99: Are they all so enthusiastic about rebellion? [Explosive update, please give me praise]

In the northern border, inside the central army tent!

The wolf hair brush in Zhu Zaiye's hand snapped with a 'crack', and ink splattered onto the memorial, spreading into a patch of glaring black.

"Your Highness!"

Deputy General Zhao Polu knelt on one knee, his voice heavy with grief, "Your Highness, please restrain your sorrow. The heir… was killed!"

Zhu Zaiye slowly raised his head, his eyes devoid of sorrow or anger, only a bottomless, profound darkness.

"Does Your Majesty… have an imperial decree?"

"No imperial decree yet."

Zhao Polu gritted his teeth and said, "But news from the capital says that the heir broke into the imperial palace at night, intending to assassinate the monarch, and was killed on the spot by the Sword Saint Lu Jiuyuan!

Your Majesty was furious, but did not act. This matter is only being treated as a rumor!"

Upon hearing this, all the generals in the tent changed their expressions.

"Your Highness!" The strategist Zhang Xuansu stepped forward, lowering his voice: "The heir has always been gentle and refined. Although his temper was slightly extreme, he was exceptionally intelligent and would never attempt an assassination without reason!

There must be something fishy about this! In my opinion, Your Majesty's actions are clearly intended to use this opportunity to weaken the regional lords!"

"That's right, Your Highness!" Another general cupped his fists and said, "With the heir's death, Your Majesty's next step will inevitably be to move against you!

Our Prince Taiping's estate commands a Border Army of five hundred thousand. How could Your Majesty feel at ease?

He was too young to act rashly before, but now that he has been ruling for several years, he probably feels his wings are fully grown and wants to reclaim military power!"

"Your Highness, a decision must be made! The little emperor has a huge appetite and is acting too ruthlessly. He clearly doesn't want to give you a way out!

Your Highness, the Dragon has grown up and wants to devour people!"

Zhu Zaiye remained silent for a long time, then slowly rose.

He walked out of the tent, looking towards the capital, a flicker of pain in his eyes, but it quickly returned to calm.

"If he wants to reclaim military power, he could just say so. This King is not someone who clings to power. Why kill my son? Why force me like this?"

"Your Highness, since the little emperor dared to kill, he must have made preparations! I think it won't be long before the little emperor's military order summoning you back to the capital arrives here!"

"Your Highness, that little emperor is going too far. Our five hundred thousand strong army in the Nine Prefectures of Jin and Yan are not to be trifled with! How about..." Immediately, a general gripped his saber and said in a deep voice.

Not just him, but many generals present had excited glints in their eyes.

Those who followed the Prince of Yan in rebellion back then are now all dukes and marquises. Take a gamble, and you could achieve centuries of glory and wealth!

Prince Taiping commanded a Border Army of five hundred thousand. In terms of opportunity, it was far greater than that of the Prince of Yan back then.

What the Prince of Yan did, why couldn't Prince Taiping do it? Royal internal strife, unlike rebellion by those of other surnames, only required taking the capital, and all parts of the realm would surely surrender at the mere sight of it.

Zhu Zaiye stood with his back to the generals, his hands clasped behind him, knuckles white.

How could he not understand the thoughts of those below him?

The wind from the northern border carried sand and grit, striking the army tent with a rustling sound.

"Your Highness!"

Zhang Xuansu suddenly knelt, his forehead heavily striking the blue bricks,

"When the late emperor was alive, he once said, 'Prince Taiping shall guard the northern border, and may not leave without committing treason'!

Now the heir has died tragically, yet Your Majesty has not even issued a proper decree. This is to cut off your retreat!"

In the tent, a 'whoosh' of people knelt, the clang of armor like the clash of weapons.

Zhao Polu suddenly drew half of his saber, its cold gleam reflecting the bonfire outside the tent: "This humble general is willing to be the vanguard; Juyong Pass can be breached in ten days! We will march straight into the capital!"

"Silence, all of you!"

Zhu Zaiye suddenly roared, the sound wave making the military tally on the table hum.

When he turned, his eyes were bloodshot, but he forced a smile uglier than a cry: "Are you trying to make this King... an infamous traitor for all eternity?

This King has not treated you poorly, how can you harm me like this?"

Zhang Xuansu's forehead touched the ground, but his voice grew even more impassioned: "Your Highness! When Emperor Taizong launched the Jingnan Campaign, wasn't he also forced to a desperate situation by Emperor Jianwen?

Now, Your Majesty's persecution of imperial relatives is a fact; he is clearly following in Emperor Jianwen's footsteps!"

