"Subject Yang did a good job this time. I am very happy to hear it." Once he returned to the Leopard Room, Zhengde said with a smile, "Now the court has not only taken the White Coat Army for its own use and temporarily balanced the situation in the north, but also annihilated 15,000 followers of the Maitreya Cult.
Now the local government is following the map. According to these followers, their relatives and close friends have been investigated. They have already arrested a group of Maitreya Cult followers. I believe that after this battle, the Maitreya Cult will be greatly weakened and will not be able to grow for at least fifty years. At that time, Ming Destiny will have a strong army and the country will be prosperous. Who will be willing to rebel with them? "
"It is all thanks to Your Majesty's great fortune. Your Majesty, how is the situation in the capital? You actually want Your Majesty to personally go on the streets to refute the rumors? "Yang Ling casually flattered and immediately went to the main topic.
Speaking of this, a trace of anger appeared on Zhengde's handsome face. "Naturally, the Maitreya Cult sent people to spread rumors in the capital in order to cooperate with the rebellion. The Three Plantations and One Guard are working hard to search. The Tiqi are all over the nine cities. No one dares to spread rumors in public anymore. However, the news that has been spread has caused a great impact among the people.
The last time I secretly went to Datong, the three scholars, in order to cover people's eyes and ears, falsely said that I was sick and resting. From time to time, they would even move my imperial carriage to create the illusion that I was still in the court. Who would have thought that I would be used by the cult now. Even if I put on a ceremonial parade to leave the palace to attend court, they would still bewitch the people, saying that I left the palace without permission and died at the well road station. The world will be in chaos. They hate me so much that I can't defend myself and can only go to the city for a tour. "
Speaking of this, he became happy again and laughed. "Zhengde went to this place for a tour! Once this sentence is out, it should be enough to shut the mouths of those idle people, right? "
Zhengde had a childish temper. He always felt that since you said so, then I will expose you. However, he did not understand the sinister nature of people. So what if he wrote? Other than the people who saw him with their own eyes, other people who heard about it would still spread rumors that the Emperor was not the blood of the Former Emperor, that the Emperor had died outside the capital, and that the world was about to change. Sensationalism was the nature of the common people. Of course, they would say whatever they found strange.
On the other hand, Zheng De's invention of 'come here to visit' became a famous line in the scriptures and became popular in the world for a time. Whether it was scholars or commoners, they all imitated it. Later on, the words' come here to visit 'could be seen everywhere. Wang Er also visited, Zhang San also visited, it was a complete mess. Even when Wu Chengen grew up and wrote' Journey to the West ', he used a scene where Sun Wukong wrote' come here to visit 'on Buddha's finger.
The Emperor's influence was unparalleled. The King of Chu liked thin waists, but women lost weight for thousands of years. Zhengde's "went to this place for a tour" habit would probably take thousands of years to completely disappear.
Yang Ling looked at Zhengde and cautiously said, "Your Majesty, this subject heard that in addition to these rumors, there are also people who claim that Prince Jin and King Ning are rebelling?"
When Zhengde heard this, he frowned and said, "Yes, these kinds of rumors really annoy Zhen to death. If they say that Prince Jin is rebelling, there is still some possibility that Li Fuda has been lurking in Taiyuan Wei for nearly three years and secretly organized the Maitreya Incense Army. King Ning has always been loyal and respectful, how could he be rebelling? These rumors are flying everywhere, but they can't stop the mouths of the common people. "
Yang Ling knew that he would rather suspect Prince Jin than easily suspect King Ning. He couldn't help but smile bitterly and said, "Then, the cabinet ministers have no countermeasures against these rumors?"
Zhengde smiled bitterly and said, "How can there be no countermeasures? They say that I have already ascended to heaven, but aren't I wandering the streets like a wandering ghost? They say that I am not the biological son of the Former Emperor, what can I do? Should I perform a blood test with the Empress Dowager? There are some things that can only be said by them.
