Emperor Jianzhang had indeed issued an imperial edict urgently summoning Han Zhengqing back to the capital for an audience. However, even if the edict was sent to Xibei by eight-hundred-li express, it would still take half a month. While the edict was still on the road, Prince Gong had already dealt with several troublemakers that Prince Zhennan had placed, replaced them with his own people, and begun ordering Wu Feng to conduct a city-wide manhunt for Prince Zhennan.
Not only a city-wide manhunt—Jinzhong was the top priority. In all of Jin territory, the only place Prince Zhennan could go was really just Jinzhong. This didn’t even need thinking to know.
While secretly maintaining tight pressure on Jinzhong on one hand, Prince Gong knew on the other that things had truly reached a critical juncture—he didn’t have much time left.
The capital hadn’t received news from Prince Zhennan for so long—they would certainly know that chaos had broken out in Jin territory. Even though Hong Fa, who had been sent to assassinate him, had been regularly sending false messages back, this probably couldn’t be concealed for much longer.
Prince Gong was deeply worried. Though he was wildly ambitious and extremely excited after consolidating military authority, he likewise couldn’t swallow his food. Looking at Zou Yanzheng, who had been sent by Han Zhengqing, he asked concisely: “What do we do now?”
In his view, even if the justification wasn’t proper or righteous, he should immediately raise the banner of rebellion. Though the justification wasn’t proper or righteous, after all, he had troops in hand, didn’t he? Fight for it, and victory wasn’t necessarily impossible.
Zou Yanzheng truly hadn’t anticipated they would reach this step of plotting rebellion. Originally, he had genuinely believed that Han Zhengqing’s scheme to entrap the Eastern Palace and the Crown Prince was foolproof. Now it seemed it was complete nonsense! They had still reached this point. Throughout history, he had never heard of a son successfully rebelling against his father. Therefore, he was even more worried than Prince Gong. Long before coming, he had pestered Han Zhengqing with questions about his plans for who knows how long. At this moment, seeing Prince Gong’s anxious expression, he relayed Han Zhengqing’s meaning: “The time isn’t right yet.”
This was exactly the same explanation as the Chief Clerk had given. Prince Gong slapped the table. Even though he trusted Han Zhengqing immensely, he couldn’t help but hold back his anger and curse: “Bullshit!”
Still saying the time wasn’t right, the time wasn’t right—then when would be the right time?
In any case, Emperor Jianzhang wasn’t going to die so quickly. Could it be they really had to wait until Emperor Jianzhang died for it to be the right time? By that time, Emperor Jianzhang would have a thousand and one hundred methods to torment him to death.
He let out a cold laugh and looked at Zou Yanzheng: “What exactly does he mean? The time still isn’t right? By the time it’s right, he’ll probably be finished.”
Though his dealings with Han Zhengqing could be considered secret, there were no walls in the world that didn’t let wind through. For him to return to Taiyuan all the way smoothly without incident—to say no one helped him, not a single old fox in the court would believe it, especially with that old scoundrel Elder Du there.
Zou Yanzheng had thoroughly discussed things with Han Zhengqing before coming, so facing Prince Gong’s sudden rage and distrust, he wasn’t flustered and even maintained some composure as he advised Prince Gong: “Your Highness needn’t be anxious. What the Marquis is concerned about is simply that there’s no legitimate, righteous pretext for Your Highness to raise the banner of rebellion. After all, since ancient times, whoever wins the people’s hearts wins the realm. Right now, His Majesty’s health is robust…”
Precisely because Emperor Jianzhang’s health was robust, Prince Gong felt he couldn’t possibly find an appropriate pretext to raise troops. He irritably wanted to slap the table again.
The Chief Clerk already spoke to advise: “Your Highness, don’t be angry first. The Marquis isn’t someone without sense. Since he specifically sent Master Zou here, he must have a method of response.”
