I'm in the Red Mansion

Kang Mazi was moved after hearing this.

He was also an emperor, so he naturally knew how serious this was.

Don't think that these civil servants can't accomplish anything; if they take some shortcuts at critical moments, they can be very deadly.

After hearing what Princess Gulun said, Kang Mazi himself became alert.

If someone bribes my ministers, how can I prevent it?

Since the princess can bribe the officials of Daxia, how many of the officials of Qing Dynasty are her people?

If the eldest princess launches a coup in the Qing Dynasty, can I resist it?

In fact, Kang Mazi trusted the eldest princess.

They are actually siblings from the same mother, and none of Kang Mazi's brothers is capable of anything.

He currently has only one son, who is still young.

There is no powerful person who can threaten his position.

However, he was the emperor after all, and Kang Mazi couldn't help but feel his scalp tingling at the thought that someone might threaten his throne.

While he was thinking about how to strengthen the defenses in the palace, he was also thinking that he should be secretly wary of the eldest princess in the future.

While Kang Mazi was thinking about his own things, Princess Gulun couldn't help but ask, "I wonder what the emperor is thinking about?"

Kang Mazi was shocked and said quickly, "Nothing, I was just thinking that if the Great Xia royal family is in trouble, Sanfan will definitely be in chaos."

"I wonder what the Grand Champion of Daxia will do when the time comes?"

Princess Gulun couldn't help but say: "The Sanban people are bound to start a rebellion. They know in their hearts that the court will definitely withdraw the Sanban people."

"If they don't start a rebellion, they will surely fall. They have waited for too long. How can they let go of such a good opportunity?"

"The Great Xia court is in chaos. If the uprising continues for the third time, the entire Great Xia will be in chaos."

"I guess this champion marquis will just sit back and watch the fight and won't send troops easily."

"This Champion Marquis is not a blindly loyal person. He will never risk his life for the royal family."

Kang Mazi nodded and said, "That's true. This Champion Marquis is indeed a powerful official."

"And when the Third Kingdom and the Great Xia court go to war, and this Champion Marquis just sits on the mountain and watches the fight, how can the Great Qing benefit from it?"

"Or, if he waits until the imperial court and the three factions are both defeated, he will take advantage of the opportunity to raise an army and seize the throne himself. Wouldn't that be a greater threat to the Qing Dynasty?"

Princess Gulun couldn't help but laugh and said, "The Third Commander is no pushover. In the court of Daxia, besides the Marquis of Guanjun, are there any other military commanders who can fight?"

"And the Third Division's subordinates are full of talented people and brave generals."

"Therefore, the imperial court is definitely not a match for the third team."

"By then, will this champion be forced to fight against the third player?"

"If he does not take action and waits for the court to be destroyed, he would be disloyal and unfilial, and would ruin his reputation."

"As long as he leads his troops away from Yanyun, he will fight the Sanfan army and both sides will suffer heavy losses."

"And even if he wins, the new emperor will not tolerate him and will never let him return to Yanyun."

"No matter what the situation is, it is extremely beneficial to us."

"Of course, if we can win him over to our Qing Dynasty camp, that would be the best option."

Kang Mazi shook his head and said, "How can this be easier said than done?"

"In the past few years, he has slaughtered countless soldiers and civilians of the Qing Dynasty."

"Let alone that we can't possibly forgive him, even if we are truly tolerant and can forgive him, do you think he would dare to believe us?"

Princess Gulun smiled and said, "Everything depends on human effort. We should always give it a try. I will do this myself."

Kang Mazi heard this and said hurriedly, "Sister, you must not do this. This matter is too dangerous. You must not get involved in this danger yourself."

Princess Gulun smiled and said, "It's okay. Even when two countries are at war, they don't kill envoys."

"What's more, this champion marquis is also a romantic man. How could he have the heart to hurt a beautiful woman?"

It turned out that this Princess Gulun, although a little older, was only in her twenties.

It was the perfect season when flowers were in full bloom, and she was truly a rare beauty.

