bookrandom Chapter 246 Leading Troops to Assist Mingzhang
Chapter 246 Leading Troops to Assist Mingzhang
[The previous chapter has been updated to meet the word count requirement; you can go back and read it now.]
Since taking power, Gao Yuan has become increasingly arrogant, and his subordinates have been running rampant in the capital in his name.
The court officials hated him to the core, but they did not make any rash moves. Gao Yuan thought that they were all afraid of him, but little did they know that the noble families were not to be trifled with and had secretly sent many people to keep an eye on his every move.
Sure enough, after some time, several spies gathered some intelligence and quickly returned to the mansion to report.
The Minister of Personnel looked grim: "These treacherous officials and traitors dare to secretly collude with rebels."
"I will make His Majesty see his true colors."
After speaking, the Minister of Personnel did not pause, immediately wrote a memorial, and then personally took the memorial to the palace to meet Emperor Qianyuan.
When Emperor Qianyuan refused to see him, a young eunuch came out and asked the Minister of Personnel to return.
The Minister of Personnel insisted on meeting Emperor Qian Yuan. Ignoring the eunuch's advice, he knelt down in front of the imperial study. Seeing this, the eunuch had no choice but to run back to the imperial study. After an incense stick had burned, the eunuch came out and said to the Minister of Personnel, "His Majesty has finished processing the official documents. You may go in now."
The Minister of Personnel stood up, and a young eunuch stepped forward to help him.
Upon entering the imperial study, the Minister of Personnel seemed oblivious to Emperor Qianyuan's dark and unpleasant expression: "Your subject greets Your Majesty."
Emperor Qianyuan nodded seemingly casually, his tone indifferent: "I wonder what brings you here to see me, my dear minister?"
He was busy painting a portrait of a beautiful woman with downcast eyes when he heard a eunuch announce that the Minister of Personnel was kneeling outside, insisting on seeing him.
The Minister of Personnel was a veteran official from the previous dynasty. Emperor Qianyuan cherished his reputation, so how could he allow him to continue kneeling? He had no choice but to stop painting in displeasure and let the other party in.
"Your subject risks his life to report this!" The Minister of Personnel knelt and kowtowed.
Emperor Qianyuan paused, startled by the other party's suddenly raised voice and righteous aura.
"Now there is a great general, Gao Yuan, who is arrogant because of his merits and acts presumptuously. When he enters or leaves the palace, he always has three hundred armored soldiers clearing the way. His horses gallop on the imperial road, injuring the old and weak. He also carries a sword in the palace, which startles the imperial carriage. This is a great disrespect to the emperor and father!"
Your Majesty has investigated and confirmed that his personal guards forcibly abducted 27 women, all of whom were forced into prostitution; he also allowed his troops to seize over 8,000 mu of fertile land in the suburbs of the capital, and beat three people to death for filing complaints. Furthermore, Wang Jian, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, testifies that last winter solstice, the General's Mansion received 300,000 taels of silver in bribes from salt merchants, and those whose names were marked with the character "Gao" in red ink in the Ministry of Personnel's selection register were all openly selling official positions.
Most shockingly, I intercepted a secret envoy from the rebels in the south and found three letters written in the handwriting of the Grand General. The first letter said, "Wait until autumn when the horses are fat," the second letter mentioned, "Money and provisions should come from the waterways of Guangling," and the last letter even wrote, "After the victory is achieved and I ascend the throne, I will bestow great rewards upon you all."
Such irrefutable evidence is sufficient to prove that the Grand General harbors treacherous ambitions and has long harbored disloyal thoughts. If he is not eliminated as soon as possible, it may lead to a repeat of the disasters of the previous dynasty. I would rather die by striking my head against a pillar in remonstrance than fail the late Emperor's entrustment of my son! I humbly beseech Your Majesty's wise judgment!
After the Minister of Personnel finished speaking in one breath, Emperor Qianyuan's face turned ashen. His usual gentle demeanor vanished, and he looked down at the Minister of Personnel with a deep gaze: "Do you have any evidence to prove that the General harbors disloyal intentions?"
The Minister of Personnel nodded and took out a memorial and several letters from his wide sleeves. "These are all letters from the General to the rebels in the south. Please take a look, Your Majesty."
The eunuch stepped down, took the memorial from the Minister of Personnel, and handed it to Emperor Qianyuan.
Emperor Qianyuan took it, examined it closely, and after a long while, his body stiffened. Then he slammed the memorial onto the table: "Traitor... cough cough!"
Emperor Qianyuan was furious. He had trusted Gao Yuan so much, entrusting the court and the imperial guards to him, yet Gao Yuan was still not satisfied and coveted his throne. Emperor Qianyuan coughed incessantly.
