Chapter 363 Nightmare!
Ouyang Rong, Xie Lingjiang carrying the zither case, and Li Guo'er lifting her skirt rushed into the study together.
What came into view of the three was a table and chairs overturned, and broken porcelain and tea leaves scattered all over the floor.
The cold tea spilled onto the edge of their boots at the doorway.
Meanwhile, the two people in the study... Li Dalang lowered his head and paced around in a flustered manner;
Li Xian slumped onto the damp, cool floor, which was covered with shards of broken porcelain and tea leaves, as if he had lost his soul. He supported himself with his left hand and looked down at an unfamiliar jade pendant in his right palm, which had inscriptions on it.
Ouyang Rong even saw that bright red blood was seeping from Li Xian's hand, which was supporting him on the ground, as if it had been cut by shards of broken porcelain.
However, the noble Prince of Xunyang stared blankly at the jade tablet, muttering something repeatedly, which Ouyang Rong and the others could not hear clearly.
Upon seeing this, Xie Lingjiang immediately turned around, closed the door, and shut out the inside from the outside.
"What's going on?" Ouyang Rong frowned, somewhat displeased, and asked, "What news?"
No one answered.
Li Guo'er turned to Wei Mei and asked, "Mother, where is the informant from the Prince Xiang's mansion?"
"When I came back with the tea, I saw that Liu Lang and Fu Su were acting strangely after reading the letter, so I took Guo Yu and the others away first. They are waiting in the flower hall now."
Wei Mei answered with concern, and went over to help the disheveled Li Xian to his feet.
Li Guo'er suddenly cried out, "Brother!"
The distraught Li Dalang suddenly snapped out of his daze, looked around, and seemed to only now notice the people around him:
"My love!"
Then, the usually optimistic Li Dalang handed over a crumpled letter, his face filled with sorrow:
“Look, Grandmother… she’s finished, all of her is finished.”
Ouyang Rong silently received the letter and glanced at it.
Li Dalang closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said sadly to Xie Lingjiang, Li Guo'er, and Wei Mei:
"Li Zhengyan, under the banner of restoring the Li Gan regime, has become increasingly aggressive in the southwest. The prefectures and counties between Hongzhou and Guizhou have all surrendered without resistance. He has swept through more than half of them. My grandmother was furious. Influenced and provoked by the Prince of Wei and the Prince of Liang, she issued a secret edict to imprison the Prince of Xiang. My grandmother also gave him a cup of poisoned wine and sent the female official Miaozhen in colorful robes to Jiangzhou in secret to supervise my father and me to commit suicide as an apology."
"The envoy team is already on its way and will arrive in Xunyang City tomorrow morning!"
Upon hearing this, the room fell completely silent.
Only an oil lamp remained on the table, its flame flickering erratically, making onlookers worry that it would go out at any moment.
Thus, the figures of the crowd under the lamplight appeared neither still nor moving.
Ouyang Rong put down the secret letter, broke the silence, looked up, and calmly asked:
"A secret letter from the Prince Xiang's residence? Who sent it? That Guo Yu?"
Wei Mei nodded and replied, "It's Guo Yu, a confidant of the Prince of Xiang. He's the one who risks his life to deliver intelligence from Luoyang every time."
Li Dalang grabbed Ouyang Rong's sleeve and said sadly:
"My dear, my father and I couldn't believe it at first either. After all, such a big thing didn't have a personal note. But Guo Yu took out the personal token that the imprisoned imperial uncle risked his life to send from the deep palace. The Prince of Xiang's mansion also sent a former general with Qi Refining cultivation to escort him from Luoyang at great speed, to inform us before the poisoned wine messenger arrived."
As Ouyang Rong was about to speak, a distraught voice came from the side:
"This Hetian jade pendant was given to me, my younger brother, and Chang Le by my deceased elder brother when he was still the crown prince."
Li Xian had been helped up by Wei Mei. He held the jade pendant in one hand, while his other hand was injured and bleeding profusely. Li Guo'er cut off a piece of fabric from her skirt to bandage her father's wound.
