Shipin Dalizheng

As soon as he resigned, several other people who had already lost heart also resigned. The others shook their heads and sighed, looking like dead animals, saying, "Do whatever you want, we don't care."

Marquis Yong'an was so angry that he gritted his teeth, but he had no other choice. The entire court was short of troops, and very few people obeyed his orders. The fact that he could threaten the emperor and command the officials was the result of Empress Sun's strong support.

Seeing that Marquis Yong'an did not have the support of court officials, Rong Tang felt relieved. His goal was achieved, so he said goodbye to Marquis Yong'an and returned to the Marquis of Annan's Mansion.

Li Dequan had been waiting for so long that the flowers had wilted. In such an unfamiliar environment, he felt unsafe if he couldn't see Rong Tang for a while.

"Ancestor, where have you been? I was so worried about you."

"Old Li, I promised you that I would accomplish great things, and I will never break my promise. Now let's discuss our next steps. Do you want to listen, or not?"

Li Dequan wanted to listen, but when everyone gathered, he didn't dare to listen anymore.

"Wait, I'm just a military supervisor. You don't have to tell me what you're going to do, but before you sell me out, tell me straight out loud so I can die knowing full well."

Rong Tang found it funny, "Don't worry, I brought you out and I will definitely bring you back."

Li Dequan tactically avoided it, and Rong Tang called all the people to a meeting. Finally, they came to a conclusion that there were people outside the old temperate zone who could solve the hidden danger in the south of the city. Rong Tang led people to visit the Yong'an Marquis Mansion at night to check the whereabouts of the jade seal.

If the imperial seal is not in the Yong'an Marquis's mansion, he will have to sneak into the palace at night.

After Old Wen left, Rong Tang sent people to closely monitor the movements of Marquis Yong'an, while locking himself in the secret room to make detonators again. Before it got dark, he received a report from downstairs that Marquis Yong'an had sent someone to invite him.

The plan changed and the night visit turned into a visit.

Marquis Yong'an, despite opposition from court officials, now lives in the East Palace, under the pretext of protecting the Second Prince. When Rong Tang went there, the Second Prince was also there. The little boy opened his clear eyes and listened to his uncle's passionate speeches about how he would help him become a wise king for all ages.

Seeing this scene, Rong Tang suddenly understood Nangong Yan's intention, using someone else as a substitute. If he were gone, the Second Prince would still be around and would become the new Crown Prince. When the Southern Dynasty fell, this child would be a captive. The treatment Nangong Yan had suffered in his previous life, this child would endure for him.

After figuring this out, Nangong Yan's ruthlessness became clearer.

He bowed and said, "My Lord, Rong Tang has something from the bottom of his heart that he wants to speak to you alone."

The second prince was ignored, but he had no idea what was going on. When he heard that the visitors were only looking for his uncle and not him, he happily walked out and let them talk in private.

Yong'an Hou was a little embarrassed, "Annan Bo, do you have anything to say to me?"

He completely forgot that it was he who recruited Rong Tang.

"My Lord, are these people here all your confidants?"

Yong'an Marquis had more than a dozen people around him, all brought from Yong'an Earl's Mansion. Of course, they were trustworthy. He nodded and said, "If the Annan Earl has anything to say, just speak up."

"My Lord, the Southern Dynasty is in turmoil right now. It's the perfect time for a true man to establish a legacy of unparalleled power. Since you have the power, why don't you declare yourself king? Instead, why do you support an ignorant child as your ruler?"

"Annanbo..."

Yong'an Hou yelled, his voice horrified, "How could you say such a treasonous thing?"

Rong Tang was puzzled. "How can this be considered treason? The emperor is incompetent, the people are suffering, and the prince is unkind and has abandoned his subjects. What does this mean?"

Yong'an Hou uncontrollably followed him and asked, "What does it mean?"

"This means that the Nangong Dynasty has run its course, and the old dynasty should be abolished and a new one established. Marquis Yong'an is brave, resourceful, and measured, founding the Sun Dynasty in troubled times. Isn't that a joy? Marquis Yong'an, the founding monarch, rewriting the family tree, you are the great ancestor of a prosperous era recorded in thousands of years of history. Rong Tang's words today are all from the heart. If you are interested, Rong Tang will follow you to the death. If you are not, just treat it as a fart. I will take my men away from this muddy water. My Lord, take care of yourself."

