Red Mansion: After being expelled from the family, I was granted the title of Marquis of Mobei

Chapter 140: Agreement Reached, Beijing Garrison Mutiny
Upon hearing this, the Duke of Beijing, the Duke of Dongping, and the Duke of Xining exchanged glances and then understood each other perfectly.

The Duke of Beijing then looked at Marquis Xiaoyue and said.

"Young Marquis Yue, this matter is of great importance. Please wait here for a moment while we discuss it."

Xiao Yuehou said calmly.

"Please make yourselves at home, all three of you."

Then the three Dukes of Beijing and the others got up and went to the side room in the courtyard.

The Duke of Dongping immediately looked at the Duke of Beijing and asked.

"Brother Shui, do you think this will work?"

The Duke of Xining echoed this sentiment.

"Yes, once the arrow is released, there's no turning back."

"Once we take this step, there's no turning back."

"Even if His Majesty is ruthless, he wouldn't go so far as to exterminate us all."

The Duke of Bei Jing said meaningfully.

"Perhaps they won't go so far as to exterminate them all, but it's not unusual for a duke to become a marquis, and a marquis to become an earl."

"Do you want to continue to be at our mercy?"

"And you don't actually think that Marquis Yue dared to approach us so openly without having any backup plans, do you?"

"I'm sure that if the three of us don't agree, tonight will probably be our death day."

Upon hearing this, both the Duke of Xining and the Duke of Dongping felt a chill run down their spines.

Yes, now that we know about Xiao Yuehou's plan to rebel, if we don't join in, our lives will be in danger in order to keep the news under wraps.

Moreover, the Duke of Bei Jing's words resonated with both of them.

Having grown accustomed to the days when the four kings, as founding fathers and leaders, wielded immense power and influence, they no longer wished to continue this precarious and fearful existence.

After some thought, the Duke of Dongping and the Duke of Xining looked at the Duke of Beijing and said.

"Brother Shui, we've done so many things before: reselling arms, the explosion in Nancheng, and colluding to oppose the new policy."

"It seems His Majesty has long regarded us as a thorn in his side."

"In that case, even if we retreat again and again, I'm afraid His Majesty will not let it go."

"In that case, let's give it our all."

"If he could succeed back then, why can't we?"

"Let's put our heads together and use all our resources to turn the capital upside down."

The Duke of Bei Jing nodded, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, followed by a sharp glint.

After the three reached an agreement, they returned to the study.

After learning of the three's decision, Xiao Yuehou smiled slightly and said...

"Congratulations to the three of you for making a wise choice."

"Let's discuss the specific action plan now."

The four then began to plot their scheme there.

The next day, in the main hall of the Champion Marquis's mansion on the outskirts of the capital, Sheng Minglan was discussing matters with Zhang Guifen.

Zhang Guifen looked at Sheng Minglan and said with some emotion.

"Minglan, it's been more than a month since the Marquis left. Time really flies."

"I wonder if things are going smoothly for my husband."

Sheng Minglan smiled and said after hearing this.

"Don't worry, sister. We sisters know how capable our husband is. It will be a piece of cake for him."

“Your pregnancy is becoming more and more obvious now, so you should take good care of yourself and rest. Don’t worry about it, as it’s not good for you or the baby.”

Hearing this, Zhang Guifen said with a hint of helplessness.

“Since we got married, neither my sister nor I have ever been separated from our husbands for such a long time. I’m really not used to it.”

Sheng Minglan held Zhang Guifen's hand and said with a smile.

"Alright, sister, don't think about it so much."

"How about I send someone to invite your aunt over so she can stay at the villa for a while? What do you think, sister?"

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Guifen shook her head and said...

"Let's forget about it. The British government has a lot of family matters to attend to too."

"I'm fine. Minglan, you're pregnant too. Don't just worry about me, you need to rest and recuperate as well."

Just as the two sisters were chatting, a maid came in from outside the door, bowed, and said something.

"Ladies, is someone outside the manor requesting an audience?"

After hearing this, Zhang Guifen inquired.

"Who is seeking to see you?"

"Reporting to Madam, it is a man of about thirty years old named Zhang Han."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Guifen and Sheng Minglan exchanged a glance.

Zhang Guifen then spoke.

"Invite him in."

"promise."

Not long after, Zhang Han arrived in the hall, bowed respectfully, and said...

"Zhang Han greets the two mistresses."

"Before His Majesty departed, he must have spoken to the two mistresses about his subordinates."

Zhang Guifen nodded slightly and said.

"The Marquis mentioned that you have neglected the token."

Zhang Han took out half of the jade pendant and said.

"Please take a look, Madam."

The maid took the jade pendant and handed it to Zhang Guifen.