As for the second prince's rebellion, it is more important. After all, this is a major event related to the foundation of the court. The cabinet ministers are also very cautious and don't dare to easily affirm whether it is true or not. You sent people to monitor Prince Jin, but didn't you find anything unusual with him? After a detailed investigation, the Jinyi Guards of Taiyuan also sent back some information. There were several officials in Taiyuan who frequently ate and dined with Li Fuda, and also received generous gifts. Now they were arrested and interrogated. Prince Jin and Li Fuda were not close, so there was nothing unusual about them.
Jiao Fang, Yang Tinghe, and several others suggested that I hand over the task of cleaning up the remnants of the Maitreya Army in Shanxi to Prince Jin and the local government. First, to refute the rumors, and second, to show my trust. I approved, and the edict was just sent out of the capital yesterday. "
Yang Ling's eyes flashed, and he said with a faint smile, "Then on the side of King Ning, how does the Emperor plan to deal with it?"
"King Ning is far away in Jiangnan, but was used by the Maitreya Sect to make a fuss. In fact, it is not completely groundless." Zhengde sighed and rubbed his temples, saying, "Uncle King Ning has never been in charge of an army. Since he restored the three guards and took control of the military and politics of Jiangxi, he couldn't help but be complacent. Hehe, he likes to put on a show, and the guards that come in and out exceed the size of the nobles. He always likes to criticize the three departments, so some local officials have already submitted a memorial to impeach him.
However, from this point of view, I feel that King Ning does not have any rebellious intentions. Otherwise, why would he not be careful and deliberately show off and attract attention? Besides, he is, after all, a relative of the imperial family. Can he punish a vassal king based on some rumors? Grand Scholar Yang suggested that we imitate the story of Emperor Xuanzong warning the King of Zhao and send a noble minister to reprimand him so that he will restrain himself.
I feel that this is very good. Yesterday, when I sent the edict to Shanxi's Jin Wang Fu, I also sent down an edict to order the supervisor of rites Lai Yi and the son-in-law Cui Yuan to bring the edict to Jiangnan to warn Uncle King Ning, so that he will not be too domineering and provoke the local officials to impeach him. This matter concerns the system of the court, and at that time, it would not be good for me to protect him too much. "
He glanced at Yang Ling and asked, "Beloved minister, what do you think of this handling?"
King Ning was a relative of the imperial family, and if it was handled improperly, it would cause the vassal kings all over the world to panic and even raise troops to rebel. Yang Ling's original idea was to make preparations first and then strike later. If he did not rebel at this time and allowed the court to ease up a little, that would be the best. After all, it was going to be winter soon, and using troops in winter was even more inappropriate.
Moreover, this matter had already been decided by the cabinet, and the Emperor had issued an edict to carry it out. Yang Ling did not have much to say, so he bowed and said with a smile, "Your Majesty is wise, this handling is very appropriate."
"En … en en …" Receiving praise from his most trusted and most appreciated official, Emperor Zhengde was a little satisfied. He smiled and pinched his chin, saying, "Good, you also approve? That's good. Since you are already here, don't be in a hurry to leave. Xian'er has made fish head soup for me, stay and drink some with me. Xian'er's soup is very good, the soup is as rich as milk, and it is more fragrant than the imperial chefs'. "
As Zhengde spoke, he stood up and walked towards the back garden with a smile.
※ ※ ※
Tong Tree Ridge. This was a precipitous mountain peak. The cliffs were as sharp as knives, and the trees stood like spears. It looked a little sinister and terrifying. However, the procession of imperial envoys did not care. The forest here was not suitable for bandits to camp, and there were few passersby, so it had always been relatively quiet.
Moreover, now that the White Coat Army had escaped beyond the Great Wall, and the elites of the Maitreya sect had all been killed, although the continuous wars had greatly damaged the vitality of the imperial court, a series of reforms had given the northern people who had benefited first a glimmer of hope. Although it was gradually approaching winter, and the trees were desolate, the people had calmed down and looked forward to next year's good days.
Cui Xiaoma was about fifty years old, and Eunuch Lai was about the same age. The two of them were actually quite happy to accept this imperial mission. With their status, they usually did not earn much, but now they were going to Jiangxi to reprimand King Ning, which was a very lucrative mission.
