After a male student transmigrated into the body of a widow,

Chapter 247 Finally meet

Beijing.

Not long after the young emperor ascended the throne, Empress Dowager Zhen ruled from behind a screen. It seemed that the empress dowager was supporting the young emperor to oversee the country, but in fact, the court was completely controlled by the Grand General.

Having witnessed Gao Yuan launch an attack at the palace banquet, imprisoning Emperor Qian Yuan, and then poisoning the emperor with his ruthless rage, killing all the princes and princesses, as well as the court officials who opposed him, the officials dared not speak. They all wished they were blind and mute to save their own lives and the lives of their families.

Five days after the young emperor ascended the throne, during the morning court session, a courtier stepped forward with his tablet and said: "Your Majesty is too young to bear the heavy responsibility of the country, and there are no virtuous and capable people in the royal family. Seeing that the country is in turmoil due to the young ruler, natural disasters and man-made calamities are rampant throughout the land. For the sake of the people, I think we should select a virtuous and capable ruler to govern the country."

Holding the young emperor, the Grand General sat on the dragon throne, his expression unreadable, and asked the ministers below who were offering their advice: "In your opinion, who is qualified to ascend the throne?"

Upon hearing this, the courtier immediately knelt down, his voice muffled: "The Great Qian Dynasty is now beset by crises, and dissent is rampant in the regions. I humbly request the Grand General to ascend the throne and restore peace and tranquility to the land."

Empress Dowager Zhen clenched her fists tightly.

The general's eyes darkened, and he said, "The world belongs to the Great Qian imperial family. How can I, as a general, presume to sit on the throne before His Majesty and the rest of the imperial family? Wouldn't that be a violation of human ethics?"

After these words were spoken, no one in the court spoke.

The courtier who had just spoken forced himself to stand up, ignoring the cold sweat on his back, and said to the general, "Since ancient times, the world has belonged to the capable. The Great Qian Dynasty has been established for a hundred years, and since Emperor Chengzong, he has neglected state affairs. The emperors are either obsessed with unorthodox methods, seeking immortality, or indulging in women. The dynasty's fate is sealed. General, you have both literary and military talents, the aura of an emperor, and the ability to govern the world. Why don't you ascend the throne?"

"Your subject humbly requests that the Great General ascend the throne as Emperor!"

The courtiers bowed their heads and shouted loudly.

The general turned his gaze and swept it across the other silent courtiers with an ambiguous expression. Feeling his gaze sweep over them, all the courtiers lowered their heads and eyes. He sneered, and the courtiers felt a chill run down their spines. Sure enough, the next moment, they heard the sound of the imperial guards on both sides of the hall drawing their swords.

The courtiers trembled, sweat beading on their foreheads. Gao Yuan rubbed the thumb ring on his thumb. After a few breaths, the sound of kneeling rang out one after another, the courtiers' voices trembling as they pleaded: "Your subject humbly requests that the Grand General ascend the throne as Emperor."

In ancient rites, the person accepting the abdication was required to refuse the abdication request multiple times to demonstrate loyalty to the previous dynasty and their own "unwillingness to become emperor."

But Gao Yuan didn't care about these formalities at all. He felt that with 200,000 imperial guards under his command and the young emperor in his hands, he controlled the entire capital. Who would dare to oppose him?

Therefore, the day after the court officials requested him to ascend the throne, Gao Yuan had Empress Dowager Zhen hold the young emperor and hand over the imperial seal to him on his behalf, indicating that the fate of the Great Qian Dynasty had run out and requesting him to establish a new dynasty and ascend the throne.

Once the imperial seal was in his hands, Gao Yuan feigned refusal for a few moments, then donned the dragon robe, held the imperial seal, and walked up the steps to sit on the dragon throne.

