Chapter 83 In the end, the ruler and his ministers were at odds, and the mirror shattered...
Marquis Wu'an has rebelled!
The military report arrived in the capital with great urgency. Emperor Jinghui was furious and immediately dispatched troops to the west to suppress the rebellion.
For several days in a row, the morning court was completely silent. In the Ganyang Hall, only Emperor Jinghui's roars could be heard echoing.
As the Minister of War, Lord Wei felt like he was going to a funeral every day, and he didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
He never dreamed that the Marquis of Wu'an, who had been chatting and laughing with him just a few months ago, would become a traitor in the blink of an eye.
The thought that Marquis Wu'an had toasted him earlier and asked him to be more accommodating in matters of military supplies made Lord Wei wish he could just hang himself at home with a noodle.
Whether the Crown Prince died from an accidental fire or from arson is no longer important. Without a doubt, the Marquis of Wu'an's rebellion was entirely caused by his wife.
Even more shockingly, the Marquis of Wu'an not only showed no remorse for his rebellion, but even issued a proclamation to announce it to the world, which was circulated throughout the country. And the author of this proclamation was none other than the Marquis of Wu'an's wife, who had nearly committed suicide.
She looks so gentle and delicate, how... how could she write such words!
Lord Wei read it secretly. Although the content of the proclamation was treasonous, it was written with great literary talent and was full of passion, much like his father in his prime.
His father... his father is now imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison.
Lou Shu, dressed in a greyish-white prison uniform, sat alone in his cell. Three sides were walls, and only one side offered a view of the guards' passageway, where torches burned, casting a dim light.
Lou Shu had never lived in such a dark and damp place in his life. As he got older and wore less clothing, his bones often ached.
A figure appeared in the corridor.
Lou Shu raised his head, rose and knelt without changing his expression, and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I, Lou Shu, pay my respects."
"Lou Qing, oh Lou Qing," Emperor Jinghui said softly, standing with his hands behind his back, "still unwilling to explain where the others went?"
"This humble subject truly knows nothing," Lou Shu said, prostrating himself on the ground. "My eldest son serves as an official in Yutian County and rarely returns to the city. My second son recently suffered from a cold that was difficult to cure, so my wife took him and our youngest daughter to a temple to ward off evil. Since then, they have not returned to the mansion. I truly do not know where they have gone."
Emperor Jinghui closed his eyes.
He has been in a state of utter chaos for the past three months.
He already knew perfectly well that Su Jun would never choose him again, but he was unwilling to watch that scoundrel Liang Ji jump around and put on some ridiculous gentlemanly act in an attempt to win her favor.
So he deliberately set a trap.
He didn't force him; it was that bastard who couldn't control himself and was about to jump into the police station.
As the emperor, he wanted to kill the crown prince, but everyone thought he was delirious. So why not let Marquis Wu'an vent his anger and let that bastard suffer a bit and face reality?
The officials who witnessed everything dared not speak of it; it was his men who spread the news of that night. He had actually intended to use this incident to punish the Crown Prince, but he never expected that Su Jun would hang himself.
The moment he heard the news, he felt a chill run through him and instantly regretted his actions.
In her past life, Su Jun suffered greatly, caught between the father and son. In this life, will she die with resentment because of their struggle?
He shouldn't have done that! He was blinded by hatred and sacrificed her dignity, almost pushing her to her death!
Whether her suicide was genuine or a performance with Marquis Wu'an is no longer important.
It wasn't until that moment that Emperor Jinghui realized that he was more afraid of watching her die before his eyes than of losing her.
He confined the crown prince to his quarters but spared her.
However, as the emperor, he could spare her, but he could not spare her husband in the same way.
More accurately, he dared not let her husband off so easily.
Marquis Wu'an, Li Pan, was well understood by Emperor Jinghui because he disliked power struggles and was a very easy person to understand. As long as he was pleased, he could become the most valiant general of the Great Yue. As for how to please him, it was very simple: ensure he had enough to eat and wear and sufficient military supplies, that was all, and he didn't even have any further ambitions.
Emperor Jinghui was always very satisfied with him.
