Qin Wen quietly moved with everyone toward the Government Affairs Hall of the Secretariat outside Chongyang Gate.

The Government Affairs Hall was far less spacious than Chongwen Hall, but it was merely a small part of the Secretariat—a central deliberative venue established within the Secretariat. As the administrative heart of Great Chu, the Secretariat’s compound contained over a hundred office chambers.

The Secretariat was within the imperial city. Along with the Privy Council, which served as the military command center, its defense level was only slightly inferior to Chongwen Hall. Normally over a hundred armored soldiers stood guard duty in the duty rooms. At this time, both the Secretariat’s duty barracks and the outer compound were filled with armored troops cross-deployed from the Left Wuxiang Army and Left and Right Wuyi Armies, guarding the vast compound so tightly not even a fly could slip through.

Seeing this scene, Qin Wen felt not the slightest sense of security in his heart. He knew human hearts were most easily bewitched. Shen Yang, Yang En, and the others—or rather, Emperor Yanyou Yang Yuanpu’s greatest weakness—was that even now they had no loyal troops they could trust.

Qin Wen absolutely didn’t believe there had been no one by Yang Yuanpu’s side when he died. Moreover, those eunuchs and palace maids who witnessed Yang Yuanpu’s assassination or were nearby at the time should logically already be isolated for strict interrogation.

However, with Cishou Palace showing no obvious flaws at this point, it meant those by Yang Yuanpu’s side when he died, as well as those currently responsible for isolating and interrogating these people, should all be Cishou Palace’s—or rather Lü Qingxia’s—loyal followers.

Qin Wen thought secretly: Over these years, besides Cishou Palace and the Weaving Bureau, Lü Qingxia had deployed quite a few people secretly throughout the palace precincts. He just didn’t know how deeply Lü Qingxia had secretly infiltrated the Imperial Guard Army.

However, from existing facts, controlling military commanders seemed to be Evening Red Tower’s weakness. Or perhaps Evening Red Tower was better at conspiracies and schemes, which naturally conflicted with the temperament of high-ranking military commanders who could truly establish themselves in the army.

This was probably the main reason the current situation could still inspire optimism.

Otherwise, if Guo Liang or Zhang Han directly participated in the palace coup, Qin Wen found it hard to imagine the imperial city wouldn’t devolve into a bloody catastrophe.

Qin Wen secretly observed and pondered all of this as he entered the Secretariat with everyone.

Only now did the Participating Ministers have the opportunity to each occupy a room and summon their loyal confidants for secret discussions. Officials of slightly lower status all had to gather in the Government Affairs Hall awaiting orders.

Everyone whispered anxiously among themselves while mutually observing each other’s expressions—after all, at this moment they still didn’t know who around them could actually be trusted.

Those who could stand in the Secretariat compound at this time, even those of lower rank, were absolutely shrewd. Never mind that Noble Consort Wang and the Crown Prince remained missing, never mind how many assassins were still hidden in the imperial city palace precincts—was the assassination case truly without any suspicious aspects?

They saw but couldn’t speak out. No one dared discuss the succession. But everyone understood clearly in their hearts that within these two days a new emperor must be determined, lest Tangyi or Huaidong be given opportunity and pretext to intervene.

“Will Cishou Palace use pressure from Tangyi’s army on everyone to promote the ministers installing the Second Prince?” Qin Wen said in a low voice after approaching Han Daoming in what appeared to be a probing manner.

Any contact between people now could be exploratory, which instead wouldn’t arouse suspicion.

Han Daoming nodded gravely with a stern expression. The imperial city had been completely sealed by the Imperial Guard Army. They couldn’t contact the outside world and could only improvise.

Of course, even in the worst-case scenario, they would only need to swallow their anger temporarily. He didn’t believe Lü Qingxia truly dared make Jinling run with blood.

Honestly, with events having developed to this point and Yang Yuanpu already thoroughly dead, Han Daoming secretly hoped Jinling would descend into complete chaos, then Han Qian could lead troops across the river to suppress the rebellion. That would more decisively secure control of the capital and Jiangdong region.

