On the afternoon of August 1, 428, in the Qianyuan Palace in the Canglong City Imperial Palace, the newly promoted Empress Dowager Zhao hugged the emperor Liu Sheng, who had just ascended the throne at the age of nine, and said to Liu Chong, the governor of Qianzhou Prefecture, Liu Yuan, the governor of Pizhou Prefecture, and Liu Du, the governor of Qinzhou Prefecture, "Can the three beloved ministers stay in the capital for a longer time? Now, the Ai family and the emperor can rely on only three beloved ministers. What if the three beloved ministers also leave the capital, we are the only orphans and widows left?"

Qianyuan Palace is the palace where Zhao and Liu Sheng have been living in the palace. After Liu Bian died suddenly and Liu Heng ascended the throne and became emperor, Empress Dowager Zhou, who ruled the country from behind the curtain, saw that Liu Bian's other sons were still young, so she did not let several young princes leave the palace to live. Zhao and Liu Sheng were therefore able to live in the palace for many years.

Zhao was originally just an ordinary palace maid. Because of her beautiful appearance, she was selected to be with Emperor Liu Bian. After Emperor Liu Bian got drunk, he possessed Zhao. Later, Zhao was even more honored by his mother and was named one of the concubines of Emperor Liu Bian because of her son.

Zhao originally took care of her son in the palace with peace of mind. Empress Dowager Zhou had already told her that after Emperor Liu Heng took power at the age of 18, he would have conferred titles to several younger brothers, but he never expected that the situation would change suddenly. In a short period of time, Empress Dowager Zhou and Emperor Liu Heng were killed. Her nine-year-old son Liu Sheng was elected by a group of important officials of the court and became the new king of the Great Jin Dynasty.

Zhao's heart was more afraid than joy when his son became emperor. After all, the example of the previous emperor Liu Heng was there, and it was rumored throughout the palace that Empress Dowager Zhou and Emperor Liu Heng were both killed by the thirteenth family, so Zhao couldn't help but hope that some of her own people would protect her son in the court.

Before entering the palace, Zhao's parents had both died, and the remaining relatives in the family had not been in contact for many years. In the court that was almost controlled by the thirteenth family, the only ones Zhao could rely on were some of the royal family's children. Liu Chong, the governor of Qianzhou Prefecture, Liu Yuan, the governor of Pizhou Prefecture, and Liu Du, the governor of Qinzhou Prefecture, were all powerful factions with army and territory among the royal family.

Liu Chong, the governor of Qianzhou Prefecture, said with a wry smile: "Empress Dowager, the three of us have made an agreement with the thirteenth family that after the emperor's ascension ceremony, the three of us will have to return to Qianzhou, Pizhou and Qinzhou with their own troops."

Queen Mother Zhao immediately said: "Now that Zhang Mingqi, the governor of Suzhou Prefecture, is about to lead his troops north. The capital is in a shortage of troops. The three beloved ministers have an army of 80,000 or 90,000. At this time, they should stay in the capital. The Ai family summoned the Taiwei of the Ministry of War to discuss this matter with him. The three beloved ministers must stay in the capital."

When Liu Chong, Liu Yuan and Liu Du heard what Empress Dowager Zhao said, they couldn't help but frown slightly. In fact, it was not only the Thirteenth Family that didn't want their three-person army to stay in the capital, but also the three of them were unwilling to stay in the capital, a place of right and wrong for a long time. If nothing unexpected happens, the Suzhou Xiang Army will start a big battle with the imperial army. If the capital is not well done, it will become a battlefield.

When Empress Dowager Zhao saw Liu Chong, Liu Yuan and Liu Du suddenly fell silent, and couldn't help but cry, saying, "The three beloved ministers are all children of the royal family. Now the situation in the capital is very clear. In addition, the emperor is still young and said something unpleasant, the foundation of the Jin Dynasty for more than 400 years is already shaky. If you, the sons of the royal family, don't stand up, you can't stand the Liu family's throne by relying solely on our orphans and widows!"

Perhaps it was because of the words of Empress Dowager Zhao that played a role. Liu Chong, the governor of Qianzhou Prefecture, finally gritted his teeth and said, "If the Empress Dowager can persuade the Taiwei Dou of the Ministry of War to change his mind, Liu Chong is willing to stay in the capital and swear to protect the emperor and the empress dowager!"

Liu Du, the governor of Qinzhou Prefecture, sighed and said, "I am willing to stay in the capital and swear to protect the emperor and the queen mother!"

When Liu Yuan, the governor of Pizhou Prefecture, saw that the other two governors expressed their opinions, he hesitated and said: "Then...that minister is willing to stay, but...but...the Grand Marshal Dou may not agree."

Liu Chong, Liu Yuan and Liu Du did not expect that when Empress Dowager Zhao and the Grand Marshal Dou Yan of the Ministry of War proposed to allow the troops under the three provincial governors to temporarily stay in the capital, Dou Yan of the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of War agreed without hesitation.

