Misty Rain of the Old Times

Not long ago, the General Wei's mansion was brightly decorated and filled with distinguished guests. Countless high-ranking officials and dignitaries came to offer their congratulations. The day was bustling with activity, and there was no sign of the impending coup.

That's the son of the Great General of Wei, Marquis Jiang Li of Zhenyuan, getting married. Anyone in the officialdom who isn't stupid would come to offer their congratulations. Even political enemies, no matter how much they usually don't get along, would come to congratulate him on such an occasion, as they still had to maintain a facade of good relations.

King Zhou Hong and General Jiang Yuan of Wei had meticulously planned for this day.

Originally, the Jiang family would not have taken this risk by completely aligning themselves with King Jiang, but fate played a trick on them, and the situation gradually led the Jiang family to side with King Jiang.

Jiang Yuan was appointed as the Grand General of the State, wielding considerable military power. He was a Grandmaster-level cultivator and a pillar of the nation. His son, Jiang Li, was a young and outstanding talent who was ennobled at a young age. Such a family was truly at the height of its prosperity.

In the eyes of most people, the Jiang family could simply stand by and wait for the situation to change, and no matter who came to power in the future, it would be difficult to shake the Jiang family's status and influence.

But that's only on the surface.

As the saying goes, one should be mindful of danger even in times of peace. The Jiang family was too powerful. With each new emperor comes a new set of officials. How could the new emperor not suppress military generals and nobles like his family? Any new emperor with a brain would consolidate military power and support those he trusts, and the Jiang family, with their previous generation of military generals, would certainly be the first targets to be suppressed.

With a sense of vigilance even in times of peace, the Jiang family also wanted to go further. After all, temporary prominence meant nothing, and they aspired to become a powerful family that could withstand the changing dynasties.

Take the Jing Kingdom today as an example. Even though Huang Xiaochao slaughtered the Wu family and beheaded the Wei family's patriarch, causing the Wei family to split up and scatter, and the old emperor took the opportunity to consolidate power and kill many people, the influence of the aristocratic families is still not to be underestimated.

These powerful families—the result of generations of hard work! They've become deeply entrenched and powerful. The old emperor can only say that he has the upper hand temporarily; he can't possibly eliminate their influence in the court. Once the old emperor passes away, it won't be long before they make a comeback and secretly regain control of the court!

Even if a few more figures like Huang Xiaochao emerge and slaughter all the powerful families, power always needs to be controlled by someone. It's just a matter of reshuffling the deck and letting others take control. Over time, new powerful families will naturally emerge to replace them. This has been the case since ancient times, with little difference. Within the rules, it's simply a matter of the West Wind prevailing over the East Wind, and fortunes shifting every thirty years.

The old emperor is currently in a temporary position of power, and consolidating power is merely a matter of replacing one group of people with another. The influence of the aristocratic families remains unchanged, and it is impossible to completely exclude them from the court. If that were done, the entire country would cease to function.

Therefore, the Jiang family also wants to become such a force, the real behind-the-scenes power behind the scenes who set the rules.

In comparison, although the Jiang family is prominent now, it is only based on Jiang Yuan's strength and military power. It is far inferior to the aristocratic families. To put it bluntly, it is a castle in the air. If something happens to him, his current prominence will collapse at the slightest touch.

On the contrary, it's different for powerful families. They are deeply rooted and powerful. No matter how many you kill, you can just replace them with their own people and it won't shake their foundation.

Becoming a powerful family is Jiang Yuan's goal. As for the idea of ​​usurping the throne, he has no such idea. In this peaceful era, there is no opportunity for him. His cause is not legitimate, his righteousness is not up to par, and no one will follow or support him. Jiang Yuan is not strong enough for everyone to bow down to him.

Although a grandmaster is powerful, can a country be governed by force? Without that kind of mind, one will not even know when they will be sidelined. Purely violent rule will only lead to destruction in the end. Jiang Yuan is aware of this.

The original plan was for Jiang Li to marry the little princess and tie himself to the royal family. With this connection, Jiang Yuan's strength and military power would mean that whoever came to power would have to win over the Jiang family. Jiang Yuan could simply stand by and quietly work his way up, using time to build up his family's influence.

