69 Meeting the Emperor
◎Ten years of foresight and long-term planning were ruined by the woman next to him◎
Before noon the next day, He Yingqing came to the warm room to take Wei Ziyan into the palace.
Qiu Luo couldn't go with them, so he put two pills into a sachet and reminded Wei Ziyan to take it with her: "Don't forget to take the young lady's Qi-boosting pill."
"good."
In front of He Yingqing, Wei Ziyan took the sachet into her arms, smiled at him and said, "Thank you, Military Advisor."
"No, no, you're welcome, Miss Wei."
There was a hint of flattery in He Yingqing's smile.
Previously, the prince's favor towards this woman was limited to food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, all of which he had picked out for the warm chamber. This sachet contained a qi-boosting pill made from rare herbs, each costing ten grains of gold, and the prince didn't even blink. Last night, he and Fang had a heated argument over her. Today, they were being brought to the emperor, clearly showing that the prince's favor wasn't superficial; he also needed to impress his future master.
This time, He Yingqing had learned his lesson. He dispatched men to clear the path ahead of time and brought extra personnel with him. However, the road from the Prince's Residence to the Imperial Palace was flat and broad, offering no ambushes for the criminals. After successfully escorting the consort to the palace, He Yingqing diligently helped the future Crown Princess into the imperial sedan chair and proceeded to the Taiji Palace.
Wei Ziyan sat in the outer hall for a while. Li Youxu came over from the imperial study and then asked the palace servants to go to the inner hall to pass on the message.
Although Emperor Jingren had taken the antidote, the toxins in his body had not yet been completely eliminated. He remained bedridden all day, looking listless. However, upon hearing that the Fourth Prince and his future daughter-in-law had come to pay their respects, he suddenly perked up.
After getting off the dragon bed, Emperor Jingren reluctantly sat in the armchair and ordered the palace servants to bring the two into the inner hall.
"Your son greets His Majesty, Father."
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."
Wei Ziyan and Li Youxu entered together and knelt to greet the emperor. Emperor Jingren smiled wearily and offered them a seat. But when Wei Ziyan raised her head, the emperor's expression froze.
Thinking he was dizzy, he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, but when he looked again, the woman in his sight was indeed the girl from the Wei family!
"Father," Li Youxi spoke before Emperor Jingren could ask. "She is the Crown Princess I've chosen. She's also the one your father favors and the one he once carefully selected for me."
Before the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, while searching for a reason to invite her into the palace, he learned from Xu Shidao that on the day he was conferred the title of Marquis of Guangping, Emperor Jingren appointed Wei Ziyan as the Village Lord, and that he could invite her in the name of the Village Lord. Xu Shidao also said that Emperor Jingren liked the girl from the Wei family and had jokingly asked Wei Taizhong to consider betrothing his daughter to him.
"That was in the past!" Emperor Jingren's voice suddenly sank, and he pointed at Wei Ziyan: "I am not confused yet. This is the daughter of Wei Taizhong, and she is already married!"
Li Youxi replied calmly, "Father, have you forgotten that the Yan family has fallen? Queen Wei had long ago drawn a line between them and the Yan family, and the two families divorced amicably. Wei Ziyan is now without a husband. She is no longer Queen Wei's daughter, and her name is no longer Wei Ziyan. She is Wei Tinglan, the Eighth Princess's half-sister."
Emperor Jingren seemed to be confused by these words, and stared at the silent woman beside his son.
"What... is going on?"
Just as Li Youxi was about to open his mouth to explain, a palace servant hurried in and prostrated himself, announcing, "Your Majesty, Fourth Prince, Lord Yu from the Ministry of Justice has an urgent matter concerning a wanted criminal."
Wei Ziyan understood what was going on and whispered, "Your Highness, please go. I will explain." She then stood up and knelt before Emperor Jingren again, saying, "I had no choice but to marry into the Yan family. I hope Your Majesty will allow me to explain everything."
Emperor Jingren watched her movements, then glanced at his worried son and waved his hand.
"Go ahead and let me hear what she has to say."
All the palace maids in the left and right halls were his people. Li Youxu hesitated for only a moment, saying, "Your son will be back soon" before leaving. However, Wei Ziyan later pleaded with Emperor Jingren to dismiss the palace maids on the grounds that they were involving royal secrets.
In the inner hall, there were only her and the emperor.
Wei Ziyan's heartbeat quickened involuntarily. She had to seize this brief moment of solitude to make His Majesty believe what she said.
