Chapter 167 A Shocking Change (3)
Normally, Meng Guanqi, a mere Hanlin scholar, would never have had the opportunity to attend such a scene involving top national secrets, nor was this a place where he should be present. Yang Shimin only glanced at him before the Crown Prince explained, "There is no one here who cannot be trusted. Lord Yang, please feel free to speak your mind."
Several ministers couldn't help but glance at Meng Guanqi discreetly. The only person who could keep the Crown Prince at the scene at this time must be his top confidant.
The Third Prince's face turned pale and then red. He couldn't wait to speak, "Second Brother, after hearing the bell, didn't you think of going to the Taiji Hall and Jinghe Palace to take a look? You've been sitting in the East Palace the whole time without leaving. Aren't you disregarding Father's life and death?" His tone was full of dissatisfaction, as if he was accusing the Crown Prince of being unfilial, not even thinking of going to see his father after his death.
The Crown Prince was indeed undeniably guilty in this matter. He did want to go out, but Pang Shi and the guards of the Eastern Palace held him back. At this moment, the Third Prince suddenly attacked him, using filial piety as a pretext to criticize him, and he really couldn't retort.
But he couldn't speak up, so someone else spoke for him. Meng Guanqi immediately said, "Your Highness, please be careful with your words. His Highness the Crown Prince has considered leaving, but all the palace gates are under the control of the Imperial Guards, and the people of the Eastern Palace cannot leave at all. His Highness is extremely anxious and also wants to see His Majesty and the Empress as soon as possible..."
The Third Prince angrily retorted, "It is true that there are imperial guards in the palace, but the Eastern Palace's guard battalion also has several hundred soldiers, right? If they really wanted to get out, couldn't they have fought their way out? This is clearly just an excuse to shirk responsibility."
Meng Guanqi retorted, "No, Your Highness's reluctance to act is due to the unclear situation at present. How can we act rashly? Your Highness also knows that the Eastern Palace only has a few hundred soldiers. How can they be compared with thousands of Imperial Guards? The enemy and ourselves are not yet clear. Your Highness's life is of great importance, and the future of the nation is at stake. How can you put yourself in danger because of a momentary impulse?"
"Your life is of utmost importance, and your affairs concern the future of the nation." Every word Meng Guanqi uttered struck the Third Prince's forehead with a sharp pain. How could he not understand the implication behind Meng Guanqi's words? Emperor Jian'an was dead, and the successor was none other than the Crown Prince. Meng Guanqi was giving a warning to everyone present!
Even the Third Prince could tell, let alone the shrewd members of the cabinet present.
Having understood his implication, Grand Secretary Yang and the other ministers remained silent.
No one spoke up for the Third Prince, who was filled with resentment and anxiety. He gritted his teeth and said, "Second Brother is known throughout the world for his filial piety, but with such a serious matter happening to Father, Second Brother only cares about his own safety and completely disregards Father's life and death. His words and actions are inconsistent. If word gets out, won't he become a laughingstock to the world?"
Right now, he can only use filial piety to pin down the Crown Prince. Once all the princes and members of the royal family have arrived, he can then drag them into a joint attack. Once this label of unfilial piety is firmly attached, it remains to be seen whether the Crown Prince can successfully ascend the throne.
This was his last chance. He had finally found a weakness in the Crown Prince and was determined to make a big deal out of it.
Li Xiaoxiao suddenly interjected, "The Crown Prince isn't a physician. How could he possibly save His Majesty? The Third Prince's words make no sense."
The Third Prince retorted angrily, "When did it become your place to interrupt when I was talking to my Second Brother?"
Li Xiaoxiao wasn't afraid of him: "You can't even argue with someone who's talking nonsense? It's only been a little over half an hour since the death knell tolled. Does it make a big difference if the Crown Prince arrives half an hour earlier or half an hour later?"
She looked at Yang Shimin: "What does the Grand Secretary think?"
Yang Shimin said calmly, “Third Prince, there’s no need to be angry. Now that we’ve arrived at the Eastern Palace, we should go to His Highness the Crown Prince to find out what’s going on. Your Highness, please come with us.”
The Third Prince immediately objected: "No! We can't go now. We must wait until the other princes and members of the royal family are together. They are definitely on their way."
Yang Shimin didn't even look at him, and continued walking: "The Third Prince can wait for them to go together, it won't affect our business."
