Chapter 79 The Rising Sun Today was just another ordinary day.
The Imperial Eunuch, holding a lantern in one hand and the reins in the other, urged the little donkey to run faster.
Today is the first day of the new year, and all officials of the ninth rank and above in the capital are required to attend the grand court assembly. The official in charge of rites, whose home is in a suburban county near the capital, feared being late and incurring a penalty for missing the assembly, so he set off early.
The little donkey was stubborn, and the night road was difficult to travel. Every two steps, Zhili Lang had to coax it. With such a hurried pace, it finally arrived at the city gate just as the drum of the opening ceremony was finished.
A queue had already formed in front of the city gate. Merchants who had missed the entry time waited outside the city overnight to be the first to enter this morning.
The soldier who came to exchange his duty yawned, patted his face to clear his head, and began to check the travel permits and goods of people entering the city by the light of the lantern.
Sounds gradually rose from the houses in each neighborhood. People who were reluctant to spend money on lamp oil used the daylight to fetch water to cook, while officials living in the south of the city got up to wash and prepare for court.
Although the lights were still on near the imperial city, it remained quiet. It was still dark. Being close to the imperial city, one could sleep a little longer even if one had to attend court.
Jireiro drove his little donkey along Zhuque Avenue. Food vendors were waiting at the gates of the city early in the morning, and as soon as the gates opened, they pushed their wooden carts toward the various gates of the imperial city.
Jireiro was stopped by a sesame seed cake vendor outside the Suzaku Gate. The freshly baked sesame seed cakes were steaming hot and gave off a wonderful aroma. Jireiro swallowed hard, seemingly already tasting the crispy crust and chewy interior of the sesame seed cakes.
He patted his empty stomach, jumped off the donkey, bought two sesame cakes and wrapped them in his arms. Since it wasn't time for the palace gates to open yet, he might as well find a corner to fill his stomach first.
The official in charge of etiquette arrived early. Outside Chengtian Gate, there were two court halls for early-arriving officials to rest and wait. The official in charge of etiquette was only a minor official of the ninth rank and was not yet old. He felt it was inappropriate to wait in the court hall, so he led his little donkey along the palace wall, found a corner with his back to the street and facing the corner, broke off a small piece of sesame cake and stuffed it into his mouth.
One after another, officials arrived at Chengtian Gate. Most of these officials were minor officials living in the surrounding counties of Beijing, who came early for fear of being late. They dared not make a sound or communicate, and could only wait outside the gate in twos and threes, occasionally exchanging a few very low and soft conversations.
A sedan chair entered through Anfu Gate and slowly proceeded to Chengtian Gate.
"Lord Qiao." The waiting officials bowed in greeting, and the official in charge of etiquette hurriedly stuffed the half-eaten sesame cake back into his pocket, straightened his clothes, and ran over to pay his respects.
The horse-drawn carriage was bumpy and the oxcart was heavy, so Qiao Xiang often used a sedan chair or palanquin to travel back and forth. After all, he was old and didn't care if people laughed at him for "riding in a sedan chair and acting like a woman."
As Prime Minister Qiao got up and stepped out of the sedan chair, about to enter the court to rest, a person stumbled and ran across the street.
Prime Minister Qiao initially thought the man was an official coming to court and didn't intend to pay him any attention. However, upon glancing over, he noticed that the man's clothes were covered in mud and dust, and he couldn't help but shout, "Who is running around on the Imperial Street?"
Cen Zhonglang was completely flustered when he heard the reprimand and realized that many officials had gathered at the palace gates, waiting to enter. An elderly man with gray hair stood alone among the officials, as pure as a wild crane and as proud as a solitary pine.
Cen Zhonglang almost burst into tears. He staggered to Prime Minister Qiao's side and cried out "Prime Minister Qiao" with fear and sorrow.
Prime Minister Qiao frowned and advised in a gentle voice, "Why don't you go home and change your clothes? Do you really want to go to see the Emperor like this?"
