Wind rises time and space gate

Chapter 504: What You Wish For

Emperor Zhizheng summoned the cabinet and the six important officials to discuss the selection of the commander of the army. The crown prince and the Prince of Qi were also present.

I thought it would take a few more days, but unexpectedly, the vast majority of people strongly recommended King Yue to lead the troops!

Emperor Zhizheng didn't react for a moment.

"The King of Yue leads the troops?"

As soon as he finished asking, Jiang Xiang jumped up and said, "The King of Yue cannot lead the army!"

"Why can't the King of Yue lead the troops?" asked the prince.

Jiang Xiang looked as if he had been tricked by the prince, and was so angry that veins on his face popped out.

In front of Emperor Zhizheng, he pointed at the prince and started to curse, "Who is the King of Yue bothering? Or is there no one in the capital? He finally came out of the imperial mausoleum and has been back in the capital for less than two years. Don't you want to see him live a peaceful life?"

He pointed his finger and made a circle in the imperial study, wishing he could kick every person who recommended someone.

"If the King of Yue makes the slightest mistake on the battlefield, Prince, can you be worthy of Queen Zhenshun? Are you just hoping for his death?"

Standing upright in front of the prince, the spray almost hit the prince's face.

The prince felt a little guilty and leaned back slightly, asking Jiang Xiang to behave himself in front of the emperor and did not dare to retort.

“What decorum do I have to worry about? You are all going to send the King of Yue to the battlefield to die, so what decorum do I have to worry about?” He acted as if the King of Yue had met with an unexpected disaster and there was no hope at all.

It was just a matter of rolling on the floor tiles of the imperial study.

Prince Qi was so angry that he was gritting his teeth. This fox Jiang was acting so well that he almost believed it.

Duke Dingguo bowed his head, thinking that his second son and the eldest princess had come to him one after another and strongly recommended the King of Yue to him. Originally, he had not thought of the King of Yue as a candidate, but he and his wife actually felt that the King of Yue's identity was the most suitable for leading the army.

Duke Dingguo thought about it and realized that the crown prince could not leave the capital, and he was afraid that the crown prince would not trust other princes to go, and other generals were afraid that they were not important enough to suppress the 300,000 troops at Hangu Pass.

It really is more suitable for Yue Wang.

Although Duke Lu had passed away for more than ten years, the Lu family still had some influence in Hangu Pass. If the King of Yue led the army, they would definitely give him some face. On the battlefield, the worst thing to do is for the generals to be unfocused.

But when he mentioned the King of Yue, he felt a little guilty when he saw Jiang Xiang's expression as if the King of Yue was going to die.

Yes, the King of Yue has only lived in peace for more than a year, and Queen Zhenshun only has this bloodline left. If something happens to the King of Yue in the northwest, how will he explain to Queen Zhenshun?

Jiang Xiang was still cursing, "The former crown prince is still a lonely ghost in the suburbs. Is he going to watch the King of Yue die in a foreign land next?"

The roar made Duke Dingguo's heart tremble, and he hurriedly bowed to the throne, "Your Majesty, I take back what I just said. I beg you to lead the troops!"

"I also take back what I just said." Except for the Crown Prince, Prince Qi and others also agreed.

Emperor Zhizheng had just heard his ministers strongly recommending the King of Yue, and he suddenly became suspicious.

Why did so many people recommend the King of Yue? What was the King of Yue's purpose? The Crown Prince's purpose was very clear. He probably didn't want the King of Yue to have another chance to return to the capital. But why did Guangyuan want to lead the army?
Emperor Zhizheng couldn't help but think more about it.

I felt that these people strongly recommended the King of Yue, and I was afraid that the King of Yue had done something behind the scenes. I felt a little unwilling.

As a result, before he could even open his mouth, Jiang Xiang started crying and making a fuss, Duke Dingguo, King Qi and others took back their words, and Emperor Zhizheng became upset again.

Guangyuan still wants to stay in the capital.