The Third Prince was speechless, but the Crown Prince had already walked out with the cabinet officials. He stamped his foot and was about to follow when Meng Guanqi stopped him: "Third Prince, please wait."
The third prince turned around impatiently: "What do you want now?"
Meng Guanqi looked him up and down without saying a word.
The third prince felt uneasy under his gaze: "What are you looking at?"
Meng Guanqi suddenly asked, "Isn't Li Shen the Third Prince's son?"
The Third Prince was taken aback, not understanding why Meng Guanqi would mention his son. His face gradually became wary: "What are you trying to say?"
Meng Guanqi smiled slightly: "Li Shen and my wife are very close friends. He has visited my home several times and even went with me to the Crown Prince's estate in the south of the city to pick fruit and fish. Third Prince, do you still remember?"
The third prince was even more confused: "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Meng Guanqi shook his head: "My wife and children are very individualistic, and she's a real leader among kids. Whenever she has free time, she likes to take the children out to play in all sorts of ways. Li Shen never misses a single one, and I always remind them not to forget to invite him next time we get together. I just don't know if I'll have the chance to take him out to play again in the future."
The Third Prince was eager to catch up with the Crown Prince and the others. Seeing that Meng Guanqi's words were rambling and incoherent, he immediately decided to ignore him and turned to leave.
Meng Guanqi said from behind him, "If Li Shen knew that he would be banished from his fiefdom tonight because of his father's nonsense, and could no longer live in the capital with his playmates from the Imperial Study, what do you think he would think?"
The Third Prince abruptly stopped and turned around to look at Meng Guanqi.
Meng Guanqi slowly walked up to him and whispered in his ear, "If I were you, I would shut my mouth. First, you are not the Crown Prince's biological brother; second, you only have a few hundred soldiers under your command; and third, you have no one to help you. Who gave you the courage to jump so high? Be careful that when you fall, there is no one to catch you and you break your legs."
The Third Prince's face turned deathly pale in an instant, but he quickly realized what was happening.
The reason he jumped so urgently tonight was because he felt he was running out of chances and wanted to fight to the death, hoping to prevent the crown prince from successfully taking the throne, or at least to give himself a chance.
But when Meng Guanqi pointed out the key point, he immediately deflated like a punctured balloon and lost all his energy.
Even if he's not convinced, he needs to have the right to be. Right now, he only has five guards in plain clothes who aren't armed. What does he have to compete with the Crown Prince for?
Even if he can wait for his other brothers and relatives to arrive, so what? Without an army, he has no ability to contend with the Crown Prince. His current nitpicking is just a sign of his resentment, but he has forgotten about the matter of settling scores later.
If the crown prince recalls this scene after ascending the throne and wants to settle scores with him, banishing him from the capital would be a simple matter of a word.
He needs to weigh whether he should do this or not.
Meng Guanqi used this incident to remind him, and also to threaten him. If he continued to seize on this minor flaw of the Crown Prince, Li Shen might be expelled from the capital along with him.
The Third Prince glanced warily at Meng Guanqi, then at Li Xiaoxiao carrying Aze on her back. The little boy on her back might become the new Crown Prince at dawn. Li Shen had a very good relationship with him. Did he really want to offend the Crown Prince for that faint hope?
The Third Prince's face turned pale and then red, and he finally shut his mouth, striding to catch up with the Crown Prince and the others.
The Crown Prince and the cabinet ministers walked in front, followed closely by the Third Prince, and then the Crown Princess, Meng Guanqi, Li Xiaoxiao, and Aze, along with dozens of guards from the Eastern Palace.
The Crown Princess asked Meng Guanqi in a low voice, "What did you just say to my third brother? Why did he suddenly stop talking?"
Meng Guanqi smiled slightly: "Having been hit where it hurts, he shouldn't dare to talk nonsense anymore."
The Crown Princess was filled with gratitude: "If it weren't for you two today, I don't know how badly the Crown Prince would have been scolded. We are completely unaware of the current situation. If we were labeled as unfilial before even leaving the Eastern Palace, I don't know what others would think of us..."
Li smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, we will definitely get through tonight safely."
Since the Imperial Guards were controlled by the Empress, the Emperor's death was definitely a great thing for the Crown Prince.
When the sun rises tomorrow morning, the master of the palace will change.
But the darkness before dawn is the most dangerous, so she carried Aze on her back and dared not let him leave her side.
At the entrance of Jinghe Palace, the Empress sat upright in a chair, seemingly in a meditative state, having not moved for a long time.
