The King of Jing, feigning humility, dismounted his horse by the moat and stood respectfully, his face etched with worry. The thousands of soldiers on the city walls, seeing the King of Jing had returned with his men, believed the chaos within the city would be quelled. Yet, as always, it was the common folk who suffered when celestial beings clashed. They could only hope this man would be different.
Han Chong, fearing for his life and knowing the King of Jing's history well, personally led a contingent to meet him. Reaching the midpoint of the bridge, he broke into a run, knelt with a splash, and cried out,
“Your humble servant Han Chong respectfully welcomes the Crown Prince!”
Heh,
The King of Jing knew well that this man was a confidant of Yan Shifan. If these individuals hadn't been bought off by the Yan family long ago, how could Governor Li Tingzhu have been cornered and forced to align with them? In truth, the Great Ming had always been this way; it was always these same people who profited. After all, no matter who took charge, ultimately only the leaders were killed, while the majority managed to preserve their lives. These people had already amassed fortunes, so losing their official posts meant little, as they could return home to enjoy their wealth… Therefore, the only way to deal with such people was to make them change their allegiances with the wind…
A slight smile played on his lips as he said with deep meaning,
“General Han, you have worked hard… For you to still come out to welcome me back to the capital at this time…”
Han Chong knew his life was entirely in this man's hands. His act of opening the gates was out of necessity. Did the King of Jing's words imply displeasure towards him? His only recourse now was to betray the Yan faction members within the capital's garrisons. These men were all fair-weather supporters. With the Yan family ruined, they would naturally throw their full support behind the King of Jing.
He immediately stood up, personally led the King of Jing's horse, and quickly followed, whispering into the King of Jing's ear, “Your Highness, this humble servant was blind and failed to recognize your greatness. I deserve to die… If Your Highness would not cast me aside, this humble servant, this humble servant is willing to hold your horse and follow your stirrup, to serve you with all my might?”
Oh?
The King of Jing smiled faintly, his gaze profound as he looked at him, a snort escaping his nostrils. He said, “General Han, you are indeed an intelligent one…”
He reached out and patted Han Chong’s shoulder, nodding meaningfully. Then he added,
“These are tumultuous times, General Han. Your responsibilities are immense. You must be cautious in all matters…”
Han Chong’s face lit up with joy, and he nodded repeatedly,
“This humble servant understands, understands. Thank you for Your Highness's grace in not abandoning me…”
He also understood—
The King of Jing had no trusted confidants in the Shenji Camp. As for Wu Dui, he was a renowned general appointed by the Emperor. If the King of Jing wished to accomplish anything, Wu Dui would not obey him… His own value, along with that of the Yan faction loyalists, lay precisely here. From this moment on, they would become the King of Jing’s foundation. If they served him loyally, the subsequent purges would not fall upon them.
Upon entering the city gates,
The King of Jing deliberately called out loudly to Wang Guoguang,
“Vice Minister Wang, you and Commander Wu, leading the Shenshu Battalion, are to immediately divide your forces to quell the unrest. Do not listen to anyone’s orders except those explicitly issued by the Emperor and the court!”
His voice was loud enough for the dozens of officers and generals around him to hear. Many, including the soldiers on the city walls, breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the King of Jing was indeed just and fair, not possessing the private ambitions rumored. If he truly had ambitions, he would have controlled the capital with these thirty thousand troops, rather than handing over military authority to others.
Wu Dui, however, sighed in disappointment. The King of Jing was cunning. He knew full well that he and Wang Guoguang could not control these troops and was feigning justice here. Moreover, Han Chong’s fawning and shifty demeanor—who knew if he hadn't already defected to the King of Jing? His order for Han Chong to kill the Yan family members left everyone even more bewildered…
“Brother Ru Guan, I fear this great chaos has only just begun…”
However, bound by their duties, they dared not delay. They immediately ordered Hu Zhen to assign commanders, divide the thirty thousand Shenshu Battalion troops into ten teams, and dispatch them to various parts of the city, with strict orders for everyone to return home.
Hu Zhen had been appointed Deputy Commander of the Capital Garrisons by the King of Jing. However, the King of Jing had already given instructions that the Shenshu Battalion was not to take direct action, but merely to maintain order. He respectfully and diligently led a contingent of troops towards the Yan family mansion.