The Qing Dynasty suffered great losses at the hands of this Marquis Guanjun.

Kang Mazi naturally had to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the life of this champion marquis.

We know that this champion marquis has many wives and concubines, and all of them are as beautiful as flowers.

Moreover, this Marquis Guanjun was very loving to his wives and concubines, and was a romantic and passionate person.

From this perspective, it seems unlikely that there will be any danger for the imperial sister to secretly contact the champion marquis.

……

At this time, in the study of Prince Zhongshun's mansion, Prince Zhongshun personally received a middle-aged man in gray. This middle-aged man was very ordinary, the kind that you would not be able to find if thrown into a crowd of people.

However, Prince Zhongshun not only received the man personally, but also did not leave any servants in his study, which shows that this man's identity was not ordinary.

Prince Zhongshun is the seventh brother of the current emperor and holds a high position of power.

Prince Zhongshun was a very cunning man, but he couldn't help but become anxious at this moment.

He couldn't help but ask, "Are you serious? This kind of thing is not something you can joke about. If you fail, your family will be confiscated and your entire family will be exterminated."

"Back then, the old man Yi Zhong was an example! How can I believe you when you say this will happen?"

The gray-robed man chuckled and said, "How can there be a way to succeed in this world? Even a wise man like Zhuge Liang set fire to Sima Yi in Shangfang Valley, but it was eventually extinguished by a heavy rain."

"I have to sigh, man proposes, God disposes! No matter how good the plan is, there is always the possibility of mistakes. It all depends on whether the prince has the courage and insight."

Prince Zhongshun said anxiously: "The burning of Shangfang Valley is a completely made-up story and should not be taken seriously."

"Don't you only read Romance of the Three Kingdoms and never read the official history?"

The man in gray said lazily, "Whether it's true or not, it doesn't matter. If the prince wants to start a rebellion, we can clear a way for him."

"Let the prince march straight into the palace. We also have people in the palace who can create chaos for the prince."

"The prince has been preparing for many years. We are able to do this for the prince. In this case, the prince will not be unable to succeed, right?"

Prince Zhongshun frowned and said, "Impossible, this is absolutely impossible!"

"How could you, a Qing Dynasty man, do such a thing?"

"How many officials are involved along the way? How is it possible that so many officials have surrendered to you?"

"If that were the case, I'm afraid Daxia would have perished long ago."

The gray-robed man sneered upon hearing this: "I laugh at your Highness for being too pedantic. Your Highness, ask yourself, how many officials in your country are honest and incorruptible, and are not greedy for money or lustful?"

Upon hearing this, Prince Zhongshun was speechless for a moment.

Maybe there are some, but they must be very rare.

The man in gray added: "They are greedy for money, so we offer them money; they are lustful, so we offer them women."

"Therefore, I don't know how many officials in your court have leverage over us."

"And they may not all be loyal to the Qing Dynasty."

"For some officials, we just threatened them with evidence and asked them to lead their troops to patrol other places at a certain time that night and clear the way."

"Your Majesty, what choice will they make?"

"As long as they help us, we will reward them handsomely. If they don't cooperate with us, we will expose them immediately, send them to jail, and confiscate their property and destroy their entire family."

"What do you think they will choose?"

"Besides, they don't know what we are going to do."

"Your Majesty, do you still think that this matter is really impossible to accomplish?"

This person really put it very clearly.

If this is true, then there is a great chance of success.

However, the methods of this man in gray made Prince Zhongshun feel chilled to the bone.

I have to say, their methods are really amazing.

Unknowingly, he had taken control of countless officials of our Great Xia.

If he really succeeds this time and takes that position.

Then, will they support others and continue this work in the future?

How should he guard against it?
People are always greedy. Where can we find so many good officials who are not greedy for money and lustful?
Thinking of this, Prince Zhongshun couldn't help but feel a headache.

However, now is not the time to think about these things.

I haven’t sat in that position yet. It won’t be too late to worry about it when I really sit in that position.

