Chapter 36 The Stormy Weather Leads to the Arrival of the Regent!
The Prince Chen's mansion was brightly lit, and the melodious sounds of traditional music filled the air. The Prince and his wife greeted the guests in the front hall with beaming smiles.
A steward hurried into the front hall, covered his mouth and whispered a few words in Prince Chen's ear. Prince Chen, as if nothing had happened, put down his wine cup, smiled and told the Princess to continue entertaining the guests, while he followed the steward to the inner courtyard.
Two guests were sitting in the East Warm Pavilion in the inner courtyard. Xia Zhiyun served them two cups of tea and then respectfully retreated to a corner.
Prince Chen stepped across the threshold and laughed loudly, "Now that my elder brother and sister-in-law have arrived, why don't you go to the front hall for a drink?"
The Prince of Liang's face was gloomy. He stared at the smiling Prince Chen and rebuked him bluntly: "Didn't you say that the Ninth Prince was poisoned by the most poisonous Jade Silkworm in the world, and that even a great immortal couldn't save him? Now he has woken up, and you still have the mind to entertain guests in the mansion!"
Prince Chen's expression changed drastically, and he suddenly raised his voice: "Pei Muwei is not dead?"
"This... is absolutely impossible!" After calming down, he continued, "Xu Kong is a master of poisons, and he has never failed in all these years. The spies in the palace are absolutely certain that the Empress Dowager cried all night after returning from visiting the Prince's residence. To be on the safe side, I even sent the Princess Consort to the palace to visit her personally. It is said that the young widow has already panicked and lost her composure, and she spends every day in tears!"
Princess Liang shook her head with a solemn expression and said, "When I went to the palace to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager today, I heard her ask Xu Mama to make the lotus seed cake that the Regent likes to eat. So I asked if the Regent had woken up. The Empress Dowager looked flustered and changed the subject. Before leaving, she repeatedly told me not to mention today's conversation to outsiders."
"Hmph, even that pastry laced with arsenic back then couldn't kill him. Could the poison refined in the void be more potent than arsenic?" King Liang sneered, the scar at the corner of his eye twisting with his smile.
"If Ninth Brother wakes up and finds out that I'm preparing supplies in Liangzhou, he definitely won't let me off the hook. Third Brother, you've made me do all the dirty and hard work this time. Not only are your hands clean, but you've also earned a good reputation in the court. If Ninth Brother wants to take back my military power, will you help me?"
"Of course, my brother and I are in the same boat!"
Prince Chen was still somewhat doubtful, so he quickly calmed down the furious Prince Liang and urged Xia Zhiyun to bring the princess over from the banquet.
After Princess Consort Chen entered the room, she compared what she had seen and heard in the Phoenix Perch Palace with that of Princess Consort Liang, and found that their information was quite different.
One opinion held that the young empress dowager's weeping was so pitiful that it saddened even the flowers, while the other said that the young empress dowager was more beautiful than any flower.
Prince Chen looked at her suspiciously, glancing sideways at Princess Liang, his smile barely visible on his face: "Sister-in-law, you weren't tricked by that young widow, were you? She deliberately spread the news that the Ninth Prince had woken up to buy time..."
The Prince of Liang was very dissatisfied with the Prince of Chen's attitude. He slammed down his teacup and said with displeasure, "What do you mean by that, Third Brother? Do you suspect that my wife is helping that person in the palace to deceive you?"
"Brother, you've misunderstood..."
Just as the atmosphere in the warm pavilion was becoming delicate, a secret letter was delivered by a carrier pigeon to Prince Chen's confidant.
Prince Chen did not hide anything from Prince Liang. He immediately unfolded the secret letter and scanned it quickly, his expression turning ugly.
"Damn it... Lao Jiu has transferred 50,000 heavy cavalry from the front lines to Jiangbei."
King Liang's face was ashen, and his tone was grave: "The Buddha Lords under Ninth Prince's command are all evil spirits who have crawled out of mountains of knives and seas of blood. The Liangzhou army has no chance of winning against these evil spirits."
