The Red Mansion: From a Small Pawn to a Leader

As the old saying goes, whether winter will be cold or not can be determined by the first day of October.

In the early morning, there was a continuous drizzle in Shengjing City, causing the temperature to drop sharply. It was so cold that pedestrians on the road had to hunch their necks, and the stray dogs that usually ran around were nowhere to be found.

In front of the red lacquered and copper-nailed gate of Prince Kang's palace, two palace guards in casual clothes, both dressed like padded monkeys, were standing with their hands in their sleeves and stamping their feet to keep out the cold.

An imperial guard started to curse: "Damn it! This weather is so damn cold!"

Another imperial guard said: "Don't be so cold, just do your job well. Our master is not Emperor Qianlong, he is very cruel."

Suddenly, there was a sound of hurried footsteps. The two men looked over and saw two teams of soldiers appearing simultaneously from the two corners of the street.

A group of soldiers blocked the entire street, and then another group of soldiers, armed with swords and guns, quickly ran to the gate of Prince Kang's mansion and lined up beside the wall.

Before the two imperial guards could recover from their shock, they heard another sound of running. Then another group of soldiers appeared, escorting a luxurious carriage.

An imperial guard exclaimed, "It's He Zhongtang's carriage." After saying that, he quickly walked down the steps and knelt down.

Another palace guard followed closely and knelt down as well.

The carriage stopped in front of Prince Kang's mansion. Liu Quan whipped the horse, jumped down from the carriage, and knocked on the door: "We're here, sir." Then he opened the door.

Heshen came out of the carriage. Liu Quan quickly reached out and held Heshen's arm. An officer promptly placed a step stool on the left side of the door, and Heshen stepped on the step stool to get out of the carriage.

Two imperial guards: "We bow to the Lord."

He Shen: "Open the door."

The two palace guards answered, "Yeah!" and climbed up, took out the key from their waist, opened the huge lock, and then pushed open the two heavy vermilion lacquered and copper-nailed doors with a creak.

He Shen said to the carriage, "General Manager Dai, please come in."

Before he finished speaking, Dai Quan appeared in front of the carriage door. His eyes first turned to the plaque on the Kang Wang Mansion, then he raised his head and looked in the direction of the capital, and then he got off the carriage holding the iron chain.

Dai Quan's clothes were disheveled, his face was covered with bruises, and there were even bloodstains on his neck.

Heshen looked at him, smiled, and stretched out his hand as a gesture of giving way: "Please come in." After saying that, he walked in first.

Dai Quan followed in carrying the chain.

The door of the main hall was open, and a chair was placed inside the door. On the chair sat the King Kang, and behind him stood the Queen Kang.

The team of officers and soldiers swarmed in and immediately dispersed to stand in different places in the yard.

He Shen walked in and went straight to the front hall. He first greeted Princess Kang politely, then smiled and said to King Kang: "I brought an acquaintance to your Highness, from the capital."

Someone is coming from the capital? Prince Kang's eyes flickered and he stood up excitedly.

Princess Kang was startled at first, then she forced a smile, walked to the front of Prince Kang, bowed slightly, and said, "I congratulate His Majesty!"

King Kang took her hand and said with a smile, "Let's go home together."

Princess Kang hummed and lowered her head.

Looking at this pair of "unfortunate couple", Heshen shook his head slightly, and then said loudly: "Liu Quan, please invite Dai Zongguan in."

Chief Steward Dai? Dai Quan is here?! King Kang's eyes lit up and he stared at the moon gate in the courtyard.

Liu Quan led Dai Quan in.

Prince Kang was stunned for a moment, then glared at Heshen: "He Zhongtang? What's going on?!"

Heshen just smiled and didn't answer.

Princess Kang: "He Zhongtang"

He Shen had no choice but to answer: "Please ask Chief Steward Dai to help the prince solve his doubts." He then said to Liu Quan: "Everyone go out and keep the door closed."

"Hey!" Liu Quan waved his hand, led the group of soldiers out, and closed the courtyard gate from the outside.

Dai Quan slowly walked into the front hall, stopped in front of Prince Kang, and then knelt down respectfully while holding the iron chain: "Old slave Dai Quan pays respect to His Highness Prince Kang."

