Chapter 1059
Enemies are really on a narrow road
Chapter 1059 Enemies are really on a narrow road
South bank of Qinghu Lake
The shore is lush and green, and a gentle breeze ripples the lake water, creating a beautiful, rippling surface.
King Zhou Ding of Jin, dressed in a golden, gleaming armor, with his hair simply tied up, stood on a stone pier on the shore, gazing at the vast lake. His mind was suddenly clear, and many troublesome thoughts were swept away.
However, the sound of the lake's waves gradually mingled with the clatter of horses' hooves, approaching from afar. Zhou Ding's face lit up with joy, and he immediately turned to look.
At the end of the south street, a troop of cavalry galloped towards them.
Commander He hurried over to his side to report.
"Your Highness, the Marquis has arrived."
"Yes, gazing across the lake in spring, it truly is a fairyland."
Once you feel a little more at ease, your state of mind naturally changes.
At this moment, Zhang Jinyu had already reached Prince Jin's carriage. He pushed off the horse and dismounted. He vaguely heard the prince sigh, and smiled slightly.
"Your Highness has a fine taste. The grand court assembly is just around the corner, yet Your Highness still has the leisure to appreciate the fairyland of Qinghu Lake."
Zhang Jinyu stood with his hands behind his back, clad in golden armor. A corner of his black and white robe fluttered in the wind, revealing a jade pendant with glass patterns at his waist. Looking at the lingering mist over Qinghu Lake and the winding bridge lying across the blue waves, his heart suddenly felt open and expansive.
The Prince of Jin lightly tapped the stubborn stone beneath his feet with his jade staff, turned around, and saw the Marquis, clad in light armor, already standing before him.
"Last night at midnight, the Yangxin Hall in the palace urgently summoned the commander of the Imperial City's Southern Garrison to the palace. It seems that the lotus flowers in Qinghu Lake will wither before the height of summer."
At this point, as Prince Jin turned around, his jade bamboo cane tapped against the stone platform with a dull thud. Zhang Jinyu frowned slightly. Summoning someone to the palace in the dead of night—it must be the Emperor; he must have something to ask. What could it be?
Thinking back to yesterday's confrontation with the vassal king, and how I already went to the palace to explain myself, if I wanted to submit a memorial, it would certainly be today, not last night.
“Your Highness, since they were summoned in at night, it must be something urgent. I heard that Prince Bei Jing and Prince Dong Ping arrived in the capital after midnight last night, which may be related to this. Of course, it is also possible that His Majesty has something else to do.”
Zhang Jinyu thought about it and concluded that there were only three possibilities. The last one was the matter in Jiangnan. However, the recent memorials had not been delivered to his residence. Perhaps His Majesty already knew about this case.
"As expected of the Marquis, your guess is correct. These two items are merely supplementary and are not inappropriate. Yesterday, I received news that the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice jointly submitted a memorial from Jiangnan. The matter is of great importance, involving Chang Le Palace. Furthermore, the palace gates of Chang Le Palace were wide open yesterday, indicating that the Emperor Emeritus has achieved success in his cultivation. If you officials continue to turn a blind eye today, the court will have no choice but to accept it."
Prince Jin felt a mix of emotions. He had originally thought that the Emperor Emeritus would not concern himself with state affairs, but unexpectedly, at this crucial moment, the Emperor Emeritus dared to open the palace gates, clearly giving his uncles confidence. He wondered how the princes would cause trouble today.
"Your Highness, have you read the memorial from Jiangnan that came from the Ministry of Justice?"
When people talk about Jiangnan, they always think of those two major cases: the messy accounts of the Textile Bureau and the Imperial Household Department. If anyone gets involved, who would dare to walk away unscathed?
"Your Excellency is referring to the case of the breached dikes and flooded fields in Jinling City, and the case of the jade mines north of the Yangtze River!"
Prince Jin gazed thoughtfully at the palace lanterns on the bridge by the lake, his pupils reflecting the flickering candlelight. He had heard of the case in Jinling and had even read the memorials, but the case files only mentioned that the prefectural judge, Ma Guangcheng, had committed the crimes; the person behind them was not mentioned.
"I've heard about it and read the case file. When I was looking through it, I felt something was off. There were no confessions, and the case file had many loopholes. It seems to be nothing more than a cover-up."
Zhang Jinyu nodded, touched the willow tree beside her, and the jade ring made a rubbing sound as it touched the tree branch.
"Your Highness is wise. The so-called natural disaster in Jinling was actually a man-made disaster. But since it involves the Imperial Textile Bureau and the Imperial Household Department, who dares to investigate further? The Ministry of Justice and the Censorate are just a pretext. The actual files should be in the Grand Secretariat and with His Majesty."
His eyes flashed.
"Your Highness, it's getting late; it's time to go to the palace."
