"It should be so," Xie Jiayan's brow furrowed deeply.
So many coincidences occurring together were not coincidences, but a long-planned scheme. After so many years, people had long forgotten the founding father of the Great Wei, the first God of War, Prince Han, Xiao Changgong.
Fan Qi, who later struck terror into the hearts of many, was merely a minor subordinate of his back then.
Xiao Changgong had once followed the late Emperor, conquering half of the Great Wei's territory. When the late Emperor ascended the throne and the realm was initially pacified, Hanzhong was in constant turmoil. The late Emperor ordered him to quell the rebellion, and later granted Hanzhong as his fiefdom.
In recent years, reports from Hanzhong mostly spoke of how Prince Han and his son indulged in debauchery and bullied the innocent.
The Sage, remembering his merits and considering him an elder of the clan, treated him with exceptional respect. Who would have thought that the Prince of Han, already over seventy years old, would rebel.
"But it has been several days since the troops were mobilized. The God of War of Hanzhong is known for his elusive movements and his troops are said to descend like divine soldiers. By now, they should have reached the capital, but why is there still no news?" Liaokong wondered if the information was incorrect. After all, Prince Han was quite old; if he wanted to rebel, why not do it when he was younger.
Xie Jiayan remained silent, this was also something he couldn't understand. Before the Seventh Prince left the capital, he took the four armies of the Northern Commandery, leaving two armies and the Qianniu Guard to defend the capital.
These troops would be sufficient to defend the capital even if someone within the city seized the opportunity to cause trouble. However, facing the Hanzhong army, it would be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
Now, with the main army not yet returned and the capital's troop strength insufficient, if Prince Han were to rebel, it would be an opportune moment. But why was there no movement yet?
"This is bad!" Xie Jiayan suddenly exclaimed after a long silence.
"Is something amiss?"
"Xiao Changgong is likely planning to ambush the Seventh Prince here," Xie Jiayan pointed to a spot on the map.
Liaokong followed Xie Jiayan's finger and looked: "This place is less than seventy li from the capital. How dare he act here."
"The terrain here backs onto the mountains, and it is summer, making it extremely easy to conceal. If they ambush here, catching them off guard, their chances of victory are very high."
If Prince Han attacked the capital first, the Seventh Prince would be on guard and would surely contact the various regional commanders to form an army to relieve the capital. Prince Han, outnumbered, would surely not be able to hold the capital.
But if they ambushed here, the Seventh Prince's victorious army, about to reach the capital, would inevitably let down their guard and be completely unprepared.
The Hanzhong army, however, had been planning for a long time and was ready. By then, even if the reinforcements from the Northern Commandery arrived, they would have lost the initiative, and the defeat would be difficult to reverse.
At that time, the Hanzhong army would be at the height of their morale, and with one decisive push, they would enter the capital and force the Sage to write a decree of abdication.
With the initiative seized and the support of the Five Great Clans, who in the capital would dare to object?
"This subordinate will escort you out of the city to join your father," Liaokong said.
You have done your best to ease the conflict between the Five Great Clans and the imperial court. If it weren't for your mediation, the Seventh Prince would have met his demise in Youzhou long ago.
If the Seventh Prince died, the Wang family would not escape the fate of annihilation, and perhaps the other clans would also be implicated.
You have meticulously planned and done justice to both the Xiao family and the Wang family.
As for the current situation, the blame lies with the greed of the Wang family and the excessive misdeeds of the Sage, which have now backfired.
He had long disliked seeing you compromise yourself so much. It is just right to leave now.
Your father has already resigned from his post as planned and gone out of the city to recuperate. He is currently in Niujia Village, and was scheduled to leave the capital in the past two days.
In this situation, no one can do anything. It is better to leave before the great chaos and live a carefree life in the future, regardless of their disputes.
Xie Jiayan's expression was melancholic, and after a long while, he spoke, a faint smile on his face: "The monarch fights for the world, the feudal lords fight for territory, the noble families fight for profit, and the common people fight for food and clothing. How innocent are they?"