King Kang: "Chief Dai, what is going on?"

Dai Quan kowtowed three times and put his head down on the ground.

King Kang seemed to have thought of something, and his body trembled slightly: "General Manager Dai"

He Shen spoke up: "General Manager Dai, now that it has come to this, there is no need to hide anything. The assassins you brought with you have confessed everything. Tell us now."

Heshen's words were like a punch to Prince Kang's heart. His face turned as white as paper, his lips trembled constantly, and he was unable to speak for a long time.

Princess Kang was shocked: "Your Majesty!"

King Kang finally came to his senses and said nothing more. He turned around, walked to the chair, sat down, and slowly closed his eyes.

"Your Highness." Princess Kang looked worried.

He Shen spoke again: "General Manager Dai"

Princess Kang pointed her finger and said, "Get out! Get out of here! We don't welcome you in the Kang Palace!"

He Shen was not afraid, and said with a smile: "This is the order of His Majesty."

Princess Kang: “You”

"Let him speak." King Kang's voice became hoarse in an instant.

Princess Kang was so angry that her eyes turned red: "My Lord."

King Kang opened his eyes and looked at Dai Quan: "Chief Dai."

Dai Quan raised his head: "The Supreme Emperor has done his best! In order to save you, the prince, he agreed to all of Fu Kang'an's unreasonable demands, released Heshen back to Shengjing, ceded Jinzhou and other places, and was deceived by Fu Kang'an four times, losing more than 500,000 shi of grain. It's not that the Supreme Emperor didn't want to save you, the prince, it's that Fu Kang'an has no integrity! No matter how much he pays, he will not let you return to the capital!"

At this point, his eyes turned red, "The Dashun is now at a critical juncture of life and death. The rebels of Prince Nan'an have conquered several provinces in the southwest in just a few months, and are on the verge of annexing all the prefectures and counties in the south of the Yangtze River.

If this is true, half of Dashun's territory will change hands. The southeastern sea border has also been attacked by the Western Barbarians, and there is also a war in the northern desert. The Jurchen Tatars are even more ambitious, gathering hundreds of thousands of troops and horses, ready to move."

King Kang was shocked and stared at Dai Quan in a daze.

"Your Highness!" Dai Quan cried out, tears dripping from his eyes: "If there is even a little hope, the Supreme Emperor will not, will not." When he said this, his eyes were covered with tears, and his throat was choked by tears, and he could not speak for a while.

King Kang moved his body slightly and opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Dai Quan: "Please don't hate the Supreme Emperor! The Supreme Emperor should consider the country and people of his ancestors. If he wants to hate, then hate Fu Kang'an for being dishonest and for being born into an imperial family!"

At this point, he closed his eyes and then looked at Heshen, "Who betrayed us?"

Heshen blinked and said nothing.

Dai Quan: "There is a box under the dry well in the yard next to the stronghold. Inside are several bills from Li's Bank, totaling 50,000 taels."

He Shen coughed and lowered his voice: "The news came from the White Lotus Sect."

Dai Quan looked at him and said, "There are still 30,000 in the kang of the main room."

He Shen was silent for a moment: "As soon as you left the capital, the news was sent out."

Dai Quan's mind buzzed. There was actually someone from the White Lotus Sect around the Supreme Emperor. Who was it? At this moment, the scene in the Baohe Hall that day suddenly emerged in his mind. There were only three people in the hall, the Supreme Emperor, the eunuch on duty, and him. Could it be the eunuch on duty? No, the eunuch on duty could not leave the Baohe Hall.

He suddenly remembered that he met the top scholar when he came out. Yes, he must have overheard the words of the Supreme Emperor!

Thinking of this, he looked at He Shen and asked, "Is he the number one scholar?"

He Shen was startled at first, then shook his head: "I don't know about this."

Dai Quan was silent, as if he remembered the scene at that time, and then gritted his teeth and said, "It must be this bastard!"

After saying that, he slowly looked at King Kang, "Your Majesty's surname is Li, and you are a direct descendant of the Han royal family. You must be brave and must not humiliate your ancestors. Here comes your old slave!" As he said that, he wrapped the iron chain around his neck, hanged himself, and fell straight towards the direction of the capital.

