Chapter 456 Let the Monkey Go
"You step back first!" Emperor Longxing said coldly, no longer as kind as before.
Old Mrs. Cheng kowtowed several times and then left the hall tremblingly.
"Clatter!" Emperor Longxing swept the memorials from the dragon table to the ground, "Prince Nan'an has misled me!"
The domestic situation has finally stabilized, but such a change has occurred in the southwest. Once the southwest area cannot be controlled, a quarter of Daqian's territory will be in chaos. This is definitely a challenge for Emperor Longxing.
This is a major threat to the country's foundation!
After a long while, he finally said in a cold voice, "Immediately summon all officials above the third rank in Beijing to discuss the matter!"
"Go to Daming Palace!"
Emperor Longxing gave the order and headed towards Daming Palace. Compared to the war in the southwest, the previous battle in Lanzhou and the threat from Fengzhou were nothing but minor skirmishes.
The three barbarian tribes can gather at least 200,000 to 300,000 troops, plus there is a Dali Kingdom watching covetously. It would be easy to deal with them, but if something goes wrong, at best Daqian will suffer heavy losses, and at worst Daqian will be overthrown.
"Your son pays homage to His Majesty the Father!"
In the Daming Palace, the retired emperor played with his black and white chess pieces, reviewing a previous game he had played with Jia Cong. He finally realized that his grandson 's chess skills were beyond his imagination. It seemed he had won that game, but after reviewing it several times, he noticed something else: it was possible that his grandson had saved his grandfather's face.
“Crash!”
He casually threw the chess pieces into the chess box and said, "What a filial little monkey! Now, what happened that brought you here in such a hurry?"
"Your Majesty, there's a change in the southwest!"
Just one sentence made the expression of the retired emperor change slightly!
"Is it the Prince of Nan'an who is rebelling, or are the barbarians gathering troops and marching north?"
Emperor Longxing slowly told the retired emperor what Old Lady Cheng had said, and the retired emperor's solemn expression gradually calmed down.
When the story was finished, the retired emperor sneered, "Zhao Guang? Humph, just a brat. Compared to Zhao Qi and Zhao Kuang, he is far inferior!"
The old concubine Mrs. Cheng, like Lady Jia, was the wife of Zhao Kuang, the second-generation prince of the Nan'an Palace. Zhao Kuang was the third generation, one generation older than Jia Cong, and of the same generation as Jia She and Jia Zheng.
Zhao Qi was the first Prince of Nan'an who defected to Emperor Taizu! Zhao Qi commanded not only a powerful army but also a vast influence within Shuzhong, earning him the title of King of Shuzhong. However, without such a vast influence, Emperor Taizu would not have so easily appointed a king of a different surname.
Which of the four kings of different surnames, from the southeast, northwest, and northeast, failed to shake the world when they founded their kingdoms? Dukes Ning and Rong, despite their military exploits, were only granted the title of Duke. One can only imagine the magnitude of those four kings of different surnames. Of course, there are also rumors that during the final battle to seal the throne, Dukes Ning and Rong deliberately relinquished their military exploits in order to avoid being crowned as kings of different surnames.
Being a king of a different surname is certainly an honor, but their achievements are so great that they threaten the emperor. Throughout the dynasties, how many kings of different surnames have not been feared by the royal family? Few have truly met a good end. In comparison, while the power of a Duke is slightly less, the threat to the royal family is much smaller, which is not a bad thing.
However, the events of that time happened a long time ago, and most of the elderly people at that time have passed away, so few people can tell what the situation was.
"I have summoned the court officials to discuss the matter. The capture of the Prince of Nan'an affects the reputation of Daqian. Moreover, the entire southwest also needs stability. Therefore, I intend to send a skilled warrior to stabilize the situation in the southwest. The barbarians' southward advance is a bad thing, but it may also be an opportunity for Daqian."
"Tell me about it!" said the emperor with a smile.
"First, the Prince of Nan'an has been guarding Shu for many years, and has become too powerful to be removed. However, whether it's demoting his title or weakening Shu's military strength, the court is extremely difficult to manipulate. In recent years, taxes in Shu have been decreasing year by year, and the Prince of Nan'an's mansion has almost become a country within a country. And now, with Zhao Guang's capture, the entire southwest is in chaos, and a reshuffle is naturally necessary. He can no longer serve as a prince. Even if he is released, does the Prince of Nan'an still want to continue guarding Shu?"
"Also, although the three major barbarian tribes attacked each other, they joined forces against our Daqian. Furthermore, with the Dali Kingdom behind them, we dared not mobilize all our forces to attack them. Great chaos also means great changes. If we make careful plans, we may be able to weaken the power of the southwest."
"Hahaha!" The retired emperor laughed heartily. "Indeed, you are able to see opportunities in crises. You are already qualified to be an emperor."
"While the southwest is important, it's not enough to overthrow the entire Daqian. While Daqian isn't as powerful as it was during the time of Taizu and Taizong, the Nine Border Camps, the Five Great Camps in the Capital, and the garrisons in various locations, together we have nearly a million soldiers! Even if the sky falls and the earth collapses, what can we do? The worst that can happen is that we, father and son, will emulate Taizu and Taizong and conquer the world once again."
"Could our current situation be more difficult than it was during the time of our great grandfather?"
Emperor Longxing was also moved by what the retired emperor said. If he could completely pacify the southwest during his reign, he would be famous in history books as an emperor.
"Who are you going to send? Do you have a plan?"
"I have come here to discuss this matter with Father!"
The emperor pondered for a while and said, "Let the monkey go!"
Emperor Longxing was shocked, "Father, what you mean is..."
The Emperor Emeritus patted the hand of the Longxing Emperor and said, "I know you are reluctant to let him go, but how could I be willing to do so? Even if he has been away from home for sixteen years, he is still not my grandson. But precisely because he is the prince and grandson of the emperor, for the sake of our Daqian Empire, he must go."
"First, this child is unparalleled in bravery and martial prowess, even within the military he has few rivals. Secondly, aren't you planning on having him return to the royal family, or even inherit the throne? However, it's certainly difficult for a prince raised among the common people to succeed the throne. You should be aware of how difficult it is, even with our support, it's not easy."
"But if he pacifies the entire southwest, he'll have unparalleled prestige. You can then crown him king and, when the time is right, announce his status to the world. Even if you crown him crown prince in the future, there won't be much opposition. So, while the southwest is dangerous, it also presents him with an opportunity."
"Of course, he's your son. You can decide for yourself. If you don't want to, then choose someone else."
Emperor Longxing remained silent. How could he not know that the words of the retired emperor were true? But, that was his son, and he had finally found him. It would be fine if he couldn't enjoy wealth and glory, but he also had to endure the hardships of war for the sake of this country? Compared to his other sons, he felt too much guilt...
