Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

A wide area about twenty miles west of Tiewang Mountain.

Here, thousands of lanterns are lit, and the flames blaze fiercely.

These thousand military tents are arranged along a main road, one to the south and one to the north, clearly separated.

At this moment, the commanders-in-chief of the two armies were meeting in a temporary military tent on the main road.

"Given this situation, what does Commander Yun think we should do?"

"We have been marching here for quite some time now. In such a long time, no new decree has been issued from the Emperor Emeritus, and our people have not been able to get up the mountain."

Moreover, our scouts just reported that there are no signs of fighting on Iron Net Mountain. It seems that Xie Jing did not lie to us, and the rebellion on the mountain has indeed ended.

At this very moment, I fear the Emperor Emeritus has already met with misfortune.

Yun Guang let out a long sigh.

As the military governor of Chang'an, he commanded the closest garrison outside the capital region.

Therefore, upon receiving the imperial edict from the retired emperor, he immediately led an army of tens of thousands of soldiers to Iron Net Mountain.

Unexpectedly, someone else arrived even earlier than him.

Tao Ran, the military governor of Guanning, was clearly farther away than him, yet he arrived first. Later, he learned that Tao Ran had only led three thousand cavalrymen ahead, leaving the majority behind.

Although they approached Iron Net Mountain one after the other, they were both met with fierce resistance.

The troops blocking their way presented Emperor Ningkang's decree. Neither dared to act rashly, so they agreed to join forces.

During this period, they naturally received "advice" from the garrison commanders, who told them to leave their troops to go to Tiewang Mountain to meet the emperor, or to go back to where they came from, otherwise they would be charged with treason.

They responded that they had not received any decree from the retired emperor and dared not withdraw their troops without authorization.

As for going to Tiewang Mountain to meet the emperor alone... they're not stupid.

With such a huge commotion, even a fool would know that something enormous has happened.

Although the Emperor Emeritus's decree only ordered them to lead troops to Tiewang Mountain to protect the Emperor, it did not specify who had committed the rebellion.

But putting aside the "insider information" obtained from the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict, in the world today, who else but Emperor Ningkang dared to rebel against the retired emperor and had the ability to force him to send troops from outside the capital to protect him?

When gods fight, innocent bystanders suffer.

With the two emperors currently vying for power, if things go wrong, it could be these generals who hold military power who die.

"How many troops did General Tao bring this time?" Yun Guang suddenly asked.

Tao Ran's expression shifted slightly. He gave Yun Guang a deep look and said casually, "The troops I brought to protect the emperor this time consist of 3,800 light and heavy cavalry and 8,000 elite soldiers."

Upon hearing this, Yun Guang felt a pang of jealousy, then said meaningfully, "I heard that Commander Wang, the governor of nine provinces, has also come to the capital this time, and the troops he brought are several times larger than yours and mine..."

As a general who had long governed the region, Tao Ran naturally understood Yun Guang's veiled meaning.

But he denied it after only a moment's thought.

Although the two saints of Iron Net Mountain are fighting each other, the world is not in chaos.

The 100,000 well-equipped Imperial Guards alone were a force that their small force could not contend with.

Moreover, Prince Teng was a latecomer to the profession, having previously served as the military governor of the capital garrison. He was not of the same ilk as them and could not communicate effectively. Furthermore, the enemy's forces outnumbered the two of them.

If they really want to unite and do something big, who will listen to whom? I'm afraid that before they even accomplish anything, they'll start fighting amongst themselves.

Therefore, given the current situation, it is wishful thinking and a path to certain death for them to try to emulate Dong Zhuo and seize control of the government with their limited strength.

Just by looking at Tao Ran's expression, Yun Guang knew that she didn't mean it that way, and that he himself was just thinking about it.

After all, the prosperity of the capital city contrasts with the misery of the military governor's town, so it's normal to have some thoughts.

The imperial court also knew that they might have some normal thoughts.

Therefore, under normal circumstances, the imperial court does not allow foreign troops to enter the capital. This is also why the Emperor Emeritus's decision to send foreign troops into the capital made Emperor Ningkang feel even more that his father was old and senile.