From time to time, imperial guards would run over to report news, which was nothing more than which official, which member of the imperial family, or which prince had entered, and that the cabinet ministers had gone to the East Palace to meet the Crown Prince and were now heading to Jinghe Palace together.
However, there was still no news of the other person the Empress longed for.
The Queen murmured, "Where could he have gone? I hope it's not the place I'm thinking of..."
A man walked forward with faltering steps and handed the Empress a box. The Empress opened it and glanced inside. Finally, she saw what she wanted and said softly, "Thank you for your hard work, Eunuch Liang."
Liang Qisheng's body stiffened, his mouth moved, but he still couldn't utter a single word.
He was also awakened by the death knell. He was sleeping in the duty room of the side hall of Jinghe Palace when he suddenly heard the death knell. He was so frightened that he scrambled into the main hall and saw the bed covered in blood and Emperor Jian'an, who had died vomiting blood.
The Empress was wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with a towel and then taking a set of clean clothes. When she saw Liang Qisheng come in, she actually smiled slightly and said, "Eunuch Liang, please help His Majesty change his clothes. His Majesty is too heavy for me to move around."
Liang Qisheng was so frightened that he fell to the ground.
Having served Emperor Jian'an for decades, how could he not know that the emperor's death was unusual? He subconsciously looked at the half-bowl of hangover soup.
At that time, the Empress avoided his hand and personally fed Emperor Jian'an the hangover soup.
The Empress's face remained calm and composed: "Since Eunuch Liang has already guessed, I don't need to explain any further. However, I do need Eunuch Liang to do a few things for me. His Majesty is no longer with us, are you willing to do them for me?"
Liang Qisheng finally couldn't hold back anymore, tears streaming down his face: "Your Majesty, how could you treat His Majesty like this?"
The fake smile on the Empress's face finally disappeared. She looked at Liang Qisheng calmly and said, word by word, "Does the eunuch think he shouldn't have died?"
Liang Qisheng felt his body go weak and said in a trembling voice, "Is Your Majesty angry that His Majesty has placed you under house arrest? If that's the reason, why don't you tell this servant the truth? This servant has served His Majesty for decades; it wouldn't be difficult for me to help persuade him..."
The Empress said, "You know you've served him for decades? Then why have you never tried to persuade him not to take his own life? Have you become so used to his hypocritical face that you think it's no big deal?"
Liang Qisheng dared not answer.
The Empress said, "I have never been a petty person. I have been forced into this situation by His Majesty, and there is no turning back. Chengming is filial and has never made a mistake in his conduct, yet he is controlled at every turn. Chengyao is being raised by him like a poisonous insect, and you have seen it all but said nothing. Yet he still wants Chengyao to go to the Ministry of Personnel. He wants the two brothers to kill each other! Eunuch Liang, have you ever said a good word for the Crown Prince?"
Liang Qisheng trembled all over and collapsed to the ground, unable to get up.
The Empress said coldly, "If this continues, he may still live, but one of my sons will surely die. Chengming and Chengyao are still young, and they cannot die because of their father's selfishness. So I'm going to risk everything. I'm not thinking of surviving by doing this, but I have important things to do before I leave, and I need your cooperation. If you want to live, do as I say, bring the things, and keep your mouth shut. Then you'll still have a chance to live... After all, he was the chief eunuch before the late Emperor, and he made a lot of money in his life, enough for you to go back to your hometown and enjoy a life of luxury."
Large drops of sweat fell from Liang Qisheng's face as he finally found his voice: "This old servant begs Your Majesty the Empress to spare my life."
The Empress closed her eyes briefly: "Very well, you may go."
Liang Qisheng was followed by several unfamiliar eunuchs. They returned to the Taiji Hall, took out the things the Empress wanted from a secret compartment in Emperor Jian'an's bedroom, and personally handed them to her.
The Queen opened a box in the bundle, inside which lay a plump bronze tiger.
She gently spun it, and the bronze tiger split in two.
She picked up her pen and wrote a letter, then took out the jade seal, stamped it, folded it carefully, and put it into the envelope along with the half of the tiger tally. She then called Wu Zisang over and said, "Go to the camp outside the capital in person and hand the things over to He Xiang. Have him lead the Qilin Army to camp in front of the palace gates and wait for the new emperor to take over."
Wu Zisang accepted the order and turned to leave, but the Empress said, "Wait a moment."