However, despite the good intentions, an unexpected turn of events occurred, and Chen Xuan's appearance shattered the Jiang family's beautiful expectations.

Chen Xuan disrupted everything, even though he could have steadily progressed towards his goal. It would be a lie to say that the Jiang family didn't hate him; they wished they could eat his flesh and drink his blood.

In fact, the Jiang family had considered getting rid of Chen Xuan. Once he died, with some maneuvering, Jiang Li could still marry the little princess and continue the original plan. However, after weighing the pros and cons, they gave up the idea. Firstly, Jiang Yuan was not entirely confident that he could defeat Chen Xuan. Secondly, the Jiang family was large and powerful, while Chen Xuan was just one person. If things really came to that, the consequences would be unbearable for the Jiang family. They did not want to become the next Wu family.

Even if Jiang Yuan is not afraid of Chen Xuan, that ruthless character has slaughtered the entire Wu family. If he were to target the Jiang family, and everyone were dead, leaving only Jiang Yuan, what would be the point of having so much power?
The Jiang family's decision to side with King Jiang was actually a last resort.

His hopes for a stable future after marrying the princess were dashed, and it was unrealistic to raise an army to rebel and usurp the throne, so he could only choose sides to seek his future.

Prince Qing is too far away, and he also has an ambiguous relationship with Chen Xuan. The Jiang family's support for Prince Qing is just icing on the cake; even if they help him ascend to the throne, they will not achieve the desired result.

It's one thing to side with the Crown Prince; he's the rightful heir, and the first thing he'll do once he ascends the throne is suppress the Jiang family. That would be asking for trouble. The emperor is a sovereign ruler, and he won't show you any mercy.

The other princes were not suitable either, either too young or too outrageous, the kind that couldn't be supported at all even if they were used as puppets. After thinking it over, only Prince Jiang was suitable, and the two sides hit it off immediately.

Originally, King Jiang had been trying his best to win over the Jiang family and had cooperated in some areas. However, the Jiang family had not made a clear statement before. When Chen Xuan slaughtered the Wu family and killed Wei Wuyai, and learned about his strength and relationship with the little princess, the Jiang family finally sided with King Jiang and sought to gain merit by supporting the new king.

After the deed was done, the Jiang family was not worried about Zhou Hong discarding him after he had served his purpose, because if he had used the pretext of "purging the court of corrupt officials" to force the emperor to abdicate, then his accession to the throne was illegitimate, and the Jiang family would still have to suppress any dissent.

The Jiang family needs Zhou Hong's royal bloodline to support him in securing a future, while Zhou Hong also needs the Jiang family's military power. Both sides get what they need and have a bright future.

The reason for launching the coup on the day of Jiang Li's wedding was actually out of necessity, and there are many reasons for it.

Firstly, the old emperor was getting old and was clearly paving the way for the crown prince. Based on people's understanding of the old emperor's magnanimity, he was not someone who coveted power and wealth. It was very likely that after paving the way for the crown prince, he would directly abdicate before his death. By then, it would be too late. No matter how many ideas the crown prince had, they would be dashed, and he would have to face the new emperor's suppression and reshuffling.

Anyone who knows the old emperor knows that he was truly capable of doing such a thing; his magnanimity and spirit are rare among all the emperors in the world.

Which emperor doesn't want to live a long and prosperous life? In their old age, they try every means to prolong their lives, sometimes becoming senile and absurd. But Emperor Shangxuan of Jing Kingdom is different. He takes life and death lightly. It's easy to understand that he is the kind of person who won't take power to the grave. When the time is right, he will definitely abdicate and pass the throne to a worthy successor, living out the rest of his life in peace.

Anyway, whether it's Jiang Yuan or Jiang Wang Zhou Hong, after discussing with their advisors, they roughly concluded that the old emperor would abdicate after Princess Fuyao's wedding, and in short, he wouldn't die on the dragon throne.

Secondly, if the coup didn't happen on the day of his son's wedding, Jiang Yuan would have no chance, because the next day was the grand court assembly. After the assembly, he would have to return to the border to take charge after reporting on his duties. He couldn't return to the capital without an imperial decree; that was a major taboo. If he dared to return to the capital without permission, the old emperor would dare to strip him of his military power, arrest him, and execute him. The old emperor couldn't find a reason to take action.