Sheng Minglan, who was standing nearby, immediately ordered her maid to come into the room and retrieve half of the jade pendant.

The two jade pendants fit together perfectly, without any mismatch.

Sheng Minglan then looked at Zhang Han and said.

"Zhang Han, what has happened in the capital?"

Zhang Han nodded and said.

"Indeed, turmoil is about to break out in the capital."

"The two mistresses should act with caution."

"Beneath this manor, the Marquis arranged for a tunnel to be dug, leading directly into the depths of the mountains."

"Three days later, the two mistresses can lead the entire household to move from the underground passage to the mountains without anyone noticing, thus avoiding disaster."

Zhang Guifen said anxiously after hearing this.

"What will happen in three days? We've already taken refuge in the outskirts of Beijing, why do we have to move further into the mountains?"

Zhang Han waved his hand and said.

“Madam, once this is over, you will understand everything when you see the Lord.”

"But at this moment, I am truly sorry that I cannot tell you."

Seeing Zhang Han become the riddle solver, Zhang Guifen and Sheng Minglan both looked helpless.

Then Sheng Minglan looked at Zhang Han and asked.

"Could we inform the British government and the Sheng family about this?"

Zhang Han shook his head and said.

"We can't tell them the truth, but we can use a reasonable reason to invite them to the resort."

"With too many people talking, many things, once leaked, will cause unnecessary trouble." "Both mistresses are intelligent people, and I'm sure they wouldn't want to cause trouble for the Lord."

Hearing this, Sheng Minglan nodded and said.

"Okay, we understand."

Zhang Han said after bowing.

"Thus, my task is complete."

"Please rest assured, ladies. As long as we follow His Majesty's instructions, the entire household will be safe and sound."

"My lord is very resourceful. Once he has dealt with his affairs, he will return to the capital safely."

"Subordinates retire."

After Zhang Han left, Sheng Minglan and Zhang Guifen exchanged a glance, both of them looking helpless.

Sheng Minglan sighed and said.

“My husband must have known something beforehand, but he didn’t want to make it public, and he was worried about the safety of the whole household, so he made so many preparations.”

"But we sisters can't help at all, what kind of situation is this?"

Zhang Guifen gently held Sheng Minglan's hand and said.

"Alright, it's okay if you can't help, just don't make things worse."

"Alright, let's quickly think of a way to trick both families into coming to the resort."

The two then began to consider a solution.

Two more days passed in the blink of an eye. That afternoon, servants from the Marquis of Champion's manor hurriedly went to the Duke of Ying's manor and the Sheng family to deliver messages.

Zhang Guifen and Sheng Minglan both experienced miscarriages.

Upon hearing this news, the British government and the Sheng family mobilized in droves, flocking to the Marquis of Champion's manor.

Some families who had a grudge against the Marquis of Champion's family were so happy upon hearing the news that they drank two extra jugs of wine that very night.

At the same time, Wang Ziteng and Qin Ye also received a message from the Marquis of Champion's residence.

This was also arranged by Zhang Guifen and Sheng Minglan.

With everything in place, the blood-red haze hanging over the capital city is about to be unleashed.

On the third day of the ninth month of the fourth year of Yongping, an incident occurred in the Shen Du Jing Garrison.

Gu Yankai, the acting military governor of the Beijing Garrison and Marquis of Ningyuan, received a report that Liu Ziyi, the commander of the Yongzi Battalion, one of the twelve commanders of the Beijing Garrison, was embezzling military pay and receiving salaries without working.

Therefore, Marquis Gu Yankai of Ningyuan ordered Liu Ziyi to be arrested and brought to the commander's tent for questioning.

However, the personal guards who went to capture Liu Ziyi were killed on the spot by Liu Ziyi. Subsequently, Liu Ziyi led his troops in a rebellion and set fire to the Jingying garrison.

At the same time, the two commanders of the Wei and Gan battalions also joined Liu Ziyi's rebellion, and the situation in the Beijing garrison instantly fell into chaos and became unmanageable.

After Liu Ziyi and his two companions had wreaked havoc on the Beijing garrison, they led their troops away from the garrison's location and fled eastward.

After stabilizing the situation in the capital, Gu Yankai hurriedly dispatched troops to pursue the enemy while also rushing to the palace to request an audience with Emperor Yongping.

Not long after, in the Qianqing Palace, after listening to Gu Yankai's account, Emperor Yongping glanced at Gu Yankai indifferently and then spoke.

"You've done a great job as the military governor of the capital. Three commanders led 30,000 troops to defect. Remarkable, truly remarkable."

"As far as I know, two of these three commanders were recommended by you, right?"

"explain."

Gu Yan was so frightened by what he heard that he broke out in a cold sweat, but he didn't dare to argue and could only lower his head and say something.