After all, he still wanted to vindicate his brother. Over the past year, he had gone to the suburbs to offer sacrifices to the late crown prince many times, and Emperor Zhizheng was not unaware of this.

Emperor Zhizheng did not make any comment and allowed his important ministers to recommend someone else without saying anything.

He glanced at the prince, who stood there with his lips pursed, not participating. Then he looked at Jiang Xiang, who was listening to others discussing others, his brows relaxed, looking happy.

Emperor Zhizheng couldn't help but snort secretly.

After an entire afternoon without a conclusion, Emperor Zhizheng had no choice but to adjourn the meeting.

The prince left the imperial study and watched Jiang Xiang thank the ministers with a smile on his face. He felt it was extremely irritating. Zhao Guangyuan was determined to send him out of the capital. Once he left the capital, he would never be able to come back.

He had been the crown prince for twelve years and had long considered that position his own, not allowing anyone else to get involved.

When the crown prince was summoned to the imperial study by Emperor Zhizheng again and asked about his opinion, the crown prince said bluntly, "I still recommend the King of Yue to lead the army."

Emperor Zhizheng looked at him without saying anything.

After a while, he asked him, "Why?"

"He has sufficient status. And your Majesty is aware of the King of Yue's intentions. I'm afraid your Majesty will not satisfy his wish. All he can do is try his best. Do you want to see your sons killing each other in your lifetime?"

Emperor Zhizheng was stunned. He didn't expect that the prince would not even pretend and directly stated his purpose.

At this moment he looked at the prince differently, and felt that the prince had some of the spirit of a ruler.

The prince knelt down before him and said, "Father, if you are not satisfied with me being the crown prince, just issue an order to depose me. It doesn't matter if you choose the King of Qin or the King of Yue. I will have no complaints."

The prince said frankly that he wanted the King of Yue to leave the capital for the sake of the country. He was also sure that the emperor would not depose him, but after saying this, he still couldn't help but clench his fists nervously.

My father is too proud to admit his mistakes twelve years ago. As long as he is in power, he will never vindicate the former crown prince and the Lu family, and the King of Yue will not have a chance. As for the King of Qin, his mother's family is too powerful. As long as my father is not confused, he will not choose the King of Qin over the King of Chu.

If we had to choose them, we would have chosen them eleven years ago.

At that time, Concubine De had a higher status than his mother. But in recent years, his father helped his mother to take the throne and made Concubine Liu a noble concubine, but Concubine De was still Concubine De, which showed that he did not put the two brothers on the list of successors.

Zhao Guanghuan had been the crown prince for more than ten years, and he believed that he could still figure out the emperor's intentions to some extent.

Sure enough, when he heard that his sons were going to kill each other, Emperor Zhizheng couldn't help but think of the bloody scene when he succeeded to the throne. In the end, only he and Prince Qi were left.

After the prince left, Emperor Zhizheng stayed alone in the imperial study for a long time.

Until all the halls were lit with candles, and it was as bright as day.

Emperor Zhizheng then walked outside and looked up at the starry night sky. The main star was still in place, and the guest star was still dazzling.

"Liu Qi, what do you think? Should we let the King of Yue lead the troops?"

Liu Qi's eyes flickered. "I hope to live a peaceful life and serve the emperor forever. When the emperor passes away, I will definitely follow him."

Emperor Zhizheng looked at the starry sky without saying anything.

Who doesn't want to live a peaceful life? He wanted it too.

More than ten years had passed, and sometimes he still clearly dreamed of Duke Lu coming to him with a spear in his hand, covered in a blood-stained robe, and appearing directly in his dreams.

In the Prince of Yue's Mansion, Lin Zhaoxia and Zhao Guangyuan were talking in the room.

Suddenly, Fang Er sent someone to pass a piece of paper to Zhao Guangyuan. After reading it, he quickly burned it with candlelight.

"what happened?"

"It's done."

"It's done?" Lin Zhaoxia was a little surprised. Wasn't there a long discussion this afternoon? "Who sent the message?"

"Liu Qi."

