Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 287 Collision
Jia Lian did not disbelieve Emperor Chenghui's appearance that everything was under control, but he was afraid of unexpected events.

Emperor Chenghui is too stubborn. He is unwilling to take the initiative and insists on waiting for others to take action first.

To put it nicely, this is a preemptive strike, which will allow all those hiding in the dark to jump out and catch them all in one fell swoop.

To put it bluntly, this is a risk, this is a gamble. Because of the presence of the emperor who also has a righteous reputation, giving up the initiative has increased infinite possibilities. People's hearts are hard to see clearly, and the unpredictable risks make Jia Lian anxious, but he must remain calm and keep a poker face.

All the officers knew that something would happen tonight. Although the officers were very respectful to Jia Lian and willing to follow his command, if Jia Lian really wanted to rebel, it would be considered kind of them not to attack him. Aren't the lives and property of themselves and their clansmen more important than the little benefit given by Lord Jia? Rather than being coerced, it is better to fight back and capture Jia Lian to collect the reward.

There are quite a few people who will definitely follow Jia Lian to the end, but it can only be said that it is half and half. The majority of the lower-level soldiers are willing to follow Jia Lian, which is far more than half. Lord Jia is good to everyone, Lord Jia is invincible, Lord Jia is fair, and most importantly, the lower-level soldiers are more blindly obedient.

As the atmosphere of unease in the central army tent gradually grew, someone finally stood up and clasped his hands towards Jia Lian and said, "Sir! I have something to say!" Without waiting for Jia Lian to speak, Deputy General Yang stepped forward and glared at him and cursed, "Shut up! If you keep talking nonsense, I'll chop you to pieces."

Jia Lian held Deputy General Yang's shoulders and signaled him to step back. A smile appeared on his expressionless face. Jia Lian reached into his arms, took out the gold medal given by Emperor Chenghui, and held it in front of him: "Everyone, please look!"

As the gold medal was displayed, the uneasiness in everyone's heart suddenly dissipated. As long as Jia Lian was not going to rebel and he had received the emperor's order, everything would be fine. The captain who stood up to question also showed shame, bowed and clasped his hands, and said: "I deserve to die!"

Jia Lian smiled and waved his hands, put the gold medal on the middle table, and said lightly: "I can understand your feelings. If I were you, I would also be worried if you were to do this during the New Year." After saying this, Jia Lian's expression suddenly changed, and he said in a very stern and low tone: "Your doubts have been answered. Next, I hope that you can obey the generals. Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless and ruthless in enforcing military law."

"I obey your command!" Dozens of officers stood up, raised their hands across their chests, and answered in unison.

Jia Lian took out his pocket watch and saw that it was already nine o'clock in the evening. It was time to prepare for the battle.

Xishan Royal Manor! Old Man Liu stood in the courtyard with a solemn expression, looking at the retired emperor standing in front of the hall with his hands behind his back.

"Your Majesty, is it necessary to do this?" Old Man Liu's voice was trembling, without any of the demeanor of a Man-Slayer.

"I am also thinking about the country. I cannot bear to see father and son killing each other. However, since Zhang came to power, civil unrest has occurred everywhere, and the government and the people are resentful. For the sake of the country and the people, I have to do it." The emperor's words were obviously not confident, otherwise he would not have turned his back to Old Man Liu. He was guilty. How could this country become like this? He should know.

But what does it matter if we know? Take Sima Guang and Wang Anshi as examples. Which of them did not start from the good of the country? Please note that the definition of the country by these two people probably has nothing to do with the working people at the bottom. Similarly, the definition of the country by the emperor Taishang and Chenghuidi is probably similar.

To put it simply, under the premise that production relations do not change, any action to increase national fiscal revenue is tantamount to draining the pond to catch fish and will accelerate the country's demise.

The power struggle between the Emperor Taishang and Emperor Chenghui must be singled out, because the former was simply trying to regain power. He was unwilling to be Li Yuan! Emperor Chenghui really wanted to form a system to effectively solve the country's financial problems in the long term.

Old Man Liu knew the emperor too well, so he didn't believe a word he said.

"In that case, Your Majesty, take care!" Old Man Liu's voice became difficult and slow. When the Supreme Emperor looked back in shock, he saw Liu Rentu kneeling on the ground with blood constantly flowing from the corners of his mouth and nostrils.

In fact, when he was preparing to ambush Jia Lian last time, Old Man Liu had already wavered in his heart. He just pretended to believe the old emperor's lies, and now he can't pretend anymore, but he is unwilling to betray the old emperor, so he had to make the choice to leave forever.

Emperor Chenghui looked at the Human Butcher who fell down five steps away, and saw his body twitching unconsciously before he died.

A strong feeling of uneasiness enveloped the emperor. No matter how uneasy he was, the arrow was on the string and had to be shot.

Dai Quan walked in carefully, took a look at Liu Rentu who was lying on the ground, swallowed his saliva subconsciously, walked around the body on the ground, approached the emperor and whispered: "Saint, the young prince sent someone to report that the city gate was taken without bloodshed."

