Chapter 111

 

After Prince Yu rebelled, the first place to be attacked by Prince Yu’s army was Daming Prefecture, which bordered the northwest boundary of Henan.

While the Daming Prefecture was resisting the enemy troops, it immediately rushed the battle report to the capital with eight-hundred-miles urgency.

The battle report arrived in the capital in the afternoon.

The palace urgently convened a court meeting, and hundreds of civil and military officials were announced to go to court to discuss matters.

Above the main hall, the thirteen-year-old young emperor was sitting on the dragon chair. Empress Dowager Qi was temporarily listening to the affairs behind the curtain, while Concubine Dowager Lin was standing next to her without knowing what was going on.

Chen Tingjian first read the proclamation of Prince Yu’s rebellion.

Before the chief minister’s solemn voice could even finish, the ministers saw a figure behind the gauze-like curtain flicker, then came a muffled “plop” sound.

Soon, Empress Dowager Qi explained: “Concubine Dowager Lin fainted when she heard the news. She should be fine. Ministers, please continue the discussion.”

What could the ministers discuss? Everyone was scolding Prince Yu for his wolfish ambition. That day, the late emperor vomited blood in the court hall, and all the ministers could hear his last words clearly. If the late emperor really wanted to change the crown prince, how could his last words be explained? At that time, the late emperor still had the spare strength to ask prince consort to take good care of his daughter, which showed that he was clear-headed and not confused at all.

Then there was the dirty water Prince Yu poured on Empress Dowager Qi and Chen Tingjian, which was even more ridiculous. Whenever Chen Tingjian met Empress Dowager Qi in the past, the late emperor or the crown prince were always there, accompanied by a large number of palace people.

All in all, all the civil and military officials recognized that Prince Yu’s denunciations were all slander and frame-up, and were simply fabricated for his rebellion!

After charging Prince Yu with “rebellion”, the next step was to discuss how to put down the rebellion.

Prince Yu claimed to have an army of 200,000, but in fact only about 100,000 of that were regular troops of the imperial guard. The other 100,000 were private soldiers of the vassal prince or local government guards who have rebelled. They were like temporarily pouring together the scattered sand from various places, it was nothing to worry about.

Therefore, Chen Tingjian suggested that the border garrison in the north should not be moved, but troops should be mobilized from Shanxi, Shaanxi, Huguang, Nanzhili, and Shandong. Each would send 30,000 troops to outflank the capital from around Henan, thus preventing Prince Yu’s army from escaping elsewhere. The capital side dispatched more than 50,000 soldiers from ten guards of the twenty-six guards, and combined with the defenders of Baoding Prefecture, Zhending Prefecture, and Daming Prefecture to form a 160,000-strong army as the main force to counter the rebellion.

Empress Dowager Qi flicked the sandalwood beads on her wrist.

The slight sound reached the young emperor’s ears, and the young emperor said: “Cabinet Elder’s advice is very sound. Approve.”

All the officials also supported it in unison.

Immediately, the commanders of the twenty-six guards in the capital came out, stood in the center of the hall, and offered themselves for the assignment.

Although Marquis Jing’an was the in-law of Prince Yu, he stood up indignantly and asked to lead troops.

Chen Tingjian glanced at these military attaches, who were either young or in their prime, and said to the young emperor: “Your Majesty, the twenty-six guards are all elites and can participate in the battle. Why not follow the rankings of last year’s martial arts competition. Excluding the Jinyiwei, let the top five guards and the bottom five guards to go to for the expedition. How about it?”

The young emperor immediately approved.

As for the commander-in-chief who would lead the troops, although Marquis Jing’an had military exploits, he could not be used to avoid suspicion. Chen Tingjian recommended Ling Rucheng, the border general who happened to be back in the capital to visit his sick mother.

Ling Rucheng’s reputation was not inferior to Marquis Jing’an, and the latter’s irritable temperament was not as calm as the former’s, which could reassure the ministers.

