CH 65: Fortunes Change

Han Ruzi had gone without food for an entire day and night, yet he had no appetite at all. After eating just a little, he put down his chopsticks, desperately wishing to speak with his mother. However, he was accompanied only by Prince Donghai and two eunuchs.

After the Grand Consort had been question, the Emperor was escorted into the side-chamber to rest. The Empress Dowager and senior officials continued to discuss matters. The palace coup had been thwarted, but not all the conspirators had been captured: the fate seer Chunyu Xiao had yet to make an appearance, Marquis Junyang’s whereabouts remained unknown after his flight, and Gui Yuehua’s location was unclear after he jumped out of the building…

All of this no longer concerned Han Ruzi; he had returned to square one, becoming an Emperor in name only.

“It was I who sent out the Founding Emperor’s treasured sword,” he muttered, unsure whether it was Liu Kunsheng or Chancellor Yin Wuhai who had concealed the truth.

“Lord Father wanted to make me Crown Prince, Lord Father wanted to make me Crown Prince…” Not far away, Prince Donghai repeated this phrase countless times. Suddenly, he raised his head, intending to rush towards the Emperor but was stopped by the two eunuchs. He had not yet been punished, and the sole reason was that the power of the Cui clan had not been destroyed.

“You heard what the Grand Consort said!” Prince Donghai exclaimed, no longer cautious. “I should have been Emperor!”

Han Ruzi suddenly found Prince Donghai somewhat pitiable. “The Grand Consort’s words cannot be believed. Even if Lord Father wanted to make you the Crown Prince, it would only be a temporary measure. After subduing the senior officials and eliminating the power of the Cui clan…”

“Do you think I am as foolish as you?” Prince Donghai burst out angrily. The two eunuchs shook their heads at him, signaling that he should not disrespect the Emperor. Prince Donghai, realizing his position, softened his tone. “As long as I am appointed Crown Prince, as long as I stay by Lord Father’s side, no one would be able to undermine my position as Crown Prince. No one… Ah, there were signs that Lord Father wanted to make me Crown Prince; Lord Father used to be Prince Donghai, and I am also Prince Donghai!”

The Graceful Emperor had already passed away, and no one could guess his true intentions. Before him, the Martial Emperor had appointed three Crown Princes. The first two were not only deposed but also executed later, leaving behind rumors of ghosts in the Eastern Palace. The Graceful Emperor was merely a fortunate participant in a game of musical chairs.

And there was the Empress Dowager outside. She had lost her husband, son, and sister, but held power more tightly than ever. Could she be said to have won?

“We are alone.” Han Ruzi thought of the words his grandfather had once said and suddenly felt a chill.

Prince Donghai snorted. He had never treated Han Ruzi as an emperor, and all the more he refused to do so now.

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside. Prince Donghai rushed to the door, listening carefully, “Shang-guan Xu has entered the palace. It seems… it’s not good news.”

The two eunuchs tried to pull Prince Donghai back, but the Emperor also left his chair, running to the door to listen with Prince Donghai. The eunuchs had no choice but to stand behind them, carefully watching them to prevent them from rushing out.

The news brought by Shang-guan Xu was not good. As soon as he entered, he knelt on the ground, kowtowing, his voice filled with fear and anger, “Cui Hong… Cui Hong has taken control of the Southern Army…”

Prince Donghai cheered softly.

In the morning of the previous day, several officials entered the Southern Army, presenting an imperial edict to revoke Shang-guan Xu’s seal of office. Of course, Shang-guan Xu did not believe it, and he tried to detain these people. He sent others into the city to investigate the news, but they were stopped outside the palace and could not see the Empress Dowager.

Both sides were deadlocked, both losing the chance to take the initiative. The news spread quickly among the troops, and the earthquake had already sparked numerous rumors. The news of the seizure of the seal left the soldiers even more uncertain. Shang-guan Xu was newly appointed, with a short tenure and no military background, so he was not very popular. The officials involved in the attempt to seize the seal were of low rank, and one of them came from the Northern Army, so they were even less popular.

As the palace coup in the Capital was at a critical juncture, a mutiny was brewing within the Southern Army camp.