"Your Majesty, I came here not for the position of Crown Princess, but to save Your Majesty." Wei Ziyan, who was kneeling on the ground, straightened her body. Although her tone was light, her speaking speed was fast.
"Has Your Majesty never wondered why he remained ill even after the poison was cured? Isn't it strange that Your Majesty hasn't seen the other princes or concubines since the coup? Has Your Majesty not realized that he is effectively imprisoned in Taiji Palace, unable to hear any sound from outside?"
After all, he was the king of a country. The expression on Emperor Jingren's face changed from the initial shock and anger due to "saving Your Majesty" to surprise and suspicion brought about by the words "house arrest".
It's not that he didn't have doubts, but he was confused every day, trapped in the resentment of being poisoned by his son, and was afraid to hear any related words from other people.
The poison corroded his body and also destroyed his lifelong ambition.
The imperial physician's helplessness had left him devastated, and he spent his days in self-pity, thinking, "I'll have to drag this broken body through the rest of my life." But today, the girl before him seemed prepared, ready to pull him back to a clear mind.
Emperor Jingren did not say anything, but just stared at the person on the ground and listened to her continue speaking.
"Your Majesty, do you remember that every year on my daughter's birthday, you always sent Eunuch Xu to bring me the imperial gift? I am grateful for your kindness, and I always believed that Eunuch Xu served you loyally. Eunuch Xu deceived everyone, and even on the day he willingly went to his death, he continued to deceive Your Majesty."
"Xu Shidao is still deceiving me even after his death?" Emperor Jingren couldn't help but laugh when he heard this.
That slave had deceived him for sixteen years! And he wouldn't let him go even after his death?
"Yes, he lied to Your Majesty, saying he poisoned her for the Empress and the Crown Prince. He was lying! His real purpose was for the Prince of Liao and the late Concubine Jin!"
All the words that Yan Qizhen had instructed were clearly spoken by Wei Ziyan.
"Xu Shidao was favored by Concubine Jin and entered the palace to assist her in plotting important events. After Concubine Jin was executed, Xu Shidao began to plan for the Fourth Prince's future."
"Your Majesty has exiled the Fourth Prince to the northern frontier, and Xu Shidao has come to serve Your Majesty closely. Your Majesty has always been in good health, with occasional headaches and fevers quickly passing. But since the King of Liao was granted the title of Marquis, he has been plagued by frequent illnesses, which have taken a long time to recover. Has Your Majesty ever considered why?"
"It's not that there's something wrong with your body, but Xu Shidao started to poison you."
Emperor Jingren's thin fingers were clasped around the armchair, and veins bulged on the back of his hands.
"At that time, the Crown Prince's investigation into the assassination had led him to the Prince of Liao. He intended to rush back to the capital before the truth was revealed, so he had Xu Shidao slowly poison the emperor, causing his majesty's health to deteriorate. The day the Crown Prince exposed him, he took advantage of his majesty's trust in Xu Shidao and staged a thief crying thief, framing the poisoning on the Crown Prince."
"Your Majesty, please understand! The Prince of Liao did all this not to usurp the crown prince's position, but to seize your majesty's throne! He did it to complete his mother's unfinished plan!"
Wei Ziyan finished speaking in one breath, nervously observing the emperor's reaction, fearing that he would shout "This is nonsense" and ask someone to drag her away.
Emperor Jingren clenched his teeth tightly, his eyes filled with fear, anger and sorrow.
"You...what you said, do you have any real evidence?"
It seems he still doesn't want to believe it.
"The emperor is suspicious and will not believe everything you say at once. Just make him doubt." Yan Qizhen's words echoed in her ears. Wei Ziyan calmed down and took out the sachet from her arms.
Qiu Luo packed one, but in front of He Yingqing she put away another. They looked exactly the same, but the pills inside were completely different.
"There are two antidotes in the sachet. Your Majesty must take them secretly and not mention them to anyone. Your Majesty must do everything possible to avoid taking the medicine brought by the palace maids. If Your Majesty believes the antidote is effective and believes what I have said, you may summon me to the palace for further discussion."
"The Imperial Guards are now under the control of the Fourth Prince, and the Taiji Palace is also his spies. If Your Majesty wishes to escape, do not confront the Fourth Prince, and do not spread the news to those around you."
Wei Ziyan stood up and stepped forward, offering the sachet. Emperor Jingren took it in his hands, a look of suspicion in his eyes: "Youxi wants to marry you as his concubine, and you actually risk death by exposing him in front of me?"
