7: Chapter 7 Li Jinglong: You can call me a noob, but I'll really step up when needed!

As soon as this question was raised, everyone's heart jumped into their throats.

That's right, eight hundred against fifty thousand, how could they fight this battle?

Isn't this just walking to their deaths?

Everyone's gaze instantly focused on Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong.

This was an almost unsolvable problem, and also their biggest concern. If they couldn't even break into the Imperial City, all their plans would be nothing but empty talk, and their trip to Xiaoling Mausoleum to mourn would truly become walking straight into a trap.

To everyone's surprise, Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong did not answer directly.

He simply picked up his teacup, took a slow, deliberate sip, and then cast his gaze toward someone in the corner who had been almost invisible from the very beginning.

"Cousin Duke of Cao, what do you think?"

This question drew everyone's gaze toward the Duke of Cao.

The Duke of Cao was huddled in his chair, looking like he was miles away. Suddenly being called out, he jumped, nearly sliding off his chair.

"Ah? Your Highness... are you asking me?" He stammered, his face filled with confusion.

Who were the people present? General Feng Sheng, General Fu Youde, General Lan Yu—which one of them wasn't a fierce general who had carved his way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood? In front of these people, the Duke of Cao was nothing but a playboy who wasn't even fit to carry their shoes. Asking him about such a major matter of treason? Wasn't that a joke?

General Feng Sheng snorted unceremoniously, his aged face filled with disdain.

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong, however, kept looking at him, a meaningful smile playing on the corners of his lips: "That's right, I am asking you. Cousin, do you have a way to deal with these fifty thousand Imperial Guards?"

Now, not only General Feng Sheng, but even General Fu Youde, General Wang Bi, and the others thought Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong had gone mad. Counting on the Duke of Cao? Counting on him to go play cricket fighting with the Imperial Guard commanders, or to see who could walk their pet birds better?

The Duke of Cao felt extremely uncomfortable under everyone's gaze, his handsome face turning bright red. He cast a pleading look at his uncle, Chang Sheng, but Chang Sheng only wore an expression of helplessness.

Just when everyone thought Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong was merely joking, the Duke of Cao seemed to make up his mind and abruptly stood up from his chair.

He took a deep breath, puffed out his chest, and that usual air of debauchery seemed to diminish quite a bit, replaced by a sense of desperate determination.

"The Imperial Guards... I will handle them!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole room was shocked.

After a brief silence, General Wang Bi was the first who couldn't hold back, letting out a "pfft" of laughter: "My dear nephew, are you still dreaming? You'll handle them? How will you handle them? By taking them to the Qinhuai River to listen to music, or to your dog kennel to fight chickens?"

General Feng Sheng mocked him mercilessly: "Does the Duke of Cao think that fighting a war is like hosting a dinner party? You just need to get the gate guards drunk, and we can strut right in?"

The Duke of Cao's face instantly turned as red as pig liver. He had been looked down upon by this group of old men for a long time, but today, being humiliated like this in front of Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong, his pitiful self-esteem was completely ignited.

"Damn it!"

The Duke of Cao cursed, the veins on his neck bulging. "I, the Duke of Cao, may be a drunkard, a gambler, and a loafer! You can call me useless, you can call me a waste! But damn it, you cannot underestimate my connections!"

He panted heavily, glaring at General Feng Sheng and General Wang Bi with bloodshot eyes. "That's right! I don't know how to fight! I haven't learned even ten percent of my father's skills! But I haven't spent these last ten years in Nanjing City for nothing!"

"Among the fifty thousand Imperial Guards, from the commanders down to the captains and lieutenants—which one of them haven't I treated to drinks? Which one hasn't taken benefits from me? How many people are in their families, what color stomachers their concubines like, which shop's pastries their mothers love to eat—I know all of this better than they do themselves!"

"What do you think I was doing by spending my days drinking and carousing? I was making friends!"

This outburst was resounding, stunning all the old generals present.