In less than half an hour, the court had already decided on a counter-rebellion strategy, and everyone appeared relaxed, not paying much attention to Prince Yu’s army. After all, Prince Yu was not like the founding ancestor who initiated the “Jingnan Rebellion” back then; he was far inferior in every aspect!

In the Grand Princess Mansion, Hua Yang had just woken up from her nap.

Observing filial piety, she still lived a pampered life as the grand princess. Ice tripods were placed in several upper rooms of the Qifeng Hall, filling them with wisps of cool air, which was completely different from the scorching sun in the courtyard.

Wearing white plain clothes, Hua Yang sat in front of the dressing table. Chao Yun combed her hair into a refreshing and simple bun, exposing a section of her snow-white neck.

At this moment, Chao Yue came in to report that prince consort had sent Fu Gui back and he asked to see the princess for something.

Hua Yang didn’t like the title “grand princess” very much. Outside, she must abide by the rules, but in her own territory, she ordered the people around her continue to call her princess.

There was no other reason. The “grand princess” sounded more serious and dignified, while the princess could be more playful and free-spirited.

Hua Yang, who had just woken up and was still feeling a little sluggish, suddenly felt confused when she heard that Fu Gui was back.

She thought of the death knell when her father emperor died.

In this life, her father lived nine days longer than in the previous life. Therefore, when Prince Yu did not rebel at the end of Sixth Month, Hua Yang was not completely relieved, and today is the ninth day of Seventh Month…

Hua Yang went directly to the front hall.

Fu Gui looked solemnly and said: “Princess, Prince Yu has rebelled. Prince Consort has received the order to go into battle. At this time, he is discussing matters with the ministers in the palace. He asked me to let you know that you don’t have to wait for him tonight.”

Hua Yang didn’t even think about waiting. Just the words “Prince Yu has rebelled” knocked her sleepiness away and told Wu Run to prepare a car immediately. She was going to the palace!

After getting on the carriage, Hua Yang’s heart was still beating wildly, faster than ever!

At first, she couldn’t understand how her mother empress and father-in-law had joined forces to make plans, but Prince Yu still rebel?

After getting over the anxiety, Hua Yang figured it out for herself. Prince Yu must have had the power to rebel long ago. Even if father-in-law and mother empress were planning to destroy Prince Yu’s cronies first, Prince Yu’s party would be aware of it. They would find a way to obey the letter from the court on the surface but oppose secretly, then what could her father-in-law and mother empress do? If they directly mobilized troops, they would be suspected of relying on her father emperor’s death to target Prince Yu, which would be morally wrong.

Forget it, those were no longer important, what matters was Chen Jingzong’s life!

Even though the stone road near the imperial city was smooth, when the carriage was running too fast, it still bumped from time to time.

Hua Yang held the carriage wall with one hand and thought quickly in her mind.

Chen Jingzong was a hot-blooded man. Even if the court did not arrange for him to go to war, he would have recommended himself. What’s more, now that the military order had been issued, if he suddenly resigned, wouldn’t others view Chen Fourth Master as a coward who was greedy for life and afraid of death?

Chen Jingzong had to go, and the grand princess Hua Yang couldn’t wail and stop him, otherwise she would be laughed at by her subjects and historian.

Going to war was a forgone conclusion. But as long as Hua Yang mention the old lady of the Chen family again and remind Chen Jingzong to be careful of that battle, he should be safe and sound.

The problem was that there were still three months left before that battle, and if the old lady of the Chen family was “entrusting her with dreams” now, it would look too capable and too unconvincing!

The carriage stopped outside the palace gate, and Hua Yang walked in step by step along the familiar palace road. When she came to Qianqing Palace and saw her mother who was staying here with her brother temporarily, Hua Yang also made a decision.

“Mother, I want to go with the army.”

Empress Dowager Qi frowned when she heard this and replied directly to her daughter: “Nonsense! Do you think two armies fighting is a child’s play? Don’t cause trouble for Prince Consort.”

She felt that her daughter was too worried about the prince consort, so wherever prince consort went, her daughter wanted follow him.

