Fu Shanhe

Chapter 455: Horse Trampling Alliance
Looking at the group of generals gathered outside, Li Yuan felt a headache coming on.

The worst-case scenario has still occurred.

The death of the imperial physician ignited suspicions among the nobles regarding the death of the Duke of Cheng.

Before the imperial court could provide an explanation, the generals, feeling a sense of shared fate, took action first.

Even a powerful and influential duke could die under mysterious circumstances; no one can guarantee that something similar won't happen to them.

Whether for the benefit of the group or for one's own benefit, justice must be served for the Duke of Cheng.

What do you want to do?

After glancing at everyone, Li Yuan asked.

"My lord, the Duke has died at the hands of villains. We have come to ask you to uphold justice!"

Everyone answered in unison.

Hearing the expected answer, Li Yuan secretly groaned.

Faction leaders, having enjoyed the benefits of political resources, inevitably have to be the first to step forward when important matters arise.

The current act of upholding justice is, in effect, a challenge to the emperor on behalf of the nobility.

Essentially, it was Emperor Yongning's reckless actions that repeatedly challenged everyone's bottom line.

Now that the situation has developed to this point, regardless of whether the Duke of Cheng was killed by the emperor or not, everyone is ready to pin this label on him.

If he were healthy, Li Yuan wouldn't mind going with the flow and changing the emperor for the sake of the Great Yu dynasty.

But now his health is failing, and it will be difficult for him to hold on until the situation stabilizes.

At this point, with Emperor Yongning brought down, the biggest question became who would be responsible for handling the aftermath.

"Yes, I understand."

"This matter involves a great deal of issues and requires careful planning."

Now that we are on the front lines, we must prioritize the overall situation.

Everyone, please return to camp and resume your duties. We'll settle everything after we return to the capital!

After hesitating for a moment, Li Yuan said in a deep voice.

Not taking the lead is not an option, but blindly taking the lead is even worse.

It's not a good time to overturn the table right now, so let's just stall for time.

If he recovers, he'll clean up this mess himself.

If I were to pass away first, even if the sky were to fall, it wouldn't concern him.

The political risks of "deposing the emperor" are too great. Even if nothing happens now, there is a possibility of being purged in the future.

After all, Emperor Yongning had a son and had even appointed a crown prince.

According to the patriarchal clan system, when an emperor abdicates, the crown prince should succeed him.

Unless the Yongning lineage is completely eradicated, there will always be hidden dangers.

Without a doubt, this is impossible.

As a veteran nobleman, Li Yuan was used to being loyal to the emperor and loving his country, and could not possibly have the idea of ​​"regicide".

If Emperor Yongning hadn't been so incompetent that he threatened the stability of the country, he wouldn't have even considered deposing him.

"Master Hou..."

Before anyone could persuade him, Li Yuan waved his hand to interrupt.

"Alright, you may all leave now!"

After managing to get rid of everyone, Li Yuan spat out a mouthful of blood and then fainted.

"Father……"

"The doctor..."

The scene was chaotic, and the Jinyiwei spies who were lying in wait nearby relayed the message to Emperor Yongning as quickly as possible.

Temporary palace.

Upon receiving the news, Emperor Yongning's face turned terribly grim.

The collusion among military generals brought him immense pressure.

"Closely monitor the actions of all the generals in the army, and secretly issue an edict to Liaodong..."

Halfway through his sentence, Emperor Yongning instantly regained his composure.

The faction of noble generals joined forces because the death of the Duke of Cheng ignited everyone's anger.

If the case of the imperial physician's suicide can be investigated, there is still room for maneuver.

If troops from Liaodong are brought over, and the two sides clash, then all hope will be lost.

After all, the nobles were only dissatisfied with him as emperor; they had no intention of harming the country.

Those hungry wolves in Liaodong Town, once they gain power, who knows what they'll do.

Most importantly, even if his imperial edict is sent, the recipient may not necessarily take any action.

They might even use the secret edict to make deals with the nobility and seek personal gain.

"Your Majesty, the Eastern Depot has received a secret report that a rebellion has broken out in Shandong, and the rebels have blocked the Grand Canal."

After receiving the secret report from Wang Yifeng, who rushed in in a panic, Emperor Yongning quickly glanced through it, and his hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

Although the maritime trade in Dayu was well-developed, the official logistics and transportation between the north and south still relied on the Grand Canal.

The weight of "the livelihoods of millions of canal workers" is too heavy for anyone to touch lightly.

The imperial court dared not touch it, but the rebels did.

After occupying the canal, the Shandong rebels immediately dumped large amounts of earth and stones into the river.

Restoring navigation would require months of clearing the waterway; it simply cannot be done without this.

Merchants have a habit of stockpiling goods, and in normal times, when this happens, it's simply because prices in the north are rising.