They looked at each other, momentarily at a loss for words.

Making friends? Making friends with the entire Imperial Guard, top to bottom? This... damn it, does this even count as a skill?

Seeing that he had seized control of the room, the Duke of Cao became more and more spirited. He walked to the center of the secret chamber, pointed his finger as if directing a grand strategy, and said, "Of the four gates of the Imperial City, the Meridian Gate and the East and West Flowery Gates are the most heavily guarded. But the Xuanwu Gate in the north has always been the place where swill and palace sundries are transported in and out, so the defenses are relatively lax."

"The captain guarding the Xuanwu Gate is named Zhang San, and his father was once my father's personal guard. Last month, when his son celebrated his one-month birthday, I even sent over a pair of gold locks. As long as I step in and ask him to crack the gate open, letting a few hundred people in will absolutely not be a problem!"

After finishing, he scanned the room and finally fixed his gaze on Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong, saying word by word, "Tomorrow at the Hour of the Ox, my men will change into the clothes of the workers transporting swill and wait at the Xuanwu Gate to receive you. Your Highness, you and Uncle General Lan Yu, just bring your men and enter through the Xuanwu Gate!"

The secret chamber fell into a deathly silence once again.

General Feng Sheng opened his mouth, but the words "Are you reliable?" that were on the tip of his tongue could not be spoken.

General Fu Youde looked at the Duke of Cao with complex eyes. He suddenly felt that he had never truly known this Duke of Cao, whom everyone considered a waste.

No, you kid, you look like the most cowardly person, but when it comes down to it, you really can step up!

Just when everyone was still shocked and hesitant, Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong, sitting in the main seat, suddenly laughed.

He stood up, walked over to the Duke of Cao, and patted his shoulder heavily.

"Good!"

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong's voice was filled with undisguised appreciation and trust: "Then I will leave it to you, Cousin!"

This simple sentence and this heavy pat on the shoulder made the Duke of Cao's eyes instantly heat up. It made it all feel a bit unreal; he had originally thought Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong would also think he was unreliable...

For how many years had it been? No one had ever looked at him like this. In everyone's eyes, he was an "A Dou" who couldn't be propped up, the only stain on the heroic life of Li Wenzhong.

But today, this fifteen-year-old Imperial Grandson had bet his life and future on him!

A man will die for someone who understands him!

The Duke of Cao abruptly cupped his hands, knelt on one knee before Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong, his voice hoarse with excitement: "Your Highness, rest assured! By this time tomorrow, if the Xuanwu Gate does not open, I, the Duke of Cao, will bring you my head!"

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong smiled and helped him up.

He knew he had bet correctly. In history, during Prince of Yan's campaign, it was this seemingly useless Duke of Cao who opened the Jinchuan Gate, welcomed the royal army into the city, and became a great meritorious official of the campaign. How could such a person truly be just a fool?

Most importantly, he seemed to have read in some unofficial history in his previous life that the Duke of Cao had tried multiple times to protect Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong... Although he didn't know why, he was just trying it out; if the Duke of Cao couldn't handle the Imperial Guards, he certainly had other ways, but having him step up was even better.

Since the biggest problem was solved, General Fu Youde and General Feng Sheng exchanged a look, finally stood up slowly, and bowed to Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong.

"We shall respectfully obey your command, Your Highness!"

Everyone understood in their hearts that from this moment on, there was no turning back.

"Good!" A sharp light flashed in Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong's eyes. "Since that is the case, there is no time to lose. Everyone, go back and prepare. Remember, we only have this one chance!"

Everyone agreed in unison, said no more, and hurriedly retreated from the secret chamber.

When they came, their hearts were filled with doubt and unease.

When they left, their eyes were all burning with a flame called madness.

On this deep night in the twenty-sixth year of the Hongwu reign of the Great Ming, a storm capable of overturning the entire empire was quietly taking shape in this small secret chamber.

The sky was about to brighten.