“If Han Qian were merely assisting the Liang army in attacking Yong, there would be no need to assemble such a massive scale of vessels and shipwrights and sailors. Yet at this moment, in Donghu and Tangyi alone, aside from the seven or eight thousand Tangyi navy troops, there are a total of over thirty-four thousand Chishan Association shipwrights and sailors assembled, all entering the naval military camps with signs of organization, training, and drilling—although Tangyi has not yet directly severed the waterway connections between the capital region and Jiangdong, Jiangxi, Huaidong, Hunan, and Jingxiang, in reality there is no difference.”
In the great hall of Changxin Palace, Shen Yang explained the current dire situation in a hoarse voice. After analyzing the matter from every angle, they concluded that Tangyi’s current assembly of Chishan Association forces had only one purpose: to threaten and control the Yangtze River waterways, which were the very lifeblood of Great Chu.
“Furthermore, around the New Year period, various rumors arose, including the Tangyi envoy’s rebellion and Emperor Tianyou’s grandson Yang Fen returning to Jinling for trial—in hindsight, these all appear to have been conspiracies secretly arranged by Tangyi…”
Qing Yang sat upon the brocade couch, her elegant and radiant makeup unable to conceal her unusually grave expression.
Although the matters Shen Yang and the ministers spoke of upon entering Changxin Palace were extremely alarming, she showed no excessive panic or distress.
Perhaps having experienced the bloody palace coup, her heart had been tempered to strength, or perhaps this period of participating in governing state affairs had cultivated in her a composure unshaken by events.
At this moment, after hearing Shen Yang describe the severity of the situation, she asked with as calm a voice as possible, her brows furrowed:
“Aside from the abnormal assembly of the Chishan Association and Han Daochang using the Salt and Iron Transport Commission to privately issue pardons to seize grain supplies and military resources, are there any signs of Tangyi’s military forces gathering aggressively toward the northern bank?”
“Not yet,” Shen Yang replied. “From the scouts newly selected from the Imperial Guards and dispatched to the northern bank, the intelligence received indicates that Tangyi’s elite forces are mainly still on the northern front, with no signs of moving south for now. However, with water and land routes throughout Huaixi unobstructed, Tangyi’s elite forces could move south extremely quickly, so we cannot afford to be unprepared. I beseech the Grand Empress Dowager to issue an edict to arrest and bring to trial Han Daoming, Yun Puzi, and others, so we can quickly ascertain the Marquis of Qianyang’s intentions!”
Some military movements could only cover twenty or thirty li per day, while others could even march a hundred li daily—this was closely related to the troops’ elite status and logistical support.
Currently, with the Yangtze waterways under Tangyi’s control, although the Right Dragon Martial Army and the provincial forces along the river had over ten thousand navy troops combined, they were scattered across various locations. Even the Right Dragon Martial Army’s naval camps were dispersed between Yangrun and Yingxiang and other places, now cut off from each other. With Tangyi’s advantage in controlling Yangtze River transport, their troop movements would be even faster.
Shen Yang worried that Grand Empress Dowager Changxin, sequestered deep in the palace, might not understand these principles, and couldn’t help adding a few more reminders.
“Minister Zhou and Zhang Xiang and Zhao Zhen command eighty or ninety thousand troops stationed at Xiangfan, not only capable of taking Deng and Jun provinces but also able to attack into Guang and Huo provinces through Pingjing, Wusheng, and other passes. Prince Xin is in Chu Province and can attack into Chu Province at any time—though I am but a woman of the inner chambers, I understand these simple military principles and do not need Prime Minister Shen to instruct me,” Qing Yang’s expression darkened slightly as she said with displeasure. “When matters remain unclear, there is no justification for applying private punishment to court ministers.”
“This…” Shen Yang, Yang Zhitang, Du Chongtao, and Yang En all exchanged glances.
