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

Chapter 143 The Master Deceiver, Dominating the Western Sea
This relieved Consort Yue, who knew that Empress Shen hadn't found any flaws in her, but rather suspected that she hadn't given Emperor Yongping enough medicine.

From then on, Consort Yue and Prince Zhongshun never had any close contact again, maintaining a normal uncle-in-law and sister-in-law relationship.

As for when Consort Yue reconnected with Prince Zhongshun, we must return to the story of the Night Banquet.

On the day the painting "Night Banquet" was delivered to the palace by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Emperor Yongping was alone in the Qianqing Palace examining its secrets.

The next day, Consort Yue received the news. That night, Emperor Yongping flew into a rage and smashed things up in the Qianqing Palace.

As the saying goes, a guilty conscience needs no accuser.

Although Consort Yue did not know what secrets were contained in the Night Banquet painting, she was really afraid that Emperor Yongping had found out about her secret with Prince Zhongshun.

From that time on, Consort Yue tried to re-establish contact with Prince Zhongshun and asked him to do everything he could to support her in case of emergency.

Although Prince Zhongshun did not want to cooperate with Consort Yue, he had no choice but to agree since he and Consort Yue were in the same boat.

After much deliberation, Prince Chungshun ultimately chose the same old path as before, preparing for the palace coup.

To launch a palace coup, one naturally needs the Imperial Guards.

With Jia Jue in the position of commander of the Imperial Guards, it was naturally difficult for others to achieve anything.

After examining the relationships surrounding Jia Jue, Prince Zhongshun chose to start with the Wang family.

He first recruited Kang Haifeng to his side, and then used Kang Haifeng to instigate Old Madam Wang of the Wang family to take action against the Marquis of Champion's Mansion.

Then, using this leverage, they threatened Old Madam Wang to drag Jia Jue down with her life.

As a result, Jia Jue was embroiled in a murder case and was dismissed from his official post to recuperate in his residence.

It must be said that Prince Zhongshun's operation was incredibly smooth and perfectly achieved his goal of controlling the Imperial Guards.

Unfortunately, the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

Judging from the current situation, they clearly understand that Emperor Yongping had made preparations long ago.

Whether it was the Western Sea Incident, or the dispatch of 30,000 Imperial Guards and 50,000 Imperial Garrison troops to provide support.

After the mutiny in the capital garrison, Emperor Yongping once again dispatched 30,000 imperial guards to suppress the rebels. This seemed like a scheme deliberately set up by Emperor Yongping to lower their guard and lure them into doing these things step by step.

The only thing that Consort Yue and Prince Zhongshun couldn't understand was why Emperor Yongping had also abandoned the Crown Prince.

If Emperor Yongping knew that the Empress had drugged him, causing him to become infertile, it would be normal for him to kill her.

But the crown prince also died in the palace coup, leaving Emperor Yongping without an heir. What a mess!

Although they had doubts, they couldn't worry about that right now.

After Emperor Yongping secretly left the palace to escape, Consort Yue and Prince Zhongshun came up with an idea: to restore the retired emperor and make him a puppet. In this way, even if Emperor Yongping ordered the army to besiege the capital to protect him, the retired emperor could righteously denounce Emperor Yongping as a traitor, and at least the situation would not be one-sided.

But the retired emperor had absolutely no interest in being a puppet, so he simply sealed off the Daming Palace and happily watched the show.

He was waiting for Emperor Yongping to launch a counterattack on the capital so he could have a good talk with his son and see him make a fool of himself.

At this moment, seeing that the Duke of Beijing and others were becoming increasingly agitated, Consort Yue calmly spoke.

"Now that things have come to this, there seems to be no better way than to take a gamble."

"Since the Emperor Emeritus is not cooperating, then we have no choice but to help him cooperate."

“Duke of Beijing, you are quite familiar with the Emperor Emeritus. Back then, the four princes were all regarded as his right-hand men.”

"Go and persuade the Emperor Emeritus. If he is willing to restore the throne and appoint the Second Prince as the Crown Prince, then everything will be fine."

"Otherwise, you should play it by ear."

"Now we are all in the same boat. If things succeed, I promise you that you will be granted land and made kings. I will never go back on my word."

"If we are defeated, I guarantee that I will not die after you."

"This is already the greatest sincerity I can offer."

"If you are willing, then do as I command; if you are not willing, I will not force you."

"You should disguise yourselves, change your names, and leave the capital. From now on, you can live in constant fear and hiding."

Seeing that Consort Yue had said this much, the Duke of Beijing looked at the Duke of Xining and the Duke of Dongping and said.

"Your Majesty, Her Majesty's words come from the bottom of her heart. Now that things have come to this, complaining and blaming others will be of no use."

“I am unwilling to flee the capital like a stray dog. I am willing to take a gamble. What do you two say?”

The Duke of Dongping and the Duke of Xining spoke with somewhat bitter expressions.