Wu Zisang quickly turned around: "Does Your Majesty have any further instructions?"
The Empress's expression was complicated: "If you encounter the Sixth Prince on the way, tell him to return to his residence and wait for news. Do not wander off."
Wu Zisang accepted the order, bowed to the Empress, and turned to leave.
After Wu Zisang left, the Crown Prince and the cabinet ministers arrived.
Seeing the Empress sitting regally in front of Jinghe Palace, the Crown Prince hurriedly stepped forward: "Mother!"
The Empress smiled and extended her hand: "Chengming has arrived? Come here and let your mother take a look."
The Crown Prince stepped forward and took the Empress's hand. The Empress looked him over carefully and sighed, "Unbeknownst to me, you're almost thirty. There are wrinkles around your eyes and brows..."
Seeing that the Empress would bring up such a trivial matter at this time, the Crown Prince became anxious and quickly grabbed her arms: "Mother, what happened? How is Father?"
The Empress smiled slightly: "No rush. Once everyone has arrived, I will explain everything to you."
Yang Shimin stepped forward: "Your Majesty, where is His Majesty now? We heard the death knell outside the palace and are coming in the dead of night. We urgently need to know His Majesty's current situation. Please enlighten us, Your Majesty."
The Empress pondered for a moment, then sighed and said, "Since it is the Grand Secretary's request, someone come and invite Eunuch Liang and His Majesty out."
"Please, Your Majesty, come out?" Everyone present was taken aback and quickly looked towards Jinghe Palace. Several eunuchs entered the main hall together, and soon they carried out a long bench. On the bench, a person was covered with a bright yellow quilt covering his head and face. Liang Qisheng followed behind the bench, his face pale and swaying as if he were about to collapse.
The Crown Prince and several cabinet ministers' expressions changed drastically. The Third Prince couldn't help but step forward to remove the blanket from Emperor Jian'an's face, but was stopped by someone from the Empress's side.
The third prince angrily said, "Get out of the way! I want to see how Father is doing!"
The Empress gestured, and the eunuch released his grip. The Third Prince stepped forward and carefully lifted the quilt. The Crown Prince and several Grand Secretaries all crowded around. Under the dim palace lanterns, Emperor Jian'an's pale blue face appeared before them.
This was a face that had completely lost its vitality; one could see it at a glance without even checking its breath.
The Empress had him carried out, and naturally, the blood was wiped away and he was dressed in clean clothes. Because he had only recently passed away, the people present could not tell anything except that Emperor Jian'an had indeed died at a glance.
"Father!" The crown prince couldn't help but cry when he saw the face that had completely lost its life.
As soon as he started crying, the Third Prince reacted a fraction of a second too, and immediately began to cover his face and cry as well.
Both princes cried, and several Grand Secretaries also began to take out handkerchiefs to wipe their tears. The Minister of War was particularly unrestrained; all of them combined could not cry as loudly as he did.
After crying for a while, the Third Prince couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, how could Father have suddenly passed away?" He looked around and was surprised to find that there were no imperial physicians present: "Where are the imperial physicians? Why aren't they here?"
The Empress said, "Don't be impatient. Once everyone has arrived, I will explain to you. Guards, please seat the Grand Secretaries, the Crown Prince, and the Third Prince."
The Grand Secretaries were no longer young. They had traveled all night and then wept bitterly. The Empress felt sorry for them and ordered that they be given seats.
The Empress remained as virtuous as ever. Grand Secretary Yang couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty, His Majesty has passed away. Why not move to the Fengxian Hall? It's spacious there, and Your Majesty can speak with everyone present."
The Empress shook her head: "I have no intention of going anywhere. Please wait a moment, Grand Secretary Yang. The imperial relatives should already be on their way."
The Empress refused to move, and no one could do anything about it. Emperor Jian'an's death was clearly very unusual, yet no one asked any questions at this moment.
Not long after the Grand Secretaries sat down, several princes, members of the imperial family, and other officials arrived one after another, crowding the entrance of Jinghe Palace. Upon seeing the person with their face covered on the bench next to the Empress, several princes burst into tears.
As soon as they started crying, everyone else had no choice but to cry along with them. Only the Queen remained calm, letting them cry their hearts out.
The Empress watched coldly, her gaze fixed on the alley entrance; the person she wanted to see did not arrive.
She cried for half an hour, until she was exhausted, and then it gradually got brighter.
