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On the 22nd of January 1855, Vézé returned to Tianjing City. He naturally had to see Yang Xiuqing first. As soon as he saw Yang Xiuqing, Vézé immediately knelt down and said loudly, "Long live Your Majesty! This subject … Vézé requests an audience! "
Having watched too many movies, Vézé purposely dragged out the word "subject" to emphasize it, making it sound very sincere.
Yang Xiuqing's face was originally tense, as if he had a lot on his mind. When he saw Vézé's salute, he first revealed a slightly stunned expression, but then his expression relaxed. In the end, Yang Xiuqing couldn't help but laugh a few times.
However, Yang Xiuqing was Yang Xiuqing after all. Even though he was relaxed and laughed, he quickly recovered his usual stern expression. Yang Xiuqing waved his hand, "Vézé, get up! It's not time yet. "
Vézé didn't continue his performance. He immediately stood up and waited for Yang Xiuqing to continue.
Yang Xiuqing pondered for a moment, then said, "When the banquet comes, you will stand in the first row, first place. You can ask the Ministry of Rites about this. "
"This subject … will obey Your Majesty's decree!" Vézé answered cleanly.
It was obvious that Yang Xiuqing didn't have anything to talk about with Vézé. After just a brief meeting, Yang Xiuqing dismissed Vézé. When Vézé went to see the Ministry of Rites, he was completely at ease. Yang Xiuqing didn't treat Vézé as a trusted aide, so during this busy time, Vézé only needed to listen to Yang Xiuqing's arrangements. If he really treated Vézé as one of his own, Yang Xiuqing wouldn't just let Vézé bring a few dozen people back to Tianjing City. At the very least, he would let Vézé lead a few thousand soldiers to defend Tianjing City.
Vézé didn't care about this. There was nothing wrong with not participating in this matter. After seeing the Ministry of Rites, Vézé first listened to the arrangements of the Ministry of Rites. How to stand, how to greet, how to address. When the Minister of Rites saw this, he was extremely worried. The entire process was extremely complicated. Wei Ze asked for a pen and paper and wrote down everything he had to do, say, and pay attention to. It took him an hour to get there.
After listening to Vézé, the Minister of Rites couldn't help but complain, "Prince Of Qi, it would be great if everyone else was like you. At least you'll be able to understand after I explain it to you. The others did not take this courtesy seriously at all. They were all thinking about how to make the King Of The East happy. Did they not think that if the ceremony was a mess, would the King Of The East be happy? Alas, if the King Of The East is unhappy and blames me, how can I bear the responsibility? "
Vézé didn't dare to listen to their complaints. He saw an opportunity and quickly left the Ministry of Rites.
On the first night, Vézé stayed at the Prince Of Qi's residence. The next day, he went with Chen Delong to visit the King Of The East's trusted aides. Just as Vézé thought, most of them were busy and didn't see Vézé.
Only Chen Degui, who was in the north of the city, saw Vézé. Walking in Chen Degui's military camp, Vézé rode on a tall horse. Although he chatted with Chen Delong, Vézé's attention was more on the troops in the military camp. Vézé didn't recognize the soldiers, but some of the officers looked familiar. However, their uniforms were completely different. The distinctive features of Vézé's uniform were undoubtedly the "standing collar", "military rank", and "insignia". Now that these accessories were gone, the Taiping army's uniform had no distinctive features, which made Vézé feel helpless.
However, these changes were only limited to the appearance of the soldiers. After all, they were soldiers who had undergone strict training, such as standing and walking. In the eyes of an experienced soldier like Vézé, every detail could tell that his troops were different from other troops. This was a troop that had undergone good training, but now had not undergone systematic training for a long time.
Within this troop, there was still a group of people who maintained good conditions. These faces gave Vézé a sense of familiarity. He could even call out the names of some of them. They were all members of the General Staff, and many of their papers were marked by Vézé. Walking beside Chen Delong, Vézé couldn't talk to these people. He could only keep waving at them. It was obvious that these people had also seen Vézé. Although they were surprised, their faces were filled with joy and hope.
Chen Degui didn't feel particularly close to Vézé. In fact, he seemed to be vaguely opposing him. Chen Delong, on the other hand, seemed to be working hard to establish a relationship. Vézé didn't care. He had already done what he needed to do. Now, all he had to do was wait.
After returning home, the curfew began as soon as the sky darkened. Vézé went out with his guards and his wife, Qi Hongyi. Holding the pass that he got from Chen Delong, Vézé didn't care about the group of people who were enforcing the curfew. The group went straight to the residence of Vézé's father-in-law.
There was a good reason for this trip. Vézé wanted to bring his wife home to visit his relatives. As for why they had to leave during the curfew, Vézé gave Chen Delong the reason. "I have to put on a show when I go out. Now that the King Of The East is going to be conferred the title of 'Long Live the Emperor', how can I put on a show in Tianjing City?" Chen Delong admired Vézé's cautiousness, so he took the initiative to get a pass for Vézé.