"Your Majesty." Upon seeing this, the Minister of Personnel quickly stood up, came behind Emperor Qianyuan, and patted his back gently together with the eunuch.
Emperor Qianyuan gradually caught his breath and stopped coughing. He raised his hand and pressed down on the Minister of Personnel's hand: "Gao Yuan has already shown disloyal intentions. He can no longer be allowed to control the court."
The Minister of Personnel nodded and said, "Gao Yuan is in charge of the Imperial Guards. We cannot confront him directly. We should pretend we don't know he has rebellious intentions, and then send a message to the local commanders, ordering them to come to the capital to defend the emperor."
"In your opinion, my dear minister, to whom would be the most reliable person for me to send a message?"
Upon hearing this, the Minister of Personnel pondered for a moment: "The various prefectures in the south are in turmoil and have no time to attend to the capital. In the north, many prefects and generals have gone south to quell the rebellion. In my opinion, we can send someone to Zheng Youzhou. Zheng Youzhou's reputation for loyalty and righteousness is widespread, and the soldiers of the Zhenbei Army are strong and the Imperial Guards are no match for them."
Upon hearing the Minister of Personnel's words, Emperor Qianyuan appeared dazed, clearly recalling how the Marquis of Zhenbei had led troops to help him when he was in trouble. He sighed with regret, "If I had known this would happen, I should have entrusted the Imperial Guards to the Marquis of Zhenbei. The Marquis of Zhenbei is a rare loyal minister. With him around, why should I be afraid of traitors and have to compromise and put on an act?"
The Minister of Personnel remained silent. It was Emperor Qianyuan who had initially feared the power of the Marquis of Zhenbei and had desperately tried to suppress him. Now that the Marquis of Zhenbei was in danger, Emperor Qianyuan was the first to think of him.
The Minister of Personnel advised, "It is not too late for Your Majesty to reinstate the Marquis of Zhenbei after dealing with the traitorous minister."
With the help of the Minister of Personnel, Emperor Qianyuan rose and personally wrote an edict, handing it to the minister: "I entrust everything to you, my dear minister."
The Minister of Personnel rolled up the imperial edict and hid it in his sleeve. He bowed to Emperor Qian Yuan and said, "Your subject will certainly not fail Your Majesty's trust."
After leaving the palace, the Minister of Personnel returned to his residence with a grim expression. Soon, news spread that the Minister of Personnel had offended the Emperor with his words, and the Emperor was furious and demoted him to a local post.
The following day, the Minister of Personnel boarded a carriage and left the capital in a sorry state, accompanied only by a few guards and servants.
Upon hearing this news, Gao Yuan sensed something was amiss. He personally entered the palace and went straight in without waiting for the eunuch to announce his arrival in the imperial study.
Then, he saw Emperor Qianyuan standing behind a table by the window, tracing the calligraphy of various masters. When he saw him arrive, Emperor Qianyuan smiled and said, "Come and see, how is my calligraphy?"
Gao Yuan walked over, observed that Emperor Qian Yuan's expression was normal, and then looked down at the words written by the other party. Gao Yuan praised, "Your Majesty's calligraphy is unparalleled."
"Your words are becoming more and more eloquent, my dear minister." Emperor Qianyuan was very pleased.
Seeing this, Gao Yuan casually asked, "Did the Minister of Personnel do something wrong yesterday that His Majesty demoted him to a local post?"
Upon hearing the mention of the Minister of Personnel, Emperor Qianyuan's face darkened: "This kind of minister who has no respect for the emperor, I have not stripped him of his official position, but only demoted him to a local post, which is already showing leniency."
“He said that since I ascended the throne, natural disasters and man-made calamities have been constant. It must be that Heaven is not satisfied with me and wants me to issue an edict of self-reproach to proclaim to the world in order to seek Heaven’s forgiveness and the support of the people.”
Seeing that Emperor Qianyuan's expression and tone did not seem to be fake, and that he hated the Minister of Personnel with a vengeance, Gao Yuan said, "Your Majesty is the chosen one of Heaven's mandate. How could the Son of Heaven be wrong? The Minister of Personnel has truly forgotten his duty as a subject."
Emperor Qian Yuan seemed relieved upon hearing this, and turned to look at Gao Yuan: "My dear minister, you are very much to my liking."
After reporting several important matters to Emperor Qianyuan, Gao Yuancai left the palace and boarded his carriage. He asked his attendant, "Have you managed to stop the Minister of Personnel and his entourage?"
The attendant said, "When our men caught up with them, they found that the person in the carriage was not the Minister of Personnel. After being severely tortured, the man confessed that the real Minister of Personnel had left the capital last night."
Gao Yuan paused in his hand holding the teacup, and then, under the watchful eyes of the attendant, the once intact teacup shattered into pieces little by little.
