73 Palace Coup

◎She believed that he would win.◎

Gu Ningxi couldn't tell whether it was reality or a dream.

She and His Royal Highness Prince Zhao looked into each other's eyes, the ambiguous atmosphere in their dreams entangled with each other, and the burning sensation on her waist seemed to have not faded yet.

Gu Ningxi looked away and just woke up from the dream when she met the real person. She didn't know how to face him.

"Who did you dream about?" Lu Jing was puzzled, and he intuitively felt that Yuan Le's dream seemed to be related to him.

Gu Ningxi coughed lightly and said, "I dreamed... that your highness and I were assassinated together, but we escaped unharmed."

In fact, she admired her own quick thinking in answering.

Upon hearing this, His Royal Highness Prince Zhao doubted nothing else. Gu Ningxi pretended to complain, "It's always easy to have too many dreams when you take a nap at your desk." She changed the subject without leaving any trace, "Why did His Royal Highness come here suddenly?"

Lu Jing took time out of his spare time to look for her because he had something important to tell her. Seeing that she was asleep, he couldn't bear to wake her up.

Gu Ningxi picked up the cloak, and Lu Jing said, "If there is no important business at the Ministry of Works these days, you can take a leave and stay at home. Don't go out as much as possible."

Gu Ningxi was startled and subconsciously looked around. Because she had taken a nap, she had closed all the windows in the duty room.

She lowered her voice: "Yes - is there anything else?"

The Crown Prince was suddenly deposed. His followers, especially his three tutors, could not accept such an abrupt outcome. They had been pleading with His Majesty outside the Imperial Study, begging him to rescind the decree.

But His Majesty did not meet with the court officials at all, and even stopped holding court meetings during this period. He ordered the Secretariat to block all memorials related to the Eastern Palace.

Lu Jing comforted her, "Don't worry, I just want you to be careful."

He handed over a note and a jade pendant: "If anything happens to you, come here and someone will help you."

The address on the paper indicated a shop, with a mansion behind it. If one exited from the back door of the Xuanping Marquis's residence, there were only three courtyards between them.

Lu Jing said: "Just in case, it probably won't be used."

He just wanted to leave a way out for Yuan Le so that they could both feel more at ease.

"Your Highness, minister——"

Without waiting for Gu Ningxi to react, Lu Jing, who was busy with other things, had already stood up and had no time to linger any longer.

"If you have anything to say, let's talk about it later."

When the dust settles, he and Yuan Le can make things clear.

Gu Ningxi watched him leave. If it weren't for the two extra things on the table, Gu Ningxi would almost still think she was dreaming.

She put the jade pendant away for the time being and would return it when she had the chance. As for the contents of the note, Gu Ningxi confirmed that she had memorized them and then burned it over the candlelight.

His Royal Highness Prince Zhao came specially to remind her, it must not be groundless.

Throughout history, how many disputes over the throne have ended peacefully?

Gu Ningxi dared not take it lightly and had to be more cautious.

She put the jade pendant into her sleeve, and suddenly she thought again of the secret room in her dream that had trapped her for four days and three nights.

During that time, no matter how Kyoto changed drastically, the secret room remained as peaceful as before.

Is it vigilance, imprisonment, or... Gu Ningxi looked at the tightly knocked window, is it also protection?

…

"Your Majesty, Prince Huai has come to pay his respects to you."

Inside Taiji Hall, Li Ji respectfully relayed the news. With the Crown Prince deposed, the situation at court suddenly shifted, sending the Emperor into a state of flux. Li Ji specifically instructed everyone in Taiji Hall to be attentive and vigilant while on duty, without the slightest slackness.

Your Majesty only ate a few mouthfuls of lunch today. The imperial physician changed the prescription for your Majesty to calm your nerves and stimulate your appetite. He comes to take your pulse every day. I hope your Majesty takes care of your health.

"Just say I'm asleep," Emperor Mingde said, unwilling to see Prince Huai for the time being. "Go tell Chengyu to spend more time with his mother and brother."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Li Ji had seldom served in the palace lately, fearing that something might go wrong. He had overheard a few words from the conversation between His Majesty and the Empress that night, and he hadn't recovered from it to this day.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is the Empress's own flesh and blood! He is also the eldest son of His Majesty and the Empress. How could the Empress have the heart to treat him like this?