Cen Zhonglang gripped Qiao Xiang's sleeve as if it were a lifeline, his fingertips trembling: "The traitors are plotting rebellion, the Emperor is in grave danger."
The crowd gasped in disbelief. Prime Minister Qiao grabbed Cen Zhonglang's wrist, his eyes flashing with a fierce light: "Really?"
Before Cen Zhonglang could answer, Qiao Xiang gleaned the answer from his expression. "When?" he asked again.
"At present," Cen Zhonglang guessed. The eunuch refused to say anything, and he and Li Tan had no way of knowing what had happened that night. Li Tan kept the left guard from moving, but how could Cen Zhonglang feel at ease waiting in vain? So he took advantage of Li Tan's inattention and sneaked out to wander around in front of the palace gate, hoping to get some information.
Prime Minister Qiao's expression changed drastically, and he immediately raised the fish-shaped tally and knocked on the door. He called several times, but no one answered. Even the gatekeepers who usually stood guard in front of Chengtian Gate were not there today. The Imperial Street was quiet, with only Prime Minister Qiao's knocking echoing.
Cen Zhonglang ran to Chang Le Gate and knocked on the door, but there was no response. The Right Guard had clearly been heading towards Chang Le Gate before, but now there was only a deathly silence at Chang Le Gate.
The sky gradually brightened.
A gaunt man, around fifty years old, slowly approached carrying a roll of cloth; the faded white robes seemed to hang on his withered body.
Hundreds of officials, both high and low, had gathered in front of Chengtian Gate. The time for the palace gates to open had long passed, yet the gates remained tightly shut. News of the palace coup had spread like wildfire, but Prime Minister Qiao refused to give up and continued to seek various ways to enter the palace.
Some timid officials, not wanting to get involved in the mess but unable to leave under the watchful eyes of the crowd, were trying to slip away from the crowd.
"Ouch!" An official bumped into the withered-branch-like man.
The man stumbled from the impact, his eyes not even blinking, staring blankly at Chengtian Gate as he walked forward, one step at a time.
He shoved aside the second official who was blocking his way.
"You..."
The complaints abruptly ceased, and everyone turned to look at the man who appeared to have been dumped from a coffin. Some officials standing in front of Chengtian Gate consciously stepped aside to make way for him, fearing they might be tainted by the aura of a wandering ghost emanating from him.
He stopped before Chengtian Gate, slowly unfurled the scroll he carried on the ground, stood solemnly, and proclaimed: "I am a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) of the 21st year of Jianwu (1568), and once served as a registrar in the Crown Prince's Office. I now impeach the current emperor for plotting to murder the Crown Prince, forging an imperial edict to succeed to the throne, executing princes and vassals, accusing Prince Shu and falsely accusing Prince Xu, disrespecting relatives, and committing adultery with his siblings. Furthermore, he has humiliated the gentry, poisoned the good and virtuous, forced the loyal to commit murder, and indulged the maternal relatives, completely changing the laws established by Emperor Taizu, and entrusting all political affairs to powerful and treacherous officials. He has instigated great wars, causing widespread resentment and chaos, and has swept through military camps. Floods, droughts, and plagues have continued year after year. Despite these many changes, he indulges in revelry. Although I am far from the court, I am deeply grateful for the Emperor's grace and cannot bear to see the empire of Emperor Taizu destroyed in an instant. Therefore, I respectfully submit this memorial to express my will."
He then bowed forward and touched the Chengtian Gate, dying instantly.
A burst of blood erupted from the vermilion palace gate, and a piece of withered wood floated lightly to the ground, accompanied by gasps of surprise.
“A corpse offering a silent remonstrance…” a young official muttered to himself. After being glanced at by his superior, he shrank back and fell silent, but his eyes kept looking at the blood-stained palace gate, a hint of excitement in them.
