The Child Emperor

The Grand Consort often came to visit the Emperor, where she was equally at ease as in her own quarters. She crossed her legs and sat on the couch by the side while the servant-girls placed the various small items that she had brought on the tables by her side — tea, incense, a paper fan, and a string of beads — before leaving the room.

The Grand Consort represented the Empress Dowager —nobody doubted this at least for the time being.

Zhang Youcai and Dong Qing E withdrew from the room as well. The Grand Consort would come speak to the Emperor alone every few days — everyone was used to this by now.

The Grand Consort sat blankly in a daze for a while, letting the tea grow cold. She said softly, “Could she have sensed something?”

“Could it be that someone has reported the matter to her? The senior officials cannot all be trusted.” Han Ruzi sat on a round stool a few steps away. This was the first time he saw the Grand Consort appear apprehensive.

The Grand Consort appeared not to have heard the Emperor, and turned to the Emperor only after a while. “The senior officials? Possibly. But the one the Empress Dowager suspects is you, Your Majesty.”

“Me?” Han Ruzi was very surprised.

“Mm. She sent me here to sound you out, and find out if Your Majesty knows of a matter.”

The Grand Consort did not continue speaking, but Han Ruzi could guess what she was referring to. “I do know. The Empress Dowager has sent someone to take my mother. Nobody told me this; I found out on my own.”

The Grand Consort nodded. “That is because I did not want Your Majesty to worry. In that case, it is clear that Your Majesty has another avenue of communicating with the outside world.”

“Surely there is no need to tell the Empress Dowager this?”

“She must be told.”

“Why?” Han Ruzi stood up. The Empress Dowager was only suspicious; there was no need to volunteer the truth to her.

The Grand Consort stared at the Emperor. “Since the Empress Dowager’s suspicions have been raised, the best way to assuage them is to give her the desired results.”

Han Ruzi was stunned.

“If the Empress Dowager believes that she has stopped a plot, she might stop being suspicious and summon Grand Tutor Cui Hong back to the Capital.”

“Is there a need to wait until Grand Tutor Cui Hong returns? We could relieve Shang-guan Xu of his military command first before dealing with the Cui clan. That was what the Empress Dowager did.”

The Grand Consort smiled. “That was what I used to think. But Teacher Luo said no. He once taught at the Cui manor, so he knows how powerful the Cui clan is. Cui Hong leads an army outside the Capital. If the political situation in the Capital changes, there is no telling what the Cui clan would do in their moment of panic. We must take down both Cui Hong and Shang-guan Xu at the same time. That would ensure stability after the fact, and Your Majesty  would be able to rest easy.”

Han Ruzi did not understand much about the political situation, so he had no means of rebuttal. He could only ask, “Has the Empress Dowager not been appointing officials recommended by the Shang-guan clan? Has she not weakened the Cui clan?”

The Grand Consort smiled, “With Cui Hong leading the army into battle, we had to give him some incentive to do his best. For every official appointed by the Shang-guan clan, one would be appointed by the Cui clan. Compared to the past, the Cui clan has not only not been weakened, but has in fact only grown stronger. If this were not the case, Cui Hong would not have agreed to lead the army to the north. The current situation is that both Imperial In-law clans are strong, with both of them encroaching on the powers of the officials. If we take action against one clan, the other clan would not stand idly by.”

The Grand Consort fell into deep thought again. “The Empress Dowager did not tell me of her decision beforehand. Could it be… No, impossible, she would not suspect me. But this move of hers is clever. For one, she messed up Teacher Luo’s plans. Second, she postponed the granting of awards for suppressing the rebellion, preventing the Cui clan’s power from expanding. Third, the war with the Xiongnu will not be done in a day or two. Even if Cui Hong wins in battle, he would have to garrison the army near the border, and return to the Capital without his army.”