Qi Yuchang didn't expect Vézé to come to his house at night. He hurried to welcome him. When one becomes a bibliophile, this house is quite big. There were two empty rooms for Vézé's guards to rest. Qi Yuchang and Vézé started talking in the back hall.
"Prince Of Qi, why did you come here at this time?" This was the thing that Qi Yuchang didn't understand the most.
"I'm afraid that something is going to happen in Tianjing City." Vézé felt that even if he didn't say it, Qi Hongyi wouldn't sit by and watch as her father, Qi Yuchang, got involved in this matter without knowing anything.
Regardless of how shocked Qi Yuchang was, Vézé said, "Also, I have a favor to ask of you this time. You said that there are many scholars in Tianjing City in the King Of The East's residence who will be consulted by the King Of The East. Father-in-law, please write down the names of these people. "
Qi Yuchang could obviously tell that Vézé wasn't joking. Qi Yuchang had read a lot of books, so it wasn't hard for him to guess that something would happen. He saw with his own eyes how Yang Xiuqing used such forceful methods to suppress his opponents. If Yang Xiuqing could really intimidate the entire court, why would he use such methods?
"When will it be?" Qi Yuchang tried his best to suppress the excitement in his heart and asked in a calm tone.
"It will definitely be before the coronation ceremony," Vézé replied. "According to the time set by the Ministry of Rites, the King Of The East's coronation ceremony will be held the day after tomorrow. At this time, the King Of The East's subordinates are all busy with this matter. Everyone in the city is busy with this matter, so this is an opportunity. If the coronation ceremony ends and the King Of The East's title is set, what's there to fight for? Whoever dares to touch the King Of The East will be a traitor to the Heavenly State! "
"Really?" Qi Yuchang didn't really believe Vézé's judgment.
"Father-in-law! I'm afraid you're thinking of this as the Spring and Autumn Warring States Period, right? During the Spring and Autumn Warring States Period, the alliance between countries changed every day. Countries were waiting to stab their allies in the back. That was the tradition of that time. Now in the Heavenly State, it's said that the Heavenly King, the King Of The East, the North King, and the Wing King are all family. They're all deities who descended from the heavens. As long as the Heavenly King attends the coronation ceremony and is conferred the title of 'Long Live' on the King Of The East, that's the oracle! The soldiers feel that this is a family matter. As long as the edict is announced, the King Of The East's position will be unshakable. Whoever dares to touch the King Of The East will be a traitor! "
At this point, Wei Ze suddenly understood something and laughed out loud. "So that's how it is! In Father-in-law's eyes, we are nothing more than traitors. Haha! "
After hearing Vézé's words, Qi Yuchang's face turned pale. However, he saw that Vézé didn't have any hostility. Moreover, from Vézé's words, he couldn't see any respect for the Taiping Rebellion from Vézé's words. The fear quickly disappeared from Qi Yuchang's face. He picked up the teacup and took a sip. When he first picked up the teacup, Qi Yuchang's hands were still trembling. After drinking the tea, Qi Yuchang had regained his composure. He said with a straight face, "Miracles have no owner. They belong to those who are virtuous and powerful. I'm a person who reads the books of sages. I can't believe in deities coming down from the heavens. "
"Then, Father-in-law, do you think that I, your son-in-law, am a virtuous and powerful person?" Vézé smiled.
These words clearly expressed Vézé's attitude. Qi Yuchang's eyes widened so much that his eyeballs almost popped out. After a while, he finally regained his composure and asked, "If Prince Of Qi really has such intentions, why do you put yourself in danger?"
"If I kill the King Of The East and the Heavenly King, others won't think that I, Vézé, did it because I had no other choice. Instead, they will think that I, Vézé, betrayed the King Of The East and the Heavenly King. Even without the Manchu Qing attacking, the people of Heavenly State will not let me off. I don't want to end up like that. This is the first reason. "
After listening to Vézé's analysis, Qi Yuchang nodded slightly.
"The second reason is that the parents and sisters of many of my subordinates are in Tianjing City. If I leave Heavenly State with these subordinates, they will definitely not be at ease. Furthermore, it will leave countless problems for my army, "Vézé said slowly. As the leader of an army, Vézé never thought that with one command, the troops would disregard their parents and brothers and sisters for Vézé. When the supreme commander completely disregarded the relatives of his subordinates and the interests of his subordinates. What reason would his subordinates have to risk their lives for the supreme commander?
