Chapter Five! A Mad Dog That Bites Everyone in Sight
“I object!”
Gao Changsheng’s sudden outburst drew sideways glances from the assembled ministers.
Gao Changwen and Gao Changfei both furrowed their brows in confusion.
What’s gotten into this brat?
Gao Changling also wore a puzzled expression.
Today, Gao Changsheng seemed like a mad dog, biting whoever he could catch.
“Oh?”
“I’m eager to hear what you have to say.”
The usually expressionless Emperor Shenwu suddenly perked up, a trace of amusement flickering in his eyes as he looked at Gao Changsheng.
This caught Gao Changsheng off guard.
However, he had no time to ponder the emperor’s thoughts; his immediate priority was to quash the plan of sending his two elder brothers to the northern frontier.
“Yes, Father Emperor!”
Gao Changsheng bowed respectfully and then said:
“How could two royal princes, both precious daughters of the Seventh Pearl Prince, personally go to battle?”
“If Northern Qi finds out, they might think our Great Yong Dynasty has no generals left, and that Father Emperor’s other sons are all useless.”
“Moreover, what if anything happens to them? What would become of the Empress?”
“The Empress, as the Mother of the Nation, if shaken by the peril faced by her sons, could cause internal strife at a time when our two nations are at war. How could we possibly win this battle then?”
“My suggestion is for me to replace my two elder brothers in the campaign, while the appointment of the commanding general should be left solely to Your Majesty’s discretion.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the ministers began to murmur among themselves.
The three princes remained utterly baffled, unable to fathom what act Gao Changsheng was putting on.
Even Emperor Shenwu regarded him with suspicion.
To them, Gao Changsheng was the softest and weakest prince of Jinyong City.
He should be the type to avoid dangerous battles at all costs.
Why would he voluntarily march to his death?
“Heh.”
“Sixth brother, it’s not that the Second Brother looks down on you, but have you ever fought in a war? Have you ever led troops? Do you know how to mobilize soldiers, manage supplies and arms?”
Gao Changwen’s barrage of questions aimed to bring Gao Changsheng back to reality.
It was also to show the ministers and Emperor Shenwu that Gao Changsheng remained the useless prince he had always been.
“Second Brother is right. Changsheng indeed does not know how to command troops in battle.”
Gao Changsheng shook his head in acknowledgment.
“Hahaha!”
Laughter erupted one after another, with Duan Yan’s mockery being the most brazen.
“But as Changsheng just said, the position of commander is ultimately Your Majesty’s decision.”
“I never claimed I wanted to be the commander.”
Gao Changsheng replied indifferently.
Then he turned to Emperor Shenwu, clasped his fists, and bowed:
“Your servant believes that Northern Qi’s assault is fierce; in just one day, they have taken three cities, causing the morale of the frontline soldiers to plummet.”
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“And the reinforcements from the court will take over ten days to reach the front. I dare not imagine how much the original garrison’s morale will decline.”
“My going to fight for the court is secondary. The primary issue is to demonstrate the court’s resolve to the frontline troops. The presence of someone from the royal family on the battlefield will surely boost the soldiers’ spirits.”
As his words settled, the great hall fell into a profound silence.
At this moment, a hint of admiration appeared on Emperor Shenwu’s face.
Clearly, Gao Changsheng’s insight aligned most closely with the emperor’s original intention.
“You all heard that, right?”
“My son Changsheng may be the least conspicuous among my many sons, yet he has his unique perspective.”
“My heart is greatly comforted!”
Emperor Shenwu said proudly.
It must be said, Emperor Shenwu was truly skilled at flattering himself.
But at the same time, he was signaling to the ministers that the matter was settled.
Since the emperor agreed with Gao Changsheng’s proposal, any opposition from the ministers would be tantamount to slapping the emperor’s face. Who in their right mind would dare?
“Your Majesty is wise!”
The ministers wisely chimed in.
“Draft the edict!”
“I hereby appoint Duke Dou Yuan as the Grand General for the Northern Campaign, commanding the army.”
“I appoint the Sixth Prince Gao Changsheng as adjutant to cooperate with Duke Dou Yuan in the campaign against Northern Qi.”
“Departure in three days!”
Emperor Shenwu gave the order decisively, leaving no room for further discussion.
After this smooth and rapid process, the ministers finally understood that Emperor Shenwu had made up his mind from the start.
Consulting the ministers was merely a formality.
These seasoned officials had taken it seriously and now looked like fools in retrospect.
“Gao Changsheng, you really stole the spotlight today!”
“We even stood up for you in front of the Crown Prince, and this is how you treat us!”
As the court meeting ended, the ministers clustered around the Crown Prince, heading out of the hall.
Gao Changwen and Gao Changfei, inseparable as always, immediately cornered Gao Changsheng inside the hall.
The air was thick with the sourness of old resentment.
It was clear these two were furious.
“Didn’t Second and Third Brother realize it?”
Gao Changsheng asked in surprise.
Realize what?
His sudden question left the two princes dumbfounded.
“At first, I didn’t understand Father’s intention either. I thought that as a disgraced son attending court, Father would scold me.”
“But from beginning to end, I never saw Father show any sign of reprimand. Don’t you two find that strange?”
After Gao Changsheng’s reminder, the two princes’ faces showed dawning realization.
“Go on!”
Gao Changwen urged him on.
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Gao Changsheng nodded and continued:
“When you both suggested going to the front, Father’s expression turned somewhat odd.”
“I only proposed replacing you out of curiosity, to test the waters.”
“Unexpectedly, Father immediately smiled.”
“In other words, Father released me from the dungeon and allowed me to attend court precisely so I, as a prince, could be sent to the front.”
“After all, even if a weakling prince like me were to fail at the front, no one would grieve much.”
“But you two are different. Your mother is the Empress, and both of you were ennobled as Seventh Pearl Princes by Father.”
“If anything happened to you, how could Father explain it to the Empress?”
Gao Changsheng’s face fell with melancholy.
Among the princes, some were treated as castaways, while others were the apple of Emperor Shenwu’s eye.
By comparison, Gao Changsheng needed no acting to reveal his sorrow.
“Alas!”
“Sixth brother, you’re overthinking. How could Father ever think that way!”
Gao Changfei patted Gao Changsheng’s shoulder, comforting the brother he had just considered doomed moments ago.
“But since you’ve realized Father’s intention, why didn’t you warn us sooner?”
Gao Changwen was more cautious than Gao Changfei.
“I did!”
“At the time, I kept blinking at you both, but unfortunately, you never looked my way.”
“Changsheng is no ungrateful wretch.”
“When you brothers targeted the Crown Prince, I promised to repay you if given the chance.”
“But with so many spies in court, how could I dare speak up to warn you?”
Gao Changsheng said helplessly.
“Did… did you?”
Gao Changwen and Gao Changfei exchanged uncertain glances.
“I guess so!”
Gao Changfei grinned uncertainly.
Watching these two fools looking so clueless, Gao Changsheng laughed until his sides ached.
No wonder, with the Empress backing them, even combined they were no match for the Crown Prince.
Yet, fools had their advantages.
In the three days before the campaign, the Crown Prince would undoubtedly be busy targeting Gao Changsheng.
As long as Gao Changsheng used Gao Changwen and Gao Changfei to pressure the Crown Prince, the latter would have no time to focus on him.
Thus, the danger Gao Changsheng faced would lessen considerably.
“Three days… these days won’t be easy!”
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