Chapter 90 The Palace...
In the Wenhua Hall, the Crown Prince was discussing state affairs with his court officials.
In recent days, external troubles have been difficult to quell. The Tatars launched a surprise attack on the northern border, and Yutai Ridge has fallen. The enemy has torn a gap in the northern Great Wall and is advancing southward, directly threatening the Three Guards of Xuanfu. Once the Three Guards fall, the entire Xuanfu will be in grave danger, the capital will be threatened, and countless people will suffer terribly.
However, the primary cause of this defeat was actually an old incident. Since the downfall of the fourth prince, Yan Li, and his maternal relative, the Li family, the court was implicated in many ways, leading to instability.
The secret letter exchanged with Liaodong became the final straw that broke Yan Li's back, and also brought utter disaster upon Dou Pingge. After Dou Pingge was executed for treason, his subordinates and confidants were also implicated, either killed or demoted.
One of our trusted lieutenant generals fled overnight and defected to the Tatars. This lieutenant general had served under Dou Pingge in the Xuanfu Three Guards and was intimately familiar with the local situation. The Tatars, possessing accurate intelligence, caught our army completely off guard during their border raid.
The newly appointed Minister of War, Hong Jingchun, had a grave expression: "This morning, the General of Xuanfu urgently reported that the Tatars have led 50,000 troops south. Wanquan Left Guard has fallen, and the enemy has now crossed the Yang River and is fighting Wanquan Right Guard. Commander Zhang Ji and Defense Commander Liu Jing have been killed in battle. The enemy's invasion is fierce and swift, looting everything in their path. The soldiers are short of pay, and the people are displaced. Moreover, Xuanfu has recently experienced heavy snow and freezing temperatures, causing the soldiers and civilians to freeze and starve, and their morale is low."
Fifty thousand people.
Twenty years ago, the Tartars who invaded Xuanfu numbered only about 30,000. Not to mention that this year, many advantages have tilted in favor of the enemy.
The Crown Prince glanced down at the memorial beside him, his breath quickening as he asked, "Have the reinforcements from the various garrisons arrived at the front lines?"
"Your Highness, troops from Datong have already arrived to reinforce Xuanfu, but their strength is far from sufficient. Our army dares not launch an attack easily and can only hold the city and not engage in battle."
"As requested by Ren Lu, the Vice Minister of War, troops from Liaodong and Yansui should be dispatched to provide immediate assistance," the Crown Prince paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping across the map, "The distance from the capital to Xuanfu is over three hundred li. Could we first send troops from the capital garrison north to defend against the enemy?"
Yang Ren frowned and said, "Your Highness, please reconsider. The capital garrison guards the imperial city and protects the emperor's safety. They should not be mobilized lightly unless absolutely necessary."
The Crown Prince nodded silently, his expression still cold and stern, and then asked, "Who is currently in charge of the supplies in Xuanfu?"
"Your Highness, Right Councilor Chao Qian is in charge of supplying provisions in Xuanfu," Minister of Works Chen Xiu replied, adding, "I impeach Chao Qian for dereliction of duty. His ineffective supervision of provisions has hindered the movement of troops and delayed the battle. I request that the official in charge of supplying provisions be replaced to ensure the supply of provisions to the border."
"This matter cannot be taken lightly. Immediately suspend Chao Qian from his duties and investigate him." The Crown Prince decisively issued the order. To her right was a report from the border, its words clearly written. Although she had a general understanding of the situation, she feared that she was being confined to theoretical discussions within the capital, so she consulted many experienced senior officials.
The Crown Prince asked, "Mr. Chen, who do you think is capable of supervising the supply of provisions?"
“Supervising the supply of provisions is the sole responsibility of the Ministry of Revenue. I recommend Xia Li, the Vice Minister of Revenue.” After Chen Xiu finished speaking, he turned to look at Qian Mingyuan, the Minister of Revenue.