Wei Ziyan knelt on the ground again: "Your Majesty has bestowed upon us your grace. How can we stand by and watch Your Majesty in trouble?"
"you……"
Just as Emperor Jingren had uttered the words, hurried footsteps could be heard outside. Clearly someone had already rushed into the hall without receiving any notice.
Wei Ziyan hurriedly said the last sentence: "Your Majesty, just remember that my past is over. Now my new identity is Wei Tinglan, the second daughter of the Wei family, and I am in love with the Fourth Prince."
As soon as the low ending tone fell, Li Youxu's figure was reflected on the smooth floor.
"Why are you still kneeling?" Li Youxu's attention was instantly diverted as he was puzzled by the fact that all the palace servants had been dismissed and his thoughts were replaced by the next guess.
Emperor Jingren raised his head slightly, his deep gaze falling on the face of his son, whom he was now proud of.
He had actually forgotten that he once hated this face the most because those eyes looked so much like his mother's...
"Father?" Li Youxu sensed something was wrong, and the light in his eyes suddenly became sharp.
"Look at the Crown Princess you chose..." Emperor Jingren pointed at the person kneeling on the ground with an unfriendly tone. Wei Ziyan couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat on her back.
"...She can't say a word. If I say a word, she'll fall to her knees..."
Wei Ziyan: ...
"I'm tired, let's take her away."
When leaving Taiji Palace, Wei Ziyan's palms were wet and her face was uneasy after being frightened.
"Are you scared?" Li Youxu asked with a hint of concern, and Wei Ziyan nodded. In the previous scene, Li Youxu had thought she was being harassed by the emperor.
"Don't worry about your father, I will take care of it myself."
"Listen to the prince."
As they were talking, they unexpectedly met Prince Mu and his entourage. Prince Mu's face remained cold and indifferent, while Wei Tingzhou beside him saluted the Prince of Liao respectfully.
"Eighth Prince, brother." Wei Ziyan also bowed to the two of them. When she crossed her hands in front of her, she quietly made the number six with her right hand.
After a while, Wei Tingzhou left the palace and got on a carriage outside.
"How is it?" Having been waiting in the car for a long time, Yan Qizhen was already getting impatient.
"Don't worry," Wei Tingzhou made a six gesture to him, "Miss Wei should have made His Majesty suspect the King of Liao."
This gesture was agreed upon by Yan Qizheng in advance, signifying smooth sailing. If it had been a fist, it would have meant hitting a wall and requiring their help. In that case, he and the Eighth Prince would have had to follow a different plan.
Yan Qizhen suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, breathing slightly faster, showing that he had been very anxious and worried before.
"The antidote takes effect quickly, so we must hurry."
"Yes," Wei Tingzhou nodded in agreement, "The Eighth Prince wants us to take action tonight."
"good."
That night, Qingfeng Pavilion.
Minister of War Lu Qi responded to an invitation from his subordinates and went to a private room to drink, listen to music, and complain about Fang Jikai.
"Damn it! He lied to me and said he strongly recommended my daughter to be the Crown Princess. Bah! Who does he think he is? He can't even protect himself, how can he help me?"
Fang Jikai took leave and didn't come today, saying that he was recuperating at home. People who were well-informed had already spread the word privately that recuperation was fake and that he was under house arrest by the King of Liao.
Minister Lu's subordinates naturally echoed their superiors, lambasting the treacherous Fang from beginning to end. They even brought up earlier rumors that it was the Prince of Liao, not the Crown Prince, who had poisoned the emperor.
"You kid are trying to kill yourself!"
Even though Lu Qiyou was drunk, his mind was still on edge. He could curse Fang Jikai all he wanted, but he couldn't make up rumors about the Fourth Prince, or he'd get his tongue cut off!
The subordinate quickly admitted his mistake and punished himself, drank another cup, and the two of them stumbled downstairs and left. Lu Qiyou got on the carriage, reclining drunkenly and dozing off. As he was snoring, the carriage suddenly braked, throwing him to the ground.
Lu Qi was thrown awake, and just as he was about to start cursing, the curtain of the carriage was lifted, and a long knife with a cold gleam of light thrust into his neck. Lu Qi was startled, and immediately sobered up: "Who are you?"
The other person was dressed in dirty white clothes, with long hair hanging down and a sweat towel covering his face, revealing a pair of sharp eyes. It seemed familiar...