Facing the assembled officials, Gao Yuan proclaimed loudly: "At the request of the Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty, I ascended the throne to save the people of the world, establishing the state of Chu and naming it Xinglong. To express my gratitude to the Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty and the Empress Dowager for their concern for the people, I hereby bestow upon the Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty the title of Duke of Shanyang, while retaining his imperial privileges, and upon the Empress Dowager Zhen the title of Lady of Rongguo."

The court officials all knelt down and performed the grand ceremony: "Your Majesty is benevolent."

Southern military camp.

The General of Ningyuan Prefecture led his men to the front of the Zhenbei military camp. Looking at the young man blocking his way, he said, "Your Lord Zheng has been ill for so long and has not recovered. He has not been able to see anyone. I have brought a military doctor to examine Lord Zheng and see what illness he has."

Da Zhuo lowered his eyes slightly, looking respectful, without taking a step back: "Thank you for your concern, Lord Teng. You have caught a cold and have a fever. You should not be exposed to the wind or see people. Moreover, the army doctor has diagnosed you with a disease that can be transmitted to others. You need to rest for a long time."

"A contagious disease?" A hint of suspicion flashed across General Ning's eyes, but he paused, not moving forward.

With the army far away, doctors and medicines were scarce, and people suffering from colds and fevers had to be carefully cared for. If Zheng Hao hadn't remained secluded for a month, he wouldn't have bothered to go in and investigate.

However, the enemy's guards said that Zheng Hao had contracted a contagious disease, and they preferred that the garrison commander cherish his life rather than gamble with it.

However, the commander-in-chief of Ningyuan Prefecture was unwilling to let him leave without fully investigating the situation.

"Da Zhuo, what's happening outside?"

Suddenly, a deep, slightly hoarse voice rang out. General Ning Yuan was startled. He recognized the voice as Zheng Hao's. Compared to usual, the other party was ill, and his voice was more hoarse.

Da Zhuo turned around and reported, "General Teng of Ningyuan Prefecture heard that Your Excellency has been ill for a long time and has specially brought a doctor to treat you."

The people inside the tent did not answer immediately. The commander-in-chief of Ningyuan Prefecture watched as a tall figure slowly approached and was reflected in the tent.

Then, Zheng Hao's voice came out: "Thank you for your concern, Lord Teng. I am suffering from a serious illness and may have the risk of infecting others, so I will not invite you in."

The commander-in-chief of Ningyuan Prefecture stared intently at the figure in the tent, carefully verifying in his mind that the figure matched Zheng Hao's build, and that the person spoke as usual. He put aside his doubts and said with deep concern, "Lord Zheng, please take good care of yourself. I will not go in to disturb you."

After saying this, General Ningyuan left with the doctor.

Da Zhuo entered the tent and saw only one person inside. The person was tall and had ordinary features.

He turned to Da Zhuo and said, "They're starting to suspect that our master isn't in the camp, and General Ning is one of the most impatient of them all."

Without speaking up for the other party, Da Zhuo, whose voice expressed the same surprise as Lord Zheng's, said with a cold and arrogant expression: "Your Excellency is about to arrive in the capital. Even if they find out, the matter is already settled."

The man did not refute, clearly agreeing with his idea: "These days, you can reduce the number of people patrolling outside the camp. In the short term, they won't suspect that the lord is not in the camp. When something happens, we can lead the troops to hold them off according to the lord's orders."

If you act swiftly and take the capital immediately, they won't need to restrain General Ningyuan and his men...

In the suburbs, the sky is filled with yellow dust.

Gu Lin took the water pouch tied to the side of the horse, tilted his head back and drank half of it. Water dripped from his mouth. After a moment, he put down the water pouch, raised his hand to wipe his mouth, and turned to ask Li Jian, "How much longer until we reach the outskirts of the capital?"

Li Jian: "We are currently at the border between the capital and You'an Prefecture. We will reach the outskirts of the capital tomorrow."

Gu Lin nodded, and Li Jian said, "The night watch has been arranged. Husband, go and rest in the tent first."

