knife

Chapter 236 Exposed
The Yuan Dynasty adopted a typical policy of strengthening the central government and weakening local powers.

The most elite and powerful armies in the country are concentrated around Yandu.

The four main camps, located in the southeast, northwest, and southwest, each housed 25,000 men to protect the capital.

These 100,000 men were commonly known as the emperor's personal guard.

It was also similar to the Imperial Guard of the Qin Dynasty.

However, the Yuan Dynasty's 100,000-strong army was always firmly in the hands of the emperor, and anyone who tried to take control of this force would naturally not have a good outcome.

In recent years, the emperor led this army in fierce battles against the Northern and Western Hu tribes in the northern frontier, completely crushing the barbarian tribes that were moving south.

Besides this army of 100,000, the other force in Yandu was the garrison army.

Strictly speaking, it cannot be considered a field force, but only a garrison force.

However, in recent years, with the emperor leading an army of 100,000 on campaigns abroad, the third prince Akdun took power and began to gradually transform this garrison. After years of effort, the force has become quite mature, and its combat effectiveness has increased day by day, making it a force that the Yuan Kingdom cannot ignore.

Akton openly built this army.

The reasons given were irrefutable, and no one could object to them.

With the emperor leading his personal army on campaigns, what would happen if the capital of Yan did not have a strong force and the enemy attacked?
This force was previously in the hands of Astu, who was a staunch supporter of Aktun.

Therefore, Tiele was determined to eliminate Astu.

Only with Astu dead could this power possibly fall into Wutu's hands.

The situation in Yandu was becoming increasingly tense as the emperor's illness worsened.

In particular, the departure of Fu Qingzhu, the master of Gourd Valley, further illustrates that the emperor is nearing the end of his life.

Although it was late autumn, Yandu was as if it were being scorched by a raging fire, and everyone in it was drenched in sweat.

The choice at this moment is crucial; whether the family continues its wealth or collapses depends on whether they choose the right side this time.

Compared to those who were jumping around asking for information, Wutu appeared exceptionally calm, holding 30,000 garrison troops and firmly controlling the major city gates of Yandu.

If he doesn't want to, not only the army, but even the most insignificant cat or dog can't get into Yandu.

Everyone thought he was one of the third brother, Akodun's, men.

And he did indeed appear to be one of the third brother, Akodun's, men.

Gao Qunshu took off his felt hat, revealing a full beard. He looked somewhat haggard, but there was a light in his eyes.

It was the radiant joy of having victory in hand and about to reap a tremendous reward.

"His Highness has secretly taken over the Eastern Camp!" Gao Qunshu said to Wutu. "The commander of the Eastern Camp, Yeli, was originally His Majesty's bodyguard and is extremely loyal to His Majesty. After the Second Prince entered the Eastern Camp with His Majesty's letter, Yeli swore allegiance to the Second Prince."

Wutu nodded: "What did the other three camps say?"

“There is no such thing as perfection!” Gao Qunshu said, “Both the North and South camps are controlled by powerful families. They have always been wavering, and they will never reveal their stance until the final moment when the overall situation is already decided. As for the West camp, the people who have been recruited in recent years are mainly Northern and Western barbarians. They are loyal to His Highness, but since His Highness is not in Yandu, they are leaderless, so we don’t need to worry too much. We can’t recruit them, and His Highness can’t command them either.”

"As long as the two major camps in the north and south remain neutral, victory is assured!" Wu Tu said. "Although I have only been in the garrison for half a year, I have already gathered some men. When we make our move, we only need to gather the high-ranking officers of the garrison and wipe them out in one fell swoop. The men below will be at our beck and call. What do they know?"

"The East Gate must be completely under our control. The key to that is for the East Camp troops to enter the city smoothly."

"Don't worry, I've already arranged for my trusted men to take over Dongdaemun."

"The key now is whether we can find a way to connect to the palace?" Gao Qunshu said. "If His Majesty leaves, but the palace is still under the control of Akdun, and they keep it a secret, then we will be in a very passive position."

"Didn't you say that the Second Prince had already obtained His Majesty's will?"

"There are two copies of the will. One is handwritten by the emperor and stamped with the imperial seal. It was given to the empress to take out of the palace. The other is the official one, but it is hidden behind the plaque in the Hall of Diligent Governance. Our concern is that if the emperor passes away and we don't know about it, and the Third Prince gets his hands on this copy, he could easily make some changes. In that case, the weight of the will would be greatly reduced, because no one can convince us which copy is the real one."

“I’ll figure something out!” Wutu nodded. “Azaxi will definitely not defect to us, but he still has people under his command that we can bribe.”

Gao Qunshu nodded: "Alright, we'll wait for your news. I'll stay in the city during this time, in the same old place. If there's anything urgent, you can go there to let me know!"