Gao Yuan's expression was fierce: "Fine, fine, fine."
What a fine Minister of Personnel! What a fine Emperor Qian Yuan! Even under his watchful eye, he could still pull off such a charade. He raised his eyes and looked at his attendant, asking, "How many months pregnant is Consort Wang?"
The attendant calculated the days: "It has been seven months."
After a moment's thought, Gao Yuan said, "The fetus is already formed in July. Send someone to add something to Consort Wang's pregnancy-stabilizing medicine to make her give birth prematurely."
"Yes." The attendant acknowledged the order and withdrew.
Gao Yuan's eyes were gloomy.
Your Majesty, you want to get rid of me, but so do I. Let's see who is more capable.
Southern military camp.
A middle-aged man, covered in dust and grime, finally arrived in the south after two months. Led by soldiers, he entered the tent and saw the young commander-in-chief sitting behind a desk. The middle-aged man took a breath and, with trembling hands, took out an imperial edict from his tattered sleeve. He said to the young commander-in-chief, "General Gao Yuan has long harbored ambitions, controlling the Imperial Guards and coveting the throne. His Majesty has ordered me to bring this imperial edict to find Lord Zheng to come to the capital to defend the emperor!"
On the 25th day of the twelfth month of the second year of the Qianyuan era, Consort Wang suffered a difficult childbirth. After giving birth to a prince, she passed away. The emperor was saddened and posthumously conferred upon her the title of Beauty.
On the thirtieth day of the twelfth lunar month of the same year, there was a palace banquet for New Year's Eve.
The court officials presented gifts to Emperor Qianyuan one after another. When it was the turn of the Grand General to present his gift, Gao Yuan stepped forward from his seat. Instead of presenting his gift first, he bowed to Emperor Qianyuan and said, "I am able to reach this point today thanks to Your Majesty's trust and support. I am extremely grateful."
The courtiers looked at each other, thinking that the general was going to put on a show of gratitude for the emperor's favor. Emperor Qianyuan thought so too, and said, "Our relationship as ruler and subject is quite harmonious, which can be considered a good story."
Seeing that Emperor Qianyuan hated him to death, Gao Yuan still tried to put on an act to keep him calm. Emperor Qianyuan smiled, and when he saw it, he felt that the other party's smile was not as hearty as usual, but rather carried a hint of sarcasm.
For a moment, he felt uneasy.
Emperor Qian Yuan lowered his eyes and glanced at the head of the table. He suddenly noticed that the court officials, led by the Minister of Personnel, and those who knew of Gao Yuan's rebellious intentions, were not present. Suddenly, the sound of clashing weapons rang out outside the hall, but no one entered the hall.
Emperor Qianyuan lowered his head and looked at Gao Yuan: "Minister Gao, why don't you send someone to check what's going on outside? It's so noisy."
Gao Yuan stopped pretending and looked back at Emperor Qian Yuan: "Your Majesty, why ask questions you already know the answers to? You are instigating Your Majesty's courtiers. I have already sent people to surround their residences. As for the concubines, princes and princesses in the harem, I have also ordered people to protect them. Your Majesty need not worry."
Hearing the conversation between Emperor Qianyuan and Gao Yuan, the court officials at the banquet quickly realized that something was wrong.
Someone stood up and pointed at Gao Yuan: "What does the General mean? Does he intend to rebel against his superior?"
Hearing his rebuke, Gao Yuan sneered and then ordered the Imperial Guards: "His Majesty has caught a cold and is seriously ill. Hurry up and escort His Majesty back to his palace."
Seeing that Gao Yuan had fabricated the story out of thin air, and meeting his murderous gaze, Emperor Qian Yuan felt a chill in his heart. Before he could speak, the imperial guards surrounded him and escorted him back to his palace. Apart from the imperial physicians, Gao Yuan ordered that no concubines or court officials were allowed to disturb Emperor Qian Yuan's recuperation.
On the first day of the third year of the Qianyuan era, General Gao Yuan entered the palace under the pretext of inquiring about the emperor's illness. That night, the emperor suddenly collapsed in the palace, black blood gushing from his mouth and nose, leading people to suspect he had been poisoned. Gao Yuan then used the pretext of "protecting the emperor" to slaughter all twenty-eight concubines in the harem. Within ten days, nine of the princes and princesses "died of illness," leaving only the infant emperor alive.
Historical records state that he held up a blood-stained imperial edict to the officials, saying, "His Majesty's dying words appoint this general as regent." However, the Yellow Gate Attendant witnessed this: "When the Emperor was on his deathbed, he dipped his finger in blood and wrote 'traitor Gao' on a brocade quilt, and then had him killed far away."