Seeing that his superior was no longer paying attention to him, he crouched down and squeezed forward. This was an unprecedented act of remonstrance since the founding of the dynasty, an impeachment of the emperor for immorality, disregard for etiquette, and violation of human relations. Which civil or military official was not astonished? If they hadn't been at the palace gate, they would have been discussing it extensively.
He finally squeezed to the white cloth that the man who had died remonstrating had placed on the ground and peered through the gaps in the crowd.
The white cloth was covered with words written in blood, accusing the current emperor of plotting to murder the Prince of Jin, framing the Prince of Jing, and coercing the founding emperor to order the retired emperor to ascend the throne without an imperial edict.
Above the blood-written letter was an imperial edict of investiture, stamped with the seal of the Secretariat-Chancellery.
"The position of Crown Prince is of paramount importance, as it secures the imperial lineage. A virtuous and capable ruler is essential for the stability of the nation. The Prince of Jin, Huai Xi, the Governor of Bingzhou and Acting Governor of Hedong Circuit, is from a prominent family, possesses exceptional talent and wisdom, is benevolent and filial, and is kind and gentle… He is deemed suitable to be established as Crown Prince. The relevant authorities shall prepare the necessary rites and issue the imperial decree in due course."
This is the imperial edict establishing the Prince of Jin as the Crown Prince! Could it be that what is written in blood is true?
Fu Sui breathed a sigh of relief when he learned that the people surrounding Yue Shanling's house had dispersed when the gate was opened. Regardless of why these people were besieging Yue Shanling, at least the mastermind behind it wouldn't take his life for the time being.
However, the rumors circulating among the people that Consort Feng was plotting a rebellion left Fu Sui completely baffled. Consort Feng had no soldiers under her command, so where did she get the confidence to rebel? It seemed that Fu Sui himself would have a higher chance of succeeding in usurping the throne than Consort Feng's rebellion.
The eldest prince is the eldest, the second prince has the Zheng family, but what does the fourth prince have? A notorious maternal family? Even if Consort Feng has connections with the Wang family, why would the Wang family insist on choosing the fourth prince? Even choosing the third prince would be better than choosing the fourth prince to silence public opinion. Feng Man and Feng Xianyi are still in jail.
Although she had doubts, she was no longer nervous. After considering all the possible scenarios, Fu Sui felt that no matter what, the Wang family could not drag her into this matter. As long as the world did not change its surname, her life would not be too difficult. For now, she just needed to stay in the mansion and wait for the result.
When Cheng Liwu entered, Fu Sui was lying back in a chair with his legs propped up on the armrests, while Qin An laid out a complete set of tea utensils and used a small stone mill to grind tea.
Before Cheng Liwu could speak, Qin An asked, "Is he dead?"
Cheng Liwu glanced at Qin An's expectant gaze, then at Fu Sui, who was slumped in his chair like a dead fish, and asked somewhat blankly, "Who died?"
"The Emperor, huh?" Qin An rolled his eyes at Cheng Liwu, who couldn't even grasp this.
Whenever Cheng Liwu felt he was no longer shocked by any outrageous words, Qin An would always shatter his illusions. He would even subconsciously look around to see if anyone was eavesdropping.
"I don't know," Cheng Liwu replied in a low voice, as if he were a thief.
Qin An snorted in disappointment, while Fu Sui remained motionless in a very uncomfortable contorted position.
Cheng Liwu was much more reliable than Qin An. Even after being interrupted by Qin An, he did not forget the purpose of his visit. He reported the situation to Fu Sui as concisely as possible: "A man claiming to have been an official of the Eastern Palace remonstrated with the Emperor at Chengtian Gate, accusing the current Emperor of plotting to murder the Crown Prince and forging an imperial edict to succeed to the throne. He also produced the edict appointing the Prince of Jin as Crown Prince."
Before he could finish speaking, Fu Sui jumped up in a start: "What are you taking out?"
"Edict establishing the Prince of Jin as Crown Prince".
