The Succession Struggle in the Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 45, the nephew and uncle talk in the back account

Tu Chengyu's maternal uncle, Chen Chongli, was stationed in the rear of the Imperial Guard. Tu Chengyu followed the guards of the Imperial Guard and took a long detour to get there.

My eldest uncle used to work in the Beijing garrison, but for some unknown reason, he left his post and returned home. Although he later got another job, he was just a figurehead and didn't actually do anything.

The emperor suddenly left the capital, and then summoned him again. The reason for this is unknown.

When Tu Chengyu arrived at his uncle's tent, the guards at the door, after recognizing him, led him inside without waiting for an announcement, clearly having received prior instructions.

Inside the military tent, the eldest uncle was trying on a set of armor with the help of another guard. It was unclear whether it was because he hadn't worn it for a long time or because he had gained weight, but the armor was a bit too tight for him.

Just then, Tu Chengyu arrived and witnessed everything.

When Chen Chongli, the eldest uncle, saw Tu Chengyu enter, he felt embarrassed and waved for the two guards to quickly take the armor away.

These two guards, probably people the eldest uncle often used, quickly packed up upon hearing this, and before leaving, they lit the oil lamp in the tent and lowered the tent curtain.

After the guards left, the eldest uncle beckoned Tu Chengyu to sit on a chair placed in the tent and asked, "Brother Yu, when did you arrive at the military camp?"

Tu Chengyu replied, "Not long after, I came out of my father's tent and heard that my uncle was looking for me, so I came straight here."

The eldest uncle said, "It's good that you've met your father. I called you here because I have something to ask you."

Tu Chengyu said, "Please speak, Uncle."

The eldest uncle said, "I heard from the Emperor that you arrested your second uncle?"

Upon hearing this, Tu Chengyu immediately explained, "I didn't arrest my second uncle. It was the Imperial Horse Administration who arrested him while arresting those soldiers on duty. I just happened to be there. Seeing that they were going to bring my second uncle to the Imperial Camp, I was afraid that Father would be in trouble if he saw him, so I took it upon myself to lock him up in the Shuntian Prefecture."

The eldest uncle nodded and said, "You did a good job. You didn't make things difficult for the emperor, and you also temporarily locked up your second uncle to prevent him from causing trouble at this time. However, this will get you into trouble."

Tu Chengyu asked, "Is there any court official who will impeach me?"

The eldest uncle said, “Yes, by detaining your second uncle without permission, you have disobeyed the imperial decree in the eyes of the court officials. The emperor will naturally know that you meant well and will not blame you, but those court officials, especially the censors, are obsessed with the ancestral laws and will definitely impeach you. Perhaps the memorial impeaching you will arrive first thing tomorrow morning.”

Tu Chengyu was also helpless about this. Those censors made a living from this job. Given an opportunity to openly impeach a prince, how could they let it go? They might already be making connections everywhere, discussing how to write a memorial.

So Tu Chengyu said, "Let them be, they can't do anything to me anyway."

The eldest uncle thought about it and realized that this made sense. As long as the emperor didn't mind, the impeachment by the court officials wouldn't be a problem.

After recounting his second uncle's story, the eldest uncle suddenly stood up and walked out of the military tent amidst Tu Chengyu's puzzled gaze. After leaving, the eldest uncle instructed his personal guards to stay away and guard the area around the tent to prevent anyone from approaching. Finally, still feeling uneasy, the eldest uncle personally walked around the tent to ensure that no one was within ten paces before returning.

This series of actions left Tu Chengyu somewhat confused, not understanding what his uncle was trying to do.

Soon, the eldest uncle revealed what he was going to do. He returned to his chair, leaned closer, and whispered to Tu Chengyu, "Brother Yu, are you thinking of vying for the throne?"

Although his uncle's voice was soft, it was like a thunderclap in Tu Chengyu's ear, startling him so much that he jumped up from his seat and asked in alarm, "Uncle, why would you have such a question?"

Looking into Tu Chengyu's eyes, the eldest uncle said, "You just need to tell your eldest uncle whether you have this idea or not."

Tu Chengyu shook his head vigorously and said, "I didn't, I never thought of that."

Seeing Tu Chengyu's affirmative answer, the eldest uncle breathed a sigh of relief. After calming down for a while, he said, "Don't blame your eldest uncle for asking you this so rashly. If I hadn't asked, I wouldn't have been able to sleep soundly."

Tu Chengyu asked again, "Uncle, why do you think I have such intentions?"

The eldest uncle said, "It's because your behavior has been so different in the last six months. When you were in the Prince An's mansion, you never paid attention to outside affairs, but since the Emperor ascended the throne, you have often appeared in public and acted in a high-profile and flamboyant manner. Among all the princes, your reputation is now only weaker than that of the Crown Prince. How can people not have doubts about this?"

Upon hearing his uncle's words, Tu Chengyu thought about it carefully and realized that it was indeed true. However, everything he had done was assigned by his father and older brother, not something he truly wanted to do.

So he explained to his uncle, "Uncle, the Emperor and the Crown Prince know the reasons behind what I've done, so you don't need to worry."

The eldest uncle said, "It's good that the Emperor and the Crown Prince know, but you can't be careless. I'm afraid that some people with ulterior motives will use you to make trouble, and then it won't be as easy for us to talk as it is now."

Tu Chengyu was also reminded by his uncle's words that, given his different status, he needed to be more cautious in his actions.

Seeing that Tu Chengyu had taken his words to heart, the eldest uncle continued, "I had no choice but to tell you this, since it involves your royal family affairs. As an outsider, if I don't speak up, our uncle-nephew relationship might be severed. But after thinking it over, I couldn't find anyone more suitable than me to remind you. That's why I had to bite the bullet and tell you this."

Upon reflection, Tu Chengyu realized it was true. Of all the people present, only his maternal uncle was suitable to discuss this sensitive topic with him. Even the Emperor and the Crown Prince, Tu Chengyu's closest confidants, couldn't bring it up, since they had vested interests with him regarding the succession to the throne. Only his maternal uncle had no such conflicts of interest, making him a suitable person to offer Tu Chengyu this advice.

Thinking of this, Tu Chengyu quickly stood up and bowed to his uncle, saying, "If it weren't for your risky reminder, I really wouldn't have noticed these things, and I might have been taken advantage of and made a big mistake in the future."

The eldest uncle said with relief, "It's good that you think this way. After all, your status is the most special. If you had such thoughts, the entire court would immediately return to the situation half a year ago, when the former crown prince and the Prince of Ping were fighting each other."

Tu Chengyu was surprised. Although he was the emperor's legitimate son, he was still far inferior to the crown prince. How could he have caused such a commotion in the court? Was it because his uncle was exaggerating to scare him?

The eldest uncle saw that Tu Chengyu didn't believe him, but he didn't explain further. He only said, "As long as you don't have this thought, the world will be at peace."

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(End of this chapter)