Great revenge achieved
May arrived in the blink of an eye, and turmoil continued in the court. Ignoring the protests of his ministers, the emperor promoted Consort Shu to Imperial Noble Consort. The following morning at court, he ordered the Imperial Noble Consort to move into Yonghe Palace, a residence reserved for the Empress.
Feng Ting, the newly appointed Minister of Rites, spoke out against the emperor's suggestion as being contrary to etiquette. The emperor dragged him away, stripped him of his official robes, and publicly flogged him sixty times. Unable to bear the humiliation, Feng Ting, after being punished, smashed his head against the vermilion gate of the Taicheng Hall, causing an uproar throughout the court.
Feng Ting was a veteran official of two dynasties and had even served as the emperor's tutor, yet now he had been forced to commit suicide by the emperor. Yan Zhongyou hadn't expected Feng Ting to die in the Taicheng Hall. For a moment, he felt a pang of regret, but looking at the assembled officials below the dragon throne, condemning him with their words, his slight regret quickly turned into rage. He was the ruler of the land; not only should no one object to killing one Feng Ting, but even killing a hundred Feng Tings would be unacceptable.
Upon returning to the Yuanhe Hall after court, Mi Qide saw that Yan Zhongyou was burning with anger. Fearing that he might commit further murder in his anger, he quickly suggested that Yan Zhongyou take a break from court for a few days, prioritizing his health.
Yan Zhongyou, remembering his promise to accompany the Imperial Concubine to enjoy the spring scenery outside the palace, suspended court for five days. Unexpectedly, the morning court session five days later was met with a new round of attacks from the entire court, with some even calling him unfit to be a ruler in their memorials.
Enraged, Yan Zhongyou executed the five ministers who had attacked him most fiercely on the spot, and their families were exiled to Lichang after their homes were confiscated.
Crimson blood stained the floor tiles at the entrance of Taicheng Hall, igniting the fury of insightful individuals both inside and outside the court. News of the emperor's incompetence and cruelty, and his persecution of loyal officials, spread rapidly among the people, and poems and essays criticizing the emperor were circulated everywhere.
On the ninth day of the fifth month, Wei Qiao and four other trusted ministers who supported the Prince of Jin arrived at the Prince of Jin's residence in the dead of night.
"Your Highness, the Emperor has lost the hearts of the people. Our preparations are now complete, and we cannot hesitate any longer."
"Yes, Your Highness, it's time to make a move."
The Prince of Jin glanced at Wei Qiao, who was standing to the side, and asked him, "What does Lord Wei think?"
Wei Qiao stood up, looked at Prince Jin, and said seriously, "Now the defense of the capital is under our control, and there are quite a few ministers outside the capital who have responded to Your Highness's call. The fault lies with the emperor. There is no need to make a big fuss about starting an uprising. This is indeed a good opportunity that we cannot miss."
Upon hearing this, the Prince of Jin smiled and ordered his servants to bring wine, which he then served to each of his ministers.
"I have remained inactive all this time because I did not want to harm the innocent. Now that the emperor is tyrannical, I and you all are acting on behalf of Heaven. May 12th is an auspicious day. Since Heaven has granted us this opportunity, I and you all will risk everything to secure a bright future for the people of the world." After saying this, he raised his wine cup to the crowd.
The assembled officials raised their wine cups and exclaimed in unison, "Your Highness is wise!"
In the Pomegranate Courtyard, Xichun couldn't fall asleep for a long time. Perhaps it was because Wei Qiao had been sleeping with her for over a month, and his sudden absence had caused her some insomnia. She got up, put on her robe, and sat down on the swing in the courtyard. The night breeze was cool, and the rustling of insects came from the grass. Mozhi, who had been wandering around the courtyard, saw Xichun and quickly ran down from the roof and jumped onto her lap. Mozhi's food bowl was now in the front yard, but knowing that Xichun lived in the Pomegranate Courtyard, it would come to see her there every day.
Xi Chun stroked Mo Zhi's smooth fur, recalling the days they spent together at the Wei residence. Although Mo Zhi was a cat, it was very intelligent and always there for her when she was unhappy. She had known Mo Zhi longer than she had known Wei Qiao, so Mo Zhi was truly her old friend in the capital.
Wei Qiao returned home at midnight. He didn't want to disturb her rest at Shiliu Courtyard, but considering he would be going to the palace to prepare for his uprising and wouldn't be able to return home for several days, he decided to go there instead. Upon entering, he saw Xichun sitting on a swing, still awake, holding ink and gazing at the moon. She wore a pale yellow coat, quiet and still, like a fleeting ephemera blooming silently in the still night.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?" Wei Qiao walked up to her and asked softly.
Hearing the voice, Xichun realized he was standing right in front of her. Seeing him, Xichun suddenly felt a sense of peace. Perhaps it was because of their close companionship these past few days, but her love for him was slowly rekindling. Although she knew that in a few months Wei Qiao would become someone else's real husband, she sometimes truly craved the warmth he gave her in these moments.