…
At this time,
Within the mountain villa of the Yan residence, a tense atmosphere still prevailed.
Yan Shifan, personally leading his household guards and soldiers, had been engaged in killing and arson throughout the night, without any prior consultation. The trusted confidants within the inner circle, such as Zhao Wenhua, Zhang Jing, Zhang Yu, Gao Hanwen, and Yan Maoqing, thinking that great chaos had arrived, had all brought their families and valuables to the Yan residence.
Meanwhile, influential figures like Wu Peng, Lü Ben, Xu Lun, Guo Pu, and Yuan Wei gathered at Guo Pu’s residence, observing the situation from a distance and beginning to distance themselves from the Yan family.
Hearing the commotion and the raging fires outside the mansion, with even the household guards and servants in disarray, Yan Maoqing and Zhao Wenhua could no longer remain seated.
They could not understand how things had suddenly collapsed. Hadn’t everything been going smoothly? Everyone had been waiting for the King of Jing to become Crown Prince. But now that he had become Crown Prince, he was turning against the Yan family? Why was this so? At this critical juncture, even the most trusted individuals, those who had previously feared Yan Song the most, were filled with resentment. After all, Yan Shifan’s order to his household guards to set fires and kill indiscriminately was an undeniable act of treason. Everyone had followed the Yan family for glory and wealth. If it came to treason, they would not dare. At the very least, if such a plan were to be executed, the father and son should have informed everyone beforehand!
Gao Hanwen, originally a young master from a prominent Southern Jiangsu family, had inadvertently fallen onto the Yan family’s pirate ship. In just over two years, he had become part of the corrupt faction. He had also personally witnessed Yan Shifan’s tyrannical and unjust actions. Wanting to flee the city, he found he could not. Now, living as a dependent with his family, and thinking that his life was over at just over thirty years old, he was truly unwilling.
“Your Excellency, please forgive my insolence… In the current situation, what exactly is happening? Please provide us with an explanation…”
“Yes, yes!”
“Please give us an explanation!”
“We need a solution!”
“How can things continue like this?”
“What is the Young Premier doing?”
“Isn’t he leading us all to ruin!”
“…”
Yan Song had been suppressing his emotions, trying to make his brushstrokes appear normal. But upon hearing his own retainers complain, and his son acting madly… his thoughts became scattered. With a crack, he threw down his brush and slumped back, his chest heaving. Forcing himself to remain calm, he said,
“This… you cannot be blamed…”
He paused, then added,
“Some things, not letting you know, was for your own good… What good would it do for you to know? Today, things have reached this point. Since Mo Qing has asked, I shall tell you all today… cough, cough, cough…”
“Shifan and the King of Jing were originally friendly… Later, they had a falling out. The King of Jing then committed an offense, and the Emperor sent him to Anlu. At that time, the King of Jing had gone mad… Later, the King of Jing recovered from his illness. The court situation was as it was, and the Emperor ordered him to return and replace the King Yu… cough…”
“Things were going well. Maoqing, you also went to Anlu and knew some things. Nothing was wrong at that time… But later, he seized troops and went beyond the frontier, attacking Tu’en Khan’s Zhuo Mountain camp. Only then did Shifan realize that this person might no longer be the original King of Jing. Shifan said that perhaps this person had been replaced by the Emperor. This King of Jing is no longer the person he was…”
Hiss!
Hiss!
What?
Replaced?
What the hell?
Of those present, Yan Maoqing and Zhao Wenhua knew about Zhu Xue replacing the King of Jing. Luo Longwen had not returned. Among the dozen or so people present, none of the others knew the details. Hearing Yan Song stammer out this information, everyone turned pale with fear.
Even if they hadn’t understood the cause and effect, they had truly grasped one point—
It seemed the father and son were plotting some conspiracy,
And the Emperor turned their scheme against them,
Yan Shifan realized the crime of deceiving the emperor had been exposed, and thus he threw caution to the wind…
This,
Was naturally a case of the arrow being nocked and having to be shot.
Fortunately,
The household guards of both sides were somewhat evenly matched. The Shenji Camp could not move anyone. And amidst the chaos, the Yan faction, after all, had many wings. Although the situation was perilous, they had not yet been defeated.
Thinking of this,
The crowd, in their panic, felt a slight sense of relief.