Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 738 Unwavering Loyalty

The latter half of the palace, where the Empress Dowager stayed, was also guarded.

A troop of imperial guards arrived menacingly, startling the pampered eunuchs and palace maids who screamed in terror.

Just as this most noble and tranquil place was about to be plundered by government troops, dozens of horsemen rushed in.

"stop."

Princess Zhaoyang rode up to the leading general and looked down at him coldly.

"Who allowed you to come here?"

Upon seeing Princess Zhaoyang, the officer also abandoned his arrogant demeanor, clasped his hands in greeting, and replied, "Your Highness, we are acting on His Majesty's orders to place the servants in the palace elsewhere to prevent the Crown Prince's traitors from infiltrating and threatening the safety of the two Emperors..."

Princess Zhaoyang narrowed her eyes and then said, "This is the Empress Dowager's residence. There are no rebels here. You may go elsewhere."

"But Your Highness, this is His Majesty's decree. If..."

"If Father asks, I will personally answer him."

"But……"

"Snapped!"

A whip lashed hard across the officer's face. He cried out in surprise and looked up to see that Princess Zhaoyang's expression was extremely cold.

"I have said that there are no rebels here. If you cannot make the decision, then summon Helian Xiong. I want to ask him how much courage he has to allow you to disturb the Empress Dowager's presence."

"……yes!"

Despite the changing expressions on the officer's face, he ultimately dared not say anything more, and with a wave of his hand, he led his men away.

Seeing that the uninvited guests had left, Princess Zhaoyang dismounted, tidied her appearance, and slowly entered the Empress Dowager's bedroom.

Although the outside world was in complete chaos, the Empress Dowager's bedroom was quite quiet and peaceful.

Apart from the faint signs of worry on the faces of the servants, everything else seemed exactly the same as usual.

"Where is the Empress Dowager?"

"The Empress Dowager is playing the zither in the background."

Princess Zhaoyang went to the small garden behind the palace and, sure enough, saw the Empress Dowager playing the zither in the pavilion.

She walked to the Empress Dowager's side, without saying anything to disturb her, and silently began to massage the Empress Dowager's shoulders.

After the music ended, the Empress Dowager asked, "How is the situation outside?"

"Grandpa and Eldest Brother lost."

It was something I had expected, so there's nothing more to ask.

"Does my grandmother blame me?"

Princess Zhaoyang suddenly felt a little worried. She guessed that Emperor Ningkang might resort to force to force the emperor to abdicate, but she didn't tell the Empress Dowager and left it at that, which could be described as remaining neutral.

However, at the last moment, she completely sided with Emperor Ningkang and turned against the Emperor Emeritus and the Crown Prince. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the Empress Dowager who had always treated her like her own daughter.

The Empress Dowager glanced at Princess Zhaoyang with surprise, then understood what she meant.

Shaking her head, the Empress Dowager pulled her to sit down in front of her and sighed, "Why should I blame you? Since you chose to do this, you must have your reasons."

"To be honest, I'm quite pleased. All these years, I haven't spoiled you. And when it comes down to it, you've bravely shouldered your responsibilities as a member of the royal family."

Princess Zhaoyang asked in surprise, "But Grandfather lost, ultimately putting Grandmother in a disadvantageous position. Grandmother has been so good to me, yet I..."

The Empress Dowager shook her head again. "You've been by my side for so many years, don't you understand me yet?"

I've never cared about any of that.

The struggle for power has always been a game for men, and ultimately has little to do with me or you.

My whole life has been nothing more than a pawn manipulated by others; I've never lived a single day for myself. I never did before, and it's unlikely I'll ever again.

Therefore, whether your imperial grandfather wins or loses, it makes little difference to me; it simply means we'll both be confined to this deep palace.

Upon hearing this, Princess Zhaoyang felt both admiration for the Empress Dowager's composure and detachment, and also a pang of heartache.

She quickly hugged the Empress Dowager tightly and murmured, "Grandmother, don't worry, Zhaoyang will always protect you."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager smiled and patted her head with satisfaction. Suddenly, she said, "When you came over just now, I saw a look of deep sorrow on your face. I'm afraid it wasn't just worry about me, was it?"