Qian Mingyuan immediately stated: "Vice Minister Xia once served as the Director of the Shanxi Provincial Administration Commission and was in charge of grain storage in Xuanfu and Datong. He has rich experience and I believe he is capable."
"Then Xia Li shall be in charge of supplying provisions to Xuanfu and shall take up his post immediately without delay. Furthermore, now that the army has been mobilized, the transportation of provisions is of paramount importance. To have sufficient troops, one must first have sufficient food. I hope the Ministry of Revenue will do its utmost." The Crown Prince glanced at the Minister of Revenue and spoke with great earnestness.
She knew in her heart that the Ministry of Revenue had long been plagued by problems, and the mess it had been in after Li Shih-huai's death hadn't even been cleaned up yet. Now, with the urgent war looming, it posed a severe challenge to the newly appointed Minister, Qian Mingyuan, with no room for retreat.
"Your subject will obey His Highness the Crown Prince's orders and will not fail in his duty!" Qian Mingyuan bowed to the Crown Prince at the head of the table, showing no disrespect despite the Emperor's absence.
"Tiancheng, Yanghe, Longmen and other places are poorly defended, so we need to take precautions in advance and send troops to garrison them..."
Before he could finish speaking, a member of the Imperial Guards appeared outside the hall, claiming to have an imperial edict to deliver. The Crown Prince rose, but a vague unease crept into his heart. Why wasn't it a eunuch from the Imperial Household Department delivering the decree?
Qiu Cong led a team of Imperial Guards, and the atmosphere in the hall immediately became heavy. Although the Embroidered Spring Blade was not drawn, its innate chilling killing intent could not be concealed.
The Crown Prince and his ministers knelt down, and Qiu Cong announced: "By His Majesty's decree, the Crown Prince shall be immediately confined to the Eastern Palace and shall not leave without an imperial edict."
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Zhaoyang Palace.
As soon as Madam Sun lifted a corner of the curtain, a gust of cold wind rushed in, stinging her eyes so much she could barely open them. She forced her head to turn away, pulled her cloak over herself, and only after steadying herself did she turn back to look outside.
A light snow fell in the north wind, and a thin layer of frost sparsely settled on the blue bricks of the ground. The pine trees were a somber, dark green, and the bare branches of the grasses and trees, having lost their leaves, trembled forlornly in the wind and snow. It was only desolate and cold, without a trace of the pristine white of snow.
She frowned as she listened to the message brought in by the palace servants: "Just confinement?"
"Yes, the Eastern Palace is completely surrounded by the Embroidered Uniform Guards. Rumors about the celestial phenomena are rampant, and all sorts of things are being said in private. The Crown Prince wanted to see His Majesty, but Commander Qiu refused, and now he can't even leave the Eastern Palace. Many people are saying..."
The palace maid paused, then lowered her voice: "Some people in the palace say that His Majesty's actions are to force the Crown Prince to commit suicide, in order to fulfill her filial duty."
Sun gave a light scoff.
Is the emperor reluctant to kill her?
Twenty years ago, when Empress Wenhui's unborn child threatened the state and the emperor's health, and the Empress Dowager ordered the infant girl to be smothered, he remained completely unmoved. Not to mention that later he personally issued an edict to execute two princes without even blinking an eye.
With internal and external troubles looming and the situation so critical, she didn't believe the emperor could easily show any compassion; he simply needed a crown prince to stabilize the court.
"What was the attitude of the court officials?"
"Your Majesty, many ministers went to the West Garden to plead for the Crown Prince, but His Majesty refused to see them, so Eunuch Lan sent them all back."
Sun unconsciously gripped the corner of the table with one hand, her eyes filled with a deep, dark light.
Over the years, the Crown Prince has indeed gained some prestige. Moreover, given the current situation, most people probably still hope for stability in the capital, so that the morale of the troops on the border can be stabilized.
But she insisted on making them believe that the present was no different from twenty years ago, and that as long as they made the same decision without hesitation, they could turn danger into safety.