Until he became Lou Xueying's husband.
Things gradually spiraled out of Emperor Jinghui's control.
When Li Pan knelt before him with Su Jun's last letter, seemingly pleading but actually coercing him to agree to their return to the Northwest, he clearly sensed that this Marquis of Wu'an, whom he had once relied on so deeply, had changed.
The way he looked at him was like that of a wolf—patient, lurking, and fierce.
He felt that his throne was in grave danger and his empire was about to collapse.
But the most urgent matter was dealing with the crown prince, so he eventually released the couple and allowed them to return to the Northwest.
The prince was confined to his quarters, and despite his considerable efforts, he was unable to kill him quietly—clearly, this beast was prepared.
The reason why they didn't take direct action and wanted to stage an accident was because the Empress's father had once been in charge of the Right Jinwu Guard, and half of the palace police were under his family's control. If they were to take action against his family without authorization, and were pushed too far, they might retaliate, which would be bad for him.
But as time went by, the confinement would eventually end, and he couldn't wait any longer.
So he ordered his men to take action. Under the cover of night, a group of men broke into the Crown Prince's bedchamber, forcibly administered poison to him, and after he died from the poison, they set the palace on fire, claiming that the Crown Prince had been burned to death.
After the Crown Prince was confined to his quarters, even the Empress was not allowed to visit him. Upon learning of her son's death, she naturally broke down and demanded a thorough investigation.
With a malignant tumor finally removed, Emperor Jinghui breathed a sigh of relief and then had someone identify the Marquis of Wu'an.
To be honest, he didn't really want to harm Li Pan. Li Pan's importance to the border was undeniable, and he wasn't so foolish as to hand over his country for a woman.
But the look in Li Pan's eyes on the last day of the autumn hunt still sends chills down his spine when he thinks about it.
He could not stand idly by.
Therefore, he made two preparations. If Li Pan was willing to return to the capital and plead his case, he would let him go for the sake of Su Jun. But if Li Pan dared to defy the imperial decree and refused to return to the capital, it would mean that he no longer respected him as the emperor, and in that case, he would not show any mercy and risk bringing trouble upon himself.
But Emperor Jinghui still hoped that Li Pan would not betray him. As long as Su Jun was doing well, he was willing to let go. It would be best if they could pretend nothing had happened and continue to be a normal ruler and subject. Li Pan could put aside his grudges and focus on guarding the border for him, while he could reward him more and ensure that Su Jun's life was no less comfortable than that in the capital.
Therefore, he spared no expense, writing a secret letter to Li Pan, revealing all his plans. He had already yielded to this extent; if Li Pan was unwilling to accept even this, then he had only brought it upon himself.
As for Su Jun, there was nothing he could do. He didn't mean to hurt her, but the imperial power was threatened, and he couldn't ignore it.
To everyone's surprise, Li Pan actually defied the imperial decree, executed the imperial envoy on the spot, and raised an army!
Emperor Jinghui was filled with resentment, regretting that he had been too lenient and had let the tiger return to the mountain!
It's as if I was too kind-hearted in my past life and didn't depose the crown prince, only to be poisoned in the end!
Having been given a second chance at life, how could I possibly find myself in the same predicament!
I don't know what that guy surnamed Sun was doing. Seeing that Li Pan wouldn't comply, why didn't he take action first? He's truly incompetent!
But it's pointless to pursue these questions now.
Li Pan left over 100,000 troops to guard the border, and led another 100,000 troops south to attack the city. The number of troops was already terrifying. Moreover, they were not just temporary recruits; they were all soldiers who had fought on the battlefield and fought their way out!
Emperor Jinghui has not been able to close his eyes for the past few days.
When I saw the manifesto from Su Jun, my resentment had faded, leaving only immense pain.
Is he really as despicable as she described in her manifesto? He wouldn't dare say that Great Yue has become incredibly wealthy and powerful under his rule, but at least there haven't been any major upheavals, have there been any major corrupt officials or traitors? He's never seen any people driven to desperation and forced into rebellion, has he?
In order to support her husband, did she really have to portray him as so despicable?