Han Ruzi did not think through to this extent. He could only feel that the Empress Dowager was a powerful opponent. “In that case, the Empress Dowager sending Cui Hong away might have nothing to do with our plan. It was only a coincidence. So there is no need to divulge my secret to the Empress Dowager.”

“We must not be careless. The Empress Dowager has yet to pay close attention to you. This is a good thing. But even if she simply throws a glance at you, she must be given a satisfactory answer. If I do not get the truth out of you, she would send someone else. In that case, you might give up some other secrets.”

“You think that I cannot hold your plan in confidence?”

The Grand Consort smiled while shaking her head. “I believe in you, Your Majesty, but even more than that, I believe in the Empress Dowager’s ability to make plays. Your Majesty’s mother is still in her hands, after all. In any event, Your Majesty is not the only one who has to make sacrifices.”

“Who else?”

“Your Majesty issued four imperial edicts the other day.”

“Mm.”

“Two of them are the same, reliving Shang-guan Xu from office.”

“Mm.”

The Grand Consort paused. “Teacher Luo wants to give one of them up.”

Han Ruzi was shocked. “What?”

“And a name will be written on it, so that there would be someone for the Empress Dowager to arrest.”

Han Ruzi was even more shocked. “Is that really necessary? The Empress Dowager… should probably not know of our plan, right?”

“Your Majesty resides in the deep reaches of the Imperial Palace, and so you do not understand many things on the outside. Riding on the wave of defeating Prince Qi and his allies in the imperial bureaucracy, the Empress Dowager has eyes and ears everywhere within the court. Your Majesty may not know this, but the Hall of Diligent Administration is only the place where edicts are drafted. Every afternoon, the Empress Dowager meets with another group of officials in the Grand Resplendence Pavilion to discuss arresting traitors. Those officials are known for their harsh enforcement of the law, and everyone calls them the ‘Resplendent Tigers’. There is no secret that they cannot find out.”

Of course, Han Ruzi did not know of these matters. But he finally understood why the officials at the Hall of Diligent Administration always seemed so anxious. “Who will hand over the imperial edict? And whose name will be written?”

“Teacher Luo will hand over the edict himself to gain the Empress Dowager’s trust. At the same time, his reputation would be ruined for currying up to the Empress Dowager. As for the name that will be written, Teacher Luo did not tell me. He said that this person was willing to uphold loyalty and die for you.”

Han Ruzi could not argue against the plan. There were officials who were willing to sacrifice themselves, so he had no reason to keep his secrets. But to betray someone who had helped him was too difficult for him. After hesitating for a while, he still could not come to a decision. Finally, he asked, “By handing over the imperial edict, would Teacher Luo not be giving me up as well? The Empress Dowager would be able to tell that I wrote it at a glance.”

“That’s right. But Your Majesty is able to bear the consequences. The Empress Dowager needs Your Majesty to keep the officials at bay. Other than keeping a closer eye on Your Majesty, she would not take more severe measures.”

“What about the seal on the edict? How to explain that?”

“That edict was a spare, so I did not stamp it with the Imperial Seal. This is what the Empress Dowager would know: Your Majesty wrote the imperial edict, and handed it over to Teacher Luo. After hesitating, Teacher Luo did not hand the edict to the officials, but handed it to the Director of Palace Attendants, Jing Yao.”

“So whoever’s name is written on the edict would be the person who told me that my mother was taken away — that would make sense, no?”

The Grand Consort considered the matter and then nodded. She smiled and said, “That makes sense. Given Your Majesty’s ability to keep secrets, we have even less to worry about.”

Han Ruzi heaved a sigh a relief. At the very least, he did not need to tell on Prince Donghai and Hua Huwang. Since that official was willing to sacrifice himself, then let him bear all the blame. If the plot succeeds and this person is still alive, Han Ruzi hoped to reward him greatly.

“I will get in touch with Teacher Luo quickly and tell him of Your Majesty’s plan. I think he would agree.”