Li Ji was completely baffled and kept his mouth shut. No matter how hard His Royal Highness the Prince of Huai and the Crown Prince's Third Master tried to persuade him, he dared not let any news leak out.

The hall was quiet and peaceful, and Emperor Mingde had been sitting there for a long time.

Whenever he looked at the desk, he would remember the day when the Queen bowed solemnly before him, not asking him to forgive Heng'er, but asking him to depose Heng'er from the position of Crown Prince.

Even the edict deposing the crown prince was clearly written word for word by the queen.

He thought back to their newlywed days, when he had written the proclamation to the world to recruit soldiers and fight against the rebels, which was carefully written by the empress and him.

Later, the battlefield became more and more dangerous, and he could not take her with him. He could only settle her and Heng'er, who had just turned one year old, in his home in Jinyang.

He made a promise to her that when the country was settled in the future, he would definitely take her and her son to reunite.

They had known each other, supported each other for many years, but in the end, the Queen had only this request for him.

Emperor Mingde did not want to recall how the empress knelt before him, saying earnestly, "I never wish to embarrass Your Majesty. Please grant my request."

When the seal was finally put down, he didn't know how to face the mother and son.

Since the incident, he has never summoned the Crown Prince again. His only consolation is that Heng'er is now living in Fengyi Palace, cared for by the Empress, which gives him some peace of mind.

The daylight flows silently, and before you know it, it's afternoon and dusk.

When the dusk fell into the palace, Emperor Mingde looked around the empty and magnificent palace, and an indescribable loneliness and sadness surged in his heart.

At that moment, he seemed to be a real loner.

"Your Majesty," Li Ji's anxious voice echoed outside the palace, "His Royal Highness Prince Zhao has requested an audience, saying he has something important to report."

He was unsure of His Majesty's intentions. He could stop other court officials, but he did not dare to make a decision on his own regarding His Royal Highness Prince Zhao.

With the Eastern Palace losing power, His Royal Highness Prince Zhao will undoubtedly be the future ruler of the Jin Dynasty.

After a long while, Li Ji heard the emperor say, "Let him in."

The light in the sky gradually fades and the palace gate is about to be locked.

On the carriage leaving the palace, Prince Huai Lu Chen held the East Palace token in his hand, with a smug smile on his lips.

…

Dark clouds covered the moon and the stars were dim.

Gu Ningxi looked out the window at the night scene. Such a moonless and windy night always seemed to be a good time to do things throughout history.

"You've been staying up late these past few days," Madam Meng asked the maid to prepare the soup and asked softly, "Are there any worries?"

Gu Ningxi smiled and shook her head, not wanting to worry her mother: "I was just drawing on paper."

Mrs. Meng looked in the direction of the sound and saw a picture spread out on the table that looked like a waterwheel, but it didn't look like an ordinary waterwheel.

She looked carefully and found that the two water wheels were connected by a chain, and many small bamboo tubes were hung on the chain in sequence.

"Why is it so?" Mrs. Meng asked curiously.

Gu Ningxi tried to explain it as simply as possible: "One stands in the water, the other on the shore. The water-powered drum wheel relies on water, while the one on the shore is driven by animal power. When the chain rotates, the hanging bamboo drums can continuously draw water from the lower level to the higher level, saving manpower."

It sounds simple, but it took Gu Ningxi a long time to put each component into practice.

It was said that this inspiration came to her the night before His Royal Highness Prince Zhao's birthday when she was playing with the wooden cart.

Because of this, she stayed up most of the night and even missed the birthday banquet of His Royal Highness Prince Zhao.

"I gave it a name," Gu Ningxi said with a smile, "High-rotating Drum Cart."

Mrs. Meng understood the general idea and said with a smile, "It's really a clever thing."

She grew up in the countryside, and during the busy farming season, she often went to the fields to deliver food to her father and brother. If there was abundant rain, it would be fine, but if there were no rain for several days, irrigation and water would become extremely stressful and difficult. If there was such a method, it would definitely be worth a try.

Her daughter worked in the Ministry of Industry. Although Mrs. Meng hoped that she would return to her daughter's status and marry soon, she was also proud of her daughter's achievements. After seeing Xi'er finish her sweet soup, Mrs. Meng said, "It's getting late. Go to bed early."