Fu Sui pressed down on the edge of the table and stood up from the chair. His father had not taken that imperial edict to Bingzhou back then. Logically, it should have been in the hands of the retired emperor or the current emperor. But now it had fallen into the hands of outsiders and was even taken to Chengtian Gate and placed in full view of everyone on the day of the Grand Court Assembly.
When exactly did this edict leak out? Was it when the Prince of Jin left the capital and the Prince of Jing clashed with the Emperor Emeritus? Or was it when the Prince of Jin died suddenly and the Emperor Taizu was furious? It turns out that her good cousin had never changed; on his chessboard, even he himself was just a pawn.
The edict establishing the Prince of Jin as Crown Prince—these eight short words instantly brought tears to Qin An's eyes. Without a word, he stood up and headed out.
"Where are you going?" Fu Sui shouted.
Qin An's voice was choked with emotion. He tried his best to calm the surging emotions that threatened to drown him, and said softly, "I'll go take a look."
"What are you looking at!" Fu Sui rebuked mercilessly. "You are a former official of the Prince of Jin. Isn't it enough to cause chaos by showing up now?"
They murdered the crown prince and forged an imperial edict to seize the throne, all to force the emperor to abdicate. They wanted to usurp the throne while also adhering to propriety—trying to have their cake and eat it too.
It's all connected now. The broken incense before the spirit tablet of Emperor Taizu, the stone tablet at Baiqu, the strange phenomenon of the Awakening of Insects—no wonder all these events are inextricably linked to Prince Jin, and they all seem to be related to this edict.
That's right. The Wang family has been usurping power for many years. Only by making them feel completely secure can we force them to take a desperate gamble. Without this imperial edict, this palace coup might not have happened.
It's a pity for Prince Jin. Once the imperial edict was issued, the cause of his death became an excuse for attack, allowing people to distort the truth. Who would care about the truth anymore?
Including the year of birth.
She braced her hands on the edge of the table, her shoulders trembling, and an uncontrollable laugh escaped her throat. If that's how it is, then she would bury the truth herself.
The Chengtian Gate was finally opened.
Xu Asheng, holding an object in his hands, stepped over the emaciated figures lying prostrate on the ground and stood before the officials. Several eunuchs behind him stepped forward, rolled up the edict written in blood, held it above their heads with both hands, and bowed deeply as they delivered it into the palace.
Some people in the crowd frowned and stared, while others exchanged glances. Still others quietly retreated, intending to escape.
Aside from the previously prepared and disseminated news, there was no further news after the palace incident. It was initially thought that the emperor was too busy to take care of himself, but now that Xu Asheng has opened the palace gates, it means that Zheng Zhai has probably failed.
Xu Asheng glanced at the figures moving back in the crowd and said in a loud voice, "The Sage knows that you gentlemen have doubts, so he specially ordered me to read something. You can judge for yourselves what is right and what is wrong after listening."
Xu Asheng unfolded the old but well-preserved paper in his hand and read it aloud, word by word.
"Your subject Huaixi bows and pays homage to Your Majesty the Emperor. I humbly beseech Your Majesty to inherit the Mandate of Heaven, to rule over the eight directions, and whose grace is as vast as the sea. I am young and have been deeply favored by Your Majesty. I have long obeyed Your Majesty's decrees, but I am caught in a dilemma and am filled with fear and trepidation."
"...The Duke of Zhou established the rites, with the eldest son of the legitimate wife inheriting the lineage, which has remained unchanged for ten thousand generations. Now the Crown Prince is benevolent and filial, and is respected both inside and outside the court. If I were to abolish this, people would probably criticize Your Majesty for substituting personal affection for public righteousness."
"...In the past, Bo Yi and Shu Qi abdicated their thrones, and their righteousness moved people for thousands of years. Although I am but a mediocre person, I admire their lofty righteousness and wish to follow in their footsteps."
