Chapter 354

It was precisely because the Prince of Zhong cultivated the Dao and brazenly seized the sole chance for immortality, and because the Emperor showed the Prince of Zhong exceptional leniency and favor, that the Prince of Chu mistook the Emperor for old and feeble, no longer able to wield sword or spear—thus daring to raise rebellion. Otherwise, in past times, even a hundredfold courage would not have given the Prince of Chu the audacity to rebel.

Yu Zhaoan's reasoning, at first hearing, was absurd—so absurd it invited laughter.

But upon closer thought, why did the Prince of Chu dare submit a memorial insulting the old Emperor? Why did he dare rise in rebellion at this moment? Naturally, it was because the chaos following the deposed Crown Prince's fall had given him confidence.

In the past, the Prince of Chu's image in court was that of a honest, unambitious, mediocre man with no talent and no inclination to harm the people. Such a royal prince perfectly suited the court's needs and inspired trust.

Yet it was precisely this honest man who, when he finally unleashed his fury, rose in rebellion and swept across the entire south. The wealthy lands of the south would fall into his hands. With more grain and gold, he could raise more troops. With more troops, he could seize more territory.

The imperial army was retreating on every front.

At present, only the troops led by Chen Guanlou still had the strength to fight, holding their city walls and refusing to surrender.

The Chen family is loyal!

Father and son, one in the north, one in the south, had together held back the rebels, preventing them from penetrating the imperial heartland to wreak havoc.

Both north and south were in rebellion—so why were court ministers still bickering, ignoring everything else to destroy Yu Zhaoan? Naturally, because the Great Ming's territory was vast, its resources abundant, its population numerous. These minor rebels in the north and south, these petty disturbances, could not shake the court's foundations.

The court ministers were this confident.

"Absurd and ridiculous!"

Whether Yu Zhaoan had reason or not, opposing him was all that mattered.

"Yu Xiang's talent for forced connections is truly astonishing."

"If Yu Xiang cannot devise a plan to quell the rebels, then stay silent. Why force yourself into disgrace and invite ridicule?"

"The Ji Xia Academy's failure to produce someone like you is complete."

"I am ashamed to have been your classmate."

Yu Zhaoan smiled coldly. "Each of you judges state affairs by personal grudges—how noble is that? You may oppose me, but you cannot deny that the Prince of Chu dared to rebel because of the Prince of Zhong's effective example. Your Majesty, issue an edict to severely punish the Prince of Zhong: confine him, destroy his princely Daoist temple, and expel all Daoists. Also, issue an edict appointing Chen Guanlou as commander of the southern troops, granting him authority to command the armies of several southern provinces, and order him to swiftly organize forces to resist the Prince of Chu—hold him south of the Great Lake."

"Chen Guanlou may command the southern troops. But how innocent is the Prince of Zhong! Your Majesty, do not punish the innocent!"

"Since the deposed Crown Prince's fall, the Prince of Zhong has always observed his duties, committing no fault. Please, Your Majesty, consider his unwavering loyalty and filial piety, and do not pursue this matter."

"Destroy his Daoist temple and expel the Daoists, yes—but please, Your Majesty, do not believe Yu Xiang's wicked words. Doing so would only make kin grieve and enemies rejoice."

The ministers all offered their opinions.

All present were intelligent men; perhaps they had not thought deeply, but from the old Emperor's gaze, they could guess—he had truly been stirred by Yu Zhaoan's incitement to harbor murderous intent toward the Prince of Zhong. The ministers panicked and pleaded for mercy.

How innocent is the Prince of Zhong!

He had done nothing, yet bore a massive false accusation.

All of this was Yu Zhaoan's fault.

Jiang Tu would never plead for the Prince of Zhong—he wished the Prince of Zhong dead. When the Prince of Zhong was Crown Prince, they had never gotten along.

But since all ministers were pleading, if he did not, would he not appear too cold and heartless? Too eccentric? He recalled last time, when he tried to ease the Emperor's burdens—the Emperor nearly killed him. He had barely escaped.

What if—

Jiang Tu was now utterly lost. He suddenly realized he could not fathom the old Emperor's thoughts. Fear and panic surged within him. What should he do? What on earth should he do?

The old Emperor's gaze was dark and brooding—was it aimed at the ministers, or at the Prince of Zhong?

Impossible to tell!

"The matter of the Prince of Zhong can wait. Chen Guanlou is too young, lacks sufficient prestige, and cannot command the armies of several provinces. We must select another capable general. My ministers, who do you recommend?"

The armies of both north and south were under the Chen family's control—just thinking of it sent chills down the spine.

The old Emperor would never make such a mistake.

He glanced at Yu Zhaoan—had he not considered this point, or was it deliberate?

Yu Zhaoan kept his head bowed, now silent, no longer arguing with the ministers. It seemed the purpose of today's morning court had already been achieved.

After endless debate, they finally selected an elderly general from court to lead the southern campaign. Chen Guanlou would serve as deputy, responsible for gathering troops and supplies and holding back the Prince of Chu's army until the senior general arrived.

As the ministers exited the Taiji Palace, several younger officials gathered around Li Liangcheng, whispering and cursing Yu Zhaoan.

"Prime Minister Li, Yu Zhaoan is a rotten apple—this cannot be tolerated!"

"He has no cause to sacrifice the Prince of Zhong—he clearly harbors malicious intent."

"I suspect he's acting on behalf of the Prince of Jin. The Prince of Jin cannot even carry the Prince of Zhong's shoes."

"If Prime Minister Li gives the order, we will risk our lives to bring Yu Zhaoan down. We cannot allow this villain to continue corrupting the court."

"Traitors and rebels must be slain by all. Yu Zhaoan is no longer the man he once was—he is now the court's greatest villain. We must kill him at all costs."

"Kill? Don't talk nonsense." Li Liangcheng coughed several times. "You neglect your duties and only think of dying. Look at yourselves—are you even fit to be court officials? Don't fixate on the immediate. Look ahead. What you see and hear may not be true. Think deeper. Contemplate the implications—it never hurts."

With that, Li Liangcheng swept out.

A pack of fools!

The ministers stared at each other, bewildered.

"What did Prime Minister Li mean? I didn't understand."

"It seems Prime Minister Li was defending Yu Zhaoan."

"Impossible. Absolutely impossible. Don't speak nonsense and confuse your mind."

"Have you ever considered why Yu Zhaoan, with no grievance, suddenly targeted the Prince of Zhong?"

"Of course he has a grievance—Yu Zhaoan and the Prince of Jin are fellow disciples."

"So what? They never got along before. Since Yu Zhaoan's release from prison, they've had no contact. I don't believe Yu Zhaoan is acting for the Prince of Jin. Today's move brings no benefit to the Prince of Jin—it might even implicate him."

The ministers could not agree. Each held their own view, none could convince the others. They simply dispersed.

Crash! Crash! Crash!

Inside the Prince of Jin's mansion, guards stood strict, and from the forbidden study came a series of shattering sounds.

The Prince of Jin, furious and blazing with rage, smashed his study to pieces, leaving the floor in ruins.

"Yu Zhaoan deserves to die! He's clearly framing me! What grudge, what hatred does he hold? Why does he harm me so? Haven't I treated him well? Is he still resentful over his interrogation by the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"