Chapter 81 The Day of the Palace Coup

By the end of February, spring had arrived and flowers were in full bloom. The earliest cultivated peonies in the Imperial Garden were already in full bloom, a riot of colors amidst the lush greenery, all vying for attention.

Empress Pei was not dressed in formal attire today; she was only wearing a light purple blouse reminiscent of her younger days. Her makeup was simple and elegant, and her features still hinted at her former beauty.

She brought only Yao Lan with her, and waited on the road that Emperor Xuan's carriage was bound to take. It was quite ironic, really; she, an empress, actually resorted to the scheming tactics of concubines vying for favor, blocking people's way on the palace road to see His Majesty.

Over the past three years, she and Emperor Xuan have drifted further and further apart. They used to be able to treat each other with respect, but now they are tired of seeing each other.

Beauty fades and love wanes; the old saying is indeed true.

After waiting for a long time, Yao Lan's eyes lit up, and she leaned closer to Empress Pei, "Empress, His Majesty has arrived."

Empress Pei nodded and stood still, waiting for the imperial carriage to approach.

The eunuch beside Emperor Xuan spotted the Empress from afar, and with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty, he quickly relayed a message to the imperial carriage: "Your Majesty, the Empress is waiting ahead."

Emperor Xuan, who had been resting with his eyes closed in his imperial carriage, frowned upon hearing this, "Why is the Empress here?"

“It’s true, look.” The interior veil deftly lifted the crimson gauze curtain, gesturing for Emperor Xuan to look over.

Emperor Xuan squinted and clearly saw the faces of the two people waiting there. It was indeed the Empress and Yao Lan. He sat up straight and told them to hurry over.

The imperial carriage came to a steady stop in front of Empress Pei. Emperor Xuan sat in the center of the carriage, looking down at Empress Pei and asking, "Why is the Empress here?"

Empress Pei smiled and stepped forward to give a slight bow. "Your Majesty, the scenery is beautiful today, and I have come out to admire the flowers."

Emperor Xuan nodded and said thoughtfully, "Your Majesty is in high spirits. I will not disturb you any longer and will take my leave now."

"Your Majesty, please wait a moment." Empress Pei stopped him, her eyes lowered in a somewhat mournful manner. "It's a rare opportunity to meet Your Majesty today. Would Your Majesty be willing to accompany me for a walk?"

Emperor Xuan paused for a moment; he had already agreed to have dinner with Consort Zheng that day.

Empress Pei naturally knew that Emperor Xuan was going to see Consort Zheng. For the past three months, even the newly arrived beauties in the palace had failed to keep Emperor Xuan there. He went to Consort Zheng's palace every day to dine with her.

Empress Pei continued, "It has been a long time since I have seen Your Majesty. Please do me the honor of seeing you."

Emperor Xuan hesitated, noticing that something was amiss with the Empress today. Empress Pei was strong-willed and rarely showed weakness, let alone such a sorrowful expression. Upon closer inspection, he realized that Empress Pei's attire today was quite unfamiliar, vastly different from her usual style.

Emperor Xuan sighed inwardly. He had indeed neglected the Empress lately. After all, she was his wife of many years, and he should spend more time with her.

Emperor Xuan raised his hand to signal the eunuch to put down the imperial carriage. He got up and walked to the Empress's side, took her hand and walked into the depths of the Imperial Garden, comforting her, "It's not me. I'll spend some quality time with you today."

Seeing this scene, a young eunuch behind Emperor Xuan rolled his eyes and tried to run out to inform Consort Zheng when no one was paying attention. Before he had gone far, he was surrounded and captured by the Empress's palace servants who were lying in ambush on the perimeter, without making a sound.

The Emperor and Empress walked side by side, conversing, followed by a large group of palace servants with their heads bowed. Empress Pei gave Yao Lan a look, then turned to look at Emperor Xuan beside her and smiled, "Your Majesty, do you still remember what day it is today?"

Emperor Xuan stroked his beard and guessed a few things, but Empress Pei shook her head and said they were all wrong.

Emperor Xuan feigned slight anger and said, "Empress, stop playing coy. What day is it today?"

