King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 739 August th
When they came out of the Qianqing Palace and bid farewell to Concubine Jia before leaving the palace, the three of them walked on the palace road facing the sunset, with laughter and joy in their conversation.

After leaving Donghua Gate, Baochai said goodbye to her two sisters-in-law and got on the carriage to rush back.

Baochai then quickly returned to the palace, where Zhu Jinghong was waiting for her news.

In the pavilion in the back garden of the palace, there was no one within thirty feet.

Baochai entered the pavilion and sat in front of Zhu Jinghong.

"It has been decided. On August 15th, the Mid-Autumn Festival, we will hold a banquet in Guanghan Palace in Xiyuan!"

"I want to ride the wind back home, but I am afraid that the jade buildings are too cold up there~"

Hearing that Zhu Jinghong was still in the mood to read these, Baochai reminded him: "The Northwest Thousand Households of the Imperial Guards is the key!"

"Yeah!" Zhu Jinghong nodded.

Although this captain could not be considered his confidant, his last position was as deputy captain of the Yulin Right Guard.

Simply put, Zhu Jinghong is very familiar with this person, knows him very well and has a great influence on him.

This person was not involved in any political party, so Zhu Jinghong was confident that at the critical moment, he could make this person obey his orders and mobilize troops to quell the rebellion.

In fact, even if these circumstances did not occur, as long as Zhu Jinghong himself was present, he would be able to seize military power and directly deploy troops.

Of course, the emperor himself also has this ability.

"The West Garden is close to Shanglin Garden, where the Northern Four Guards are stationed. Do you think we need to... say hello to them?" Baochai asked again.

They had discussed these things before, and now they needed to confirm them again.

The Four Northern Guards have 20,000 combat soldiers. These troops are close to the imperial city and are a very crucial force in defending the capital.

Therefore, the emperor had a strong control over the army. If he gave advance notice, the news would inevitably leak out, which might not be a good thing for Zhu Jinghong.

"Forget it... After the incident, we will assess the situation and if necessary, let Deng An take my order to mobilize troops!"

Baochai nodded, and then asked, "How can we ensure your and my safety?"

The strategy this time was to go deep into the encirclement. The only people who could be relied on at the most critical moment were the dozens of guards around the emperor.

Zhu Jinghong replied: "There are more than 200 people stationed in the East Palace, but the number of people they can use... is at most 100!"

In fact, a hundred people was an overestimate, because the abnormal movement of so many people would be too likely to be discovered.

All the captains and deputy captains of the Imperial City Guard were responsible for their own defense areas. Unless they were all bribed, the prince had to keep a low profile as much as possible.

Zhu Jinghong continued to analyze: "In order to hide, they can't use bows and arrows, so they can only bring swords, or easy-to-hide fire guns!"

"Swords and knives are not scary, but these muskets are insidious, so we must be more careful!"

"So what you mean is that those people's swords are nothing to worry about?" Baochai hesitated.

"more or less!"

Including the emperor's close guards and the additional guards who will be transferred in due time, there are at least a hundred armored guards in Guanghan Palace, so they are actually not at a great disadvantage against the prince's men.

In fact, the prince's desperate gamble was itself a desperate gamble, and he had little chance of winning from the beginning to the end.

Of course, this is also because Zhu Jinghong had a God’s perspective and knew the prince’s plan and responded accordingly.

Otherwise, Donggong could really get things done without any intention.

"In fact, the one we really need to be on guard against is Lao Liu. We don't know what he is planning yet!"

"But I guess he will definitely find a group of people to protect the king at the critical moment. He may also go all out and kill the old man, me, and the prince in Guanghan Palace!"

After thinking for a while, Baochai replied, "Don't worry too much about what's happening outside Guanghan Palace. We have a lot of people we can use outside!"

"We have a lot of people including the Dragon Guard, the Imperial City Guards, and the Five Cities Army, and we can also mobilize the Imperial Guards and the Beijing Camp!"

Zhu Jinghong had a great influence in the army, especially when he led troops to fight in the northwest, during which he had a close relationship with the generals.

If these people first recognized the imperial edict, then they would secondly recognize Zhu Jinghong's words. The Crown Prince and Prince Rui would have to stand aside.

"Yeah!" Zhu Jinghong nodded.

After a moment of silence, Baochai looked at Zhu Jinghong for a moment, then said, "I have something to ask... I don't know if I should ask it!"

Seeing her like this, Zhu Jinghong was a little surprised, and then said: "Between you and me, is there anything that cannot be asked?"

After staring at Zhu Jinghong for a while, Baochai asked, "This time, they are targeting us, Prince Rui's Mansion, and His Majesty. You and I can save ourselves, and Prince Rui's Mansion also has connections, but His Majesty..."

"If we don't save His Majesty, he will be in danger!"

Baochai is really tactful. She said so many things, but when you react, it actually comes down to one question: should the emperor kill her or keep her?

This question was indeed very sensitive, so she hesitated before asking and was indeed very cautious.

It had long been made clear that this incident would be used to depose the Crown Prince and the Sixth Prince, but there was no discussion as to whether or not to kill the Emperor.