Thinking of this, Prince Zhongshun couldn't help but carefully consider the gray-clothed man's proposal again.

In fact, he had long harbored the intention of rebellion and had been preparing for it for many years.

It was only because after Emperor Yonglong ascended the throne, he gradually consolidated his position and gathered a group of confidants.

The imperial city and the imperial palace are heavily guarded.

Prince Zhongshun has not been able to find a suitable opportunity, and has been forced to keep quiet for a while.

Unexpectedly, at this time someone from the Qing Dynasty came to him and stated that they could help him achieve his wish.

Prince Zhongshun absolutely did not believe it at first, and this was not their first meeting.

And this man in gray eventually gained the trust of Prince Zhongshun through several things.

And after several meetings, Prince Zhongshun's restless heart became completely agitated.

In fact, Prince Zhongshun also had some guesses in his mind.

Why would the people of the Qing Dynasty make such great efforts to take the initiative to help himself?

Non-my family, its heart must be different.

They must have no good intentions and must want to cause chaos in my Great Xia.

But the temptation of the throne is too great.

It was so great that even though Prince Zhongshun knew that the Qing Dynasty had no good intentions, he remained content.

He still has confidence in himself.

He believed that after he ascended the throne, he would be able to expose the Qing Dynasty's conspiracy and settle everything.

Prince Zhongshun's heart gradually calmed down.

He asked the man in gray for more details and finally determined the date of the uprising.

After the discussion, the man in gray left quietly.

Prince Zhongshun, on the other hand, sat quietly in his study for a long time.

On the second day, Prince Zhongshun's mansion became lively again.

It turned out that Prince Zhongshun had invited ten opera troupes to hold a grand banquet to entertain the guests.

Prince Zhongshun was a romantic prince who loved listening to operas and had several opera troupes at home.

Jiang Yuhan, a famous actor in the capital, was kept in the palace.

Therefore, Prince Zhongshun's invitation of a theatre troupe and a banquet for guests did not arouse any suspicion.

What everyone didn't know was that within these dozen or so opera troupes were hidden assassins secretly trained by Prince Zhongshun.

Treating guests to a banquet is just a cover.

That day, both the host and the guests had a great time and everyone returned home drunk.

More than a dozen opera troupes also left the mansion.

There were quite a few people, and no one cared whether they were the same original people.

These people hid secretly in the palace, waiting to start an incident.

After five consecutive days, the date for Prince Zhongshun's negotiation with the man in gray arrived.

Prince Zhongshun led his men out of the palace. At the gate of the palace, Prince Zhongshun could not help but pause.

As long as you step out of this gate and move forward, there is no turning back.

If they fail, they will be torn to pieces and their entire family will die.

If he retires, he can still be his free and easy prince and live happily every day.

At this moment, Prince Zhongshun couldn't help but hesitate.

After a long while, he finally made up his mind, took a light step, and walked out the door.

Now he is only one step away from that position.

If I don't try, I won't be willing even if I die.

Along the way, Prince Zhongshun was very nervous and his heart was beating violently.

He clenched his fists, his palms wet with sweat.

The journey was surprisingly smooth and we did not encounter any patrolling soldiers.

This made Prince Zhongshun gradually calm down.

Soon, he brought his men to the gate of the palace.

Soon, someone opened the door from the inside.

This person was not dealt with by the man in gray, but Prince Zhongshun's own man.

Since Prince Zhongshun had been planning a rebellion for a long time, he must have someone to rely on, and he must not be without any confidants.

And in the imperial palace, Prince Zhongshun is more than just a pawn.

The rest of the journey was surprisingly smooth.

In fact, during the many years since Emperor Yonglong ascended the throne, it was natural that he had his people in the palace.

However, several leaders loyal to Emperor Yonglong happened to be on leave today.

The guards of the palace also worked in shifts.

And they happened to choose the most appropriate time.

The collaboration between Prince Zhongshun and the man in gray was surprisingly successful.

……

It was not until they were almost at the emperor's bedroom that they encountered resistance.