"Third brother, it's come to this point, aren't you going to reveal your hand to me?"
Prince Chen was stunned for a moment, then immediately began to complain: "Brother, you know that Baling does not border the country. My fiefdom only has two guard battalions, with a total of less than 40,000 soldiers. These soldiers have hardly ever fought, let alone fought in battle. If they encounter the Futu Army, it will be like tofu hitting a wall, smashing to pieces!"
The King of Liang lifted his eyelids and looked at his third brother, his tone meaningful: "Oh, what about the fifth brother? You and the fifth brother have a close relationship. Over the years, you have imposed heavy taxes, exploited tea farmers, and allowed your officials to sell tea permits at high prices. You have amassed millions of taels of gold by extorting money. Didn't you help him raise 150,000 troops in Runan?"
The fifth prince they mentioned was none other than the Prince of Runan, who had always refused to surrender to Pei Muwei.
The smile on Prince Chen's face vanished instantly, his gaze suddenly turning sharp. He asked suspiciously, "How does elder brother know these things?"
The King of Liang sneered: "I can find out everything about your affairs in Liangzhou. Do you think the all-powerful Ninth Prince will find out? After he wakes up, do you think he will let you go just because you are hiding in your mansion indulging in wine, women, and song, and pretending to be crazy?"
"Third brother, since we're in the same boat, stop playing tricks behind my back. If I can't escape this calamity, I'll just puncture the bottom of the boat and make you all die with me!"
Prince Chen's eyes darted around, seemingly weighing the pros and cons in his mind. After a moment, a smile returned to his face:
"Eldest brother, it's not just that. We're not like that bastard, Ninth Brother! You, Fifth Brother, and I all have the blood of our father flowing in our veins. The three of us brothers must work together to protect the bloodline left by Second Brother. Otherwise, if that bastard, Pei Muwei, gains a foothold in the court and then colludes with that shameless little widow in the palace to murder the emperor, Great Qi will surely perish!"
Prince Chen paused for a moment, then said:
"Brother, you only need to order the Liangzhou army to stop the 50,000 Futu soldiers transferred back from the front lines. I will write to the fifth brother and have him lead his troops north from the south immediately. Together with him, we will have 200,000 troops to deal with the 100,000 Imperial Guards in the camp outside the capital. We will quickly take the capital, kill the bastards, and cleanse the court of corrupt officials!"
———
In the early years of the Xingfeng era, in July, the Prince of Runan issued a proclamation to the entire realm, enumerating the numerous crimes of Regent Pei Muwei, including imprisoning the young emperor, monopolizing the court, and eliminating dissidents. Subsequently, under the pretext of "purging the court of corrupt officials," he led his troops north.
The 100,000-strong army marched unimpeded all the way to the Huai River, seemingly poised to cross the river and head straight for the capital at any moment.
Pei Muwei had not appeared in court for a long time, and Lin Sizhou was impeached by court officials for illegal activities. During the Dali Temple's investigation, he requested to resign from his position as chief minister.
For a time, the court was in a state of panic, and everyone was on edge. Chu Yueyuan, the puppet empress dowager, became the pillar of stability.
Without the imposing presence of a regent, the council ministers, relying on their seniority, initially did not take Chu Yueyuan behind the curtain seriously.
Many officials took the opportunity to advise Chu Yueyuan, saying that the Prince of Runan was more suitable to assist the emperor than the regent, and pleaded with her to order the city gates to be opened and the Runan army to enter the capital, so as to avoid a situation of widespread war and death.
Fortunately, Shen Zizhan stepped forward at the critical moment. He led the officials of the Censorate to work at their desks for several days and compiled more than ten pieces of evidence of the Prince of Runan’s crimes in the southern border over the past ten years, including imposing exorbitant taxes, extorting money from the people, privately garrisoning troops, and manufacturing weapons and armor. This proved that he had long harbored rebellious intentions.