"The third reason is that if I can't stay in Tianjing City and allow others to control the core of the army. By then, if anything happens in Tianjing City, won't it be up to them to spout nonsense? My subordinates know that I am not in Tianjing City. How can they really believe what I say? At that time, I can only listen to what others say. If I am in Tianjing City, they will only believe what I say to my subordinates. Confucius said that the people cannot stand without trust! During Shang Yang's reform, didn't they place a pole at the city gate and say that whoever can carry the pole away will be given 50 gold? The purpose of doing so is to gain the trust of the people! "
Qi Yuchang listened to Vézé's words and nodded. However, he still couldn't help but say, "But to put yourself in danger, isn't it a bit …"
"Haha! Father-in-law, you are also someone who has read a lot of books. Which of those founding emperors could peacefully rule the world? Yu the Great controlled the floods because he was healthy. It was not strange for him to get sick and not be treated. Shang Tang was once imprisoned. As for Prince Zhou, he narrowly escaped death several times. In order to escape, Emperor Gaozu of Han threw his wife and children off the carriage. Cao Cao cut his beard and threw away his robe. Sima Yi was almost burned to death in Gourd Valley. At that time, the Sui Dynasty was in chaos. After Li Yuan and Li Shimin fought hundreds of battles, if Li Shimin didn't start the Xuanwu Gate rebellion, would his brother let him go? Emperor Taizu of Song risked his life for the Chai Clan. Emperor Taizu of Ming was so confident that without Concubine Ma's help, he would have starved to death in prison. "
Listening to Vézé's mix of historical records, novels, and folklore, the well-read Qi Yuchang didn't find it funny. He just felt that Vézé was more like encouraging himself.
In fact, when Vézé said those three reasons, Qi Yuchang already understood that when Vézé saw his great cause as his goal, he could only make this choice. This wasn't a risk, but some things had to be done by Vézé himself.
However, what Vézé said later showed that Vézé wasn't a fearless person. Vézé also felt the risks.
"Prince Qi, are you going to take away the people from the King Of The East's residence?" Qi Yuchang asked.
"Take them away first. If they don't want to follow me, then there's nothing I can do. I'll let them choose. "Vézé answered.
Without asking how Vézé planned to take so many people away with his guards, Qi Yuchang said, "I'll start writing the list now."
"Thank you, father-in-law! It's getting late. I'll go sleep now. "Vézé said.
"Okay! Prince Qi, please help yourself! "Qi Yuchang answered straightforwardly.
Returning to Qi Hongyi's room, Qi Hongyi was sitting at the table. Seeing Vézé come in, Qi Hongyi poured a glass of water for Vézé. Vézé drank it in one gulp, then without taking off his clothes, he kicked off his shoes and laid on the bed.
Qi Hongyi covered him with a blanket, then pulled a blanket over him and sat beside Vézé. She said in a low voice, "You sleep first, I'll keep watch for you!"
"Okay!" Vézé responded, but didn't say anything else.
The two had already discussed Vézé's trip. When Qi Hongyi first learned of Vézé's plan, she was extremely anxious. But after entering Tianjing City, although Qi Hongyi didn't smile, she didn't reveal any anxious or panicked expression either. After returning to her parents' home, Qi Hongyi could even smile when facing her father and brother.
In this dangerous night, Qi Hongyi didn't say any nonsense and tried to make Vézé worry less. Vézé lay beside his wife, feeling very peaceful. He wanted to sleep, and now that he was in a good mood, he quickly fell asleep.
The gunshots outside, the feeling of Qi Hongyi pushing Vézé's shoulder, and the sound of the guards moving quickly woke Vézé up almost at the same time. When he fell asleep, his first thought was to wake up full of energy. Sitting up, Vézé felt refreshed.
Qi Hongyi had already lit the lights and opened the door. The guard captain walked in quickly, "Chief of General Staff, it seems that something has happened!"
"Don't worry about it, hurry up and eat. Prepare the weapons, "Vézé ordered.
There were actually many steps to prepare before a battle, and no matter how anxious one was, these steps could not be missed. They had to eat, clean the guns, check the bullets, fire caps, and rearrange their clothes, belts, leggings, and cloth shoes. By the time Vézé's troops were completely prepared, and even did the most basic body stretching, leg pressing, and other movements, the sky was already bright.
Wei Ze left behind five guards to defend Qi Yuchang's house. In fact, rather than saying that these five guards were there to prevent outsiders from breaking into Qi Yuchang's house, it was better to say that they were there to prevent the Qi family from leaking information. Just as Vézé was about to set off with his troops, Qi Hongyi came out with a large cloak. This was a very ordinary cloak. It covered Wei Ze's royal highness's yellow clothes, so it could at least cover him a little.
After tying the belt for Vézé, Qi Hongyi stared at Vézé and said, "I wish you success!"
At this time, the troops left Qi Yuchang's house and lined up outside. Vézé gave his wife a smile that he did not understand, and strode out the door.
It was only a few steps away, but Vézé's mind was completely focused on what he was going to do next. In an instant, Qi Hongyi and Qi Yuchang completely disappeared from Vézé's mind. Even Vézé himself no longer existed in his heart.
"Go!" Vézé ordered after getting on his horse!
PS: Two chapters were updated after midnight today. This is the last chapter of today's update, so don't wait for another update today.
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