Chapter 1074
Seeing the Capital Through the Fog
Chapter 1074 Seeing the Capital Through the Fog
Early summer in Beijing
The cicadas were chirping loudly, and the sun, which was almost at noon, was already high in the sky, scorching the bluestone road and emitting steaming heat.
Shops lined both sides of the street, and the shouts of vendors filled the air. Just then…
The sound of rapid hoofbeats broke the silence.
From the north end of the street, five ornately decorated carriages, draped in bright yellow silk symbolizing the status of princes, slowly approached. The wheel hubs rolled over the scorching road, raising clouds of dust. The drivers, all dressed in fine clothes, were escorted by numerous guards, their faces arrogant. Imperial guards and elite cavalry in golden armor led the way, and the soldiers and their tall horses made quite a magnificent sight.
Just as the people stopped to watch out of curiosity, the eunuchs at the front, with their pointed mouths and monkey-like faces, and fair complexions, led a group of eunuchs and, holding whips, drove away the onlookers. When they encountered a small vendor they didn't like, they kicked him and cursed him.
“King Zheng, King Han has been invited to a banquet. How dare you lowly commoners block their way? Get out of the way!”
"You've rammed the prince's carriage, can you take responsibility for that?"
The sharp words terrified the onlookers, who hastily retreated, fearing the whip might fall upon them. A chaotic scramble ensued, with the elderly farmer carrying his vegetable basket scattering his produce across the ground in his panic. The candied hawthorn vendor hastily tidied his stall, but in his haste, several hawthorns rolled on the ground, covered in dust. Many people who had been drinking tea by the roadside quickly left, angry but unable to speak out, silently cursing.
"Where did these princes come from? They're so imposing!"
Someone in the crowd muttered to themselves, "There are quite a few princes in the capital, but I've never seen anyone like this before."
"You don't know, I heard that several princes have recently come to the capital. It must be them. Look at this carriage, how magnificent it is."
When someone asks, someone will naturally answer. Many things happen in the southern part of the city, and many people have witnessed them firsthand.
"Alas, it's all a tragedy. Tell me, these princes usually act like tyrants in their fiefdoms, and they still don't settle down even after coming to the capital."
Some people couldn't help but complain, but were immediately drawn to another voice.
"Hehe! This trip to the capital is different. They say they're changing the world, but I wonder how they're going to do it."
Many shrewd people turned pale and quickly moved away, no longer lingering.
As the convoy moved forward, Ningbian felt it was about time and began to circle around the southern part of the city. Although this area was lively, it was not as bustling as other towns and districts.
However, the majority of the customers were ordinary people. Coincidentally, the temple fair was being held there, and the restaurants, teahouses, cloth shops, and cosmetics shops were bustling with people.
As the convoy reached this point, it became even more conspicuous, attracting the attention of many who were watching, who were puzzled by its ostentatious display.
Right by the water bridge, Pan, the leader of the Taiping Sect, was already sitting in a teahouse under the bridge. He was surrounded by Taiping Sect's best members who had returned to the capital, especially a group of people from the Chu Sect's entourage. In addition, some of the sect's brothers who had been separated in the south of the city had returned to the capital under his recruitment. It can be said that the Taiping Sect's stronghold in the capital has now recovered its strength.
"Master Manager, your subordinate reports that the carriages of several vassal kings are almost at the water bridge. Shall we make our move? Our men have prepared twenty crossbows for the ambush; they are sure to strike with a single blow."
Master Luo was beaming with excitement. Now that they had even brought crossbows into the capital, ambushing and killing the vassal kings would be a piece of cake.
Little did they know that Chief Pan sat there motionless, his eyes fixed on the convoy not far away. Coincidentally, just two days ago, he thought of an employer who had offered an extremely high price to buy the lives of several princes. It was truly audacious. Coincidentally, the Taiping Sect could not let the imperial court rest either, so today's ambush was set up.
"No rush, let's wait until we get closer. I have a feeling this convoy is unusual,"
An overwhelming sense of anxiety welled up inside him. Why were the carriages of several princes coming to the southern city? Especially Prince Zheng, who always valued his life. Suddenly, a golden reflection in the sunlight caught his eye. He looked closely and saw over a hundred golden-armored cavalrymen. Weren't these the personal guards of Marquis Luo Yun? What were they doing here? Looking at the convoy, he realized it was entirely escorted by the Imperial Guards, and the carriages looked familiar.
Suddenly realizing what was happening, he shouted;
"Wait, let the brothers prepare to retreat; this is a trap,"
His expression turned grave. Only then did he realize that the carriages behind belonged to the Prince of Jin, the Prince of Chu, and the Prince of Wei, not those of the other vassal kings. The hall master in front of him was somewhat confused. They had come this far, expending great effort to gather this information; how could they retreat now?
