97. Seize power
◎Ye'er, I'm back◎
Chapter 97
The next day, Shengjing began to rain heavily again. The weeping willows in Anhe Garden were hit hard, and the water on the lake surface trembled.
Jiang Qiuye and Anyang sat together in the inner room, watching the heavy rain outside, the aroma of tea lingering on the table. Anyang watched her calmly peel an orange, then looked outside, feeling the cool air drifting in through the window lattice.
She couldn't help but sigh, "Aunt Imperial, you look so calm. Tomorrow is the coronation ceremony, and I wonder how things are going in Taiji Palace."
Jiang Qiuye paused, tossed the orange peel to the side of the table, broke off a slice, leaned over and stuffed it into Anyang's mouth, and smiled, "We've tried our best and done everything we can. Now all we have to do is wait patiently."
Anyang bit into the orange in her mouth, and the juice spilled out. The sourness made her frown, and a shiver spread through her body. She shuddered, "So sour——"
She looked up and saw that Jiang Qiuye was eating indifferently, and she couldn't help but admire him.
After swallowing the orange with great effort, she suddenly thought of something and said to Jiang Qiuye, "Oh, Auntie, some time ago, I thought you were really going to marry my brother and disregard ethics and moral principles just to become the queen."
The movement of her hands froze, and she smiled bitterly and said, "I'm sorry to disappoint you."
Anyang immediately shook his head and said with a smile: "You are willing to risk your life to steal the will, so you must have been forced to do so. I should believe you, Auntie."
Jiang Qiuye hesitated and said, "Anyang, actually...I did covet that position a long time ago, so Ji Kang took me directly to the Pepper Palace. To be honest, it's my fault."
"Ah?" Anyang was stunned and his mouth opened unconsciously.
"I've always been a selfish, mean person. Even before, I married your uncle, only out of greed and a desire for protection. But I never imagined I'd be so influenced by your uncle. We're two completely different people, I'm ruthless and heartless, while he's kind-hearted. Perhaps... it's precisely this extreme difference that draws me in. It makes me strive to become like him, wanting to be closer to him."
At this point, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up.
"Aunt Imperial, you actually... like my uncle Imperial very much, right?"
Jiang Qiuye took the second orange and began to peel it. She nodded generously, no longer trying to hide her feelings like before. "Yes, I love him very much. There is no one else in this world who I love as much as I do."
Anyang blushed after hearing this and smiled, "I'm so envious."
"What are you envious of?"
"I envy you and the Emperor's uncle."
Jiang Qiuye was startled, but she just pulled the corners of her mouth, lowered her head, and hid her expression. How could Anyang know that their relationship had been a series of lies and deceptions from the beginning? She had done too many wrong things and was born in darkness. How could she be worthy of such a beautiful man like Ji Ci?
But she knew at this moment that she was willing to give everything for such a wonderful person, even if it meant going to hell.
Anyang took a sip of the hot tea and looked at the incessant rain outside. "Aunt Huang, I'm so panicked. I wish I could be as calm as you."
"Anyang." Jiang Qiuye took a deep breath, stopped peeling the orange, and looked at her shaking hands. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't control them. "I'm actually not calm at all, Anyang. I'm scared and worried. I'm worried about the Empress Dowager and Ji Ci."
…
In the Taiji Hall, Ji Kang sat on the main seat, rubbing his solar plexus with a headache.
He had never imagined that he had underestimated this cunning thief, who had drugged himself and knocked himself unconscious yesterday. He had actually escaped the palace so quickly that he had the imperial guards search the entire palace from head to toe, but they couldn't find him.
Tomorrow is an auspicious day. The officials from the Ministry of Rites are reporting the procedures for the coronation ceremony. All preparations are in place. At that time, he will ascend the throne in front of the spirit of the late emperor, and all officials will pay homage to him and change the reign to a new one.
After the Ministry of Rites finished its report, Ji Kang finally spoke: "Thank you all, ministers, for your help. I am confident that the Minister of Rites will do his job well."
The Minister of Rites rolled his eyes and said nervously, "Your Majesty, I have another question."
"explain."