"Oh? I was just worried about Grandmother..."

Princess Zhaoyang looked up, then lowered her head again.

Seeing this, the Empress Dowager sighed, "I heard from the palace servants that the Emperor Emeritus publicly admitted that Jia Lian was his illegitimate son born outside the palace?"

"Hmm," Princess Zhaoyang said in a muffled voice.

"No wonder he opposed you two being together in the first place."

The Empress Dowager looked somewhat wistful, even regretful.

To be honest, there was nothing between these two young people back then. It was he who took a liking to Jia Lian at first sight and did his best to bring them together.

At first, they didn't accept each other, but after going through some changes and setbacks, they fell madly in love with each other.

Patting Princess Zhaoyang on the back, the Empress Dowager said, "Let bygones be bygones."

Life is always about looking forward. The Wei family is a famous family in the capital, and the young master of the Wei family is a handsome and humble man, not much weaker than Jia Lian.

"If he becomes your husband in the future, the two of you should support each other and live a happy and harmonious life together."

Upon hearing this, Princess Zhaoyang blinked her eyes, which were buried in the Empress Dowager's arms.

How could she dare to confess to the Empress Dowager that the reason she chose Wei Ruolan was firstly out of expediency, and secondly because the young master Wei was frail and sickly, and looked like he was destined to die young...

"Ahem, Grandmother, I suddenly remembered that I have some important matters to attend to outside..."

I will leave some of my guards with the Empress Dowager. If the Empress Dowager needs anything, just have them relay the message to me, and I will return immediately.

After saying this, Princess Zhaoyang slipped out of the Empress Dowager's embrace, gave a hasty bow, and ran away.

……

On the other side, Emperor Ningkang also walked out of the retired emperor's bedroom.

He originally thought that after defeating his father, he would have a lot to say to the retired emperor.

He would stand tall and tell his father, in detail, that he was right!

But when he actually did all of this, he found that these thoughts had faded.

Therefore, he did not stay long in the retired emperor's bedroom, as there were still many things outside that awaited his attention.

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince led his troops back, but they have been driven back by General Feng. The Crown Prince is currently fleeing north with his remaining troops."

Before Emperor Ningkang could return to the palace, his men came to report.

Upon hearing of the Emperor Emeritus's perilous situation, the Crown Prince realized the gravity of the situation and immediately abandoned his engagement with Xie Jing, leading his troops to the rescue.

Ultimately outnumbered and outgunned, they chose to flee north. This was because the area north of Tiewang Mountain was where Emperor Ningkang's forces were weakest.

Emperor Ningkang stopped his horse, a cold expression appearing on his face.

He could have won beautifully this time, without paying such a high price or suffering so many aftereffects.

All of this was because of the Crown Prince's betrayal at the last minute!

"Field irrigation canal".

"Your subordinate is here."

"I hereby order you to lead three thousand guards to pursue the Crown Prince and capture him before he escapes from Iron Net Mountain."

"This subordinate obeys the order!"

"Father..."

The Third Prince suddenly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Father, my eldest brother is of extraordinary status. It is not appropriate to only send Deputy Commander Tian to capture him."

If Father trusts me, then let me go with Deputy Commander Tian.

Your subject is willing to sign a military pledge: if I fail to personally capture my eldest brother, I will accept any punishment!

Emperor Ningkang hesitated for a moment, but seeing the Third Prince's earnest expression and desire to share his father's burdens, he finally uttered a single word:

"allow."

……

Just as the clash between the two saints of Iron Net Mountain came to an end, the capital city also gradually quieted down.

Although within the capital, the army more loyal to the retired emperor should be larger and stronger than the army more loyal to Emperor Ningkang.

However, thanks to Emperor Ningkang's proper arrangements, not a single edict from the retired emperor reached the capital.

As a result, although some troops, such as the elite cavalry, were somewhat restless, they ultimately did not launch a fierce resistance.

Many people even actually believed the claim that "the crown prince was plotting a rebellion," thinking that the Embroidered Uniform Guard and others were simply arresting traitors.

Emperor Ningkang's orders to the Imperial Guard and the Embroidered Uniform Guard were merely to control the gates of the capital and prevent any soldiers or horses from leaving the city.