"Manager Dai!" Prince Kang stood up suddenly.

Princess Kang exclaimed.

Heshen was stunned for a moment, then he sighed and shouted loudly, "Someone come here!" Liu Quan came in and was also stunned.

Heshen waved his hand.

Liu Quan understood and ordered several soldiers to carry Dai Quan's body out.

He Shen folded his arms and said, "Your Majesty is still waiting for a reply, so I won't disturb the prince and princess."

After saying that, he strode out, then stopped, and then walked back: "I almost forgot. His Majesty will soon lead his army south, and then we will need your help."

"Why do you want to help us?" King Kang suddenly asked.

Heshen smiled, turned and walked out.

King Kang fell down on the chair.

Princess Kang: "Your Majesty."

King Kang suddenly burst into laughter, his voice shaking the roof tiles.

Princess Kang looked at him with concern.

King Kang actually laughed until tears came out of his eyes: "After all the planning and arguing, in the end, it's all in vain. Oh, God, you are so unfair, you are so unfair!"

Princess Kang: "Your Majesty."

King Kang suddenly looked at her and asked, "Will you accompany me?"

Princess Kang seemed to see something in his eyes and held the king's hand: "I will always be with you, Your Majesty. If we can't live together, we can die together."

Prince Kang did not speak, but held Princess Kang's hand tightly, with a gleam in his eyes, as if he had made up his mind.
The sky in the capital is still clear, but the hearts of the people in the capital are as cold as early winter.

Since the news of the fall of Hunan, the capital has received bad news almost every day, even three times a day. The people have become numbed by the bad news.

According to the constellations, the north belongs to Xuanwu. Xuanwu is in charge of weapons, so when going to war, the troops usually leave the city from the north gate. The reason why it is named Deshengmen is that it means "victory by virtue" and "moral victory". When encountering a war, the troops go out from Deshengmen and return from Andingmen, which means "a successful start" and "peace and stability" respectively.

Deshengmen is where military vehicles pass, and is known as the "military gate". As it is the road leading north out of the country, even fewer people pass through it.

There was not a breath of wind, and the flags on the towers drooped. The officers and soldiers on duty in front of the city gates also looked listless and listless.

After not seeing any civilians entering or leaving the city for a long time, a garrison soldier could not help but say, "What kind of war is this! In just three or two months, several provinces in the southwest have fallen, and the local government troops have transformed into rebels. I finally understand that we northerners have to rely on us to fight the war."

Another garrison soldier said: "I heard that the rebels of Prince Nan'an have divided their forces, heading north to attack Hubei, Henan and other places, and heading east to attack Jiangxi."

Another garrison soldier said: "You don't know yet, do you? Yesterday I heard from my relative who works in the Ministry of War that the rebels of Prince Nan'an not only captured Jiangxi, but also Anqing across the way."

"Oh!" everyone exclaimed.

The garrison soldier enjoyed the looks coming his way and said, "My relative also said that if Anqing is lost, Nanjing will be in danger. The Prince of Nan'an will definitely attack Nanjing City!"

"Oh?!" The sound uttered by everyone at the same time sounded like an exclamation, but also contained some doubt.

The defender said: "Jinling was the secondary capital of the former Ming Dynasty, it has an imperial aura!"

"Oh" everyone suddenly realized.

The officer on duty came over and shouted, "Damn it! You are tired of living! Who told you to talk nonsense here?!"

The defenders immediately shut up.

Suddenly, there was a thunderous sound of horse hooves.

The officer on duty quickly looked over there, only to see more than a dozen riders rushing over in a cloud of dust, with faint yellow flags on their waists. They were rushing 800 miles. Could it be that Mobei had also lost the battle? It shouldn't be? The Duke of Lu was a famous general who always won!

In the distance, shouts of "Great victory in Mobei! One hundred thousand killed in battle" could be heard.

The officer on duty was stunned for a moment, then he grabbed the arm of the guard next to him and asked anxiously: "Did you hear it?"

The defenders' voices trembled: "Great victory in Mobei! 100,000 killed in battle!"