"The ceremony to confer the empress's throne, which was originally planned to be held at the same time as the coronation ceremony tomorrow... is it still going to go ahead?" The Minister of Rites wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Everyone knew how much commotion there was in the palace last night. The Emperor's new empress, the Imperial Aunt, and Princess Qi had fled directly from the Pepper Room. No one knew how they managed to leave the palace so late, and now there was no trace of them.
When this person was mentioned, a trace of disgust flashed across the ministers' brows, but they dared not speak. In their opinion, it would be best if he disappeared, lest the emperor commit such a heinous crime.
Unexpectedly, Ji Kang opened his eyes wide and said as a matter of course, "Of course, my dear minister, what are you talking about? I will have someone find my queen today! Instead of asking useless questions here, finding a way to find the queen is the most important thing."
"Yes, yes, Your Majesty." The Minister of Rites shut up, kicking the tiger's butt. After retreating, he didn't even dare to raise his head.
"Wait!" Suddenly, a voice carrying years of pressure came from the door of Taiji Hall. Everyone turned around and saw that it was the Empress Dowager. She was supported by female officials and walked into the hall step by step. Finally, she stood at the front.
"How could there be no one in the entire court who opposes such a disloyal, unrighteous, and unfilial act?"
She was wearing a brocade dark brown dress, and her eyes were sharp and energetic as she looked at Ji Kang above her.
When everyone saw the arrival of the Empress Dowager, they seemed to have found a backbone and breathed a sigh of relief.
Ji Kang did not stand up, but sat where he was, pretending to be respectful and said, "The Empress Dowager has been away from state affairs for many years. Why did you suddenly come to Taiji Hall today? It's raining so hard outside that it's hard to walk. I will send someone to personally escort the Empress Dowager back to Anhe Garden."
Zhao looked at him and sneered, saying, "I have ignored state affairs for many years, simply because I didn't want to be the culprit who crowed at dawn. But now I am ignoring state affairs and just want to spend my old age in peace. Do I really want to watch the Great Jin Dynasty fall once again? The mistakes I made before must never be repeated!"
Ji Kang smiled indifferently. In his opinion, Zhao had not been involved in the court for many years and had no real power except for his early reputation. In today's world, holding military power is the real power.
He vowed, "The Empress Dowager is truly a joke, cursing the fall of the Great Jin in my generation. You've neglected state affairs for years, so naturally you don't understand the current political situation. Everything I do is to stabilize the government, restore peace and prosperity to the people of the Great Jin, and maintain peace on the border. I swear to restore the Great Jin to its former glory within ten years."
Zhao frowned and scolded, "Is forcing your aunt into marriage also for the sake of the people of Great Jin, so that they can live and work in peace and contentment? Isn't it just your own insatiable greed?"
Ji Kang ignored the slight and continued to speak arrogantly, "So what if she's the Imperial Aunt? There have been precedents since ancient times. There are many cases of a woman serving a father and a son. What's more, she's just the Imperial Aunt. I'm the Emperor. Do I fear the public's condemnation? I'll kill anyone who opposes me! What else can I do?"
Seeing his arrogant look, Zhao was even more angry. She laughed sarcastically and said, "You are the emperor? Are you sure you are the emperor?"
"What do you mean, Empress Dowager?" Ji Kang was enraged by her and slammed the table and stood up.
Zhao shouted, "Bring out the late emperor's will!"
When these words were spoken, all the court officials looked around in shock, not knowing what was going on. Finally, when they saw the female official actually took out a will, they all knelt down to listen to the order.
Before the female official began to recite, the Empress Dowager called out another person to stand before her. It was six-year-old Ji Lang, the ninth son of the late emperor.
As the contents of the will were read out, the sound was like a thunderbolt that struck everyone's heart. They looked at each other, at a loss.
Ji Kang stood there and gradually narrowed his eyes.
He didn't expect that the real will was with the Empress Dowager. But why didn't she take it out before but only now?
Suddenly, he thought of the man who escaped last night.
It really shouldn’t be underestimated!