"I lack the ability to judge character, which led to the mutiny in the capital garrison. I beg Your Majesty's punishment."

Gu Yan was also very puzzled at this moment.

These three commanders were like lunatics. Embezzling soldiers' pay and exploiting them was commonplace in the army. Even if the investigation found conclusive evidence, the worst that could happen was that they were dismissed from their posts and their property was confiscated.

How could these three BYDs directly rebel? And with only 30,000 men under your command, how long can you keep this up? Once the imperial army surrounds and suppresses you, your entire families will be wiped out. What are you after?

Upon hearing Gu Yankai's words, Emperor Yongping snorted coldly.

"After such a huge incident, you still want to end it all? Who's going to clean up this mess?"

"The Beijing garrison must immediately pursue the rebels along the entire line, and not a single one of them may escape."

"Furthermore, notify all troops along the route of the rebels' escape to intercept and block them with all their might. Anyone who is negligent or negligent shall be killed without exception."

"I will send another 30,000 Imperial Guards to assist you, and I will give you seven days."

"If you still can't wipe out the rebels, then it's not a problem that you can solve with just your head."

"I obey the decree, I obey the decree."

Gu Yan was trembling with fear at this moment, and the meaning of Emperor Yongping's words could not be clearer.

If His Majesty cannot resolve the rebels himself, then he will have to execute his entire family.

Not long after Gu Yankai hurriedly left the Qianqing Palace, Prince Zhongshun arrived at the Qianqing Palace.

Prince Chungshun bowed and paid his respects before speaking.

"Your Majesty, just now Gu Yankai, the military governor of the capital garrison, came to the Imperial Guard to mobilize troops, saying that he was acting on Your Majesty's orders. Your humble servant has come to verify this."

Emperor Yongping nodded slightly and said.

"It was indeed my decree. Three commanders of the Beijing Garrison have mutinied with their troops. I have ordered the Imperial Guards to assist them and quell the rebellion as soon as possible."

Prince Zhongshun said hurriedly.

"Your Majesty, we have already mobilized 30,000 Imperial Guards to support the Western Sea. If we mobilize another 30,000 Imperial Guards, we will only have 20,000 Imperial Guards left in the palace."

"With the Imperial Guards lacking manpower, it's difficult to ensure comprehensive protection of the palace. What if a thief decides to commit a crime?"

Emperor Yongping said with a calm smile.

"In the land of the gods, there are many thieves."

"Alright, no need to worry so much. Quickly transfer the troops to Gu Yankai and let him quell the rebellion as soon as possible."

“Before, Jingye had transferred 50,000 troops, plus the 30,000 who were coerced into mutiny, leaving him with only 40,000 troops at his disposal. It would be too difficult for him to suppress the rebels in a short time.”

Seeing this, Prince Chungshun could only nod and say something.

"Very well, Your Majesty, I will obey."

After Prince Chungshun left, Emperor Yongping revealed a meaningful smile.

On the other side, after leaving the Qianqing Palace, Prince Zhongshun immediately sent messages to the inner palace and outside the palace. He then transferred the Imperial Guards that he had not yet managed to win over to Gu Yankai, and ordered them to follow Gu Yankai to quell the rebellion.

Just as the capital was turbulent and a palace coup was about to unfold, on the front lines of the Western Sea, the Duke of Nan'an was beaming with pride.

Just two days ago, the Western Navy launched a counterattack against the Western Sea vassal states.

In just two days, they recaptured three of the five lost cities.

Inside Mingjing City, the Duke of Nan'an was leading a group of generals from the Western Navy in a victory celebration banquet.

The Duke of Nan'an sat in the main seat and spoke with a smile.

"Generals, as I have said before, the barbarians of the Western Sea are nothing but a group of savages who eat raw meat and drink blood. They are not worth fearing at all."

"Our army only needs to make a slight move, and that will be their limit."

"A bunch of savages, what do they know about city defense? They have no strategy and are easily defeated."

"These past few days, the army has been fighting, and all the generals have worked very hard."

"The vanguard will rest for two days in Mirror City, and then drive these monkeys back up into the trees in one fell swoop."

"Let's have a good drink today, and not leave until we're drunk."

"You won't come home until you're drunk."

A group of generals also happily drank heavily.

They never took the Western Sea Barbarians seriously.

Those present were all trusted generals of the four royal families. Over the years, they had made a fortune by relying on the Western Navy. Since the Duke of Nan'an came to the front line, they had been indulging in lavish feasts without restraint.

They all knew perfectly well that the fall of the five border cities was something they had deliberately orchestrated.

Now that they have easily recaptured the three cities, they no longer regard the Western Sea barbarians as human beings.

The people in the hall were toasting and drinking, and the dancers were dancing gracefully; it was a truly joyous occasion.

(End of this chapter)