King Ning was generous. Every time he sent people to the capital, they would bring a large number of gold, jewels, jewels, and jewels as gifts to the powerful officials. This time they were going to reprimand by imperial edict. In order to get them to come back and say a few good words, the gifts they received must be even more valuable. The money they earned from this mission was probably more than they could spend in ten years, so the two of them sat in the carriage happily.
The mountain road was rugged, and the wheels squeaked. Suddenly, a flock of birds flew out of the forest. The guard of honor was an embroidered clothed Qianhu. He looked at the dense forest disapprovingly, thinking that it was the birds being startled by the carriage. But before he could retract his gaze, he suddenly saw a faint flash in the dense forest. The Qianhu could not help but be shocked. He suddenly reined in his horse and shouted, "Believe it, in the forest …"
"Whoosh!" A blue wolf fang arrow nailed into his throat, and then countless sharp arrows shot out from the dense forest. The arrows pierced into the body, and people screamed and horses neighed. There were countless arrows like a swarm of locusts. The troop of five hundred people was trapped in the narrow mountain stream and became a live target. The people in the forest did not show themselves. The arrows flew and the riders fell to the ground one by one.
Eunuch Lai heard the screams and couldn't help but pull open the curtain of the carriage in panic. He shouted at the top of his voice like a duck, "What happened? Is there a mountain …"
"Pu pu pu pu", four sharp arrows shot into his body. Eunuch Lai did not even have the chance to scream. He swayed and fell to the ground. The dismounted knight, continually screaming, disturbed the horses, and the two horses which drew his palanquin began to move forward in alarm. The wooden wheels ran over his bloated body, and he could not pass. His abdomen was crushed under the iron-bound wheels.
The mountain road was littered with corpses that had been shot full of arrows. Even the roof of the carriage was covered with arrows like a bayonet. After a while, a few masked men emerged from the forest. With blades in their hands, they began to coldly and mercilessly deal with the soldiers who had yet to die.
Prince Consort Cui hid in the carriage. His face was pale and his teeth were chattering. Two sharp arrows had pierced through the roof of the carriage. The sharp, dark blue arrowheads were right in front of him, shocking him to the point that his eyes became cross-eyed.
"Shua." The curtain of the sedan chair was pulled open. A tall and sturdy masked man in green stood at the entrance of the sedan chair and stared at him. Prince Consort Cui shrunk back and leaned back into his seat.
The green-clothed masked man narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Where is the imperial edict? Bring it over!
"Prince Consort Cui looked at the yellow silk package on his seat and wanted to pick it up with trembling hands. The man in green impatiently took out his saber and with a swoosh, the tip of the saber hooked onto the package and lifted it up. Prince Consort Cui cried out in alarm, "Don't kill me, don't kill me, I'm Prince Consort. If you want money, you can redeem me, don't …" "Don't kill me."
The man in green glanced at him disdainfully and opened the package on the shaft of the carriage. He tore open the seal and took out the imperial edict to take a look. He then laughed out loud towards the sky, put away the imperial edict, and turned to leave. Immediately, two men in green jumped into the carriage, and a scream came from the carriage. The two men in green continuously brandished their blades, and the carriage shook violently. When they jumped out of the carriage, blood was already dripping out from the cracks in the floor of the carriage.
"Take the imperial edict away and immediately ask our sect's brilliant craftsman to tamper with it. Then, send it back to Jiangxi. If the imperial court finds out that the Prince Consort has been assassinated and the imperial edict has been stolen, they might send someone to Nanchang first, so we must be ahead of the imperial court." The leader of the men in green said as he walked.
"Don't worry, Altar Master. When King Ning was paying tribute this time, he took the opportunity to set up a fast horse along the way. Within twelve days, the news from the capital will quickly reach Jiangxi. It's even faster than the military post. I'll have someone change it and immediately send it to Jiangxi through these secret spies."
"Good!" The leader suddenly stopped in his tracks. An old man with a face full of wrinkles stood on the withered yellow grass by the side of the path in front of him. He stood there trembling with fear with his little granddaughter. Judging from their coarse robes and the basket on their arms, they were probably mountain people who had just returned from the city.
