In Jinling, heavy snow fell. Inside and outside the city walls, the countless rows of eaves were all covered in white accumulation.
Inside the palace gate of Changchun Palace, Chun Shisanniang wore a deep green brocade cloak, peering outside through the gap in the gate.
Snow fell thickly. Yang En still stood in the plaza before the palace gate, his body covered in accumulated snow. Presumably his official robes had already been soaked through by the snow. At this moment, with the cold wind howling, if he weren’t gritting his teeth to hold on, Chun Shisanniang doubted whether Yang En might start trembling.
Snow continued falling endlessly. The boots Yang En wore were already buried beneath the snow. She hadn’t expected that after such a long interval when she turned back to look again, Yang En still stood before the palace gate without having moved his position at all.
Hearing the “rustle rustle” of footsteps behind her, she turned to see Yao Xishui walking over through the snow. She said with emotion: “The Marquis of Liyang has already stood in the snow for over an hour. The accumulated snow has soaked through the robes on his body. If this drags on without him leaving, I fear his body won’t be able to bear it—I actually think what he says has some merit. His Grace and His Majesty have somewhat lost their heads from losses…”
“He’s merely playing the bitter flesh stratagem,” Yao Xishui said, coldly and ruthlessly observing the situation outside the palace gate with a cold snort. “If we don’t attack Chaozhou now, all previous efforts will be wasted. And with places like Chao and Chu gained then lost again, if the rebel forces regain Chu and Chaozhou and thereby hold the advantage of naval forces, they will directly threaten the imperial capital of Jinling—could it truly be as this madman says, that His Majesty should invite that boy to lead Xuzhou’s river forces eastward to resist the rebel navy?”
Chun Shisanniang sighed lightly in her heart. With Great Chu’s main naval forces routed at Hongze Basin, Jinling was shaken. Throughout the city, people discussed it anxiously and uneasily. At this time, it wasn’t that no one worried Shouzhou rebels might collude with Liang Kingdom—in fact, most people believed the Palace of Tranquil Peace had long colluded with Liang Kingdom. But still supporting the recovery of Chaozhou first was truly because the court’s available options at this time were extremely limited.
If they didn’t capture Chaozhou now, abandoning all previous achievements was one aspect. More importantly, with Chao and Chu prefectures gained then lost again, the Tower Ship Army navy would re-enter the Yangtze waterway.
In the past, Jinling had organized the elite Left and Right Five-Tooth Army naval forces. Even if their initial combat effectiveness couldn’t match the Tower Ship Army, they could generally still ensure that Jinling City and the more extensive strategic depth of the Jiangnan heartland weren’t threatened by Tower Ship Army warships.
At this time, Great Chu’s navy had suffered near-devastating losses. In the short term, Great Chu had no forces on the Yangtze that could check the rebel navy. If they abandoned attacking Chaozhou now and didn’t seal off the passage for Tower Ship Army warships to enter the Yangtze, could it truly be as the Marquis of Liyang Yang En advocated—inviting the Marquis of Qianyang Han Qian to lead Xuzhou’s river forces eastward to assist in defending the Yangtze waterway?
Of two evils, choose the lesser. Compared to bowing to Xuzhou and transferring Xuzhou’s river forces eastward, the main Imperial Guard forces on the northern shore still had a very good possibility of capturing Chaozhou before Liang Army crossed the Huai.
However, Chun Shisanniang also secretly admired Yang En’s courage.
All civil and military officials knew the Marquis of Qianyang had become His Majesty’s obsession. Even Shen Yang hadn’t persisted on this matter, yet Yang En denounced His Majesty in court for not daring to mobilize Xuzhou’s river forces eastward—truly fearing the Marquis of Qianyang like a tiger.
Chun Shisanniang felt that Yang En not being beaten to death on the spot by His Majesty could be counted as good fortune. Although Yang En’s indulgence in pleasure quarters in the past was also due to disheartened withdrawal after Emperor Tianyou’s dismissal, Chun Shisanniang hadn’t felt it too deeply before.
“Don’t bother with that madman anymore. Let him stand as long as he wants…” At this critical juncture with the fire burning at their eyebrows, Yao Xishui urged Chun Shisanniang to quickly close the palace gate tightly and follow her to the rear.