Oh, then it really worked. Lin Zhaoxia breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhao Guangyuan took her into the inner room and said, "You go to sleep first. I will go discuss matters with my staff."

"this late?"

"This matter is important. The emperor will probably issue an edict tomorrow morning. Don't wait for me. Be good." He kissed her on the lips, and when she nodded, he turned and left.

Zhao Guangyuan discussed with his staff all night long and did not return to the main courtyard until three o'clock in the morning. Seeing Lin Zhaoxia sleeping soundly, he tucked her in, tidied her up, and hurried to attend the court.

Sure enough, at the court meeting that day, Emperor Zhizheng issued an edict, conferring the title of "Grand Marshal of the Western Expedition" on the King of Yue, and ordered him to lead 200,000 troops to Hangu Pass for support. Zhao Guangyuan looked straight at Emperor Zhizheng. At this moment, he felt the satisfaction of having his wish fulfilled, but also felt deeply disappointed with his father.

He doesn't care whether he lives or dies!

This realization, at this moment, surged into his heart, and a sense of pain came over him.

The two emotions rushed straight at him and he couldn't react.

"King Yue, please accept the order."

Zhao Guangyuan came back to his senses and looked at the imperial edict handed to him by the eunuch. He grabbed it and held it tightly in his hand. He looked intently at Emperor Zhizheng who was sitting on the throne, then suddenly took off the imperial crown on his head, threw it to the ground, and left in a huff.

The imperial crown was smashed into pieces, and all the ministers in the hall dared not say a word.

Jiang Xiang was so upset that he burst into tears and followed him out of the hall.

When the prince saw the empty wooden tray in the eunuch's hand, he suppressed his joy. The King of Yue was unwilling to lead the army, and he wanted to stay in the capital!

He just doesn't get what he wants.

The two brothers, the King of Qin and the King of Chu, looked at each other, turned their heads to look at the prince, and then secretly glanced at the seat of honor, hiding the complicated emotions in their eyes.

It seems that the prince is more favored by his father than they imagined.

But this further aroused the fighting spirit of the two brothers.

Soon, the news that the King of Yue was dissatisfied with the Emperor's order and unwilling to lead the troops spread like wildfire.

The prince and his staff thought that the King of Yue would be criticized by the people and literati in the capital, but they did not expect that the whole capital was sympathetic to the King of Yue.

Huixian Tower was crowded again.

The scholars who had received the favor of the King of Yue, the common people who had heard about the King of Yue's plight, and the officials who sympathized with the King of Yue all went to Huixian Tower. The simple common people thought that the King of Yue was frustrated and wanted to do something for him.

What can we do? Just spend more and let him make more money.

Not only was Huixianlou packed, but even the Yuefu Opera Club was packed. The acting schedule was booked up for months into the future.

Lin Zhaoxia was dumbfounded when she saw the full list of appointments.

The plays of Yuefu Opera Troupe are good and very popular, but almost every family has hired actors, right?

After looking at Zhao Guangyuan, the instigator still looked calm and raised his eyebrows at her. Lin Zhaoxia was amused.

He moved over and shook the book, "Look, when all these plays are scheduled to be performed, I'm afraid we'll have to open a few more warehouses. If we don't, I'm afraid we'll have no place to store the silver."

"Our house is big, and there are many empty yards. You can choose whichever one you like as a warehouse."

"You are quite proud. Several generals have gone to the camp outside the capital to inspect the troops, but you, the great marshal, are staying in your room and not going out?"

"Why would I go out? Just give the imperial edict to me directly. Have you asked me what I think?"

"If you didn't want to, you shouldn't have taken the imperial edict at that time."

"Don't take the chance of changing people."

"You're quite cunning."

Zhao Guangyuan raised his eyebrows proudly again.

It was one thing that he got what he wanted at the time, but he did feel uncomfortable. At that moment, it seemed that the little affection he had for him was completely gone.

On the other hand, the prince heard that the King of Yue stayed indoors and did not go out of the camp outside the capital to recruit soldiers, but just stayed in the mansion and looked like he was afraid of fighting. He felt very happy that he had tricked the King of Yue.

