Chapter 135
Qin Sang walked up to Zhao Bing, looking down at the prince who had wet his pants, and then at the guard who had died protecting him from an arrow. She thought to herself, "Humans are so unfair. He's clearly a coward, yet so many people support him. He's ruthless and merciless, yet people are still willing to put him on the highest throne and trample him underfoot. It's truly laughable."
The crown prince stared at the young woman before him. Although she was young, her calm and composed demeanor stung him.
A surge of resentment and malice, seemingly arising from nowhere, filled him with power. He reached for the sword in the hand of a nearby guard, braced himself to stand, and thrust it at Qin Sang.
Qin Sang slightly turned her body and grasped his slender, weak wrist. With a little force, she turned the sword blade towards herself and placed it against his neck. She then kicked his knee, causing Zhao Bing to kneel down again.
"Someone...someone save me..." Zhao Bing's voice trembled. He probably realized that he was about to die. He couldn't even control his breathing and was about to faint.
"Tsk, I never said I was going to kill you," Qin Sang said.
Zhao Bing stared wide-eyed at the other person in disbelief. But the next moment, his hand was forcefully shoved, and a sharp pain shot through his neck.
"I won't kill you, so you should just kill yourself, for the sake of those poor people who died from your torture." Qin Sang let go and rubbed herself against him in disgust.
Blood gushed from Zhao Bing's neck, but for the moment he still had the strength to scream: "Ahhhhhh... Help!! Ahhhhhh..."
Other guards naturally heard and saw it, but none of them could get through.
After an unknown amount of time, Zhao Bing's cries for help gradually weakened. As his blood rapidly drained from his body, he was truly powerless and collapsed to the side.
Blood filled the air. Qin Sang took two steps back, walked down the palace steps, and turned back to find Xie Sui'an.
This battle was not as easy as Xie Sui'an had imagined, but fortunately, after the Crown Prince died, morale plummeted and some people were the first to turn against him.
This palace coup was ordered by the emperor, who killed his rebellious son and his treacherous wife.
Upon hearing the news, he turned over on the bed, closed his eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.
***
In the dead of night, news reached the Princess's residence. She abruptly sat up, her long hair cascading down her waist, her nightgown trailing on the floor, and kicked over the incense burner beside the bed with her bare feet: "Fool!"
The maidservant bowed deeply, not daring to raise her head.
She walked barefoot a few steps inside the hall, gazing in the direction of the palace, feeling a surge of overwhelming anger burning through her body.
How could she have suffered such a crushing defeat after years of planning? The Crown Prince is so impatient!
No, even if the crown prince dies, this internal power struggle must continue.
"Has Han Sizhong received the news?" she asked the visitor in a deep voice.
"They probably don't know yet that the Emperor's brother-in-law's people have all been purged. We don't have many people left either."
Yuan Zhao sneered, surprised that the other party had such a strategy in such a short time. But after the initial surprise, she couldn't help but wonder if he had someone else helping him behind the scenes.
However, now is not the time to consider these things. Opportunities are fleeting. If the news of the Crown Prince's murder spreads, the entire Crown Prince faction will be leaderless and in a state of panic. She must add fuel to the fire.
"Come, help me get dressed. Have someone prepare a horse to go to the Imperial Brother-in-law's residence."
Han Sizhong had not expected that the visitor who came late at night would be the eldest princess. She was dressed in plain clothes and wore a hood, which was very strange.
Therefore, the drowsy person immediately became fully awake.
Fortunately, he had prepared for this day in advance, so he wasn't too flustered.
"What brings the Eldest Princess here so late at night?"
Yuan Zhao removed his hood and said something startling: "The Imperial Uncle is a heavy sleeper, but he doesn't know that the Crown Prince and Empress are both dead. Just now."
Han Sizhong's pupils contracted: "..." He suddenly turned his head to look at the steward beside him.
Yuan Zhao: "The palace is under a news blackout. Your people have all been purged, so no news can get out."
Han Sizhong's face had lost all color, and he lowered his eyes as if pondering the veracity of the news. But after a moment, he sneered: "Didn't the Eldest Princess always whisper in front of His Majesty, saying that the Crown Prince was incompetent and that only the Prince of Ning'an was fit to take on the great responsibility? Why has she come to reveal this news to me so late at night?"
"You've done so many foolish things before, I just wanted to put some pressure on you, who knew that illegitimate son would take advantage of the situation so quickly? Now that I've chosen you, I naturally won't easily switch to someone else. Besides, we're already a community of shared interests. Even if I, the princess, wanted to wash my hands of it, I wouldn't escape the reckoning in the future." Yuan Zhao sneered, "It's come to this point already, if we don't seize this last opportunity, tomorrow morning we'll both be waiting to die!"
Han Sizhong frowned as he looked at the woman, knowing that everything she said was true. She had initially supported the crown prince for her own benefit; over the years, they had showered her with gifts, and the princess's power in the court was deeply entrenched, all aligned with the crown prince's faction.
Although she had given Prince Ning'an some preferential treatment, he understood that it was also to hinder him. But recently, it was obvious to everyone that the emperor was becoming distant from this eldest princess.
Yuan Zhao turned around and said coldly, "The Imperial Guards are all your men. Just give the order, and they can enter the palace to rescue the Emperor and kill him. Tonight, the matter will be settled, and afterwards, I will give you a new Crown Prince!"
Han Sizhong remained expressionless, lowering his eyes to ponder intently.
Yuan Zhao continued, "Before they can react, you only have one chance tonight. What are you still thinking about? Do you want to wait until the news of the Crown Prince's death spreads throughout the capital and they know you have no one to rely on?!"