Just at this moment, from the direction of the hall courtyard behind them came two abrupt, brief cries of an infant.
Though the distance was considerable, though no new cries came after those two sounds, in the silent stillness of the heavy snow—
Hearing those two brief cries, Chun Shisanniang stood stunned for a moment, looked at Yao Xishui, and asked: “The Empress Dowager has given birth?”
“Damn it!” Yao Xishui hadn’t expected that in the brief time she’d been away, the hall courtyard behind would make such a blunder, actually letting the infant’s crying reach this side.
Now she could only hope that Yang En, being further away, hadn’t heard those two infant cries. But she couldn’t worry about much else at the moment and moved to pull Chun Shisanniang away.
Yang En vaguely heard those two brief infant cries, but his expression became confused for a moment. He thought he had stood too long in the snow, his entire body frozen stiff, and was hallucinating.
How could there possibly be an infant’s cries inside Changchun Palace? He hadn’t seen any consort bringing an imperial prince out of the city to Changchun Palace to visit the Empress Dowager today either.
Yang En wanted to move his hands and feet, but his feet had already frozen numb without sensation. His body lost balance and he pitched headfirst into the snow.
Seeing this scene, Chun Shisanniang’s heart sighed, but ultimately she followed Yao Xishui toward the rear hall courtyard without looking back.
The attendants waiting in the stable outside the palace gate saw Yang En collapse in the snow. Over ten people ran over in a rush, lifted Yang En from the snow, and wrapped a cloak around his body to ward off the bitter cold.
Someone advised him with concern:
“Prime Minister Shen hasn’t persisted either. My lord, why put yourself through this? Besides, His Majesty has also agreed that as long as signs of Liang Army assembling to cross the Huai River are detected, he’ll allow General Li to act at his discretion. The situation isn’t as urgent as you imagine.”
“You understand nothing!” Yang En struggled to sit on his rear in the snow, raging at his attendants in exasperation and cursing profusely. “Do you really think there are only seventy to eighty thousand Liang troops at Ying and Xu? Do you really think no large-scale troop transfers from elsewhere occurred after winter began? Do you really think the main naval forces’ rout at Hongze Basin was because Gao Chengyuan and the others were arrogant, incompetent, and careless, failing to anticipate the rebels would fight desperately like cornered beasts, and were defeated by their counterattack? This entire thing is a trap! Great Chu suffered losses in the Jingxiang campaign from Zhu Yu’s skill at concealing surprise troops—how can we not learn our lesson!”
“The situation changed abruptly. Even if Liang Kingdom had intentions to scheme, time wouldn’t permit it. Besides, the Bureau of Operations has already dispatched multiple routes of elite scouts to the Huai River’s northern shore to reconnoiter enemy movements. If it’s truly some trap, they’ll certainly see signs and traces,” the attendant persuaded.
“Who controls the Bureau of Operations?” Yang En denounced without regard for propriety. “The Privy Council’s Bureau of Operations from top to bottom are all subordinates of that fool Li Pu! That fool, to escape responsibility for his mistaken strategy leading to the navy’s annihilation—if they truly investigate and find signs and traces, will that fool have the Bureau of Operations honestly report everything to His Majesty? Even Shen Yang has been confused this time! His Majesty is young and vigorous, unaware of the principle of long-term planning. The Empress Dowager, who could endure in Cishou Palace for over ten years, should understand the stakes involved. Go smash the palace gate for me—today I must see the Empress Dowager no matter what…”
Those around him all looked at each other in dismay. Although Yang En had previously caused a great disturbance in the Administrative Hall and was merely expelled by His Majesty without receiving any severe punishment, that didn’t mean they could smash Changchun Palace’s gate today and continue on safely!
“My lord, stop making trouble. The robes on your body have all been soaked by snow. If you don’t change into dry clothes, your body won’t endure!” The two leading attendants exchanged glances. They decided to no longer heed Yang En’s mad ravings and scolding, wanting to forcibly carry Yang En onto the carriage to return to the city.