Empress Pei's smile faded, and her expression turned somewhat cold. "Today marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of my marriage to Your Majesty."

Emperor Xuan was taken aback, then Empress Pei said, "Does Your Majesty still remember the promise I made when I married you?"

Emperor Xuan looked at Empress Pei with complicated emotions, then waved for all the palace maids following behind him to leave. A moment later, only the emperor and empress remained in the vast garden.

Looking at Empress Pei's cold face, Emperor Xuan felt a pang of unease. "Why are you doing this? How long ago was that? What do you mean by bringing it up now?"

Empress Pei smiled sarcastically: "Does Your Majesty mean that the promise you made to me back then doesn't count?" Those who knew her well knew that she was beginning to get angry.

Back then, Emperor Xuan was the crown prince, but his situation was no different from that of the current crown prince, and he was even more suppressed. He was able to ascend the throne largely because of the strong support of the Pei family.

Empress Pei clearly remembered that when Emperor Xuan married her, he swore to the heavens in front of her that no matter what happened in the future, the children he and Empress Pei had would be the legitimate heirs.

Over the years, Empress Pei never took those sweet words and vows of eternal love seriously. The emperor and empress were destined to have no marital affection. So she allowed Emperor Xuan to take in many concubines, to favor Consort Zheng, and to elevate the Zheng family, without ever uttering a word of complaint.

What she wanted was that final position, the one that Emperor Xuan had promised to her and the Pei family.

Empress Pei gripped her cuffs tightly without showing any emotion, her expression stern. "I'll ask you one more time. You said back then that the rightful throne would go to my child. Will you still keep that promise?"

Emperor Xuan's face was extremely ugly. He rebuked, "Are you crazy! The Crown Prince is utterly incompetent. You want me to hand over the empire to him?"

Empress Pei sneered twice. She knew that Emperor Xuan had long wanted to depose the Crown Prince and establish the Prince of Wu in his place.

She questioned, "What about the King of Wu? Does he possess the qualities of a wise ruler?"

Emperor Xuan was speechless. Even though he considered himself a prosperous ruler, he had to admit that apart from Suiyang, who was the best-looking, his other children were not presentable.

Empress Pei, seeing that he had nothing to say, continued to press, "The Crown Prince is weak-willed and lacks his own opinions, easily led by the nose. If he weren't so stubborn and self-willed, and instead benevolent and charitable, he would be a good ruler who maintains the status quo, provided there are no treacherous ministers around him. But what about the Prince of Wu? I don't believe you don't know that once he ascended the throne, his maternal relatives seized power and wreaked havoc on the court. And he himself is not a ruler capable of suppressing his maternal relatives; he is stubborn and self-willed, and enjoys indiscriminate killing. Is such a person truly better than the Crown Prince?"

"Enough! Look at yourself now! Do you have any semblance of an empress left?"

Emperor Xuan was struck on a sore spot. He didn't think the Prince of Wu had done anything wrong, but he was infuriated by Empress Pei's relentless pressure and derogatory words. He hadn't been offended like this in many years.

He glared at Empress Pei and warned, "I have decided to make the Prince of Wu the Crown Prince. If you behave yourself, I will choose a good fief for the Crown Prince, and he will take you there to settle down in the future. If you do anything rash, I will start by punishing the Crown Prince and the Pei family!"

After Emperor Xuan finished speaking, he turned around and left with a flick of his sleeve.

Empress Pei called out from behind him, "Has Your Majesty considered the Pei family?"

Emperor Xuan paused, turned to look at Empress Pei, his eyes indifferent. "The Pei family's reputation has become too great. I have tried many times to take back the Pei family army but have been unable to do so. Empress, you are a smart woman. You should know that a great reputation is not a good thing."

Only now did Empress Pei truly see the man before her: a cold, ruthless, and suspicious emperor. All the favors he had bestowed upon Pei Yu and the kindness he had shown to the Pei family were, in fact, nothing less than a betrayal.

