Chapter 245 Waiting for You
Blood splattered from the blade, and along with it rolled to the ground an old head.
In the dark room, Cui, the assassin, listened intently to the sounds coming from the side hall. The old emperor's shouts were like the deadly sound of a flute, but he paid no attention. He simply pulled a handkerchief from his robes and wiped the blood from the blade, gesturing to his men: "Go, if he dares to plot against the emperor, he must have accomplices."
Without hesitation, several guards drew their swords and rushed out the door, passing over the nameless old eunuch's body lying in a pool of blood.
Cui Anshi watched the silent battle unfold before him, then glanced at the Imperial Guards outside who were looking at each other with a mixture of excitement and fear. He trembled slightly, his muscles shaking a little.
What will become of them after today?
The victor is king, the loser is villain.
Then there's no room for failure; only success is possible.
The previous dynasty.
The Minister of Rites observed that many officials from the Six Ministries were distracted during the court meeting today. Some minor officials kept refilling their tea, their minds restless as they repeatedly gazed out the window. Some scholars took deep breaths, occasionally revealing a resolute expression as if facing execution, while others even wore a dazed and delighted look, arousing suspicion among many officials, who tried to inquire but could not find out anything.
'They're all still too green.' The Minister of Rites thought to himself, subtly pressing his chest.
Those in the know were simply worried about the Crown Prince's safety; the existence of the Imperial Guards was no joke. If they couldn't seize the throne today and the Crown Prince truly resorted to a coup, those closest to him were the only ones capable of standing in front of him to protect him and buy time. Even if they died—as long as the Crown Prince ascended the throne, or even if he was defeated—their contributions would ensure their names were recorded in history.
This is risking one's life for a reputation for loyalty and righteousness.
Unfortunately, many pedantic people were waiting for this moment. The Minister of Rites could see clearly those people with joy on their faces! If the Imperial Guards came, they would definitely be the first to rush forward, eagerly throwing their necks against the enemy's blades, saying a few impassioned words before dying heroically, leaving behind a good name for themselves.
Utterly stupid!
Unlike himself...
Although the Minister of Rites was a scholar, he was far from being a weakling. He had honed his physical strength since childhood, and his ancestors had passed down a breastplate that, judging by its appearance alone, showed signs of years of wear and tear; he was currently carrying it discreetly on his person. If a fight broke out, he would certainly put on a brave show.
The Minister of Rites had simply been tricked.
First, he was lured away for several years by the master tutor sent by His Highness the Crown Prince, and his son also became someone else's study companion. Without anyone noticing, his son was involved in such a deadly event as the palace coup, and he was his only son! What could the Minister of Rites do?
Your Highness must win today!
In an empty guardhouse, He Santie expertly distributed chainmail to Song Gu, Qin Liusong, and the eunuchs, quickly instructing them: "The Imperial Clan Court can't hold off the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guards for too long. The empty main road will surely arouse his suspicion. When he returns from his patrol, we will guard the central gate to buy time... Note that the rebels are attacking the palace. We officials and servants cannot distinguish the incoming troops and must request permission from the Emperor before allowing anyone to enter."
"Lord He, aren't you afraid that our men will be mistaken for rebels when they enter the palace?" Brother Huang Lan couldn't help but ask, while clumsily trying to put on his armor.
“Those are the Crown Prince’s loyal troops,” He Santie said confidently. “Of course there are a group of rebels in the palace.”
Xiao Chengzi was stunned: "Does the palace have them?"
"Yes." He San Tie put on a stern face, said succinctly, and then offered no further explanation.
The new king's plan is to tell everyone separately, and he won't reveal parts that others don't know.
Now that things have come to this, it's like an arrow on a crossbow that must be released. Even if the ascension isn't peaceful, a palace coup is inevitable, making the new emperor's reputation crucial. Grand Tutor Wu absolutely cannot allow any doubts to circumvent the succession process... In the previous life, the new emperor already had a bad enough reputation as a puppet ruler who had been left with a mess by Emperor Hongren!
Today's "rebels" in the palace are, of course, the remnants of the Third Prince's faction, as always.
Even though he had completely lost his support, the Third Prince's faction was still the most powerful and influential group back then. Many high-ranking officials and ministers within the faction were neither reborn nor later pledged allegiance, and they kept their distance from the Crown Prince. He San Tie could only recall the dark and unbearable times in his previous life when the new emperor was targeted after becoming crown prince, and even after his ascension, the remnants of the First, Third, and Seventh Princes' factions caused chaos…
After discussing the matter, these informed officials unanimously decided to nip the danger in the bud. They couldn't give those remnants a chance to rise again… and they would eliminate them all in this palace coup!
So during the first few months... they allowed the Third Prince to continue his clandestine schemes.
There really will be rebels in the palace today.
As Song Gu listened, he looked up at the sky, exhaling a puff of warm white air, his expression slightly worried.
"I wonder how things are going on His Highness's side..."
In December, the wind in Luoyang was biting, like a knife cutting through the air. When one gripped the cold metal, their fingers almost stuck to it, experiencing a piercing pain. Song Gu absentmindedly calculated the time.
It seems that Zhao Fuman's existence... might force those people to come out, right?
Yes.
Fu Mangong's betrayal wasn't actually discovered a few days ago by his own keen observation and his friendship with Song Gu—Song Gu wasn't that careless. They couldn't possibly allow the emperor's closest confidant to discover something amiss so easily; otherwise, what would be the point of plotting a palace coup? They'd just be washing their necks and waiting to go to jail.
Song Gu didn't know Fu Man at all, and they had never spoken to each other in private.