He stared blankly at the jade pendant and continued to lament:
"The jade pendant of my younger sister, Chang Le, was smashed to pieces by my mother when she and my elder brother were at odds. Only two remain in existence now. One is in my room, and the other is..."
He paused, looked at the familiar jade token in his hand, and gave a bitter laugh:
"My brother was imprisoned and risked his life to deliver this urgent message... I never thought that my brother and I would ultimately not escape death... That nightmare that has haunted me for so many years was indeed true. I will eventually be poisoned to death. What is destined to happen will happen... Waaah."
As he spoke, the deposed emperor of the Great Gan Dynasty and the Prince of Xunyang of the Great Zhou Dynasty, who had endured countless hardships and was about to be executed by his own mother with a white silk ribbon, embraced his beloved wife and daughter and wept bitterly, unable to speak.
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Rong frowned and remained silent for a while. He didn't ask about Li Xian's rambling about what that so-called dream was all about, but instead spoke:
"Former general?"
Li Xian wept bitterly, leaving only Li Dalang's sleepwalking, dazed explanation:
"That's right, this general is named Meng Shouguang. He was a loyal confidant of my father when he was the Crown Prince and served as the Right Cavalry General. After my father was demoted to commoner, he was affected and dismissed by the Wei family. Later, he was taken in by the Prince of Xiang's mansion..."
"He was the one who brought Guo Yu here tonight to help us escape."
Ouyang Rong quieted down.
He remained silent, and Li Xian and Li Dalang began to ramble on as if lost in their own world, having lost their sense of direction. The remaining three women were also completely bewildered. Li Guo'er turned her head to look north towards Luoyang, seemingly unable to comprehend the cruelty of her grandmother whom she had never met.
The room fell silent for a moment.
Ouyang Rong looked up and suddenly said to Li Xian and his son:
“Uncle, Dalang, there’s always a way out. Come, take me to see Guo Yu, and I’ll ask him more questions.”
He smiled at everyone.
Seeing his calm and composed demeanor, Li Xian and the others nodded vigorously, as if they were drowning people grasping at a straw.
"Okay, okay."
Everyone went outside.
However, Xie Lingjiang, who had been keeping an eye on her senior brother, followed closely behind him and noticed that Ouyang Rong's shirt was clinging tightly to the back of his neck, as if it were soaked with cold sweat.
Xie Lingjiang lowered her head, took out a scented handkerchief, and silently handed it to someone...
At the entrance of the flower hall, Ouyang Rong put away the wet handkerchief and walked in with the others.
He immediately saw two figures, one unfamiliar and one familiar, looking travel-worn.
One of them was Guo Yu, an official with a goatee whom Ouyang Rong had met several times. However, he came tonight without his official robes, wearing a black round-necked, narrow-sleeved robe, looking low-key and unassuming.
He hadn't touched the hot tea beside him, and he looked tired and worried.
There was also a tall, burly man with a square face, wearing a headband, a gray fitted outfit, a leather belt, and black boots. His arms were as long as an ape's, as if he frequently drew a bow and shot arrows.
He has an honest-looking face and a silent, serious expression.
He sat somewhat stiffly, and before Ouyang Rong and his group entered, he stared intently at the doorway, his eyes filled with both anticipation and nervousness.
At that moment, Ouyang Rong, Li Xian, and others walked in.
The kind-hearted man was moved to his feet, rushed forward, and knelt on one knee. His eyes were red, and his voice was choked with emotion.
"Seventh Prince, what happened to your hand? Are you alright?"
"I accidentally fell and got a minor injury. Shouguang, please get up. It's been a long time. You're still so impulsive. You've lost your composure."
Li Xian forced a smile and reached out to support his trusted former general, Meng Shouguang.
Meng Shouguang strained his large, round eyes, but tears streamed down his face. This grown man was sobbing uncontrollably in front of everyone: "I will never change! I will always be the Seventh Prince's bodyguard!"
