On the fifth day after the corpse of the Prince of Zhenbei was returned to the capital, during the Yin hour, darkness still enveloped the sky.
Outside the Meridian Gate, the orange flames of candles flickered in stone lanterns, intermingling with the light from torches held by two rows of Imperial Guards.
In the cool breeze, officials gathered silently at the Meridian Gate, awaiting the morning court session. Occasionally, acquainted officials would converse in hushed tones, but overall, a solemn atmosphere prevailed.
The officials seemed to be holding their breath, swelling with tension yet restraining themselves, waiting for the right moment to explode.
“Dong… dong… dong…”
As dawn broke, drums sounded from atop the Meridian Gate tower.
The civil and military officials instinctively formed orderly lines, entering through the slowly opening palace gates one by one.
…
The Hall of Supreme Harmony!
Officials of the fourth rank and above entered the great hall, waiting silently for a quarter of an hour until Emperor Yuanjing, clad in Daoist robes, arrived fashionably late.
After days unseen, this emperor, whose graying hair had turned black, appeared somewhat haggard. His eye bags were swollen, and his eyes were bloodshot. He fully embodied the image of an elder brother who had painfully lost his younger sibling.
The civil officials were shocked. It was well known that His Majesty placed great importance on health preservation and maintaining his imperial body. Since he began practicing Daoism, he has maintained good health and a ruddy complexion.
When had he ever appeared so worn out?
Many exchanged silent glances, their hearts trembling.
The elderly eunuch glanced at Emperor Yuanjing and announced in a clear voice, “If you have matters to report, do so now. If not, the court is dismissed.”
The Administrative Commissioner of Chu Prefecture, Zheng Xinghuai, stepped forward from the ranks. He bowed before the assembled ministers and said in a deep voice:
“Your Majesty, the Commander-in-Chief of Chu Prefecture, Prince of Huai, colluded with the Wushen Cult and the leader of the Earth Sect. For his selfish interests of advancing to the second rank, he massacred 380,000 civilians in Chu City. Since the founding of Great Feng, such an atrocity has been unprecedented and has incurred the wrath of both Heaven and men. I implore Your Majesty to strip the Prince of Huai of his noble status, reduce him to a commoner, and display his head at the city gates for three days to appease the 380,000 wronged souls… and to announce to the world.”
Emperor Yuanjing gazed at him deeply, his expression impassive.
Surprisingly, faced with the emperor’s silent anger, Administrative Commissioner Zheng Xinghuai of Chu Prefecture showed no fear and boldly returned the gaze.
At this moment, Prime Minister Wang stepped forward and respectfully said:
“The actions of the Prince of Huai have angered both Heaven and men. The capital is already in an uproar. The people of Chu Prefecture are known for their fierce temperament. If we cannot explain the world, I fear it may lead to civil unrest. I beg Your Majesty to strip the Prince of Huai of his noble status, reduce him to a commoner, and display his head at the city gates for three days to appease the 380,000 wronged souls of Chu City.”
In the court, all the ministers bowed, their voices rising in a chorus: “We beseech Your Majesty to strip the Prince of Huai of his noble status, reduce him to a commoner, and display his head at the city gates for three days to appease the 380,000 wronged souls of Chu City.”
Emperor Yuanjing slowly rose, his face cold as he looked down upon the court ministers.
The muscles of his face twitched slowly, veins bulging on his forehead. Suddenly… he violently overturned the large desk before him.
Bang!
The desk tumbled down the steps, crashing heavily in front of the ministers.
Immediately after, the old emperor’s heart-wrenching roar echoed through the hall:
“The Prince of Huai is my younger brother! What are your intentions in wanting to reduce him to a commoner? Do you also want me to issue an edict of self-reproach? Do you still see me as your emperor? I have lost my brother as if I’ve lost an arm. You show no sympathy, gathering at the palace gates for days on end. Are you trying to force me to my death?!”
The old emperor’s face was contorted, his eyes bloodshot, resembling a grief-stricken and helpless old beast.
This… the ministers were stunned.
Emperor Yuanjing had been on the throne for thirty-seven years, and the image of a deep, scheming, and politically astute ruler was deeply ingrained in the minds of the civil and military officials.
They never imagined that one day, this profound emperor would display such grief before them.
This demeanor revealed to his group of ministers, formed such a stark contrast to their fixed impression that it spontaneously evoked a sense of sorrow in their hearts.
The ministers’ high spirits faltered.
