lcionline Chapter 667 Forced into the Palace
Chapter 667 Forced into the Palace
Liang Xiaoming joked, "Will your portrait be hung here soon?"
Liu Ye replied with a laugh, "The world belongs to me, and it also belongs to you. How about we hang it up together?"
"No, no, no..." Liang Xiaoming waved his hands repeatedly, "I can't be an emperor, and I don't want to be one. Don't put me on the spot. The core of the Qionghai Army is only you. Don't make jokes like that again. There are so many people around. You may not mean it, but others may take it to heart..."
Seeing Liang Xiaoming's expression change, Liu Ye smiled and didn't continue. He sighed inwardly, realizing that power was truly an invisible knife; while it didn't necessarily create a chasm between the two, the friendship between two best buddies was ultimately tainted by other things.
Although Liang Xiaoming is typically highly intelligent but lacks emotional intelligence, he remains clear-headed in the face of such crucial matters. He understands his role perfectly: a supporting character. Compared to Liu Ye, he lacks the ambition and decisiveness of a leader and doesn't garner much support. The Qionghai Army has already formed a vested interest group, and Liu Ye, as the leader who created this group, is the most suitable person for that position. Most people aspire to the position through merit and would never allow anyone other than Liu Ye to sit in it; forcibly taking power would only lead to utter destruction. Therefore, even if it's a joke, he can't bear the consequences.
Both understood the unspoken implications and tacitly avoided the sensitive topic. By not revealing their differences, they remained close friends, treating each other as equals, which made them both feel more comfortable. For a moment, they fell silent.
Yan Guang broke the silence, saying, "General, should we take this opportunity to break through the imperial city and reach the Forbidden City in one fell swoop?"
In his later life, Liu Ye, a native of Beijing, felt a deep affection for this historically significant imperial city. Looking at Chengtianmen, which was virtually identical to its present form, he sighed, "Every brick, every tile, every blade of grass here is a treasure that can be left to future generations. If problems can be solved in other ways, there's no need to resort to force. Let me go up and speak to them, and see what they say." In his view, damaging Tiananmen was tantamount to a crime, and it would also destroy his memories of his past life. He wouldn't take that step unless absolutely necessary.
He personally stepped forward and called out, "Who is stationed upstairs? Please show yourself and speak."
A middle-aged man dressed as a eunuch peeked out. Although the city wall was high and the distance was considerable, his face vaguely looked familiar. He shouted loudly, "Gao Qiqian, the Grand Eunuch of the Imperial Horse Administration, is here. Rebels, with me and the Four Guards of Tengxiang (Note 1) here today, you will not cross this line!"
"So it's Eunuch Gao." Liu Ye smiled, surprised to find that it was an old acquaintance. "Eunuch Gao, you can eat whatever you want, but don't say whatever you want. Don't rush to label me a traitor. I've just been treated unfairly and want to seek justice from the Emperor."
"Outrageous! Who leads an army all the way into the capital to demand justice? This is clearly rebellion!" Gao Qiqian shouted angrily. "If you are truly sincere, have your army withdraw from the city, then tie yourself up and go to the Golden Palace to beg His Majesty for forgiveness!"
"Hehe..." Liu Ye laughed, "You're mistaken, Father-in-law. If I had followed your advice, I probably wouldn't have been forced to apologize with thorns on my back, but rather subjected to the death by a thousand cuts. What did I get for leaving the army outside the city and entering with the victory over Ajige? Not only did I not receive any reward, but they also mobilized the capital garrison and cannons to try and kill me. Leading the army into the city now is a last resort. If I wanted to rebel, why would I waste words with you now? I would have already bombarded Chengtian Gate and stormed into the Golden Palace!"
With a wave of his hand, the army behind him parted to make way, and a 10-pound field cannon was pulled up by a horse-drawn cart, lined up neatly in a row, its dark muzzle pointed at the city gate.
Gao Qiqian, renowned among the eunuchs for his military expertise and command of the Imperial Guards, was well aware of the cannons' power, and his expression immediately changed. Unfortunately, the cannons in the capital were all mounted on the outer city walls, and had been transported to the Beijing garrison by Yang Sichang the previous night. They couldn't be brought into the Imperial City in the rush, resulting in an imbalance of firepower and putting his side at a significant disadvantage. The Imperial City walls, after all, weren't as resilient as the outer walls, and besides, there were many jars and pots around Chengtian Gate; destroying them would be difficult to explain to the Emperor. It was best to avoid a fight altogether.
Faced with the cannon, Gao Qiqian's tone softened noticeably. He asked, "So what do you want?"
Liu Ye replied without hesitation: "Actually, it's simple. I'm not one to hold a grudge. Just hand over the culprit, Yang Sichang, announce his crimes, and have him executed. Then the emperor can issue an edict of self-reproach, admitting his poor judgment of people. Finally, give me what I deserve, and that should be enough!"
Gao Qiqian was dumbfounded. This wasn't a demand for an explanation; it was clearly a coup, putting the emperor in a difficult position. After regaining his senses, he pointed at Liu Ye and shouted, "You still say you're not a traitor? What kind of subject forces His Majesty to issue an edict of self-reproach? And you want to execute Minister Yang? He's the Minister of War chosen by His Majesty, a high-ranking official of the court. How can you just kill him as you please? This is absolutely outrageous!"
Liu Ye said calmly, "Eunuch Gao, there's no need to get agitated. This isn't something you can decide on your own. You should hurry to the palace and consult your master. I'll give you one hour, noon. Give me a response by then. Even if you don't agree to my conditions immediately, you should at least show sincerity by sending someone to discuss this in detail. Otherwise..."
"What else?"
Liu Ye spread his arms wide, speaking with an air of authority: "Chengtian Gate, Dong'an Gate, and Xi'an Gate are all surrounded. Qionghai, Shanxi, and Xuanfu garrisons must receive a satisfactory response. The Beijing Garrison has been completely defeated. Can your Tengxiang Four Guards withstand the thunderous blow of my three major border garrisons? Go tell your Emperor to think it over. If there is no movement after noon, I will bombard Chengtian Gate and go directly to the palace to speak with the Emperor! Surely you won't force me to take this step?"
Gao Qiqian was sweating profusely. Such a threat was arrogant, but it was the truth. Although he was confident that the Tengxiang Four Guards were more elite than the Beijing Garrison, he might not be able to withstand any of the three major border towns in a head-on confrontation, let alone be surrounded by all three.
He never imagined that the southern bumpkin he had once looked down upon in Shandong would one day arrive at the capital with such overwhelming force, a force far beyond his ability to resist. Gao Qiqian glanced at the other man with a complex expression, his eyes filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment.
After a long silence, he sighed and replied, "Alright, as long as you don't use force before noon, I will go and report to His Majesty."
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Note 1: The Tengxiang Four Guards were the imperial guards under the command of the Imperial Horse Administration. They were the armed forces directly under the emperor and were divided into the Tengxiang Left and Right Guards and the Wuxiang Left and Right Guards. They were collectively known as the "Four Guards" or "Four Guards Army". They were not under the jurisdiction of the Twelve Upper Guards of the Imperial Guard Command, but their status was higher than that of the Twelve Upper Guards. They were the imperial guards among the imperial guards.