"Lu Shangshu, long time no see."
The voice was young and deep, coupled with the familiar eyes and the destitute appearance, a young man's name quickly popped up in Lu Qiyou's mind: "Yan, Yan Qizheng?"
Seeing that the other party did not deny it, Lu Qiyou quickly said: "I have no grudge against you, why are you doing this?"
"No grudges or hatred?" The masked man said coldly, "If you had sent troops to help us that day, the King of Liao would not have gained power, the Crown Prince would not have been imprisoned in the cold palace, and the poison in His Majesty would have been cured sooner..."
"No, no, no! I was delayed on the road that day and was not in the palace at all. How can I help you?"
The blade on his neck pressed tighter: "Didn't you delay intentionally?"
"Unjust! I encountered a thief on the way to the palace!"
"A thief? Like me?"
Just as Lu Qiyou finished protesting his injustice, the masked man sneered, raised his knife-wielding hand, and knocked him unconscious...
When he woke up again, Lu Qiyou was lying on a soft bed. However, the bed curtains looked unfamiliar and he didn't know where he was. Lu Qiyou suddenly sat up.
"Minister Lu was frightened."
A leisurely voice sounded. Lu Qiyou looked in the direction of the voice and suddenly took a breath.
"Eighth Prince." He hurriedly climbed off the bed and knelt down to pay his respects to the person sitting on it.
"Minister Lu, please stand up and speak."
Prince Mu was polite, but Lu Qi was not taking it lightly. His neck and head were still aching. The instigator was standing beside Prince Mu, having changed his clothes and tied up his long hair, resuming his appearance as Commandant Yan. At first glance, one might have mistaken the person next to him for the Crown Prince.
The former Crown Prince's personal guards stood with Prince Mu. Lu Qi sensed something was going on, but he didn't dare speak out. He stood respectfully with his head bowed. "I wonder what instructions the Eighth Prince has for me?"
"I 'invite' the Minister to come over. I do have a question that I would like an answer to." Li Zaidao still spoke in a gentle tone, but he deliberately emphasized the word "invite".
"If it happened again, would Minister Lu help the Crown Prince fight against the King of Liao?"
Despite his suspicions, Lu Qiyou couldn't help but tremble with fear upon hearing this. With the Prince's faction eliminated and Prince Mu without any power behind him, how could he overthrow the Prince of Liao? He might even face the death penalty, with his entire family exterminated and their property confiscated!
But he also realized that the two people in front of him were singing the same tune, and if he didn't respond tonight, he would most likely be dead.
"Minister Lu, you are a veteran of two dynasties. Don't you understand the current situation in the palace?" Seeing that he didn't dare to speak, Li Zaidao was not anxious.
"You can see the cruelty of the Liao King. Are you willing to let Your Majesty be forced to abdicate and assist such a ruthless emperor? Moreover, the Liao King also commands the Northern Frontier Army, and the generals who have served him for many years will surely be highly valued. Minister Lu must have heard in the court today that the Liao King has ordered him to return to the capital to report on his work."
Lu Qi couldn't help but be secretly surprised! Prince Mu didn't participate in government affairs, but the news spread so quickly. Could it be that there were still people of the prince in the court?
Li Zaidao ignored him and continued, "Given the Liao King's strength, he will surely firmly control the Ministry of War. Minister Lu, do you think the Liao King will trust you more, or his former subordinates?"
"Even if Minister Lu is willing to retire, how can we be sure that the King of Liao won't kill them all? Does Minister Lu still remember the fate of Qi Lique's entire family and Minister Wu's entire family?"
"On the contrary, Your Majesty and the Crown Prince have always trusted Minister Lu. Only by saving Your Majesty and the Crown Prince can Minister Lu rest assured in the future."
Li Zaidao's two sentences really hit the nail on the head for Lu Qi.
On the day of the coup, he encountered thieves on his way to the palace. It was likely someone deliberately delaying his entry. Now that he thought about it, wasn't it the powerful Liao King? It turned out he had been under his watch for a long time, and that King was wary of him.
Later, when the King of Liao came to power, Fang Jikai used the position of Crown Princess to get close to him. From this perspective, wasn't it also to temporarily stabilize his position as the Minister of War?
That person even dared to poison the emperor. When he is replaced by those people from the northern border in the future, there is no guarantee that he will not end up being wiped out.
The more Lu Qi thought about it, the more frightened he became. In panic, his eyes swept across the face of Yan Qi who was standing next to King Mu.