However, the assassins brought by Prince Zhongshun were not only numerous but also extremely brave.

Soon he was rushed in by Prince Zhongshun.

In the bedroom, Emperor Yonglong had already put on his clothes, with Dai Quan guarding in front of him.

Prince Zhongshun's men quickly surrounded Emperor Yonglong.

Emperor Yonglong looked at Prince Zhongshun and couldn't help but ask, "Seventh brother, how did you get in? With your ability, you can't get here. Who is helping you behind the scenes?"

These words deeply hurt Prince Zhongshun.

He couldn't help but sneer: "Brother, at this time, you still look down on me."

"As the saying goes, the victors are the kings and the losers are the bandits. Now that you have been defeated, you can rest assured. After I ascend the throne, I will definitely bury you with honor."

Emperor Yonglong looked at Prince Zhongshun unwillingly and couldn't help but say, "Is it my father who is helping you? No, no, if my father wanted to support you, he wouldn't have waited until today."

"Who is behind you? If he can help you kill me today, he will be able to help others kill you in the future."

"Seventh brother, you are right. As the saying goes, the winner is the king and the loser is the bandit. Now that I have fallen into your hands, there is nothing much to say."

"I just want to know who is behind you. If I knew this, I would be willing to die."

These words once again hurt Prince Zhongshun.

The people behind him are the Qing Dynasty.

Cooperating with an enemy country is something you have to do, how can you say it out loud?
Prince Zhongshun said anxiously: "Why do you have so many questions? Just be a fool, and I'll let you die!"

Prince Zhongshun was about to order someone to kill Emperor Yonglong.

Unexpectedly, Emperor Yonglong clapped his hands, and immediately a team of guards rushed out from the darkness.

Prince Zhongshun was shocked and horrified.

He didn't expect that at this moment, Emperor Yonglong actually had a backup plan.

He even suspected that Emperor Yonglong had prepared an ambush in advance and was just waiting for him to fall into the trap.

However, Prince Zhongshun soon discovered that the number of guards who rushed out was not large.

Their purpose was just to protect Emperor Yonglong and help him break out of the siege.

However, although they were brave and good at fighting, their numbers were too small.

Next, the two sides engaged in a fierce fighting.

Although this team of guards fought and killed many enemies, they were eventually wiped out.

Emperor Yonglong was also captured.

Emperor Yonglong looked at Prince Zhongshun and said with reluctance, "I thought that one day, Marquis Guanjun would rush into the palace and force me to abdicate."

"It would be fine if he really is the Marquis of Guanjun. I admire his civil and military achievements."

"I never thought that the person who came in today would be a loser like you. I, I am not willing to accept this!"

Prince Zhongshun said angrily: "The waste in your eyes has forced you to death, so what are you? Waste among wastes? Come, execute this waste!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Soon, Emperor Yonglong was strangled to death with a rope.

Next, Emperor Yonglong led his men and headed straight to the Qianqing Palace.

Here lives the retired emperor.

The emperor was awakened by the sound of fighting, and was sending people out to find out the news in confusion.

As a result, the person who went to inquire for the news had not returned yet, but Prince Zhongshun brought his men in to kill them.

When the emperor saw Prince Zhongshun, he couldn't help but exclaimed, "You beast, why are you here?"

Prince Zhongshun sneered and said, "Father, I have killed my third brother. Daxia no longer has an emperor."

"Please ask the emperor to issue an edict and pass the throne to me."

Seeking power and usurping the throne is an illegitimate way of gaining power.

Not only will it be recorded in history books, but even the ministers below will not be convinced.

And if the retired emperor could issue an edict to pass the throne to him, it would at least be able to cover up some of the problems and not be so embarrassing.

The emperor said angrily: "Beast! Why did I give birth to a beast like you!"

"You, you, just give up on this idea! The Third Brother has a son, so he is my descendant, and he is not extinct yet!"

"Even if I die, I will never issue this edict!"

