Chapter 982 Coup d'état

Qian Country,

Jade Void Palace;

This was a Taoist palace garden belonging to the royal family, located in the southwest corner of the capital.

It was built during the reign of Emperor Renzong of the Qian Kingdom. At that time, there was a severe drought in the southwest. Emperor Renzong wanted to pray for the people in the disaster area, so he ordered the construction of this Taoist palace and fasted in it for three months.

This was also one of Emperor Renzong's virtuous acts;

However, the scholar-bureaucrats who praised him intentionally or unintentionally collectively ignored the question of how much it would cost to build such a large Taoist palace.

When the Yan army broke through the capital, they did not linger too long. Instead, they hurriedly turned their troops back to support their prince, who was using himself as bait. Therefore, many places around the capital did not suffer the ravages of the Yan people.

The Jade Void Palace was also well preserved;

Now,

A person lives here, whose identity was once extremely noble, a person truly second only to one and above ten thousand.

But,

That was only in the past.

Zhao Mugou, wearing a prince's attire, walked through this deep garden under the guidance of two eunuchs.

Finally,

In a courtyard filled with withered and fallen leaves, he saw the Crown Prince, dressed in white, sitting there.

The Crown Prince looked a little weak, but his spirit was good, and there was nothing wrong with his body. Five years of confinement had not made him thinner, but rather fatter.

After leading the way, the two eunuchs silently retreated, leaving the place to the two men surnamed Zhao.

"Why did you think of coming to see this Prince?"

"Because it was time to come, so I came." Zhao Mugou placed the food box he was carrying on the ground, opened it, and took out a few small dishes and wine.

The Crown Prince did not excitedly pounce on the food. Judging from his changed appearance, he was not lacking fine clothes and delicacies here.

He dressed somewhat casually because when the fine clothes could only be worn at night and could not be shown to others, he was too lazy to tidy himself up.

Not only did he eat well here, but women were also sent to the Crown Prince for his pleasure on a regular basis.

In the past five years, the Crown Prince had given birth to two more imperial grandsons and two imperial granddaughters for the Zhao family.

However, the concubines could only stay overnight, and would be wrapped in quilts by the eunuchs and sent in, and taken out again after dawn. The children born would not be raised here.

This was actually a standard imperial confinement.

Confining your freedom, but only freedom.

In the eyes of ordinary people, this was still a life that was hard to come by even in dreams.

Zhao Mugou arranged the dishes and sat on the ground.

He had shed the immaturity of his youth, grown a beard, and looked handsome and steady.

The Crown Prince leaned forward, staring carefully at Zhao Mugou,

And said:

"Look at you, and then look at this Prince, hehe."

Zhao Mugou did not invite the Crown Prince to eat, but instead picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and then picked up a piece of dried tofu with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.

"Why don't you speak?" the Crown Prince asked.

"I came from outside." Zhao Mugou put down his chopsticks. "You should be the one asking me."

"What should I ask you?"

"Anything."

The Crown Prince pursed his lips and said, "How is Father Emperor?"

"The Emperor's health is not very good, but it's not bad either."

Four years ago, the Emperor ordered the construction of a Qingxin Pavilion in the southeast corner of the capital, one for recuperation and the other for praying for blessings.

Popular legend has it that the Emperor was benevolent and performed rituals for the souls of the people of the capital who died under the swords of the Yan dogs, in order to help them transcend;

However, there is also a saying that the reason why the Yan dogs were able to break into the capital was the result of the Emperor's incompetent actions, so the Emperor had no face to face this capital;

In the past two years, there have even been rumors of wanting to move the capital.

Therefore, the current situation of the Great Qian is quite strange.

The Emperor and the Crown Prince do not live in the imperial palace in the capital, but live in Taoist temples in the east and west corners, respectively.

"Tell me, when will this Prince be able to go out?"

Zhao Mugou answered this question directly:

"Back then, the Third Prince of the Yan Kingdom was confined in the Lakeside Pavilion for many years, and after he came out..."

"He is a prince, but this Prince is the Crown Prince!"

"Do you still think you are the Crown Prince, my Crown Prince?"

"You..."

"Do you think the Emperor will pass on the throne to a crown prince who once added the word 'Li' (meaning 'tyrannical') to his posthumous title?"

"You..."

"Everyone knows that you have no chance, but keeping you can keep the position of Crown Prince hanging, so that the Emperor will not be afraid anymore.

The foundation of the country exists, but it is equal to not existing. Great Qian has no crown prince, only the Emperor.

This is the Emperor's arrangement and idea.

The ministers below, even if they want to suggest re-establishing the foundation of the country, cannot avoid you;

But, you can't let the ministers suggest abolishing you first... or killing you first, right?

This is a dead knot, stuck here all the time, and this is your role."

"You came here today just to tell me this?"

Zhao Mugou shook his head and said:

"Of course not."

"Speak, what is your purpose?"

"I want to save you."

"You just said it yourself, this Prince will lose his life as soon as he goes out, unless..."

"That's the unless." Zhao Mugou said bluntly.