“You dog servants—Great Chu’s realm will be ruined in your hands!” Yang En cried out in desperation, spat a mouthful of blood, his body tilting straight backward as he fainted.
The attendants dared delay no longer. They held Yang En’s thin and lightweight body, seated him in the carriage, and galloped toward the East Flower Gate.
***
“How is the Marquis of Liyang’s condition?”
Seeing Qin Wen walking to the front of the Drooping Flower Hall untying his cloak and shaking off accumulated snow, Shen Yang walked over and asked.
“I couldn’t enter the gates of the Marquis of Liyang’s mansion. Marquis Yang harbors deep resentment toward Your Excellency.”
Qin Wen handed his cloak to a servant and accompanied Shen Yang walking toward the depths of the Prime Minister’s residence. Speaking of going to visit after hearing Yang En had vomited blood and fainted outside Changchun Palace’s gate, he finally couldn’t help but ask:
“The navy suffered such catastrophic losses. Now the northern shore Imperial Guards have a chance to recover Chaozhou City before Liang Army marches south, but what if they can’t take it? In Qin Wen’s opinion, what Marquis Yang advocated is more prudent. Why didn’t Your Excellency stand together with Marquis Yang this time?”
Shen Yang looked at the white snow accumulated on the courtyard walls on both sides. His gaunt face’s wrinkles became even deeper at this moment.
If Xuzhou and Huaidong hadn’t colluded together beforehand, and if there were no signs of Xuzhou secretly manipulating Xue Ruogu’s appointment to Lishui and the Left Guangde Army veterans gathering in the Taihu lakeside regions, of course at this time he would unhesitatingly support Yang En, advising His Majesty to transmit an edict transferring Xuzhou’s river forces to assist in defending the Yangtze.
Now the problem had become complicated.
Although to avoid adding fuel to the fire he hadn’t agreed to Xue Ruogu revealing these matters, even judging by actions rather than intentions, he now had to consider the problem that inviting the gods was easy but sending them away was difficult.
Shen Yang had no intention of explaining to Qin Wen, but instead furrowed his brows tightly and looked north toward the overcast sky…
***
River waves crashed against the shore, the sound like galloping horses.
Han Qian stood on a riverside stone cliff at the northern foot of Baohua Mountain. His gaze pierced through the flying snow to watch the Yangtze’s surging green waters.
“Yang En ultimately couldn’t enter Changchun Palace’s gate. After standing outside the palace gate for over an hour, he finally vomited blood and collapsed. His attendants carried him onto a carriage and left,” Xi Ren walked over and told Han Qian.
“Alas!” Having learned that Yang En had caused a great disturbance in the Administrative Hall and been expelled by Yang Yuanpu, Han Qian’s heart also understood that Yang En running to Changchun Palace today to seek an audience with the Empress Dowager was destined to return without success. But hearing this outcome, he still couldn’t help but sigh softly.
He had already become the inner demon in too many people’s hearts. At this time, Great Chu’s situation, in the vast majority of people’s eyes, by no means appeared to have reached a desperate impasse. Never mind Yang Yuanpu—among the court ministers, who would be willing to bow their heads to him and advocate transferring Xuzhou’s river forces eastward to assist the Yangtze waterway?
Even the consistently prudent Shen Yang hadn’t supported Yang En’s advocacy to request transferring Xuzhou reinforcements this time. Probably many matters had aroused suspicion in his heart.
And to avoid Jinling City being directly threatened by the rebel navy, before Liang Army deployed, forcibly capturing Chaozhou and sealing off the passage for the rebel navy to enter the Yangtze through Chao and Chu prefectures might become the only choice for court and country.
Had he anticipated this earlier, in the matter of case reversal, Han Qian wouldn’t have acted so hastily. But human capability has limits—even he hadn’t imagined the situation would develop this way.
“Li Pu crossed the river at noon bearing the edict, rushing to Chaozhou. Since there’s no longer half a chance for maneuvering here, it seems I should cross the river now to see Li Zhigao,” Guo Rong straightened his robes and said to Han Qian.