After a long period of secret planning, the two decided on a strategy of advancing and retreating together, and then prepared to part ways.

Suddenly, a messenger arrived with the news: "Reporting to the two generals, Marquis Jia Lian, commander of the Imperial Guard's firearms battalion, requests an audience with the two generals outside the main camp."

Upon hearing Jia Lian's name, Yun Guang and Tao Ran's expressions became more serious. They exchanged a glance and then ordered the man to be brought in.

……

As Jia Lian passed through the layers of military tents, looking at the gray-black tents, he knew that the conditions of these foreign troops were indeed inferior to those of the officials and soldiers in the capital.

These are foreign troops relatively close to the capital; one can only imagine the conditions for border troops in the nine border regions.

One of the major drawbacks of feudal empires is that the longer they survive, the more they mistreat soldiers stationed in remote areas.

This is not the emperor's or the court's subjective opinion, but it will objectively manifest itself in one dynasty after another.

Jia Lian knew that one of the key aspects of Emperor Ningkang's reforms was changing the military system, and the focus of his reforms was the hundreds of thousands of Green Standard Army soldiers who were also bandits across the country...

After walking along the main road for about one or two miles, we came to a sudden military tent with two old generals in armor on the left and right.

Upon seeing him, the two men stepped forward to pay their respects.

"This humble general, Yun Guang (Tao Ran), pays his respects to His Highness the Imperial Grandson."

Jia Lian had come to greet them, but he hadn't expected them to address him in such a way.

After a moment of surprise, they realized that these two were not completely ignorant about what was happening on the mountain.

"Generals, you are too kind. Please rise."

Helping the two elderly men, who were already bowing slightly, to their feet, Jia Lian said, "Regarding my status as a grandson of the emperor, there is still no conclusion. Please, you two old generals, just call me by my name."

Yun Guang said, "Your Highness, please do not speak nonsense. The Emperor Emeritus's words are law; how can his public pronouncements be considered inconclusive?"

Tao Ran nodded in agreement.

What else could Jia Lian say? In reality, even if he really was the illegitimate grandson of the retired emperor, he could not be considered a "Your Highness".

Do you see any of the Emperor Emeritus's many grandchildren, besides the princes and princesses of Emperor Ningkang, who else addresses him as "Your Highness"?

Those who are considered orthodox don't even qualify, let alone someone like him who can't be brought to the light.

Jia Lian knew that Yun and Tao were not only flattering him, but more importantly, they were tacitly acknowledging that he was a member of the Emperor Emeritus's chariot and that he was one of them.

Of course, whether they were pretending to be ignorant or not, we don't know.

Jia Lian did not argue with them on this issue. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they went into the main tent and took their seats.

After serving tea, Yun Guang and Tao Ran exchanged a glance, and Yun Guang spoke first: "Your Highness, did you come so late at night to deliver a decree from the Emperor Emeritus?"

Jia Lian took a sip of tea, put down the teacup, and looked at the two military governors whose expressions were quite different.

He didn't believe those two old guys weren't suspicious. If he were the Emperor Emeritus's envoy, would he have swaggered through Emperor Ningkang's defenses so casually, and then arrived without any sign of panic?

He didn't have time to beat around the bush with them; he still had to go to Juyong Pass later.

"I have come here with His Majesty's decree to inquire about the two generals," Jia Lian said, shaking his head.

Yun and Tao's expressions changed, and then Tao Ran said, "I wonder what Your Majesty wants to ask us?"

"Both generals are regional military governors, responsible for protecting the safety of the capital. Why have you suddenly led troops into the capital? Could it be that you two generals intend to rebel?"

"Why do you say that, Your Majesty? We are loyal to the Great Wei, so how can you say we are rebelling?"

This trip to the capital is carried out by the explicit decree of the Emperor Emeritus, to protect the Emperor and defend him; there is an imperial edict to back it up!

"Where is the imperial edict?"

All that was said before was just empty talk. Both sides know exactly what happened, and there have been previous negotiations.