Li Xian was also moved. He raised his sleeve to cover his face and wept again. The two, the emperor and his minister, who had been separated for a long time, embraced each other and cried bitterly, which drew the attention of everyone present.
"Your Highness." Guo Yu stood up and walked over. He first looked at Ouyang Rong behind Li Xian and his son, then bowed his head in greeting.
"Mr. Guo, please don't stand on ceremony." With a slight gesture of support, Li Xian, aided by Li Dalang, stepped aside and began to introduce Guo Yu and Meng Shouguang:
"This is Tanlang, my right-hand man. Without Tanlang, my family would not be able to leave Dragon City. Mr. Guo should have met him before."
"Prefect Ouyang, I have long admired your name." Guo Yu bowed respectfully to Ouyang Rong, and Meng Shouguang also clasped his hands in a deep fist salute, looking at him with gratitude and sizing him up as if to remember the hero before him.
From the moment Ouyang Rong entered the flower hall, he had been silently observing the two, taking in their facial expressions and gestures. Now, he smiled politely and waved the letter in his hand.
"The situation is critical, so I won't stand on ceremony with you two. Let's get down to business."
Li Xian quickly wiped away her tears, and everyone immediately became serious and tense.
Guo Yu asked with a troubled expression, "What do you wish to ask, Your Excellency?"
Ouyang Rong said directly:
"When was His Highness Prince Xiang imprisoned?"
"On August 8th, His Highness Prince Xiang was summoned to the palace late at night, where he was rebuked by His Majesty and imprisoned. His Majesty then issued a secret decree ordering the palace maid Miaozhen to deliver poisoned wine to Jiangzhou..."
"This matter was originally kept strictly confidential. His Highness Prince Xiang, who was confined to the deep palace, risked his life to bribe a eunuch and informed Princess Chang Le with the jade. The princess then risked her life to inform Prince Xiang's residence. Therefore, she sent me and General Meng to Jiangzhou at full speed to remind the Prince and the Crown Prince!"
Ouyang Rong listened attentively, then spun around in place, frowning and asking in confusion:
"Why is His Majesty so furious and has issued an edict to poison the son? Is there some misunderstanding?"
Guo Yuchou nearly broke his beard in frustration, and said anxiously:
"The Emperor's mind is unfathomable; who can know for sure? However, I guess it is related to several pieces of news that entered the capital on August 8th. In fact, His Highness Prince Xiang had already had a bad feeling before, but he was unexpectedly summoned to the palace that very night."
"A message came from the southwest: Li Zhengyan and Wei Shaoqi led their troops northward, sweeping through half of Lingnan and entering the territory of Jiangnan Circuit. Too many prefectures and counties surrendered along the way, causing the imperial court to lose face."
"At the court assembly that day, I heard that His Majesty directly dismissed the Lingnan Circuit Inspector and a number of censors."
Guo Yu hesitated, "There's another piece of news, Your Highness, I heard..."
"What did you hear?" Ouyang Rong asked.
"I heard that it was Wang Lengran, the governor of Jiangzhou, who submitted a memorial falsely accusing the prince of having an affair with Li Zhengyan. He said that the prince harbored and protected Li Zhengyan's accomplice, Wang Junzhi, a former scholar of Jiangzhou, and that they were plotting a rebellion when Cai Qin's army attacked Jiangzhou, coordinating with each other from within. It seems that some female officials who supervise Jiangzhou also testified to this."
Li Xian was stunned: "So the Empress Dowager believed it? Without even investigating, she wants to execute me?"
Guo Yu smiled bitterly and remained silent.
Beside him, Meng Shouguang seemed to be recalling the past, his eyes filled with sorrow and his voice muffled.
"It must be those two treacherous princes of the Wei clan who slandered the emperor and sowed discord between the emperor and the prince! These treacherous people are ruining the country, and their hearts deserve to be punished!"
The worst-case scenario, which we anticipated but had a low probability of occurring, still happened.
Ouyang Rong frowned.
The Empress's attitude in the Luoyang court changed abruptly; the news came too quickly, leaving no room for preparation.