Gu Ningxi nodded and walked her mother out of the house.

She returned to her study. The reason why this blueprint had been delayed until now was, firstly, that she was busy with the Jiangdong plow, and secondly, the high-rotating drum cart was not very useful in the north.

The south has many rivers, abundant water power, many hills, and a rugged terrain. High-rotating drum trucks should be able to play a significant role there.

Gu Ningxi put away the drawings. If there was any change in the palace, it should have happened in the next two days.

The Crown Prince has been deposed, Prince Zhao is under suspicion, His Majesty is disengaged from state affairs, and the court is in turmoil. If the person behind the scenes wants to rebel, they may never get another chance if they miss this opportunity.

A figure unconsciously emerged in Gu Ningxi's mind. She hadn't seen him for several days since they parted in the duty room of the Ministry of Works that day.

But she believed he would win.

The current situation in the court was a huge deviation from what she had dreamed.

According to common sense, His Majesty should still be reluctant to depose the Crown Prince and continue to suppress the Zhao Palace to balance the three forces in the court. Step by step, until the Eastern Palace and the Zhao Palace are irreconcilable, and with the Huai Palace interfering, the two sides finally meet at war.

Gu Ningxi was silent for a few breaths. Someone must have changed the current situation.

Since she can have dreams about her past lives, perhaps others can too.

And the one who can turn the tide and stop all this——

Gu Ningxi had a vague answer in his heart, but it was difficult to verify.

But it doesn’t matter. The turmoil in the court will soon have nothing to do with her.

When His Royal Highness Prince Zhao successfully ascends the throne, she should be able to ask him to send her to Jiangnan.

They are much closer in this life, and he will remember their old friendship.

Gu Ningxi calculated clearly that the Eastern Palace and Prince Zhao's Mansion had not yet become completely hostile to each other, and the Xuanping Marquis Mansion, as a party of the Eastern Palace, had not yet reached the point of collapse. No one would reveal her identity for the sake of self-protection.

Her official rank was barely high enough to qualify her for a fourth-rank post as a prefect. Her cousin had mentioned to her many times that Jiangnan was a wonderful place, blessed with outstanding people and beautiful scenery. If she could successfully get her mother out of the capital, she would be free to pursue her life's ambitions.

Longing for the beauty of nature, Gu Ningxi extinguished the candles one by one, wondering what kind of turmoil would happen in Kyoto after tonight.

The vortex of power was too far away from her, she could not reach it, and could only try her best to protect herself.

The fate of all civil and military officials in the court has always been controlled by the supreme person.

As the last candle flame went out, Gu Ningxi felt a surge of reluctance in her heart. It was as if she had become accustomed to being the one who controlled the country and had the power to decide life and death.

Coming back to his senses, Gu Ningxi smiled and shook his head.

How could she have such an idea?

…

At the end of the first hour, in the main hall of the Huai Palace, Lu Chen was wiping the sword in his hand.

His trusted generals had split into two groups, one to gather troops in the mansion, and the other to go to the East Palace to inspect the troops.

Everything was ready. He had already made preparations for the uprising when Yang Qing rebelled in Bingzhou. With his brother imprisoned, he only needed to wait for Prince Zhao to leave the capital to quell the rebellion, and then the capital would be his.

As long as he sends troops to occupy the imperial city first and control his father, the emperor and his mother, then all the troops in the world will obey his orders and he will be the rightful heir.

King Zhao was exiled and was nothing more than a traitor.

Unfortunately, the mob in Bingzhou fled in all directions before King Zhao could set out on his expedition, causing him to miss the opportunity he had carefully planned.

However, the end result was the same: the sudden dethronement of the Crown Prince was unexpected. Civil and military officials either tacitly accepted Prince Zhao as the future crown prince or worked hard to ensure the restoration of the Crown Prince.

No one, no one thought of him, Prince Huai Lu Chen.

"Your Highness," the deputy general reported, "two more generals have arrived from the Eastern Palace with their troops."

The sword flashed with a cold light, and Lu Chen's eyes were filled with determination. With the token of the Eastern Palace in hand, it would be easy for him to incite the generals to revolt and mobilize the Eastern Palace troops. The opportunity was rare, and Lu Chen knew that if he delayed any further, when his father began to reclaim the power of the Eastern Palace, his chances of success would be greatly reduced.