However, Yun and Tao knew that Jia Lian's visit was likely on behalf of Emperor Ningkang to have formal talks with them.

Neither of them was surprised that Jia Lian was Emperor Ningkang's envoy.

Since they knew that the Emperor Emeritus had publicly acknowledged Jia Lian's identity, they naturally also knew that Jia Lian ultimately did not help the Emperor Emeritus.

When Jia Lian arrived and immediately asked to see the imperial edict, the two hesitated for a moment before ordering someone to bring it to them.

Jia Lian pretended to read through both imperial edicts before nodding and saying, "I see. It seems His Majesty has misunderstood you two generals. Rest assured, I will tell His Majesty the truth when I return."

Yun and Tao did not accept Jia Lian's favor. They frowned and asked, "What is His Majesty's intention?"

Jia Lian cleared his throat before saying, "To be honest, there was indeed a rebellion at Iron Net Mountain this time, Generals."

The situation was urgent, so the retired emperor issued an imperial edict, inviting the generals to come to the capital to quell the rebellion.

However, the rebellion on the mountain has now been completely quelled, and the safety of the two saints is no longer in danger.

Therefore, I urge the two generals to lead their troops away as soon as possible to avoid causing further unnecessary trouble.

"May I ask, Your Highness, what kind of rebellion has occurred on the mountain, and who is it that has forced the Emperor Emeritus to dispatch us to the capital to quell the uprising?"

"Alas, it's truly a sad story..."

While sighing, Jia Lian recounted the events leading up to the Crown Prince's rebellion, which had been meticulously planned by Emperor Ningkang's side long ago.

The news that the crown prince was dead shocked Yun and Tao.

Taking advantage of the situation, Jia Lian quelled all the chaos on the mountain. He also mentioned that Emperor Ningkang had been repeatedly dispatching large armies to suppress them due to a "misunderstanding".

The implication was clear: if they didn't obediently follow Emperor Ningkang's orders, they would be wiped out.

Yun and Tao were not easily fooled.

"We have all come here by imperial decree of the Emperor Emeritus. If we rashly withdraw our troops without the Emperor Emeritus’s permission, I am afraid we will not be able to explain ourselves to the Emperor Emeritus in the future."

"If His Majesty wishes for us to withdraw our troops, it's simple. Just let us go up the mountain and personally meet the Emperor Emeritus. As long as the Emperor Emeritus gives the order, we will naturally lead our troops back immediately."

Jia Lian nodded: "That is indeed the way to go. In that case, you two should pack your things immediately and come with me up the mountain to see the Emperor Emeritus."

Yun and Tao's lips twitched. Following Jia Lian up the mountain like this, would they even survive to return?

Tao Ran suddenly said, "It's no fun going around in circles like this."

Let's be frank. Whether it was a rebellion by the Crown Prince or something else, we cannot verify, nor do we intend to verify.

I only have one question: how is the Emperor Emeritus doing now?

Seeing that Tao Ran had laid his cards on the table, Yun Guang dismissed the servants in the tent and said, "His Highness the Imperial Grandson and I are old acquaintances, so I'll just say whatever comes to mind."

Your Highness should also know that this matter concerns the lives of myself and General Tao, so we cannot afford to be careless.

"If you want us to withdraw our troops, you must first let us know what exactly happened and whether the Emperor Emeritus is safe. Otherwise, how can we withdraw our troops with peace of mind?"

Yun Guang's gaze was incredibly earnest, as if he were truly a loyal minister devoted to the retired emperor.

In response, Jia Lian simply said, "I can only tell the two generals that the Emperor Emeritus is perfectly safe now. Moreover, His Majesty has decided to escort the Emperor Emeritus back to the capital first thing tomorrow morning."

The chaos at Iron Net Mountain will now come to a complete end.

If the two generals still refuse to retreat at this point, the only outcome will be that they are branded as rebels and suppressed by His Majesty's troops.

Jia Lian's words revealed two pieces of information.

First, the retired emperor is indeed still alive.