At a time like this, cutting off the river would cut off the army's logistical lifeline.

"Bastard!"

"The Shandong governor deserves to die!"

"The Grand Canal Transport Commissioner deserves to die even more!"

The repeated "damn it!" and the murderous glare were enough to prove that Emperor Yongning's anger had reached its peak.

With the supply lines disrupted, the provisions transported along the way can only sustain the fighting for one or two months at most.

If a swift victory cannot be achieved, the army will be in danger.

The simultaneous outbreak of internal and external troubles was tantamount to killing him.

"Keep the news strictly under wraps; this matter must not be allowed to leak out."

Send someone to inform Marquis Zhenyuan to come over for a meeting.

"Fine, I'll go to him myself!"

Emperor Yongning said through gritted teeth.

He'd stirred up too big a hole, and he didn't know how to clean it up.

Reason told him that at this time, only Li Yuan, who was recuperating from an illness, could clean up the mess.

……

The grassland allied forces' camp.

"Great Chanyu, the plan is progressing more smoothly than expected."

As it turned out, the dissatisfaction of the Yu army generals with Emperor Yongning was much stronger than expected.

We merely lit a fire in the shadows, and they fell into mutual suspicion.

The enemy's morale is low; the time for a decisive battle has arrived.

Erd reported with a smile.

This major battle was thought to be the most dangerous battle since the establishment of the Tatar royal court.

I never expected the enemy to be so weak.

Despite possessing immense strength, internal problems prevent him from unleashing even a fraction of his full combat power.

"Ha ha……"

"If the emperor of the Yu Dynasty hadn't been so incompetent, we wouldn't have had a chance."

The Great Yu dynasty had lasted for nearly three hundred years, and it was time for it to come to an end. The Chanyu simply ended it as a matter of course.

However, the enemy should not be underestimated.

Even though we have besieged the right flank army for so long, their camp remains impenetrable.

Fortunately, we were besieging the enemy's stronghold and attacking their reinforcements; otherwise, to annihilate them, we would have had to drag the battle out until the enemy ran out of ammunition and supplies.

However, problems have arisen within the enemy ranks, and the Chanyu has decided to change tactics.

"Nichileg, commander of ten thousand men, is now ordered to lead twenty thousand cavalry in a surprise attack on the enemy's main camp."

Hugjiltu decisively adjusted his strategic deployment.

The original plan was to use the strategy of besieging the stronghold and attacking reinforcements to defeat Yu's army one by one.

This approach is perfectly fine, but the price to pay is quite high.

Yu Jun is no pushover; these elite troops are truly capable of fighting them to the death. Now that there's a better option, they naturally choose the weaker one first.

Once the 100,000-strong Jingying garrison around Emperor Yongning is defeated, turning around to deal with the other Yu troops will be much easier.

"Great Chanyu, isn't it too risky to suddenly change the plan?"

Although the fighting strength of Yu Jun's Beijing garrison was somewhat weaker than that of the main combat forces, it still numbered 100,000!

Sarina couldn't help but offer some words of advice.

If it were the previous Yu army, let alone 20,000 against 100,000, even 10,000 against 100,000, they wouldn't back down.

But now the situation has changed. After the nobility came to power, they vigorously reorganized the military.

The combat effectiveness of many Yu troops has increased significantly.

The Beijing garrison was also included in the reorganization, and no one could say for sure how much its combat effectiveness had increased.

"If someone else were in charge, I, the Chanyu, would naturally not take the risk."

But what does Yongning, that brat, know about military strategy?
If you can't even manage the simplest thing like calming people's hearts, then leading troops into battle is tantamount to suicide.

That old codger Li Yuan does have some ability, but his body can't support high-intensity command.

Moreover, at this time, when the emperor and his ministers are suspicious of each other, even the young Yongning dares not trust him.

However, one thing must be remembered: everyone else can be killed, but Yongning the brat must live.

If we can't capture him alive, then let him go!

Hugjil said boldly.

It's rare to encounter such a weak opponent; we can't let him die so easily.

The Great Yu Dynasty has a solid foundation, and even with numerous problems, it can stabilize the situation immediately once a capable ruler is appointed.

Doing nothing and recuperating for ten years will allow you to fully recover.

When facing an opponent like the Great Yu, one cannot afford to relax for a moment.

"The last general takes command!"

……

"Your Majesty, my father is unconscious and the physician is trying to save him. It is inconvenient for us to receive guests at this time."

Upon hearing Li Sen's words, Emperor Yongning frowned.

Yesterday he went to pay his respects at the mourning hall of the Duke of Cheng, and today he suddenly fell into a coma. It's too much of a coincidence.

You should know that the generals in the army had come to visit earlier that morning.

If you are unwell, you should not receive guests in the morning.

He was fine in the morning, but when the emperor came in the afternoon, his condition suddenly worsened.

