The Red Mansions

Chapter 1494 Chapter 1495 King of Chu: Otherwise, will blood really be splattered on the throne?

Chapter 1494: The King of Chu: Otherwise, will there really be bloodshed on the throne?

Shenjing City, Palace Garden

In the nineteenth year of Chongping, in winter, on the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, this day left a prominent mark in the "Book of Chen Han" of later generations.

King Chen Qin of Chu, surrounded by eunuchs and guards, approached the Hanyuan Palace. At this moment, the warm winter sunlight shone on the Jinyi guards holding long spears on both sides.

When King Chen Qin of Chu looked over, he could see the halberd's light was like scales, dazzling people's eyes.

King Chen Qin of Chu walked slowly towards the Hanyuan Hall along a red carpet that stretched all the way from the entrance.

At this moment, Emperor Chongping was sitting on the golden throne under the Mingtang in the hall, with a woolen blanket covering his legs.

"Your Majesty, the prince requests an audience." The eunuch standing by the door had a sharp and high-pitched voice that was quite penetrating.

King Chen Qin of Chu had a stern expression on his face, his eyes sparkling under his sword-like brows, and he walked in.

After entering the palace, under the gaze of the surrounding ministers, he bowed to the middle-aged emperor who was sitting on the golden chair with dragon and phoenix patterns carved on it: "Your son pays homage to the emperor. Long live the emperor."

Emperor Chongping was filled with joy. He paused for a moment and said loudly, "Prince, please stand up."

"Thank you, father." As King Chen Qin of Chu spoke, he stood up and accepted the congratulations from all the court officials. His heart was inevitably filled with inexplicable excitement.

Although he is a vassal born out of wedlock, he can still rule the world and become a sage king in the future.

"Now that the Crown Prince has been appointed as the Crown Prince, he can act as regent and manage government affairs. I only hope that the Crown Prince will be diligent and frugal, think about the country and his family, and work hard on state affairs." Emperor Chongping paused and said in a loud voice.

Under the sword-like brows, the King of Chu's eyes were deep, his heart was very excited, and two abnormal blushes appeared on his cheeks. He said loudly: "Your son will follow the teachings of the emperor."

Upon hearing this, all the ministers in the hall looked at the young king in the silver fish python robe and were about to bow to him.

At this moment, there were suddenly earth-shaking shouts and cries of killing coming from outside the hall, which made people feel inexplicably frightened.

The ministers in the hall looked in the direction of the voice, their faces filled with shock.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongping frowned and asked, "Dai Quan, what's going on?"

The cabinet chief minister Li Zan's expression suddenly changed. He looked at Gao Zhongping and said in a deep voice, "Where is this shouting and killing sound coming from?"

Gao Zhongping's face was filled with confusion and bewilderment, and he obviously had no idea where the shouting and screaming came from.

After a while, a lieutenant of the inner guards, with a crooked helmet and blood on his face, stumbled into the hall and said in panic, "Your Majesty, the guards of the King of Wei and the King of Liang are attacking the palace. The outer city has been lost, and the troops are retreating to the palace."

As soon as these words were spoken, all the ministers in the palace were in an uproar.

How could the King of Wei risk the world's disapproval? What was he trying to do? Wasn't he afraid of being criticized by thousands of people?

The face of King Chen Qin of Chu was as gloomy as iron at this moment, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.

The sunken, thin cheeks of Emperor Chongping flushed red. He was shocked and said in a startled voice, "How dare the King of Wei do this?"

Emperor Chongping felt his blood boiling and was filled with shock and anger.

This was indeed beyond Emperor Chongping's expectations. The fact that he had not even removed King Wei's Five Cities Army from his post was a manifestation of this mentality.

Originally, he had no doubts about the King of Wei, but who would have thought that it was the King of Wei who caused the problem.

If I had known this earlier, I would have sent the King of Wei to a vassal state.

Because Emperor Chongping had experienced such an incident before, that was the ambush and assassination by the King of Qi, and now the King of Wei had rebelled again. For an old man in his twilight years, it was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue.

All the ministers in the hall looked at each other in disbelief for a moment.

Is the King of Wei planning a coup?