Wutu nodded.

Just after Gao Qunshu left, a message came from the residence of the Third Prince Aktun, requesting that Wutu come to the palace immediately for a meeting.

This is not surprising.

In fact, with the old emperor on his deathbed, the eldest prince at war with the Qin people's Anxi Protectorate in the southern border, and the second prince having only recently returned to Yandu, the relevant political affairs of the entire Yuan Dynasty were indeed actually controlled by the third prince, Akdun.

Given the current situation, a meeting is to be expected. With the old emperor critically ill, it's not just certain people in Yandu who are in turmoil.

Throughout the various regions under the jurisdiction of the Great Yuan Empire, there were still many people who were absent-minded and disoriented.

While some were worried about the Yuan Dynasty, there were also some ambitious individuals.

They wanted to take this opportunity to test the tolerance and bottom line of the Yuan Dynasty's central government.

When dealing with such people, we cannot afford to be lenient with them; we must give them a stern warning and make them realize the truth.

On this point, regardless of which faction they belonged to, everyone in Yandu shared a consensus.

We can fight,
You men below, just behave yourselves.
If you try to jump up and put on a show, don't blame us for letting the protruding rafter rot first.

The emperor usually worked in the Qin Zheng Hall, while the third prince Akdun handled government affairs mainly in the Guangyang Hall, which was close to the outer perimeter of the imperial city. It was just across the street from the offices of the ministers, making it extremely convenient for him to get things done.

Wutu hurriedly arrived at Guangyang Palace.
He was indeed anxious because the palace was controlled by Azaxi, and he couldn't get his hands in, so he knew nothing about what was happening in the palace.

The fact that the Third Prince convened such a meeting would more or less reveal some information about the Emperor's current situation.

Perhaps during one of these discussions, it will be suddenly announced that the emperor is no longer alive.

If that were the case, Wutu wouldn't find it strange at all.

Stepping into the main hall, Wutu's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Apart from Akdun, who sat in the highest position, there was not a single other person in the entire Guangyang Palace.

The person who informed Wutu said that the Third Prince had summoned everyone to discuss an important matter.

"Your Highness, where are they?" Wu Tu took a few steps forward and asked Akdun, who was sitting above with a half-smile.

Akton said slowly, "I only asked you to come today!"

Wutu's expression changed slightly, but when he looked around the hall and saw that there was no one else there, he felt a little strange. In terms of martial arts cultivation, he was much stronger than Akdun. Did Akdun really think that he would not dare to make a move just because he was a prince?

That would be far too presumptuous.

"What advice does Your Highness have for me?" Wu Tu asked, clasping his hands in greeting.

Aktun nodded: "Wutu, when you were exiled by Astu a few years ago, I did indeed ignore you, but there was nothing I could do about it. I couldn't distance myself from Astu because of you. But I always kept you in my heart. As soon as Astu died, the first person I thought of was you."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness!" Wutu said with a smile and a bow.

"But Wutu, why did you betray me? Was it just because when you were in trouble, the second brother sent you a few things as a show of concern?" Akdun's tone gradually turned cold.

"What are you saying, Your Highness?" Wutu raised his head and looked at Akdun: "Your Highness, please don't listen to the slander of others. Wutu is loyal to Your Highness and has never said a word against you."

“Even now, you still won’t tell the truth?” Akdun sneered. “Wu Tu, at this point, your family members are already under secret surveillance. With just one word from me, they could be torn to pieces at any moment.”

Wu Tu took a deep breath and slowly placed his hand on the hilt of the knife.

“Your Highness, since you already know, you shouldn’t have been alone with me, and even if you were alone with me, you shouldn’t have been so close!” Wutu took another step forward.

"Do you want to commit insubordination?" Akdun sneered.

"Why not?" Wu Tu laughed loudly, pushed off the ground with his foot, and sprang up like a cannonball, rushing straight towards Akdun.

Wutu knew that there was no time to hesitate at this moment; he had to capture Akdun before considering anything else.

Capture him, then take him hostage. At the same time, quickly notify the Second Prince to lead the Eastern Camp army into the city. As long as the Eastern Camp army enters the city, the situation will at least not deteriorate too much.

At the same time, this also allows the emperor to express his opinion in advance.

As long as the emperor can still speak, the Second Prince will have the upper hand.

Seeing Wutu make a move, Akdun sat there without moving an inch, but instead burst into laughter.

Wutu suddenly felt something was amiss; Akdun had never been one to risk his life.

The only reason he dares to confront himself like this is that he must have something to rely on.

The moment this thought crossed his mind, Wutu felt as if he had jumped into a huge swamp, his whole body seemingly wrapped in sticky mud, unable to move forward or backward.

He was shocked.

(End of this chapter)