After the female official finished reading, she said loudly, "Do you understand? This is the true will of the late emperor. The ninth prince Ji Lang will succeed him, and Prince Qi Ji Ci will be the regent and prime minister! And Ji Kang, for forging the will, must be executed!"
"This..." The court officials looked at each other hesitantly, not daring to stand up or stand in line.
At this time, Taifu Tang stood up, turned around, knelt down and prostrated himself before the Young Emperor Ji Lang, saying, "Your Majesty, I am willing to follow the true will of the late emperor! Long live His Majesty!"
As soon as these words were spoken, those who had originally been dissatisfied with Ji Kang in their hearts also followed Tang Taifu like fence-sitters and turned around to recognize the young emperor as the new emperor.
Ji Kang burst into laughter, his shoulders heaving, one hand covering his face. He laughed for a long moment before stopping. "You say I forged the imperial edict? I think the Empress Dowager is getting more and more confused as she gets older. To protect your favorite grandson, you actually slandered me."
"That's right!" Grand Tutor Duan immediately stood up and agreed.
Although his daughter failed to become the queen, he and Ji Kang have long been in the same boat. If Ji Kang is convicted and removed from office, the glory of his Duan family will be destroyed.
"Now that two copies of the will have appeared, both bearing the imperial seal, how can we prove that the one in the hands of the Grand Empress Dowager is the real one?"
Upon seeing this, the female official immediately stepped forward and flew into a rage, "How dare you slander the title of Grand Empress Dowager? The Grand Empress Dowager ignored state affairs for many years. It was only after Ji Kang ascended the throne that she moved out of Shoukang Palace and into Anhe Garden, completely distancing herself from the court, out of fear of unrest in the land."
"But now, they're imposing heavy punishments, imposing exorbitant taxes, and indiscriminately persecuting officials. They're even prepared to cede land and pay tribute in order to secure peace with the Li Kingdom. Could it be that these actions are truly for the benefit of the Great Jin?"
…
Anyang looked at the trembling Jiang Qiuye and felt sorry for her. He immediately stood up and walked over to the table, put his arm around her shoulders, and said, "Don't panic, auntie. It's all my fault. I'm a coward and that's what made you feel uneasy."
"It has nothing to do with you." Jiang Qiuye leaned on her shoulder and shook his head. "Actually, I couldn't fall asleep last night. I pretended to be calm, but I didn't show it."
She stood up and looked at Anyang, forcing a smile. She then reached out and touched her hair. "I'm obviously older than you, but now you have to comfort others. Anyang, you've grown up."
"It was Auntie Huang who saved me, and it was Auntie Huang who taught me to look forward." She snatched a slice of orange from Jiang Qiuye's hand and put it into her mouth. The sour feeling made her shudder.
"Aunt, perhaps we're just overthinking it. Think about it, with the prestige of the Grand Empress Dowager back then, how could she not have intimidated that group of people? Just like my father, he had to be respectful to the Grand Empress Dowager back then."
"Yes." Jiang Qiuye nodded, but pondered, "What I'm worried about is not the prestige of the Empress Dowager. I'm really afraid that my impulsiveness will harm the Empress Dowager and the court officials who support Ji Ci. Anyang, do you know how emperors have always held power?"
"The emperor's power and royal bloodline mean he must be a relative." Anyang thought for a moment and then added, "There's also the emperor's skill in balancing power, intelligence, public opinion, and benevolence."
Jiang Qiuye shook his head and said sadly: "What you said is only part of the story. There is another one that is the most important."
“It’s violence.”
"Violence?"
"Well, since ancient times, those who succeed become kings, and those who fail become bandits. Those who possess military power and seize political power through violence can call themselves the Son of Heaven, even if they are not the true Son of Heaven." She lowered her eyes and continued to crack oranges. "I am afraid that no matter whether it is the will of the late emperor or the reputation of the Empress Dowager, as long as Ji Kang holds military power, these are all nothing in the face of violence."
…
Ji Kang watched with a forced smile as the ministers of the two parties below argued with each other, spitting and spitting.
He then looked at his ninth brother who was standing beside the Empress Dowager, not daring to say a word.
It's really ridiculous that this six-year-old child wants to compete with him for the throne.