Although a Grandmaster is strong, he is not invincible. If he gets serious, Lao Deng has plenty of ways to kill him, without even needing to involve his son-in-law, Chen Xuan.

Even without Grandmaster Jiang Yuan, the foundation of the Jing Kingdom wouldn't be shaken. Grandmasters aren't irreplaceable; they may be strong, but they aren't the key to winning or losing a war. Otherwise, what would be the point of having an army? Otherwise, if two countries were to go to war, they could just send out one Grandmaster. What would be the point of fighting? If it were that simple, would the Yuhua Kingdom and the Shuangyue Kingdom still be fighting like this?

Furthermore, it's also by taking advantage of Jiang Li's wedding day that they can legitimately bring some of their generals to the capital. It's perfectly acceptable for a military family to have a wedding, allowing their generals to bolster their prestige, especially since they're already retired from military service. They can't just send two people to fetch the bride; the Jiang family isn't exactly impoverished.

In short, it was only on days like these that he could bring a portion of his generals to the capital. If it were any other time, Jiang Yuan would be guilty of a capital offense if he dared to bring more than a hundred people to the capital. To put it bluntly, were you planning to rebel by bringing troops to the capital?

Therefore, considering all factors, launching a coup today is the last and best opportunity. Once missed, the difficulty of planning such a thing again will increase dramatically.

This coup d'état is risky, but the rewards are incredibly rich. If it succeeds, Jiang Yuan will at least be granted the title of Duke for his meritorious service in supporting the emperor, and it will be a hereditary title.

Yes, Jiang Yuan himself has not yet been granted a noble title, but his son Jiang Li has been granted the title of Marquis of Zhenyuan.

This is not surprising, because Jiang Yuanguan has been appointed as the Grand General of the State, which is already an honor. It would be too much to give him a title. Giving his son a title would not seem abrupt, and it would shut up many people's opinions without neglecting the Jiang family.

The consequences of launching a coup d'état if it fails are predictable. Since they've already done it, they must have considered everything carefully, including Chen Xuan's involvement.

If Chen Xuan tries to intervene, someone will stop him. Jiang Yuan owes a huge favor for asking for such an outsider. It won't take long to stop Chen Xuan; half an hour will be enough. In such matters, speed is of the essence. Once the overall situation is settled and King Jiang ascends the throne, no matter how strong Chen Xuan is, he cannot change the established facts. Could he possibly commit regicide?
The Jiang family was holding a grand wedding, with the father and son warmly welcoming guests. Those who came to offer their congratulations had no idea that they were about to launch a coup.

When the auspicious hour arrived, the wedding procession set off for the Jiang Prince's Mansion to pick up the bride. The Jiang father and son exchanged a glance, made an excuse, and left the guests' sight.

They hadn't considered the possibility of failure, which would mean the death of everyone involved. So success was the only option. Therefore, they didn't even bother to have the younger generation of the Jiang family hide away and prepare a way out. With that kind of ambition, there was no room for indecisiveness.

Once out of the guests' sight, Jiang Li quickly took off his wedding clothes and put on a suit of armor made of black gold. Holding a battle sword, he went to the backyard, where two hundred loyal subordinates had already gathered, all clad in armor, exuding a murderous aura and ready to die.

Including Jiang Li himself, there are three innate masters in this group. Next, they will head straight for the capital camp to control the commander-in-chief and prevent him from sending troops to support the palace. Anyone who tries to stop them will die. They need to control the commander-in-chief before the capital camp can react. They will launch the attack without any warning. Three innate masters plus two hundred fierce soldiers will be enough to head straight for the central command tent!
If the capital can be controlled for a period of time and prevented from providing support, then the coup will be half successful.

As for the three thousand imperial guards protecting the palace, could they withstand Jiang Yuan personally leading his troops in a charge? And those palace maids and eunuchs were even less of a threat. Perhaps Emperor Shangxuan had some trump cards, but who could withstand a Grandmaster like Jiang Yuan charging into battle?