The generals who originally obeyed the emperor's orders, even if they did not appreciate the emperor's kindness, should at least think carefully about their fate after King Zhao came to the throne.

The soldiers and horses were all in line, and the generals were waiting in the hall.

The arrow was on the string and had to be shot. Lu Chen said in a deep voice: "Generals, Prince Zhao is rebellious and has committed treason. He has held the emperor and his father hostage and forged an imperial edict to depose the crown prince. This is intolerable to heaven and earth!"

"You will all follow me into the palace, purge the emperor's entourage, establish the legitimate government, and kill!"

Lu Chen drew his sword. The combined forces of the Eastern Palace and the Huai Palace could reach 3,000 men. As long as they took the enemy by surprise and risked everything, they could achieve their goal.

He wants everyone to crawl at his feet.

…

The night was so thick that it seemed impossible to dissolve. To the north of the imperial palace, the Shen'an Gate was opened silently.

The gate-guarding officer Chang Xin welcomed His Royal Highness Prince Huai inside. He was originally from the Eastern Palace and now took orders from Prince Huai.

Lu Chen ordered his men to set up an ambush here and wait for King Zhao to enter the palace, and then kill him on the spot.

By then, Prince Zhao's palace would be leaderless. What good would it do even if there were many famous generals?

After deducing all the situations, Lu Chen took his trusted guards and headed towards Taiji Hall under the cover of night.

A ray of morning light appeared on the horizon. Lu Chen knew that his father had been a light sleeper lately, and often found it difficult to fall asleep again after waking up at 3 a.m.

Outside the Taiji Hall, the person keeping watch was Li Ji, the chief steward of the emperor.

"Go and tell His Majesty immediately that this king wishes to see His Majesty."

Li Ji stood at the steps, looked at His Royal Highness the Prince of Huai for a moment, and advised: "Your Majesty has not yet risen. Why don't you come back later?"

Lu Chen said loudly, "I have important matters to report to my father. There can be no delay." He stared at Li Ji. "If the Crown Prince and Prince Zhao were here, how could General Li dare to delay like this?"

Seeing the fierce look in His Royal Highness Prince Huai's eyes, Li Ji bowed and said, "Please wait a moment, Your Highness. I will pass the message on."

After a while, the door of Taiji Hall opened with a creaky sound and Lu Chenkuo walked in.

After Emperor Mingde straightened his clothes and sat on the dragon throne, he did not look like he had just stood up.

"Father," Lu Chen knelt on one knee, "I have disturbed you by entering the palace late at night. I have something important to report to you. Please send your attendants away."

Emperor Mingde waved his hand silently, and Li Ji led the palace attendants to retreat.

"Tell me now."

Lu Chen said, "Your Majesty, you are aware that there have been some disagreements between me, your brother the Crown Prince, and Prince Zhao. I dare not lie to you. I have a confidant planted within Prince Zhao's palace. Yesterday, I received a secret report that Prince Zhao was secretly amassing troops and intended to seize the throne tonight. I am horrified and have come to report this to Your Majesty."

Emperor Mingde pondered: "Do you have any evidence for this?"

Lu Chen knelt on both knees and said, "I have the confession of Xiao Can, the head of Zhao Wang Mansion, as evidence."

Emperor Mingde looked at his son in front of him and said, "The Zhaowang Mansion has only 800 soldiers, while the palace guards are over 10,000. How can he have a chance of winning?"

"Brother Zhao Wang boasts of his military prowess, and he already has accomplices within the imperial guards."

"Well," Emperor Mingde said slowly, "since we haven't yet engaged in battle, I will summon Prince Zhao to the palace tomorrow. You will confront him face to face at court."

"Your Majesty," Lu Chen hurriedly knelt a few steps forward, "This opportunity cannot be missed! If Brother Zhao Wang gets wind of this, he'll surely be prepared. One day is enough for him to erase all traces, and then it will become a false accusation against me. Please, Your Majesty, issue an edict ordering Prince Zhao Wang to enter the palace immediately. There is no room for hesitation!"

"Chen'er," Emperor Mingde said calmly, but with a hint of warning, "Do you want to be the master of your father?"

The father and son looked at each other, and Lu Chen put his hands on his waist.

"I'm afraid I can't obey your order today."

With a "clang" sound, in the silent temple, long swords were unsheathed.