"Now that things have come to this, we have no other choice but to do it."

Prince Chungshun nodded and said.

"Then I will trouble the three dukes. In addition to advising the retired emperor, I hope that the three of you can mobilize the generals under your command to strengthen the city's defenses as soon as possible. With the gods in our hands, we may not necessarily be defeated."

After some discussion, the three members of the Duke of Beijing left the hall.

After only Consort Yue and Prince Zhongshun remained, Consort Yue looked at Prince Zhongshun and said...

"Okay, I've done everything you said. So what's next?"

"This move can really turn the tide and allow us to win!"

Prince Zhongshun glanced at Consort Yue with a hint of regret and then spoke.

"It's already this late, why are you still daydreaming?"

"Do you really think that by using the retired emperor as a pretext, you can undermine your elder brother's authority?"

"It's not the first year of Yongping now, it's the fourth year of Yongping."

"My elder brother reigned for four years, pacified the Xiongnu, reformed the salt administration, and implemented new policies. His prestige was unparalleled."

"Especially the army, the 300,000-strong Zhenbei Army is on high alert, and the Champion Marquis of Xihai personally leads the troops."

"With the abilities of the Marquis of Champion, pacifying the Western Sea would be a piece of cake."

"Even if the retired emperor were to be restored to the throne, it would not be able to shake His Majesty's rule."

"At most, it will only cause His Majesty a little trouble."

"As long as His Majesty orders the Zhenbei Army to march south to protect the Emperor, and the Champion Marquis leads the Imperial Guards and the Capital Garrison that were supporting the Western Navy back to defend the capital, along with the 30,000 Imperial Guards and 40,000 Capital Garrison troops led by Gu Yankai, who in the entire Great Zhou can stop them?"

Consort Yue said with a hint of despair.

"In that case, we have no hope of turning the tide. If that's the case, why did you make me go through all this trouble?"

Prince Zhongshun waved his hand and said.

"If we stay in the capital, we are doomed."

"The best course of action now is to flee."

"The only way to survive now is to disguise ourselves and leave the capital."

After a moment's thought, Consort Yue spoke.

"You mean as long as the green hills remain, there's no fear of running out of firewood?"

"So, after we leave the capital, we'll figure out a way to secure the throne for Yunwen, is that it?" Prince Zhongshun said with a helpless expression.

"No, are you out of your mind? Even at a time like this, you're still thinking about the throne."

"Leaving the capital is only the first step. Next, we have to travel a long way, day and night, to the East China Sea. Then we must quickly set sail from the East China Sea to leave the Great Zhou. Only by escaping overseas can we save our lives."

"Staying in the Great Zhou is a sure way to die."

Consort Yue said with a sorrowful expression after hearing this.

"Is this the only path we have left?"

Prince Chungshun sighed and said.

"This road is fraught with peril, but staying in the capital is a certain death."

"You have to figure it out yourself."

After much deliberation, Consort Yue nodded helplessly and then quickly began preparations.

The Duke of Beijing and the others were unaware that Consort Yue and Prince Zhongshun had given them a pep talk, but were actually preparing to flee.

In the Bright Mirror City of the Western Sea, 60,000 Western Sea barbarians were marching out of the city in a mighty force, preparing to continue their advance and attack other cities in the Western Sea of ​​the Great Zhou Dynasty.

After annihilating the 80,000 vanguard of the Western Sea Navy, the Western Sea Barbarians were riding high.

At this moment, the 60,000 Western Sea barbarians were all fully armed, with the 10,000 vanguard leaders all wearing armor. However, their ranks were somewhat chaotic, giving them the appearance of a rabble.

The Western Sea Barbarians' central army, led by the Western Sea High Priest Shami Tuo, wore the helmet captured from the Duke of Nan'an, which gave him a rather ostentatious air.

Just two miles after the Western Sea Barbarians left Mingjing City, a scout came to report that he had spotted 10,000 Zhou troops ahead.

The Western Sea Barbarians had just won a great victory, with 60,000 troops on their side and only 10,000 on the enemy's side.

With 60,000 to 10,000, the advantage is clearly in my hands.

Shamituo immediately ordered the entire army to prepare for battle and to ensure the complete annihilation of the 10,000 Zhou troops on the opposite side.

Soon, the two armies clashed.

The Zhou army stood in front, with Jia Jue, clad in armor, sitting upright on his horse, holding a long spear, exuding an imposing aura without anger, his sharp eyes fixed on the front.

Gu Tingye, standing to the side, felt somewhat uncertain and looked at Jia Jue hesitantly before speaking.

"General, are we really going to have to fight the Western Sea Barbarians in open battle here? The enemy outnumbers our troops several times over, I'm afraid our chances of winning are slim."

Jia Jue said calmly.

"Captain Gu, watch closely. No matter how many rotten fish there are, they are still just a bunch of rotten fish, not worthy of being served."