Zhu Jinghong had been avoiding this question, but now that Baochai asked it, he had to make a decision.

On the one hand, if everyone is killed this time, Zhu Jinghong can smoothly inherit the throne.

But on the other hand, this extremely violent process is an indelible scandal for the royal family and will become a stain on Zhu Jinghong's life.

The worst thing is that Taizu's generation killed his brother, his father's generation killed his brother and forced his father to death, but he killed his brother and father and usurped the throne.

The disorderly inheritance should have been curbed, but it has developed to the point where each generation is stronger than the previous one, which would be a fatal blow to the sanctity of the royal family and the legal system of the court.

As to whether the emperor was killed by the prince or someone else, people in the world have no way of telling and will only suspect the vested interests.

It can even be said that Zhu Jinghong also rose to power through military merit, so the possibility of him being suspected is even greater.

Under such a "collapse of rituals and music", Zhu Jinghong could do it with a strong army. Would others have the same idea? Would the oppressed local clans be suspicious?
To put it another way, Zhu Jinghong's sons will also think of winning over the army to kill their father and seize power in the future. That would be truly exciting!
Emperor Taizu fought wars endlessly in his time, and the old man has spent his whole life clearing his name, all to pay for his past actions.

It is hard to say as the debt has not been repaid yet, but the results later proved that the one who started it will have no descendants.

Looking at her husband who was frowning and thinking, Baochai did not say anything to disturb him. Instead, she carefully picked up the teapot and poured tea for Zhu Jinghong again.

No matter what choice Zhu Jinghong makes, she will follow him without hesitation. Now she just wants a result.

"What do you think about this?" Zhu Jinghong asked.

Logically, there is no need for Baochai to express her opinion on such a major matter, and Zhu Jinghong should make the decision alone.

But after hearing the question, Baochai was silent for a while, and then answered: "In the past, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty was a man of great talent, both civil and military, and was revered as the Heavenly Khan by all nations in the world!"

"But later on, because of those things, she was still inevitably slandered. After that, the inheritance of her descendants was in chaos, and bloodshed in the palace was common!"

"Your Highness must know that during the Zhenguan period, Emperor Gaozu was still alive, and he and Emperor Taizong were very kind and filial to each other!"

Li Yuan was not killed, and eventually caused all that chaos. This sentence serves as a strong warning.

The act of patricide, let alone if it really happened, even if it was just a figment of one's imagination, can make a person unable to move forward.

Seeing that Zhu Jinghong did not refute, Baochai continued, "The Crown Prince Rui Wang has been deposed. You are the only prince who can inherit the country. That position is in your hands. Why rush?"

After waiting for a while, seeing that Zhu Jinghong still hadn't expressed his opinion, Baochai said, "If Your Highness is eager to become the emperor, just pretend that I didn't say these words!"

"Baochai..."

Baochai listened quietly, waiting for Zhu Jinghong's decision.

Sighing, Zhu Jinghong replied: "You are right, I cannot do anything more shameless than before!"

Hearing this, Baochai breathed a sigh of relief and said nothing more.

The couple sat quietly, watching the autumn wind blowing across the lake, creating ripples. If Zhu Jinghong knew that the emperor had decided to pass the throne to him and that the fourth and sixth sons had been eliminated, things would be completely different.

First of all, there was no need for the palace coup to happen, and there was no need for some people to die in vain.

But this is the royal family, where fathers and sons suspect each other and brothers kill each other. How can there be so much warmth and consideration?

After a while, Baochai sighed, "I don't know how long I can live in peace like this!"

Picking up the teacup, Zhu Jinghong replied: "As long as we win, we will all be safe!"

"I don't think so!" Baochai replied helplessly.

After a moment's pause, Zhu Jinghong realized what Baochai meant, but in the end he did not pursue the matter any further.

In the blink of an eye, it was August 11th. An incident happened that afternoon that attracted attention within the imperial city.

On the imperial road south of Duanmen, patrolling guards discovered a short gun and reported it to their superiors in accordance with procedure.

Firearms were not allowed in the imperial city, so no one dared to neglect this matter, and finally the emperor was informed of it.

Although it was just a short gun, it exposed the lack of supervision. Therefore, the emperor specifically ordered the East Factory to investigate the matter thoroughly to prevent future troubles.

Zhu Jinghong ordered his men to fire this short gun in order to launch a strict investigation of muskets in the imperial city.

In this way, inspections within the imperial city will be stricter, and the prince, who does not want to be easily exposed, should give up using firearms.

In fact, this was indeed the case. The Eastern Palace had hidden more than a dozen short guns in the imperial city. After this incident, the prince ordered the short guns to be abandoned.

Although the short gun is useful, it can only fire one shot. It is certainly useful for catching the enemy by surprise, but it is hard to say how useful it is.

It can be said that Zhu Jinghong's operation did have an effect.

But many times, things are not completely under control. For example, a small flag officer of the Beicheng Branch of the Beizhenfu Division discovered something wrong during an investigation.

On August 13, there were only two days left until the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet in Xiyuan.