In their initial plan, they never considered trying to win over the Grand Eunuch. If Cui could behead one nameless old eunuch, he could seize the opportunity to behead a second Grand Eunuch. That would be simpler and faster.
but……
At that moment, Song Gu suddenly thought of Eunuch Fu Man from his previous life. He had mentioned before that Fu Man was the only eunuch who had survived the turmoil safely, gained the trust of the new emperor after his ascension to the throne, lived well in the new dynasty, and finally retired from the palace to enjoy a good life.
As things progressed... the conflict between the new emperor and the retired emperor had spiraled out of control. Song Guli, who had been secretly ordered by the new emperor in his previous life to investigate the past of Consort Hua in the palace, reasonably suspected that the retired emperor was only able to live until then because the new emperor had spared his life before finding the truth—otherwise, with the new emperor's supernatural abilities, what couldn't he have done?
At that time, the father-son relationship was completely invisible; it was all just a facade.
So why was Fu Man Gonggong still favored by the new emperor?
As the most trusted person by the Emperor Emeritus's side, how was he able to switch allegiance to the new emperor's camp and escape unscathed in the later years of the Emperor Emeritus's life?
Rumors generally suggest that in his past life, Fu Man Gonggong sided with the new emperor, but when, why, and what value he demonstrated to protect himself remain unknown.
Song Gu brought up this news in a private conversation. It was just a casual remark, but the former Minister of Justice squinted and offered a more crucial piece of information: "I think the new emperor is not taking action against the retired emperor for two reasons, firstly, because of his reputation, and secondly, because... he has secret guards."
Having handled countless cases at the Ministry of Justice, he lowered his voice as the crowd began to object, then continued, "It's not those secret guards you're talking about, nor the imperial guards or the central army of the palace nobility. Remember? When the war first broke out, the Emperor Emeritus was protected and evacuated by a mysterious force..."
Shen Shuzhi's expression changed slightly, as if she had remembered something.
The former Minister of Justice made a startling statement: "Therefore, I suspect that the retired emperor of the previous life did not pass on the true secrets of the royal family to the new emperor."
Grand Secretary Mu rubbed his throbbing forehead with his fingertips, trying hard to recall. His age had its advantages; he was quite familiar with events from the previous emperor's era. After a long while, Grand Secretary Mu finally pulled a memory from his mind, saying uncertainly:
"The late emperor... was attacked in the forest in his early years. It was a scheme by the Western Qiang people. On that occasion, a team suddenly came out to rescue him. I always thought that this team was the same as the secret guards under Your Majesty's command. But upon closer inspection, it seems that the team was well-equipped and well-trained."
His implication was self-evident.
The current Emperor Hongren does not allow eunuchs to become too powerful and values the secret guards, but he has never trained them as part of the army.
"That should be a force of... about forty elite soldiers," Grand Scholar Mu recalled, this being the minimum estimated number.
He slowly raised his head: "If given the chance, would His Majesty order them to show themselves?"
Grand Tutor Wu did not answer, but slowly met the gazes of the people present, all of whom shared the same meaning.
They cannot allow such a threat to remain hidden.
If this team truly belonged to the late emperor but was not passed on to the new ruler... then it would be better if it never existed.
Grand Scholar Mu had an idea. He gestured, and the group leaned closer, the room filled only with whispers: "..."
Old ginger is spicier.
The senior officials, true to their word, quickly pieced together the clues and devised a new plan.
The task of actively trying to win over (and resolve) Grandpa Fuman fell to Song Gu.
Fu Man's conditions were astonishing; he simply wanted to betray Emperor Hongren, requesting to provoke the emperor as much as possible to see how the high and mighty emperor would make a fool of himself. Afterwards, the Crown Prince would ensure his safety and well-being.
In return, he would do his best to help lure out that team.
Song Gu distrusted Zhao Fuman, and several senior officials unanimously agreed that Zhao Fuman's temperament was like that of an insatiable wolf, and he shouldn't be allowed to remain in the fold. Imagine, he grew up alongside His Majesty, yet now he's risking everything just to witness the humiliation of a national emperor and defect to the new ruler's camp—who can believe such frivolous talk? Even if it were true, who can guarantee he won't harbor the same malice towards the new emperor in the future?
Imperial power is supreme!
This old eunuch is utterly rebellious!
It's best to pretend it's a snake now and get rid of it as soon as possible.
Song Gu thought so, but Qi Chengming had other ideas and agreed.
To put it bluntly, whoever wanted to force Zhao Fuman to abdicate today, whether it was the Crown Prince, the Third Prince, or anyone else, would have switched sides as long as there was a glimmer of hope for success. Without his twisted confession, his kneeling as a means to save his life or out of cowardice could easily be explained away.
...This is the real reason why Eunuch Fuman betrayed the emperor in the palace.
In the side hall.
Qi Chengming and Prince Ning watched the dog-eat-dog show intently. After a while, a commotion arose outside.
Emperor Hongren's sudden rage vanished, replaced by a calm as he sat on the dragon throne. No longer angry or embarrassed, he even had a hint of a smile on his face: "Crown Prince, I am waiting for reinforcements. What are you waiting for?"
Qi Chengming smiled calmly, his tone lowering as well:
"—I've been waiting for you."
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Author's Note: Fu Man, the eunuch, wasn't reborn. In his previous life, he simply sided with Qi Chengming early on. Calling him a sociopath is more accurate than calling him a frivolous person. Emperor Hongren nurtured his ambition, indulging his vices and leading him to commit numerous atrocities. But there's one thing Fu Man can't have, something he's suppressed until now—to achieve his desires. A man like him wouldn't carefully consider his fate. A crime of passion.
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