Secondly, the retired emperor had already been defeated and had fallen into the hands of Emperor Ningkang; otherwise, it wouldn't have been "His Majesty has already made a decision."

Tao Ran was somewhat dissatisfied with Jia Lian's tone, "Is Your Majesty so confident? As far as I know, Prince Teng, the commander of the nine provinces, has also been ordered by the retired emperor to lead tens of thousands of troops to the capital to quell the rebellion. He is probably already at the gates of Juyong Pass!"

I know that Feng Sheng has already led his troops to Juyong Pass to guard it, but if Yun Jiedu and I were to move our troops north to Juyong Pass now and cooperate with Lord Wang from the inside, it should not be difficult to break through Juyong Pass.

At that time, our three armies will converge, and there may be a chance to rescue the Emperor Emeritus…”

Tao Ran's words resonated deeply with Yun Guang's thoughts.

Having finally managed to lead troops into the capital, if they could rescue the retired emperor from the real rebels and allow him to resume his reign, it would at least be a meritorious act of supporting the emperor and protecting him, with unlimited potential.

However, before he could even begin to mused, Jia Lian across from him let out a sneer.

"I'm not trying to discourage you two generals."

Let's not even talk about whether you can unite your three armies before His Majesty returns to the capital and defeat our army, which is several times larger than yours.

"Tell me about the two generals..."

Jia Lian's face suddenly hardened: "Aren't you two generals afraid of bearing the infamy of forcing the retired emperor to his death, leaving a stain that will last for ten thousand years?"

Seeing that Yun Guang and the other man were still somewhat confused, Jia Lian said quietly, "The Emperor Emeritus is perfectly safe now, but if the two generals insist on not withdrawing their troops, and even want to join forces with Commander Wang's three armies, using the Emperor Emeritus's name to wreak havoc in the capital..."

"What do you two generals think is the simplest thing His Majesty should do to avoid these troubles?"

Tao Ran's expression changed, and she angrily said, "He wouldn't dare!"

"General Tao is no child anymore, so there's no need to say whether he dares to do such a thing again."

Since ancient times, the struggle for power within the imperial family has meant that there has been no affection between fathers and sons or brothers!

His Majesty still cherishes this family bond, so the Emperor Emeritus will be fine.

However, if the generals insist on rushing to the capital to rescue His Majesty, attempting to disrupt the chaos of "two suns in the same sky" that His Majesty has finally managed to end.

For the sake of the stability of the Great Wei dynasty and to prevent the valiant soldiers of Great Wei from dying unjustly, His Majesty will surely be able to harden his heart.

At that time, historical records and popular sayings will not say that His Majesty killed the Emperor Emeritus; they will only say that it was the two generals' foolishness and ambition that forced the Emperor Emeritus to his death.

Tao Ran sat down in the chair dejectedly, knowing that Jia Lian was right.

The retired emperor has fallen into the hands of Emperor Ningkang. In any case, the retired emperor has lost.

In reality, what did the power struggle between the two emperors have to do with them?

The reason they had to participate was because they were people promoted by the retired emperor, and loyalty to the retired emperor was loyalty to themselves.

The retired emperor has already lost; the future of the Great Wei Dynasty is destined to be ruled by the current emperor.

It seems it's time for them to plan their own future.

Seeing that Yun Guang and Tao Ran had both grasped the situation, Jia Lian finally revealed his last trump card.

"Your Majesty also knows that the two generals led their troops into the capital this time out of loyalty to the Emperor Emeritus and to the Great Wei."

Therefore, His Majesty will naturally not blame the two of you.

If the two generals are interested, they can inquire later about Pei Fengnian, the former deputy commander of the Northern Camp of the Capital Garrison, and Shi Ding, the former deputy commander of the Valiant Cavalry Camp. These two were previously misled by others and opposed His Majesty. In fact, Shi Ding even caused His Majesty a great deal of trouble.

However, because they repented in time, they were all forgiven and given important positions by His Majesty.

If they are like this, then the two generals are merely acting on orders and have not yet caused any adverse consequences. Your Majesty should be even more lenient.