Everything that needed to be said had been said, and the two men's guesses were almost spot on. It seemed that His Highness's household had quite a few capable people.
"Alright, as you wish, my lord. Get in the carriage."
After the Prince of Jin had boarded the carriage, Zhang Jinyu pushed off with his feet, mounted his horse, and waved his hand, and the caravan immediately set off.
In front of the Meridian Gate of the Imperial Palace
Many officials had already arrived and were waiting. When they saw the large crowd, they gathered in twos and threes, discussing the changes and rumors in the capital.
At this moment, the escorts of Prince Bei Jing and Prince Dong Ping from the east and west street corners had reached the bend. One group of silver-armored cavalry and the other group of red-armored cavalry gleamed together. They arrived at the Meridian Gate almost simultaneously. As the four princes arrived, the officials in front of the Meridian Gate immediately fell silent. One word surged in everyone's mind: the struggle for the throne.
Near the Meridian Gate, the jade steps, adorned with jade toads exhaling cold air, and the 360 steps reflecting a chilling light, were lined with waiting officials who had already formed two lines on either side as eunuchs and attendants emerged from the Meridian Gate.
Behind him stood the Second Prince, Prince Wei, clad in a moon-white python robe beneath his silver armor. Behind him were over a hundred silver-armored cavalrymen, wielding gilded silver spears; the clanging of their armor sounded like the striking of metal.
"Greetings to Prince Bei Jing, greetings to Second Brother. I didn't expect Second Brother to arrive so quickly."
West side,
The King of Chu chuckled, clasped his hands in a bow, and wore a black robe over red armor. A red jade pendant at his waist shone brightly. Behind him were red-armored cavalrymen, holding long spears and wearing goose-feather sabers at their waists, the tips of which were still dripping with water.
Looking at the cavalry behind the King of Wei, their spirits high, their banners bearing the words "First to Assault," this was the renowned elite force of the Northern Prince's Palace. It seemed the King of Bei Jing had put his plans into action quite deeply.
After all, I wasn't tired from traveling by boat, but my second brother traveled by carriage along a mountain road, which was extremely rugged. It was truly remarkable that he was able to get here.
The two men opposite, Prince Bei Jing and Prince Wei, smiled calmly. Prince Wei gently pulled on the reins to stop his horse and replied.
"Third brother arrived so quickly. Sure enough, the journey by water was smooth sailing."
He cupped his hands in greeting to the Prince of Dongping, a gesture of respect. The Prince of Dongping returned the greeting with the same gesture, his face showing reverence.
"Thank you for your kind words, Your Majesty. The waterway is indeed easier to travel, but Your Majesty has traveled a long and arduous journey. The mountain roads are difficult to traverse. Why trouble yourself?"
I wonder which route my elder brother took, as he returned so quickly. It seems the Prince of Bei Jing truly possesses profound resources.
"Haha, then there's no need for Third Brother to trouble himself. Look, I've forgotten about my uncles."
Before he could say anything more, he caught a glimpse of five magnificent carriages approaching from the south end of the street, accompanied by a number of guards. The ones with such grandeur were none other than the five princes who had returned to the capital yesterday.
"Second Brother has good eyesight. Why don't you princes rest at the Court of State Ceremonial to calm your nerves? Why come to the palace again? Do you princes also want to participate in today's grand court assembly?"
The King of Chu sounded somewhat suspicious. Even vassal kings were considered foreign officials and were not allowed to return to the capital without a summons. There was no way they could be expected to participate in court assemblies. Could it be a secret edict from the Emperor? That seemed impossible.
The same question was raised by the Prince of Wei and the two other princes. Yesterday's events were still fresh in their minds. Did they intend to enter the palace to file a complaint against Marquis Luoyun? But the Third Prince's words were not wrong.
"What my third brother said is unknown to me. According to regulations, princes cannot participate in today's court assembly without an imperial edict. The arrival of my uncles seems to be in a hurry, and their intentions appear ill-intentioned."
Upon hearing that the visitor was up to no good, the group immediately understood. Yesterday, the eldest prince had joined forces with Marquis Luoyun to kill several princes, creating a deep-seated grudge. They couldn't help but feel uneasy.
In just a short while,
The five princes arrived in their carriages together, stopping at a distance from the Meridian Gate, not approaching the officials. The leading prince, Prince Zheng, lifted the curtain and looked at the officials before the Meridian Gate, as well as the entourages of Prince Bei Jing and Prince Dong Ping. His pupils contracted; they were indeed the elite of the land, their silver and red armor extremely conspicuous in the sunlight.
It was clearly the two princes who brought their elite guards.
In this way, the King of Wei and the King of Chu already have supporters. If so, the King of Zheng's face was gloomy, and his position was becoming increasingly elusive. He wondered if the Emperor Emeritus would be able to come to the Qianqing Palace today.