Before Xichun could speak, Mozhi heard his voice and jumped off Xichun's lap, running to his feet and rubbing against him.
Xi Chun reached out her hand for him to take hers, and said lazily, "I've been waiting for you."
It was rare to hear her speak so affectionately; she had been somewhat distant from him these past few days. Wei Qiao took her hand and pulled her into his arms. Before she could speak, looking into her bright eyes, Xi Chun grabbed his collar and planted a kiss on his lips.
"Wei Qiao, I want you."
The night was alluring, and Xichun decided to indulge herself for once. Before Ming Chuqing entered the room, she could still pretend that Wei Qiao belonged to her alone.
Upon hearing Xichun's words, Wei Qiao's heart skipped a beat. After realizing what she meant, he immediately picked her up and carried her straight into her bedroom.
Inside the bed curtains, Xichun, abandoning her usual shyness, passionately climbed onto his back, pressing her skin tightly against his. He was already deeply infatuated with her body, and under her teasing, he was even more unable to resist. He wished he could embed her deep into his very bones.
After cleaning her up, Wei Qiao held her in his arms, twirling a strand of her hair in his hand. Looking at her still rosy face, he softly instructed her, "I have to go to the palace to work starting tomorrow, and I'm afraid it will be a few days before I can return to the manor. Stay here and don't go out during these days."
Two days ago, Xi Chun overheard some rumors about the emperor on the street. Thinking of the conversation between Wei Qiao and that person that she had heard several months ago, she had some guesses about his instructions.
At the beginning of the morning, Wei Qiao got up and carefully lifted the covers so as not to wake the person next to him. However, Xi Chun had already woken up when he pulled his arm away. She got up and hugged Wei Qiao from behind as he was sitting on the edge of the bed putting on his shoes, pressing her face against his back.
"Wei Qiao, I'm waiting for you to come back." Xi Chun's voice was full of concern and longing.
Wei Qiao's body stiffened for a moment, then he felt a warm feeling of being cared for. He knew that Xi Chun still loved him. He turned around, took her hand, looked at her face, and said softly, "Don't worry, I'll be fine."
After Wei Qiao left, Xi Chun also got up and sat on the plum blossom stool in front of the dressing table, watching the sky gradually brighten. His journey was fraught with danger, and she could offer him no help, only silently praying for his safe return.
Today was Fuqing's big day. After breakfast, Xichun and Shuixian went to Fuqing's residence to watch her get ready. Fuqing and Qinyin's wedding was a lively affair. Although there were only a few tables of guests, the newlyweds were all beaming with joy.
After the wedding banquet, Xichun stopped going out and stayed indoors practicing calligraphy. However, she was restless and her strokes were either too heavy or too light. She wrote dozens of pieces, but none of them were presentable.
On the afternoon of the tenth day, Wei Qiao encountered Imperial Noble Consort Cui Ying by chance at the Lotus Pond in the Imperial Garden.
Cui Ying was pruning a few newly opened lotus flowers in the pavilion when she noticed Wei Qiao walking over. She looked up at him and asked, "Lord Wei, is it time?"
Wei Qiao handed a lotus bud that was about to bloom to Cui Ying, saying, "May 12th is an auspicious day, and we will rely on Your Majesty's help then."
Cui Ying smiled as she took the lotus flower from his hand, trimmed off the excess stems, and placed it in the vase. She then flashed a captivating smile at the already formed flower arrangement, saying, "Rest assured, Lord Wei, I will do my utmost to assist you."
On the night of May 11th, the emperor stayed overnight at Yonghe Palace. Cui Ying fed him cup after cup of wine laced with a sleeping potion. After the emperor fell unconscious, she and her trusted maid bound his hands and feet, gagged him with a handkerchief, and threw him into a pre-prepared cabinet. After that, Cui Ying sent a maid to contact Wei Qiao, who was guarding the Forbidden City.
Wei Qiao quickly ordered the Dragon Feather Guards to guard all the palaces, and also ordered Pang Lian to lead people to open the Chengtian Gate and the Chengqian Gate leading to the inner palace to welcome the Prince of Jin into the palace.
Just past midnight on the 12th, Prince Jin led three thousand personal guards on horseback straight to the palace. The commander of the Five Cities Garrison surrounded Prince Cheng's residence and the residences of several ministers who had always supported Yan Zhongyou, ensuring that the emperor lost all external support.
Cui Ying changed out of her luxurious imperial concubine attire and into her own clothes, then sat in her bedchamber waiting for Wei Qiao's arrival.
Miched was dozing at the entrance of his bedchamber when he was startled awake by the sound of footsteps. He opened his eyes to see dozens of Dragon Feather Guards in full armor storming into Yonghe Palace, their menacing aura palpable. He walked over, flicking his dust, and was about to question these audacious servants who disregarded palace rules, when he saw Wei Qiao emerge from the crowd, carrying a sharp sword.
