Dream of the Red Chamber: From a Border Ruffian to a Capital Tyrant

"My brave men are fighting bloody battles on the frontier, their lives hanging by a thread!"

"My vast empire is being cruelly devoured piece by piece by these barbarian wolves!"

"And you bunch of parasites who hold positions without doing your jobs, are arguing endlessly in this imperial palace for the sake of your own comfort and security, even going so far as to propose such absurd policies that would humiliate the nation and bring pain to our loved ones and joy to our enemies!"

Emperor Qianyuan's face was gloomy as he stared intently at the officials below.

"Your Majesty, I... I dare to suggest that the current situation is extremely precarious. We should consider this carefully. For example, we could send an eloquent envoy to the Xiongnu camp to sound them out and offer them substantial rewards..."

An old, white-bearded, die-hard pro-peace man, clearly unaware of the situation, stubbornly continued his rambling.

"Shut up!"

Emperor Qianyuan suddenly turned his head and angrily rebuked.

"If you dare utter another word, I will execute you!"

Emperor Qian Yuan erupted completely, his imperial majesty like a volcanic eruption pressing down on the old minister.

The oblivious minister was struck dumb, his face filled with utter horror. He trembled violently, his legs went weak, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud.

He then desperately shut his mouth, burying his humble head deep into the cold gold dust, not daring to breathe even a little, for fear that his head would be severed at any moment.

"My people are in imminent danger!"

"My empire is being devoured bit by bit!"

Emperor Qianyuan stood up, his face ashen. His bright yellow dragon robe fluttered wildly behind him without any wind, its imposing aura making everyone breathless.

"I have summoned you all today not to solicit the opinions of you cowards, but to inform you!"

"My mind is made up. Send troops immediately!"

"Those treacherous Xiongnu dogs slaughtered the people of my Great Qian Dynasty. I will make them pay tenfold, a hundredfold in blood for their crimes, and build a mound of skulls with their heads!"

Before the words were finished, Emperor Qian Yuan let out a dragon's roar, and the Shangfang sword, which symbolized supreme imperial power, was already drawn from its sheath. The cold sword light reflected on Emperor Qian Yuan's ferocious face.

The sword tip was pointed directly at the kneeling, appeasement-seeking ministers, and Emperor Qianyuan let out a deafening roar:

"You nobles, you eat my food and receive the nation's great favors, yet you do not think of sharing the nation's burdens. Instead, you blindly avoid war and seek peace, clinging to life and fearing death. You are worse than pigs and dogs!"

"I am telling you clearly now!"

"If you dare not die on the battlefield against the Xiongnu, then die by my sword now!"

"Peacemakers!"

"Obstacles!"

"He should be executed!"

"Let me see whether my sword is harder, or your spineless cowards who only know how to compromise!"

Om-!

Upon hearing this, the entire Golden Palace fell into a deathly silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop, so suffocating that even a heartbeat could be heard clearly.

The ministers who advocated peace turned pale, their faces filled with shock and fear. They shrank back, wishing they could disappear into the ground, and dared not utter another sound.

so horrible!

In the past, Emperor Qianyuan had never lost his temper like this when he was angry, and he actually drew his sword and showed that he really wanted to kill him!

They had no doubt that if anyone dared to stand up and utter even half a word of "no" at this moment, Emperor Qian Yuan would not hesitate to swing his sword and cut off their heads, turning the Golden Palace into a river of blood!

What a tyrant! What a foolish ruler!

Such reckless militarism and disregard for consequences are leading the Great Qian Dynasty toward its doom!

He certainly came to power illegitimately and is cruel by nature!

Some stubborn old ministers cried out in despair and disrespect in their hearts, but they could only suppress this suicidal thought, not daring to utter a single sigh, for fear of bringing disaster upon themselves.

Of course, besides these terrified old ministers, there were also many people in the crowd whose eyes were gleaming with excitement and fervor. They were all eager to try their luck and couldn't wait to rush to the battlefield.

Upon closer inspection, most of these fierce and ruthless individuals were military officers.

In the Great Qian Dynasty, the status of military generals was rather awkward.

Although his rank wasn't low, it wasn't much higher either, and he was always overshadowed by the civil officials.

Since the founding of the nation, as the country gradually became more peaceful, the status of military generals has declined again and again.

After all, in prosperous times, civil officials could govern the country and stabilize the nation and hold high positions in the imperial court by virtue of their extensive knowledge and eloquent tongue.

Only in times of chaos can generals ride freely on horseback and exchange their blood for fame and glory.