Compared to the ruthless and merciless Prince Liao, the Crown Prince is truly kind and benevolent. No wonder even though he is imprisoned in the cold palace today, his former subordinates are still desperately trying to save him.
If he had mobilized troops to help the prince's personal guards, perhaps the prisoner today would be the ambitious King of Liao.
"Your Highness..." Lu Qiyou suddenly realized a way out and knelt on the ground again. "I am willing to obey Your Highness's orders and fight against the King of Liao together."
September 16th, only three days away from King Mu’s wedding.
Time passed quickly and slowly, moment by moment. Wei Ziyan waited anxiously, and finally, on the third day after entering the palace, she received a summons from the emperor.
On the second day, Emperor Jingren actually felt a marked improvement in his health, and his mind was no longer as foggy as before. He did not show this to the palace servants, but continued to lie on the dragon couch, closing his eyes and recalling every event that had happened.
On the third day, he got out of bed, saying he wanted to go out for some fresh air. The palace servants persuaded him to stay in the outer hall, and the guards outside the gate also refused to let him leave Taiji Palace, citing the emperor's poor health.
Now, the servants dared to disobey the emperor's will and give him orders. Emperor Jingren suppressed his anger and "obediently" returned to his dragon bed, continuing to shrink into a sickly and weak emperor.
When the palace servant brought a new bowl of medicine, Emperor Jingren's eyes were as gloomy as water. He said calmly: "Let the King of Liao bring the princess here. I will reward you."
The palace servants went to tell the King of Liao that the Emperor had ordered several rare and precious items to be removed from his storehouse. Li Youxu's face showed a rare sense of relief. It seemed that his father had come to his senses and agreed to his marriage.
It was still the quiet and huge inner hall of Taiji Palace. Emperor Jingren stared at his ambitious son with a dark look, his tense cheeks revealing the sign of gritting his teeth.
"Your Majesty, I wish you a speedy recovery."
The soft voice made Emperor Jingren temporarily suppress his overwhelming hatred and shift his gaze to the smiling woman. She stood beside the ambitious man, seemingly in harmony with him, but in reality, she was plotting his death.
Ha! Emperor Jingren couldn't help but laugh.
Ten years of careful planning, ruined by the woman beside him? He couldn't wait for the day when retribution would come!
"Tinglan?" Emperor Jingren pronounced the name meaningfully. "It's a good name, too!"
"I've thought it through these past few days. It's rare that you and Youxi are in love with each other, and he's my 'best' son. I shouldn't harbor any grudges against you. Tell me, how do you want me to fulfill your wish?"
"Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your kindness."
Wei Ziyan showed a bit of joy on her face, and deliberately turned her head to exchange a smile with the King of Liao.
"Your Majesty, please grant me and Your Majesty a marriage on the same day as the Eighth Prince's wedding."
"Why do we have to wait until the day of my eighth brother's wedding to get the marriage?" Li Youxu immediately asked in a deep voice as he stepped out of Taiji Palace.
As soon as she made this request, Emperor Jingren agreed immediately, so he couldn't suggest postponing it.
"The Eighth Prince's wedding was an auspicious date calculated by the Imperial Astronomical Observatory. It's auspicious, and we can take advantage of the good fortune while we're there," Wei Ziyan explained softly. "Besides, I don't want to wait too long..."
She lowered her head slightly, and said the words "I don't want to wait too long" in an awkward manner, which made Li Youxu smile with relief.
"Then I will ask the Imperial Astronomical Observatory to calculate a good date as soon as possible."
On September 17th, with the royal wedding imminent, the capital of Liang was under martial law. Patrols crisscrossed the streets day and night, and inspections at the city gates became even stricter.
"The King of Liao has 30,000 imperial guards at his disposal, 10,000 in the palace and 20,000 in the city. Minister Lu only needs to mobilize 30,000 elite troops from the suburbs. Our men will take care of the city gates, and the 30,000 soldiers will be able to enter the city smoothly without any casualties."
In the secret room, several people gathered around the city defense map, their eyes following Yan Qizhen's hands and voice as they moved across it.
"After entering the city, the troops will split into two groups. Minister Lu will lead 20,000 men to intercept the imperial guards at these two locations, while I will lead 10,000 men to attack the palace from this route."
【Author’s words】
The last two chapters will be posted tomorrow.
As usual, one chapter at early morning and one chapter at noon.
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