When discussing matters with his staff, he always had a smile on his face.

Yan Jingzhe watched from the side and kept silent. The balance in his heart leaned more towards the King of Yue. The King of Yue was indeed deep-minded, and his forbearance was unmatched by ordinary people.

"Yan Qing has rarely spoken during this period." The prince said with a smile.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Your Highness. The Autumn Examination is approaching, and I'm very worried."

The prince smiled knowingly, "Don't worry. With Yan Qing's ability, it will be easy for him to pass the autumn imperial examination and the spring imperial examination next year."

"I'll borrow the prince's good words."

The King of Qin and the King of Chu also received the news and made secret arrangements.

Yan Jingzhe quickly informed Zhao Guangyuan of the prince's backup plan. As for the King of Qin and the King of Chu...

"Let the third brother join the army?" Lin Zhaoxia was a little surprised when she saw Ma running over in the dark.

Ma nodded, "The King of Chu seems to have placed a lot of people in the army, and has made arrangements for infantry, cavalry, and archers. I specifically found your third brother and gave him some instructions, asking him to first gain the trust of the prince, take the opportunity to get close to him, become his personal soldier, and then wait for an opportunity to take action."

"Waiting for an opportunity to strike?"

"Yes, wait for the right opportunity. But I don't know why he ordered his men not to take the prince's life."

Don't want to take the King of Yue's life? Lin Zhaoxia seemed not to understand, but also seemed to understand a little.

"I know about this. Sister-in-law, go back and tell Brother San to just focus on his own business and not to reveal any clues. I will ask the prince to summon him to his side. Sister-in-law, don't worry about Brother San's safety."

Ma heaved a sigh of relief after hearing this.

She was not like the child's father, who was eager to win military merit and become successful. She just hoped that he would return safely.

After Ma left, Lin Zhaoxia told Zhao Guangyuan the reason why Ma came. "Why didn't they take your life? Wouldn't it be more beneficial to take your life than to keep you alive?"

Zhao Guangyuan felt more and more sad and hugged Lin Zhaoxia tightly, trying to get a little warmth.

"It is in the prince's interest to kill me, but the king of Qin only wants me to be like the king of Lu, without the capital to fight for the throne. Keeping me alive so that I can distract the prince's attention and let me contain the prince is more beneficial to both of them."

Lin Zhaoxia felt uncomfortable with his grip and struggled slightly but failed. Seeing that he looked disheartened, she couldn't help but sigh.

"I don't know when you will be back. What should I do if I miss you then? You have to compensate me before leaving Beijing."

Zhao Guangyuan was a little surprised and looked up at her from her shoulder.

Lin Zhaoxia just looked at him with dissatisfaction, "You don't want to? Or can't? Or do you want to save your strength?"

Hiss, what father-son relationship, what brotherly love, at this moment, all were thrown out of Zhao Guangyuan's mind. He can't do it? He doesn't want to? He wants to save his strength?

He picked up Lin Zhaoxia and carried her sideways, then strode into the inner room.

Compensate her, compensate her hard!

On September 22, at noon, 200,000 soldiers and horses were assembled in the camp outside the capital.

The crown prince was ordered by Emperor Zhizheng to come and give a speech before the expedition. His words made the blood of the soldiers boil, "We will not return until the barbarians are driven out!"

"Drive out the barbarians! Drive out the barbarians!"

The sound shook the nine heavens.

The prince was very satisfied with the situation he had created. He turned his head and looked around, and saw Zhao Guangyuan lazily leaning against a tree nearby. He walked over and said a few words of encouragement to him in front of all the generals, acting like a close brother.

He was urged to say a few words, "Seventh brother, why don't you say a few words to the generals?"

Zhao Guangyuan glanced at him coldly, then turned away without any expression. He grabbed the Ferghana horse that Fang Er had brought, and straddled it with his long legs, lifting the cloak into a very beautiful arc.

Cool and powerful.

"Set off."

"Let's go!" The 200,000-strong army immediately set off.