Now that the emperor is still alive, what will the King of Wei rely on to launch a coup?

Outside the two vermilion palace gates with gold lacquer and copper nails, a large number of elite soldiers were fighting with the Jinyifu Guards and the Inner Guards. The sound of fighting between the two sides was deafening and shook the whole area.

The King of Wei was now dressed in armor and drove over. Guards from the Palaces of the King of Wei and the King of Liang were everywhere, with their swords drawn and bows strung, and they were filled with murderous aura.

Wei Qi led a large number of soldiers from the capital camp, accompanying the King of Wei's carriage all the way, and galloped towards the palace gate.

As the father-in-law of the King of Wei, when the two vassal states of Wei and Liang decided to usurp the throne, Wei Qi, Marquis of Runan, had no way back.

At this moment, a large number of Han knights were galloping and roaring, and the chaotic sound of horse hooves rang out at this moment, and they galloped towards the palace gate.

A large number of Han army knights from the Beijing camp were fighting with the Jinyifu guards, and the sound of "ping pong pong" could be heard as swords and spears collided.

Along with the "swoosh" sound of weapons cutting into flesh, the screams continued, one after another, without stopping.

At this moment, the palace guards of King Wei and King Liang, holding swords and spears, charged towards the palace in a mighty manner. With the support of the palace guards who were guarding the city, a large number of guards quickly poured into the palace.

The guards in the palace also reacted quickly, holding bows and crossbows and arrows, and charged towards the troops led by the King of Wei and the King of Liang.

All of a sudden, the sound of shouting and killing shook the sky.

At this moment, in Shenjing City, the Five Cities Army was quickly dispatching a large number of soldiers to block the streets and alleys of Shenjing City.

For a moment, one could see that a storm was about to come.

Since the eighteenth year of Chongping, there has been no end to the ups and downs in the capital.

……

……

Ningguo Mansion, in the study room——

Jia Heng was now sitting behind a lacquered wooden table in the study, staring at Chen Xiao standing beside him. He picked up the teacup, took a sip, and felt refreshed by the lingering fragrance.

"According to the secret agents, the King of Wei and the King of Liang have led their troops to attack the palace." Chen Xiao said in a clear voice with a solemn expression.

Ever since the failed assassination attempt on Qiu Liang a few days ago, Chen Xiao has been feeling quite embarrassed.

What is this?

Even Chen Xiao was speechless at such a mistake.

Jia Heng thought for a moment, his eyes showing a trace of contemplation under his sword-like brows, and asked: "The King of Wei has already taken action. Now, once the bow is drawn, there is no turning back."

Now that the King of Wei has embarked on this path, he can no longer turn back.

In fact, even if the King of Wei failed, he would not die, but would only be imprisoned until death.

It’s impossible for Emperor Chongping to kill two more sons, right?

The last person to be executed was the King of Qi, and now the Kings of Wei and Liang are doing the same... no one can withstand it.

This is why the King of Wei dared to fight to the death. Power and family affection were intertwined, and the worst outcome would be imprisonment.

Chen Xiao asked: "What are you going to do next?"

Jia Heng put down the blue and white porcelain teacup and said, "Watch the show and wait for the imperial edict. The palace will definitely send someone to issue a secret decree."

Don’t say he has no plans. What plans does he need?

There are more than 100,000 elite soldiers from the capital camp in Liaodong. No matter who wins or loses between the King of Wei and the King of Chu, who wouldn't sit down with him and have a good talk?

Both the Wei and Chu vassal states were related to him, so even if there was chaos in the capital, it would not spread to Ningrong Street.

What does it mean to be as solid as a rock and watch the fire from the other side of the river? This is it.

He is not the protagonist in the early stage of this game. He just needs to watch the show patiently and gain political capital at the right time.

On the other hand, Tianniu'er might feel resentful towards him because he did not help King Wei with his plan.

Jia Heng looked calm at the moment. He picked up the blue and white porcelain teacup and took a sip of tea.

Just as Jia Heng thought, outside the palace gate with red walls and black tiles, a large number of soldiers from the Beijing camp and the Jinyifu guards were fighting with the Jinyifu guards who were guarding the palace.