If the other party doesn't overstep their bounds, they don't need to provoke them. They just need to wait for Emperor Ningkang's victorious return, and everything will be simple.

Therefore, after two days of adjustment and competition, all parties have reached a delicate balance.

In this balance, the hearts of wealthy families like the Jia family gradually settled down.

Yet they still just stayed behind closed doors, not daring to go out and cause trouble.

But sometimes, even if you don't go looking for trouble, trouble will come knocking on your door.

Not far from Ningrong Back Street, a large group of Imperial Guards emerged from a mansion. Following them were a group of "traitors" they had imprisoned.

These Imperial Guards all had beaming smiles on their faces, like long-time beggars who had suddenly struck it rich.

"These people who act all high and mighty usually turn on us, but when they actually meet our real brothers, they all become cowards like dogs and confess everything honestly."

"That's right. It's just a pity that this is the last one ordered by the higher-ups. After this one, it will be difficult for the brothers to make money like this again."

He ordered his men to escort all the "rebels" back to the Zhenfu Division, but the leaders gathered together to discuss how to distribute the loot.

Since they are rebels, their homes must be searched and evidence collected.

Since it was a raid, it was inevitable that a lot of valuables would be found. However, the exact amount of these valuables was not up to them to decide; how much to report and how much to keep were both matters of considerable expertise.

They divided the stolen money with remarkable tacit understanding, and one of them suddenly laughed, "This area is a famous street of nobles and dignitaries, with countless high-ranking officials and nobles living here. If you brothers really want to get rich, are you afraid you won't have a chance?"

Everyone immediately understood his meaning, but hesitated: "That's true, but some people have incredibly powerful backers, and we probably can't afford to offend them."

"Hey, what are you afraid of? We'll just say that some traitors have escaped into their mansion and we need to go in and search it."

At this point, anyone with a modicum of sense would know that losing money is better than losing more... This way, we don't have to really fight, and we still get some benefits. Isn't that a wonderful thing?

Upon hearing this, everyone was intrigued, knowing that such an opportunity only came once, so they all agreed to pull off a few more.

Ningrong Back Street, Xue Family.

A large group of Imperial Guards suddenly rushed in, startling the Xue family gatekeepers who were prepared, who quickly hid inside the gate.

The Imperial Guards, however, were in no hurry. After assembling their ranks, one of their commanders personally stepped forward and knocked on the door: "The Imperial Guards are ordered to arrest traitors! Open the door! Open the door quickly!"

The door was being pounded on so loudly that the Xue family gatekeeper, who was hiding inside, dared not open it. In his haste, he could only go in and report back to Aunt Xue.

Aunt Xue was at a loss for words when dealing with these vicious Imperial Guards, and her face paled. She could only let Xue Ke and the steward step in.

After some "friendly negotiations," the Xue family finally realized that the other party had come for money.

Despite her inner turmoil, Aunt Xue dared not be accused of harboring a traitor. In her fear, she could only obediently prepare a box of silver to send away these unruly guests.

Whether it was because of the Xue family's reputation or because they thought the Xue family was too easy to bully, the Imperial Guards took the silver but were in no hurry to leave.

"Sir, we just saw five more traitors climb over the wall and hide in their house."

Upon receiving a loud report from his subordinates, the commander chuckled and said to Xue Ke, "Young master, did you hear that? It's no wonder the brothers didn't give us face; it's just that your family is too attractive to the rebels."

"This one person has one price, so these six people naturally have six prices. Do you understand what I mean?"

"you……"

Xue Ke was still young and had never seen such a rogue dressed in official robes.

The old steward also angrily said, "You all must not be so greedy! Our Xue family is not to be trifled with. Our ancestors were first-rank officials in the founding of the dynasty, and the Rongguo Duke's Mansion, a first-class noble family, is also a family with us through marriage..."

Before the old butler could finish speaking, the commander kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying a great distance.

"He's just a fallen royal merchant who's been stripped of his title. Even the head of the family is still in jail. How dare he put on airs in front of me?"

"If you know what's good for you, then obediently take out five more boxes of silver of the same weight, and we'll call it quits."