The Pei family has a long line of descendants, with only two sons in her lifetime: Pei Yu and Pei Yan. All other family members have been isolated by Emperor Xuan, who forbids them from entering the central government. Pei Yan still holds no official position, and if it weren't for Pei Yu holding the reins, the Pei family would have been completely wiped out long ago.

They say they can't take back the Pei family army. Pei Yu spent those five years at the border as a lowly soldier, and only after he finally showed some talent and made some contributions was he recalled to the capital.

For more than six years, Emperor Xuan failed to recognize talent, sending only mediocre men who could not subdue the Pei family army. In the war against the Xiongnu, Pei Yu was not originally the commander-in-chief. It was only because the others suffered repeated defeats and heavy casualties that the emperor had no choice but to put the outstanding Pei Yu in command.

In fact, Pei Yu was a military genius. He quickly rallied the remaining troops, changed his strategy, and won the war in just two years. At the same time, he truly won over the Pei family army and established the same prestige in the army as his father.

Now that the border is pacified, Emperor Xuan intends to execute the meritorious officials. How could Empress Pei not hate him?

"His Majesty!"

"And what..." Emperor Xuan's words came to an abrupt halt. He clutched his throat tightly with both hands, blood gushing from between his fingers, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"You... dare... to... murder the emperor..."

Empress Pei gripped the dagger tightly in her hand, feeling an extreme sense of pleasure as she looked at Emperor Xuan's terrified expression. "If you want to kill your hunting dogs and cook your rabbits after they're dead, why can't I kill my emperor!"

"Do you expect me to stand by and watch you exterminate my entire Pei family and kick me and my son out of Chang'an?!"

"You will not succeed!" Emperor Xuan fell to the ground, his body unsteady, staring intently at Empress Pei as he uttered his last words.

Empress Pei squatted down in front of Emperor Xuan, smiled upon hearing this, gripped the dagger tightly, and plunged it into her shoulder. Soon, a bloody hole appeared on her shoulder, soaking most of her body, and her light purple dress was covered in blood.

Empress Pei collapsed beside Emperor Xuan, smiling as she watched the light in his eyes gradually disappear, and watched him slowly breathe his last.

She laughed through her tears, not for Emperor Xuan's death, but to mourn her own 25 years of forbearance and the passing of those 25 years.

——

In February of the ninth year of the Jianyuan era, Emperor Xuan was assassinated in the palace without leaving a single word. The entire city of Chang'an was in an uproar over this sudden turn of events.

His Majesty was assassinated, and Chang'an was placed under strict lockdown. Civil and military officials entered the palace to offer their condolences. The late Emperor passed away, and the Crown Prince naturally ascended the throne. The Zheng family and the Prince of Wu also entered the palace, and the inner palace was completely surrounded, with not a single word escaping.

This morning, before entering the palace, King Wu visited several generals stationed in the capital. The situation in the palace must be in complete chaos right now.

Huiyin's prediction was correct. There were many suspicious points surrounding Emperor Xuan's assassination in the palace. The Zheng faction stated that only Empress Pei was by his side when the assassination occurred yesterday, and suspected that Empress Pei had murdered His Majesty.

Pei's supporters said that the emperor had just passed away when the Prince of Wu and the Zheng family led troops into the palace, framed the empress, and plotted to usurp the throne.

The two parties argued fiercely, and the imposing Changxin Palace resembled a marketplace. Neutral officials such as the Prime Minister and the edict of estrangement all looked increasingly grim.

The assassination of His Majesty is indeed suspicious, and Empress Pei is highly suspected. However, there is currently no evidence to prove that Empress Pei murdered Emperor Xuan. Now that Emperor Xuan is dead, the most urgent task is to stabilize the court and prevent chaos in the country. The Crown Prince should be recommended to succeed to the throne.

Judging from the arrogant manner of the Wu King's faction as they marched into the palace, if the Crown Prince were to ascend the throne today, they would launch a palace coup.

Marquis Pingyang squinted and surveyed the crowd, noting down the officials who were opposed to him and those who remained neutral. Emperor Xuan's unexpected death had indeed caught him off guard, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. He had long been dissatisfied with being suppressed by the Pei family, and once the Prince of Wu ascended the throne, the world would belong to the Zheng family.