In the Great Qian Dynasty, apart from the powerful generals who guarded the borders and faced constant invasions from foreign enemies, it was extremely difficult for the military officers guarding the palace in the capital to gain military merit. They were even regarded as a symbol of rudeness and lack of refinement.

If Emperor Qianyuan hadn't held significant military power and successfully seized the throne, forcing the retired emperor to abdicate with swift and decisive action, military generals would likely have had no place in the court.

However, even so, very few military generals were actually able to participate in the core politics of the court; they often just served as figureheads.

That is why the pro-war generals were so excited when they heard Emperor Qian Yuan's unquestionable and forceful words, as if they had seen a ladder to promotion.

"snort!"

"That's decided! Your Excellency Wang, obey my command!"

Emperor Qianyuan's gaze was sharp as lightning, instantly locking onto Prince Teng, the military governor of the capital garrison below.

"You will lead 50,000 troops, must immediately muster the strength, and rush to the aid of Yanmen Pass without delay!"

Logically speaking, as the Kyoto Garrison Commander, who was responsible for protecting the capital, the position of Kyoto Garrison Commander should have been held by the emperor's most trusted confidant, as it was the last line of defense for the capital.

However, Emperor Qianyuan's ascension to the throne was illegitimate. When he ascended the throne, in order to stabilize the situation, he removed some die-hards who had to be killed, and kept everything as before. He even had to appease the old officials.

At that time, Wang Ziteng, the military governor of the capital garrison, was also an extremely shrewd and astute man. He had already secretly pledged his loyalty to Emperor Qianyuan.

Emperor Qianyuan's choice of Prince Teng to lead the troops in this expedition was naturally for a deeper purpose.

On the surface, Wang Ziteng succeeded Ning and Rong as the military governor of the capital garrison, and nominally he could be considered a member of the old power circle of the four founding princes and eight dukes.

The selection of Prince Teng as commander-in-chief this time actually represents a strong signal from Emperor Qianyuan to the old ministers, including the Four Kings and Eight Dukes, who are leaning towards the retired emperor.

As long as you sincerely side with me, I can forgive past grievances and continue to give you important positions, and even spare you military power!

The political effect was exactly as Emperor Qian Yuan had predicted. As soon as he finished speaking, many ministers in the court looked at Prince Teng with meaningful, even jealous and suspicious, gazes. Their eyes were unreadable, and it was unclear what they were thinking.

In particular, Prince Shui Rong of Beijing, who was at the top of the martial arts class, frowned slightly in his gentle eyes as he looked at Prince Teng, a hint of gloom flashing across his face.

"Your subject obeys!"

"Your Majesty, I will certainly not fail in your trust!"

"On this expedition, I will exert all my strength to fight those barbarian Xiongnu to the death, even if it means dying on the battlefield, I will defend Yanmen Pass to the death!"

Wang Ziteng reacted quickly, stepping forward and kneeling heavily on both knees, responding respectfully and passionately.

Facing the varied, even scrutinizing, gazes of the court officials, Wang Ziteng remained calm and serious. He had long anticipated being thrust into the limelight.

Wang Ziteng was an extremely ambitious man. When he made up his mind to align himself with Emperor Qian Yuan, who seemed to be on a shaky ship, he naturally had his own ulterior motives and was taking a big gamble.

When Emperor Qianyuan successfully seized the throne, everything was settled, and Prince Teng knew he had to make a choice, a choice that would determine the rise and fall of his family.

The position of the Military Governor of the Capital Garrison was too special and too important.

Controlling the Kyoto camp is tantamount to controlling the throat of the capital and safeguarding its security.

As a naturally suspicious emperor, he would never entrust his life and fortune to an outsider or a potential enemy.

Moreover, the position of Military Governor of the Capital Garrison was taken over from the Jia family of the Ning and Rong mansions. As a founding military meritorious official, one of the Four Kings and Eight Dukes, the court officials only recognized the Jia family's name. After all, the position of Military Governor of the Capital Garrison had been controlled by the Ningguo Mansion of the Jia family since the founding of the country, which was the foundation left by their ancestors.

Even if Prince Teng were to take up the position of Military Governor of the Capital Garrison, in the eyes of the public, he would only be a vassal of the Jia family, a lucky one chosen by the Jia family to maintain their power, and his position would be neither legitimate nor proper.

After much consideration, in order to get rid of the Jia family's shadow and to truly grasp real power, Wang Ziteng secretly pledged his loyalty to Emperor Qianyuan, even at the cost of becoming a "lone minister."