He had always firmly believed that after so many years of immersion in the court, the empress had become a qualified politician, a seasoned veteran who was clear-headed in both the art of ruling and the matter of choosing an heir.
Therefore, in general, her reactions and behavior should be traceable.
But reality is sometimes even more absurd and illogical than fictional novels.
Ouyang Rong stared blankly at Li Xian, Li Dalang, Wei Mei, Guo Yu and others in the room, their faces ashen.
He suddenly realized that he might have overlooked a step in the calculation.
Historically, it seems that even the most brilliant, wise, and shrewd emperors often become muddle-headed and confused in their later years, just as the saying goes, "To be old and not die is to be a thief."
Meanwhile, the founding emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, who sat on the dragon throne at the highest point of the Luoyang court facing south, was already an old woman over eighty years old, although she had many young male lovers in the palace.
However, the matter of the Great Zhou Songde Central Government and the Four Directions Buddha Statues doesn't seem like something a normal emperor with a strong desire to govern would do. Moreover, who knows if Empress Wei Zhao has any other hidden backup plans besides the deposed Emperor Li Xian's family? Discarding one wouldn't be a big loss...
"What's the reaction from Master Shen and Lord Shen?" Ouyang Rong suddenly asked.
Guo Yu's expression froze for a moment, then he shook his head:
"I don't know. His Highness Prince Xiang risked his life to send the message immediately, and the Prince Xiang's Mansion dispatched me and General Meng to inform them. Before we set off, Master Fu and Lord Shen probably didn't know, and I don't know how things are in Luoyang now..."
Ouyang Rong fell silent immediately.
No wonder the letter I received this afternoon from my mentor Xie Xun didn't mention this urgent matter; he must have sent it before the night of August 8th.
Perhaps the latest letters from my mentors Xie Xun and Lord Shen are already on their way, although it seems too late now.
Such unexpected situations can easily disrupt the composure of a smart and confident person. Political struggles are both cruel and swift, leaving little time for decision-making. A single misstep or misjudgment can lead to utter ruin.
Ouyang Rong was slightly out of breath, fully aware of the perilous situation, and tried his best to remain calm.
Using the fragmented information he had, his mind raced through the data.
But the more I thought about it, the colder I felt.
"General Meng and I left Luoyang half a day later than this group of female officials and envoys. However, we traveled day and night and changed trains together in Yangzhou. Now, we are trying to catch up with them and get here before them."
Guo Yu urged anxiously:
"Your Highness, Your Highness, Chief Secretary Ouyang, the Luoyang envoy's ship will arrive at Xunyang Ferry tomorrow morning!"
"You guys need to think of something quickly... Or we should run away now, or it'll be too late!"
The atmosphere in the flower hall became tense.
"Escape? Where can we escape to?"
Li Xian was swaying precariously, barely supported by his wife and eldest son, his face deathly pale.
Li Guo'er clutched a letter sword tightly in her sleeve, her pretty face lost in thought, and suddenly spoke: "Wang Junzhi is right next door."
"Yes, yes, yes! And Wang Junzhi and Li Zhengyan, they're in the southwest..."
It seems the carefree prince has one more night to enjoy his leisurely life, like a traveler lost in the desert, nearly dying of thirst, who suddenly sees an oasis and becomes alert.
He frantically called to the others and was about to flee the door, but then a soft call came from behind him:
"Senior Brother..."
Xie Lingjiang called out to the handsome young man who was standing there silently with his head down, her face full of worry.
“My love.”
"My love, what do you think?"
Li Xian, Li Dalang, Li Guo'er, and Wei Mei all stopped their hurried steps and looked at the still unmoved person in unison, waiting intently for him to nod.
Guo Yu and Meng Shouguang, who had risked their lives to deliver the message, also stopped and turned around, looking at this "young master" who seemed to have a lot of influence in the Xunyang Prince's Mansion with either scrutiny or curiosity.
Ouyang Rong raised his head and glanced at the various faces around him.
He knew.
He was once again faced with a life-or-death decision.
(End of this chapter)
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