12dz Chapter 1778 The Prime Minister’s Plan
Chapter 1778 The Prime Minister’s Plan
Dusk is falling and the setting sun is blood-red.
An escort team was heading west along the official road. The monotonous sound of the wheels rolling over the gravel was particularly clear in the silent wilderness.
Liu Cheng, with his hands tied with iron chains, sat in the prison van, his face pale and his once luxurious princely attire now covered in dust.
Just above the team, a gray-feathered carrier pigeon was flapping its wings vigorously and flying towards the southeast.
The secret letter tied to its leg is about to shake up the chess game of the entire world.
Thousands of miles away, the Chu army camp was camped on an open plain.
It was early autumn, and the evening breeze was already cool, making the military flags flutter.
Inside the central army tent, Chu Ning stood in front of the sand table with his hands behind his back, the candlelight casting bright and dark shadows on his angular face.
"Report—" the voice of the personal guard came from outside: "General Zhao requests an audience."
"pass."
Zhao Yu strode in, his armor clanging. "Your Majesty, the Embroidered Uniform Guard's pigeon has arrived."
He presented a thin bamboo tube with a serious expression.
Chu Ning opened the wax seal and unfolded the note. Gradually, a playful smile appeared on the corner of his lips:
"This Liu Xiu really impressed me. He actually dared to use himself as bait to personally lure Liu Cheng into captivity."
Zhao Yu's eyes flashed with excitement: "Your Majesty, civil unrest has broken out in the Han Dynasty. This is a golden opportunity for our army to capture Xunyang!"
Chu Ning shook his head and tapped his finger on the sand table. "Since Huo Quji sent Huo Guang to assist Liu Xiu, he must have already left for Chang'an."
"Xunyang City is now leaderless, so they will be on high alert."
He turned and looked at the darkening twilight outside the tent: "Wait a little longer, there's more fun to watch in Chang'an City."
Zhao Yu was puzzled: "Then what should we do now..."
"Send the order to break camp."
Chu Ning said decisively: "The entire army will advance thirty miles towards Xunyang and set up camp. Remember, we must adopt a posture of encircling but not attacking."
The sound of trumpets suddenly resounded throughout the military camp, and the commanders of each camp ran around to pass on orders.
The soldiers quickly packed up their tents and loaded food supplies in unison.
The neighing of war horses, the clashing of weapons and armor, and the shouts of generals intertwined together, showing the strict military discipline of the Chu army.
At the same time, thousands of miles away, the Han capital Chang'an was shrouded in a strange tranquility.
In the meeting room of the Prime Minister's Mansion, the candles were brightly lit, but the atmosphere was so oppressive that it made people feel breathless.
Prime Minister Chen Pin sat in the main seat, his gray eyebrows tightly furrowed.
Sitting on the left and right sides were six civil and military officials, all of whom were important officials in the court.
Xiao Yan, the Zhaowu Commandant, could not help but ask, "Why did the Prime Minister summon you so urgently at night?"
Chen Pin slowly raised his head, his eyes sweeping over everyone present: "Prince Qinghe... was captured by Prince Chenliu."
In an instant, everyone in the room was shocked.
Everyone was shocked when they heard this, and there was an uproar in the hall.
The teacup in the hands of Zhang Han, the assistant minister of the Ministry of War, fell to the ground with a "bang" and shattered into pieces.
He was completely oblivious, his eyes widening as he spoke in a trembling voice, "The Prime Minister just said... His Royal Highness the Prince of Qinghe was captured?"
"How is this possible? The urgent report we received clearly stated that the Prince of Chenliu was besieged in Chen County!"
Xiao Yan, the Zhaowu Commander, stood up suddenly, his armor clanging. "Could it be that the intelligence is wrong? Isn't the Prince of Chenliu surrounded? How could they capture the Prince of Qinghe? His Highness the Prince of Qinghe is accompanied by five hundred elite soldiers!"
"Could it be that we were ambushed?"
Wang Lang, the Junior Minister of the Imperial Household, twisted his beard with a trembling hand. "But even if he was ambushed, there's no way the Prince of Qinghe could be captured."
Minister of Revenue Li Zhi's face was pale and beads of cold sweat oozed from his forehead.
He had a vested interest in the Prince of Qinghe, and not only did he bet all his treasures on Liu Cheng, he also wrote letters to impeach the Prince of Chenliu many times.