Because Wei Ruolan and Chen Yejun were on the city gate tower and opened the city gate for the rebel troops of King Wei and King Liang, a large number of soldiers poured into the palace and charged towards Hanyuan Palace.

In Hanyuan Hall——

The atmosphere in the hall was as heavy as ice. The civil and military officials below listened to the shouting and screaming outside and looked at each other with puzzled expressions.

Emperor Chongping sat on a golden chair covered with a soft mattress, with a sinister expression on his face. He coughed heavily a few times, and the aura of decadence around him became stronger and stronger, and he was gradually running out of energy.

As Dai Quan spoke, he moved closer and said in a gentle voice, "Your Majesty, the situation is urgent. Please move."

Anger surged on Emperor Chongping's sunken, thin face. His slightly weak voice seemed to contain a terrifying rage. He shouted in a deep voice, "I want to see what the King of Wei is going to do!"

Could he possibly kill his king and father?

The King of Chu's face was as pale as paper, and there was a hint of fear in his sparkling eyes beneath his sword-like brows.

As time passed, the shouting and killing sounds of the large number of palace guards in front of the two vermilion palace gates gradually became sparse.

At this moment, looking from the palace gate to the white marble square in front of the hall, corpses can be seen everywhere, piled up side by side, and blood is flowing on the stone slabs of the white marble square, bright red and dazzling.

A large number of Jinyifu guards surrounded the Hanyuan Palace and retreated step by step, holding weapons.

King Chen Ran of Wei and King Chen Wei of Liang led a group of soldiers and horses to besiege the entire Hanyuan Palace. The sounds of shouting and killing were already close at hand.

In the palace, all the civil and military officials looked terrified.

Lin Ruhai frowned, his expression changed, and a hint of worry appeared in his eyes.

Zi Yu should not have interfered in this matter, right?

This kind of thing not only has no benefits, but it can also easily cause trouble.

This was because Jia Heng was already a prince and there was no way he could ascend to the throne through a coup d'état.

"Come, summon King Wei to the palace." Emperor Chongping paused for a moment, calmed himself down, and then spoke loudly in a very weak voice.

Dai Quan looked embarrassed and said, "Your Majesty, the King of Wei is still fighting outside."

Emperor Chongping asked, "Where is Prince Wei? Hasn't he entered the palace yet?"

Dai Quan said, "I have already sent someone out of the palace to invite Prince Wei."

Among the cabinet ministers at the moment, Lu Jiang stood up, his face solemn, and said with a cupped hand: "Your Majesty, I think it is quite suspicious that Prince Wei is not coming to the ceremony this time."

As soon as these words were spoken, the ministers in the hall immediately started to discuss.

Could it be that the Prince of Wei and the Prince of Wei were secretly conspiring, which led to such a big incident?

Li Zan frowned, and said with some dissatisfaction: "Master Lu, don't make random guesses."

If the Prince of Wei really helped the King of Wei in his rebellion, he would be extremely foolish. Moreover, at this time, isn't it chaotic enough to make him so suspicious?

Emperor Chongping suddenly said at this moment: "Jia Ziyu would not do such a thing that is unfilial to the emperor and his father."

Just as the ministers in the hall were full of doubts, the vast white marble square in front of the Hanyuan Hall seemed to gradually quiet down.

Then, the ministers in the hall seemed to sense something and looked outside the hall. They saw the reflected light and it seemed that the King of Wei was covered with a layer of glory.

Also beside him was Liang Wang Chen Wei, whose face was domineering and arrogant, and full of complacency.

"The two kings of Wei and Liang come to see Your Majesty."

At this time, the eunuch beside the palace door shouted in a trembling and sharp voice, which made the ministers in the palace feel a chill in their hearts.

Has the rightful owner finally arrived?

King Chen Ran of Wei walked into the hall with his head held high and his chest puffed out. He came closer, knelt down, and paid his respects with great ceremony, saying, "Your son greets the emperor. Long live the emperor."

Prince Liang also stepped forward quickly, bowed to the middle-aged emperor sitting on the golden chair, and said in a deep voice: "Your son greets the emperor. Long live your father."