"The might of the elite troops of my Great Zhou is not something that the mere barbarians of the Western Sea can provoke."

"Someone, beat the drums to cheer us on!"

"promise."

As Jia Jue gave the order, six strong, burly men, shirtless and with broad backs and thick waists, swung their drumsticks and struck the war drums.

"Thump, thump, thump,"

The powerful and resonant drumbeats echoed across the wilderness, stirring the fighting spirit of the Zhou army.

As the war drums thundered, the figures of the Western Sea Barbarians came into view of the Zhou army.

The next second, Jia Jue raised his spear, and his heroic voice resounded throughout the entire army.

"All soldiers, listen to my command and charge with me!"

The next second, Jia Jue brandished his spear and charged straight into the enemy ranks. The ten thousand Zhou soldiers behind him did not hesitate at all, surging out like a tide and sweeping into the enemy ranks.

Gu Tingye followed Jia Jue as he charged out. Jia Jue charged into the enemy ranks alone on horseback, like a tiger among sheep. His spear flew up and down, and no one could withstand him wherever he went.

The Beiwei Army behind them was also skilled in battle formations. By forming alliances and launching coordinated attacks, the 10,000 Beiwei Army soldiers managed to withstand the siege of 60,000 Western Sea Barbarians with ease.

It was only at this moment that Gu Tingye realized the difference between ordinary troops and the true elite of the Great Zhou.

With a commander like Jia Jue, who leads from the front and is brave and invincible, and with the Beiwei Army, a battle-hardened force, it's no wonder that Jia Jue didn't take the Western Sea barbarians seriously at all.

At this moment, the Western Sea Barbarian army, seeing the fierce and valiant Zhou army before them, was stunned by the sight of the High Priest Shamituo.

The Western Sea Barbarians have been dealing with the Western Navy for quite some time, perhaps several decades.

Although the West Navy's combat strength was slightly stronger than that of the West Sea Barbarians, it was still limited, and the two sides fought back and forth.

However, Zhou Jun in front of them was so powerful that he was completely unreasonable. How dare you, with only 10,000 men, charge straight at my army of 60,000?

It's one thing if you dare to charge, but my 60,000 men can't stop your 10,000. The entire battle formation is about to collapse because of you. What kind of logic is that?

Even the most arrogant Shami Tuo could see clearly at this moment that the Zhou army before him was completely different from the Western Navy, and was as strong as a monster.

Shamituo hurriedly ordered the entire army to retreat and return to Mingjing City.

The Western Sea Barbarians were originally just a motley crew, and they were naturally full of confidence as they surrounded the weaker force with their superior numbers.

However, they were completely overwhelmed by Zhou Jun in a single encounter.

Seeing that Zhou Jun's orders were carried out in unison and he was as unshakeable as a mountain, the Western Sea Barbarians were terrified.

It was the great victory of Mingjing City that allowed Shamituo to accumulate a great deal of prestige.

Otherwise, these Western Sea barbarians would have fled long ago.

Even so, after Shami ordered a retreat, the Western Sea Barbarians ran as fast as they could, wishing they had been given a pair of legs instead of legs.

The battle lasted less than a quarter of an hour, and the Western Sea Barbarians were routed by the Zhou army led by Jia Jue.

After defeating the Western Navy, Jia Jue ordered a retreat and did not pursue the enemy.

Despite the impressive victory Jia Jue and his Beiwei Army had achieved in the previous battle, defeating the Xihai Shengfan by fighting six against one.

However, being outnumbered, their own casualties were not small.

Moreover, Jia Jue's goal was not to annihilate the Western Sea Barbarians with these 10,000 men, but to inflict a painful blow on them, keeping them obediently within Mingjing City and preventing them from venturing out of the city to wreak havoc on the Western Sea.

Based on the current results, this strategic objective has been achieved.

The rest is simple. Just wait for Marquis Zhongjing Shi Ding to burn down the forests of Xihai according to the battle plan, and then for the 30,000 Imperial Guards and 50,000 Capital Garrison reinforcements to arrive. Jia Jue can then calmly and easily use his superior forces to wipe out Xihai.

Why fight a small force when you can defeat a large one?

The Beiwei Army under Jia Jue's command were all fiercely loyal to him, and Jia Jue would be heartbroken if even one of them was lost in battle.

The reason I led the army to block the Western Sea Barbarians was because there was no other way; I needed to buy time for reinforcements to arrive.

Now that the Western Sea Barbarians have suffered such a great loss, they certainly won't dare to leave the city again.

Next, Jia Jue only needs to conserve his energy and wait for the army to arrive.

Just as the Western Sea Barbarians were experiencing the terrifying combat power of the Great Zhou's elite troops for the first time, at the foot of Yanshan Mountain, two hundred miles east of the Great Zhou capital, after a fierce battle, Gu Yankai looked at the captured Liu Ziyi with eyes full of anger.

(End of this chapter)