Fu Shanhe

Chapter 500 The Belt Edict

"Fifth Brother, have our people been assigned to their posts?"

At the foot of Shanhaiguan Pass, Shi Jingfeng asked.

According to the laws of the Great Yu Dynasty, border troops were not allowed to enter the capital without an imperial edict.

Once Liaodong Town crossed this most dangerous pass in the world, it entered a chaotic era of power struggles and was no longer just a local warlord.

Whether the capital could be captured quickly became the key to the success of the expedition.

"Brother, don't worry!"
A thousand servants were secretly arranged to be stationed at our secret base in the capital.

Each outpost had only a few dozen people, who looked like ordinary caravan guards and were not particularly noticeable.

The Shanxi merchants also agreed to cooperate with us in capturing the city.

They have corrupted many officials in the court. As long as we can gain their support, we will not be without roots.

Third Brother's plan to lure the enemy was executed well; it not only cut off the supply lines but also lured the four most elite regiments out of Beijing.

Everything is ready; we're just waiting for our arrival in the capital!

Shi Jinglin said with great interest.

The plan was implemented so smoothly not only because of its meticulous planning, but also because the imperial court had abandoned its military capabilities.

During the years when the emperor was young and officials dominated the government, there was naturally no room for secret service agencies like the Eastern Depot and the Western Depot that threatened the emperor.

Although there was no explicit order to abolish the organization, the Ministry of Revenue still stopped funding the activities of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot.

The privileges of the imperial guards were gradually abolished, and their revenue-generating avenues were cut off.

Having experienced the upheaval of abolishing the secret police and imperial guards during the Yongning reign, everyone has learned their lesson this time.

Those with even a slight connection tried to transfer away from the two government offices.

Those who had no connections to transfer also quickly found excuses to resign, fearing retaliation from the civil officials.

The formidable Eastern Depot and Embroidered Uniform Guard vanished from sight without a trace.

Without the formidable intelligence agency, the imperial court suffered heavy losses, while all other major powers benefited.

Sending a thousand retainers in batches to the secret strongholds of the generals in the capital did not cause the slightest ripple.

"Ok!"

After nodding in satisfaction, Shi Jingfeng turned to Shi Jingzhong and asked.

"Ninth Brother, is the Emperor Emeritus's edict to come to the aid of the emperor ready?"

Seizing power in Beijing is a high-risk undertaking. In addition to decisive military action, legitimacy is also crucial.

Although they were unable to access the retired emperor, it did not prevent them from possessing his edicts.

"Brother, don't worry."

The content of the edict was modeled after Emperor Xian's edict written in the style of the imperial edict, which perfectly suited the situation of the retired emperor.

"Fooling the military commanders is no problem!"

Shi Jingzhong answered calmly.

Although the Shi family held absolute power in Liaodong, it did not mean that there were no other generals of different surnames.

Normally, people are willing to follow the Shi family because they can get enough to eat, but when it comes to something like rebellion, they inevitably have concerns.

It's possible that some of them might be loyal subjects of the Great Yu, who might turn against them at a crucial moment and deliver a ruthless blow.

With the Emperor Emeritus's edict to support the emperor, their military actions suddenly became justified, and the court officials who originally held the moral high ground were instead seen as traitors and rebels.

They are loyal to the generals of the Great Yu and will not oppose this operation.

It can be used to appease internal dissent, or to deceive the world.

Given Emperor Yongning's past behavior, it's understandable that he would issue an edict in the belt after being placed under house arrest.

As long as everyone believes the edict is genuine, no party will immediately raise troops to defend the emperor.

Whether he would become like Cao Cao, who held the emperor hostage to command the other lords, or like Dong Zhuo, who became the target of everyone's hatred, depended entirely on his actions after entering the capital.

"Now that we're ready, let's act immediately! Tomorrow, we'll present the imperial edict in front of the three armies and lead the army into the pass!"

Shi Jingfeng immediately gave the order.

Compared to his previous hesitation, he calmed down when the time came.

All the preparations that could be made have been made; now it's time to gamble on fate.

Success would lead to the establishment of a new dynasty, while failure would result in death and the extermination of one's clan.

At the level of the Shi family, no one would be content without taking a gamble in times of chaos.

Even if he wanted to remain loyal to the Great Yu, his subordinates would still be tempted to give him an extra layer of clothing.

Deep down, he had long harbored a plan to rebel against Yu, but that was something to do after the Great Yu had further collapsed.

The hasty decision to raise an army now is purely out of necessity due to food shortages.

"I will obey your orders!"

The crowd answered.

We've been planning this for so long, just waiting for this moment.

Many people were already fantasizing about entering the pass, seizing the world, and living a wonderful life as kings, nobles, and generals.

……

On the thirteenth day of the fifth month of the third year of Emperor Fulin's reign, the Liaodong garrison raised the banner of the retired emperor and swore an oath to defend the emperor at Shanhaiguan.

When the news reached the capital, the officials were holding a grand court assembly, and the court instantly erupted in chaos.

In the previous campaign to depose the emperor, even if some civil and military officials did not support it, no one directly stood up to oppose it.

Fear of death was one aspect, but more importantly, Emperor Yongning had done far too many terrible things during his reign, turning the once prosperous Great Yu Dynasty into a complete mess.

Out of concern for the stability of the country, everyone launched the campaign to depose the emperor.

Apart from a few of Emperor Yongning's close associates being purged, there was almost no bloodshed in the court.

Looking at the entire history of China, this coup is an extremely explosive event.

For the sake of their own reputations, the court officials did not mistreat Emperor Yongning after the coup.