Never mind Tangyi’s generals and officials—Han Daoming also couldn’t possibly miss this opportunity to seize power just because the young child Cishou Palace intended to install was very likely Han family flesh and blood.

Fundamentally, Han Qian’s entire heart was focused on strenuously avoiding the Jianghuai lands splitting four ways at this time. He didn’t want major military conflict with Huaidong. And regardless, Tangyi and Han Mansion at this time could only act according to Han Qian’s will.

Before Feng Liao and Guo Que secretly returned to Jinling this time, Han Daoming had never imagined Han Qian had deployed so many critically important hidden agents within the imperial city and palace walls over these years.

As Han Duan and Han Daochang looked over puzzledly, Qin Wen withdrew toward the rear offices—as Secretary of the Secretariat, moving about within the Secretariat now was more convenient for him than others. After a brief moment he returned to the front courtyard and saw Xue Ruogu coming to find him.

“Prime Minister Shen summons you. Where did you go?” Xue Ruogu asked.

Qin Wen didn’t rush to speak, following Xue Ruogu to see Shen Yang.

Seeing Qin Wen and Xue Ruogu enter, Shen Yang asked in an extremely hoarse voice:

“What matter absolutely requires avoiding others’ eyes and ears to speak of?”

Having not seen him for just half a day, Shen Yang appeared to have aged over a decade. Sitting there, his form couldn’t help but stoop. Qin Wen knew Yang Yuanpu’s assassination had struck him an extremely heavy blow.

Qin Wen had just quietly gone to see Qing Yang and Yun Puzi, editing their story of “fleeing Changxin Palace to avoid calamity” to minimize major flaws. Now stepping forward, he reported to Shen Yang: “Noble Consort Wang nearly encountered assassins in Changxin Palace. Fortunately recognizing danger early, she and Chongfu Abbey Director Yun Puzi, seeing the situation was wrong, brought the Crown Prince and fled through Chongfu Gate to find Prime Minister Shen. But Prime Minister Shen had gone to Chongwen Hall with the ministers then—I worried someone in Chongwen Hall was secretly colluding with assassins. I didn’t dare speak out just now and hid them in the rear offices…”

“What?” Though Shen Yang had guessed this possibility when he saw Qin Wen acting mysteriously, he wasn’t particularly shocked now. Frowning, he asked: “What does Noble Consort Wang know?”

The assassins were definitely few in number. That Princess Qing Yang detected assassins but didn’t call palace guards, instead directly fleeing Changxin Palace with the Crown Prince—unless Princess Qing Yang knew more secrets they didn’t and was terrified, otherwise Shen Yang truly couldn’t imagine why she would hastily choose to flee the palace to avoid calamity.

“I was so anxious I got confused, and feared asking inappropriate questions. I didn’t ask much,” Qin Wen said.

“Go quietly invite Marquis Yang and Prince Shou here. Don’t disturb anyone else yet,” Shen Yang instructed Xue Ruogu.

Yang Yuanpu had summoned Guo Liang and Huang Lü into the palace early in the morning, then in the afternoon suddenly transmitted a secret edict about leaving the city to escape the heat—how could Shen Yang possibly simply believe the assassins were dispatched by Mongols?

Among so many Participating Ministers, Shen Yang currently only trusted Yang Zhitang and Yang En. He had Qin Wen and Xue Ruogu separately and secretly bring people from both sides to this office.

Qin Wen also quietly walked toward the rear offices to find Qing Yang and the Crown Prince. Of course they couldn’t voluntarily expose Li Zhigao and the Second Prince’s true parentage, but Princess Qing Yang could reveal everything she had seen and heard these past two days—there was no need to conceal anything. Only thus could Qing Yang explain why she fled Changxin Palace in such panic like a startled bird seeking refuge.

As for how many secrets Shen Yang, Yang En, and Yang Zhitang could subsequently unearth depended on their capabilities, or rather how far they were willing to dig.

Sometimes for Great Chu’s stability, some ugliness and bloodshed could only be ignored while holding one’s nose…

……

……

Yang En and Yang Zhitang sat alongside Shen Yang. Qing Yang sat opposite Shen Yang with the Crown Prince. Yun Puzi, Xue Ruowen, and Qin Wen stood to the side. The atmosphere was so oppressive water could be wrung from it. The stifling weather made everyone even more irritable.