During this inspection of muskets, the East Factory also called on the Northern Pacification Office. Fan Rong was in charge of the Donghuamen area, mainly inspecting the Donghuamen Qianhu Station.

As a small flag officer, Fan Rong had ten captains under him, and each of them had his own assignments.

The investigation these two days is of great importance. In addition to the surveillance posts that must be left behind, Fan Rong has four captains participating.

Today, in preparation for the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, a large number of utensils and decorations need to be transported to the West Garden. The Qianhu Office has temporarily dispatched more than 50 captains to keep an eye on it to prevent anyone from smuggling any prohibited items.

Three of Fan Rong's four captains who were involved in the investigation were withdrawn, forcing him to personally lead the remaining captain to investigate.

Of course, the musket was not found, but during his careful inspection, he discovered some unusual situations.

Normal soldiers' dormitories would definitely have a foul smell, but in one of the rooms, he smelled an extremely unusual fragrance.

Fan Rong immediately became curious and asked a few more questions. The captain who accompanied him in the inspection told him the situation of the person involved.

It’s actually nothing that some people like to be clean, but Fan Rong just asked another question.

"How long has this person been on duty? And he's still so obsessed with cleanliness!"

The accompanying centurion thought for a moment, then replied, "Wang Xiaosan...it's been almost a year since he came here!"

"Not bad, not bad. It would be great if all the soldiers in the army were like him!"

Fan Rong didn't know that the captain following behind him had a strange look on his face.

After another half an hour of searching the dormitory thoroughly, Fan Rong went to other places. He would not miss any corner of the area he was responsible for.

"Sir, the smell just now was not right!" The captain just answered. His name was Yao Chun.

Fan Rong laughed and said, "That's not right. It's fine if he loves cleanliness, but he also loves fragrance. I don't know how many benefits they gave to the thousand households to elect such a person!"

Yao Chun did not agree, but said to himself: "Sir, when I smelled that fragrance just now, I felt like I had encountered it somewhere before!"

"It took me a while to remember that I smelled this smell when I was investigating the White Lotus Sect... It was the smell of their incense sticks!"

"Hmm...huh? What did you say?"

Fan Rong's expression changed drastically, and then he asked, "There are White Lotus rebels in the imperial city. Do you know how serious this matter is?"

Yao Chun knew how big it was, so he quickly changed his words and said, "Maybe I remembered it wrong!"

After a few moments of silence, Fan Rong said, "Think about it carefully. Is it right or wrong?"

"If something really happened and we didn't find out, I'm afraid it would be a disaster!"

The short gun incident just happened, and now there are traces of the White Lotus Sect. There will also be a Mid-Autumn Festival banquet soon. This seems like something big is about to happen.

After being reminded by Fan Rongyi, Yao Chun also realized that the situation was serious and that avoiding it might only bring him into trouble.

After thinking about it again, Yao Chun replied: "Sir, I will not remember it wrong... It is that taste!"

"If you don't believe me, there are incense sticks confiscated from the White Lotus Sect in our warehouse. You can smell them and you will know!"

Upon hearing that there was real stuff, Fan Rong could no longer sit still, so he went to the Qianhu Office immediately.

Only Yao Chun was left behind to continue checking the muskets and at the same time to investigate the whereabouts of the White Lotus rebels.

In order to avoid alerting the enemy, Fan Rong warned Yao Chun to be cautious.

The Beicheng Qianhu Suo is located on the east side of the imperial city, five or six hundred meters away from Dong'anmen.

From Donghuamen to Dong'anmen, and then to Beicheng Qianhusuo, Fan Rong ran for more than ten minutes and was sweating profusely.

After entering the Qianhu Office, he went straight to the warehouse and passed through several doors.

The storehouse of the Qianhu Suo was actually managed by a small flag officer. Fan Rong was quite familiar with this person and dealt with him a lot on a daily basis.

After the two exchanged greetings, Fan Rong entered the warehouse on the pretext of looking for evidence, and quickly found the White Lotus's belongings based on the classification.

After searching for a while, he found the incense stick that Yao Chun mentioned, and then opened the unopened package and smelled it.

As soon as he smelled it, he concluded on the spot that the two smelled the same.

This time, Fan Rong was shocked.

Could it really be the White Lotus Sect rebels? Or is it just a coincidence?
Fan Rong couldn't be sure for the moment, but since it involved his personal interests, he had to take the matter seriously.

"With both the musket and the incense sticks, it's probably true!"

"I have to report it immediately. No matter if it is true or not, let the superiors make the decision!"

After pacing back and forth, Fan Rong confirmed his idea that only by reporting it could he clear himself of responsibility.

"Report this to Captain Wang!"

"No... This is an opportunity. If I can find out about the White Lotus, I'll have a chance to get promoted!"

"But if we let Mr. Wang intervene, I'm afraid all the credit will be his!"

"Report it to a higher level, the case will be mine!" Fan Rong murmured in a low voice.

"Yes... Report it to Captain Chen!"

The "Captain Chen" that Fan Rong mentioned is Chen Yuntai, a man who is younger than him but has now taken the position of deputy captain.

"He won't take my credit!" Fan Rong made the decision.

(End of this chapter)