The Succession Struggle in the Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 299 Prince Su's Desire Ultimately Fails

Although Cheng Changbao was also worried about Tu Chengyu's safety, he knew from Chen Chongli's helpless expression that this must be due to Prince Su's willfulness.

So he didn't say anything, but silently invited Tu Chengyu into the military camp.

Once inside, Tu Chengyu wanted to see what the central command tent looked like and learn how his uncle and his men commanded the army in battle.

But before he could bring it up, his uncle subtly stopped him, and simply arranged for him to stay in a nearby military tent.

At first, Tu Chengyu couldn't understand, but after he sat down and thought about it for a while, he understood what his uncle meant.

The eldest uncle did this probably to avoid suspicion and prevent him from getting involved in military power.

After all, the armies dispatched this time are all the emperor's own troops, and he would not allow others to interfere, let alone a prince.

After figuring it out, Tu Chengyu waited quietly in the military tent.

However, he didn't have to wait long. After a short while, Old Song came in and said that the two generals would like to invite him.

Tu Chengyu followed them out and saw his uncle and Cheng Changbao, along with a group of lieutenants, waiting for him in the open space of the military camp. Tu Chengyu quickly ran over.

After they passed by, Cheng Changbao didn't speak, but his maternal uncle Chen Chongli said:
“Your Highness, although you are a prince, you cannot be treated according to your status in the military camp. From now on, we will treat you as an ordinary general. Does Your Highness agree?”

At first, Tu Chengyu felt a little uncomfortable when his uncle addressed him as "Your Highness" in a serious manner.

However, upon hearing his uncle's arrangements, Tu Chengyu's attention immediately turned to those matters.

The reason he insisted on being brought here by his uncle was to experience what it's like to fight, not to show off his status in the military camp. So he was naturally very willing to accept his uncle's arrangement.

So he said in a serious tone, "Now that we're in the military camp, military orders naturally take precedence. You two generals can make the arrangements as you see fit."

Seeing that Tu Chengyu agreed without hesitation, Chen Chongli and Cheng Changbao breathed a sigh of relief.

Then Chen Chongli continued to make arrangements for Tu Chengyu.

"Since Your Highness has agreed, I will now issue the military order to Your Highness."

Upon hearing this, Tu Chengyu instinctively replied, "Please give your orders, General."

Chen Chongli was very satisfied with Tu Chengyu's performance and continued:

"After discussing with General Cheng, we have decided that Your Highness will lead a contingent of troops to enter from the right side of the valley and garrison a village about twenty miles away. The main purpose is to protect the villagers. If we do not encounter any rebels, we will wait for orders. If we do encounter rebels, we will try to hold them off and buy time for the main army."

Chen Chongli clearly put thought into the task he assigned to Tu Chengyu.

First, they gave Tu Chengyu the opportunity to lead an army independently, letting him experience the thrill of fighting.

Secondly, although the task sounds important, it's actually just a guard duty, and the place he's guarding is an insignificant village. The rebels are unlikely to go there, which ensures Tu Chengyu's safety.

Tu Chengyu saw through the arrangement and was somewhat unwilling, but he knew that his uncle and Cheng Changbao's mission this time was of great importance, and they would not dare to take risks for him. If it weren't for their close relationship with Tu Chengyu, they probably wouldn't have arranged even this insignificant role.

So Tu Chengyu said cleanly and decisively:
"I will obey the general's orders."

The eldest uncle nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this, then said to one of the lieutenants beside him:
"Lu Yushan, you take your men and follow the Prince."

A young general, around thirty years old, stepped out from behind and shouted:

"I humble my duty and obey my orders."

After speaking, he strode behind Tu Chengyu and stood with Tu Chengyu's guards. Now that the men were all in place, Chen Chongli continued:

"Your Highness, the military order is urgent. You may depart now."

Upon hearing this, Tu Chengyu nodded, waved, and led his men out of the military camp.

After he left, Chen Chongli and Cheng Changbao looked at his departing figure, exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with complex emotions, a mixture of worry and relief.

Tu Chengyu, of course, had no idea what his uncle and Cheng Changbao were feeling.

He was a little excited about receiving a military order for the first time, so as soon as he left the military camp, he had Lu Yushan lead his men and headed straight for the village where the target was located.

It didn't take Tu Chengyu and his men long to walk more than twenty miles before they arrived at the village.

Tu Chengyu originally thought that the village would be in chaos when it heard about the rebels.

But when he arrived with his men, the place was quiet and there was no sign of chaos.

Tu Chengyu was puzzled, so he sent someone in to investigate. They found out that there was no one in the manor at all, which explained why it was so quiet.

Tu Chengyu, unaware of the situation, personally led people inside to investigate.

He entered the courtyards of several houses and found that the houses were all tidy and orderly, indicating that they had not left in a hurry, but rather with preparation.

After several families did the same thing, Tu Chengyu realized that his mission to protect the estate was a ruse.

I reckon that my uncle and Cheng Changbao sent me here simply to find a safe place for me to stay.

As he pondered this, Tu Chengyu couldn't help but feel troubled.

Old Song followed behind Tu Chengyu, watching as Tu Chengyu's mood changed from excitement to frustration, and cautiously asked:

"Your Highness, is there anything amiss here?"

Although Tu Chengyu was troubled, he could not blame others for it.

So he said, "There's nothing wrong, don't worry."

Old Song could tell that Tu Chengyu was just being perfunctory, but he didn't dare to ask any more questions, so he changed the subject and asked:

"Your Highness, General Lu has sent someone to ask how the military formation should be arranged."

Upon hearing this, Tu Chengyu turned to look at Lu Yushan and Gan Ze, who were busy settling the soldiers not far away, sighed, and turned to walk over.

When Lu Yushan and Gan Ze saw Tu Chengyu arrive, they quickly came over to ask how the soldiers should be arranged.

Before coming over, Tu Chengyu had already thought it through, so he said directly:
"As the two generals instructed, we will use this manor as a base, deploy troops for defense, and wait to see if any rebels come."

This was originally their mission, so Lu Yushan was naturally prepared.

So after hearing this, he took his leave to make the arrangements.

After Tu Chengyu finished speaking, he stood still and watched how Lu Yushan and Gan Ze arranged the soldiers to form a battle formation.

(End of this chapter)