Hua Yang said sternly: “It has nothing to do with Prince Consort. After all, Prince Yu is the eldest son of Father Emperor and the elder brother of me and my brother. He rebelled and it’s natural for the court to send troops to suppress it. However, if I, as the grand princess, am personally arranged to meet Prince Yu on the front lines, to reason with him and appeal to his emotions, wouldn’t it demonstrate more the kindness of you and my brother towards him? This way, Father Emperor in the underworld doesn’t need to endure the pain of internal strife within the imperial.”

Empress Dowager Qi looked surprised, as if seeing her daughter for the first time. She was stunned for a long time.

Hua Yang waited calmly.

Empress Dowager Qi could not refute this. The imperial court wanted to remove the eight vassal princes in Henan in one fell swoop. The better the face saving before the war, the fewer criticisms from the people and the other vassal princes across the country.

Moreover, neither she nor her son could leave the capital without permission, and her daughter was indeed the most suitable candidate.

But Empress Dowager Qi was reluctant to let her daughter, who looked like a peony flower, follow the army to eat dust and ashes in this hot summer season, reluctant to let her bear the dangers that might happened on the battlefield.

Prince Yu rebelled first, and the evidence was conclusive, so it fine without another layer of face saving that was just like icing on the cake.

Just as Empress Dowager Qi was about to object, Hua Yang came over, hugged her and said, “Mother, you and my brother have had a hard time since Father Emperor left. I also want to do something to help you. That’s how a family should be, right? If you keep excluding me, I will feel that I’m really just a bowl of water that you threw away the day I got married, and you never want me back.”

Hua Yang knew that her mother empress did not treat her as a splash of water, but just treated her as a peony in the garden. She only needed to bloom gracefully and sumptuously, and there was no need to do anything serious.

But Hua Yang was not a peony, she was a living person, she had her own emotions, and she wanted to do what she wanted to do.

Other women have many worries, but she was an imperial daughter and also an imperial sister. If she had to be tightly bound by various etiquette, what was the fun of being a woman?

“Mother, Father Emperor loves me the most. Can you indulge me like Father Emperor once in a while?”

Tears fell, Hua Yang deliberately rubbed her mother’s lapel.

Empress Dowager Qi:…

Why is it as her daughter got older, she become more coquettish than when she was a child?

At other times, Empress Dowager Qi could have refused harshly, but her daughter had just lost her father, and look at her pitiful appearance.

“Silly Panpan, this is not a question of indulgence or not. I’m afraid that you will be in danger.”

Hua Yang: “Mother is too worried. Think about it. Except for meeting Prince Yu once before the two armies, I will definitely stay at the rear of the battlefield at other times. If I encounter danger, it will only mean that the imperial army has been defeated by Prince Yu’s rebels……”

Empress Dowager Qi solemnly interrupted her daughter: “Don’t talk nonsense.”

Hua Yang obediently shut up, only raised her head, and looked at her mother earnestly.

Empress Dowager Qi snorted: “It sounds so nice, but you’re actually going there just for your prince consort, right?”

Of course Hua Yang would deny it: “Where did he get such a big face.”

Empress Dowager Qi just thought her daughter was being stubborn, but she did not object any more: “Okay, you go back to your mansion to make preparations first, and quickly prepare all the things you may need on the road, so as not to suffer hardships and complain later. Of course, you can’t be too extravagant and let the soldiers criticize you. Also bring the three hundred soldiers in your mansion to guard you at all times. I will tell your brother later and draft the decree, then I will send it to you.”

Hua Yang smiled and said, “Then I’ll be waiting to receive your decree!”

Empress Dowager Qi shook her head. It was obviously a hard job, but her daughter looked silly as if she was going out to play in the mountains and rivers.

After Hua Yang left, Empress Dowager Qi went to the imperial study to meet her son.

The young emperor became anxious when he heard this, thinking that his mother had forced his sister to go!

Empress Dowager Qi spent a lot of time convincing her son that this was her daughter’s idea. At the same time, she couldn’t help but secretly reflect on what kind of mother she was to her children.

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