His cheeks twitched and he finally couldn't bear it anymore and threw all the memorials on the desk to the ground.
He roared angrily: "Someone come——"
Hearing Ji Kang's thunderous and furious voice, the captain of the Shenwu Army standing outside the Taiji Hall immediately rushed in with a large force. Their footsteps made a deafening sound on the wooden boards, surrounding the entire Taiji Hall, making it impossible for anyone to get in or out.
The captain ran to Ji Kang, knelt down, and shouted, "Your Majesty, please issue an order!"
The court officials around were instantly silent. Looking at the sword on the waist of the armored guard, they suddenly realized that the Northern Court Guards and the Left and Right Divine Martial Armies were now under Ji Kang's command, and this captain was Ji Kang's lackey.
Ji Kang didn't say anything, but just looked at the courtiers with pale faces, and finally looked at the Empress Dowager whose brows were furrowed into a "川" shape, and smiled sarcastically.
"Why? Now no one dares to say that my position is not legitimate?"
Zhao retracted the expression on her face and looked calm and composed. "What's the matter? Ji Kang, are you planning to kill all the court officials in this palace? Don't forget, there is no wall that is impenetrable. There are so many court officials and so many forces behind them. Are you going to provoke them all?"
"So what if I kill him?" Ji Kang laughed loudly. "Even if I kill everyone in the world, I am still the Son of Heaven!"
The Minister of Justice could no longer bear to watch. He stepped forward and cursed, "Ji Kang, you forged the imperial edict to seize the throne. I think you've even colluded with the deposed Empress Dowager Huo to kill the emperor! Either you kill us all today, or we'll expose your crimes to the world as soon as we leave this Taiji Hall!"
Ji Kang's nostrils twitched, and he cursed these stubborn old guys inwardly, and shouted, "Congratulations!"
"Yes! Your Majesty!" The captain named He Qi stood up, walked towards the Minister of Justice, drew his sword, and chopped off the head with a single blow.
The blood splattered everywhere, and everyone close to the Minister of Justice was covered in blood. Finally, they watched the headless corpse fall limply to the ground.
Everyone was shocked and heartbroken, and no one dared to resist Yu Jikang anymore.
He Qi roared loudly: "Who else?"
Tang Taifu looked at the head rolling on the ground for several times, feeling heartbroken. He closed his eyes, clenched his fist, and stepped forward with determination. "And me! Kill this old minister, and I will follow the late emperor! Even if I die, I will never support a tyrant like you!"
Ji Kang sneered and gave He Qi a look. He took the hint and walked towards Tang Taifu, raising his broadsword. Just as he was about to strike, he heard a sudden "whoosh!" and an arrow struck He Qi's neck, piercing through and pinning him to the wall behind him. He Qi's sword fell to the ground with a clang. He widened his eyes and touched the hollow wound on his neck. Blood gushed out. In an instant, he collapsed to the ground, motionless.
Ji Kang was shocked and looked outside the Taiji Hall with the other ministers. They saw Zhou Chenghu riding a horse towards them. Behind him was Ji Ci, who was also riding a horse and holding the heavy bow that had just shot an arrow.
The soldiers around them also rushed into the hall shouting after receiving the order, and the Southern Ya Forbidden Army and the Shenwu Army fought in a melee.
When the court officials were rescued, they were terrified and fled everywhere, hiding their heads.
Ji Kang's body trembled violently, and he asked hysterically, "Where are the people? Besides the Shenwu Army, where are the other people from the Northern Yamen?"
In the distance, Zhou Chenghu could be heard riding into the Taiji Hall, shouting, "Ji Kang is unjust! He forged the imperial edict! He murdered his father and seized power! Prince Qi is restoring order! The Yulin Army has already submitted to Prince Qi, and the Longwu Army has surrendered! Prince Qi knows you have been deceived by this villain. If you surrender here, I will not pursue your crimes."
As soon as he heard this, Ji Kang realized that his situation was hopeless. Seeing the chaotic scene, he drew a knife, turned around and rushed towards the screen behind him, split the paper window behind the screen with force, and escaped.