At the crucial moment, Cui Hong arrived alone, having sent away the guards and the followers left by Yang Feng. His timing could not have been better; a few hours earlier, and the Southern Army soldiers might not have accepted a general without a seal of office. If he had arrived a little later, a mutiny would have broken out, and he would not have been able to suppress it.

He arrived just when the Southern Army’s morale was at its most unstable, offering them hope.

Cui Hong had been in charge of the Southern Army for many years. While he was not universally beloved, he was quite trusted. A large number of officers who had been demoted by Shang-guan Xu immediately turned to their former superior, leading the entire army to shout, “General Cui.”

The people sent by Chunyu Xiao to seize the seal became prisoners. Cui Hong showed no mercy and ordered their execution. Shang-guan Xu and a small number of his supporters took advantage of the chaos to escape, running all the way to report to the Empress Dowager, arriving just after the palace coup had ended.

“Shang-guan Xu is useless. The Empress Dowager has trusted the wrong person again,” Prince Donghai said excitedly, his face flushed and his confidence soaring, daring to glare at the eunuchs behind him.

Through the door, the Empress Dowager’s expression could not be seen, nor had she spoken. But Shang-guan Xu’s voice was trembling more and more severely, indicating the Empress Dowager’s anger.

“Yang Feng! It was Yang Feng who helped Cui Hong seize military power,” Shang-guan Xu hastily shifted the blame, saying whatever came to mind. “Not long after Cui Hong entered the camp, Yang Feng also went there. He did not say a word to me and went straight to see Cui Hong. There must be something suspicious about this.”

For those in Cishun Palace, Cui Hong’s appearance was quite sudden and disrupted the victory they had just achieved. The senior officials were filled with righteous indignation, seeking the opportunity to go to the Southern Army’s camp to capture Cui Hong alive. Everyone believed that if the Emperor and Empress Dowager were killed, Cui Hong, who had regained control of the Southern Army, would be a terrifying force. However, the two supreme rulers of the Empire were safe and sound, so defeating Cui Hong would be easy.

The Emperor and Prince Donghai, who were listening through the door, also felt tense. Han Ruzi was curious about how the Empress Dowager would resolve this crisis, while Prince Donghai was much more anxious. His uncle’s success or failure directly affected his own fate.

While the officials were continuing with their speeches to express their loyalty, someone reported that Yang Feng was seeking an audience with the Empress Dowager.

“He dares to come back? He’s really bold.” Prince Donghai was shocked, but quickly came up with an explanation. “Oh, Yang Feng must be speaking for my uncle. Tsk, eunuchs are all treacherous characters. I must advise my uncle to get rid of Yang Feng as soon as possible.”

Han Ruzi believed that Yang Feng was not that kind of person. He was more puzzled about the other eunuch. “How did Jing Yao switch sides to the Empress Dowager again?”

“Shush.” Prince Donghai was now only concerned about one thing: what conditions his uncle would propose to the Empress Dowager.

Yang Feng’s voice came through, angering the officials as soon as he spoke. “This humble servant Yang Feng pays his respect to the Empress Dowager. I request that the Empress Dowager dismiss everyone present, as I have something to report privately.”

The palace coup had just come to an end, and Yang Feng having just been accused of treason, dared to make such a demand. The senior officials’ reprimands could be clearly heard, and Prince Donghai furrowed his brow, “These old fellows have quite a few ways to scold others. Wait for me… hmph.”

Unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager agreed to Yang Feng’s request, ordering the senior officials, eunuchs, and palace maids to withdraw, leaving only a few close attendants behind.

In the side-chamber, the two eunuchs dutifully obeyed the orders. First, they softly pleaded with the Emperor and Prince Donghai to step back; when that had no effect, they had no choice but to take action. The two eunuchs carried Prince Donghai back to his original position, then turned their gazes to the Emperor.

Han Ruzi walked back on his own and sat down on a chair. The voices outside were faint, making it difficult to hear what Yang Feng was saying.

“Yang Feng could not possibly side with Cui Hong,” Han Ruzi could not think of any reason for Yang Feng to do such a thing.

Prince Donghai chuckled, “Who cares about Yang Feng? You should be thinking about what conditions my uncle would propose to the Empress Dowager.”