However, she knew she couldn't act rashly at this moment, lest she alert the enemy. Yan Fei was still young, and nothing could go wrong with him. Besides, such bloodshed shouldn't be seen by a child.
"Oh, right, send someone to the East Palace to bring Shuying back," Madam Sun instructed, then added after a moment's thought, "If the Crown Prince refuses to release her, go to Yongning Palace."
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Even though the Imperial Astronomical Bureau's words have spread far and wide, the current situation does not allow rumors to continue to circulate.
Lan Huaien, discerning the Emperor's intentions, joined forces with the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Eastern Depot to swiftly suppress the rumors and the restless hearts of the people.
It was impossible to completely wipe him out, and silencing him was unrealistic. His gaze remained fixed on the court from beginning to end. He intervened almost effortlessly and naturally, disregarding everything else for the moment. His methods were like sharp blades, recklessly charging forward, attempting to intimidate everyone.
Yang Ren held firm in the cabinet, but the memorials from the officials piled up like a small mountain, and they argued fiercely whenever they met.
Every word seen and every sound heard puts pressure on the cabinet, and this also represents the feelings of the cabinet ministers.
Yang Ren requested an audience with the emperor multiple times and finally met him.
The emperor and his minister each had their own thoughts, and the two were locked in a stalemate, saying things they shouldn't have said. In the end, Yang Ren only had one sentence left: "With foreign enemies at hand, the foundation of the country cannot be shaken. I only hope that Your Majesty will reconsider."
The emperor rarely saw him so insistent on his own opinion, and he couldn't help but get angry: "You... what a bunch of loyal ministers! Seeing that I am ill, you can't wait to flatter the crown prince, regardless of whether I live or die!"
"Your Majesty is wise; we had no such intention. The border war is critical. If there is further unrest in the capital, and this reaches the border and causes the morale of the army to waver, wouldn't that give the Tatars an opportunity to take advantage of the situation?"
Yang Ren paused for a moment, then carefully presented the battle report from Xuanfu. He had only spoken a few words when the emperor raised his hand to interrupt him: "No need to say anything more, it's giving me a headache."
"Your Majesty..."
"Prime Minister, I know everything," the Emperor said in a deep voice, his expression slightly weary. "But I cannot disbelieve the words of the Imperial Observatory. Take this Tatar invasion for example. Ultimately, the traitor was Dou Pingge's subordinate. Dou Pingge's death was caused by Yan Li's premeditated treason, and the person who brought the poisoned wine to Fourth Prince was the Crown Prince."
"It is His Majesty's decree to execute the Fourth Prince."
"In any case, there is some cause and effect involved." The emperor turned his face away, his tone somewhat unreasonable.
Even Yang Ren didn't know how to respond to this. He stood there, hesitating for a long time, and swallowed back the question he was about to ask: "How is the unborn girl from twenty years ago connected with the war in the North?"
Since the emperor has already said so, he will surely find other reasons. Why should he offend the emperor and cause trouble for himself?
"Your Majesty's confinement of the Crown Prince is tantamount to announcing to the world that you have believed the Imperial Observatory's words. Rumors have already circulated that 'as long as the Crown Prince lives, war will not cease,' and even more unbearable discussions abound. Does Your Majesty intend for the entire world to know that you despise the Crown Prince so much that you are using astronomical omens to punish her during a time of national crisis? Furthermore, some will say that Your Majesty has violated moral principles, is unkind and distant, disregards the foundation of the nation, and disregards the well-being of the country..."
"I..." The emperor choked, reaching for a handkerchief to wipe the cold sweat from his brow. He felt lightheaded, his voice barely audible. "Si Cun, I'm younger than you. I want to live another twenty years. Give me twenty years, and I will, I will..."
What exactly is certain?
When he was still the Crown Prince, he vowed to reclaim the area south of the Onon River from the Tatars. But more than twenty years have passed, and the farthest he has traveled north is Juyong Pass, and all his martial arts skills have been worn away by time.