"Manager, is there something fishy going on here?"
Although Luo Fei was anxious, he couldn't remain silent and ask questions, because if they really made a move, there would be no way out.
"Why are you in such a hurry? Don't you even look at whether those carriages are real or not? The golden-armored cavalry in front are clearly the personal guards of Marquis Luoyun, and the remaining imperial guards are those of the three princes. As for the two carriages behind, if I'm not mistaken, they are the carriages of Prince Bei Jing, Shui Rong, and Prince Dong Ping, Mu Shi. They're so realistic, what else could it be but an ambush?"
"No way, Manager,"
Master Luo was startled and quickly looked up to examine it closely. A vague sense of familiarity washed over him; it really was as the head manager had described. But how could this be?
Suddenly remembering something, he quickly summoned his trusted aide to bring over Wan Sheng, who was keeping watch and reporting information.
"You brat, tell me, did these cart frames come from the Court of State Ceremonial?"
The leader of the Ten Thousand Incenses Sect, carrying a knife concealed in his robes, rushed over. Upon seeing the question posed by the sect leader, he frowned.
"They certainly didn't come back from the Court of State Ceremonial. These carriages came from the shore of Qinghu Lake. There was no movement from the Court of State Ceremonial."
Seeing Wan Sheng's response, Luo Fei sensed something was amiss and quickly ordered the men lying in ambush to cancel the plan.
"Quickly, notify the others to evacuate!"
"Brother, what's wrong?"
Wan Sheng was still puzzled and asked, but was glared at fiercely by Hall Master Luo.
"You brat, the princes from the Court of State Ceremonial haven't set off yet, but this is Prince Jin's carriage. You can't even tell who's who, are you looking for death?"
He sighed, a hint of fear in his voice. If they killed Marquis Luo Yun's soldiers, Marquis Luo Yun might actually pursue them relentlessly—a force far beyond what a few vassal kings could match.
Wan Sheng then understood his elder brother's words. It seemed to be true. The princes had come and escaped, but how could they have implicated Marquis Luo Yun and the others? He didn't quite understand, but he also knew that time was of the essence, so he quickly turned around and led his men to retreat. Thus, the Taiping Sect's original plan to ambush them came to nothing.
Despite the traffic congestion, the five carriages finally crossed the water bridge and headed directly north.
Just as the carriage was about to reach the entrance of Qinghu South Street,
Zhang Jinyu, accompanied by Marquis Bai Guangju of Xiangyang, his eldest son Li Chaosheng, and a entourage, waited there until the carriage approached, at which point a palace attendant announced their arrival.
"King Zheng accepted the invitation to the banquet,"
"The King of Han accepted the invitation to the banquet,"
"King Song accepted the invitation to the banquet,"
One by one, they called out to the guards, who surrounded them outside. The onlookers didn't see many princes. In this way, a group of guards surrounded Zhang Jinyu and his party and they entered the courtyard in a daze.
After the courtyard gate was closed.
Once the spectacle was over, the common people dispersed in small groups, but many versions of rumors spread far and wide, spreading the word about the princes' prestige.
Even if they had doubts, seeing so many people talking about it, they only cared about going back to report to their master.
Inside the restaurant,
The Prince of Jin had already prepared a banquet. Not to mention the number of dishes and soups that had been ordered beforehand, every table was piled high with food, including a large plate of roasted mutton, the signature dish of Youlai Restaurant, which looked and smelled delicious.
The Prince of Jin sat relaxed in the main seat. Seeing that everyone had arrived, he reached out with his wine cup and bowed slightly to both sides.
"Today, I thank you all for your advice and suggestions. Now I have something to report. Cheers to you all."
"Dry."
Everyone quickly returned the greeting and drank a cup of wine. This performance was quite successful. It was just unknown how the princes of the Court of State Ceremonial would react when they found out. Young Master Li smiled bitterly and said.
"Your Highness, this plan is nothing more than a minor trick. Although it can deceive people for a while, it cannot keep them in the dark for long. There are many spies among the princes in the capital. They will surely find out about this incident, and I fear it will cause further trouble."
"Look at you, the eldest young master is so thoughtful. Even if they know, no matter how you explain the mud in his crotch, they'll still believe it."
Zhang Jinyu took a bite of the meat, the aroma filling his mouth and leaving a lingering fragrance. Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Xiangyang shook his head helplessly.