They had clearly seen everything in front of them, but it was already too late to turn around and run. The green-clothed leader smiled and walked past the grandfather-grandson pair. The frightened old man heaved a sigh of relief. Before he could kneel down and kowtow to the 'Great King' to thank for sparing his life, a shiny steel knife was raised. The subordinates behind the green-clothed leader made their move.
There were two short screams. The man rubbed the blood-stained steel blade against the corpse and hurriedly chased after them. The mountain path quickly regained its calm. Only the ownerless horses neighed in boredom as they walked casually on the mountain path. Eunuch Lai's body had already been rolled into the bottom of the carriage. His robes were entangled in the wheels. The horses and mules were still rolling in vain, and the ground was a bloody mess.
※ ※ ※
Jiangxi King Ning's mansion.
The fast horse that Ning Wang had set up was as fast as expected. The imperial edict that had been stolen was already on his desk. King Ning had a square face and big ears. He had a black beard and looked very dignified and mighty. Just by looking at his appearance, he was much more handsome than the weak and fat Emperor Hongzhi, who was known as the Virtuous Emperor.
He wore a set of purple embroidered casual clothes and slowly unfolded the imperial edict under the candlelight. On it was Emperor Zhengde reprimanding him for overstepping the bounds of the nobility and conspiring against the law. Finally, he ordered Prince Cui and Eunuch Lai to bring the Imperial Bodyguard to escort him to the capital for questioning. After the crimes of the local officials were investigated, he would be severely punished.
King Ning's hands began to tremble. He knew his own affairs. Now the local officials were only impeaching him for being lawless, domineering, disrespectful to the Emperor, and arrogant. But if they really arrested him to the capital and sent the guards to investigate, the fact that he was preparing to rebel would most likely be found out. At that time, even if he was not beheaded, he would be imprisoned for life and live a life worse than death.
"The Maitreya Cult has really done a lot of harm. In order to create momentum in their rebellion, they actually dragged me into it!" King Ning angrily hit the table. After the Great Master Li Ziran analyzed the situation of the court a few days ago, he had advised him to immediately mobilize the troops. But King Ning feared that the important generals of the surrounding prefectures had all been replaced by Yang Ling's capable men during the extermination of the White Bandits. Yang Ling was second only to one and above tens of thousands of people. His status was extremely respected and it was impossible to bribe him. He must be a strong supporter of Little Zhengde, so he hesitated and did not dare to make a move.
He did not expect that the Maitreya Cult would rebel again and even create rumors to drag him into it. Now he had no choice but to rebel. At the thought of rebellion, King Ning could not help but be stunned. He was ambitious and recruited people everywhere, colluded with the barbarian chieftains, and placed desperate confidants in the army with the intention of ascending to the throne of the Emperor. This idea had been in his mind for more than a year, and he had also prepared for more than a year. But now that things had come to a head, he had no choice but to rebel, but he was at a loss as to what to do.
After being stunned for a while, Prince Ning shouted loudly, "Someone, invite Mr. Liu, Mr. Li, and the Great Daoist Master over immediately. Hurry, I have something urgent."
The housekeeper who was waiting at the door of the study hurriedly answered and ran out. King Ning knew how to be courteous. The Mr. Liu and Mr. Li he mentioned were his right-hand men and his right-hand men. Mr. Li's name was Li Shi Shi. He came from a wealthy family and was the wealthiest family in Nanchang. He was a Jinshi in the second year of Chenghua and was once the Right Imperial Censor. He was defeated in the internal strife of the court and was forced to resign, so he held a grudge against the court.
People like him, who came from a wealthy family, enjoyed endless glory and wealth from a young age. The only thing he pursued was to leave his name in history. Since the court could not satisfy him and King Ning was ambitious, Li Shi Shi wanted to be a founding father of the country. So he was loyal to King Ning and became his advisor.
