The Succession Struggle in the Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 7 First Encounters Between People in the Dream of the Red Chamber

The three Tu brothers hurriedly went to the Fengsheng Hall in the front courtyard. On the way, the prince wanted to ask why the rebels in the back room committed suicide, but he gave up because Liu Shigui was always with him.

When the three arrived at the palace, they were informed and then entered. Inside the brightly lit hall, they saw that Prince An had already removed his armor and changed into a bright red robe with dragon patterns, sitting upright in front of them.

Below Prince An, on both sides of the hall, stood officials and military officers from Prince An's residence.

In the center of the main hall, Prince An stood alone before him.

There was a person standing there. He was of medium build, neither fat nor thin, with fair skin and a long, flowing beard.

He was wearing an official robe underneath and armor on top, and he was bowing as Prince An asked him a question.

“Reporting to Your Highness, I have been appointed as the Military Governor of the Capital Garrison, in charge of the twelve guards of the Capital Garrison. However, I failed to restrain the Xuan Tie Guards, allowing those with ulterior motives to instigate a rebellion and disturb Your Highness. I deserve to die. Please punish me according to Your Highness’s will.”

Just as this person finished speaking, Tu Chengyu and the other two entered. They were about to pay their respects to their father when Prince An waved his hand, signaling the three of them to stand aside.

Then, Prince An said to the man, “General Wang, there is no need to blame yourself. I know that this matter is not your fault. Besides, you were able to send troops in time to relieve the siege of Prince An’s residence, which is a great achievement. When I meet with my father, I will definitely report to him.”

General Wang bowed and said, "This humble general is terrified and dares not deceive Your Highness. I am acting under imperial decree to rescue the Prince of An's mansion and dare not seek credit for it."

After hearing this, Prince An laughed heartily and said, "General Wang, there's no need to be modest. Since you say you are acting on imperial orders, I'll be so bold as to ask, how are the rebels doing now? Have they disturbed His Majesty?"

General Wang replied, "When I arrived, the four princes had already received the imperial decree to lead their troops back to the capital with the twelve guards. The main force of the rebel army was besieged inside the Meridian Gate and could be captured in an instant. His Majesty is safe and sound."

"It's good that Father is safe and sound," Prince An said with a look of relief.

Then Prince An said to General Wang, "There are still remnants of the rebel army inside and outside the capital. As the military governor of the capital, General Wang must be very busy with official duties. I will not insist that you stay to reminisce."

General Wang was also sensible; after apologizing, he turned and left.

Watching the man's departing figure, Tu Chengyu fell into deep thought.

He remembered that it seemed to have been mentioned in the TV series that Da Lianbao's uncle, Wang Ziteng, was the military governor of the capital garrison. He wondered if it was the same person.

Tu Chengyu had been here for ten years and had heard much about the people in the Dream of the Red Chamber, but had never met them. In particular, he had never met a single person related to the Jia family.

If the person who just went out was indeed Wang Ziteng, he would be the first person he had met who was related to the Jia family.

Just as Tu Chengyu was lost in thought, he suddenly felt someone pulling him from behind. He glanced sideways and saw that it was his older brother secretly tugging at his clothes.

Tu Chengyu turned his head in confusion and saw his elder brother looking ahead with a stern face. Following his brother's gaze, he saw his father, Prince An, with an angry look in his eyes.

Tu Chengyu thought to himself, "Oh no, how could I have forgotten about this?"

While thinking about how to deal with it, she forced an innocent smile onto her face.

Seeing his son feigning innocence, Prince An's anger subsided considerably, but he still maintained a stern face and said:
"What are you doing hiding behind your older brother? Get over here now."

Upon hearing this, Tu Chengyu smiled sweetly, walked to the center of the hall, and before Prince An could ask any questions, said urgently, "Father, I have something important to report."

Prince An remained unmoved and said, "Don't even think about getting away with this. If your father doesn't teach you a lesson this time, you might become even more lawless in the future."

In the past, whenever Tu Chengyu made a mistake, he would pretend to be stupid and beg for forgiveness. Because the matter was not serious, Prince An was happy to play along with his son's antics, and Tu Chengyu always managed to get away with it.

This time, it was no small matter. Prince An wanted to take this opportunity to teach his son a lesson and instill a sense of awe in him, otherwise he might cause a major disaster in the future.

Tu Chengyu, of course, had no idea what the Prince of An was thinking, and still said, "Father, I am not trying to deceive you, but I really have something important to report."

Seeing Tu Chengyu's serious expression, Prince An wondered if there was something important to discuss. So he asked, "You're not lying to me?"

Tu Chengyu replied, "How could your son dare to deceive his father? There is something very important."

Prince An snorted and said, "I knew you wouldn't dare. Speak, what important matter is it?"

Tu Chengyu chuckled and said, "Father, I would like to report this to you privately."

Prince An's face darkened, and he was about to lash out, but he held back. He got up from his chair, said "follow me," and went around to the study in the back hall. Tu Chengyu followed closely behind him.

After the servants lit the candles and left, the father and son entered the study one after the other. Prince An sat behind the table and said, "What important matter do you have to say? Speak quickly. If you make things up, you'll be in trouble."

Knowing he dared not act rashly this time, Tu Chengyu quickly and earnestly said, "Father, I have learned from the rebels that the rebel, in order to make the Xuan Tie Guards serve, actually detained some of the generals' families. The rebel general who captured me, on his deathbed, told me where the generals' families were being held. I feel this matter is extraordinary, and I hope Father will make a decision."

Upon hearing this, Prince An did not rush to speak, but pondered carefully. After a while, he raised his head and asked a question.

Who is the rebel general at the Second Gate?

Tu Chengyu replied, "He said his surname is Qin and he is the second son in his family."

Prince An seemed to understand and continued to ask, "What did you promise them?"

Tu Chengyu knew that the deal he made with the rebels could not be hidden from his father, so he had prepared his explanation long ago.

"Father, I was captured by the rebels. In order to save my life, I promised them that I would take care of their families. Father, did I do something wrong? I shouldn't have compromised with the rebels."

Prince An looked at his clever son, smiled indifferently, and said, "It's a trivial matter, nothing wrong with it. Since you've made a promise, don't break it."

Tu Chengyu replied, "Yes, Father, your son will certainly keep his promise."

After finishing this matter, Prince An asked a seemingly unrelated question.

"Xiao Wu, what do you think of Liu Shigui?"

The question seemed abrupt, yet it instantly tensed Tu Chengyu. He suspected that the argument between the two at the second gate had reached Prince An's ears, and he considered taking the opportunity to sow discord between Liu Shigui and Tu Chengyu. However, after some thought, he ultimately decided against speaking out.

He answered honestly, "Father, I have not had much contact with my cousin Liu and do not know him very well."

After listening, Prince An said, "Since you don't interact much, don't interact with them in the future. You are young, so don't get involved in their messy affairs."

After saying this, Prince An left leisurely, leaving Tu Chengyu in the study in a daze.

"Was I being reprimanded or warned?" Tu Chengyu muttered to himself.

(End of this chapter)