Otherwise, don't blame the brothers for being ruthless and going in to arrest the traitors.

The Imperial Guards all wore malicious smiles.

A century-old imperial merchant, or rather, a century-old imperial merchant with no real foundation in the capital. Such a fat sheep, where else can you find one if you miss it?

"Da da da da..."

A large number of military horses rode in from the street. The Imperial Guards didn't pay much attention at first, but their expressions changed when the horses surrounded them.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard is ordered to arrest traitors. Who dares to interfere?" the commander shouted as he stepped forward.

The warhorses parted, and one rider stepped out.

"I am the patrol officer of the Western City Military Command. I have received a secret report that some rebels are impersonating the Imperial Guards, bullying the innocent and extorting money. I have come here to arrest them."

If you do not lay down your weapons, you will all be killed without exception.

The commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's expression changed, but he immediately remembered his own identity and couldn't help but sneer, "Since when have the people from the Military Command dared to interfere in the affairs of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

The patrolman, mounted on his horse, said calmly, "Since my lord took charge of the military command, even princes and dukes have not dared to cause trouble in my western city."

Therefore, even if you are merely rebels in disguise, and even if you are genuine Imperial Guards, daring to commit crimes in the western part of the city, this patrol officer will arrest you without hesitation.

"you……"

The commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was furious, but fortunately, a quick-witted underling stepped forward and whispered, "Sir, these are all men of Marquis Zhenyuan, Jia Lian."

I've heard that the Jia and Xue families have a long-standing relationship; they're probably here to protect the Xue family.

The commander was stunned for a moment, then finally realized what was happening.

All the officials who have worked in the capital over the years have heard of Jia Lian's name.

They didn't take the Military Affairs Division and the Embroidered Uniform Guard seriously, but Jia Lian was someone even their Commander-in-Chief dared not easily offend.

Because Jia Lian, like their commander, could easily reach the emperor's ears.

They were only after money; they never considered courting death.

Didn't they notice that they didn't go to places like the Jia family's two mansions, but instead specifically picked on the easy targets?

Glancing at the soldiers of the Military Command, who clearly outnumbered them several times over, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard gritted his teeth and said, "Let's go!"

He didn't believe the other party would really dare to "arrest" them.

The Central City Military Command, which was said to be the strongest of the five major military commands, was personally defeated by its commander-in-chief the night before last, and even the commander-in-chief, Qiu Liang, was killed.

If the other party doesn't know what's good for them, the Embroidered Uniform Guard wouldn't mind taking this opportunity to massacre another military command.

"The person may leave, but the stolen goods remain!" the patrol officer ordered.

"you!"

The commander was furious and drew his sword to glare at him.

The city patrol envoy remained calm, but his hundreds of soldiers drew their weapons.

"You've got guts, I'll remember you. Brothers, let's go."

Watching the dozens or even hundreds of Imperial Guards slink away, the patrol officer's gaze turned deep and unfathomable.

The position of patrol officer of the West City Military Command is not a permanent one, but is held in rotation by the four commanders.

Jia Lian had commanded the Western City Garrison for many years, and many of his confidants had been promoted. For example, the original commander, Xie Jun, was promoted to the Firearms Battalion, and the vacancy he left behind naturally needed to be filled.

He was the lucky one.

If it were back when he was just getting by in the military headquarters, he naturally wouldn't dare to offend the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

But now, with Jia Lian backing them up, the entire Western City Garrison is not too afraid of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

What made the Embroidered Uniform Guard most frightening was that they served the emperor directly.

But Jia Lian was able to reach the emperor's ears and was not afraid of being slandered by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Moreover, protecting the Jia family's two mansions was an order left by the Marquis before he left the capital, so he certainly wouldn't neglect it.

The Xue family was overjoyed to see the menacing Imperial Guards driven away.

Aunt Xue even came out in person to thank the officers and soldiers of the Military Command.

The city patrol envoy and his entourage left without taking the gifts that Aunt Xue had brought, citing other patrol duties.

What a joke! The Marquis has been incredibly kind to them, and it's only natural for them to protect his family. If they were to ask for favors after all that, wouldn't that tarnish their unwavering loyalty to the Marquis?

……