Historians commented: "Looking at Gao Yuan's actions of defying the imperial edict, killing the heir apparent, and falsely claiming to be regent, he was even more sinister than Dong Zhuo. His use of the young emperor as a puppet was the beginning of the Yongchu usurpation; his wolfish heart was already evident when he offered the emperor a beautiful woman."
The courier, traveling 800 li in an urgent manner, changed horses more than a dozen times along the way before finally reaching Youzhou Prefecture.
The courier arrived at the Zheng residence, produced a token, and the guards at the gate, after carefully verifying it, immediately led the person inside.
Da Yan personally took over and brought the other party to her husband.
The courier had been traveling day and night for many days and was barely clinging to life. He quickly took out an envelope and said to his husband at the head of the table, "Gao Yuan has rebelled, killed His Majesty's princes and princesses, and installed the young emperor on the throne. Your Excellency has ordered me to send this message back to Youzhou Prefecture."
After hearing what the other party said, Gu Lin's expression changed. Da Yan ordered the postman to be taken away to rest. Gu Lin opened the envelope and looked at it. After a long time, he looked up at Da Yan and said, "You should immediately send someone to tell Mr. Ye and General Tian and others to come to the mansion."
"Yes." Da Yan had heard what the courier said and understood the seriousness of the situation. Without delay, he ordered two guards with excellent horsemanship to go to the government office and military camp to deliver the message and also to have someone call Young Master An back.
Ye Kuo, Tian Kang, Ping Jin, Gu An, and others soon arrived at the mansion. Led by servants, they went to the study in the front courtyard. At this moment, the person sitting behind the desk was not the young prefect, but a handsome young man.
"Gu Fulang".
"Uncle Gu."
The group bowed to Gu Lin, who then asked them to sit down. "I sent someone to summon you, sir, and all the generals because something big has happened. There is unrest in the capital. His Majesty has been murdered by Gao Yuan, and the young emperor is ignorant and has been coerced by Gao Yuan to ascend the throne."
"Gao Yuan has a lot of nerve."
When Tian Kang spoke, Mr. Ye appeared calm, but his expression changed.
Gu Lin continued, "His Majesty had long discovered Gao Yuan's rebellious intentions and ordered the Minister of Personnel to go to the south with an imperial edict to find Ming Zhang to come to the capital to rescue him. However, before he could do so, Gao Yuan launched a palace coup."
As Gu Lin spoke, he took out the letter. Gu An stepped forward, took it, read it, and handed it to Mr. Ye and the others.
Gu Lin said, "Mingzhang is loyal to the emperor and wants to go to the capital to defend the emperor and eliminate the rebellious ministers. However, the southern region is already in rebellion. In order to avoid further turmoil, the Zhenbei Army, which is responsible for suppressing the rebellion in the south, cannot be used. We need to call up soldiers from Youzhou Prefecture."
After speaking, Gu Lin raised his eyes to look at Tian Kang, his gaze sharp and piercing, devoid of its usual gentleness: "General Tian Kang, listen to my command!"
Tian Kang stood up: "This subordinate obeys your command!"
"You will lead 10,000 heavy cavalry to the capital to meet with Lord Zheng."
"Yes!"
"General Li Jian, listen to my command!"
Li Jian clasped his hands in obeisance and accepted the order. Gu Lin said, "You shall lead 50,000 troops to the capital to meet with Lord Zheng."
Li Jian: "Yes!"
Then, Gu Lin looked at Ping Jin and Ye Kuo: "After this, Youzhou Prefecture will be handed over to Mr. Ye and General Ping for care."
Ye Kuo's expression shifted, and he looked at the young man's resolute gaze and expression: "Does Mr. Gu want to go to the capital with the army?"
Gu Lin nodded and explained, "Before Mingzhang left Youzhou Prefecture, he left me with 10,000 private soldiers. This time, when I go to the capital to defend the emperor, I will bring along artisans from the weapons workshop to transport cannons to assist Mingzhang."
Gu An spoke up: "I can go in place of Uncle Gu."
Gu Lin shook his head: "These 10,000 private soldiers and the artisans in the weapons workshop only listen to me."
He looked at Gu An with relief in his eyes: "You must stay in Youzhou Prefecture to secure the rear, understand?"
In public, he no longer called the boy by his nickname and began to entrust him with important responsibilities as an adult.
The other party is his and Zheng Hao's successor. Most of the strategists and generals under his command can see that they value Gu An. Since he and Zheng Hao are not in Youzhou Prefecture, only Gu An can stabilize people's hearts.
Gu An looked back at Gu Lin with a solemn expression and clear eyes: "We await your triumphant return, Uncle Gu."
"Alright." Gu Lin turned to Tian Kang and Li Jian: "You two go back immediately to muster the troops, and set off tomorrow afternoon."
"Yes!"
Everyone obeyed.