They set off from Youzhou Prefecture without stopping for a moment. Li Jian was worried that Gu Fulang would not be able to withstand the journey and would delay the army's progress. He had already arranged for a team to take care of him while he and Tian Kang led the men to the capital. Unexpectedly, Gu Fulang persevered throughout the entire journey.

Gu Lin: "If there is any emergency, send someone to deliver a message to me and Deng Ting."

After marching for many days, Li Jian learned that the 10,000 private soldiers left by his husband were under the command of Deng Ting. Faced with his husband's order, he clasped his hands in agreement.

Gu Lin turned and walked into the tent, lay down on the makeshift wooden bed, his consciousness becoming hazy as he gradually drifted off to sleep.

In the middle of the night, a noise suddenly came from outside. Gu Lin opened his eyes and immediately sat up.

He didn't walk out of the tent, but subconsciously touched the crossbow on his right arm, his eyes fixed on the tent entrance.

There were no candles lit inside the tent, and it was pitch black outside. Gu Lin couldn't see anything, but his hearing became exceptionally sharp. The sounds outside continued for a while before disappearing, but Gu Lin did not let his guard down.

Suddenly, the tent flap was lifted, and a tall figure walked in. Gu Lin immediately raised his right arm and fired an arrow at the newcomer. The other person dodged very quickly. Gu Lin had no intention of engaging the other person and immediately ran out of the tent.

In the darkness, a tall figure caught the arrow and reached out to grab the young man's wrist: "Uncle Gu, it's me."

Gu Lin stopped his attack, turned around and looked at the person who had come. At this moment, torches were lit outside, making it exceptionally bright, and even the tent was brightly lit. Gu Lin could see the face of the young man in front of him.

Footsteps sounded outside, and through the tent, Deng Ting called out loudly, "My lord, my husband."

Hearing the sound, Gu Lin did not turn his head, but looked up at the young man in front of him. Zheng Hao held an arrow in one hand and his wrist in the other, his expression reassuring. Gu Lin did not resist, and slightly raised his eyes to signal the other to reply to Deng Ting.

Zheng Hao looked at where Deng Ting was standing and asked, "Have all the spies who were spying on the military camp been caught?"

Deng Ting: "Ten enemy scouts have been captured. Please give us your orders on how to deal with them, sir."

Lowering his gaze, Zheng Hao looked down at Uncle Gu, who was wearing only an undershirt and walking barefoot. He had obviously been awakened by the noise outside in the middle of the night.

He spoke, his tone cold and indifferent: "Handle it according to the old precedent."

"Yes." Deng Ting immediately withdrew upon receiving the order, leaving the two men inside the tent looking at each other.

Counting the days, they hadn't seen each other for more than half a year. Although they had corresponded, they were separated by the north and south, exchanging only five or six letters in total. Before, they had never been separated for so long and couldn't appreciate the meaning of "a letter from home is worth a thousand pieces of gold." But after this experience, they truly understood it.

As Gu Lin looked up at the young man, Zheng Hao also looked down at the young man in front of him, his gaze sweeping over the other's face, from eyes, nose, lips to chin, neck, and upper body...

Her cheeks had thinned considerably, and her chin was more pointed, lacking its former roundness. Her neck and limbs were also more slender, clearly indicating that she hadn't been taking good care of herself.

With a thousand words in his heart, Zheng Hao focused all his attention on Gu Lin. Finally, he spoke in a low voice: "Thank you, Uncle Gu, for traveling with the army for half a month to reach the capital."

Uncle Gu was frail and usually traveled by carriage. This time, for his sake, he rode a horse all the way from Youzhou Prefecture to the capital. Zheng Hao's eyes flickered, and a strange emotion welled up in his heart.

In the quiet atmosphere, although they didn't say much to each other, Gu Lin could feel the young man's ardent and intense gaze. His fingertips twitched slightly, his heart beat faster, and he turned his head slightly: "We'll be arriving in the capital tomorrow. Have you thought about how you're going to take down Gao Yuan?"