Liu Yangzheng was a High Scholar and had a reputation in Nanchang. He was also recruited by King Ning with a large sum of money and became his advisor. When the three of them heard that King Ning had summoned them, other than the Great Master Li Ziran, the other two did not know what had happened. The three of them hurried to King Ning's study. King Ning saw them and said, "Sirs, Great Master Li, something bad has happened. The Emperor has already heard the news that I am plotting a rebellion. He has issued an edict to bring me to the capital for questioning. Now that a knife has been placed on my neck, what do you think we should do?"
"What?" Li Shi Shi was shocked. "Where did Wang Ye get this news?"
"Look, the Imperial Edict is here." King Ning handed the Imperial Edict over and said with a cold smile, "Fortunately, the Great Master reminded me. I have already taken precautions. I have planted spies in the capital and sentries on the outskirts of the capital. When they heard the news, they stole the Imperial Edict and used the fast horses that I set up to deliver it. Otherwise, I would still be in the dark. When the imperial envoy arrives and the officials of the three departments announce the edict, I can only resign myself to death."
Li Shi Shi took the Imperial Edict and looked at it carefully. It was indeed an edict issued by the Emperor. He couldn't help but change his expression and said, "The Emperor wants to bring Wang Ye to the capital for questioning? This is clearly a delaying tactic. As long as Wang Ye enters the capital with the Imperial Edict, you will be a sheep walking into a tiger's mouth. Whether you are beaten or killed will not be up to you. "
King Ning stroked his beard and said, "Of course I can see through such insignificant tricks. Sirs, Great Master, how do you think I should deal with this?"
Liu Yangzheng stamped his feet and said, "Wang Ye, what else can we do? We can only rebel! "
King Ning said, "We still haven't made sufficient preparations. How confident are we in rebelling now?"
Li Dali looked dignified and his Taoist robes made him look like a sage. He had been watching the reactions of the others with cold eyes. Only now did he smile slightly and said, "Wang Ye, your conditions are not sufficient, but what about the court? The court is even more unprepared. The several battles with the Tatars, the Wokou, Frang Ji, and Duzhang Man have exhausted the court's strength. Now the court is an arrow at the end of its flight and has no more power to fight. Otherwise, why would they send a group of Imperial Bodyguards to capture people instead of sending troops to suppress them?
On our side, after more than a hundred years of accumulation, King Ning's household's wealth is like a mountain. It is enough to support a large number of troops for several years. We have tents, leather armor, swords, spears, and even the Frang Machine Cannons that we secretly obtained. We can say that we have good troops and sufficient provisions.
The chieftains of the Miao and She tribes in Zhangzhou, Tingzhou, and Southern Jiangxi have also formed an alliance with Wang Ye. When necessary, they can be of help. Wang Ye has good troops and sufficient provisions, but the court is strong on the outside but weak on the inside. The current situation is more advantageous to Wang Ye than when Prince Jing of Yan was in danger. Once you start the war, do you have to worry about not being able to do it? "
As he spoke, his heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. He had already received the news that his father was defeated and killed. The Maitreya Sect had suffered a heavy blow. Not only were the core believers wiped out, but the court was also searching the world according to the names of these people. The Maitreya Sect said that they wanted to take over the country and restore their vitality. They could not do it without sixty or seventy years of effort.
Now that King Ning could not take over the world, he did not have the ability to take it back from him. However, if King Ning could succeed, the strength of the Maitreya Sect could take the opportunity to develop again. Then in his lifetime, there might be a chance. If Prince Ning failed, then he would have dealt a heavy blow to the Great Ming Dynasty. It was better for a fellow Daoist to die than for a poor Daoist. As for whether Prince Ning lived or died, it had nothing to do with him.
Therefore, he was filled with hatred and wanted to use King Ning as a knife to avenge the Maitreya Sect and his father.
When King Ning heard this, his heart was at ease. He looked hopefully at his three capable assistants and asked, "In that case, do you have any suggestions? What should I do?"
The three think tanks each pondered and began to give King Ning ideas.