"Hehehe..." the Crown Prince laughed, incredulously saying, "Has the Heavenly Dao changed? The lineage of Emperor Taizu, who have been pigs for nearly a hundred years, has actually stood up again?"

Zhao Mugou was not angry, but looked at the Crown Prince calmly:

"You have no other choice."

"You think I'm stupid enough to give you this opportunity? This dragon chair belongs to my family! It's not up to your lineage to get involved, you're dreaming!"

"It's your family's, but not yours. If everyone had this awareness, how could there be so many succession disputes in the imperial family throughout history?"

Zhao Mugou clapped his hands,

"I'm not here today to convince you. If you don't agree, it doesn't matter, then I'll leave."

Zhao Mugou turned around and walked out.

The Crown Prince suddenly said;

"When!"

Zhao Mugou stopped and said, "Today."

"Today?" The Crown Prince looked absurd, "So hasty?"

Zhao Mugou shook his head slightly: "It's been prepared for a long time."

"Why did you only tell this Prince today?"

"Because you are really not important at all."

"Aren't you afraid that this Prince will not agree?"

"You are just a puppet, a figurehead. In the past ten years, the Yan people have repeatedly invaded our borders, and our Great Qian has repeatedly suffered setbacks. What's more, we have suffered the great pain of having our capital destroyed. His Majesty's prestige in the court and among the people has long been precarious;

Otherwise, he wouldn't have used this trick to keep you hanging here.

And you, in the eyes of the great Confucian scholars, have committed a great mistake of filial piety, but you have coincided with the wishes of many people. It seems better to have another Emperor.

Perhaps,

We can right the wrongs?

However, it doesn't matter without you. Your younger brother, Prince Kang, is already waiting."

"I'll go, I'll go with you." The Crown Prince stood up and walked over.

"Then follow."

Zhao Mugou walked in front,

The Crown Prince followed behind;

First, he saw the two eunuchs who had led the way earlier, lying on the side of the road, motionless;

Continuing outwards, he could see many guards who had also been killed, their bodies lying on both sides, the air filled with the smell of blood.

Finally,

The Crown Prince followed behind Zhao Mugou and left the Jade Void Palace;

Outside, stood a group of imperial guards in armor.

These imperial guards were full of murderous intent, completely different from the imperial guards of the capital that the Crown Prince had once seen.

"This Prince has one more thing to ask you." The Crown Prince whispered to Zhao Mugou, "Aren't you afraid of failure, causing internal strife in our Great Qian, giving the Yan people an opportunity to take advantage of it?"

"I would have been worried, but now, I'm not."

"Why?"

"The second round of the war between Yan and Chu has broken out."

"That's a good opportunity. The Yan and Chu snipe and clam fight, unable to take care of our Great Qian. We can just..."

"Just got the news that the Chu Kingdom was defeated, and lost hundreds of thousands of elites in Shanggu County."

"..." The Crown Prince.

Zhao Mugou turned his face and looked at the Crown Prince, and said:

"So, it doesn't matter what you do at this time. Because our Great Qian has reached a point where it can't get any worse."

Zhao Mugou took two steps forward,

And shouted to the imperial guards in front of him;

"Welcome the Crown Prince back to court!"

These imperial guards knelt down one after another, shouting in unison:

"Welcome the Crown Prince back to court!"

……

"Xundao, Zizhan, I am ashamed. I am already an old bone, and there is not much time left, and I am still delaying the time of the two of you."

Yao Zizhan stepped forward, sat on the edge of the bed, and gently helped Prime Minister Han tuck in the quilt, and said: "Look at what you said, logically, you are our senior, and we should."

Li Xundao also said: "National affairs still cannot be separated from the old Prime Minister."

Prime Minister Han shook his head and mocked himself:

"In recent years, it has been difficult for me to speak clearly. If I sit there for a while longer, I will feel sleepy. This brain is sometimes clear and sometimes confused. How can I cope with national affairs?"

Yao Zizhan hurriedly said: "When you stand there, old man, without saying a word, we all feel at ease."

When the Yan people first attacked Qian, they fought all the way to the capital. The court and the public were shaken, and the Emperor took this opportunity to clean up the old prime ministers who had been in office since the Renzong period, and then began a series of reforms;

But who knew that in the midst of the vigorous reforms, a three-nation war broke out, and the Yan army broke through the capital.

This immediately caused the old forces of the Qian Kingdom to begin a frenzied counterattack. The intensity of the counterattack was so great that the Emperor had to choose to temporarily avoid the edge;

And Prime Minister Han is one of the representatives of that old force. In recent years, because of him, conflicts have been suppressed.

Li Xundao said: "I just got the news that the Chu people were defeated, and they were defeated very badly. If I guessed correctly, the Yan people will soon turn their attention to our Great Qian.

For the current plan, there is no other way but to unite against the enemy."

Prime Minister Han nodded and said:

"Xundao is right, at this time, we should unite as one."

Li Xundao sighed and said, "Does it have to be like this?"

A smile appeared on Prime Minister Han's old face:

"We have to give the world an explanation, and we have to let the world see hope, don't we?"

Yao Zizhan looked at Li Xundao and Prime Minister Han suspiciously. He couldn't understand it.