The coincidence is a bit too much.

"I have come here to discuss an important matter with the Marquis of Zhenyuan. It concerns the life and death of the army and cannot be delayed in the slightest."

Emperor Yongning suppressed his dissatisfaction and said.

At any other time, he would have already lost his temper.

The situation is unusual, and he doesn't know how to deal with the current situation, so he can only lower his stance.

"Your Majesty, no matter how important the matter is, we must wait until my father wakes up before discussing it."

The doctor just went in; please let him pass by in a moment.

Li Sen answered nervously.

Blocking the emperor's path is a challenge.

If it weren't for the fact that Marquis Zhenyuan was critically ill, he really wouldn't have dared to stop people.

"I brought the imperial physician with me, perfect..."

Emperor Yongning was speaking when he suddenly sensed a murderous aura and decisively chose to shut up.

The death of the Duke of Cheng is still a murky affair.

Limited clues pointed to the deceased imperial physician.

Mentioning the imperial physicians at this point would undoubtedly add fuel to the fire.

If something were to happen to Marquis Zhenyuan again, he really wouldn't be able to explain himself.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard deduced that the Duke of Cheng died of natural causes, and that someone had framed the imperial physician, but this was meaningless.

The nobles wouldn't believe such an explanation, given his past record!
The fact that the regent minister was ruthlessly murdered in the struggle for power has not faded with time; on the contrary, it has been further amplified by a series of events.

In the eyes of outsiders, he was an emperor who would stop at nothing to gain power.

Explanations are meaningless; people only believe what they see.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. My father is used to being treated by Dr. Zhou, so there is no need to trouble the imperial physician."

Li Sen decisively refused.

The seeds of doubt were sown years ago and have now taken root and sprouted.

The situation of mutual distrust between the ruler and his ministers cannot be changed with just a few words.

The situation suddenly became deadlocked, leaving Emperor Yongning in a very awkward position, and he could only wait quietly outside the tent.

Fortunately, the diagnosis didn't take long, and the arrival of Dr. Zhou broke the awkward silence.

"This humble subject greets Your Majesty..."

The ceremony was only halfway through when Emperor Yongning interrupted him.

"How is the Marquis of Zhenyuan's condition?"

He is a person who values ​​rules, but in the current situation, it is not easy to continue to follow the rules.

Li Yuan's life or death is not only a matter for the Marquis of Zhenyuan, but also a matter of national importance.

"Your Majesty, the Marquis's health... I fear he will not survive this winter."

"I can't think straight," Zhou Langzhong replied hastily.

In fact, his answer was already the best he could give.

Li Yuan, who is in a coma, would find it difficult to wake up naturally.

Forget about surviving this winter, I reckon my funeral will be in the next few days.

To give one's last words, one must resort to extraordinary means.

"I command you to rescue Marquis Zhenyuan no matter what."

"If anything happens to Marquis Zhenyuan, I will take your head!"

Emperor Yongning's panicked and reckless words terrified the physician, who trembled with fear.

If he had the ability, he would have rescued the Marquis of Zhenyuan long ago; there would be no need for the emperor to threaten him.

"Your Majesty, life and death are preordained, so please don't make things difficult for Physician Zhou."

Li Lai, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but speak up.

The emperor may be shameless, but the marquis's family is.

They know better than anyone whether the doctors have done their best.

If it weren't for the unexpected death of Jing Guoliang, Li Yuan would have had a good chance of surviving this ordeal with proper care.

All hope was shattered when that mouthful of blood spurted out that morning.

This debt should be placed on the emperor, not on the diligent physician.

"You brothers take good care of the sick, I will not disturb the Marquis of Zhenyuan's rest any longer."

After saying this, Emperor Yongning turned and left.

Deep down, he felt lost at that moment.

The old officials left behind by the late emperor gradually left him.

In the current complex situation, there is no one to help share the burden; one can only rely on oneself to cope.

……

Without the mediation of the Marquis of Zhenyuan, the conflict between the emperor and his ministers continued to escalate.

The leaderless aristocratic faction also began to panic at this moment.

All the generals in the army were busy planning their escape route, and no one cared about the war with the northern barbarians.

At dusk, a grain transport team quietly entered the camp.

After receiving the password and checking the provisions to confirm they were in order, the garrison commander allowed them to pass.

Unloading the grain and loading it into the warehouse were all done in a logical and orderly manner.

At midnight, the grain transport laborers, who should have been asleep, suddenly emerged from their tents and began to gather.

They exchanged a glance and then each went to find their target and take action.

In the blink of an eye, one brazier after another was overturned, instantly attracting the attention of the defending soldiers.

"Enemy troops have infiltrated!"

Almost simultaneously, the sound of horses' hooves echoed in the distance.

Countless soldiers were awakened from their sleep by the chaos.

(End of this chapter)