Zhang Xuansu suddenly moved forward two steps on his knees, pulled out a yellowed silk scroll from his bosom, and held it high above his head with both hands:

"Your Highness! Don't forget, you still hold this secret imperial edict from the late emperor!"

Zhu Zaiye's pupils contracted sharply, and the generals in the tent collectively held their breath.

The silk scroll's edges were embroidered with a five-clawed Dragon, and when unrolled, it revealed powerful characters written in vermilion ink:

【After Our demise, if the new monarch is young, you shall assist him. If the monarch has the Dao, then help him and guard the border. If the monarch lacks the Dao, you may hold this edict and enter the capital to purge the corrupt officials! Execute the treacherous ministers! Rectify the imperial court!】

Zhu Zaiye's fingers trembled slightly as he took the secret edict. Was their resolve so firm?

Except for the writing looking as if it had just been finished, the ink not yet dry, even the seal of the Imperial Seal of the Realm seemed genuine.

"Your Highness!"

Zhang Xuansu kowtowed heavily, blood seeping from his forehead:

"The heir died tragically, yet Your Majesty has kept his death a secret, clearly intending to force your rebellion! Now that there is a secret imperial edict from the late emperor, our army's action is justified!"

The tent was silent for a moment, then erupted in a thunderous roar like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing:

"Purge the corrupt officials! Rectify the imperial court!"

"Purge the corrupt officials! Rectify the imperial court!"

"Purge the corrupt officials! Rectify the imperial court!"

The sound waves made the cowhide tent tremble, and the torchlight cast flickering shadows on Zhu Zaiye's face.

He slowly closed his eyes.

In his mind, he saw his son's wobbly first steps as a child, and the young emperor's tender face when he ascended the throne… All of them Bloodline relatives, why has it come to this! Why must it escalate to armed conflict?

"How many combat-ready troops do we have? How many can be mobilized, and how many cannot? Don't hide anything, tell me the truth!"

"Your Highness, on paper, we have an army of five hundred thousand, but in reality… the Border Army is slightly insufficient. Counting cavalry, combat soldiers, auxiliary troops, and logistics, there are approximately two hundred eighty thousand in total.

The Nine Prefectures cannot be left unguarded. We can mobilize one thousand cavalry, about thirty thousand elite soldiers, and about sixty thousand combat soldiers. The remaining one hundred eighty thousand are distributed among the Nine Prefectures and must be left to guard against the Tatars.

At this time, we must act swiftly and return quickly. If too much time passes, the Tatars will discover the anomaly, learn of our internal strife in the Great Ming, and there will be a danger of them invading the south."

"However, your subordinate has a plan that can cause internal chaos among the Tatars themselves, leaving them no time to spare.

At least three months can be gained."

Zhu Zaiye suddenly opened his eyes, the last trace of hesitation in his gaze turning into resolute determination.

He turned and pulled out the command arrow from the marshal's desk, snapping it in half with a 'crack':

"Beat the drums! Assemble the generals!"

"Boom—boom—boom—"

The dull drumbeats instantly spread throughout the military camp. The entire northern border camp stirred like an awakening giant beast.

Zhu Zaiye stood on the reviewing stand, the great banner of Prince Taiping fluttering in the biting wind behind him.

He raised the secret edict, his voice carried by the personal guards, spreading throughout the three armies:

"The late emperor's secret edict is here! Your Majesty has been deceived by treacherous individuals and has harmed loyal subjects! This King has decided, today we raise an army~"

"Purge the corrupt officials!"

Zhu Zaiye's voice echoed in the biting wind, the cold gleam reflecting off the ten thousand soldiers' swords and spears, standing like a forest.

"All armies, listen to my command!"

"Zhao Polu, lead five thousand light cavalry as the vanguard! You must capture Juyong Pass within ten days!"

"This humble general obeys!" Zhao Polu knelt on one knee, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

"Zhang Xuansu, proceed with the central army, and along the way, issue proclamations to all prefectures, stating that we are acting on the late emperor's secret edict to purge corrupt officials, not to rebel!"

"Yes!"

"The rest of the generals, lead your respective troops, and follow this King—"

Zhu Zaiye drew the sword from his waist, its blade pointing directly south:

"Into the capital!"

The news of Prince Taiping Zhu Zaiye raising an army to "purge corrupt officials" was like a clap of thunder on a clear day, instantly shaking the entire capital!

"Prince Taiping has rebelled!"

"It is said he is marching south with an army of eight hundred thousand!"

"The vanguard has already breached Juyong Pass!"

Panic spread through the streets and alleys like a plague.

PS: Thank you, brothers, for the five-star reviews, they are truly powerful, raising the rating to 8.7. Brother Gou bows in gratitude, and here's an explosive update.