Chapter 612 - Chapter 612: Chapter 612 The Struggle is About to Begin_1 (1/2)

Chapter 612: Chapter 612 The Struggle is About to Begin_1

Wei Ruo leaned out of the carriage and said, “Back to the Capital City.”

“Ruoruo, didn’t I tell you that you cannot go to the Capital City right now? It’s very dangerous there, why are you still…”

“Yingying, there is something I must do, even if it’s dangerous, I still have to go,” Wei Ruo said with a stern look on his face.

“But, you might lose your life…”

“Yingying, there are some things we cannot run away from, confronting them is a better solution than evasion.” Wei Ruo’s eyes were resolute.

Xie Ying looked at Wei Ruo’s unwavering gaze, her brows furrowed in thought.

After a moment of silence, Xie Ying eventually chose to trust Wei Ruo.

“You’ve always had good judgement. Since you’ve said so, I will no longer try to stop you. Just be careful in everything you do,” Xie Ying advised.

Wei Ruo responded with a smile, “Mm, don’t worry. I will be careful.”

Fan Chengxu, who was standing on the side, studied Wei Ruo’s party and asked, “Is this all the people the Prince and Queen are bringing along this trip?”

“We are going back to the Capital City to attend a funeral, how many people do we need?” Wei Ruo retorted.

Fan Chengxu solemnly said, “I must warn you, if you journey to the Capital City in this manner, I’m afraid it will be a one-way trip.”

“On what basis do you say this, Mr. Fan?” asked Wei Ruo.

Fan Chengxu replied, “I’m aware that Queen Rui’s father, Mr. Wei, and your foster brother, Mr. Xu, hold significant military power. However, you must not forget, one of them is in the southeast, and the other in the northeast. Their armies cannot desert their posts without imperial orders. And even if they dare to lead their armies back to the Capital City, they won’t be able to put out the imminent fire with pails of water from afar, meaning they cannot protect both of you.”

“You’re right, they cannot just leave their posts,” Wei Ruo agreed. He then asked, “Mr. Fan, why do you think we need military protection for our return to the Capital City?”

Fan Chengxu replied in a solemn tone, “Why does Queen Rui pretend to be ignorant? Since you two are returning to the Capital City, it must be because of that person. The Daxing Emperor has been dead for seven days. On our journey to Jiliao, King Jing has already ascended to the throne in front of the Daxing Emperor’s memorial tablet and temporarily taken charge of the court. All that’s left is to choose an auspicious day after the 27-day mourning period to hold the coronation ceremony. If you two still wish to remove him from his position, nothing but force will suffice.”

Then Fan Chengxu informed Wei Ruo, “The Capital City is currently under Chu Lan’s control. Both the Armed Forces Department of the Five Cities and the Imperial Army are under Chu Lan’s command.”

“Chu Lan is in charge of the Armed Forces Department in the Eastern and Central Cities.”

“The head of the Armed Forces Department in the Southern City is Tan Rufeng. He’s a member of the Tan Family, a great aristocratic family from the northwest. Three years ago, the Emperor borrowed food from the Tan Family and, as a favor in return, he granted several members of the Family official positions. Among these officials is Tan Rufeng, who became the head of the Armed Forces Department of the Southern City last year.”

“The head of the Armed Forces Department of the Western City is Yu Dongshan. He came from humble origins and served under General Lu in his early years. Because of General Lu’s mentorship, he has been in charge of the Armed Forces Department of the Western City for a decade, making him the longest-serving head among the Five Cities.”

“The head of the Armed Forces Department of the Northern City is Fan Xiu, my own clansman. My Fan Family has always united in whatever we do, following the direction set by my uncle. My uncle initially supported King Yu, but after the Qi Family fell from power, he began to observe and ultimately sided with King Jing among the three candidates.”

“The head of the Imperial Army is Han Jin, who was originally in charge of the Shen Shu Camp and was transferred to his current position by the Daxing Emperor three years ago. Han Jin is known for laying low and had never been involved in power struggles.”

“The Armed Forces Departments of the five aforementioned cities and the Imperial Army are the six most important military forces within the Imperial City. They have all pledged their allegiance to King Jing, obeying his command. I ask Prince and Queen Rui, do you have any strategies to counter this?”

After Fan Chengxu finished his explanation, Wei Ruo calmly asked, “Did he ascend to the throne with a testamentary edict?”

“The Daxing Emperor’s death was sudden, causing his will to be temporarily lost.”

“Did the courtiers accept his ascendancy?” Wei Ruo asked again.