At present, taking advantage of the fact that the news from the court had not yet arrived, striking first and taking the initiative to start the war was the best choice. In King Ning's hands were the troops of the Three Guards. Together with the Red Tassel Society, the pirates of Poyang Lake, and the local gangs and organizations in Jiangxi, as well as the officers and men of the Imperial Guard Office that he had already bribed, he could gather at least fifty thousand troops. If he also planned to assassinate the generals in various places, he could entice the officers and men under his command to join him. He should be able to gather close to eighty thousand troops. This kind of power was enough to fight.
Nanchang was an isolated city with no power and no power. There was basically no room for development if they established themselves here. The only way out was to go north and take the capital and occupy Nanjing. First, they could divide the river and rule it with the imperial court, and then they could plan for the rest of the world. After some discussion, Li Shishi concluded, "Wangye, in subordinate's opinion, we can find an excuse to summon the officials of the three departments of Jiangxi and the civil and military ministers. Then we can falsify the Empress Dowager's edict and use the excuse that the Emperor is not the Former Emperor's biological son to start the war.
If there is anyone who disobeys, behead him without mercy, seize his official seal and drive the officers and men away. If we go directly north to the capital, first, it would be somewhat risky for the army to penetrate deep into the enemy's territory alone. Second, it will be winter soon, which is disadvantageous to our southern army. We might as well take Peidu first. Nanjing has six ministries and nine ministers. As long as Wangye can take Nanjing, you can immediately ascend the throne and become the Emperor. At the same time, you will have half of Jiangnan's most fertile land. The officials of various prefectures in Jiangnan will see that Wangye's power is great, there will be many who will follow him. We will then have the ability to compete with Zhengde. "
Listening to this, King Ning repeatedly nodded his head. Liu Yangzheng added, "Nanchang is our foundation. We can leave ten to twenty thousand men here to defend the city. At the same time, to the south of Jiangxi, we can borrow the power of the Miao, She, and other tribes' chieftains to take advantage of the danger to set up a defensive line. This defensive line will only defend and not attack.
Li Ziran smiled and said, "Actually, Nanchang is extremely sturdy. In the past, Zhu Wenzheng led less than ten thousand men to defend this city and resisted Chen Youliang's six hundred thousand army for three months. But now? Although the surrounding prefectures and Taoist generals are Yang Ling's trusted aides, Ming Destiny's control over his troops is very strict. Before the imperial court sends out an imperial envoy to summon the general and unify the troops, they can only defend their own territory and cannot invade the province.
Even if there are officials loyal to the imperial court in Jiangxi, they will not be able to gather ten thousand men. How can we attack Nanchang? Nanchang is sturdy and cannot be attacked. It is better to recruit those good at fighting Wolf soldiers to help us attack Nanjing. "
King Ning still cared a lot about his hometown. The wealth he had accumulated was all here. How could he allow it to be lost? He hurriedly shook his head and said, "Not appropriate, not appropriate. Mister Liu is right. Nanchang cannot be lost. I can use all my troops to attack Nanjing. I will leave five thousand soldiers here to defend the city. It is better for the chieftains' troops to temporarily guard the southern front."
Hearing that he was willing to use all his troops, Li Ziran did not say anything more. After a round of discussion, they immediately split up and left. Li Ziran was responsible for mobilizing the troops and summoning the heroes of the Three Mountains and Five Peaks for a meeting to prepare for tomorrow's rebellion. Liu Yangzheng went to prepare the armors, money and rations for the troops. Li Shishi went back and racked his brains, wanting to write a crusade that was equal to a hundred thousand troops.
King Ning was the busiest. On one hand, he ordered several housekeepers to copy the invitations. On the pretext of his beloved concubine's birthday, he summoned the officials of the three departments of Nanchang for a banquet. On the other hand, he had to meet with the trusted generals of the three guards' personal army to instruct them and secretly set up an ambush in the mansion tomorrow. At the same time, he sent people to summon a few of his ignorant and incompetent Junwang brothers and nephews to unify their internal opinions. They were ready to go to war. Brothers, father and son, they were going to defeat little Zhengde.
The lights of Ning Wang Fu did not stop burning through the night. Zhu Chenhao was going to revolt!
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