Zou Yanzheng didn’t dare keep them in suspense any longer. He carefully broke things down and explained the reasoning to Prince Gong: “The Marquis’s meaning is that if His Majesty is alive, no matter what reason Your Highness uses to lead troops north, you’ll inevitably be reviled as disloyal, unfilial, unkind, and unrighteous.”
After going in circles, they had returned to the starting point. Prince Gong’s face turned iron-blue. Just as he was about to fly into a rage, he heard Zou Yanzheng say: “Therefore, naturally it would be better if His Majesty were not around.”
Prince Gong’s heart violently leapt—this leap nearly made his heart jump right out of his chest. He felt even more tense than when he had been fleeing for his life. He exchanged glances with the Chief Clerk, then fixed his gaze on Zou Yanzheng and asked: “He has a method?”
If there was a method to kill Emperor Jianzhang, then naturally, that would be best. Since Emperor Jianzhang had previously announced his death, he could easily pin it on Zhou Weizhao, saying that his nephew had sown discord and framed him in the shadows, using Ma Yuantong’s remnant party as a pretext to try to put him to death, but he had fortunately escaped, and so on.
Zou Yanzheng recalled Han Zhengqing’s audacity and couldn’t help but tremble. But though his hands shook severely, what needed to be said still had to be said: “The Marquis’s meaning is that chaos should come from both inside and outside. Once the court and the realm are in chaos, naturally the people’s hearts will also be in chaos.”
The Chief Clerk’s brow twitched slightly: “Master Zou, speak more specifically!”
Zou Yanzheng hurriedly swallowed a mouthful of tea to moisten his throat. Looking at Prince Gong and the Chief Clerk, he took a deep breath before daring to voice Han Zhengqing’s audacious idea: “The Marquis’s meaning is that if all under heaven is in great chaos, then the court will also be in chaos. And once the court is in chaos, it will be easy to make moves.”
This time, he didn’t wait for Prince Gong and the Chief Clerk to anxiously question him. He first explained how Han Zhengqing planned to throw all under heaven and the court into chaos: “For chaos under heaven, the Marquis’s meaning is that he’ll open the gates of Datong…”
Even though Prince Gong considered himself bold as the sky for plotting rebellion, he couldn’t help but be shocked by Zou Yanzheng’s words and stumbled, nearly tumbling off his stool. He covered his head, which was buzzing loudly, stared with both eyes at Zou Yanzheng, and said through gritted teeth: “Continue!”
The Chief Clerk was already frowning. Open the gates of Datong and invite the Tartars to enter through Datong?! Wouldn’t that throw the Xibei gateway wide open to the Tartars? This was far too treasonous! He couldn’t help but speak to dissuade: “Your Highness… this absolutely won’t do. This realm will eventually be Your Highness’s realm. However you fight with your own people is a family matter, but if you dare have dealings with foreign tribes…” Let alone talk about winning or not winning the people’s hearts.
Prince Gong raised his hand to cut off the Chief Clerk’s words, his eyes staring fixedly at Zou Yanzheng: “Continue.”
“Your Highness and Chief Clerk needn’t worry. The Marquis certainly won’t have Your Highness bear this crime. He’ll have the Tartars raise troops on the grounds that they’re dissatisfied with the court’s prohibition of trade and that Commander-in-Chief Cui has repeatedly killed their tribesmen. What does this matter have to do with Your Highness?”
Having finished this sentence, he felt his courage had also grown stronger. He took another deep breath and voiced the remainder of Han Zhengqing’s plans in one go: “This is chaos in Xibei. There’s also Fujian…”
Prince Gong’s eyes widened: “What about Fujian?”
“In Fujian, there’s General Fan.” Zou Yanzheng smiled slightly: “The Fan clan has long been estranged from the Eastern Palace because of Consort Fan Liangdi’s death and the Crown Prince’s matter. He can persuade the Fan family.”
Prince Gong drew in a sharp breath of cold air. He naturally understood the deeper meaning in Zou Yanzheng’s words. Han Zhengqing not only wanted to open the Xibei gateway but also intended to muddy the waters in Fujian as well.
Chaos under heaven—truly chaos under heaven…