Before he could finish his words, the postman shouted "Great victory in Mobei! One hundred thousand killed in the battle!" and rushed into Deshengmen on his horse.

Cheers of "Victory" rang out outside Deshengmen
"Good fight!"

The Supreme Emperor suddenly stood up from the couch, his cheeks flushed, and he looked extremely excited.

At this moment, the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, Zhen Yingjia, and two Grand Secretaries Shi and Meng came in breathlessly. Seeing this, they looked at each other and realized that the news was true.

The Supreme Emperor read the military report carefully again, then slapped it twice in his palm, and then said loudly to the four people: "On September 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, and 21, Li Hu fought a decisive battle with the enemy in the northeast of Wuchuan City, and won six battles in a row. With the cooperation of the four princes, the enemy was completely defeated in the early morning of the 22nd. The remnants of the Mongolians and some of the Luosha retreated to the Mongolian grasslands in the south of the desert. 100,000 heads were captured.
Haha, 100,000 is a bit exaggerated, but I admit it. Even if he said he killed 200,000, 300,000 or even 1 million, as long as the victory report is true, I will acknowledge his military achievement!"

The four of them looked at each other and said in unison: "We congratulate the Supreme Emperor!"

The Supreme Emperor sat on the couch again: "What do you think I should do to reward Li Hu?"

There was silence.

The Supreme Emperor: “What’s wrong?” He glanced at everyone.

Zhen Yingjia and the two Grand Secretaries Shi and Meng all looked at the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister paused and said, "Logically, Li Hu should be promoted to the title of king. However, the court has conferred titles on two kings of different surnames who have rebelled. This is a serious matter, so I think we should wait a little longer."

The Supreme Emperor thought for a moment and said, "I understand your concerns, but the state affairs are in a mess right now. We must make use of military generals and delegate power to them. We must quell the rebellions in various places as soon as possible and promote Li Hu to the title of King. This will also boost the morale of the army and inspire other generals."

After a pause, he said, "This title should have been given to Li Hu long ago."

The Prime Minister had nothing else to say, so he had to answer, "Yes."

The Supreme Emperor was silent for a moment. "The title of Prince of Lu is a princely title, and cannot be awarded to foreign ministers. Li Hu was the one who pacified the wars in Mobei several times. He seems to be born to be the nemesis of the Mongols. So, Li Hu will be named the King of Zhenbei, and he will suppress the Mongols in the north for generations on behalf of Dashun!"

At this point, he turned his gaze to the eunuch in charge of the seal and said, "Let the Li family hold a grand banquet, a buffet, the more lively the better! All officials above the seventh rank in the capital must go to congratulate, so that the people of the capital can feel at ease."

The eunuch in charge of the seal answered loudly, "Yes."

At this time, Li Hu was entertaining an old friend.

In the back tent, there was a pot of wine and two sets of cups and chopsticks on the table.

Li Hu and Shui Rong sat in the guest of honor seats.

Wang Daniu came in carrying a food box, took out a few home-cooked dishes and placed them on the table.

Shui Rong didn't hesitate to pick up the chopsticks and started eating.

Li Hu looked at him with a smile and asked, "What are your plans?"

Shui Rong stopped using his chopsticks and looked at Li Hu: "You won't kill me?"

Li Hu did not respond to him and told him about some religious situations in the West.

Shui Rong was very smart and understood immediately: "You want me to take the White Lotus Sect to the West?"

Li Hu smiled and nodded, then briefly explained Hong Tianwang's theory again.

Shui Rong was startled at first, then he showed a look of joy, and then he looked at Li Hu with a puzzled look: "Why are you helping me?"

Li Hu: "I just don't like those red-haired devils, so I want you to harm them."

Shui Rong looked at Li Hu and asked, "Aren't you afraid that I will go to the capital or report you to the court?"

Li Hu smiled faintly: "You are a smart person."

Shui Rong also smiled: "It seems that you are very confident in your own abilities!"

Li Hu: "Work hard, maybe you can lead a group of red-haired ghosts to fight back in the future."

Shui Rong's eyes lit up: "Thank you for your good wishes!" and he raised the wine glass.

Li Hu also picked up his wine glass, and the two drank. (End of this chapter)