At this moment, all the ministers in the hall looked at the two feudal lords of Wei and Liang and the large number of Jinyi Guards behind the two feudal lords, with a complicated look in their eyes.

It was difficult for the civil and military officials of the Han Dynasty to have the desire to express their willingness to die for the emperor's humiliation in this kind of "family affairs of the royal family".

Just like brothers fighting over the family property, outsiders can only give advice from the sidelines instead of getting involved directly.

Listening to the two brothers' voices, Emperor Chongping suppressed his anger and shouted, "Why did you two lead troops to attack the palace? Are you going to rebel?"

At this moment, Emperor Chongping did not have to worry about his personal safety, because the kings of Wei and Liang would only kill their fathers if they went insane.

"Father, I dare not do that. I have something to report." The King of Wei raised his head and said, "The King of Chu is a vassal of a concubine. In ancient times, abolishing the legitimate heir and enthroning a concubine was a way to bring disaster. I dare to make a direct appeal to you. Please do not enthronize the King of Chu as Crown Prince."

Well, King Chen Ran of Wei proved with his own actions that abolishing the legitimate wife and enthroning a concubine's wife is indeed a way to bring disaster.

King Chen Qin of Chu raised his sword-like eyebrows, and a sharp light flashed in his sinister and cold eyes. He shouted in a deep voice: "Brother King of Wei, the successor of the Eastern Palace was designated by my father. I have announced it to the world. I can ask my father to forgive your crime of disrespect."

King Chen Ran of Wei stared at King Chu with a sharp gaze and said coldly, "If you hadn't deceived my father with your sweet words, how could my father have made you his heir?"

"Someone, capture the King of Chu!" King Wei Chen Ran was furious, with a trace of hostility surging on his handsome fair face, and he shouted in a deep voice.

As he spoke, the palace guards behind him rushed towards the King of Chu and held down his arms to prevent him from struggling.

Zhen Jue, who was originally guarding with him, suddenly changed color and shouted, "Stop it!"

The expression of Chu Wang Chen Qin changed, and he said, "Don't be reckless!"

Otherwise, will blood really be splattered on the throne?

King Chen Ran of Wei raised his eyes to look at Emperor Chongping who was sitting at the head of the table, and said, "Father, I respectfully request that you withdraw your order to enthronize the King of Chu."

"Rebellious son!" Emperor Chongping, who was sitting at the top, shouted in a deep voice, and then he started coughing violently, and felt that he could hardly breathe. Dai Quan, who was standing by, hurried forward and helped Emperor Chongping to soothe the air on his back.

When the ministers in the palace saw this scene, they couldn't help feeling sad.

The Saint is old...

Xu Lu, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, frowned and said solemnly, "King Wei, you are forcing your father with your son, which is a great rebellion. How will the world view you?"

Wei Wang Chen Ran said confidently, "Emperor Taizong Wen of Tang ascended the throne after the Xuanwu Gate Incident, and still became a wise ruler and created a prosperous era. How does the world view him?"

Emperor Taizong of Tang was posthumously named Wen. In the posthumous name system, Wen means someone who is knowledgeable about heaven and earth, someone who is morally upright and knowledgeable, and someone who is studious and inquisitive.

It can be said to be the ceiling among posthumous titles.

But in the temple name, it means literature but not governance, which is a praise in the open but a criticism in reality.

Xu Lu sighed and said, "Your Highness, Prince of Wei, why is it so?"

What is happening now is not only a matter of the world, but also a family affair of the Chen and Han royal families. In other words, the civil officials present also have some sympathy for the plight of the Wei and Liang vassal states.

Li Zan said righteously, "Since Your Highness the Prince of Wei has cited Emperor Taizong Wen of the Tang Dynasty as an example, it is known that Emperor Taizong Wen of the Tang Dynasty led the army on an expedition during the chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty and established the foundation of the Li Tang Dynasty for three hundred years?"

What I mean is that your achievements as King Wei are not up to par. How can you compare yourself to Emperor Taizong Wen?

The King of Wei raised a resolute face and said with a firm look, "My father was also forced to abdicate and became the emperor, but he still became a saintly monarch and worked hard to govern the country. He did not create the foundation of the Chen and Han dynasties, but he still created a prosperous dynasty. I will definitely be like my father, working hard day and night, working hard for the Chen and Han dynasties and creating a prosperous era."

