Chapter 121 - 119: The Fifth Kings Plunge the Country into Chaos
Afterwards, Lu Zheng returned, but he no longer had anything to do with the Public Security Bureau.
He now worked alongside Gu Wenhui, who was currently a highly trusted advisor to the Fifth Prince, holding considerable status, so much so that even the Governor had to be very respectful when meeting him.
As for the Fifth Prince’s entry into the County City, it quickly stirred up a storm in Donglai Prefecture, and the news soon spread to neighboring states and prefectures.
For a time, the governors of various prefectures were verifying the accuracy of the news while observing subsequent developments.
Soon, the Fifth Prince took significant action.
He openly revealed shocking secrets and spread them widely, claiming that the Third Prince in the Imperial Capital was truly a man guilty of heinous crimes!
It was the Third Prince, Chu Yan, who plotted against the Crown Prince, defied the old Emperor’s decree, falsely accused others, and later attempted to kill the remaining four princes, himself included, just to ascend the throne as Emperor.
The title of Crown Prince held by the Third Prince was illegitimate, his sins unforgivable, and the world of the Da Han Dynasty must not fall into his hands.
He called upon the nation to unite against the Third Prince, Chu Yan!
This incident marked a complete break between the Fifth Prince and his brother, with no further attempt at concealment, escalating to a deadly struggle where one must perish for the other to prevail.
It was a mad test of when the Third Prince in the Imperial Capital would be unable to sit still.
Just days after the Fifth Prince stood forward, the three remaining princes who were expelled from the Imperial Capital also chose not to remain silent and instead responded to what the Fifth Prince had said from their respective territories.
They listed, one by one, all the crimes of the Third Prince.
One prince’s voice might not have been loud.
But with all four exiled princes speaking out, using their influence, they stood united on this matter.
No matter the truth of it, the tide of public opinion had begun to shift.
It became increasingly unfavorable to the Third Prince, and more and more people discussed this matter, claiming the Third Prince’s position was illegitimate, labeling him a patricidal and fratricidal traitor!
After all, the Third Prince had not yet become Emperor, and how could one individual compare to the combined force of four princes rallying popular support?
The initial competition for the throne was only among the six princes, with few other variables involved.
But now, for some unknown reason, it seemed as if an invisible hand was fanning the flames, turning the struggle for the throne into something the entire world could participate in.
Many heroes from the Jianghu responded to the call of the four princes, joining their ranks and greatly enhancing their strength.
Meanwhile, some civilian forces also took up the banner of these princes, secretly recruiting and training military forces in various places.
Even some villages and towns, and even county towns, erupted in tumult, overthrowing local government officials under the banner of justice!
In one word: chaos!
The world became increasingly chaotic and uncontrolled.
Some were anguished, while others rejoiced and were exhilarated...
Within the Imperial Capital, the complacent Third Prince probably never expected that his four defeated brothers would join forces so swiftly after escaping the capital, stirring up such a storm among the populace.
"Scoundrel, damned scoundrel!" Chu Yan, unable to contain his fury, kicked over a porcelain vase nearby.
"Deploy the troops, send them to suppress those rebels, and bring those four scoundrels before me; I want them to regret opposing me!"
Seeing the Third Prince losing his composure, the Prime Minister subtly frowned.
The Third Prince, once meticulous and composed, seemed to have changed after winning this critical battle for the throne.
He hadn’t yet ascended the throne, but he was already impatient to refer to himself as the sovereign.
After thinking for a moment, the Prime Minister addressed him as Your Majesty.
"Your Majesty, the most pressing matter is for you to ascend the throne as soon as possible; otherwise, the armies of the world cannot be mobilized."
"Yes, the Prime Minister is right, I must ascend the throne immediately, no more waiting!" Chu Yan nodded.
In truth, he had long been eager to sit on that Dragon Throne in the court.
However, the ascension of a new Emperor is not child’s play; such an affair concerning the future fate of the dynasty must be conducted on the most suitable day of the year for the enthronement ceremony.
The traditional succession process is intricate and solemn, taking months of preparation.
"In three days, I will ascend the throne! Then deploy the troops!"
An imperial decree was swiftly dispatched from the palace, compelling all parties to take urgent actions.
Some officials submitted memorials, advising against such haste, but the Third Prince would not heed them.
Dragging on would only result in a greater upheaval in the world!
Whose world was this? It was his world!
Three days later, the Third Prince Chu Yan successfully ascended the throne, becoming the twenty-second Emperor of the Da Han Dynasty, announcing it to the world.
Yet this move didn’t win over the hearts of the people; instead, it stoked even greater rebellious sentiments like adding fuel to the fire.
The four princes in exile directly led efforts to deny the Third Prince’s legitimacy, vowing to raise armies against the court now ruled by the Third Prince.
Before the Imperial Court dispatched troops, they first took the initiative, starting to aggressively occupy surrounding prefectures that did not submit to them, incorporating them into their own territory.
The Fifth Prince stationed in Donglai Prefecture moved the fastest. Under Gu Wenhui’s instigation, he began dispatching troops early on to crusade the surrounding areas of Nanyang, Seven Rivers, and Yongkang Prefectures.
