Chapter 82

East Palace.

There’s been no useful news from the Mountain Resort about his father. The King of Chu has stayed calm and kept his troops outside the city. There’s been no word from the King of Rui, and no one knows if he’s been sent by his father or is seriously ill. The prince has been waiting for a long time, and his patience is wearing thin. He’s becoming more impatient by the day.

What he’s planning requires speed. If it drags on like this, trouble will eventually arise.

It seems like a good idea to let those left in Chengde act first, then use the excuse of his father’s illness to trap him in Chengde.

But if his father is bluffing and not in Chengde, it means he’s likely with the King of Chu. Looking at the current positions of the King of Chu and the King of Rui, it seems his father is most likely with the King of Chu.

Even if the news leaks now, it will take a few days to reach his father. If something happens in Chengde, it will take time for the news to reach his father. Since he controls the post station, he might learn the news before his father.

At this point, even if the emperor finds out about his actions in Chengde, it doesn’t matter. As long as his father is stopped outside the capital and he controls the city, he’ll turn things around.

The prince’s guess soon became reality. The people in Chengde broke into the palace, pretending to be worried about the emperor’s health, only to find that the emperor wasn’t there.

Guan Muyun brought news that Prince Rui was barely alive and had been standing still.

This meant that the King of Chu was now the closest to the capital, and it was almost certain that his father was with the King of Chu.

These days, before sending troops, one must prepare justifications to ensure they can claim the war is justified.

So, if he wants to send troops, he needs a good reason.

The King of Chu, who is still waiting outside the city, provides the perfect excuse.

_

Many important figures have come to the Governor’s Mansion in recent days. Not long after the King of Chu left, the King of Huan came to visit.

The Zhili Governor-General Yu knew that the King of Huan and the King of Chu were allies and were relatively easy to manipulate.

However, the young Lord Ji was with King Huan during today’s meeting, which made people pay closer attention to him.

Lord Ji was a newcomer to the court. He had been promoted to the deputy envoy of the sixth-rank diplomatic mission just a few years after entering the government. He was highly regarded by the emperor and trusted by the King of Chu, so his methods must be extraordinary.

Thus, Lord Yu was polite to King Huan but focused on Ji Yanming.

King Huan knew that the situation was urgent, and it was no time for pleasantries. He spoke directly to Lord Yu: “We all know the situation in the capital now. What does Lord Yu, the governor-general of Zhili, responsible for protecting the capital, think?”

Lord Yu was unsure if the other party was trying to deceive him, so he didn’t answer quickly: “We need to think this over carefully.”

“Deciding to send troops is just a matter of your word. Why think too much? You’ve wasted my brother’s trust in you for years.” King Huan said, anxious. “Do you want to be called a traitor?”

“I wouldn’t dare,” Lord Yu replied. “But I need to ask, if we raise an army following what His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu said, wouldn’t that make us traitors?”

Lord Yu had a point. If the future ruler was the crown prince, even if Lord Yu raised his army based on the emperor’s written order, the crown prince would eventually see him as a threat.

King Huan paused for a moment.

“Since this is only a message from the King of Chu, Lord Yu should not be so easily swayed.” Ji Yanming stepped in, “I believe His Royal Highness the King of Chu has brought His Majesty’s handwritten order, correct?”

At this point, such an important detail couldn’t be hidden.

Mr. Yu confirmed with a “yes.”

“Then that’s it,” Ji Yanming continued. “With the imperial edict, you can show it in the Golden Palace whenever needed. The prince doesn’t want to be seen as a traitor or murderer, so as long as you say you came to rescue the emperor based on the imperial edict, the prince will protect your reputation. Even if it’s to win support or to make himself more legitimate.”

“This means, if you choose to support His Majesty, you’ll likely have a good relationship with your people and your name will be remembered in history. At the very least, you’ll preserve your reputation. But if you side with the Crown Prince, if something goes wrong, you could lose everything.”

This touches on game theory.

If the prince eventually overthrows the emperor, he can’t deny his father. So, as long as Lord Yu has proof that the emperor ordered him to raise troops, he will be safe, at least preserving his reputation.

If the emperor returns to the throne, he would likely punish the prince for his treason, and Lord Yu might be implicated.

So, the choice is clear: Supporting the emperor might ruin your future, but at least your reputation is safe. Supporting the prince might mean losing everything.

Historically, few princes successfully rebelled, but many emperors crushed such attempts.

Lord Yu bowed to Ji Yanming. “Lord Ji is right. I wasn’t being careful enough.”

“Good,” Ji Yanming smiled. “The 30,000 troops that will escort the envoy to Ling State are under the prince’s control. We won’t let Lord Yu make this decision in vain.”

Lord Yu’s eyes lit up. Ji Yanming was not just offering advice but testing him.

With the Zhili garrison and the 30,000 guards, victory was certain.

_

In the Grand Tutor’s Mansion, Luo Ming reported to his father, Grand Master Luo: “Yesterday, Minister Zhao of the Ministry of Works came to see me. He said there are rumors that His Royal Highness the King of Chu is controlling the emperor and blocking news, planning to rebel. He asked for my opinion.”

Luo Ming, the most promising son of the Luo family, now in the cabinet, knew all the prince’s recent actions.

Grand Master Luo didn’t seem surprised: “What do you think?”

Luo Ming replied, “It’s important to have evidence. These are just rumors. We can’t trust them.”

For a prince like the King of Chu, attempting rebellion is dangerous, especially with people still in the Eastern Palace.

If the King of Chu had the power, he wouldn’t have remained isolated for so long.

If the rebellion wasn’t the King of Chu, it must be someone else.

The real question was not about what Luo Ming thought, but where his loyalties lay.

“And what did you tell him?”

“I told Lord Zhao that all the emperor’s sons are respectful, and none would rebel. Even if the emperor returns, I will stand by this. If any prince, like the King of Chu, is falsely accused, I will treat them the same and ask for a thorough investigation. If the King of Chu really did something wrong, the emperor is kind and, with everyone’s petition, he might show mercy.”

Grand Master Luo nodded in approval.

This was a strategic move.

Luo Ming wasn’t actually talking about the King of Chu. He was signaling his support to the Crown Prince.

Even if Luo Ming wasn’t taking sides now, if something happened, he promised to defend the prince’s family.

Luo Ming, probably the first to do so in the capital, made this promise to the prince. Only the Luo family had the power to do so.

So, even without taking sides, the Eastern Palace wouldn’t trouble the Luo family.

Grand Master Luo thought for a moment and said, “Since rumors say the King of Chu is planning a rebellion, you should find someone reliable to report this.”

“Are you still going to support His Majesty?” Luo Ming asked with concern. “But you know the Crown Prince has the advantage now.”

“You joined the cabinet late and might not know everything. Have you heard about the conflict between Prince Huan and the Crown Prince?”