Han Ruzi looked at Prince Donghai across from him, “After all that has happened, do you still want to be the Emperor?”

Prince Donghai glanced at the two eunuchs and said, “Even if I were to be beheaded immediately after becoming Emperor, I would still want to be one. Some people are born to be Emperors, like me. Don’t you like the feeling of being an Emperor?”

“I am but a puppet,” Han Ruzi did not care that the eunuchs could hear him as it was a well-known fact.

The two eunuchs were extremely embarrassed, coughed a few times, and simply stood at the door, pretending not to hear anything.

Prince Donghai leaned forward and said earnestly, “That’s right, you are just a puppet. Yet, there are still people who willingly serve you: the Keeper of the Imperial Seal Liu Jie, those eunuchs and palace maids, and the Captain of the Palace Gates who helped deliver the sword…”

“Ah, you knew I was the one who took the sword out?”

“Heh, everyone knows, but no one is a fool. Unless the Empress Dowager personally admits it, no one will acknowledge your contribution. The senior officials will only silently thank you in their hearts. Hehe, you’ve done them a great favor; from now on, the Empress Dowager will rely more on the senior officials. The thing Lord Father tried so hard to avoid, the Empress Dowager has now brought into being.”

Prince Donghai impatiently tapped his fingers on the windowsill and suddenly walked toward the door, “No, I must see the Empress Dowager, my uncle…”

The two eunuchs stepped forward and shook their heads at Prince Donghai.

Prince Donghai had no choice but to return to his original spot, appearing even more agitated. He muttered under his breath, “If my uncle were smart, he would immediately lead troops into the palace under the pretext of saving the Emperor, just like Shang-guan Xu did before, so it wouldn’t be breaking with precedent. Why did my uncle let Yang Feng come? That eunuch can’t be trusted. Even if he wants to negotiate with the Empress Dowager, he should bring troops in and talk directly face to face…”

Prince Donghai did not need to pretend to be foolish any longer. His analysis of the current situation made sense, and Han Ruzi could not help but nod in agreement, “The Empress Dowager’s brother has lost his military power, but she has the support of the senior officials. Your uncle wouldn’t dare act recklessly.”

“At a time like this, who cares about the senior officials? If it weren’t for Luo Huan-zhang and Bu Hengru…” Prince Donghai snorted angrily, “Besides the Cui clan, there’s no one worth trusting in this world. Now I understand why Emperors always trust their Imperial In-laws and eunuchs.”

“It’s really strange. Your uncle gave up his official seal back then, and now he wants to take it back again. If he knew this would happen, there would be no need to go through all this.”

“It’s not strange at all. At that time, the court was controlled by the Cui clan, the Empress Dowager was the one taking risks to get what she wanted, and Prince Qi was watching closely from the outside. So my uncle chose to step back as a way to advance. He could not watch the Empire collapse and his own family buried under the rubble, could he? Now the situation has change: the Empress Dowager’s position is stable, and she desperately wants to protect the court. The Cui clan, on the other hand, is facing trouble and has to resort to risky tactics. Do you understand?”

Of course, Han Ruzi understood, “Everyone uses the fate of Chu as a bargaining chip. Does nobody think of doing something useful? Ironically, it was the rebel Luo Huan-zhang who thought about the common people.”

“Haha, why should the Cui clan and the Empress Dowager care about the common people? They’re not the Emperor, you are. They’re playing games with your empire at stake. If it were me…” Prince Donghai’s coup failed miserably, and he was deceived by Luo Huan-zhang. For a moment, he felt disheartened and even lost interest in making boasts.

The door opened, and Maiden Wang walked in. She said to the two eunuchs, “I want to speak with His Majesty for a moment. The Empress Dowager orders you to take Prince Donghai out.”

“What conditions did my uncle ask Yang Feng to bring?” Prince Donghai asked. Without getting an answer, he had to leave with the two eunuchs, feeling anxious.

This was the first time mother and son had met alone since Han Ruzi left home a few months ago. He stood up, unsure of what to say.

Maiden Wang walked up to her son and smiled, “Ruzi, let’s not do this Emperor thing anymore.”