The soldiers under the Imperial Family’s banner seemed naturally endowed with an invincible aura, sweeping through the County Soldiers of the prefecture cities effortlessly.
As the battles continued, the Fifth Prince’s reputation grew increasingly prominent, and the force under his command grew larger and larger, each prefecture city surrendering at the mere approach.
By October, all six surrounding prefectures were taken one by one, and the Yellow Dragon military flag of the Fifth Prince was raised above the city walls.
Afterward, the Fifth Prince relocated to the more affluent and safer Nanyang County City, designating it as the capital under his control.
Thus it was that the Fifth Prince initially gained the capital to contend against the Imperial Court.
But just as he intended to further expand his territory and influence, he finally encountered the troops deployed by the Imperial Court.
The war between Kings finally erupted!
Not only was the Fifth Prince involved; the other three princes also successively engaged in battles with the Imperial Court’s troops.
In no time, the entire Da Han Dynasty was ablaze with warfare, exacerbating the unrest.
The world was in chaos!
...
Donglai County City, Chunfeng Garden.
"This episode of the Five Kings disrupting the nation will surely leave a significant mark in the annals of history." Lv Gang drank a cup of warm wine and said.
"If so, we’re witnessing history..." Song Changming gazed at the heavy snow outside the window, shaking his head.
Even though winter had set in, the war raging across the vast land showed no signs of abating.
The Da Han Dynasty is now divided into five, though the mainstream still acknowledges the Imperial Court located in Imperial Capital Yunling City as the central power of Da Han Dynasty and the residing place of Imperial Authority.
But as the war grew stalemated, the Court remained unable to suppress those four ’Pseudo Kings’ possessing the Emperor’s Blood that scattered among the people, casting doubt on how long this mainstream belief would persist.
The longer it drags on, the less the new Emperor gains the people’s trust.
"Such incidents have occurred in the past, but..." Liang Chuan Mountain said, holding a piece of braised meat shoving into his mouth.
The tender, intricate taste and sumptuous aroma of meat spread.
The Da Han Dynasty, established nearly a thousand years ago, had internally ever erupted more than once.
And it was during these periods of old and new transition when the princes bearing the Emperor’s Blood would create such havoc.
However, those internal conflicts would swiftly be resolved, followed by the ascendance of the new King and the people’s homage, entering subsequently into a new era of peace.
The greatest difference this time was the four princes, upon escaping the Imperial capital, quickly solidified their standings.
Rapidly attaining significant forces from among the people, becoming like individual Dukes already taking a stance, capable of contending equally against the true new Emperor.
Thus, the prestige of the new Emperor suffered considerable damage, and the gradually lost people’s heart was the most alarming.
"Thinking about these matters accomplishes nothing. Thus far, this is still a matter within the Imperial Family. They’ll wage war if they must; I just hope it doesn’t reach our County City." Liang Chuan Mountain spoke after gulping down respective mouthfuls of meat and wine.
"Indeed, the biggest headache for me right now is those so-called Jianghu knights. They pretend to join and swear loyalty to the Fifth Prince, loiter around the city, committing scandalous acts!
That Fifth Prince wishes to maintain his reputation of respecting and hiring talents, making it difficult for us—whether to arrest them or not—bottled rage mounts." Lv Gang spoke, visibly displeased when this topic arose.
Liang Chuan Mountain also nodded repeatedly, as both these Directors of the Patrol Armor Bureau seemed quite troubled by this matter.
The war itself remained somewhat distant from them, not requiring their concern, but as it affected the public security of the district they were responsible for, it became solely under their purview.
"The General Director has already reported this matter to the Governor. I imagine that something will get resolved soon." Song Changming said.
"That would be wonderful; all those imposters and opportunists should be completely arrested. They’re really an eyesore..." Lv Gang grumbled.
"Certainly should arrest them." Song Changming said.
Actually, he too had encountered these so-called Jianghu knights causing disorder on Brocade Street several times, invariably showing no mercy when warranted.
Even if blamed from above, as long as Zhuang Ren stood by, nothing would fall upon him.
"By the way, speaking of this, there’s another matter. I’ve heard that the Fifth Prince has recently accepted Dinghai Water Gang’s allegiance, allowing them back into the port on Luolong River.
I have an acquaintance working at the Cao Yun Bureau who shared that they have already clashed several times with Dinghai Water Gang." Liang Chuan Mountain said.
Song Changming listened with a constant shake of his head, also a bit helpless.
What was the point? Previously, the Governor’s Government painstakingly drove out Dinghai Water Gang, focusing effort on nurturing its own Cao Yun Bureau.
But now, with the Fifth Prince accepting their allegiance and a mere command bringing the Water Gang back into business.
So what did all the previous efforts of the Government amount to?
At that time, Song Changming was also involved, aware of Dinghai Water Gang’s entanglements, and knowing their long-standing grudge with the local Government in Donglai Prefecture, which had claimed many lives on both sides. Complete reconciliation seemed impossible; neither side would likely show goodwill.
Future conflicts with Dinghai Water Gang are bound to intensify.