As the princes arrived one after another, the officials in front of the Meridian Gate had different thoughts. Even many meritorious officials kept their eyes down and their minds at ease. In the procession, Prince Teng had changed into an official robe and stood in the middle of the procession. Jia Lian and Wang Ren had already huddled together behind Prince Teng. Jia Lian lowered his head and whispered.
"Uncle, yesterday in the south of the city, Marquis Luoyun and several princes fought to escort the eldest prince back to the capital. Last night, the second and third princes returned to the capital almost simultaneously."
“Uncle, rumors are spreading all over the city. I don’t know if they’re true or false, but one of the main points is that you were defeated by bandits.”
Wang Ren didn't say much, but he did remind them of the unfavorable rumors. The more they inquired, the less they understood. Little did they know that Wang Ziteng remained unmoved. If His Majesty truly wanted to punish him, he would have lost his position as the military governor of the capital garrison long ago. Why wait until today?
"You two must keep a close eye on news from the Beijing garrison. The rumors in the capital are, after all, just rumors. From today onward, the court's focus will be on them." "Yes, Uncle."
The two nodded, understanding that the military commander's words made sense. If the Western King and the Southern King also entered the capital, the capital would be even more chaotic.
"All officials entered the court."
suddenly,
Suddenly, the eunuch in charge at the gate shouted a command, and the Meridian Gate opened. A large number of officials slowly entered, heading towards the Qianqing Palace. Prince Bei Jing and Prince Dong Ping, along with several others at the gate, also prepared to enter the hall. In addition, five vassal kings, having alighted from their carriages and clad in brand-new python robes, were also ready to go in.
Who knows.
Just at this time,
On Dongkou Street, a faint golden light appeared, moving from afar to the Meridian Gate in an instant. There, banners bearing the flags of the Prince of Jin and the Marquis of Luoyun fluttered in the wind, and more than two hundred golden-armored cavalrymen stood like a single person suspended in front of the Meridian Gate.
Upon seeing that it was Marquis Luoyun who had arrived, the personal guards and attendants behind the five princes immediately surrounded and protected the princes. In particular, Prince Zhou Lingguang of Han stared at Marquis Luoyun with bloodshot, resentful eyes, wishing he could devour his flesh and blood to vent his hatred. All three thousand armored guards were killed in battle.
The commotion had already drawn the attention of all the civil and military officials, especially the Prince of Beijing and the Prince of Dongping, who were deeply shocked to see the silent soldiers behind Marquis Luoyun.
Zhang Jinyu, riding his horse, glanced at the cautious expressions of the princes and couldn't help but find it amusing. As the saying goes, enemies are bound to meet on a narrow road, and he was sure to run into several of them here. The key question was, why were these people here? He remembered that the Emperor had issued an edict ordering them to recuperate at the Honglu Temple, yet they dared to disobey the order. He turned his head to look at the carriage and saw that Prince Jin had already lifted the curtain and was looking in their direction. Their eyes met, and then he nodded.
"That's Prince Zheng ahead. Why aren't you at the Court of State Ceremonial? What brings you here?"
Zhang Jinyu raised her hand, and the group of guards opposite her abruptly took a step back, almost in fear, which was quite amusing.
King Zheng, Zhou Changde, had a gloomy face and cursed under his breath that he was a good-for-nothing. Each of his guards had brought two hundred men, many of whom were skilled martial artists. Who would have thought that they would be scared off by a single word from Marquis Luo Yun?
"Lord Luoyun, you're meddling too much. What business is it of yours if we go to court?"
“That’s right, Marquis Luoyun. Seeing how arrogant you are, is there no one in the capital who can put you in your place?”
"That's right. He's just a border general, a mere marquis. How could he possibly rebel?"
After King Zheng finished speaking, King Han and King Song followed suit, not to be outdone. This commotion caused the civil and military officials to slow down their steps as they entered the palace gates, and many turned back, seemingly lost in thought.
"My lord, it seems that it will be difficult to enter through the Meridian Gate today."
The Prince of Jin was somewhat worried. It was obvious that his uncles had come prepared, but as far as he knew, his father had not invited them to court. Could it be a letter from Chang Le Palace? He thought of the message that came from the palace last night that the gates of Chang Le Palace were wide open, which was obviously unusual.
"Your Highness, rest assured. The Great Wu Laws are here. No prince may return to the capital without a summons. There is also a rule that no prince may enter the court without an imperial edict. The princes have received imperial edicts to return to the capital, but yesterday, His Majesty ordered them to rest at the Court of State Ceremonial."
Having said that, he gave a cold laugh, his face grave as he looked at the princes, the precious sword in his hand already itching to be drawn.
"According to the Great Wu Law, vassal kings are not allowed to return to the capital or enter the court without an imperial edict. You received the imperial decree yesterday and rested at the Court of State Ceremonies. Why have you come to the Meridian Gate today, disobeying the imperial decree? Do you intend to rebel?"