It turned out that the day before the new emperor Liu Sheng ascended the throne, Zhang Mingqi, the governor of Suzhou Prefecture, issued a manifesto to attack the thirteen-generation family, listing twenty-eight crimes of the thirteen-generation family, including the killing of two emperors and the poisoning of the Queen Mother Zhou, and the secret decree of the late emperor Liu Heng as evidence. Zhang Mingqi then led 15 Suzhou Xiangjun Guards to the north and entered Qiongzhou from Wu, an important town in northern Suzhou.

Dou Yan, the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of War, prepared to allow the army of Liu Chong, Liu Yuan and Liu Du to join the war against the Xiang army in Suzhou.

Late on August 1st, at the residence of Dou Yan, the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of War in Canglong City, Yang Zhong, the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of Personnel, sighed and asked Dou Yan: "Taiwei Dou, can you block the Suzhou Xiang Army in Qiongzhou?"

Dou Yan, the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of War, shook his head with a wry smile and said, "The Xiang army and local troops in Qiongzhou have just been re-established for a short time. It is impossible for them to stop more than 1.8 million Suzhou Xiang army from the north. Now we can only dispatch troops to Qinhuai City in Suzhou as soon as possible to strive to block Zhang Mingqi's Suzhou Xiang army in Qinhuai City."

At this time, General Xiao Su, the Cavalry, said with a worried look: "What if Zhang Mingqi's Suzhou Xiangjun chose to bypass Qinhuai City? This time, Zhang Mingqi's purpose was very clear, which was to directly take the capital. I think it would be better to keep the troops in the capital!"

Dou Yan, the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of War, said in a deep voice: "I am also worried, so I am not going to mobilize the imperial guards to Qinhuai City. There are 34 routes to suppress the rebels in the outskirts of the capital. I am going to send Qi Bo, the governor of Qinzhou, Feng Zihuan, the governor of Xiangzhou, Nie Long, the governor of Meizhou, Sun Youhao, the governor of Dazhou, Chen Likun, the governor of Shansui County, Qinzhou, Li Bo, the governor of Wuli County, Qinzhou, Shen Zitong, the governor of Xiongyi County, Xiangzhou, Gao Gui, the governor of Hedong County, Xiangzhou, Zhang Ju, the governor of Xuan'an County, Meizhou, Zhao Ce, the governor of Geshan County, Wanzhou, and Xie Hongde, the governor of Fushou County, Dazhou, a total of twelve routes of suppression of rebels, a total of 250,000 troops rushed to Qinhuai City to defend."

After pausing, Dou Yan, the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of War, continued: "In addition, Sun Dezhen, the governor of Suzhou Prefecture, has tens of thousands of troops. From Qinhuai City and surrounding villages and towns, at least one hundred thousand or even twenty-hundreds of young and strong men can be summoned to help defend the city. Even if Zhang Mingqi's Suzhou Xiangjun wants to conquer Qinhuai City, it will not be possible in a short time. As for our imperial guards, we will defend the capital with the other twenty-two subduing rebels. Even if Zhang Mingqi's Suzhou Xiangjun bypasses Qinhuai City, we don't need to worry!"

Zhao Boran, the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of Justice, asked Dou Yan: "Taiwei Dou, what you mean, are you not going to let the troops of Liu Chong, Liu Yuan, the Grand Marshal of Qianzhou, and Liu Du, the Grand Marshal of Qinzhou, leave the capital?"

Dou Yan nodded and said, "Now that the new emperor has ascended the throne, if they want the Liu family to continue to exist, they must resist Zhang Mingqi's Suzhou Xiangjun with our thirteenth family. The royal family also knows in their hearts that our thirteenth family only controls the power of the court, but Zhang Mingqi is likely to seize the Liu family's country. So I think we can temporarily keep the troops of Liu Chong, the governor of Qianzhou, Liu Yuan, the governor of Pizhou, and Liu Du, the governor of Qinzhou, and Liu Du, the governor of Qinzhou, to help our thirteenth family fight against Zhang Mingqi's Suzhou Xiangjun."

After listening to Dou Yan's analysis, the other important officials of the court of the thirteenth family nodded one after another, and then General Li Hong of the Cavalry said: "Dear sirs, the Suzhou Xiang Army was adapted from the Red Turban Army. If the fifteen Suzhou Xiang Army guards arrive at the capital, say a disgusting thing, even if there are 700,000 imperial guards and 550,000 troops from other 22nd anti-rebels, this general still has no confidence to defeat more than 1.8 million Suzhou Xiang Army. This general hopes to gather more troops in the capital."

General He Guangzong of the Cavalry followed and agreed, "General Li Hong's words are reasonable. The Red Turban Army's combat effectiveness is very strong. If it weren't for the Polu Army, it would not be so easy for the Red Turban Army to surrender. Now the Polu Army is restrained in the Western Regions. Once the fifteen Suzhou wing guards arrive in the capital, it is really a bit unlucky to rely on the 700,000 imperial guards and 550,000 miscellaneous troops with weak combat effectiveness. They should indeed mobilize more troops from the capital."