He scanned the area but couldn't find Pei Yu. He was suspicious; such a big incident had happened, yet Pei Yu hadn't shown up. It was really strange.

He whispered a few words to Xie Qinghe beside him. Xie Qinghe looked up, his gaze unchanged, as if he were thinking of something. He then said to Marquis Pingyang, "Pei Yu's absence must mean something is wrong, my lord. We can't delay any longer."

Marquis Pingyang's face turned fierce. He whispered a few words to King Wu. King Wu hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand and gave the order. He waved for the soldiers to enter the hall and said to Empress Pei, the Crown Prince, and the ministers, "The Pei clan plotted to murder the emperor. The evidence is conclusive. Seize them for me."

The Prime Minister's expression changed drastically. He stood in front of Empress Pei and the Crown Prince, and angrily said, "Your Highness Prince Wu, the matter has not yet been investigated. How can you mobilize troops? Do you really intend to commit treason?"

"You old fool, get out of here!" King Wu sneered and quickly drew his sword, the tip pointing directly at the prime minister.

Upon seeing this, the ministers beside him pulled and dragged the prime minister away.

King Wu smiled contemptuously, drew his sword and walked up to Empress Pei and the Crown Prince, who were seated in the main seat. The Crown Prince held his sword in front of Empress Pei, his expression filled with fear, but he did not flinch in the slightest.

The King of Wu smiled smugly. He had been waiting for this day for a long time. "Brother, if you kneel down and beg for mercy now, I can spare your life."

The prince gripped his sword tightly, saying nothing and making no move to retreat.

The King of Wu sneered, "You've got some tough bones." He raised his long sword and slashed down with all his might.

"My son, save me!" At this critical moment, a scream came from behind the curtains behind Queen Pei. King Wu stopped what he was doing upon hearing the familiar voice.

Empress Pei beckoned, and two palace maids escorted the disheveled Consort Zheng out from behind the curtain. Consort Zheng was no longer the beautiful and noble woman she once was; she looked disheveled, with dark circles under her eyes, deep in thought and seemingly tormented.

"Mother!"

"younger sister!"

King Wu and Marquis Pingyang stepped forward at the same time and cried out in surprise.

No wonder Empress Pei and the Crown Prince were so fearless; it turned out they had already got Consort Zheng under their control. Prince Wu glared at Empress Pei with hatred, but had no choice but to retreat under her threats.

Consort Zheng's hair was grabbed by the palace servants behind her. The stinging pain on her scalp made her keep looking up, crying out in tears, "Save me, my son, save me!"

The King of Wu looked grim. "Release my mother, and I'll let you leave safely."

Xie Qinghe, standing behind, twitched his fingertips but remained silent. If the Empress and the Crown Prince survived, the Prince of Wu's position would be precarious. He glanced at the Marquis of Pingyang and noticed that he, like the Prince of Wu, was pleading with Empress Pei not to harm Consort Zheng.

Xie Qinghe's contempt deepened. Such womanly compassion! They'd reached a life-or-death situation, yet they backed down because of a mere Consort Zheng. How utterly foolish! However, the more foolish the King of Wu and the Marquis of Pingyang were, the more advantageous it would be for him.

Seeing that the King of Wu and the Marquis of Pingyang were about to back down because of Consort Zheng, Xie Qinghe gave a wink to an inconspicuous corner of the hall. The next moment, an arrow shot out from the inconspicuous corner, heading straight for Consort Zheng who was completely unblocked, its cold, sharp iron tip deeply embedded in her chest.

Consort Zheng looked down at King Wu in disbelief, then collapsed with her eyes wide open in death, blood pooling on the ground from her chest.

"Mother!" King Wu cried out in grief, rushing forward to embrace Consort Zheng's still convulsing body, tears dripping onto her face.

Marquis Pingyang looked sharply in the direction from which the arrow had been shot, and saw a row of bewildered soldiers standing there, completely unaware of what had happened. He roared, "Who! Who fired that arrow!"