The biggest variable is the capital city's grand formation. However, King Jiang and Jiang Yuan had already made arrangements, sending two innate masters with a grandmaster-level technique sealed by Jiang Yuan to destroy one of the floating islands. The so-called grand formation would become a mere decoration and could be rebuilt afterward.

The so-called "purging the emperor's inner circle" was actually a violent coup to force the old emperor to abdicate. Once Prince Jiang ascended the throne, the entire situation would be settled.

He certainly wouldn't commit regicide, otherwise he would have nowhere to hide in the world. He could simply be placed under house arrest and made to serve the retired emperor properly in the future. As for the crown prince, he would definitely have to die. Even if Prince Jiang were to ascend the throne, he wouldn't be able to sit on the throne with peace of mind if he didn't die. But how he died was a matter of great importance. He didn't want to bear the infamy of fratricide, so there was a lot of room for maneuver. It was just a matter of the victor's word.

Jiang Yuan also changed into a set of purplish-black Qilin armor, and silently waited for the time to come in the quiet room, holding a pitch-black halberd.

The Jiang family's wedding procession paraded through the city, arriving at the Jiang Prince's Mansion in high spirits. They still had to put on a show, and after a few perfunctory attempts to make things difficult, they were invited inside and arranged to stay in a separate courtyard.

There was no banquet set up in the courtyard, only bowls of strong liquor that had been prepared in advance. When the wedding procession arrived, the ground cracked open to reveal a secret room. People filed out from inside, carrying out large boxes filled with weapons and armor.

King Jiang had been plotting this for years; how could he have been unprepared?

These wedding party members were Jiang Yuan's hand-picked elite soldiers; he couldn't possibly storm the palace empty-handed.

This coup was not entirely orchestrated by Jiang Yuan's men; King Jiang Zhou Hong also had to send troops. A thousand guards from the royal palace were already on high alert, and two thousand troops, disguised as ordinary citizens, were also secretly preparing to freeload under the guise of a grand banquet.

King Jiang's side has sent three thousand men, and Jiang Yuan has a thousand elite soldiers and generals. Among them are fifteen innate masters, as well as Jiang Yuan, a grandmaster. This force is enough to change the world!

A coup d'état, a direct assault on the palace, doesn't require a large army. Speed ​​is of the essence; too many people could easily lead to unforeseen events.

Once the palace is under control, the situation is essentially settled. The old emperor will have no choice but to abdicate; there are plenty of ways to achieve this.

There were naturally many people in the court who supported Prince Jiang, but a violent coup required force, and others couldn't help at all.

The Prince Jiang's residence is less than 20 miles from the imperial palace.

Once everything was ready, the festive music changed—it was the signal agreed upon with Jiang Yuan.

Upon receiving the signal, Jiang Yuan immediately went to the Jiang Prince's Mansion. After all the soldiers drank a bowl of farewell wine and smashed the bowl, he finally uttered that slogan that shocked the world.

"My daughter, I'm sorry to trouble you today. I will go and win you a princess. Tomorrow's grand court assembly will be presided over by me—no, by me!" King Jiang, clad in armor, stood before Jiang Yuan, silently vowing to himself, his gaze resolute and filled with ambition.

"Follow me into the palace, eliminate the treacherous officials, cleanse the court of corrupt ministers, and uphold the nation. Anyone who dares to obstruct us will be killed without mercy!" Jiang Yuan, exuding authority without anger, brandished his long halberd and declared loudly.

"Eliminate the treacherous officials and cleanse the court of the emperor's inner circle. We swear to follow the General to the death!" the soldiers declared, ready to die for their cause.

Even if it's a violent coup, slogans still need to be shouted. No matter how high-sounding the reason, there has to be one, otherwise there's no legitimate reason.

Subsequently, under Jiang Yuan's personal leadership, together with King Jiang, a group of fierce and powerful soldiers headed straight for the palace.

Thus began a dramatic coup attempt to force the emperor to abdicate.

At the same time, Jiang Li personally led a small group of elite troops straight to the capital's main camp.

As they launched their attacks from two directions simultaneously, almost at the same moment, two innate masters approached the little princess's floating island and, without hesitation, began to destroy one of the foundations of the capital's grand formation... (End of Chapter)