Chapter 287: Chapter One Hundred Ninety-Seven
Before the late emperor decided to establish the Great Zhou, the generals and civil officials were already divided into two groups. One group supported Prince Yi Yong, while the other supported the emperor.
At that time, the two sides were already competing in secret. However, it wasn’t made public.
In the shadows, both sides looked down on each other and slandered one another. They also attempted to sow discord and inflame hostilities in front of Prince Yi Yong and the emperor.
Prince Yi Yong and the emperor trusted each other and never believed those divisive words. They even warned their soldiers in front of everyone not to believe such instigations. Moreover, they once punished those who fanned the flames, but it was to no avail.
The soldiers and civil officials under their command continued to stir up trouble. Both sides grew more disdainful and hostile toward each other. This all continued in secret until the late emperor decided to establish the Great Zhou, and these actions were brought to the surface.
Those who supported Prince Yi Yong naturally hoped he would be crowned Crown Prince. The soldiers supporting the emperor, of course, supported him becoming the Crown Prince.
The two sides clashed over the issue of establishing a Crown Prince. However, both Prince Yi Yong and the emperor, being the main parties, didn’t want to become the Crown Prince.
Prince Yi Yong always wanted to live a leisurely and carefree life. He originally planned to buy some land to farm once the wars were over and peace was restored. As for becoming the Crown Prince, it had never crossed his mind.
When the late emperor decided to establish the Great Zhou, he called Prince Yi Yong and the emperor to ask who among them would be willing to be the Crown Prince. In the end, neither was willing.
Prince Yi Yong suggested the emperor, saying that with his remarkable military achievements, it would be widely expected for him to become the Crown Prince. Upon hearing this, the emperor naturally refused. He said that Prince Yi Yong was the legitimate eldest son, and historically, it was always the eldest son who inherited the family legacy. He added that establishing a younger son instead of the legitimate eldest would create chaos in the court.
The two brothers insisted on yielding the position to each other in front of the late emperor, neither willing to be the Crown Prince, which greatly agitated the late emperor.
To be honest, the late emperor himself didn’t wish to become emperor, but circumstances forced him to establish the Great Zhou and assume the throne.
At that time, the emperor feared his older brother might truly let him become the Crown Prince. Secretly, he decided that once he pacified all the rebels in the Central Plains, he would go to fight the Xiongnu, staying far from the Central Plains, so his brother wouldn’t offload the position of Crown Prince onto him.
Yet, who could have expected that before the establishment of the Great Zhou, Prince Yi Yong died in battle on the battlefield.
Prince Yi Yong’s death was the greatest blow to the emperor. He always felt that if he had not exchanged places on the battlefield with his brother, his brother would not have died. He would rather have died himself than have his brother die in battle.
Unable to come to terms with Prince Yi Yong’s death, the emperor always felt it was his fault. So, when faced with He Lianfang’s accusations and complaints, he never defended himself.
As the most trusted general and confidant of Prince Yi Yong during his life, the emperor was very tolerant of He Lianfang. No matter how much He Lianfang insulted him, he would not hold it against him. However, He Lianfang was too dangerous and could not be let loose; otherwise, he might throw the world into chaos. Thus, the emperor confined him to a mansion at the junction of the East Market and West Market, assigning the Hidden Guard to monitor and protect him.
Famously known back then as the War God, or more precisely, a figure who inspired terror, He Lianfang was called "King Yan" during that time. Whenever he appeared on a battlefield, the enemy troops would practically turn into the dead. Moreover, his methods were ruthless; after conquering a city, he would massacre the inhabitants, leaving none alive.
The rebels would tremble with fear at the mere sound of "He Lianfang" being mentioned.
Most terrifying was that He Lianfang was consistently victorious in all his battles, never having lost a single one. He often triumphed over larger forces with fewer troops, most notably when he defeated an enemy force of three hundred thousand with only thirty thousand of his men, leaving not a single one of the enemy alive.
Both the military officers and civil officials were extremely fearful of He Lianfang, to the extent that they dared not even mention his name. Over the years, the name "He Lianfang" had unknowingly become taboo.
Many ministers in the court assumed He Lianfang was dead, while only close confidant ministers like Shen Hu knew he was still alive. As for the younger generation of ministers, they were completely unaware of He Lianfang’s existence.
The Crown Prince and Prince Dai had heard of He Lianfang’s exploits, but they did not know he was still alive.
If the court ministers were to learn that He Lianfang was still alive, they would likely be in a constant state of unease and fear.
Frankly speaking, regarding Prince Yi Yong’s death back then, He Lianfang also felt great remorse. He had killed the person who had poisoned Prince Yi Yong to death at the time. But that wasn’t enough; he always believed that the true culprit behind Prince Yi Yong’s death in battle was the emperor, and he was intent on killing the emperor to avenge Prince Yi Yong, but he had never succeeded.