Empress Pei was terrified when the incident first occurred. She pulled the Crown Prince back, never expecting that there would be assassins hidden in the palace, and that they would kill Consort Zheng without any mercy. This was something she had never anticipated. With Consort Zheng dead, their shield was gone.

As chaos was about to erupt in the hall, Xie Qinghe quickly supported the grief-stricken Prince Wu, saying, "Your Highness, Consort Zheng has passed away. The most urgent task is to capture the Empress and the Crown Prince."

The King of Wu raised his eyes, which were bloodshot, and said in a hoarse voice, "Attack! Anyone who dares to stop you will be killed on the spot!"

Unfortunately, no sooner had he given the order than the gates of Changxin Palace were violently flung open, and the red-armored soldiers surged in like a tide, surrounding the people inside in the blink of an eye.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Xie Qinghe immediately pulled the bewildered King Wu back to safety. The remaining soldiers surrounded King Wu and Xie Qinghe, trying to protect him and help him break through the encirclement.

Xie Qinghe, with his sharp eyes, spotted Pei Yu outside the palace. He turned around to look for the Empress and the Crown Prince inside, intending to emulate Empress Pei by taking hostages to threaten Pei Yu into not daring to act rashly.

He reached out to grab the crown prince, but the prince slashed him with his own hand. Clutching his bleeding arm, he quickly retreated behind the King of Wu.

The opportunity was fleeting, and the game was now a lost cause. The only hope was to protect the King of Wu and break through the encirclement. Marquis Pingyang understood this as well, and he took the lead in clearing the way, protecting the King of Wu as they fought their way out.

——

When Huiyin received the message from Pei Yu, it was already late at night. In the letter, he explained that the situation in the palace had been stabilized, and that the King of Wu and Xie Qinghe had been escorted out by the remaining soldiers. The Marquis of Pingyang had died in the chaos, and the entire Zheng family had been captured and imprisoned.

Huiyin felt relieved, dismissed Song Jingchuan who had been guarding her, and went to bed to rest. She woke up suddenly in the middle of the night with a start, and when she opened her eyes, she saw a dark figure sitting in front of her bed, staring at her, with the smell of blood still lingering around his nose.

She screamed, pulled out the dagger hidden under her pillow, and stabbed it fiercely at the dark figure.

"So ruthless? Murdering her own husband?"

The familiar, irritating tone rang in her ears, making Huiyin grit her teeth in anger. She threw down her dagger and raised her hand to slap him, "What are you doing scaring me in the middle of the night!"

Pei Yu opened his arms and let Huiyin pat them. He couldn't see her face clearly through the darkness, but he could feel her concerned gaze. His heart, which had been tense all day, finally calmed down and found its home.

Pei Yu knew he was dirty and didn't want to soil Huiyin's bed, so he sat on the footstool and closed his eyes wearily. He hadn't rested for two days in a row.

Huiyin got up from the bed to light the lamp. Turning around, she saw that Pei Yu's armor was covered in bloodstains, which explained the strong smell of blood she had smelled. She took the lamp and walked over, kneeling down beside Pei Yu to examine him.

Pei Yu twitched his nose and opened his eyes to comfort her, "I'm not injured, it's all someone else's blood."

Huiyin wrung out a damp cloth to wipe his dirty and tired face, and sighed, "Why didn't you rest before coming?"

Pei Yu: "I want to see you, I can't wait even a moment longer."

Huiyin raised her hand to cover his bright eyes, carefully wiped the bloodstains from Pei Yu's face, slowly leaned in, and kissed his dry lips little by little.

Pei Yu's eyes were covered, so he couldn't see Huiyin's expression. He could only feel her delicate, light kisses. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he couldn't help but lift his leg to hook Huiyin's waist.

Hearing the blush-inducing groans and panting beneath her, Huiyin raised her hand and lifted the palm covering Pei Yu, gazing into his captivating eyes.

She cupped Pei Yu's face in her hands and asked softly, "Are you scared?"

Pei Yu understood Huiyin's meaning. She asked him if he was afraid during the palace coup that day. Of course he was afraid. He gently kissed Huiyin's eyelids and looked at her without blinking, saying, "I was afraid. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to come back to see you alive."

