CH 56: A Historian’s Anger

The sun was high in the sky, and the once smooth-sailing palace coup took a sharp turn for the worse. The situation became increasingly unpredictable, and Bu Hengru, with a blade in hand, shouted at the six blade-wielders, “Be ready! When I say move, you strike!”

The six blade-wielder looked at each other, and one of them asked, “Did the Immortal Master really give such a secret order?”

Before Bu Hengru could speak, Luo Huan-zhang interrupted, “Don’t talk nonsense! Chunyu Xiao is a sage, how could he resort to such a despicable strategy? With the Empress Dowager and Emperor dead, the senior officials outside would immediately welcome a prince of the imperial clan to the Capital to succeed the throne. Why would feudal lords fight one other?”

Bu Hengru sheathed his knife and hurriedly pulled out a piece of paper from his sleeve. After unfolding it, he showed it to Luo Huan-zhang, “Master Chunyu’s handwriting and seal are here, you should recognize it. Look what’s written on it.”

Luo Huan-zhang took the paper, looked at it for a while, and frowned, “This is not his handwriting; it’s a poor imitation.” As he spoke, he tore the paper apart and threw it away, leaving the torn pieces scattered on the ground.

Bu Hengru was caught off guard by this scene, watching the secret order turn into waste paper. Enraged, he drew his dagger and shouted, “Luo Huan-zhang, what is the meaning of this?”

“I’m trying to save this plan, and your lives as well.”

The six blade-wielders nodded repeatedly, clearly supporting Luo Huan-zhang more. Bu Hengru’s face alternated between pale and flushed, and finally, he said resentfully, “We’ll see how you explain this to Master Chunyu later.”

“If there is a later, it means we have accomplished an unparalleled feat, and there is no need to explain. If there is no later, what is there to explain?” Luo Huan-zhang stepped back two paces, glancing at both the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. “I only need one of you to appoint Chunyu Xiao as the Spiritual Leader. Who is willing?”

Both the Empress Dowager and the Emperor remained silent. From the other side, Prince Donghai spoke up, “I’m willing. It’s just a position of Spiritual Leader. If you had mentioned it earlier, I would have agreed long ago.”

Luo Huan-zhang held up a finger towards Prince Donghai, signaling him not to speak, and his gaze swept between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.

The Empress Dowager spoke first, her answer simple, “I will not be a puppet.”

Luo Huan-zhang’s gaze settled on the Emperor.

Han Ruzi was somewhat tempted. He had always been a puppet; continuing as one would not cause any losses, and it could save the lives of many people, especially his own and his mother’s. He looked to his mother, and Maiden Wang shook her head ever so slightly.

“What is Chunyu Xiao’s so-called ‘Great Path’ if even benevolence and righteousness are trivial arts?” Han Ruzi did not refuse immediately.

Bu Hengru was still anxious, “There’s no need to waste words with him…”

Luo Huan-zhang stretched out his other hand, signaling Bu Hengru to remain silent as well, and stared more intently at the Emperor. “Benevolence and righteousness are originally part of the Great Path, but in the hands of emperors, they become mere tricks, used to deceive the world and control their subjects. The Great Path is simple and natural; it restores benevolence and righteousness to its original state where everyone practices them, but they do not belong exclusively to any one person.”

Han Ruzi, still young, did not quite understand. He asked in confusion, “So would there still be an Emperor?”

“Emperors are thieves.” Luo Huan-zhang’s words were startling, but he seemed unconcerned and continued to speak confidently, “The emperor, a single person, stands above all others without possessing superior virtue. At first, he governs the country, but gradually, everything becomes about him personally. Look at the historical records. In there, you will find nothing but political strife and family disputes—concubines, princes, eunuchs, in-laws, treacherous sycophants… These people would turn the Imperial Court into their own private playground, while the Emperor indulges himself inside, long forgetting the common people.”

Han Ruzi had no reactions, but Prince Donghai grew more and more alarmed as he listened. He murmured, “This was not what you taught me in the past.”

