CH 55: Stalemate

The calmest people in the room were Luo Huan-zhang and the Empress Dowager. Upon hearing the commotion outside, they were also the most surprised. The Empress Dowager quickly stood up and looked towards the door. She then slowly sat back down, her gaze shifting to Han Ruzi, as she clearly heard the people outside shouting “Save the Emperor!”

Luo Huan-zhang turned and walked to the door. Though the people outside had not yet stormed into the inner courtyard, the sounds of clashing weapons were clearly audible, as were the shrill cries of the eunuchs, filled with despair.

He turned back to a bewildered Bu Hengru, and asked, “What is happening? Are there not guards at the palace gates?”

“Yes, there are guards… I will go out and see.” Bu Hengru hastily left the room and returned quickly, his face showing obvious panic. “A group of eunuchs and servant-girls, more than fifty in number, wielding… wooden sticks and bamboo poles, have surrounded Cishun Palace.”

“Eunuchs and servant-girls?” Luo Huanzhang was puzzled.

Angry and shocked, Prince Donghai could not help but sneer, “You have so many martial arts experts at your disposal, and yet you cannot fend off fifty or so eunuchs and servant-girls?”

Bu Hengru shook his head, “Our men outside have all gone with the Grand Consort to the Hall of Diligent Administration, leaving only four guards at the main entrance. I think sending these three out there to kill a few of them would frighten them into submission.”

The three short-blade wielders at the door were about to leave when Luo Huan-zhang shouted, “Stay. Our plan is to hold the Empress Dowager and the Emperor hostage and maintain control over those two. As long as we have them, we haven’t failed.”

Prince Donghai lowered his head, his face turning pale, for he was not included among the “two”.

Luo Huan-zhang approached the Empress Dowager and respectfully said, “How admirable. As you control the Imperial Court, and the officials grow more loyal. You have stained the Imperial Palace with blood, yet the servants obey you. How truly admirable.”

The Empress Dowager did not even raise her eyes and coldly replied, “I control the court, but the palace is managed by the Grand Consort. It has nothing to do with me. Those people outside are not here for me. Have you not heard them shouting ‘Save the Emperor’? They are the Emperor’s.”

Of course Luo Huan-zhang had heard them. But everyone, whether in court or in the palace, held the Emperor on their lips while harboring their own intentions. He had not thought of the Emperor until the Empress Dowager had mentioned him. Only then did he look at the young man sitting by the window.

Han Ruzi’s heart was filled with excitement. Zhang Youcai and Dong Qing E had succeeded in their mission, and the Emperor was no longer a bystander in this palace coup. However, Han Ruzi still managed to remain calm, meeting Luo Huan-zhang’s gaze.

“You actually managed to gain the loyalty of a group of eunuchs and servant-girls?” Luo Huan-zhang still had trouble believing it.

Han Ruzi said, “I simply took advantage of the circumstances. The Empress Dowager arrested and killed many of them, which allowed me to gain their trust.” His attention was mostly focused on the noise outside. There were only four guards at the entrance of Cishun Palace, yet dozens of eunuchs and servant-girls had not yet broken in. This indicated that things were not going smoothly.

Luo Huan-zhang turned back to the Empress Dowager, “That is the advantage of the path of benevolence and righteousness. Cunning plots can achieve success, while benevolence and righteousness can maintain it. Strategies can advance, while benevolence and righteousness can secure the rear.” He continued, “We, too, have the advantage of circumstance. With the deaths of the Martial Emperor, the Graceful Emperor, and the Thoughtful Emperor in quick succession, the Empress Dowager rules as a woman, while the Cui clan wields power as in-laws. The foundation of Great Chu has already rotted, providing an opportunity for the people of the pugilist world.”

“You are still so keen on playing the role of a teacher,” the Empress Dowager said with a short laugh. “It is hard to say how the foundation of the Great Chu fares, but your current situation is not good.”

Three blade-wielders ran into the room from outside. They were Bu Hengru’s men, holding knives, their clothes covered with egg whites, vegetable leaves, and miscellaneous items. Their clothes were torn in several places, with a bit of blood on them. They appeared panicked and turned to close the door as soon as they entered the room.