He moved quickly and found a gap to escape before the Jia guards completely surrounded the Taiji Hall.
Now the Shengjing army was no longer under his control. His good uncle really amazed him. Although he was in prison, he took over 80% of the imperial guards with a crushing force in just a few days.
He thought of the White Tiger Army he still had under his command in Quzhou, which he had seized from the Huo family. If he could get to Quzhou, he might have a chance to lead his troops back to Shengjing.
He would never let Ji Ci go! And his sister Ye Er!
He swears he will not be a human being if he doesn’t take his wife away from him in this life!!!
He hid everywhere in the palace. Although he had great ambitions in his heart, the palace walls were too high and the guards were too strict, so he really didn't know how to escape.
Just as he was about to lose his head, a hand suddenly grabbed him and whispered, "Your Majesty!"
He turned around and saw that it was his concubine Duan.
"Why is it you?"
Without waiting for him to speak, Duan said immediately, "Your Majesty, I know a place where we can escape from the palace. If Your Majesty trusts me, please follow me."
Ji Kang didn't believe her, but seeing no other options, he took a gamble and followed Duan's lead. However, the place she'd called for escape turned out to be a disgusting cesspool. The stench of excrement made him vomit uncontrollably. Seeing Duan's determination and remembering his own ambitions, he finally swallowed the humiliation and jumped into the cesspool with her, swimming along the bottom and out of the palace walls.
In the Taiji Palace, some Shenwu soldiers who had originally wanted to put up a fight suddenly found that Ji Kang had already escaped. They were furious and dropped their weapons and surrendered.
Amidst this chaos, the young Ji Lang was finally crowned emperor, with Ji Ci acting as regent. Ji Lang took the imperial edict from the Empress Dowager, exchanged glances with Ji Ci, nodded in greeting, and ordered the kneeling courtiers to stand.
After sending the Grand Empress Dowager back to Anhe Garden, reorganizing the imperial guards, and handing over important government affairs, it was already past the hour of Xu. He could no longer suppress his longing and galloped towards Anhe Garden.
This morning, before daybreak, Tian Qu suddenly received a secret message from a female official under the Grand Empress Dowager, informing him of the day's plans and requesting their cooperation before the coronation ceremony. Zhao knew of his recent activities but remained silent, ignoring the dispute between the two sides.
He learned from the secret letter that Jiang Qiuye had stolen the late emperor's will in the Yangxin Palace, risked his life to bring it out and sent it to the Anhe Garden, and then persuaded Zhao to come forward and announce the real will.
It was precisely because of this will that he had a legitimate reason to seize the military power of the Yulin Army so smoothly before heading to the Yangxin Palace.
This fool, he clearly told her that she should just stay in the Pepper Room and wait for him.
The moment he saw the secret letter, he suddenly wanted to see her, and the uncontrollable impulse surged to his scalp, but reason told him that at that critical moment, he could not afford to make any mistakes.
Until it was finally over, his blood boiled and he could no longer wait for a moment, as if he had returned to his youth, a young boy who was just beginning to fall in love. From then on, she was the only one left in his eyes and heart.
The horse galloped through the streets of Shengjing, its hooves splashing the puddle. It passed by shops, and petals from the trees beside the street fell in front of it. When he arrived at Anhe Garden, he saw her waiting for him at the gate. She wore a plain silk dress, a stunning bun topped with a palace flower. She had a gentle smile, a soft glint in her eyes, and a faint dimple on her cheek.
Since they got married, every time they returned home at night, they would always see this scene.
A lovely wife, a table of hot food, a bright lamp, a kiss, and a night of tenderness.
He tightened the reins and stopped very close to her. He thought he would run over and lift her up high, but he suppressed his violently beating heart and walked step by step to her, saying word by word: "Ye'er, I'm back. I missed you so much."
Jiang Qiuye looked at him with a smile in her eyes. She stood on tiptoe, hooked her arms around his neck, and kissed his lips hard.
The author has something to say:
Ji Kang: Sister Ye'er actually drugged me...
Ji Ci: What? Ye'er! Didn't you agree to drug only me?
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