Huiyin lowered her head, her eyes welling up with tears; she was afraid too.

Pei Yu put his arm around Huiyin and changed her position, letting her sit completely on his waist and abdomen. He held her slender shoulders with his large hands and kept rubbing them.

"Unfortunately, the King of Wu still managed to escape."

The Zheng family has been operating in Chang'an for many years and has accumulated a considerable fortune. If the King of Wu were to take these assets and flee Chang'an, establish himself as king, and then turn around and attack the imperial court, things would be very bad.

The Southern Dynasties had just experienced a major war and needed to recuperate. If a civil war broke out at this time, the surrounding small countries would inevitably become restless.

Pei Yu unconsciously frowned, and the fingers that had been stroking Huiyin's shoulder slowly stopped. He had already dispatched a large number of men to search for the King of Wu, but a whole night had passed and no news had come back.

Huiyin: "If the King of Wu leaves Chang'an, it will be like a fish entering the sea, never to be found again."

Pei Yu nodded in agreement. He wasn't afraid of the King of Wu raising an army; he knew better than anyone that the three years of war had nearly emptied the Southern Dynasty's treasury. With taxes increased and the people struggling to make ends meet, the dynasty would surely crumble under the pressure of another rebellion led by the King of Wu.

Huiyin asked again, "Has the Wu King's residence been searched?"

Pei Yu: "We've searched the place. The King of Wu only took one concubine with him; the others were all left behind."

"A concubine? Is her name Yueyi?"

Pei Yu nodded. "It is she. She saved you back then."

Huiyin's eyes flickered; she hadn't expected Pei Yu to still remember what happened back then. She hesitated, wondering whether she should reveal that Yueyi and the King of Wu had a blood feud over the murder of Yueyi's brother. She liked Yueyi very much and was grateful for her help.

But King Wu even took her with him when he fled for his life, which shows how much he valued Yueyi. Three years have passed, and Yueyi's attitude towards King Wu is unknown to her.

Huiyin ultimately remained silent. She reached out and smoothed the wrinkles between Pei Yu's brows. "Get a good night's sleep first, we'll talk about it tomorrow."

Just as dawn was breaking, someone knocked on the door of the courtyard where Huiyin had landed. Song Jingchuan, looking exhausted, went to open it and found that the person who came was Fang Mu, who had not shown up for many days since returning to Chang'an.

Song Jingchuan, his face full of resentment, asked, "What are you doing so early in the morning?"

Fang Mu pushed aside Song Jingchuan and rushed inside, saying perfunctorily, "I have urgent business with the young general, it's extremely urgent."

Song Jingchuan, utterly bewildered, stopped Fang Mu, rolled up his sleeves, and was about to argue, "Why did you invite Pei Yu to my house?!"

Fang Mu rolled his eyes. "What do you think?"

Enraged, Song Jingchuan stepped forward to fight Fang Mu, but Huiyin appeared in time to stop the two from fighting. "What's going on?"

Song Jingchuan straightened his clothes and stood next to Huiyin to complain, "Sister, Fang Mu has ruined your reputation, I won't let him get away with this!"

Fang Mu put away his playful smile, bowed respectfully to Huiyin with a serious expression, and said, "My lady, there is news of the King of Wu."

Song Jingchuan's expression changed; he naturally knew who the King of Wu was.

Huiyin frowned: "Where is he?"

Fang Mu: "He is dead. This morning, a woman came to the Jingzhao Yin to surrender herself, saying that she killed the King of Wu. We followed the clues provided by the woman and found that the King of Wu and the defector Xie Qinghe had both died from poisoning."

Huiyin didn't know how to express her feelings; she really wanted to see Yueyi.

She walked up to Fang Mu and asked him to take her to the Jingzhao Yin (a high-ranking official in charge of the capital).

Fang Mu glanced at the inner courtyard and hesitated before asking, "Should we tell the young general?"

Huiyin shook her head. "Let him get some rest."

The King of Wu is dead, and the rest are no threat. We can deal with them when Pei Yu wakes up.