Dou Yan, the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of War, looked around the important officials of the other thirteen-generation families, and then said loudly: "Everyone, the current situation is different from the Red Turban Army's rebellion in the southeastern states. The Red Turban Army was targeting the Dajin court at the time, but now the Suzhou Xiangjun has dug up the foundation of our thirteen-generation families. Our thirteen-generation families must do their best to deal with the crisis caused by the Suzhou Xiangjun!"

Yang Zhong, the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of Personnel, nodded and said, "Taiwei Dou is right. At this time, each family can no longer hide it. Our Yang family is willing to dispatch 50,000 servants to the capital immediately!"

The reason why the Thirteen Aristocratic families became the top Thirteen Aristocratic families in the Jin Dynasty and existed for hundreds of years is inseparable from the private army they own.

Of course, the private troops of the thirteen-age family did not exist in the name of the army, and were all named as servants. The guards of many caravans of various aristocratic families, as well as guards of many farms, and guards of many shops are basically served by servants. Each aristocratic family has tens of thousands of servants, and servants of each aristocratic family is also the core force of each aristocratic family.

Zheng Kai, the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of Revenue, suddenly said to Yang Zhong, the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of Personnel: "Taiwei Yang, your Yang family claims to have 200,000 servants. This time, facing the great enemy of the Xiang army in Suzhou, how did your Yang family dispatch 50,000 servants to the capital?"

Yang Zhong left Zheng Kai, the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of Revenue, and said: "Our Yang family's industries are spread across many prefectures and counties in the Jin Dynasty, and most of the servants are scattered among these industries. In a short period of time, they can only gather 50,000 servants to come to the capital. I wonder how many servants the Zheng family can mobilize to come to the capital this time?"

Zheng Kai, the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of Revenue, glanced slightly: "Our Zheng family does not have as huge industries as the Yang family. Our Zheng family's industries are mainly in Yongzhou. In a short period of time, it should be able to send 70,000 servants to the capital to help the imperial guards resist Zhang Mingqi's Suzhou Xiangjun!"

The Thirteenth Aristocratic Family is not a monolithic, and there are also considerable conflicts between the various aristocratic families. Not long ago, the Yang family and the Zheng family made a very unpleasant quarrel due to commercial disputes.

Immediately afterwards, Dou Yan, the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of War, said: "Our Dou family can gather 80,000 servants in the capital in a short period of time. If necessary, our Dou family can continue to dispatch servants to the capital."

Next, Wang Zhihuan, the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of Rites, expressed his willingness to dispatch 70,000 family members to the capital, the Zhao family represented by Zhao Boran, the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of Works, the Sun family represented by Sun Mingtao, and the Han family represented by Han Renji, the Minister of War, were all preparing to dispatch 50,000 family members to the capital.

The Wu family represented by Wu Ziyu, Minister of Personnel, Zhang family represented by Zhang Shunran, Minister of Revenue, and Chen family represented by Chen Sikai, Minister of Justice, will all dispatch 40,000 servants to the capital in a short period of time.

The Xiao family, Li Hong, General of Cavalry, and General of Cavalry, He Guangzong, each said that they would give out 60,000 servants to gather in the capital. Among the thirteen-generation families, the Xiao family, Li family and He family have always been the largest generals in the Great Jin army. The servants of these three families have always been very strong in combat. There are even rumors that the servants of the Xiao family, Li family and He family are even more powerful than the imperial guards.

The foundation of the Thirteenth Family is really not a prank. It is easy to gather 720,000 servants in the capital. Moreover, if the situation is not good for the Thirteenth Family, each family can continue to send additional servants to the capital.

After counting the total number of family members promised by each aristocratic family, Dou Yan, the Taiwei of the Ministry of War, suddenly felt much more relaxed. He immediately said to General Xiao Su, General Li Hong, General He Guangzong, and General He Guangzong, "General Xiao, General Li, General He, this time when fighting with the Suzhou Xiangjun, you still have to rely on you three. After the servants of each family gathered in the capital, all of you will be commanded by you. It is best to block the Suzhou Xiangjun from the eight passes of Canglong."

General Li Hong of the Cavalry said confidently: "The 700,000 imperial guards, plus the 720,000 servants of our families, and the 550,000 troops of the other twenty-two subdued rebels, not to mention blocking the fifteen Suzhou Xiangjun Guards outside the Canglong Eight Pass, it is not impossible to defeat the fifteen Suzhou Xiangjun Guards."

General Xiao Su smiled and said, "There are 720,000 servants from each family. The three of us can even plan to destroy all the fifteen Suzhou Xiangjun Guards."

General He Guangzong of the Cavalry nodded and said, "As long as these 720,000 servants can gather in time, the capital will be foolproof!"

A fierce light suddenly flashed in the eyes of Dou Yan, the Grand Marshal of War, and said, "If Zhang Mingqi from Suzhou has the chance this time, we must kill him, otherwise he will always be a big hidden danger for our thirteenth family!"
Chapter completed!