The emperor looked at the corpse in the yard with a slight tremor. He tried his best to breathe steadily but failed. He said tremblingly: "Carry it out and bury it with honor." Dai Quan bowed and said: "I obey your order!"

Compared to the uneasiness of the emperor, Dai Quan was very excited at the moment. He wanted to see Jia Lian kneeling in front of him and begging for mercy. Then he would humiliate him severely in front of him. By the way, there were many female relatives in the Jia family, and they would all be distributed to the officers and soldiers after the matter was completed.

Several young eunuchs came in and carried away Old Man Liu's body. The emperor didn't see it, and his mood gradually calmed down. He finally returned to normal and asked, "Has there been any changes in the Imperial Stables?"

"Your Majesty, there is no news yet. I think that as long as the Imperial Horse Administration makes trouble and cannot play a role, after the Jianrui Battalion successfully enters the city, the Mu family will naturally turn to the saint. After all, that person cannot treat the nobles well, and the four kings and eight dukes have been resentful for a long time."

When referring to Emperor Chenghui, Dai Quan was still very careful to use "that person" as the address.

These words gave the emperor confidence, and his uneasiness seemed to disappear. Now he could neither look back nor retreat.

"Yes, I am doing this for this country. Since Zhang cannot govern the country well, I have no choice but to come out again!" Although there was only Dai Quan in front of him, the tone of the emperor became more and more firm and confident.

In the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Chenghui could not calm down and sat in his seat, standing at the entrance of the hall, constantly looking in the direction of the Imperial Horse Administration in the distance. Qiu Shian stood quietly behind him, and suddenly pointed to the distance and said, "Saint, look!"

When Emperor Chenghui saw the three flames light up, his nervous mood suddenly relaxed a lot, and he said calmly: "It is worth my painstaking efforts for many years. Is there any news from Jia Lian?"

"The saint has a brilliant plan and the overall situation is in his hands. Tonight, we will wipe out the villains and revive China. As for Jia Lian, the Shenji Camp is just your majesty's backup plan to guard against the Dongping Iron Cavalry. The Mu family has always been wavering. As long as the Imperial Horse Supervisor and the Dragon Guards repel the Jianrui Camp, the Mu family will naturally make the right choice." Qiu Shian spoke slowly and clearly. He knew that Emperor Chenghui was actually very uneasy at this time. He had lived under the shadow of the emperor for many years, so he must be given enough confidence. Flattery is secondary!
"Yes, to be honest, I have treated Jia Lian unfairly." Emperor Chenghui was encouraged and his tone became relaxed.

"The emperor is kind and has always treated Jia Lian well. I believe this boy can understand your majesty's painstaking efforts." Qiu Shian also felt relieved.

"Okay, no need to flatter me. Tell Jia Lian to keep a close eye on the Dongping cavalry for me." Emperor Chenghui gradually became excited.

Qiu Shian bowed to Emperor Chenghui and said, "Your Majesty, it is time for me to go and do my work."

Emperor Chenghui waved his hand and said, "Go ahead, be careful."

In the Imperial Stables, Xia Shouzhong was in high spirits surrounded by torches. There was still blood in the tent. He excitedly ordered the soldiers of the Imperial Stables: "Send troops to Xizhimen!" The officers answered in unison: "Yes!" The sound was like thunder!
The Imperial Horse Administration had a staff of 30,000 people, but because of the lack of staff, there were actually only 20,000 people. Together with the old and weak, there were less than 10,000 soldiers who could fight. After Emperor Chenghui ascended the throne, he reorganized the Imperial Horse Administration, eliminated the old and weak, and added the young and strong. Although it could not completely restore the old appearance, it was still able to mobilize 20,000 troops. Compared with the 5,000 troops of the Xishan Jianrui Camp controlled by the retired emperor, the Imperial Horse Administration had an obvious advantage in terms of manpower. Many officers in the Imperial Horse Administration were the retired emperor's men, and Emperor Chenghui was also very clear about this, but he remained calm and quietly found out that Xia Shouzhong succeeded in a thundering strike tonight, beheaded 13 people on the spot, and completely controlled the Imperial Horse Administration. Emperor Chenghui knew very well what cards the retired emperor had in his hands, and conversely, the retired emperor also knew very well what cards Emperor Chenghui had in his hands.

The emperor looked down on Jia Lian because he was too young. He had fought against a mob in both expeditions, so it was natural that he won. In addition, the Prince of Dongping took the initiative to cooperate with the birthday banquet tonight, so even if Jia Lian did not attend the banquet, the emperor was not worried that the Dongping Iron Cavalry would be defeated.

Even the emperor thought that Jia Lian might have joined the Dongping cavalry when he saw them. What are they fighting for?

As for Emperor Chenghui, he thought in his heart that the Shenji Camp could not defeat the Dongping Iron Cavalry in a field battle, but defending the city would be no problem.