“By the way,” Xi Ren said, while Guo Rong hadn’t yet left, mentioning another matter to Han Qian, “The informant who followed Yang En to Changchun Palace’s gate heard what seemed like two infant cries coming from behind the Left Xiang Pavilion inside Changchun Palace…”
“Alas, truly not chaotic enough,” Han Qian said painfully, directly slapping his forehead.
“Can we now confirm the Empress Dowager has secretly given birth in Changchun Palace?” Hearing Xi Ren mention this piece of news, Guo Rong’s expression brightened. He pressed the question.
Han Qian’s previous plan was for Guo Rong to secretly meet Li Zhigao, using the secret of Li Zhigao’s origins to coerce Li Zhigao into having no choice but to cooperate with Xuzhou. However, this matter remained filled with enormous uncertainty even now.
Now, with Li Pu—as Duke of Changguo and Vice Privy Councilor—personally carrying Yang Yuanpu’s written edict to rendezvous with Li Zhigao, it wasn’t a matter of whether Li Zhigao was willing to defy orders and could truly defy them.
First, Li Zhigao personally didn’t have such strong control over the Left Dragon Sparrow Army and Left and Right Martial Guard Armies that basic-level officers and mid-to-high-level commanders would blindly obey his orders.
Furthermore, Chaozhou was too close to Jinling. By boat or horse crossing the river, one could make a round trip in a day.
Once any disturbance occurred at Chaozhou, the Jinling side would quickly detect it. There would be no possibility of Li Zhigao detaining Li Pu and falsely transmitting imperial edicts.
The more prudent plan Han Qian and they had previously discussed was that after persuading Li Zhigao, they would have Li Zhigao find excuses to delay attacking the city outside Chaozhou City while maintaining sufficient vigilance and defensive posture toward the northern front.
This way, as long as Xuzhou’s river forces passed through Dongting Lake and entered the Yangtze waterway, shaking court and country, Li Zhigao abandoning the assault on Chaozhou and withdrawing to Shuzhou would become a matter of course.
Of course, to avoid Xuzhou becoming the target of all arrows, after the main Imperial Guard forces on the northern shore withdrew into Shuzhou City, Han Qian would still need to coerce Li Zhigao into endorsing Xuzhou’s river forces’ eastward advance, jointly memorializing Yang Yuanpu to dismiss Duke Changguo Li Pu, hold him accountable for the navy’s rout, and even further divide the military authority of the northern shore Imperial Guards, making Yang Yuanpu and the court ministers unable to do anything about them!
This was the plan Han Qian and they had prepared to implement. No one had expected Empress Dowager Wang Chan’er would give birth at this time.
Having spent half his life scheming within palace walls, Guo Rong naturally understood this matter was of extraordinary importance and could very likely bring subtle new changes to the entire affair. Therefore he instinctively pressed Xi Ren about how certain this news was.
“Lu Qingxia maintains extremely strict control over Changchun Palace. We haven’t successfully infiltrated anyone inside. However, four or five months ago Feng Liao noticed Han Jun’s abnormality and had people investigate Han Jun’s movements for a period, basically ruling out other possibilities. And although Empress Dowager Wang Chan’er has occasionally summoned external ministers these past months, reportedly when she summoned external ministers she intentionally or unintentionally concealed things. And given Lu Qingxia’s methods, if she wanted to thoroughly control Wang Chan’er into a puppet in her hands, though this method is risky, it’s most effective!” Xi Ren said.
Guo Rong furrowed his brows, sinking into thought.
Xi Ren didn’t disturb Guo Rong, continuing to speak with Han Qian:
“What’s relatively fortunate now is probably that after Han Jun realized the situation had spiraled out of control, three months ago he requested transfer from Changchun Palace’s guard rotation. Lu Qingxia still has no way to use this matter to control or threaten the Han family. The old master, Han Daoming and others should still be kept in the dark—I guess Lu Qingxia should very soon send this infant out from Changchun Palace. Should we arrange a few more informants to watch them and catch their trail?”
Han Qian shook his head and said: “They regard this matter extremely seriously. The people we can deploy in Jinling are limited. If we truly arrange people to monitor this matter, not only will we easily expose flaws, we might even make the situation too complicated…”
“If Wang Chan’er has already completely fallen under Lu Qingxia and the others’ control, and after giving birth no longer fears summoning external ministers or meeting with Yang Yuanpu, then our plan seems capable of some adjustment?” Guo Rong looked at Han Qian and said uncertainly.