Several bamboo poles followed them from outside, poking about chaotically.

Bu Hengru was greatly alarmed. He and the three subordinates who were originally with him went to help, forming a group of seven people. They barely managed to secure the door, but several bamboo poles still managed to poke in through the gaps. The sounds outside became even more chaotic, accompanied by the shouts of “Save the Emperor!”

“Where is Yan Mingfeng?” Bu Hengru was both frightened and angry, but he hadn’t forgotten about his subordinate.

“He was ambushed by a spear. We don’t know if he’s dead or alive,” one man replied, leaning against the door, visibly frustrated. He added, “You said this operation would be without risk, that we wouldn’t encounter any resistance. Why…”

“And you all claimed to be capable of taking on a hundred enemies each, so how come you can’t even defeat eunuchs and servant-girls?” As the situation changed, Bu Hengru could no longer maintain his composure, nor was he willing to take the blame without reason.

“Shut up,” Luo Huan-zhang ordered. Now was not the time for infighting. He looked at the Emperor for a moment and then said to Bu Hengru and the others, “Open the door.”

“We can’t open it,” another blade-wielder covered in dirt and grime objected loudly. They had fought with the eunuchs and servant-girls outside and knew they were not easy to deal with.

“Fools, what’s the point of fighting with a bunch of servants? As long as we hold the Emperor, the Empress Dowager… and Prince Donghai, who dares to come in?” Luo Huan-zhang remained defiant.

Prince Donghai muttered, “Now you remember me.”

Luo Huan-zhang had merely mentioned him in passing. He walked over to the Emperor, bowed, and said, “Your Majesty, please forgive us.”

Bu Hengru finally came to his senses, gritting his teeth and saying, “Don’t guard the door anymore. Listen to my orders: Xiao Long, watch Prince Donghai. Da Long and Old Deng, guard the Empress Dowager with me. The three of you guard the Emperor. One, two, three… disperse!”

The seven people blocking the door scattered and rushed towards their respective targets.

Both Han Ruzi and Prince Donghai were only thirteen-year-old boys, while the Empress Dowager and Maiden Wang were women. Due to their status, they all calmly accepted being held hostage. No one resisted, but Prince Donghai’s face was cold, for he was treated with less importance compared to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager.

The door was finally forced open, and seven or eight bamboo poles entered first, probing the way. Then, a small figure stepped over the threshold and knelt on the ground, sweating profusely. He said excitedly to the Emperor, “Your Majesty, we, the Unfortunates, have arrived… You were signaling to us at Cining Palace, right?”

“Yes, you have arrived just in time,” Han Ruzi said. The three blade-wielders surrounding him only brandished their blades but did not hold them against his neck. The Emperor’s composure even made them take a small step back.

No one knew how excited Han Ruzi was inside. He could not even stand up, so he remained seating on his round stool and tried to keep his body as straight as possible.

Zhang Youcai wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned to the people outside, “See? I told you this was a secret order from His Majesty. We did the right thing.” Perhaps someone hinted something to him; Zhang Youcai quickly turned around and bowed to the Empress Dowager, “We are late in saving His Majesty. Please forgive us, Empress Dowager.”

The Empress Dowager was unwilling to speak with the palace servants, so she turned to Maiden Wang, who was standing beside her, and said, “You have raised a good son.”

“He is the Empress Dowager’s son,” Maiden Wang replied.

The Empress Dowager snorted lightly and said nothing more.

Han Ruzi knew that his mother had no choice but to do what she did, yet he still felt a pang of sadness and confusion. His mother was forced into the palace, so why was she even more loyal than the servant-girls who served the Empress Dowager?

Luo Huan-zhang also had the same question, but he had to deal with the current crisis first. “Your Majesty, please order those who do not need to be here to leave.”

Han Ruzi glanced at the three short blades beside him and said to Zhang Youcai, who was kneeling at the door, “You all should withdraw to the courtyard and stand by. I need to have a talk with Teacher Luo.”