“Uncle Marquis, did you actually say ‘the Marquis of Xinjin and Marquis of Qianyang seem at odds, but in all major matters they are never at odds’?” Yang Zhitang asked Yang En with tightly furrowed brows.

“When did I ever say such a thing? When Chen Ruyi came to see me, Prime Minister Shen and I were playing chess. Ruogu and Qin Wen were both watching beside us,” Yang En said with spread hands and bitter expression.

Though Yang Zhitang held a prince’s title and Yang En a marquis’s, in terms of clan seniority within the imperial family, Yang En was Yang Zhitang’s clan uncle.

Yang Zhitang didn’t doubt Princess Qing Yang’s account much. His Majesty’s abnormal behavior at Cishou Palace today had been witnessed by Empress Huang and so many harem consorts. They already knew of it.

There must have been some special reason His Majesty suddenly decided to leave the city to escape the heat—the imperial procession leaving the city caused tremendous commotion, requiring advance arrangements days ahead every year. Where would anyone suddenly decide to leave immediately?

But these were merely suspicious points without direct evidence pointing to anyone. Previously they had mostly suspected His Majesty and the Empress Dowager might have had mother-son conflicts that internal traitors and assassins exploited.

After all, they had also secretly observed Li Changfeng and Chen De’s reactions, which were graver and calmer than they imagined—not appearing to have participated in conspiracy. Simultaneously they couldn’t imagine what motive Cishou Palace would have to strike at this particular time.

Now with Princess Qing Yang mentioning such a key figure as Chen Ruyi, confirmed by Yang En that Chen Ruyi could indeed have incited conflict between them, Yang Zhitang looked to Shen Yang and Yang En: “Arrest Chen Ruyi for secret interrogation?”

“Should we inform others?” Yang En asked with some hesitation.

“No, interrogate Chen Ruyi secretly first,” Shen Yang shook his head.

He didn’t suspect other families of participating in the assassination, but with the assassination already occurred—whether the Zheng family, Han Mansion and Tangyi, Cishou Palace and Xiangbei, or the Zhang family—what thoughts and actions they might have now, Shen Yang truly couldn’t fathom. He felt it better to secretly investigate everything clearly.

As Privy Council Director and the sole surviving prince, even without transferring the Right Dragon Martial Army’s water and land forces from Runzhou, Yang Zhitang had people available in the imperial city who could bypass the Imperial Guard Army.

Seeing both Shen Yang and Yang En agree, Yang Zhitang immediately summoned a confidant and instructed him to secretly arrest Chen Ruyi and bring him here for interrogation while avoiding others’ eyes.

After Yang Zhitang’s confidant left, Qin Wen couldn’t help asking: “Should we guard against Cishou Palace’s side?”

“Don’t alert them yet,” Shen Yang shook his head.

Qin Wen grew secretly anxious, looking toward Yang Zhitang and Yang En.

Even with enough suspicious points, these two still seemed unable to imagine what reason the Empress Dowager could have to strike against her own biological son at this time?

Seeing the three men’s attitude, Qin Wen could only restrain his impatience for now, lest suspicion turn toward himself.

They didn’t wait for the confidant to return before hearing commotion and clamor from the Government Affairs Hall’s front courtyard.

When they went out, they saw three guards reporting to Han Daoming, Zheng Yu, and Zhang Chao that Palace Attendants Director Chen Ruyi had just been assassinated behind the great hall. A Mongol assassin also lay dead beside Chen Ruyi with a dagger in his chest—apparently a Mongol assassin hidden in the palace had been accidentally discovered by Chen Ruyi, and both had died together.

Shen Yang, Yang Zhitang, and Yang En’s hearts and guts jumped with rage. They weren’t stupid—of course they knew things absolutely weren’t this simple. But what could they say?

Qin Wen’s gaze searched the crowd. At some point Zhou Yuan, Xu Jing, and others had disappeared. He secretly pulled an old clerk to ask their whereabouts, only learning that earlier in the rear offices, Zhou Yuan and Xu Jing had heard some news and left with Li Changfeng.