Of course, His Majesty was very sincere in order to completely dispel the two generals' concerns.

His Majesty said that as long as the two generals withdraw their troops and return to their original positions, His Majesty promised that, provided the two generals do not commit any obvious wrongdoings, their positions will not be changed for at least the next five years.

"So, can the two old generals rest assured now?"

Yun and Guang breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

When they were blocked at the foot of Tiewang Mountain by the Beijing garrison and did not receive the Emperor Emeritus's decree for a long time, they guessed that something had happened to the Emperor Emeritus.

They knew they were in a difficult situation.

Now that Emperor Ningkang is willing to make a promise, it can be considered as giving them a chance to re-align themselves.

"Is there an imperial edict?"

Jia Lian took out the imperial edict that he had prepared long ago.

After carefully examining the items, Yun and Guang felt much more at ease.

Tao Ran said, "His Majesty's words are law, and we naturally believe them. But I am curious, why five years?"

Jia Lian said, "With Your Majesty's abilities, you will surely be able to unify the world and stabilize the country within five years."

At that time, the two generals will naturally know whom to pledge their loyalty to, and will not worry about His Majesty's further purges, because there will be no need.

There was one more thing Jia Lian didn't mention: given the Emperor Emeritus's lifespan, in another five years, he would probably pass away.

Sensing the confidence Jia Lian had in Emperor Ningkang, Yun Guang and his companion completely abandoned their distractions and resolved to change sides.

So the two of them changed their tune and began to ask incessantly about the specific situation on the mountain, even worrying about Prince Teng, the biggest "traitor," for Emperor Ningkang.

When they learned that Jia Lian had personally gone to "recruit" Wang Ziteng, the two felt much relieved and began to flatter Jia Lian.

Previously, they, like everyone else, thought that given Jia Lian's special status, he would surely fall out of favor with Emperor Ningkang.

But it seems that's not the case at all. If it weren't for absolute trust and reliance, how could Emperor Ningkang have entrusted such an important task to Jia Lian?

Just as the meeting between host and guest was harmonious and Jia Lian was already thinking about taking his leave to go to Juyong Pass, a quacking sound came from outside.

"Get out of my way, all of you! I need to see Tao Ran and Yun Guang..."

"We should ask them why they've been so long since arriving at Iron Net Mountain and haven't yet obeyed the imperial decree to ascend the mountain!"

"Please calm down, Your Excellency. The two generals are seeing distinguished guests. Please wait a moment..."

"Distinguished guest? What distinguished guest? I think it's just a lobbyist from over there."

"Good, I knew it. It's a waste that the old emperor favored them so much, letting them guard this region. Now that the old emperor is in trouble, they stand idly by and refuse to be loyal. They deserve to die..."

Hearing the noise outside, Tao Ran and the other person felt a little embarrassed.

"It's Chief Steward Wang, who serves the Emperor Emeritus. Marquis Zhenyuan must know him. It was he who delivered the Emperor Emeritus's decree to us."

After deciding to change their allegiance, and knowing that Emperor Ningkang would not officially recognize Jia Lian's name, the two changed their titles back.

Jia Lian's expression at this moment was somewhat intriguing: "I know him, how could I not? He's Deputy Chief Steward Wang Fu, how could I not know him?"

Yun and Guang were both shrewd people; how could they not hear the disgust in Jia Lian's words?

Well, do these two have some kind of grudge?

But then Jia Lian said, "That's right, His Majesty is truly sincere towards the two generals. Not only did he send me, the Marquis, to represent His Majesty in comforting them, but he also made such a promise."

To demonstrate their loyalty, even if the two generals don't immediately go up the mountain to express their gratitude, shouldn't they at least do something in return?

Yun Guang reacted faster than Tao Ran. He immediately stood up and said, "Your Excellency is right. I'll be right back."

A moment later, Yun Guang personally carried Wang Fu's head into the tent and threw it at Jia Lian's feet.

Jia Lian glanced at it briefly, then ordered his attendants to pack it up and send it, along with the memorials from Yun and Guang, to Emperor Ningkang.