“How do you contact Luo Huan-zhang? He only enters the palace once every few days, and even then, he only goes to the Soaring Clouds Pavilion in the Imperial Gardens.” Han Ruzi asked curiously. He had to go through all that trouble to get news of his mother, yet the Grand Consort seemed to be able to easily contact Luo Huan-zhang outside the palace.

“I am able to keep secrets as well,” the Grand Consort said while smiling. She got up and prepared to make her departure. “Before long, Your Majesty will wield great power over life and death. A few words of yours can change the fate of millions. May Your Majesty get used to people having no choice but to sacrifice themselves.”

The Grand Consort left and the servant-girls entered the room to tidy it out, not even looking at the Emperor.

Han Ruzi sat on the round stool, not looking at them either. The more he thought about it, the more upset he was. An innocent official was about to be sacrificed just so as to draw the Empress Dowager’s attention and assuage her suspicions. Han Ruzi did not know what it would feel like to decide on the fate of millions, but he believed that it would be completely different from the situation he was in at present.

Everyone else withdrew, leaving only Zhang Youcai and Dong Qing E who were helping the Emperor get ready for bed. Han Ruzi stared at them and asked, “Can We trust you?”

The eunuch and servant-girl stole a glance at each other, their eyes containing shock but also resolve, as though they knew that this moment would eventually come. The two of them knelt at the same time, and Dong Qing E said, “I am willing to walk through fire for Your Majesty.” Zhang Youcai said quickly, “I have been waiting for Your Majesty to say this to me for a long time. Give me your orders, Your Majesty, I am willing to do anything.”

Now it was Han Ruzi who was surprised. He smiled and asked, “What is going on with you two?”

Dong Qing E lowered her head, her eyes full of tears. Zhang Youcai raised his head and said angrily, “Zuo Ji hates us. He has sent his goons to warn us that he will take revenge once he recovers from his injury. Zuo Ji has already forced Liang An to hang himself. If it’s going to be death, we would rather die for Your Majesty.”

Strictly speaking, the Emperor was responsible for Liang An’s suicide. It was his catching them in the act that caused Zuo Ji such great fear that he forced Lian An to die to get rid of the evidence. Thinking of this, Han Ruzi grew calm. The Emperor was like a giant walking through the marketplace — any casual footstep could crush someone to death, or cause a panicked stampede. But even so, the people would still want to be by the side of the giant.

Sacrifices could not be prevented. The important thing was to ensure that sacrifices were not made in vain.

“We need you to do something.”

Zhang Youcai and Dong Qing E remained kneeling on the floor. Han Ruzi thought for a while, and felt that he could not give them tasks that were too important or too dangerous. Their loyalty had yet to be proven. Moreover, it was not easy for him to gain their loyalty, so he did not wish for them to be sacrificed wastefully. “The matter is simple and not urgent. Just keep your ears out and do not draw the attention of others.”

“Don’t worry, Your Majesty. We have lived in the palace since we were young, so we know the rules here.” Zhang Youcai was a little flushed with excitement while Dong Qing E appeared much more steady. She stopped crying and looked at the Emperor seriously.

“There is someone by the Grand Consort’ side, or someone whom the Grand Consort contacts often, who can maintain communications with the outside world. We wish to know who that is.”

“Someone who can communicate with the outside world. This is no small matter.” Zhang Youcai appeared to be uncertain. “Three days. We shall find this person in three days.”

Dong Qing E was older so she was more careful. “This person would probably not be an ordinary servant. It could be a guard commander. We will investigate from there.”

“Do not take risks. There is no time limit. Just keep an eye out for it.”

Zhang Youcai smiled and said, “There is no need to worry, Your Majesty. The servants of the palace have their ways. We will surely not let the Grand Consort or the Empress Dowager find out.”

Han Ruzi was very interested in these “ways”, but he did not ask further. Trust could not be earned in a single day.

That night, he slept soundly. When he woke up the next day, the first thing he thought of was that official who was willing to sacrifice himself. A thought suddenly came to mind: was that person truly willing?