SWDnovel Chapter 117 The Prince of the South enters the capital, you have no right to inspect!
Chapter 117 The Prince of the South enters the capital, you have no right to inspect!
Chapter 117 The Prince of the South enters the capital, you have no right to inspect!
Zhu Houzhao's words made everyone present tense.
Wang Shouren, Cao Zhengchun, and Liu Jin all looked at Zhu Houzhao in astonishment, wondering why he would suddenly attack Ling Luoshi.
Shen Ying was also startled. He lowered his head, his brows furrowed, and remained silent.
Ling Luoshi's face darkened, and his mood sank even further. He immediately knelt before Zhu Houzhao and said in a deep voice, "This humble subject was confused. I dare to ask Your Majesty to enlighten me. What crime have I committed?"
Ling Luoshi was extremely flustered, feeling that this trip to the capital was indeed unusual, and that Zhu Houzhao was indeed coming for him.
At the same time, he began to ponder what he had done to offend Zhu Houzhao.
Zhu Houzhao said coldly, "Last year, Liaodong was in dire straits. Why did you privately mobilize troops to Liaodong without my order?!"
"To mobilize troops without orders is tantamount to treason!"
"Ling Luoshi, are you plotting a rebellion?!"
Ling Luoshi broke out in a cold sweat; an unexpected fear swept over him.
It wasn't just Ling Luoshi who was terrified; everyone in the entire Fengtian Hall was filled with utter horror.
Everyone was wondering if Zhu Houzhao's decision to allow Ling Luoshi to enter the capital was a prelude to eliminating Ling Luoshi and targeting the important border towns.
Ling Luoshi kowtowed, his voice trembling as he said, "Your Majesty, I am innocent! I have never dared to harbor any rebellious intentions!"
"The Uriyangkhai are rebelling, and Liaodong is in grave danger. Your humble servant was anxious and thus acted without authorization!"
"Your Majesty, I am devoted to the Ming Dynasty and have no selfish motives whatsoever. I beg you to see the truth!"
Ling Luoshi hurriedly explained, "Moreover, before I sent troops, I also submitted a memorial to the court requesting permission, but I have not received a reply from the court for a long time."
"The situation in Liaodong is extremely precarious. I am sending troops without authorization, for fear of missing the opportunity to fight!"
"
Zhu Houzhao squinted at Ling Luoshi, who was kneeling on the ground, but did not rush to express his opinion.
The Fengtian Hall was completely silent, the air so heavy it seemed to freeze.
The invisible pressure accumulated over time, little by little, pressing down on Ling Luoshi.
A bead of sweat trickled down Ling Luoshi's forehead and landed on the golden bricks of the Fengtian Hall.
After a while, Zhu Houzhao turned to look at Wang Shouren.
"Wang Shouren, you are the Minister of War. Military dispatches from the nine border garrisons must first pass through your hands."
"Tell me, is this true or not?"
Wang Shouren suddenly opened his eyes wide, his expression one of astonishment.
Regardless of whether this actually happened, when Liaodong was in dire need, the Minister of War should have been Liu Daxia.
At the time, he was just a minor official in the Ministry of War; this matter was not his responsibility at all.
"minister----"
As Wang Shouren was racking his brains trying to figure out how to answer the question, he suddenly noticed that Zhu Houzhao was staring straight at him.
Recalling the orders Zhu Houzhao had given him before, Wang Shouren suddenly had a flash of inspiration and understood.
"Your Majesty, this is indeed true."
Zhu Houzhao nodded slightly, withdrew his gaze, and looked at Ling Luoshi kneeling on the ground.
"Since that's the case, and given that you have indeed relieved Liaodong of its predicament, I will assume that you had no ulterior motives."
Upon hearing this, Wang Shouren breathed a sigh of relief even before Ling Luoshi.
He knew he had made the right bet this time.
Immediately afterwards, Ling Luoshi's heavy voice rang out again: "Your Majesty, I am willing to accept punishment for mobilizing troops without authorization, but I dare not bear the charge of treason."
"Your Majesty, please consider this carefully!"
After a long silence, Zhu Houzhao finally spoke: "Ling Luoshi, you have guarded Datong for the Ming Dynasty for twelve years and relieved the siege of Liaodong. You have made great contributions."
"But you mobilized troops without my orders, which is a offense."
"The merits and demerits cancel each other out; I will let this matter go."
"You must behave yourself from now on, and never become arrogant and unruly with your troops!"
Ling Luoshi breathed a long sigh of relief, his heart finally at ease. He kowtowed repeatedly to Zhu Houzhao, saying, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your mercy!"
"Your Majesty, I am devoted to serving you wholeheartedly and would never dare to harbor any arrogance!"
Zhu Houzhao took the matter of Ling Luoshi's unauthorized troop deployment very seriously, but then let it go, and simply let it pass.
Neither punishing nor rewarding, just a few words were enough to make Ling Luoshi feel a sense of relief, as if he had survived a calamity.
After Zhu Houzhao pardoned Ling Luoshi, the atmosphere in the entire Fengtian Hall became relaxed.
Get up.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Ling Luoshi stood up, straightened his sleeves, and returned to the queue.
Only then did he realize with a start that his clothes were soaked with cold sweat.
After dealing with the Ling Luoshi matter, Zhu Houzhao said to Shenying and Qi Jingtong, "Shenying, Qi Jingtong, do you know why I ordered you to lead your troops back to the capital?"
Shen Ying and Qi Jingtong answered honestly, "Your Majesty, we do not know."
Zhu Houzhao briefly stated, "On the fifteenth of August, the capital will be very lively, as a large number of martial arts practitioners will gather in the capital."
"I want these people to come and never return!"