Zhang Youcai looked at Luo Huan-zhang and the seven blade-wielders, then obeyed the order. Just as he was about to leave, Maiden Wang reminded him, “Close the main entrance of Cining Palace, and do not let anyone else in.”

“Yes.” Zhang Youcai left, and the numerous bamboo poles also withdrew. However, the door remained open.

Maiden Wang bowed to the Empress Dowager and said, “I took the liberty of giving orders without asking. Please punish me, Empress Dowager.”

“No need to worry about that now,” the Empress Dowager said, a bit tired. She looked at the sunlight pouring in from the doorway and pretended not to see the blades a few feet away.

Bu Hengru and the others were getting more and more nervous, all looking to Luo Huan-zhang for guidance.

Luo Huan-zhang thought for a moment, decided that the Empress Dowager was more important, and walked over to her. He signaled Bu Hengru and the other two to put down their blades and said, “It is a pity that we’ve reached a stalemate.”

“I only regret that I trusted the wrong person,” the Empress Dowager replied without looking away.

“The people with me are all heroes and warriors from the pugilist world, unfamiliar with the rules of the imperial family. Please forgive us, Empress Dowager.”

Finally, the Empress Dowager looked at Luo Huan-zhang, “Someone once told me that the power of the Emperor lies only beyond ten steps and within a thousand li. I dismissed it with a laugh, but now I see that it was true. I let go of my control ‘within ten steps’, and now we find ourselves in this situation. Indeed, ‘within ten steps’ is where pugilists reign supreme.”

Han Ruzi was surprised. So Yang Feng had said the same thing to the Empress Dowager. Whose side was he really on?

Luo Huan-zhang nodded in agreement, “The person who said this to the Empress Dowager was very insightful. Chunyu Xiao also said that the farther away from the Emperor, the stronger the sense of majesty. That’s why the Emperor is always high above and distant from the people. Once someone breaks through the barriers and approaches the Emperor’s person, the Emperor no longer inspires fear. This is what they mean in the pugilist world, when they say that they are able to drag an Emperor off his horse if they put their own bodies on the line.”

“So you devised this plan?”

“Half of it was a plan, and the other half was a gift from Heaven. Chunyu Xiao had incited Prince Qi into rebellion, and I prepared to collaborate from within the Capital. But after staying in the Cui clan for a while, I found that I had the opportunity to approach the Emperor — no, the Empress Dowager. So I agreed with Chunyu Xiao that if Prince Qi could break through Hangu Gate, I would carry out the original plan, which was to depose the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, and welcome a new ruler. If Prince Qi’s army was defeated, I would carry out a new plan, staging a palace coup.”

The Empress Dowager nodded, “I must capture Chunyu Xiao alive and see what kind of person he really is.”

Luo Huan-zhang smiled, “The senior officials may prevent the Grand Consort from entering the Hall of Diligent Administration, but they cannot stop the Emperor’s edict from being proclaimed. At this very moment, the guards in the palace are being replaced, all serving my purpose. Your elder brother, Marshal of the Southern Army Shang-guan Xu, should have already been stripped of his seal of office. When the Southern Army soldiers enter the city again, the officials will have no choice but to obey.”

The Empress Dowager also smiled faintly, “Every day after noon, several of my loyal officials and I meet in the Pavilion of Expansive Literature. If they do not see me, they will go to the Hall of Diligent Administration to detain the officials. So, the Grand Consort might not be able to return after all. As for the Marshal of the Southern Army, taking away his seal of office may not be that easy.”

Luo Huan-zhang turned to look at the doorway, the sunlight indicating that it was already past noon.

Luo Huan-zhang and the Empress Dowager looked at each other, both trying to gauge the other’s bargaining position.

Standing beside them, Bu Hengru suddenly spoke up, “There’s no need to talk anymore. Chunyu Xiao gave me a secret order: if our plan fails, kill the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and Prince Donghai. That way, the imperial officials will have no monarch, the feudal lords will fight each other, and Chunyu Xiao will still have a chance!”

Bu Hengru waved the blade in his hand, his eyes filled with madness.