Several elderly members of the imperial clan were so dizzy from crying that they could not stand steadily. The Empress ordered the imperial physicians to prepare medicine for them and to bring them stools to sit on and rest.
This can't go on. The Crown Prince stood up and walked to the Empress's side: "Mother, why don't we take Grand Secretary Yang's suggestion and move the mourning ceremony to Fengxian Hall? This place is too small and too crowded. Many of the older members of the imperial clan can't bear it..."
The Empress pressed his hand down, a hint of sorrow in her eyes: "Wait a little longer."
Since he arrived at Jinghe Palace, the Empress seemed to have been waiting for some news, but she never received it, and she also refused to move.
The Crown Prince asked in confusion, "What is Mother waiting for?"
The Empress said, "It should be about time. They'll be here soon."
She refused to speak, and the Crown Prince had no choice but to suppress his anxiety and look around to see if anyone was unwell.
As the crying subsided, almost all the officials and members of the imperial family waited for the Empress's instructions and for an explanation.
What exactly happened last night? Why did Emperor Jian'an suddenly die? Why is the Empress so determined to stay here?
Suddenly, a loud noise came from outside the palace gate, and a pink signal flare shot into the sky. The dazzling light and color made it clear to everyone present.
Minister of War Wu Xiuwen's heart skipped a beat, and he blurted out, "This is a signal from the Qilin Army. They've assembled at the palace gate?"
The Empress actually mobilized the Qilin Army to assemble outside the palace gates!
The Imperial Guards and the Qilin Army are both under the Empress's control. All the important officials in the court and the closest relatives of the imperial family have entered the palace. At this time, they are surrounded by a large army. If the Empress wants to rebel, it is only a matter of her saying a word!
Grand Secretary Yang quickly stepped forward: "Her Majesty the Empress used the Tiger Tally to mobilize the Qilin Army to surround the palace. May I ask why?"
The Empress stood up: "Grand Secretary Yang, please wait a moment while I go in and change my clothes."
In such a tense situation, she actually went to change her clothes?
Even the Crown Prince couldn't help but step forward: "Mother Empress!"
The Queen gave him a reassuring look: "You will soon find out why I did this."
She entered Jinghe Palace without looking back. Dongxue helped her put on the Empress's dress with trembling hands. Finally, the Empress closed her eyes and said, "Bring it up."
Winter Snow, tears streaming down her face, asked, "Does Your Majesty really have to go this far? Is there no other way?"
The Queen shook her head: "This is the best way, and I have no regrets."
Dongxue brought over the half-bowl of hangover soup, which the Empress closed her eyes and drank in one gulp.
Supporting Dongxue's hand, they walked to the entrance of Jinghe Palace. Wu Zisang happened to be leading He Xiang in. Upon seeing the Empress, he bowed and presented half of the tiger tally with both hands: "Your Majesty, this humble general has not failed in his mission and has summoned the Qilin Army outside the city."
A glimmer of hope flashed in the Empress's eyes: "Have you seen Cheng Yao?"
A complex look flashed in Wu Zisang's eyes: "Your Majesty, when I arrived at the outskirts of the capital, the Sixth Prince was also there..."
The Queen was startled: "Why is he there?"
Wu Zisang dared not look the Empress in the eye and whispered, "He arrived before me and, on the pretext that the Crown Prince had plotted a rebellion and murdered His Majesty, incited the Qilin Army to attack the city with him. If he hadn't been without the military tally, I'm afraid the Qilin Army would have already been persuaded by him..."
The Empress asked in a trembling voice, "And then?"
Wu Zisang said, "This humble servant conveyed Her Majesty's message. The Sixth Prince suddenly became enraged and tried to seize the military tally from this humble servant, but General He discovered this and stopped him... This humble servant, following Her Majesty's instructions, told him to return to his residence and wait quietly. He left without saying anything."
Wu Zisang was unsure whether he had replied to the Prince's Mansion.
The Empress closed her eyes: "Fine, I might as well save him one last time. You may leave."
Wu Zisang withdrew, and the Empress, in full view of everyone, took out the other half of the tiger tally and put the two halves together.
She walked step by step to the Crown Prince and handed him the tiger tally: "From now on, it's all yours."
The crown prince was startled; this was against the rules!
After handing the tiger tally to the Crown Prince, the Empress stood tall and proud beside Emperor Jian'an: "His Majesty's sudden death last night was not an accident; I personally fed him poison."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com