Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors

Having realized this critical detail, Li Hongyun replayed the entire operation in his mind, only then grasping a pivotal link not recorded in the history books.

What exactly was Emperor Gaozu of Liang doing?

Li Hongyun's thoughts rapidly rewound, returning to the beginning, the night when the Lord Qin Mansion conspired in secrecy.

In the planning process, the imperial palace guards were an undeniable force that couldn't be overlooked.

Logically, if one set their sights on the palace guards and Emperor Gaozu of Liang, it would be tantamount to rebellion, and it would be best not to do so.

And Lord Qin's main goal at the time was to kill the Crown Prince and Prince Qi, thus making him the only heir to the throne, with the position of Crown Prince as good as his.

Then the objective should have been achieved...

Right?

Clearly not.

If the plan had only targeted the Crown Prince and Prince Qi, many uncontrollable factors would have surfaced during the entire process.

For instance, suppose the ambush failed, and either the Crown Prince or Prince Qi escaped, and the palace guards rushed to suppress the uprising, what then? Were they to engage the palace guards directly in battle?

Bear in mind that, at that time, the generals under the Crown Prince were fiercely attacking the Xuanwu Gate and were nearly overwhelmed. If caught between two fronts, the outcome was unimaginable.

By then, Emperor Gaozu of Liang might have justifiably sided with the Crown Prince and Prince Qi.

Even if the ambush succeeded, and both the Crown Prince and Prince Qi died, what if Emperor Gaozu of Liang refused to pass on the throne?

What if Emperor Gaozu of Liang, enraged by the notion of rebellion, ordered the palace guards to kill Lord Qin and all the generals of the Lord Qin Mansion and then appoint a much younger son as the Crown Prince while he continued to reign as the emperor?

Looking at the outcome in retrospect, Emperor Gaozu of Liang seemed reluctant to lose his second son, so, upon learning of the deaths of the Crown Prince and Prince Qi, he begrudgingly accepted the outcome.

But the record in the history books might have been a beautified version of the truth.

No emperor in this world would willingly give up the power they held to become a Supreme Emperor removed from authority, idling away every day.

Moreover, when the people of the Lord Qin Mansion were devising their plan, they couldn't have foreseen the future, didn't know that Emperor Gaozu of Liang would so readily accept this outcome.

The Xuanwu Gate Incident was a rebellion—a slight misstep could result in the extermination of nine generations.

So, when they were devising the plan, would they have left such a huge loophole, risking the calamity of their entire clan to carry it out?

At this realization, the entire visual scene in his mind rapidly rewound back to that conspiratorial night at the Lord Qin Mansion.

In the strategizing, Lord Qin's finger firmly pressed on the location of Linhudian.

"This is the perfect place to ambush the Crown Prince and Prince Qi.

"But this place is deep within the palace grounds, guarded and patrolled by numerous palace guards.

"We need to hide several dozen cavalrymen here; there's no way the palace guards won't notice. The numbers of the palace guards aren't a concern, but if they inform the emperor, or if they shout out loud, making the Crown Prince and Prince Qi aware, our plan will fall apart.

"If the Crown Prince and Prince Qi escape and the generals of the Crown Prince Mansion, along with the Changlin Army, come rushing in to join forces with the palace guards, our situation will become perilous."

Lord Qin looked around at those present, clearly understanding that these battle-hardened generals and strategists also fully grasped this point.

But how should they handle it?

This decision could only be made by Lord Qin; even suggestions from others would be considered a grave crime.

After a brief silence, Lord Qin made up his mind.

"Once our men enter the palace, send a detachment to the Imperial Palace first to take control of the emperor and the ministers.

"Any palace guards who dare to obstruct...

"Spare none!"

Seeing this, Li Hongyun finally let out a breath.

That's it, that's right!

If they didn't control Emperor Gaozu of Liang but merely ambushed the Crown Prince and Prince Qi, it would be a serious military gamble, placing everyone's lives and fortunes on uncertain factors.

Lord Qin and his generals, after fighting so many tough battles, wouldn't fail to understand this reasoning.

But if they took control of Emperor Gaozu of Liang first and then ambushed the Crown Prince and Prince Qi, no matter the outcome, the overall situation would remain under their control.

This wouldn't be a gamble, but rather, a performance.

A performance for Emperor Gaozu of Liang to watch.

Without these actions, it would be difficult to predict the behavior of Emperor Gaozu of Liang in his towering rage.

What if he had not given up, not accepted reality, but instead unhesitatingly ordered all the palace guards to surround and kill Lord Qin?

However, according to this plan, if Emperor Gaozu of Liang were to go boating on the sea-lake, accompanied by his ministers, during this process, he would gradually come to accept reality, and the counsel of the ministers nearby would calm his emotions relatively quickly.

So, by the time he saw the heads of the Crown Prince and Prince Qi, the emotion inside wouldn't be anger but fear.

Because after reflecting over this time, he would clearly understand the consequences of not abdicating the throne, allowing rationality to outweigh emotion, and forcing him to make the only choice.

The fog dispersed in an instant, and everything in view became clear.

But at that moment, the scene froze.

Time within the Lord Qin Mansion seemed to suddenly stand still; everyone halted any further motions.

"Hmm? Did it freeze?

"...Could it be, it's letting me decide who to send for this plan?"

After a brief moment of confusion, Li Hongyun quickly realized he still had one key issue unresolved.

Who would carry out this most crucial, no, this second most crucial task?