Chu Yueyuan seized the opportunity to dismiss more than a dozen officials who had incited surrender, and announced at the morning court that the regent had been restored to power. She also recalled 50,000 cavalry from Beiting, which finally suppressed the trend of persuading people to surrender in the court.
On this day, Chu Yueyuan endured two long hours on the dragon throne, finally getting some peace and quiet after seeing off the last group of ministers.
She rubbed her throbbing temples, thinking that it was no wonder the Regent always seemed aloof, distant, and unsmiling.
The day was filled with a constant stream of matters, from minor concerns about rainfall in various states and the prices of grains, to major issues like preventing foreign invasions and guarding against disloyalty among court officials. With all these things to deal with, even Chu Yueyuan, an optimistic person by nature, felt like she was about to hang herself.
I really don't understand why so many people would fight over this cold, hard dragon throne.
To lure out the Prince of Runan's wealth, she conspired with the Regent to devise a strategy of "feigning indifference to lure him in."
But this fishing trip unexpectedly uncovered the 150,000 elite troops that the Prince of Runan had secretly amassed.
According to the latest report from General Kan, 150,000 troops from Runan are preparing to cross the river, while the 50,000 heavy cavalry dispatched by the Regent from Beiting are surrounded by the Prince of Liang at the pass. Without these 50,000 reinforcements, the 100,000 Imperial Guards in the suburbs of the capital are far outnumbered by the 150,000 rebels, and have almost no chance of winning.
Chu Yueyuan couldn't help but worry that the Regent had made a wrong move and was about to lose everything.
So what will become of her, this pawn that has crossed the river?
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
The man's clear and gentle voice was like a babbling brook, relaxing one's tense nerves.
Chu Yueyuan raised her head and smiled slightly at Shen Zizhan behind the rosewood desk: "Is there anything else, Shen Qing?"
Shen Zizhan bowed and presented a snow-white brocade box with both hands, speaking in a gentle tone: "The Empress Dowager has been busy with state affairs recently, and I offer this item to Your Highness to relieve your fatigue."
Chu Yueyuan looked curious and asked Eunuch Wang to bring the brocade box over.
She removed the gilded nail guard from her little finger, opened the box, and raised her eyebrows slightly.
Inside the brocade box was a jade roller made of mutton fat jade. Unlike other jade rollers, it was shaped like a harpoon, with two translucent jade beads inlaid on each side, which could be rolled against the temple.
Chu Yueyuan took out the roller and tried it out. The two cool jade beads were neither too loose nor too tight, and they were placed right on her head acupoint. It was clear that the craftsman had made them according to the dimensions.
The cool, refreshing jade beads rolled on her acupoints, instantly relieving her dizziness and fatigue, making her squint her eyes in comfort.
"The size is just right. How did you know my head circumference, Shen Qing?"
Shen Zizhan looked at the woman sitting leisurely and contentedly on the dragon throne, his amber eyes gleaming with gentle light, and said softly:
"I still have the blue phoenix mask that the Empress Dowager wore on the Lantern Festival."
Chu Yueyuan opened her eyes. She remembered that before Shen Zizhan left the capital, the two of them had spent the Lantern Festival together. He had personally painted a blue phoenix mask for her, decorated with peacock feathers at the corners of her eyes. It was elegant and beautiful. With that blue phoenix mask, she became the most famous on the night of the Lantern Festival. Countless literati and poets were inspired by the blue phoenix to compose poems and essays.
It was only a year and a half ago, but once you enter the palace, it's like entering a deep sea; now, looking back, it feels like a past life.
Chu Yueyuan was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "I didn't expect that Shen Qing still kept those useless things."
Shen Zizhan's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, but his tone remained firm: "For this humble subject, those are invaluable memories."
The sun shines brightly outside the window, the sky is azure, and the clouds drift slowly by—it's a wonderful day.