“In the past? In the past, the Founding Emperor was a wise and just emperor. But in his later years, he became infatuated with young and beautiful concubines, almost deposing the Crown Prince; the Accomplished Emperor was a good emperor who practiced benevolence and righteousness, but he indulged his maternal relatives, leading to Imperial In-laws wrecking havoc, a trend that has continued in this dynasty; the Fiery Emperor reduced the power of feudal lords and stripped Imperial In-laws of power, but in his later years, he became paranoid and bloodthirsty, not even sparing his own sons; the Peaceful Emperor showed great potential for reviving the Empire, but due to the Empress Dowager’s dying plea, he once again supported the rise of Imperial In-laws. In the past…”

Luo Huan-zhang’s chest heaved, and the pent-up frustration in his heart finally found release. His gaze first fixed on Prince Donghai, then slowly turned to the Empress Dowager, and finally rested on the Emperor. “The older an emperor gets, the more obsessed he becomes with family affairs. However, the Martial Emperor has already depleted the resources of the Chu Dynasty. If left unchecked, the Han clan might still be able to wreak havoc for another seventy or eighty years, but it would be the common people who would suffer misfortune. Do you feel wronged to be a puppet emperor? No, in the history books of the previous dynasty, emperors like you appeared every few generations, sometimes even consecutively. This is the inevitable result of being embroiled in family affairs and the symbol of a declining empire.”

No one refuted him, and Luo Huan-zhang’s gaze became even more severe, as if everyone in the room were disciples who had come to seek his guidance, and he was dissatisfied with each and every one of them. “Instead of waiting for the slow decay of the Chu Dynasty, it would be better to cut the knot with a swift strike.”

The Empress Dowager suddenly burst into laughter, “This is the true Teacher Luo, only with a different theory. Fine, the decline and decay of the Chu Dynasty are the fault of us women and the Imperial In-laws. But on what basis do you believe Chunyu Xiao would be able to avoid all of this?”

“Because he has no family, and thus there will be no family affairs. Starting with him, each successive generation of emperor in the new dynasty will not have a family of his own.”

“Are you suggesting that all future emperors will be eunuchs?” The Empress Dowager did not believe this proposition.

“They will not hold the title of eunuch,[1] but emperors would have to be castrated before ascending the throne. Chunyu Xiao has already done so.”

The Empress Dowager was stunned for a moment, then laughed heartily again, shaking her head. She was unwilling to offer further rebuttal.

Luo Huan-zhang softened his tone and said to Han Ruzi, “You are not only the last emperor of the Chu Dynasty but also the last secular emperor. After you, emperors would have to abandon their worldly desires voluntarily, demonstrating that their moral character is above the rest of the people. Only then would they be qualified to govern the country and the people.”

Prince Donghai sneered from the other side, “My goodness, I can’t believe I once called you teacher. You are a madman, and everything you say is nonsense. Letting a eunuch become an emperor is something even the senior officials cannot agree to.”

“It’s just a matter of getting used to it. After two or three generations, everyone will feel that an emperor who isn’t castrated is a bad emperor.” Luo Huan-zhang still stared at Han Ruzi, his eyes flickering with a fiery light, trying to persuade him. “You are very smart, even more so than I anticipated, and you have a sense of benevolence and righteousness. If you willingly submit to castration, you will have the opportunity to become a true emperor again after Chunyu Xiao’s demise.”

Prince Donghai reminded, “Your Majesty, you understand the meaning of castration, right? It means that you will only be able to relieve yourself like a eunuch, and you will not be able to marry and have children.”

Han Ruzi was not concerned about that. Taking a deep breath, he felt some of his strength returning and slowly stood up, saying, “‘One can be selfish, but not so selfish as to believe others are not selfish.’ I wonder: what would the selfish motives of Teacher Luo and Chunyu Xiao be?”

Luo Huan-zhang was taken aback. This Emperor always managed to surprise him, and to irritate him as well. “Your Majesty, who has influenced you, or were you born this way? Can you not believe that there are selfless people in this world?”

A head appeared at the entrance of the room. Everyone was drawn to Luo Huan-zhang and did not notice it for a moment. Bu Hengru was the first to discover it, getting startled and hurriedly brandishing his blade, shouting, “Watch out!”

Everyone turned around, especially the six blade-wielders, whose short blades were eager for action, inadvertently scaring the person at the entrance once again.