Wei Qiao was dressed in a black robe embroidered with gold, his long sword gleaming coldly, and his dark eyes filled with a bloodthirsty desire.
It was only then that Miched realized something was wrong: Wei Qiao was about to rebel!
Miched turned to run into the bedchamber to wake the emperor, but before he could take more than a few steps, two Dragon Feather Guards blocked his way with their swords.
“Eunuch Mi, we’ve known each other for a while now, and I don’t want to take your life. If you leave now, I can let you go out of the palace to make a living,” Wei Qiao said as he walked up to Mi Qide.
Miched looked up at Wei Qiao, and in a flash, he seemed to see the young prince who had followed his younger brother back then. At that time, he accompanied the emperor to the East Palace to announce the emperor's punishment of the deposed crown prince, and the young prince had looked at the emperor with the same gaze.
Wei Qiao gestured for the Dragon Feather Guards to release Michide. Only after the Dragon Feather Guards' swords flashed across Michide's eyes did he come to his senses. He was the Emperor's chief advisor; even if the Emperor had a thousand faults, he had still been loyal to him. He could not abandon him and live on. Michide shouted "Your Majesty!" as he ran towards the imperial bedchamber. Before he even reached the steps, the two Dragon Feather Guards plunged their swords into his chest, one on each side. In an instant, he fell lifeless onto the cold stone bricks.
Wei Qiao glanced at the corpse with unbearable sorrow, ordered the people around him to give it a proper burial, and then raised his sword and stormed into the bedchamber.
Hearing the noise outside, Cui Ying opened the door to the bedroom.
"Lord Wei, lend me a sword." After saying that, Cui Ying took the long sword from the Dragon Feather Guard next to Wei Qiao and stabbed Yan Zhongyou in the cabinet twice. Seeing the blood soaking his bright yellow dragon robe, Cui Ying shed two tears of happiness.
Brother, I've avenged you!
Cui Ying returned the sword to the Dragon Feather Guard, and with the gold and silver valuables she had prepared beforehand, along with her two trusted maids, she left the palace under the protection of the Dragon Feather Guard. From then on, the wicked concubine Cui Ying, who brought ruin to the country, disappeared among the masses.
Cui Ying's two swords, though not fatal, jolted Yan Zhongyou awake with a sharp pain. He opened his dim eyes and looked at Wei Qiao, who was standing by the cabinet, sword in hand, staring at him with hatred. He couldn't understand why his most trusted and favored minister would betray him.
Wei Qiao used the tip of his sword to remove the handkerchief from Yan Zhongyou's mouth. Despite the excruciating pain, Yan Zhongyou questioned Wei Qiao sharply, "Wei Qiao, I have treated you well, how dare you?"
"How dare I? Your Majesty, you dare to frame your brother and harm your nephews, so what wouldn't I dare to do? Do you still remember the bowl of lychee honey you sent me? I still vividly remember the feeling of my intestines being torn apart and my internal organs being in excruciating pain."
"You...how do you know? Who are you? Who are you?" Yan Zhongyou cried out in terror. After Yan Ren's death, all the palace servants around him were killed. Only he and Mi Qide knew about this. How could Wei Qiao know about it?
Wei Qiao smiled as he enjoyed the emperor's terrified eyes. "Father, our great revenge is about to be fulfilled!"
He leaned close to Yan Zhongyou and said in a low voice that only the two of them could hear, "I am Yan Ren, my good uncle. My father has been waiting for you on the road to the Yellow Springs for many years. Now your nephew will send you on your way."
"No! No! No!" Yan Ren had been dead for more than ten years. How could Wei Qiao be Yan Ren? Yan Zhongyou forgot his severe pain for a moment and stared at Wei Qiao with wide eyes.
Wei Qiao didn't want to say anything more to him. He plunged his long sword into Yan Zhongyou's heart, then twisted it sharply, only pulling the sword out after hearing Yan Zhongyou's heart-wrenching scream. Looking at Yan Zhongyou's unseeing eyes, Wei Qiao took the handkerchief handed to him by A Gui and wiped the blood off the sword before throwing the bloodstained handkerchief at Yan Zhongyou's face.
He led his men to carry the emperor's body to the Yuanhe Hall. The moonlight was dim and hazy, casting a dim glow on them. It reminded him of the night when he was thirteen and his father were leaving the capital for Lichang. The moon was half-hidden behind the clouds, and his father held him and told him not to be afraid, saying he would always be with him.
His father broke his promise and died on his way to Lichang, leaving him all alone in the world.
After his near-death experience, Yan Zhongyou remained a thorn in his side, haunting him in countless dreams of his own tragic death and his father's. For years, he had abandoned his dignity to fawn over Yan Zhongyou, constantly loathing his own sycophantic behavior. Now, having personally ended Yan Zhongyou's life and removed this thorn, he felt his life hadn't been in vain.
Father, I have finally avenged you! May you rest in peace in heaven.
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