Qin Wen’s heart sank. Walking to Shen Yang’s side, he lowered his voice: “We seem to be being watched. Zhou Yuan, Xu Jing, and the Marquis of Linjin all appear to have gone to Chongwen Hall…”

Cishou Palace killing Chen Ruyi to silence him at this time, along with Zhou Yuan and Xu Jing’s withdrawal, could only mean Lü Qingxia had already confirmed Princess Qing Yang was at the Secretariat meeting with Shen Yang, Yang Zhitang, and Yang En.

Shen Yang’s face grew grave. Yang En was filled with grief and indignation. Yang Zhitang’s gaze wandered—clearly they realized the situation was slipping beyond their control.

Only now did they realize leaving the Empress Dowager, Chen De, Lü Qingxia, and others at Chongwen Hall while the ministers and officials moved to the Secretariat had been an extremely mistaken decision.

This meant the Empress Dowager, Chen De, Lü Qingxia, and others could bypass them and directly command the Imperial Guard Army.

Though he had previously said “all commands not from the Government Affairs Hall are seditious,” the Empress Dowager still had the authority to directly overturn those words. Could the Imperial Guard troops truly regard the Empress Dowager’s words as “seditious commands” because of his statement?

Just as years ago when Han Qian and Li Zhigao bypassed Emperor Yanyou and acted under the Empress Dowager’s written edict—who could condemn them afterward?

The ultimate key still fell on the Imperial Guard commanders.

Those who could truly determine Great Chu’s fate now were no longer these normally lofty Participating Ministers, but the Imperial Guard commanders leading over forty thousand elite troops sealing the palace and imperial city entrances.

With solid evidence, Shen Yang could immediately order the commanders to arrest Chen De, Li Changfeng, Li Xiu, and others, then place the Empress Dowager, Lü Qingxia, and others under house arrest.

Without evidence, even if he could persuade Imperial Guard commanders like Zhang Han and Guo Liang to cooperate by immediately relieving Chen De, Li Changfeng, Li Xiu, and others of military authority before detaining them for slow interrogation, it might quell major chaos.

But the problem was they had no solid evidence. On what basis could they persuade Zhang Han, Guo Liang, and their subordinate commanders to believe them rather than the Empress Dowager and Lü Qingxia?

They didn’t even know clearly whether any among them had participated in the assassination conspiracy. What else could they do?

“Not good! Li Xiu is leading armored troops from Chongyang Gate, saying Noble Consort Wang colluded with assassins and is hiding in the Secretariat. He comes bearing the Empress Dowager’s written edict to apprehend suspects!” someone cried out, running over in panic.

The dozens of officials in the courtyard before the Government Affairs Hall erupted in clamor.

Shen Yang, Yang En, and Yang Zhitang’s faces turned pale. They never imagined Cishou Palace would move faster than they expected, even directly biting back by pinning collusion with assassins on Princess Qing Yang.

Once Li Xiu brought armored troops in and found Princess Qing Yang and the Crown Prince at the Secretariat, how many mouths could they use to explain clearly and win the Imperial Guard commanders’ trust?

Qin Wen’s hands and feet trembled slightly involuntarily. He never imagined Lü Qingxia’s preemptive strike would be so formidable.

He even suspected that when they brought Princess Qing Yang and Yun Puzi to the Secretariat, the entire process had actually been under Cishou Palace’s eyes while they remained obliviously unaware.

“Absurd! The Secretariat is the outer court’s vital center. All Participating Ministers are here. How can the Imperial Guard Army search at will?” Han Daoming, thinking of Han Qian’s repeated emphasis on avoiding major chaos, could only harden his resolve and step forward with a stern rebuke. He looked toward Zhang Chao: “Marquis Zhang, say something!”

Everyone’s eyes turned toward Salt and Iron Transport Commissioner Zhang Chao.

Zhang Chao was the cousin of Right Wuyi Army Commander Zhang Han. Within the Imperial Guard Army, besides Zhang Han ranking first, there were quite a few Zhang clan and Langzhou-origin commanders.