“Do not act rashly, I am here to pass on a message.” Zhang Youcai hurriedly called out. Seeing the blade-wielders not staying their hand, he slowly knelt down, kowtowing to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor respectively. Then he said, “Zuo Ji has returned. He is shouting outside the door, requesting an audience with the Empress Dowager.”

The Empress Dowager remained silent with a cold expression, as if those words were not meant for her.

Han Ruzi asked, “Is he alone?”

“I looked through the crack in the door; it’s just him.”

“Well… let him in.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The young eunuch stood up and left, glancing at the Emperor. Han Ruzi slightly hesitated, vaguely sensing that Zhang Youcai seemed to be hinting at something.

Others did not notice the young eunuch’s hinting look; They were waiting for Zuo Ji to enter. He had gone to the Hall of Diligent Administration with the Grand Consort, so he ought to have the latest news.

Zuo Ji hurried in, stopping at the doorway, and peeked inside the room to confirm that Luo Huan-zhang and others were in control of the situation. Only then did he step in and habitually kneel before the Empress Dowager, “I hope the Empress Dowager is well.”

“Not bad, you have some courage, which is quite impressive,” the Empress Dowager had always seemed composed, but now her tone clearly revealed her resentment and hatred.

“Empress Dowager, you cannot blame me for this. You are not the same as you were before. Your actions are too ruthless, and my face cannot withstand such beatings. Moreover, you have focused all your energy on the senior officials, and we have not been together in such a long time…”

The Empress Dowager’s expression turned icy, and Zuo Ji closed his mouth. Luo Huan-zhang coldly snorted, this was precisely the kind of imperial “family affair” he despised the most. He demanded, “Zuo Ji, how are things at the Hall of Diligent Administration?”

Zuo Ji looked Luo Huan-zhang, “First, tell me what is going on with the group of eunuchs and palace maids outside? We agreed that you would control the Imperial Palace while the Grand Consort and I would take care of the Imperial Court outside. If one side fails, we will lose everything.”

“With the Emperor and the Empress Dowager here, what are you worried about?”

Zuo Ji crawled up, glanced at the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, and said, “The Grand Consort has entered the Hall of Diligent Administration.”

The blade-wielders all breathed a sigh of relief, and Bu Hengru felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted. Looking at the scattered pieces of paper on the ground, he secretly thanked Luo Huan-zhang. Without him, he would have ruined everything.

Still not reassured, Luo Huan-zhang asked, “The senior officials were willing to obey the decree?”

Zuo Ji shook his head, “Marquis Hua got hold of the Captain of the Guard’s seal of office, and led soldiers to break through the senior officials’ resistance.”

“Have all the senior officials been captured?”

“Some were captured, while others managed to escape.”

Luo Huan-zhang frowned, “Did any of the Five Trusted Officials escape?”

“Almost all of them were caught, only the old man Yin Wuhai managed to escape. It was chaotic at that time—who would have thought someone his age could run so fast!” Zuo Ji was somewhat unhappy; he came to deliver good news, but ended up being interrogated as if he were still a servant, “Yin Wuhai won’t cause much trouble.”

“That’s not necessarily true.” Luo Huan-zhang was no longer as confident as before, “Let’s wait for the news from the Southern Army. If everything goes smoothly there, we won’t need to worry about Yin Wuhai. Also, keep an eye on the Pavilion of Expansive Literature; the Empress Dowager’s lackeys there might cause trouble…”

Before he could finish speaking, two window panels were suddenly pushed open, and someone shouted, “Your Majesty, duck!”

Han Ruzi dove under the window, and several bamboo poles extended into the room. These poles were connected in pairs, stretching nearly nine meters long, forming a barrier.

“Your Majesty, come out!” Another voice called out.

Han Ruzi glanced back; Bu Hengru and the others had already recovered from their shock and were frantically swinging their blades. The Empress Dowager and his mother were terrified, giving no indication of what to do.

This was a moment for decisive action. Han Ruzi stood up and stretched his hands out the window, and they were immediately grabbed.

[1] The Chinese term for eunuch literally means “Great Supervisor”, and is technically a term for a position within the Imperial Palace held by men. But since these men would have to be castrated to hold such positions, the term also came to be used to refer to castration.