Seeing that Uncle Gu was changing the subject, Zheng Hao did not expose him. Although he wanted to get closer to Uncle Gu, the army was far away and important matters were at hand. He was not someone who could not distinguish between what was important and what was not. He immediately pulled Uncle Gu to sit down on the simple wooden bed, lowered his head slightly to get closer to Uncle Gu, and began to talk about his plan.

Gu Lin concentrated intently, trying to ignore the hot breath on his ear. Gradually, as the young man spoke, his expression became serious.

Upon hearing that 50,000 troops were arrayed outside the capital, the general was shocked and furious: "What is the commander-in-chief of the capital doing, letting them barge in like this?"

Who exactly are these people?

The Imperial Guard Commander reported: "Your Majesty, it is the Prefect of Youzhou and Commander-in-Chief. They have brought 10,000 light cavalry and 5,000 heavy cavalry."

The general's face darkened: "Order the nearby prefectures to send troops to the capital to protect the emperor."

To everyone's surprise, the moment he finished speaking, someone rushed in, shouting, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"

The general was about to launch into a tirade when the other party said, "Zheng Youzhou holds the imperial edict of Emperor Qianyuan and has issued proclamations to the surrounding prefectures and even to the north and south, declaring that he is acting on Emperor Qianyuan's orders to come to the capital to defend the emperor and kill the usurper."

"At the same time, Du Yuan, the prefect of Qingzhou Prefecture, Deng Ying, the general of Jibei Prefecture, and Zhen Cheng, the prefect of Huining Prefecture, received the proclamation and responded one after another, sending troops to support Zheng Youzhou."

The commander of the Imperial Guards was shocked: "How could this be? How could a mere subject receive so much support?"

The general's face was ashen. Information about these people flashed through his mind. He said to the commander of the Imperial Guards, "These people are Zheng Hao's contemporaries and have worked with him. What a Zheng Mingzhang! He started playing such a game so early on. Little did he expect that the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. The fruits of my labor will be handed over to others."

"No!"

The general's face hardened: "Only I am the ruler of the world. What can I do with his 50,000 troops? At most, the three ministries can send 30,000 soldiers to help. The Imperial Guards number 200,000. They are no match for me."

"History is written by the victors; the winner takes all and the loser is condemned. Zheng Hao is destined to be nothing more than a traitor who falsely conveys imperial edicts."

Seeing the general's fierce expression, the imperial guards remained silent. The general turned around and ordered, "Immediately order all city gates to be closed. The imperial guards shall defend the capital to the death until reinforcements arrive."

Gao Yuan was able to ascend the throne, and naturally he had a group of supporters, all of whom were from the prefectures near the capital. Once they arrived, everything would be easily resolved.

Gao Yuan underestimated the abilities of the young coach from the outskirts of Beijing.

Zheng Hao, clad in golden armor and with a solemn expression, prepared to go in person. Looking at Uncle Gu, who was adjusting his armor, he lowered his head and whispered in his ear, "Uncle Gu, don't worry. Gao Yuan must think that Du Yuan, Zhen Cheng, and others will lead troops to the capital to help me. Little do they know that it's a smokescreen I deliberately arranged. They will hold off Gao Yuan's reinforcements. There are only 200,000 Imperial Guards in the city who are not used to fighting. How can they resist the Zhenbei Army?"

Seeing the other man's high spirits, Gu Lin raised his hand and touched the other man's breastplate. Zheng Hao lowered his eyes and saw Uncle Gu say, "May our army be invincible and achieve a resounding victory..."

May you be invincible!

Zheng Hao smiled, his usual gentle demeanor gone, replaced by confidence: "Thank you for your kind words, Uncle Gu. When I return, I will welcome you to the capital together."

Gu Lin nodded, standing on the camp and watching the figures of the other side and the army disappear into the distance.

Unlike previous battles, this one must be won no matter what!