Although during this period Grand Empress Dowager Changxin’s edge had grown increasingly sharp, insisting on her own views in many matters and no longer allowing the ministers to manipulate her at will, they still had not expected that at this moment she would flatly reject their recommendation to arrest and interrogate Han Daoming and Yun Puzi.
Their original intention had been well-meaning, thinking that if Grand Empress Dowager Changxin personally issued the edict to detain Han Daoming and Yun Puzi, even if some complications and secrets from that palace coup half a year ago were exposed, they would not directly implicate Grand Empress Dowager Changxin and the new Emperor.
“What is this? Do you perhaps suspect that I have been secretly colluding with the Marquis of Qianyang?” Qing Yang suddenly stiffened her face, staring at the assembled ministers in the great hall with a frost-like expression, asking in words that struck at the heart.
“This subject would not dare—it is only that the situation is urgent, and some matters must be handled with expedience. We beseech the Grand Empress Dowager’s approval,” Shen Yang and the others hastily replied, yet still insisted on their position.
“I am well aware that there are further complications behind the palace coup, and that Bin’er’s ascension to the throne was most likely what the Marquis of Qianyang desired. But I am even more aware that once my son sits upon this throne, he is the Emperor of Great Chu, destined by fate to protect this land. Each of you is also utterly loyal to Great Chu, without treasonous hearts. But you cannot treat me as some ignorant woman of the inner chambers—if the Marquis of Qianyang and the Han family are utterly loyal to Great Chu, then my employing them would naturally be no mistake. But if they truly harbor restless intentions, I will absolutely not permit them to harm Great Chu’s foundations.”
Qing Yang stood up, her gaze clear and cold as she surveyed the ministers, asking word by word:
“Do you still have any dissatisfaction with me, or any dissatisfaction with my son Yang Bin sitting upon Great Chu’s imperial throne?”
Seeing Grand Empress Dowager Changxin at this moment directly bringing up the matter of deposing and establishing to question them, Shen Yang, Yang Zhitang, and the others were secretly shocked, and one after another avoided her sharp and cold gaze.
Even though they had long known that the young woman who before formally marrying into Great Chu at merely fifteen or sixteen years old had dressed as a man to accompany her brother into Great Chu would not be a simple character, they had not expected her edge at this moment to be so formidable.
Faced with Grand Empress Dowager Changxin’s such domineering questioning, what could they say?
At this moment, they had come running to Changxin Palace without even informing Grand Empress Dowager Mingcheng—was it not precisely to avoid rashly discussing deposing and establishing at this juncture?
Qing Yang surveyed her surroundings, her gaze finally settling on Qin Wen as she said: “Qin Wen, draft an edict for me, commanding Han Daoming and Yun Puzi to quickly come to Chongwen Hall to receive questioning—”
“Yes!” Qin Wen walked to the side table in the great hall. After the palace attendants ground ink and spread out blank edict paper, he set brush to paper and drafted the imperial decree. After reading it once and seeing that Shen Yang and the others had no objections, he handed it to Qing Yang to apply her seal.
Qing Yang instructed palace attendants to immediately rush to the Han Mansion and Chongfu Temple to deliver the edict. Finally, she said to Shen Yang and the others:
“You should all go wait at Chongwen Hall first. And do not forget to invite that one from Mingcheng Palace to come listen together to understand what this is all about, lest it be said later that I alone would be deceived by treacherous flatterers…”
Shen Yang, Yang Zhitang, Yang En, Du Chongtao, and the others all exchanged uneasy glances, thinking that regardless, they should first go to Chongwen Hall and wait to see Han Daoming and Yun Puzi before discussing anything else.
After Shen Yang, Yang Zhitang, and the others departed from Changxin Palace’s great hall, only then did Qing Yang sink back wearily onto the brocade couch, as if that moment had exhausted all her strength. After a long while, she stood up and walked toward the sleeping chamber.
“Grand Empress Dowager…”
An elderly palace attendant entered the sleeping chamber, calling softly.