Han Sizhong finally raised his dim and tired eyes, raised his hand and ordered the steward beside him, "Bring me my token."
***
On the same night, when Tan Bi received the token, he clenched his fists, took a deep breath in the cold autumn night, and then issued an order: The Emperor has been attacked, send troops to reinforce him immediately!
The palace was littered with corpses and rivers of blood, a horrifying sight. Xie Sui'an was directing the digging of pits to temporarily bury the bodies.
Qin Sang stared at the corpses and asked, "What's next? Now that the Crown Prince is dead, will the Crown Prince's faction quiet down?"
"They have no crown prince. Even if they rebel, they will be attacked by various warlords, and their vassal officials will be demoralized," Xie Suian said. "What happened today will reach the court tomorrow morning, and then..."
Before he could finish speaking, someone rushed in from outside and whispered, "The Imperial Guards have moved."
The two men's expressions changed. Xie Sui'an asked, "Weren't the people who spread the message all dealt with?"
The man swiftly bypassed him and went to report to a higher-ranking officer on the other side.
"You stay here and don't go anywhere!" Xie Sui'an pulled the person and walked into the palace.
Qin Sang: "How many of you are left? Do you have any plans to deal with the Imperial Guards?"
Xie Sui'an: "The palace gates must be closed now. You can't get out. Hide here and wait until everything calms down before you come out."
Qin Sang pulled her hand away from his, a little angry: "No plan? Is this all the manpower you have? Where is Prince Ning'an? Didn't his men come?"
Xie Suian paused for a moment, his eyes filled with complex emotions, both tender and affectionate, yet also reluctant to part: "His people will be here soon, don't worry."
Qin Sang: "..." She didn't believe his nonsense, but she couldn't stop him.
Xie Sui'an left with the Imperial Guards, leaving behind a mess.
Watching his retreating figure, she suddenly felt a mixture of absurdity and heartache. What were they doing? All their hard work, only to become pawns discarded at any moment. If tonight the crown prince was killed and all was well, tomorrow would naturally bring peace to the land, a simple toast to relinquish military power. But if even the slightest hint of trouble leaked out today…
She thought the other party was foolproof, but now it seems it was nothing more than a gamble.
***
The council hall of the Emperor's brother's residence was brightly lit with candles, and people came and went, constantly relaying messages from all sides.
The troops stationed north of the city have not moved.
The troops stationed south of the city have not moved.
The troops stationed in the east of the city have not moved.
The troops stationed in the west of the city have not moved.
The general's mansion and the residences of high-ranking military officers were quiet and there was no movement.
Han Sizhong let out a soft breath.
Yuan Zhao, however, remained expressionless as he fiddled with the prayer beads on his wrist. They really hadn't prepared a backup plan; were they too inexperienced, or did they think they were foolproof?
She got up from her seat and walked out, looking up at the bright, cold moon.
“Princess, please sit down. There’s no use in being anxious now. Things have come to this point. With the Imperial Guards, it’s enough to deal with some of the Feathered Forest Guards.” Han Sizhong said with his eyes closed, trying to appear calm. “Let’s think about how to explain things to the court tomorrow. If no one steps in, the various armies can easily send a child into the city to quell the rebellion.”
"I will enter the palace in two hours to find you a prince," Yuan Zhao said casually.
Just then, a servant rushed over, still out of breath, and said, "An army has arrived at the east gate."
Both the Princess and Han Sizhong's expressions changed. One was pleasantly surprised, while the other was terrified.
Han Sizhong: "Can you see clearly which army it is?"
The servant said, "...I don't know which army it is, but the banner says 'Su'."
"Su??" Han Sizhong spat, "Nonsense, where in the current court is there a general surnamed Su?"
The servant knelt down and said, "Yes...it is indeed Su."
Yuan Zhao frowned slightly, then seemed to realize something: "Su Lou, the eldest son of the former Vice Minister of War."
Han Sizhong paused for a moment before saying, "Isn't he dead? He followed Prince Su in plotting rebellion, and his entire family was executed..."
Yuan Zhao said with a helpless self-deprecating laugh, "So people really shouldn't be too kind. Those who were released out of a moment of mercy back then have all come back one by one."
***
The council hall of the Imperial Brother-in-Law's residence was brightly lit, and the lights in the dilapidated courtyard next to Bai Yiqing's private residence never went out.
"It's not Su Lou, Su Lou is dead. The one who brought the troops is Chen Kang, Su Lou's sworn brother. He was an orphan from a young age, but Su Lou treated him with respect. After joining the army, he regarded the Su family as his own. Later, he worked for me, and when I and the Su family fell into misfortune, he did his best to protect me, suffering severe injuries, going insane, and being separated from us. He was only recently found and treated by the youngest daughter of the Su family. The members of the Su family who were exiled back then are scattered in various places. This time, he came back to the capital with me and secretly recalled them. Don't worry, although everyone has been neglecting their training, they were all once elite soldiers." Prince Su stared at the faint light in front of him and said, "Justice resides in the hearts of the people."
Prince Ning'an's gaze turned slightly unfathomable, and he suddenly asked, "What about her? Is she not coming back?"
Prince Su: "...Let's leave it to fate."
Both of them fell silent.
In the dead of night in Kyoto, when the people were sleeping soundly, the sound of galloping horses could be heard echoing through the streets.
Some daring individuals couldn't resist getting up, lighting a candle, and peeking through a crack in the window.
After seeing that, I couldn't fall asleep anymore.
"Chaos! Chaos! Kyoto is in chaos!"
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