Li Xundao said again: "You know, the Emperor is not a昏君 (hūn jūn, incompetent ruler). Is it fair to the Emperor to do this?"

Prime Minister Han's eye bags drooped,

The old minister who came from the Renzong dynasty directly said:

"Emperor Renzong was not a benevolent ruler, but he still got the word 'benevolence' and a good name in history. Is this fair?"

Yao Zizhan widened his eyes, and the Great Qian Literary Saint suddenly didn't even dare to take a big breath at this moment.

Li Xundao asked:

"Which one did you choose?"

"Mugou."

"I thought you would choose from the remaining princes, but I didn't expect..."

"Emperor Taizong's Northern Expedition failed, breaking the backbone of my Great Qian's martial fortune. During the reign of the current Emperor, there were repeated national disasters and was bullied by the Yan dogs.

This Great Qian's country was originally taken down by Emperor Taizu. Emperor Taizong succeeded to the throne as the Imperial Younger Brother. The reason for this is that even the common people do not believe in the nonsense of brotherly friendship, brotherly succession.

Since Emperor Taizong's lineage cannot govern the country well, then return this chair to Emperor Taizu's lineage.

Correcting the source and clearing the stream,

It just so happens to give the world a new hope."

"You are crazy, you are crazy!!!"

Yao Zizhan shouted and rushed out of the house, but as soon as he crossed the threshold, he saw the densely packed soldiers standing in the courtyard outside. This place was already surrounded.

"Xundao, there are soldiers everywhere!" Yao Zizhan shouted.

Li Xundao was not flustered, but sat down on the coffee table next to him and poured himself tea.

Prime Minister Han looked at Yao Zizhan, who was anxious there, and smiled:

"Xundao came by himself."

"You knew it all along?" Yao Zizhan looked at Li Xundao in disbelief, "You knew it all along!"

Li Xundao nodded.

"Then why..."

Prime Minister Han answered for Li Xundao:

"Xundao came down the mountain, not for my Great Qian Emperor, but for... my Great Qian."

For Li Xundao, if it was necessary to replace an Emperor in order to unite many forces... then let's replace him.

In comparison, starting a civil war at this time would be the most stupid behavior. The Yan people would probably laugh in their dreams.

It can only be said that these people, these forces, chose the best time to launch.

Yao Zizhan sat down a little dejectedly. This Qian Country Literary Saint was actually lacking a lot in politics and practical work. What he was good at was two things, one was writing poetry and the other was being a good person.

The intrigues of the officialdom were actually not very suitable for him, otherwise he would not have been demoted all the way when he was young, and almost died on an island in the East China Sea.

Prime Minister Han looked at Yao Zizhan,

Said;

"Zizhan..."

"Alas." Before Prime Minister Han could finish speaking, Yao Zizhan sighed first and said:

"I will draft the enthronement edict for the Prince of Rui."

Prime Minister Han reminded: "First draft the Crown Prince's."

Yao Zizhan rolled his eyes and said, "Why bother taking off your pants to fart?" (idiom for doing something unnecessary)

Prime Minister Han smiled and said: "Because you will feel clean in your heart."

Li Xundao held the cup in his hand,

Asked:

"Who did you choose in the army?"

A coup d'état definitely requires mobilizing the army;

Moreover, there is an army loyal to the Emperor outside the Emperor's Qingxin Pavilion that has been protecting the Emperor.

There was no need to hide it at this time, and Prime Minister Han directly said:

"Zhong Tianlang."

Yao Zizhan was shocked: "He... how dare he!"

Zhong Tianlang is the current consort, and he is also appreciated, trusted, and promoted by the Emperor. Now, he actually...

Prime Minister Han didn't care and said:

"So, emphasizing literature and suppressing martial arts is not all wrong. Those martial generals are all white-eyed wolves that can't be fed enough, hehe."

Speaking of this,

Prime Minister Han suddenly clenched his fist,

And smashed it on the side of the bed,

His own person also caused a series of coughs,

But despite this, he still raised his voice and cursed:

"Only that Regent Prince of the Yan Kingdom is a complete alien!"

Li Xundao corrected: "He is a weirdo."

The weirdo here is a compliment.

Yao Zizhan sighed: "If that old brother Zheng is willing to rebel, then I am willing to write a hundred poems to praise his merits."

Li Xundao smiled and said: "His ability to write poetry may not be worse than yours, but he is not interested in this. You said this yourself.

Back then, we were looking forward to the Yan people's Marquis of Zhenbei rebelling, but he didn't rebel;

Later, we were looking forward to the Yan people's Prince of Jingnan rebelling, but he didn't rebel;

Now, we are going to look forward to the Yan people's Regent Prince rebelling... but he just led the army and defeated the Chu Kingdom.

Always looking forward to internal strife,

Looking forward to it,

We are about to look forward to our own country's demise.

Sometimes,

I myself am thinking,

Could it be that these Yan people are really destined by heaven, and generations produce outstanding people, and they are still the kind of... outstanding people who are wholeheartedly for the country?"

At this time,

Prime Minister Han, who was already a little tired, murmured:

"As long as Mugou sits on the dragon chair, everything will be fine."