He shouted sternly.
Behind him, two hundred elite golden-armored cavalrymen almost simultaneously drew their swords, lowered their iron masks, and formed a battle formation, exuding a palpable killing intent.
Almost instantly, the five princes' guards drew round shields from the carriage and formed a defensive line behind it, using the carriage as a barrier. The princes' faces were ashen, their lips trembling, and they were as pale as corpses. Zhou Changde was so angry that he couldn't speak.
"Very well, Marquis Luoyun, you are truly arrogant to the extreme. This world belongs to the Zhou, not the Zhang. We'll line up in formation, you think we're afraid of you?"
Behind him, five guards from the Prince's Palace drew their swords and formed a battle formation. Many others had already taken out their crossbows and cocked them, pointing them forward. There were also many martial arts experts who had climbed onto the roof of the carriage, ready to pounce.
"Well said! This world belongs to the Emperor, not to you. Besides, there are so many people with the surname Zhou in the world. Do you think they can all sit in that position? I think you princes are overthinking things. No princes are allowed to enter the court without an imperial edict. Men, prepare your javelins!"
The entire team retreated swiftly, with the personal guards behind them quickly taking out short spears from their horse saddlebags. When the guards on the opposite side saw the personal guards behind Marquis Luo Yun take out javelins and short spears, their faces turned pale instantly. In the battle outside the city, it was these short spears that broke through the heavy armor and iron shields.
The King of Song and the King of Han turned pale instantly. The Marquis of Luoyun's reaction was astonishing; he actually dared to draw his weapons in front of the palace gates.
The commotion immediately caused a disturbance in front of the Meridian Gate. Many civil and military officials were dumbfounded. Some officials were so frightened that they rushed inside. Only Prince Bei Jing, Shui Rong, and Prince Dong Ping, Mu Shi, exchanged a glance and believed that Marquis Luo Yun really dared to kill. However, they did not know whether this was due to His Majesty's attitude or Prince Jin's attitude.
Or rather, it was a tacit decree from the retired emperor in the palace. Upon realizing this, the two men's faces turned extremely ugly.
Zhang Jinyu ignored all of this, holding the precious sword in his hand, and continued to ask;
"Without an imperial edict, you have brought troops to the palace, which suggests you intend to commit treason. Within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, return to the Court of State Ceremonies and submit a memorial to plead guilty."
At this moment, even Zhang Jinyu vaguely sensed that something was wrong. If there was an imperial edict, these people wouldn't be so flustered. But if there wasn't, why were they still here? Could this involve Chang Le Palace? After all, His Highness said that Chang Le Palace had opened its gates yesterday.
"Lord Luoyun, I see you as an arrogant and disrespectful traitor. How dare you stop us from seeing the Emperor?"
King Zheng's face turned from white to red, and he angrily cursed. The others also shouted and cursed. Only King Wu noticed that something was wrong. Why would Marquis Luo Yun happen to be blocking the way? Could it be that the Emperor Emeritus's edict had been discovered by the Emperor, and that the Emperor Emeritus would come out of seclusion for today's court assembly?
Zhang Jinyu, still mounted on his horse, ignored him completely, pointed his finger, and continued shouting.
"Half an incense stick's time has already passed. If you don't leave now, don't blame me for turning hostile."
now,
Even the Prince of Jin behind him noticed something amiss and immediately issued an order.
"Commander He, have the Imperial Guards prepare."
"Yes, Your Highness."
At this moment, Commander He was covered in sweat. He secretly gave orders to the commander of the Imperial Guards. Soon after, the Imperial Guards escorting Prince Jin's army secretly gripped the hilts of their swords.
The two sides were locked in a standoff.
Although the number of people was small, their imposing presence made the civil and military officials feel breathless, especially the Duke of Zhenguo's family, whose faces were complicated and their hearts were filled with regret. It seems that the nobles are now useless, the border army is weak, and even the Prince of Beijing and the Prince of Dongping are wavering. How could the Emperor not know that they are just sitting on the sidelines and watching the fire? This has also implicated the Prince of Chu and the Prince of Wei. It is the will of Heaven.
The old dukes vaguely guessed what was being said in private, and even the cabinet ministers remained silent. The vice ministers of various departments vaguely wanted to step forward, but were restrained by the cabinet ministers' eyes. Therefore, while there was a tense standoff outside the palace, the civil and military officials inside the palace had different expressions and walked very slowly. Even the eunuchs leading the way walked much slower than usual.
"My dear uncles, the imperial court has its own laws. Since the Emperor has not issued an edict, why don't you all go back and rest for the time being?"
A clear voice came from behind. Prince Zhou Ding of Jin stepped out of the carriage, led a horse over, and came to the side of Marquis Luo Yun. He then bowed gracefully to his uncles.
(End of this chapter)