Among the Participating Ministers, Zhang Chao’s position wasn’t prominent, but at such a critical moment, his words carried more weight than even Shen Yang or Yang Zhitang.

Zhang Chao’s shadowed eyes swept across everyone’s faces. He somewhat suspected Han Daoming’s attitude at this moment. After hesitating quite a while, he finally said: “It seems better to wait for Military Supervisor Li to arrive and first hear exactly what the Empress Dowager’s command is?”

Seeing Zhang Chao play such slippery tricks, Han Daoming sneered inwardly. Without even thinking, he knew that once Li Xiu found Noble Consort Wang and the Crown Prince at the Secretariat, Zhang Chao would definitely be the first to side with Cishou Palace.

Shen Yang saw even Yang Zhitang showed hesitation. Yang En secretly tugged at his sleeve.

Shen Yang understood Yang En’s meaning. At this moment they absolutely couldn’t give Yang Zhitang opportunity to withdraw. Otherwise the miscarriage of justice would never be cleared, and they would very likely die without burial grounds.

Shen Yang stepped forward and said: “Noble Consort Wang and the Crown Prince are indeed currently at the Secretariat. The Marquis of Liyang, Prince Shou, and I have all just seen them. Noble Consort Wang identified Palace Attendants Director Chen Ruyi as colluding with assassins. But just as we secretly dispatched someone to arrest Chen Ruyi for interrogation, news came that Chen Ruyi and an assassin died together. This matter has far too many strange aspects requiring investigation—this concerns Great Chu’s state and altars and absolutely cannot be taken lightly…”

Shen Yang didn’t point his spearhead directly at the Empress Dowager, Lü Qingxia, and others. Han Daoming naturally knew he was also strenuously avoiding complete loss of control within the imperial city. He stepped forward and pressed Yang Zhitang:

“Prince Shou, is it truly as Prime Minister Shen says?”

Regardless, in the hearts of Imperial Guard troops, the combined weight of Yang Zhitang, Yang En, and Shen Yang together was absolutely no lighter than the Empress Dowager alone.

Whether Han Daoming, Zheng Yu, or Zheng Chang—they would also be viewed as representatives of regional military powers.

In the eyes of Imperial Guard troops, their words were hard to believe. Even stepping forward to confront the Empress Dowager, Chen De, Lü Qingxia, and others might result in mud being flung at them.

However, at least now no one should believe Yang Zhitang, Shen Yang, and Yang En would betray Emperor Yanyou or be connected to the assassination.

“This prince did indeed just see the Noble Consort and heard her say this,” Yang Zhitang didn’t deny Shen Yang’s words, but his statement when stepping forward had reservations.

Shen Yang didn’t dare expect too much from Yang Zhitang. Seeing him and Zhang Chao not directly defecting to Cishou Palace upon seeing the situation was already good enough. He immediately had Qin Wen take people to invite Princess Qing Yang, the Crown Prince, and Yun Puzi out to meet with the ministers.

Of course, Shen Yang guessed that Yang Zhitang and Zhang Chao at this moment didn’t believe Cishou Palace had absolutely no involvement in the assassination, nor did they believe Princess Qing Yang truly had suspicion of colluding with assassins. But their temporary neutrality, not directly siding with Cishou Palace which seemed to have gained the upper hand within the imperial city, wasn’t because they distinguished right from wrong or had principles in their hearts.

Ultimately they didn’t care at all how His Majesty and Empress Li died. They only worried that if everyone within the imperial city couldn’t quickly reach consensus on the succession, it would only lead to Imperial Guard Army division and internal strife, throwing Jinling into chaos and bloodshed, ultimately benefiting the mantis waiting behind.

If the final outcome was merely giving Han Qian an excuse to cross the river, how many present could avoid being dumbfounded?

At this moment Shen Yang also understood clearly in his heart: legitimate succession—or rather proper justification—had become more important than at any other moment, making everyone wary and not daring to act rashly. But with Chen Ruyi already silenced, where could they still find evidence pointing to Cishou Palace?

Perhaps this was precisely the chaotic situation the Empress Dowager, Lü Qingxia, and these people needed to see?