Yang Ren, believing the emperor remained obstinate, continued his incessant attempts to persuade him: "The border..."
"Alright!" The emperor snapped out of his daze, feeling a splitting headache, and suddenly ordered, "I will move back to the Qianqing Palace in the Forbidden City as soon as possible. As for the Crown Prince..."
Before he could finish speaking, Lan Huaien's voice suddenly came from outside: "Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince has sent a letter through a eunuch."
.
Yan Chao frowned deeply as he looked at the map before him, a summary of the border battle reports from the past few days lying beside him. Some reinforcements had arrived at the front lines, but our army was still suffering repeated defeats.
She clutched the paperweight in her hand, her thoughts shifting from the war to the palace.
It is hateful that at this time, some people are taking advantage of the situation to cause trouble and intend to kill her, not knowing that they are also disregarding the safety of the capital and the court.
Just then, Liang Lu came in and reported that several officials outside the East Palace had requested an audience and had clashed with the guards.
“At this point, how can we disobey the imperial decree? Wouldn’t that only make things more chaotic? Liang Lu, go out and tell them to go back. Tell them that I will soon reach a decision here. Right now, the most urgent task is to defend the border against the enemy. We don’t need to pay attention to the Crown Prince.”
"Yes," Liang Lu replied, but did not leave. After hesitating for a moment, he asked again, "Should we inform everyone that His Highness has requested to leave the capital?"
Yan Chao shook his head: "No need. If you were to spread these words, how would that be any different from rumors that I would commit suicide? In any case, the most important thing right now is to minimize the conflicts and contradictions in the court and unite against external forces."
Seeing that she had a plan, Liang Lu said no more.
The officials blocking the entrance to the Eastern Palace were led by He Shu and were mostly subordinates of the Eastern Palace. Their original intention in arguing with the guards was to see the Crown Prince, but now that Liang Lu had made the Crown Prince's attitude clear, they had no reason to persist and had to leave dejectedly.
Yan Chao knew that her confinement would make some people restless, and she even wanted to use this opportunity to lure out the snakes. Therefore, she ordered people to keep a close watch on all parts of the East Palace, and the strict guards just happened to provide convenience for this.
Unexpectedly, it was one of their own people who first slipped up.
Chi Rong used a lot of effort to tie Xiao Jiu up and drag her to Yan Chao. By the time he did, he had several bloody scratches on his face and hands.
Xiao Jiu was both ashamed and angry, and angrily scolded him: "...You ungrateful wretch! I saved you from the brink of death back then, and this is how you treat me now?"
Chi Rong snorted coldly, his round face revealing no emotion. He was indignant, but in front of the Crown Prince, he only dared to mutter resentfully, "Who knows who the ungrateful one is! His Highness trusted you so much, yet you dared to poison him..."
Yan Chao raised his hand to signal him to be quiet, then calmly instructed, "Chi Rong, go and treat your wounds first. Liang Lu, stay here. The rest of you, leave."
The hall fell silent. Liang Lu also knelt on the ground, glanced at Xiao Jiu who was bound hand and foot beside him, gritted his teeth inwardly, filled with shock and hatred.
Xiao Jiu lowered his head, his hands aching from being bound by ropes. He closed his eyes and, before Yan Chao could ask, confessed, "I poisoned him. I wanted to use the rumors to create the illusion that His Highness had committed suicide..."
Before he could finish speaking, a loud crash was heard as the steaming bowl of porridge on the table was overturned and shattered on the floor, splashing porridge and its contents everywhere.
Xiao Jiu instinctively closed his eyes, but the splattered juice on his face stung like needles. Suddenly, his face felt hot, and he shuddered.
Seeing that she was angry, Liang Lu first advised, "Your Highness, please calm down."
Yan Chao ignored her and coldly glanced at Xiao Jiu: "I gave you a chance."