As soon as these words were spoken, the civil and military officials in the hall were once again in an uproar.

This has revealed the "dark history" of the emperor's rise to power.

Or, this is what is called "like father, like son."

Gao Zhongping's face was solemn, and he said in a deep voice: "King of Wei, the emperor did not establish you as his successor because you have no heir, and it was also for the sake of the country."

King Chen Ran of Wei said, "I will make the brother of King Liang the crown prince. What's wrong with that?"

Gao Zhongping was silent for a moment.

The King of Wei looked at the King of Chu and said in a cold voice: "On the other hand, the King of Chu entered the East Palace as a vassal. His achievements are small and his virtues are thin. It is difficult to win the hearts of the people."

The King of Chu snorted coldly, his sinister face filled with anger.

King Wei Chen Ran looked around and felt that he was possessed by Jia Heng, debating with the scholars and suppressing the ministers with words.

When Emperor Chongping heard King Wei mention what happened back then, he felt an indescribable sadness in his heart.

Maybe this is just a trick of fate? Retribution from God?

No, he had no choice but to take over the whole country.

The King of Wei looked extremely solemn at this moment. He knelt down with a plop and said in a deep voice, "Father has been worried about state affairs all his life and has become ill. I beg you to abdicate and live in Chonghua Palace. I will be the ruler of the East Palace and govern the country."

At this moment, the King of Chu was listening to the King of Wei's sarcastic remarks from a distance. His gloomy, fair face was mixed with blue and red, and it was clear that he was extremely angry.

Emperor Chongping's face was as gloomy as iron. He snorted coldly, unable to suppress his anger any longer, and scolded, "You are dreaming!"

After he finished speaking, Emperor Chongping started coughing violently. Dai Quan quickly handed him an embroidered handkerchief. The dragon robe in front of Emperor Chongping was already full of blood.

Prince Liang also knelt down at this moment, saluted and paid homage to Emperor Chongping, and cried bitterly, "Father, I beg you to come to Chonghua Palace for your care."

The resolute face of King Chen Qin of Chu was as gloomy as iron. He stared at the two vassal states of Wei and Liang with an inexplicable mood.

Emperor Chongping had a calm expression, but his voice was filled with uncontrollable anger and helplessness. He said in a hoarse voice: "You..."

After he finished speaking, he spat out a mouthful of blood with a "wow" sound, and then lost consciousness. Suddenly, a cry of surprise rang in the ears of the middle-aged emperor.

At this moment, the expressions of all the ministers in the palace changed suddenly, and they all looked at Emperor Chongping.

The King of Wei's expression suddenly changed, and he said, "Imperial Physician, Imperial Physician."

Although he wanted to force the emperor to abdicate and seize the throne, he did not want to force his father to death, otherwise the whole world would surely rise up to condemn him.

Just when the palace was in chaos, shouts of killing were suddenly heard again outside the palace, which made the stunned ministers in the palace feel slightly uneasy.

Could there be a turning point?

At this moment, the ministers in the palace had some different opinions about the King of Wei's "forcing the emperor to abdicate".

However, because the King of Wei had the upper hand, and because it was a family affair of the Chen Han royal family, some civil officials who were wise enough to protect themselves did not rush in to reprimand him.

Not long after, a Jinyifu guard in Feiyu clothing quickly entered the palace. His fair face was extremely panic-stricken. He said to the King of Wei, "Your Highness, a large number of Jinyifu cavalry have entered the palace."

King Wei raised his eyebrows, his eyes were deep, he turned to look at Wei Qi beside him, and said in a deep voice: "Marquis Runan, aren't the Jinyifu guards under control?"

"Don't worry, Your Highness. Our elite troops from the Capital Camp have completely occupied the palace. The Imperial Guards' cavalry are no match for them." said Wei Qi, Marquis of Runan.

At this moment, just outside the palace gate, Qiu Liang was leading the Jinyi Ti cavalry, riding on his horse, looking at the palace city in front of him which was occupied by the guards of the Wei and Liang vassal states, his eyes flashing coldly.

(End of this chapter)