The silence in the study was like the clouds drifting slowly across the sky, calm yet not oppressive. The man's clear eyes shone with sincere light, as always, making Chu Yueyuan feel like a heartless and selfish bad woman.
She always sought his help when she was in trouble, and he always stood in front of her without hesitation, sheltering her from the wind and rain.
How could she be so selfish as to ruin his reputation for the rest of his life?
Just as Chu Yueyuan was about to speak, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the hall, and soon after, the sharp sound of clashing swords faintly penetrated into the hall.
A deep sense of unease suddenly rose in her heart; the commotion before her was strikingly similar to the night of the palace coup!
She walked with Shen Zizhan out of the hall, only to see the ministers who had just left running back to the palace gates as if their lives depended on it. Some had even lost their official hats and boots in their haste, all looking utterly terrified, shouting hoarsely:
"Close the gates! Close the palace gates immediately!"
"They've rebelled! They've rebelled too! Prince Liang and Prince Chen have rebelled! They're leading the rebel army... they've stormed the palace... these rebels have already broken through the Meridian Gate and are about to storm the Hall of Diligent Governance!"
Chu Yueyuan's heart sank suddenly.
How could it be... so fast?
Are the Prince of Liang and the Prince of Chen not planning to wait for the reinforcements under the Prince of Runan to cross the river, but instead eager to break ties with the Regent?
Could it be that the two princes were wary of the Regent, and upon hearing the news of Pei Muwei's awakening, they worried that the situation in the court would change again once he fully recovered, so they took the initiative to act without being absolutely certain of success?
Alas, despite his meticulous planning, the Regent overlooked one crucial detail: his own ability to incite hatred.
Shen Zizhan was the first to calm down. He summoned a squad of imperial guards and ordered them to escort Chu Yueyuan away from the Qin Zheng Hall.
"Your Majesty, leave this place immediately. I will find a way to hold off the rebels."
Chu Yueyuan quickly analyzed the current situation in her mind. She did not move: "Since Prince Liang and Prince Chen dared to join forces to force the palace, they must have already deployed troops at the palace exit. If I hide in the palace, I will only be able to survive for a little longer."
"I have a way to get the message out of the palace. If the Empress Dowager can hold out for an hour, the Regent will be able to send reinforcements from the outskirts of the capital to relieve the siege!"
While the two were talking, the rebel army had already reached the outside of the Qin Zheng Hall. The vermilion gate, which was more than three zhang tall, was being rammed with loud thuds, and the hinges kept creaking under the weight, as if they were about to break at any moment.
Several imperial guards, armed with long shields bearing animal heads, quickly surrounded the hall. They were wearing helmets and armor, holding long spears, and had piercing eyes. Each of them moved in an orderly manner, and in an instant, they erected a shield wall as solid as a rock.
The Hall of Diligent Governance was not only where emperors of past dynasties handled state affairs, but also the palace connecting the outer court and the capital. Pei Muwei arranged the largest number of imperial guards here, all of whom were elite soldiers selected from the Buddhist army, each capable of fighting ten men.
Chu Yueyuan looked at the Imperial Guards standing tall and proud, and her mind was surprisingly calm at this moment.
“The Prince of Liang and the Prince of Chen are not here to capture me, but the Emperor. Therefore, I must do everything in my power to protect the Emperor. Only if the Emperor is not taken away by them can the Regent have a legitimate reason to act.”
Her eyes shone brightly, and her soft voice conveyed calmness and composure: "Shen Qing is right. Once the Regent knows what happened in the palace, he will definitely try to mobilize troops to rescue the Emperor. Therefore... I need to stay and buy time."
Shen Zizhan urgently advised, "Your Highness, I will do everything I can to stop the rebels. There is no need for you to put yourself in danger." Seeing that the woman was determined to stay, his eyes reddened with anxiety: "Yuan'er, trust me one more time!"
"It's not that I don't trust Shen Qing, it's just..."