Xiao Jiu raised her head, her eyes red and brimming with tears. Her lips trembled as she said, "My sister died a couple of days ago... If it weren't for Your Highness, the Meng family would never have been destroyed! My sister had only been married into the Meng family for a year when Grand Tutor Meng was imprisoned and died unjustly. Later, Meng Tingke was dismissed from his post and exiled, dying on the way. My brother-in-law, Meng Tingsong, was implicated and demoted, and was ostracized everywhere. My sister was already in poor health, and she was overworked from traveling around. The news of her death only reached the capital a few days ago."
"Your Highness, Grand Tutor Meng is your mentor, and the entire Meng family are loyal to the Crown Prince. Why did they have to end up like this? Don't you feel ashamed?" He cried out, his words filled with anguish.
Liang Lu suddenly turned to the side and slapped him hard across the face, making his hand go numb.
He glared at Xiao Jiu, shaking his head in utter disappointment: "Don't you know why the Meng family suffered such a fate? During that time, His Highness ordered you to investigate the Fourth Prince. Don't you know how many secrets were hidden behind that? Don't you know who harmed the Eastern Palace and who harmed the Meng family? You wavered, nearly falling into the traps of Zhaoyang Palace time and again, bewitched by a woman, and even had close ties with Sun's people. Betrayal and alienation were your faults, ingratitude and treachery were yours. Now you've even poisoned him, yet you turn around and blame His Highness? Xiao Jiu, His Highness has tolerated you many times, out of consideration for our years of master-servant relationship, waiting for you to turn back. But you have disappointed His Highness greatly."
Xiao Jiu's tears finally streamed down her face, but she stubbornly turned her head away: "Everyone who followed you ended up badly. Han Yu, Meng Huai, Shen Wei... His Majesty disliked you, and the Crown Prince's faction was also framed and killed unjustly. Even your wet nurse, Ying Mama, was expelled from the palace under the pretense of faking her death. How could my fate be any better? When I was poisoning him, I was thinking, if it were really as rumored, and Your Highness committed suicide to fulfill your filial duty, perhaps..."
"Xiao Jiu!" Liang Lu roared in anger, sternly stopping him.
The charcoal fire in the brazier in the hall burned brightly, crackling softly a few times, and the gentle warmth surged forth, seemingly even fueling the anger in one's heart.
Liang Lu suppressed his impulse and did not make a move. He turned his head and was about to speak when he heard Yan Chao chuckle very softly.
"If that's how you think, then I can't let you live any longer."
She made a clean break, refusing to mention their past relationship again.
I was too lazy to explain to him. Explaining would be futile anyway.
Yan Chao's eyes were as deep as an icy pool as he coldly ordered, "Take him away. If he's dead, throw him out of the palace. There's no need for him to come back to me."
Liang Lu paused for a moment, lowered his head to hide his expression, bowed tremblingly, and replied, "Yes."
That's Xiao Jiu...
When he first arrived at the East Palace, he was lively and playful, knew some martial arts, and his pride was written all over his face. He seemed like an extremely unsteady person, but he was actually meticulous and capable.
He kept nagging and giving pointers, gradually pulling Xiao Jiu up and pointing him in the right direction. Little did he know, this would almost lead to disaster.
Oh well, it's his fault for misjudging me.
When people came to Zhaoyang Palace to take Shuying away, Yan Chao had no objections. Xu Shuying was dispensable to the Eastern Palace, and keeping her around would only pose a threat, so he simply let her go.
After packing her things, Shuying looked around before leaving and whispered, "Where's Eunuch Xiao Jiu?"
But no one answered.
She lowered her eyelashes; he hadn't come to see her off today. Shuying stood there, feeling that she might really never see him again, and her heart sank deeper and deeper. Finally, she adjusted the bundle on her shoulder and left the East Palace without looking back.
Author's Note: I'm back! This chapter has been revised, please take a look again!
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