"...I only wish that Your Majesty would take pity on my foolish sincerity, reduce my imperial status, and allow me to remain in my fiefdom, study and cultivate my mind, and serve Your Majesty in guarding the land for a long time."
After reading it, he held the paper up high and turned it to the civil and military officials: "Do any of you still have any questions?"
It was also because Zhili Lang was in a good position. As a minor official, he wouldn't normally be able to stand at the front, but a few people wanted to sneak away and made room for him. Then, some people wanted to get closer to take a closer look, and he was unwittingly pushed to the front by the crowd.
He clutched the sesame cake in his arms to prevent it from falling, and peeked out with the others. What was written on the paper was exactly the same as what Xu Asheng had read, except for an additional imperial comment in red ink at the end.
The official in charge of etiquette, whose eyesight was not very good, squinted and carefully discerned: "The blossoms of the pear tree are truly magnificent. Among all people today, none are like brothers. Seeing that my son is indeed like this, I am greatly comforted. The eldest son oversees the country with the way of Yao and Shun, while the youngest son guards the land with the style of Bo Qin. This is not only my good fortune, but also the blessing of the ancestral temple and the hope of the people. I only wish that this heart will always be maintained, and that harmony and unity will be unparalleled, so that history can record this."
Xu Asheng placed the letter in his hand on the red lacquered tray held by the young eunuch, and opened another letter on the tray to the officials.
Minister Zheng stood directly opposite Xu Asheng and immediately recognized it as Emperor Taizu's handwriting. It was an edict from Emperor Taizu to the Retired Emperor, written casually and addressed with great intimacy, more like a letter from a father to his son. However, its content was enough to cause a great uproar in the court.
The edict first stated that Emperor Taizu was aware that the Prince of Jin had left the edict in the Eastern Palace, and questioned why the Eastern Palace had not reported this. Then, it changed its tone, saying that although the edict had been stamped, it had not yet been proclaimed, so it was therefore invalid and left in the Eastern Palace for the Eastern Palace to handle as it saw fit. The matter of deposing the heir apparent and establishing a new one would not be discussed again, and the Crown Prince was to be mindful of his actions. Finally, it mentioned the Prince of Jin, stating that the land of Hedong would be jointly governed by the Prince of Jin and the Emperor, and that the affairs of Bingzhou would be decided by the Prince of Jin himself.
Minister Zheng frowned in disapproval. "How can a prince and the emperor rule together? It's bound to cause trouble." He continued, "While Emperor Taizu's actions were inappropriate, they demonstrate that the retired emperor's succession as crown prince was perfectly in accordance with propriety. The so-called false edict of succession is clearly a slander."
Minister Zheng glanced sideways at the whispering crowd behind him. Since the Prince of Jin had never truly become the Crown Prince, the charge of plotting to murder the heir apparent was invalid. As for whether His Majesty had actually harmed the Prince of Jin, it was merely a family matter unrelated to the stability of the empire.
Jireiro's hand pressed tightly against his clothes, whether to cover his sesame cake or his wildly beating heart, it was hard to tell.
Xu Asheng slowly folded the secret letter back to its original state. Behind him, several gate guards splashed water on Chengtian Gate, making the gate appear vividly red, indistinguishable from flowing blood.
In a short while, the area in front of Chengtian Gate was swept clean, as if no one had ever lay dead there.
"Gentlemen, please proceed, lest you be late for court." Xu Asheng stepped to the side of the door, smiling at the officials.
Minister Zheng straightened his robes and took the first step, just as Prime Minister Qiao stepped forward. Minister Zheng immediately extended his hand with a beaming smile: "Please, Prime Minister Qiao."
Prime Minister Qiao gestured for Minister Zheng to accompany him, and the two entered Chengtian Gate side by side.
One by one, the officials who had been gathered in front of the palace gate stepped forward and entered Chengtian Gate, and gradually more and more people followed.
No one mentioned the unusual events of this morning anymore, as if today was just another ordinary day among the many routine grand court meetings.
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