Chu Yueyuan's eyes flickered slightly as her gaze swept over the still-shaken ministers in the hall. She sighed softly, "I did not see Prime Minister Chen."
Shen Zizhan's pupils suddenly contracted. He quickly walked towards the surviving officials and asked about his grandfather's whereabouts. However, these officials were so frightened when they saw the rebels rushing into the palace and killing people that they were only concerned with fleeing in panic. No one noticed whether Prime Minister Shen had been captured by the rebels.
With a deafening roar, the dilapidated palace gates collapsed, and a massive army stormed in, trampling over the nine copper-studded, vermilion gates that symbolized imperial majesty.
"Release the arrows!"
Standing under the eaves, Lin Mu gave the order, and the archers who were prepared drew their bows and released their arrows. Arrows rained down from the sky, killing the rebels who were charging at the forefront.
"Raise your shield!"
King Liang shouted, and the rebel army that had rushed in stopped their attack and instead erected a row of shields, completely surrounding King Liang and King Chen.
The two sides were locked in a stalemate.
Even when the situation had escalated to the point of armed conflict, Prince Chen remained true to his smiling, cunning nature, saying with a beaming smile:
"The Empress Dowager and the Emperor have been held hostage by the treacherous minister Pei Muwei for several months. Today, Prince Chen and I have led troops into the palace to rescue the Empress Dowager and the Emperor from the clutches of this traitor Pei. We urge the Empress Dowager to order the withdrawal of the Imperial Guards to prevent the swords from harming His Majesty and the Empress Dowager."
The young empress dowager's melodious and charming laughter came through the shield:
"Prince Chen is a master of sophistry, capable of twisting the truth and making a coup sound so dignified. Even the stories I read are not as good as what Prince Chen could fabricate. It's a real waste of Your Highness's talent."
A wolf-hair brush and an inkstone were thrown out from behind the long shield, scattering ink all over the ground.
"In my opinion, Your Highness should write a story, detailing how you helped the Prince of Runan secretly raise more than 100,000 troops in the southern border, and how you instigated the Prince of Liang to collude with you to murder the Regent and force him to abdicate."
The woman's clear, cold voice was full of sarcasm: "The book written by Your Highness will surely be as infamous as Hu Hai, leaving a lasting legacy of infamy. I've even thought of a title for the first chapter: 'The Prince Enters the Capital, A Weasel Pays New Year's Greeting to a Chicken.'"
Prince Chen's smile froze on his lips, his face darker than the ink on the ground, yet he still forced a few forced laughs: "All the esteemed officials in the hall have heard it. The Empress Dowager has been imprisoned by the Regent for too long and has lost her mind."
He then changed the subject and began to earnestly persuade Shen Zizhan.
"I have successfully rescued Prime Minister Shen. The Shen family is full of loyal ministers and generals, and has produced three prime ministers who have assisted successive emperors. Lord Shen is Prime Minister Shen's most valued grandson, who bears heavy responsibilities and has a long way to go. You should persuade the Empress Dowager to withdraw the Imperial Guards and hand over the Emperor so that we can join forces to fight the traitor Pei."
"Lord Shen, I urge you to think about Prime Minister Shen, about the Shen family, and about your own future..."
The bronze shields with animal heads opened to the sides, and Shen Zizhan walked out calmly. His expression was stern, and he said in a loud voice:
“Prince Chen and Prince Runan have colluded with each other, becoming arrogant and unrestrained, harming the people to satisfy their desires. You are greedy by nature and have committed numerous evils. Even if you become the rulers of the Great Qi in the future, you will only bring suffering to the people. Today, I, Shen, would rather die and bleed, bearing the name of disloyalty and unfilial piety, than fail to protect the Empress Dowager and the Emperor!”
Shen Zizhan, with his upright and righteous spirit, spoke words as sharp as knives, exposing Prince Chen's lies under the guise of purifying the emperor, revealing his true ambition to seize power.
Prince Chen was speechless after being refuted.
