The Succession Struggle in the Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 290 Prince Su's Heart Turns to War

Having learned the whole story from Zhang Jin, Tu Chengyu didn't ask why things had changed and why no one had informed him, almost making him a target for the enemy.

Because he knew very well that only the emperor had the final say in this matter, and everyone else had no choice but to obey.

Asking Zhang Jin will not yield any results; it will only put Zhang Jin in a difficult position.

Instead of asking about that matter, Tu Chengyu inquired about other things.

"How many people did Father Emperor send to the Western Hills?"

"I don't know exactly how many men His Majesty sent, but all the roads leading from the capital to the Western Hills are guarded by our men,"

There are at least seven or eight roads, big and small, leading from the capital to the Western Hills. If every road is guarded, then the Emperor has sent quite a few people this time.

So Tu Chengyu asked, "Father, what is your plan in sending so many people to guard the entrance to West Mountain?"

Zhang Jin replied, "Your Highness, I am not entirely aware of His Majesty's intentions, but when we arrived, His Majesty gave us instructions. He said that Prince Su was going to Xishan, so we must guard Xishan to prevent the rebels from entering, so as not to disturb Your Highness. At the same time, we must cooperate with the rest of the army to capture all the rebels outside, and not let a single one escape."

Upon hearing this, Tu Chengyu realized that his father thought he could easily run back to the Xiaxishan camp, so he had people help him guard the rebel army's path into the mountains.

However, the emperor did not expect that Tu Chengyu was too fast on the go, which may have caused the messengers to take longer to arrive, which is why Tu Chengyu was being chased around.

Once Tu Chengyu understood this, he stopped paying attention to it.

He focused all his attention on another matter that Zhang Jin had mentioned.

He asked, "Zhang Jin, do you mean that besides those of you guarding the various crossroads, Father Emperor has also sent other teams?"

Zhang Jin nodded and said, "Yes, Your Highness. This time, the rebels are numerous. His Majesty was afraid that if they caused chaos, they would disturb the capital garrison. Therefore, he lured them here to surround and capture them. So now, there are soldiers sent by His Majesty guarding the area from Xishan to the capital. It shouldn't be long before the rebels are surrounded."

It seems that this incident is another instance of the Emperor exploiting the weaknesses in the Beijing Garrison to purge disobedient individuals within it, while also trying to seize some command of the garrison from the nobles.

This was the emperor's usual practice, and Tu Chengyu felt a sense of longing for it.

He asked, "Where did the troops sent to besiege the rebels today come from?"

Zhang Jin thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness, apart from some people transferred from the Imperial Guard, the rest are General Cheng's Xuan Tie Guard and Marquis Chengji's Chang Sheng Guard."

General Cheng was originally the head guard of Prince An's mansion. After the emperor ascended the throne, he was sent to take control of the Xuan Tie Guard.

Marquis Chengji was Tu Chengyu's maternal uncle. Last year, when the emperor reviewed the troops in the capital, he discovered that the Changsheng Guard was receiving salaries without working. So he dealt with the original generals of the Changsheng Guard and sent Tu Chengyu's maternal uncle to help clean up the mess.

Therefore, the Xuan Tie Army can be considered the emperor's most loyal and trusted troops.

The fact that the Emperor has dispatched all the troops from these two guards shows that he really wants to deal with these unsettling elements in the capital garrison.

Moreover, given the emperor's cautious nature, the fact that he was able to send out all his trusted subordinates means that he has a very high chance of winning this time.

Thinking about this, Tu Chengyu felt a surge of excitement.

Just now, as he charged into battle with his guards, something within him seemed to have been awakened, giving him an urge to continue charging forward and fight the enemy.

So when he learned about the situation on the battlefield and knew that the operation was basically very safe, he thought about going to fight the rebels a couple more times.

However, he also knew that the battlefield was meticulously planned, and if he rushed in rashly, he might not only fail to help but also disrupt his own plans.

But at that moment, Tu Chengyu desperately wanted to go to war. So he asked Zhang Jin:
Do you know where General Cheng or Marquis Chengji is leading troops?

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jin shook his head and said:
"I am only following orders, how could I dare to inquire about the locations of the two commanders?"

Tu Chengyu originally planned to find out the location of these two people, and then he would lead his men there to see if he could get a little bit of a chance to fight from them.

But hearing Zhang Jin say this now, it seems there's still no hope.

As Zhang Jin listened to Tu Chengyu's endless questions, he had no idea what this Prince Su was up to or what his plans were.

However, he knew very well that the Prince Su in front of him was no pushover; he was the most troublesome and daring of all the princes.

They could very well do something outrageous at any moment, just like when they led their men out to charge into battle just now.

So when Zhang Jin saw Prince Su with his head bowed and brows furrowed, clearly deep in thought, his heart skipped a beat.

Therefore, disregarding the rules, he rashly interrupted Prince Su's contemplation.

"Your Highness, His Majesty has instructed you to go to the Western Hills Palace for temporary refuge, and to return to the palace once things have calmed down down the mountain. At this time, it is estimated that General Cheng's side is about to fight the rebels, so for Your Highness's safety, I humbly request that Your Highness return to the palace."

Although Tu Chengyu had the idea of ​​going to war, he thought about it for a long time but couldn't figure out how to get involved, so he gave up.

At this point, upon hearing Zhang Jin's advice, he readily agreed.

"Alright, I'll head back to the palace now and not cause you any more trouble."

In the short time that Tu Chengyu was talking to Zhang Jin, the battlefield had already been cleaned up.

The pursuers who came earlier numbered only seventy or eighty. After this battle, aside from the dead and wounded, probably only half of them are still fighting.

Seeing the soldiers who had been disarmed, standing dejectedly under the tree.

Tu Chengyu couldn't help but ask, "Zhang Jin, what do you plan to do with these prisoners?"

Without a second thought, Zhang Jin replied, "The prisoners will naturally be dealt with by His Majesty personally after the rebels have been quelled."

"In that case, where do you plan to send these people?"

Zhang Jin said, "They will stay here for the time being, and after the war is over, they will be sent to the Beijing Garrison for imprisonment."

"In that case, wouldn't you have to spare some troops to guard the prisoners?"

Zhang Jin nodded. "Your Highness is right. We should indeed divide our forces to guard them."

Upon hearing this, Tu Chengyu said:
"Instead of leaving them here and wasting your troops, you might as well let them come with me."

Zhang Jin's eyes lit up when he heard Tu Chengyu's suggestion.

But then he thought of something and said:

"Following the prince is probably not a good idea."

(End of this chapter)