Han Qian knew what Guo Rong wanted to say.
Persuading Li Zhigao to believe Liang Army had grand schemes was easy. But even if Li Zhigao had long been vigilant about Liang Army’s schemes, he still could hardly defy imperial orders.
Their original plan also had significant loopholes, far from perfect and flawless, not to mention the aftermath would be extremely serious.
They were using the secret of Li Zhigao’s origins to coerce Li Zhigao, which could make Li Zhigao choose to cooperate. But after the situation between Liang and Chu eased?
According to the previous plan, after the situation between Liang and Chu eased, Xuzhou and Li Zhigao should divide the military authority of the northern shore Imperial Guards to prevent the court from settling accounts after autumn. But the problem was that even if Li Zhigao was willing to coexist peacefully with Xuzhou, how could Lu Qingxia, Yao Xishui and these people behind Li Zhigao possibly be willing to have such a major weakness held in others’ hands, forever subject to others’ control?
The greatest possibility was that once Li Zhigao established himself firmly in Shu and Chaozhou, he would inevitably turn to bite Xuzhou.
This wasn’t a matter of whether Li Zhigao personally was willing. It concerned the lives and fortunes of so many people around Li Zhigao—Li Zhigao didn’t have the luxury of being willing or unwilling.
Now, if they could confirm Wang Chan’er had given birth, it meant two changes—as Guo Rong had just said: First, Wang Chan’er had completely fallen under Lu Qingxia’s control and would obey only Lu Qingxia’s orders. Second, Wang Chan’er no longer needed to avoid external ministers and Yang Yuanpu as she had in the past months.
At this time, they only needed to persuade Li Zhigao to believe Wen Ruilin was a Liang Kingdom spy, believe the navy’s raid on Hongze Basin was Liang Army’s scheme and that Liang Army had even greater schemes waiting behind. Li Zhigao should then be able to obtain through Lu Qingxia an edict from Empress Dowager Wang Chan’er to transfer Xuzhou’s river forces to reinforce Jiang-Huai and order the northern shore Imperial Guards to withdraw from Chaozhou.
Although Empress Dowager Wang Chan’er hadn’t much interfered in government affairs after Yang Yuanpu ascended the throne, the “Dowager Consort’s regency and deliberation on government affairs” implemented since the Yueyang period had never been formally abolished.
The Empress Dowager’s written edict had legal force in Great Chu equal to an imperial edict.
At that time, when Xuzhou and Li Zhigao “complied with” the Empress Dowager’s written edict in their actions, apart from falling out with his mother, Yang Yuanpu had no way to directly hold Xuzhou and Li Zhigao accountable.
This way, they wouldn’t need to risk “remonstration by arms,” nor worry about subsequent aftereffects of being unable to control the situation. At worst, they would first support Empress Dowager Wang Chan’er in engaging in mother-son conflict with Emperor Yanyou Yang Yuanpu. This was at least still within controllable范围.
In fact, Han Qian and Feng Liao had long suspected that Empress Dowager Wang Chan’er had an affair with Han Jun and was pregnant. But precisely because of this, because before giving birth Empress Dowager Wang Chan’er had no way to face Yang Yuanpu bursting into Changchun Palace in rage for direct confrontation, they hadn’t considered the option of the Empress Dowager’s written edict.
Now the situation had changed…
Taking ten thousand steps back, Han Qian could even directly lay everything out to Li Zhigao and Lu Qingxia, saying Xuzhou had long known about Empress Dowager Wang Chan’er’s affair with Han Jun.
Once this matter was laid bare, it was a weakness for Li Zhigao, Lu Qingxia and the others. But at the same time, it was also a weakness that could potentially lead to the Han family’s clan extermination. There would be no question of who was coercing whom.
The Han family even faced more serious threats, since the infant was currently under Lu Qingxia and their control.
Or perhaps when Lu Qingxia originally dragged Han Jun rather than someone else into such murky waters, she already had sinister calculations of using this to check and balance the Han family and Xuzhou…