After the emperor abdicated, apart from being placed under house arrest in the palace, his other treatment was not reduced.

I never imagined that a moment of weakness would leave behind hidden dangers.

The military action in Liaodong Town suddenly made this "legitimate coup" full of uncertainty.

Given Emperor Yongning's character, if he were to regain power, he would certainly not spare them. Beheading would be the least of his worries; the extermination of their entire families would be more in line with the emperor's vengeful nature.

"Where are the Liaodong rebels located?"

Jiang Shuhan asked with concern.

At this point in the situation, the process is no longer important; the key is to stop the Liaodong rebels.

As long as the enemy forces are blocked, the loyalist army can be summoned to jointly suppress the Liaodong rebels.

Even though this civil war might lead to the further decline of the Great Yu Dynasty, people still had no other choice.

"Shanhaiguan is more than 600 li away from the capital. At the speed of cavalry, they can reach the city in three days."

The rebels started their uprising on May 13th, and they will arrive at the foot of the capital as early as tomorrow, or as late as the day after tomorrow.

Time is too short. There's no time to set up defenses on the outskirts now; let's prepare for the defense of the capital!

The Marquis of Zhendong replied with a solemn expression.

The fact that Liaodong Town dared to rebel was beyond everyone's expectations.

The political system of the Great Yu Dynasty was already very mature.

Especially in terms of checks and balances of power, countless patches have been added.

Under normal circumstances, even if a border general rebels, he can only command his own personal guards.

Such a large-scale rebellion, like that in Liaodong Town, was unprecedented since the founding of the People's Republic of China.

"Then let's discuss how to deploy the city's defenses!"

Jiang Shuhan immediately made the decision.

With time so tight, the imperial court had no other choice.

The issue of the collapse of the system of checks and balances can only be discussed after the capital has been secured.

"Prime Minister, focusing solely on defense is far too passive."

The rebels are acting under the banner of the retired emperor. If we don't send troops to suppress them quickly, it will inevitably affect the hearts of the people.

If even one in ten people believe this, the consequences will be dire!

Zeng Dingfang, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Stud, was the first to object.

In his view, holding onto the capital was too cowardly and could easily lead to uncontrollable political consequences.

Only by swiftly and decisively annihilating the rebels can we deter the people of the world.

The noble faction is so powerful and arrogant, now it's their turn to perform. What kind of behavior is it to cower in the city?

"Lord Zeng, you know nothing about military affairs, so please don't meddle."

The rebels in Liaodong Town were no ordinary bandits.

Not only did they have a cavalry legion built with heavy investment by the imperial court, but they also had the most elite infantry legion, whose combat power was by no means ordinary.

To wipe them out, it would be difficult to achieve a complete victory without several times the number of troops.

Besides, even if the imperial court wanted to send troops to suppress the rebellion, it would need money and provisions; it couldn't send soldiers to the battlefield on empty stomachs!

Marquis Weiyuan retorted dismissively.

Debating with a pedantic scholar who was lazy and ignorant of farming made him feel deeply insulted.

If the occasion weren't inappropriate, he would simply ignore it.

"These are difficult times. You have been favored by the Emperor for generations. Can't you share the burden of the court?"

Zeng Dingfang immediately rebuked him angrily.

There are many difficult things to do, but if you give up because of difficulties, you won't get anything done.

Sending troops to quell a rebellion requires food supplies, and staying put in the garrison also requires food supplies.

In his view, all of this was due to the inaction of the military generals.

"What Lord Zeng said is right. When the country is in peril, we should step forward bravely. How can we back down because of difficulties!"
......"

Chu Linjie, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, echoed this sentiment.

In the blink of an eye, calls for sending troops to suppress the rebellion became the dominant voice in the imperial court.

The sudden change caught not only the aristocratic faction off guard, but also the cabinet ministers.

The incident happened so suddenly that there was no time for everyone to coordinate. The scene before them perfectly reflected the true feelings of these officials.

There's no way around it; those at the top need to consider the bigger picture, but those below don't.

The actions of the nobility in Jiangnan not only dealt a blow to the Qingliu faction, but also made officials from other political factions feel a sense of shared vulnerability.

If a political bottom line can be crossed once, it will be crossed countless times.

No matter how justified the situation may be, it's not as important as everyone's sense of security.

Once someone takes the lead in lighting the fire, everyone else is happy to add fuel to the fire.

"enough!"

"The rebel army is coming on strong, and the country is in imminent danger."

If this arguing continues, we will all become subjects of a fallen nation!

Grand Secretary Jiang Shuhan immediately roared.

At a time like this, he has to keep things under control.

If deliberations degenerate into partisan strife, the country and its people will be in danger.

"The Grand Secretary is right. The most urgent task is to defend the capital. The issue of suppressing the rebellion can be discussed later."

While agreeing with him, Fei Xinyuan glared fiercely at the Minister of the Court of Imperial Stud who had started the fire.

If the leader hasn't made a statement, why is a junior member so eager to jump out?

Even if one wants to cause trouble for political enemies, it depends on when.

At this point, forcing the nobles to send troops to quell the rebellion would be a good outcome if they won, but if they lost, everyone would suffer the consequences.

Lower-ranking officials may have the opportunity to defect, but the ministers of the six ministries and all members of the cabinet are targets that must be purged.

Even if the Qingliu Party only passively participated in the dethronement of the emperor that day, they could not extricate themselves from the situation.

The operation to support the emperor would be illegal unless all the leaders were eliminated.

　Yesterday's content was accidentally split into two chapters; I'll post it tonight.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)