Chu Yueyuan looked at the silent Prince Liang with a complicated expression. She softened her tone, trying to persuade him:
"Prince Liang, you are the eldest imperial uncle among the royal relatives, and you even held His Majesty when he was a month old. Over the years, you have always been just and upright in Liangzhou, and have been conscientious in your duties. The Regent is aware of all these things. I dare to swear to the heavens that the Regent has never had the idea of disarming the troops in Liangzhou..."
Prince Chen, worried that the Empress Dowager's sweet talk would make Prince Liang back down, immediately dropped his smiling facade and coldly interrupted her:
"Hmph, the Empress Dowager doesn't even sleep in the same bed as the Regent, how could she possibly know what he's thinking?"
Chu Yueyuan stared coldly at Prince Chen, who was hiding behind his shield, her eyes revealing undisguised contempt: "Only the most shameless scoundrels would bully orphans and widows. Prince Chen is smearing me indiscriminately, so he is not even as good as a scoundrel. You keep saying that you want to help the Emperor cleanse the court of corrupt officials, so why don't you just attack the Prince's mansion?"
"Is Prince Chen afraid? Or is he just picking on the weak?"
Prince Chen's face turned ashen after being refuted by the sharp-tongued Empress Dowager. He glanced at Prince Liang beside him, worried that delay might lead to unforeseen changes, and finally dropped his pretense, letting out a cold laugh:
"I have appealed to your emotions and reasoned with you, and have already given you a chance to repent. It is a pity that the Empress Dowager has been too deeply deceived by Pei and is wholeheartedly helping him to do evil. In order to rescue the Emperor, I have no choice but to take a forceful approach."
"By my decree, breach the main hall, capture the Empress Dowager alive, find the Emperor, and kill anyone who resists!"
The archers quickly nocked their arrows and drew their bows, but before they could release their fingers from the string, a whooshing sound suddenly rang out overhead. Before they could react, they were struck in the back of the head and fell to the ground one after another.
Prince Chen was extremely surprised. He looked up abruptly, and his pupils contracted sharply. It turned out that there were already countless archers lying in ambush on the palace walls.
"The Regent has arrived!"
The loud report was like a gong striking Prince Chen's ear, making his ears ring and his face turn pale. He stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the imperial road where the sound of horses' hooves was coming from.
Outside the dilapidated palace gates, a tall and imposing man led his troops on horseback. The radiant sunlight shone on his silver armor, making him appear like a war god descending to earth. His presence transformed the ruins from their cold and desolate state, and the thousands of troops behind him became merely a backdrop.
Seeing the Regent arrive with his troops, Chu Yueyuan breathed a sigh of relief.
Pei Muwei reined in his horse, his bright phoenix eyes first piercing through the sea of people, and seeing that the young empress dowager was safe and sound behind the heavy guard, he loosened his grip on the reins.
He sat on his horse, turned his head and looked down at Prince Chen with disdain, his gaze filled with nothing but contempt: "During my illness, Third Brother finally dared to take off his mask and be a human being again."
Although Prince Chen had a group of guards standing in front of him, the man's cold glance made him feel as if two mountains were pressing down on his shoulders, and his momentum immediately weakened.
“Ninth Brother looks radiant and shows no signs of illness. It seems that Third Brother was the first to lose his composure.”
Seeing that the Regent's troops were few in number, and knowing that he still had the Prince of Liang's assistance and that the Prince of Runan would soon arrive in the capital, Prince Chen's fear subsided slightly. He said with a forced smile:
"I originally intended to announce this news to the world after rescuing the Emperor. It's good that Ninth Brother has arrived. I can now explain to everyone the reason for punishing you, you traitor, today!"
Ten years of hidden ambition pounded fiercely as success loomed. His blood surged to his head, and Prince Chen, his face flushed, roared with righteous indignation:
"I have found witnesses who can prove that Pei Muwei is not of the blood of the retired Emperor Wu. Since he is not a member of the Xiao clan, he is not qualified to assist the new emperor!"
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