"What the Marquis said may be rough, but it makes sense. Since the whole city knows about it, no matter how the princes try to figure it out, the person is right here. Unless," Bai Guangju was stunned. Unless the princes came out again, but the sun was so high in the sky. How could they come out again? Even if they did, they would lose all face!
Shui Rong and Mu Shi, sitting opposite each other, had clearly thought of this as well, and exchanged a glance.
“Brother Bai’s words make sense. Unless the princes come out of the Court of State Ceremonial again, but given the previous experience, it’s hard to tell what’s true and what’s false, and the princes themselves will be even more confused.”
Shui Rong's words were veiled, but they implied that the more muddy the waters, the harder it would be to explain. Mu Shi nodded in agreement; everyone cared about their reputation and wouldn't delve too deeply into the matter.
"The sun is so strong; if something else happens, it'll be even harder to explain,"
While the capital may seem safe, it is actually far less safe. There have been assassination attempts targeting several princes, with no leads yet. What if another assassin attempts on the royal court? That would be a major disaster.
"Why think so much? We'll deal with whatever comes our way. Let's fill our stomachs first."
Zhang Jinyu raised his wine cup, offered a toast to the princes, and drank it all in one gulp. Everyone responded with a "Good!"
Then, drink this cup of wine heartily.
at the same time,
Inside Honglu Temple,
Inside the main hall on the mountain, King Zheng sat in the main seat, acting as the host. Four other princes sat on either side. The banquet had already begun. In the center of the hall, a group of palace dancers gracefully danced, accompanied by the continuous sounds of string and wind instruments.
but,
After the sound of the copper bells faded, King Zhou Changde of Zheng slammed the white jade cup heavily onto the sandalwood table. The gilded cup stand collided with the tabletop, startling the peacock feathers in the hands of the dancers below.
"Qinghu is only a short distance from the Honglu Temple, yet there's not a soul in the main hall. It's laughable."
King Zhou Lingguang of Han, fiddling with the black python-patterned sleeve, glanced at the fluttering royal banner outside the window and found it somewhat absurd.
"It's quite a coincidence that we're eating the vegetarian meal offered before the Buddha, while others are rushing to a banquet at Qinghu Yaochi."
On the shores of Qinghu Yaochi, he emphasized his words, his hand holding a sandalwood prayer bead, which he twirled rapidly in his hand.
Only King Wu smiled slightly, got up and walked to the incense burner, took a piece of ambergris and added it to the burner. Blue smoke rose and swirled around the wooden beams in the hall.
"My brothers, there's no need to worry. Didn't the guards inform us earlier that those marquises and earls are all unwell and unable to go anywhere? Right now, those at the south end of the street are nothing more than Marquis Luoyun and his group. If we don't attend the banquet, whether it takes place or not is irrelevant."
They're being invited to a banquet, but none of them are even there. How can they possibly hold a banquet? It's just self-deception.
Only Prince Chen remained silent, eating as if nothing had happened. Beside him lay his precious Longquan sword, which he would occasionally wipe with a brocade cloth. In his heart, however, a storm was raging. He now realized that no matter how well he trained his troops in Hanzhong, he could not compare to Prince Zheng, Prince Han, or even Prince Wu, let alone the imperial court with its elite capital garrison.
To contend for the world, one only needs money and provisions. Unfortunately, Hanzhong lacks both of these. Thinking of this, he can only drink his sorrows away.
Just at this time,
Hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall. The head guard, panting, lifted the brocade curtain embroidered with gold cloud patterns.
"Reporting to Your Highness, someone just saw the carriages of the princes on the street, passing through the south of the city and heading to a banquet at the south street entrance. The banners they were carrying belonged to the princes."
"Some people also saw that it was escorted by Marquis Luoyun's personal guards."
The moment the head guard finished speaking, the hall fell into a deathly silence. The teacup in King Zheng's hand shattered on the floor with a crash, spilling dark red tea. The dancers, startled, all stopped dancing and huddled together.
King Song sighed. He had been feeling oppressed, and it seemed King Jin and his group had indeed concealed a trump card. He opened the window and looked at the distant Qinghu Lake, which was faintly visible, with occasional wisps of smoke rising from it.
"Brother Wang, it seems that Prince Jin and his group were well-prepared, and the person who devised the plan is no ordinary person."
"Yes, Brother Wang, no one, not even Marquis Luoyun, could have come up with such a method. Could it be someone else?"
The King of Han also realized that if it were Marquis Luoyun's idea, he would have simply attacked with real swords and spears, not resorted to such a drastic measure. Therefore, this plan seemed more like the work of a civil official.
King Zheng also came to his senses immediately, stroking the jade thumb ring on his thumb, and asked with a cold snort;
"Have you found out who was the one who met you at the South Street intersection?"