What? The Shenji Battalion can defeat the Dongping Iron Cavalry? How dare you think that?
That's right. Although he knew that Jia Lian had invented a new type of firearm, Emperor Chenghui still had more confidence in the Dongping Iron Cavalry, an elite force that had been famous for many years. If it wasn't 3,000 cavalry, but the complete Dongping Iron Cavalry of 8,000 cavalry, Emperor Chenghui wouldn't dare to take the risk. Even if it was 3,000 cavalry, Emperor Chenghui wouldn't be very reassured. Fortunately, Jia Lian expanded the Shenjiying combat troops. Now there are 6,000 firearms and 4,000 artillery. The conditions in the city cannot give full play to the mobility of the cavalry, so the Shenjiying is enough.

Yes, Emperor Chenghui trusted Jia Lian, but he did not trust the combat effectiveness of the Shenjiying led by Jia Lian. Emperor Chenghui thought that Jia Lian was bragging about the combat effectiveness of the Shenjiying, and he did not expose him on the spot to save his face.

The Shenji Battalion, or more accurately, the Shenji Army! Currently, it has six battalions of firearms and four battalions of artillery.

There were no vacancies, the troops were fully equipped and well-trained. After the Jining trip, the entire army had seen blood.

The biggest advantage of the musketeers is that they can master military skills with just a few months of training.

The weakness of the Shenjiying now is not the musketeers, but the artillery. Without the support of cavalry, its flanks are difficult to protect in field battles.

But this is in the city, there are no wings on the streets, only the front.

When it comes to a head-on battle, Jia Lian is really not afraid of any so-called elite and powerful army of the contemporary times.

After the orders were issued one after another, the captains of each battalion returned to the camp, reorganized their troops and waited for orders.

It was half past ten in the evening, and the hurried sound of horse hooves brought the latest news.

Looking at the messenger in the uniform of the Dragon Guard, Jia Lian reluctantly breathed a sigh of relief. At least Emperor Chenghui was still in control of the situation and could deliver news in time, so he didn't have to rush around and put out fires everywhere.

"According to the emperor's order, Jia Lian should lead his troops to guard the east gate!" The order was a handwritten decree, stamped with the imperial seal.

Jia Lian put away the order and folded his hands towards the Forbidden City: "I obey your order!"

Without waiting for the messenger to leave, Jia Lian immediately gave the order: "Yang Wen, lead three battalions of fire guns and two battalions of artillery to the east gate of the inner city and hold it! If you lose the city gate, bring your heads to me!" Yang Wen received the order and said, "I obey your command!"

After Deputy General Yang took the order and left, Jia Lian did not continue to give orders, but instructed Zhang San to ensure smooth transmission of the message.

That's right, Jia Lian didn't go out in full force, but kept a backup plan. The third battalion of fire gun soldiers and the second battalion of artillery were still waiting in the camp. I also stayed in the big tent, waiting for further news.

Standing in the darkness near Xihua Gate, Qiu Shian looked at the scattered lights in the dark ahead and uttered a ghostly voice, "No movement yet?"

The sound of hurried footsteps came closer and closer. A black-robed guard came running over, knelt on one knee and said, "Eunuch, there's movement!"

Suddenly, a group of torches appeared on the avenue leading to Xizhimen, and a group of men in black, armed with weapons, rushed towards Xihuamen.

Qiu Shian sneered: "Light the fire, give the order, and kill them!"

In the open space behind him, the prepared pile of firewood was lit, and the flames shot up into the sky, illuminating the starless sky.

The two groups of people were all wearing black clothes, and they collided fiercely like two waves.

If Jia Lian were present, he would definitely complain. What era is it now and they are still using cold weapons?

Isn't a musket good?
Qiu Shian couldn't say whether the musket was good or not. Anyway, whether it was the Dragon Guard guarding the palace or the secret guards hiding in the dark, they were all equipped with cold weapons. The enemies gathered on the opposite side were similar to decapitation warfare, and they didn't have firearms in their hands.

Not to mention firearms, there were not even many spears in their hands. They were all fighting with knives or shooting with crossbows.

This is really not a coincidence, but knives and crossbows are more suitable for hiding.

The Prince of Dongping, who was supposed to be in his palace entertaining guests, was not in the palace at this moment.

Behind him, the cavalry lined up neatly, the atmosphere was solemn, and the Prince of Dongping looked at the fire that appeared in the direction of Xizhimen, his expression was solemn and distorted. Behind him, the Prince of Dongping came closer and whispered, "Father, signal!"

The Prince of Dongping looked at the Crown Prince coldly and expressionlessly, which frightened him so much that he shrank his neck for a moment before he raised his hand.

At Xizhimen, when the vanguard of the Imperial Stables arrived, the gate had already changed hands. The young prince Zhongyi, who was standing on the top of the city, looked at the Imperial Stables swarming in and couldn't help showing his anger: "What is Dai Quan doing? Isn't it said that the Imperial Stables will definitely cause internal turmoil?"

The general standing next to Prince Xiao Zhongyi said sternly, "Your Highness, don't worry. Although the Imperial Horse Guard is an elite force, it depends on who is leading it. Xia Shouzhong is not even qualified to be a team officer!"

At the Shenji Camp, Jia Lian's face turned bitter when he received the latest news. He cursed angrily, "MD, luckily I have a trick up my sleeve!"

(End of this chapter)