Upon hearing this, Prince Zhongshun's face became ferocious.

He couldn't help but ask, "Father, why? Why do you look down on me so much? You are like this, and so is my third brother?"

"You didn't say that the three of them still have descendants, but you also have descendants, right? Don't worry, old man, they will all die out."

puff!
Upon hearing this, the emperor couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood.

After coughing for a while, he cursed Prince Zhongshun as a beast.

Prince Zhongshun couldn't help but sneer and said, "I am your son. If I am a beast, then what are you? An old beast?"

"Old man, don't refuse a toast and drink a forfeit. Why don't you write an edict quickly?"

The emperor refused to comply.

It’s a pity that he didn’t have to write the edict himself.

Soon someone wrote an imperial edict, took the seal from the retired emperor, and stamped it.

The retired emperor was so angry that he started cursing loudly, and Prince Zhongshun's eyes were full of murderous intent.

However, in the end he did not order anyone to get rid of the emperor directly.

Let this old guy live a few more years. It would be too ugly to get rid of him.

Next, Prince Zhongshun ordered his men to quickly take control of the entire palace.

Originally, this was not an easy thing to do, but at that time Emperor Yonglong had died and the emperor emeritus was under control.

The palace guards were leaderless and had to obey the orders of Prince Zhongshun.

Next, Prince Zhongshun ordered people to ring the funeral bell, and then sent several eunuchs to report the death to several princes and ministers.

In order to prevent the news from leaking out, the eunuchs who delivered the letters were accompanied by their own death squads.

Soon, several old ministers and several princes of Emperor Yonglong entered the palace at night in confusion.

The emperor was fine during the day, so how could he suddenly die after just a few hours?
What exactly happened?
Although they were all extremely suspicious in their hearts, Prince Zhongshun's rebellion was too sudden and they had not heard any news of it beforehand.

So no one thought about this kind of thing.

Soon, all these people entered the palace.

Several princes of Emperor Yonglong were quietly controlled and killed at the palace gate.

After several ministers entered, they suddenly discovered that Emperor Yonglong was dead and had been stabbed to death.

Prince Zhongshun was actually in the palace, holding the imperial edict from the retired emperor passing the throne to him.

They were also placed under house arrest, and learned that several princes of Emperor Yonglong were assassinated on their way to the palace.

Only then did these old men know about it.

It turned out that it was Prince Zhongshun who was plotting to seize power and usurp the throne.

They had not expected that Prince Zhongshun, this ridiculous prince, would hide so deeply.

Not only did he hide it from everyone, but he also had such means!
……

Three days later, Prince Zhongshun officially ascended the throne.

The news that Emperor Yonglong and several other princes were assassinated on the same day also spread.

The public was in uproar.

Everyone had some guesses in their minds, but no one dared to speak them out.

On the day when Prince Zhongshun ascended the throne, some officials cursed Prince Zhongshun as a traitor who was plotting rebellion.

In the court, more than one-third of the officials voluntarily resigned, including Kou Xiang and Lin Ruhai.

Prince Zhongshun ordered the official who cursed loudly to be beaten to death with 80 strokes of the cane on the spot.

As for those who had expressed their dissatisfaction, they were all arrested and imprisoned by Prince Zhongshun.

From then on, no one dared to resign.

Officials headed by Prime Minister Qin immediately stepped forward to pay homage to the new emperor.

Prince Zhongshun, the emperor is very pleased.

After ascending the throne, Prince Zhongshun changed his imperial title to Tianci, and he also became the new emperor Tianci of Daxia.

Tianci, as the name suggests, means the throne is bestowed by heaven.

This reign title reveals Emperor Tianci's guilty conscience and lack of confidence.

However, Emperor Tianci was generous for once. When the new emperor ascended the throne, he issued a general amnesty.

Except for the crime of treason and rebellion, all other charges were pardoned.

After hearing the news, the second branch of the Jia family couldn't help but get excited.

In this way, Jia Zheng and Jia Lian from their family can both be released and go home. (End of this chapter)