If Liu Xiu came to power, he would be the first to be held accountable.
Thinking of this, he felt dizzy and almost lost his balance. He quickly held onto the coffee table beside him and said in a trembling voice:
"This...what should we do? If the Prince of Chenliu takes power, I'm afraid we'll all be liquidated!"
For a moment, all the officials in the room turned pale and exchanged frightened glances with each other.
They were either Liu Cheng's relatives, or had publicly supported the Qinghe King's succession to the throne, or even participated in the action of suppressing the Chenliu King.
At this moment, everyone was thinking about the same question: What would be their fate if Liu Xiu came to power?
The candlelight in the hall flickered, casting the panicked figures of the crowd on the wall, distorting and shaking, just like their uneasy mood at the moment.
"We've all been tricked into leaving the mountain."
Chen Pin said in a low voice, "Liu Xiu deliberately spread the news that he was surrounded to lure the Prince of Qinghe to rescue him, but in fact he set an ambush."
Everyone present looked at each other, cold sweat oozing from their foreheads.
These people are all supporters of Liu Cheng. If Liu Xiu comes to power, their careers and even their lives will be in jeopardy.
Everyone immediately became confused.
Zhang Han, the assistant minister of the Ministry of War, was the first to lose his composure and hurried forward, saying:
"Prime Minister, this matter concerns our lives and property. We must not sit idly by and wait for death! Please tell me what we should do now."
Xiao Yan, the Zhaowu Commandant, slammed his hand on the table, causing the teaware to clink. "Prime Minister! Why not send troops to intercept him immediately? I am willing to personally lead the imperial guards and kill Liu Xiu mid-route!"
"No, no!"
Wang Lang, the Junior Secretary of the Imperial Household Department, waved his hands repeatedly: "Liu Xiu now holds the Prince of Qinghe in his hands. If he acts rashly, I'm afraid it will endanger the prince's life!"
He turned to Chen Pin and bowed, saying, "Prime Minister, the most urgent task is to ensure the safety of Prince Qinghe!"
Li Zhi, the Minister of Revenue, said in a trembling voice, "Prime Minister, I think we should immediately contact the Empress Dowager in the palace and ask her to take charge of the situation. After all, the Empress Dowager has always admired Prince Qinghe..."
"Everyone be quiet!"
Chen Pin suddenly opened his eyes and swept his sharp gaze over the crowd: "What are you panicking about? The sky hasn't fallen yet!"
He slowly stood up and tapped his fingers on the table. "The most urgent thing is to find out how many troops Liu Xiu brought with him, which route he took, and when he will arrive in Chang'an."
He paused, his voice suddenly turning cold. "As for the Queen Mother, Wang Lang, you must go to the palace immediately and ask her to appear at the court tomorrow morning."
"Xiao Yan, you must dispatch the Imperial Guards to reinforce the city gates. No one is allowed to mobilize troops without my permission."
"Li Zhi, go take care of the Jinyiwei. I want to know the news the moment Liu Xiu sets foot in Chang'an."
After hearing this, everyone calmed down a little and accepted the order one after another.
Chen Pin looked out the window at the dark night and murmured, "It's not time to admit defeat in this round yet."
Then, a stern look flashed in his eyes: "Now that things have come to this, there is only one way."
He slowly stood up and said word by word: "Anyone can be the emperor, except Liu Xiu!"
Everyone immediately understood the profound meaning of the words, and the room fell into deathly silence.
Finally, Xiao Yan was the first to kneel down: "I am willing to obey the Prime Minister's orders!"
Others followed suit, the candlelight casting their shadows on the wall, distorted like ghosts.
At this time, Liu Xiu's escort team was resting in a valley.
Huo Guang came over and handed over the water bag: "Your Highness, after crossing the mountain ahead is the territory of Chang'an."
Liu Xiu looked up at the starry sky and suddenly asked, "What do you think those people in Chang'an City are doing right now?"
Huo Guang sneered: "I'm afraid they are discussing how to deal with His Highness."
Liu Xiu shook his head slightly, his eyes deep: "I hope they can be smarter and avoid me going on a killing spree."
The night wind blows through the valley, bringing the coolness of early autumn.
A change that will affect the world situation is quietly brewing on this seemingly peaceful night.