"Your Highness, it was Marquis Luoyun, Marquis Xiangyang, and Young Master Li who received you."
The head guard dared not delay and quickly replied. Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly understood that this plan must have come from Li Chaosheng. They were also surprised, wondering if it was the idea of the Grand Secretary Li.
But since Sun Boyan, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, had already promised them, no one was in the mood to eat or drink anymore. They waved their hands, dismissing all the dancers. The princes sat upright in their seats, and Prince Song spoke first.
"Brother Wang, it seems that our three imperial nephews are not simple at all,"
"That's right. It hasn't even been an hour since the last move, and someone came to help me with just a little effort. I think we should just attend the birthday banquet in peace, go back home honestly, and be a peaceful prince."
Prince Chen was also somewhat disheartened. There were so many civil officials in the capital, each with their own schemes. How could they possibly cope? Even the Grand Secretary, who had always been at odds with the nobles, had sided with the princes. It seemed that this trip back to the capital would not bring them any benefits. They were no match for either civil or military officials, and would only make a fool of themselves.
These words struck a chord with the King of Wu. Why dwell on such undesirable things when everything is fine? Wouldn't it be better to return to a peaceful life, surrounded by beautiful women? What a wonderful prospect! He was just about to agree...
Unbeknownst to them, the expressions on the faces of King Zheng, King Han, and King Song were extremely unpleasant. King Han immediately rebuked them.
“King Chen, you are mistaken. If King Wu had such thoughts, it would not be surprising. Jingnan is rich and beautiful, and if one stayed there for a long time, it would truly be a life of paradise. But you are located in Hanzhong, where the people are fierce and unruly. Your fiefdom is not bound by resources. To the south lies the rich Shu Road, and to the north is the arid northwest. You will have to face the power of the Western King’s Palace. If something happens in the northwest, how will you survive?”
These are not mere alarmist statements from the King of Han. The Northwest Palace family is currently making frequent moves, repeatedly sending scouts to inspect the Northwest waterways. If they were to attack the Xianbei to the west, that would be one thing, but their hundreds of thousands of troops remain motionless, guarding the Northwest corridor and controlling all trade routes. Whether they were to move east or west is anyone's guess.
All the military troop quotas of the prefectures and counties in the Northwest were recorded in the Ministry of War, precisely to guard against the Western King. If the Western King were to march directly south, he would encounter the fiefdom of the Prince of Chen. As a member of the imperial family, how could he surrender without a fight?
King Song also sensed something amiss, and recalling the actions of the Western King's palace, he realized it was indeed true.
"My two brothers, I have something to say, but I'm not sure if I should."
"Please speak, my dear brother."
King Zheng was also weighing the pros and cons. He was currently in a passive position in the capital; had he perhaps taken the wrong path in some areas?
“Brother Wang, it is said that the Western Prince and the Southern Prince have both come to the capital to celebrate the Emperor Emeritus’s birthday banquet. However, as far as I know, these two families have been in the capital for quite some time, but not for very long. Even the officials from the north have been in the capital for several days, yet the Prince’s spies have not spotted the two princes’ carriages. Could it be that these two princes are using this as a cover?”
For example, that old fox from the Gong family used the Xianbei provocation as an excuse to not come, or rather, only the royal carriage came but the person did not come. It is not impossible. As for the Lang family in the south, they seem to be using military force to govern the vassal states. Unfortunately, the three southern kingdoms have always been eyeing them covetously. Three years ago, they fought to a draw, or even had a slight advantage. If they recover in the next few years, war will probably break out again. I'm afraid Langyun simply does not have the strength to fight.
While these were mostly speculations, they weren't without merit. The other princes also realized the truth of the matter. If the two princes from the Gong and Lang families didn't come, it would imply disloyalty. Therefore, the importance of these princes was self-evident.
“What you say makes sense. Although these two are far away, they still have spies around. The young Xianbei ruler has been struggling for five years since his ascension to the throne. Even if his uncle, the Tuoba clan, is arrogant, as long as the royal court doesn't fall into chaos, he won't have a chance. Or rather, the Xianbei Khan has actually taken control of the situation. His troops in the east have exceeded 300,000. It's just a matter of whether they're going to fight the Donghu people or the Gong family. As for the south…”
King Zheng paused, then looked at King Han, since matters in the south were largely decided by King Han.
Sure enough, the King of Han's expression changed, even showing some shock. He moved his lips, seemingly unsure what to say, then put down his teacup and muttered something under his breath.
"Lang Yun is not coming, or rather, even if he wanted to come, he couldn't!"
"what?"
(End of this chapter)