For a moment, the air seemed to freeze and it was terrifyingly quiet. Marquis Yong'an looked behind him unconsciously and found that the eyes of the group of people following him were sparkling and burning.

Suddenly he came to his senses, "Why don't you... declare yourself king?"

Rong Tang spread his hands and said, "My Lord, everything needs an opportunity. Rong Tang comes from an outsider family, so he doesn't have the right reputation. But you are different, my Lord. You have everything you need, right time, right place, and right people."

Yong'an Hou's lips were dry. "But our Sun family...is also not legitimate."

At some point, some of Yong'an Marquis's men went out and guarded key positions to prevent eavesdropping.

"Therefore, a crown prince cannot be appointed for the time being. The Marquis has coerced the Emperor into ordering all officials to suppress the rebels in various places and appease the people under the banner of upholding orthodoxy. When the time is right, His Majesty will issue an edict of abdication. Wouldn't that make you legitimate? Once a new crown prince is appointed, all your efforts will be in vain."

Marquis Yong'an's face was entangled with hesitation and excitement, appearing sinister and dark. Rong Tang then added a drastic measure, "My Lord, if you don't take this step, then even if you monopolize the government, you'll still be criticized. Even if you break the rules and become a king of a different surname, it won't be legitimate. By then, the crown prince will become the new emperor. He'll have the support of propriety, law, and orthodoxy. Do you have that? Will you be purged and your family destroyed? It would be different if you became emperor yourself. You could pass the throne to your own son, and you'd be the retired emperor, a founding emperor whose name would go down in history..."

Before Rong Tang could even complete his plan, Marquis Yong'an was deeply tempted. Perhaps he had had this idea for a long time, but just lacked a good reason.

"Annanbo, if this is accomplished, you will definitely have a great contribution to the cause."

Rong Tang knelt on one knee and shouted loudly: "Thank you for your grace."

Rong Zhan and the other three also knelt down together, lowering their heads as much as possible, for fear that others would see their almost choked faces.

This cry of thanks to the Lord completely paralyzed the Marquis of Yong'an. He floated in the bubble of happiness for a long time and was unwilling to return. It was his confidant who woke him up.

"Annanbo, please tell me what to do next."

He helped Rong Tang up with both hands, treating him with the courtesy expected of a distinguished scholar. Rong Tang stood up and unpacked his original plan. It was a plan he had been thinking about for days and nights, well-reasoned and highly feasible, but within it, he had temporarily inserted the "master" of the Yong'an Marquis.

Since the plan was real and not a spur-of-the-moment idea, and his logic was rigorous and without any obstacles, Marquis Yong'an was absolutely convinced of his sincerity in joining him.

What made him even more gratified was that Rong Tang even took his future reputation into consideration, and wanted him to be a "benevolent king" with his hands clean of blood.

In his words, "Those dirty jobs are done by a minister. How can they ruin your reputation?"

Moved, Yong'an Hou wanted to become his sworn brother immediately, but Rong Tang dissuaded him, "There is a difference between the ruler and his subjects. Rong Tang only wants a small fiefdom after the success of this matter, even if it is from my native Nanjiang tribe. From then on, they will pay tribute every year and be his vassal for generations."

As soon as he made this request, Marquis Yong'an's trust in him was fully increased.

Why? Because Rong Tang's request was so damn reasonable. He was a foreigner and couldn't be the ruler of the Central Plains. Helping him pacify the world and then reclaim his homeland, living in peace in a corner and becoming an independent little king was too normal.

For Marquis Yong'an, there was no problem in ceding the entire southern border to Rong Tang, because it was not the territory of Dai Viet in the first place.

Finally, Rong Tang said, "Tomorrow, Rong Tang will give you a great gift. You will then know Rong Tang's sincerity."

After returning home, Li Dequan immediately asked, "Where have you been?"

Rong Tang said casually, "I defected to the Marquis of Yong'an and helped him rebel."

Li Dequan fell to the ground with a thud.