly admit that he had moral failings in his early years.

He believed that with such sincerity and such a promise, he would surely be able to win over Jia Lian.

Isn't that right? Royal status, the title of a hereditary prince—this is the status and position that any man dreams of!

Jia Lian is so young, he won't refuse.

……