Qing Yang’s gaze sharpened again. She signaled for everyone around her to leave first, then stared at this elderly palace attendant and demanded: “What exactly does Han Qian intend to do?”
“How could this old servant possibly know what the Marquis intends to do? This old servant came first because I could not bear to see the Grand Empress Dowager pressured by Shen Yang and the others into losing composure, so I could not help but remind the Grand Empress Dowager. Additionally, I was asked by someone to convey certain words to the Grand Empress Dowager…” the elderly palace attendant said with a smile.
“Hmph!” Qing Yang snorted coldly, her gaze cold as she stared at the elderly palace attendant and said icily, “Does the Marquis of Qianyang truly believe I am someone easily bullied, that I would truly allow myself to be manipulated by him in all things?”
The elderly palace attendant said methodically: “During the palace coup, although various traces of Tangyi’s involvement could not be entirely concealed, at that time the Grand Empress Dowager and the First Imperial Prince were still Shen Yang and Yang Zhitang’s best choice. However, times and circumstances have changed. The person of the Huang family who truly makes Shen Yang and others wary is Huang Hua, not Huang Huixiang or Huang Lü. After the palace coup, Huang Hua insisted on not entering the central administration and in Hunan also insisted on not directly controlling military power. Even within the Left Brave Cavalry Army, he cautioned his son Huang Lü to restrain his edge, with military officers mostly being those recommended by Zhang Feng or trusted confidants of Shen Yang, Yang En, Du Chongtao, and others, to demonstrate that the Huang family truly had no ambition to contaminate military power. However, Huang Hua’s exhaustive efforts were merely to eliminate Shen Yang and others’ wariness toward him. And once Shen Yang, Yang Zhitang, and others see that Huang Hua has no ambition or possibility of monopolizing state affairs, then Grand Empress Dowager Mingcheng and the Third Imperial Prince would in turn become their new best choice. Not to mention that Prince Xin and that heir apparent of Prince Xin’s mansion are also no easy characters—under current circumstances, Shen Yang and others absolutely dare not rashly discuss deposing and establishing. This may be the only opportunity for the Grand Empress Dowager to seize the initiative, and this opportunity is fleeting. I hope the Grand Empress Dowager will handle it carefully, and perhaps only the Internal Attendants Office can be a chess piece the Grand Empress Dowager can employ!”
“I do not need you pointing fingers to instruct me. Go to the Imperial Mausoleum to find Jiang Huo. Whoever else in the palace are Tangyi’s hidden agents, have them all honestly stay at the Imperial Mausoleum from now on and never appear before me again, or else do not blame me for showing no mercy,” Qing Yang said in a cold voice.
“That the Grand Empress Dowager has thoughts of severing ties with Tangyi at this time, this old servant understands, and would absolutely not dare to disobey the edict. But the Grand Empress Dowager should know that the Marquis has had no intention of harming the Grand Empress Dowager or His Majesty all these years,” the palace attendant said, then bowed and quietly withdrew, as if he had never appeared at all.
Qing Yang sat disconsolately by the window, staring blankly in thought for a moment, then picked up a sheet of plain paper and wrote with brush in hand: “The great river flows east, its waves washing away all—a thousand ages of romantic heroes. West of the old fortress, they say, lies Three Kingdoms Zhou Yu’s Red Cliff. Chaotic rocks pierce the sky, startling waves crash against the shore, rolling up a thousand piles of snow. The rivers and mountains are like paintings—how many heroes in that moment…”
Just as she had always wondered what the second half of the poem might be, she had countless times tried to compose the lower stanza herself, but somehow it always seemed to lack some force and artistic conception. At this moment, she had absolutely no idea what this person intended to do next.
Suddenly, Qing Yang viciously tore the plain paper on her desk into shreds, her gaze sharp as she thought: Even if it is him, if he wants to harm Bin’er, absolutely not. She commanded those guarding outside the sleeping chamber: “Prepare the procession to Chongwen Hall!”