Emperor Jinghui knew very well that no one in the court could match Li Pan in terms of military talent. With Li Pan's current forces, the court could still put up a fight, but if Li Pan led all his troops south, the court would have a very difficult time resisting him.
Perhaps we should be grateful that Li Pan still had some conscience and knew to leave some troops on the frontier to deal with the upcoming battles. Otherwise, if the Di and Qiang tribes attacked, wouldn't the northwest defense line collapse at the first touch?
"I still wish to call you Minister Lou because I know that what Li Pan did was not your doing," Emperor Jinghui said in a deep voice as he looked at Lou Shu. "But if you continue to be so stubborn, I will have no choice but to punish you as an accomplice."
The day after the Crown Prince's death, the arsonist was found and identified as Marquis Wu'an. The court immediately sealed off the Marquis's residence and confined the Lou family members to their homes.
However, for some reason, only Lou Shu remained in the Lou family. Lou's wife, Lou Zhongyan, and eight-year-old Lou Peng had all disappeared without a trace. Lou Boyu and his wife from Yutian County also mysteriously disappeared overnight.
Even though Lou Shu explained that perhaps Madam Lou took her son and daughter out of the city to visit a temple, heard about the Crown Prince's affairs on the way, was frightened, felt that the capital was dangerous, and then called her eldest son and his wife to flee directly.
But how could they have predicted that the Crown Prince's death would be related to Marquis Wu'an, and why did they flee without even taking the Lou family's leader with them?
It was clear that Lou Shu had known the news in advance and arranged for his family to go out and seek refuge.
In truth, Lou Shu's actions weren't entirely flawless. If Emperor Jinghui had sent someone to keep an eye on things beforehand, he would have discovered that Lou Zhongyan had been taking sick leave intermittently during this period, which was highly suspicious. But Lou Zhongyan was only a low-ranking official of the ninth rank; who would keep an eye on him all the time? Even if he took sick leave frequently, people wouldn't make things difficult for him because his father was the Vice Director of the Imperial Academy.
Emperor Jinghui only hated that he saw Lou Shu every day at the morning court, and thought that the Lou family was under his control. Little did he know that Lou Shu would sacrifice himself to ensure the safety of his other family members.
"I am guilty. It is my fault for failing to discipline my family members, which led them to flee out of fear of punishment. I was deceived and never expected that my son-in-law would be such a traitor. I have failed Your Majesty's grace and am ashamed before you. I am willing to atone with my death!" Lou Shu kowtowed again, his forehead hitting the ground with a dull thud.
"Being deceived..." Emperor Jinghui sneered, "This marriage was bestowed by me. Are you blaming me for deceiving you?"
"This guilty subject dares not!"
Emperor Jinghui took a deep breath and said, "Lou Shu, tell me, if one day Li Pan's army comes to the city gates, and I offer you in exchange, will he comply or not?"
Lou Shu said, "This sinful subject submits to Your Majesty's judgment!"
Emperor Jinghui stared at him intently for a long time before saying in a low voice, "Lou Shu, I've only just realized that you're a tough nut to crack. You don't show your true colors until the crucial moment. Your daughter... is the same."
Lou Shu trembled slightly.
Emperor Jinghui: "Do you know what your daughter has done?"
Lou Shu: "...This humble subject is unaware."
Emperor Jinghui tucked his hands into his sleeves, gazing at the long prison corridor and the flickering, dim lights, and said, "She wrote a proclamation for Li Pan, condemning the court. I won't show you the full text. But judging from the writing style and wording, it seems she was heavily influenced by you."
"This sinful subject would never dare to harbor such a rebellious thought!"
Emperor Jinghui turned his gaze to the prisoner who was prostrate on the ground, kowtowing incessantly.
How did things turn out this way?
His civil officials, his military generals, his imperial concubine...
I once thought it was a beautiful story of a ruler and his ministers, a harmonious and loving relationship.
In the end, the ruler and his ministers became estranged, and the broken mirror could not be mended.
-----------------------
Author's note: Thank you everyone for the comments and nutrient solutions!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com