"Wang Shouren, Shen Ying, Qi Jingtong, Ling Luoshi, heed my command!"
The four men's expressions hardened, and they immediately knelt down to receive the imperial decree.
"Shenying, on the night of August 15th, you will lead 70,000 Northern Liang troops and 30,000 Ji-Lu garrison soldiers to guard the east gate of the capital. Anyone who leaves the capital will be executed on the spot!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"Wang Shouren, you will lead 70,000 troops from the three major camps of the capital and 30,000 soldiers from the Hebei and Shandong garrisons to guard the west gate of the capital. Anyone attempting to escape the capital will be killed without mercy!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"Qi Jingtong, you are to lead 70,000 troops from the twelve battalions of the capital's army and 30,000 soldiers from the Hebei and Shandong garrisons to guard the north gate of the capital. Anyone who tries to flee the city is to be executed immediately!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
At this point, Zhu Houzhao paused for a moment, and Ling Luoshi's heart jumped into his throat.
Finally, Zhu Houzhao said, "Ling Luoshi, you will lead 30,000 Northern Liang troops, 30,000 troops from the three major battalions of the capital, 30,000 troops from the twelve regiments of the capital, and 10,000 soldiers from the Ji-Lu garrison to guard the south gate of the capital. Anyone who tries to escape from the capital will be executed!"
Ling Luoshi's expression suddenly became extremely excited, and he loudly accepted the order: "Yes, Your Majesty!"
Everyone understood the implications of Zhu Houzhao's arrangement for commanding troops.
This was entirely because the garrison soldiers were not up to the task, so they were reassigned to other units to fill in.
When it comes to actual combat, they won't be allowed to fight. At most, they'll be placed behind the main fighting force to bolster their morale.
Finally, Zhu Houzhao said, "Use fireworks as a signal. Once you see the fireworks, lead your army into the capital."
"At that time, anyone still wandering the streets will be executed!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
After assigning all the tasks, Zhu Houzhao waved his hand at everyone and said, "Alright, you can go and make the arrangements now."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I shall take my leave."
After bowing, the four people exited the Fengtian Hall in turn.
Only then did everyone finally understand why Zhu Houzhao had summoned them to bring their troops to the capital in such a hurry.
When Ling Luoshi left Fengtian Hall, he felt a sense of relief.
The pressure that had been weighing on him these past few days seemed to vanish in that instant.
Ling Luoshi, feeling relaxed, returned to the Xishan military camp with Wang Shouren and others to conduct pre-battle mobilization and preparations.
Just as Ling Luoshi was meeting with Zhu Houzhao in the Fengtian Hall.
In a secluded mansion, Xiao Jianseng, one of Ling Luoshi's confidants, secretly arrived at the mansion, evading everyone's surveillance.
The next moment, a familiar person appeared in front of him.
Xiao Jianseng stared at the man without moving.
Zhuge Zhengwo gave a kind smile and said, "Don't worry, this is the territory of the Six Doors. The Imperial Guards and the Imperial Eunuchs can't monitor this place."
At this moment, Xiao Jianseng cried out, moved, "Godfather!"
That's right, Xiao Jianseng is Zhuge Zhengwo's adopted son. He was ordered by Zhuge Zhengwo to infiltrate Ling Luoshi's side for many years.
His master, Ye Aichan, was Zhuge Zhengwo's senior brother, and together with Zhuge Zhengwo, they were one of the Four Great Constables of the older generation.
"Sword Monk, you've had a tough time all these years."
Xiao Jianseng shook his head: "For the sake of the Ming Dynasty, it's not hard work!"
After exchanging pleasantries, Zhuge Zhengwo asked Xiao Jianseng, "Has Ling Luoshi made any unusual moves recently?"
Xiao Jianseng shook his head: "No, but I have already collected some evidence of his past crimes."
"Moreover, during the collection process, I also encountered a group of people who were also secretly collecting evidence of Ling Luoshi's crimes."
"Oh? There are others watching Ling Luoshi? Who are they?" Zhuge Zhengwo asked.
Xiao Jianseng frowned and recalled for a moment: "I've fought with them and investigated, but nothing came of it."
O
"Although there is no concrete evidence, I suspect they are the secret agents of the Dragon Guard Manor."
"Moreover, they are not only investigating Ling Luoshi's crimes, but also secretly collecting evidence of the crimes of the ten generals of the nine important border towns."
Zhuge Zhengwo's expression was solemn. This news about Xiao Jianseng was of extraordinary value to the Six Doors.
What was Zhu Wushi trying to do by collecting evidence of crimes committed by the ten generals of the nine important border towns?
Is there some kind of entanglement between Zhu Wushi and the ten generals of the nine border towns?
Zhuge Zhengwo nodded and said to Xiao Jianseng, "Okay, I understand."
"It's almost time, you should go back now."
"Remember, be careful in everything you do, and prioritize your own life!"
"Yes, Godfather, please take good care of yourself too!"
Xiao Jianseng nodded to Zhuge Zhengwo and then disappeared into the courtyard in the blink of an eye.
Zhuge Zhengwo looked in the direction where Xiao Jianseng had disappeared, pondered for a long time, and then quickly returned to the Divine Marquis's Mansion.
During the period when troops from all over the country gathered in the capital, the number of people from various forces and with different strengths in the capital also increased.
People from all walks of life, upon hearing the news, flocked to the capital.
And the regional princes from various places have all arrived.
Today, another team has arrived outside the capital.
The group consisted of over a hundred people in ten large horse-drawn carriages, all packed to the brim, as they entered the capital.
-
Just as the city guards were about to conduct their routine inspection of the carriage, a token was placed in front of them.
"You have no right to inspect the Prince of the South's arrival in the capital!"