Before the officials could react to this great shock, Emperor Yuanjing sat down dejectedly, his face showing undisguised grief:
“When I was still the Crown Prince, the previous emperor was wary and guarded against me. My position was unstable, and I lived in constant fear. It was the Prince of Huai who always silently supported me. Only because we were born of the same mother, our brotherly bond was deep.
“In those years, the Prince of Huai held the Imperial Sword, killing enemies and protecting our territory for the empire. If it weren’t for his fearless fight in the Battle of Shanhai Pass, how could we have the prosperity of Great Feng today? You all should be grateful to him.
“After the Battle of Shanhai Pass, the Prince of Huai was ordered to go north, guarding the frontier for me. In over a decade, he has rarely returned to the capital. The Prince of Huai has indeed committed a grave error, but he has already submitted to the law. Do you ministers not even spare his posthumous reputation?”
Interrupted so “rudely” by Emperor Yuanjing, the group of ministers momentarily lost their rhythm and were speechless for a while.
But it didn’t matter. There was always someone in the court willing to be the vanguard, charging to the front.
Administrative Commissioner Zheng loudly said: “Your Majesty, merits and faults do not cancel each other out. The Prince of Huai has indeed had merits over the years, but the court has already rewarded him for his achievements, and the people have shown him great admiration. Now that he has committed an unforgivable crime, he should naturally be severely punished. Otherwise, it would be Your Majesty showing favoritism and bending the law.”
Emperor Yuanjing shouted angrily: “Nonsense! You have been running amok in the capital these past few days, slandering the royal family and the prince. I have been tolerating you until now, considering your years of diligent service, if not great merit, at least effort.
“The case of the Prince of Huai hasn’t been decided yet. As long as it’s not decided, he is innocent. You are slandering a prince, which is a capital offense!”
“Your Majesty!” Wang Zhenwen suddenly spoke up, interrupting Emperor Yuanjing’s momentum. He raised his voice and said, “We can discuss Administrative Commissioner Zheng’s matter later. Let’s first deliberate on the Prince of Huai’s case.”
Emperor Yuanjing looked at him deeply, his gaze sweeping past Wang Zhenwen and pausing somewhere for a moment.
As if in response to Emperor Yuanjing, someone immediately stepped forward and loudly said, “Your Majesty, I also have a matter to report.”
The officials turned to look. It was Yao Lin, the Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Rites.
It was well known that Supervising Secretaries were professional critics, the mad dogs of the court, biting at anyone they could. At the same time, they were also the initiators of court struggles.
Sure enough, this time they didn’t disappoint.
Yao Lin bowed slightly, his head lowered, and said in a loud voice: “I wish to impeach Prime Minister Wang Zhenwen for instructing the former Minister of Rites to collude with the demon race and blow up Sangbo.”
There was a slight commotion in the hall.
The ministers looked at each other with strange expressions. These past few days, Wang Zhenwen had led the group of ministers to surround the palace gates, gaining great fame as the vanguard in “forcing the emperor to death.”
For him to face impeachment at this time seemed… to be a matter of course.
However, judging the matter objectively, the former Minister of Rites was indeed Wang’s man. Whether he acted on Prime Minister Wang’s instructions was truly hard to say.
The inside story of the Sangbo case was that the former Minister of Rites had colluded with the demon race to blow up Sangbo. The bargaining chip offered by the demon race was the corpses of Henghui and Princess Pingyang.
Through this ill-fated couple, the crimes of the Liang faction were exposed.
In essence, it was a party struggle, with the demon race acting as external support.
Did Prime Minister Wang truly know nothing about this? Whether the ministers put a question mark or a full stop to this in their hearts, only they knew.
Then, Yao Lin announced several other crimes of Wang Zhenwen, such as condoning subordinates’ corruption and bribery, accepting bribes from subordinates…
Setting aside the Sangbo case, the subsequent list of crimes was indeed irrefutable.
Could someone with clean hands become Prime Minister?
Who would be willing to work for such a person?
His Majesty intended to kill the chicken to scare the monkey… The ministers’ hearts trembled. Although Confucianism had methods to slay dragons, there was still an insurmountable gulf between the emperor and his ministers.
Emperor Yuanjing was not a young emperor; on the contrary, he had overseen the court for half a century.
Prime Minister Wang raised his head to see Emperor Yuanjing looking at him coldly. He immediately hesitated no longer and said in a deep voice: “I request to retire due to old age and ill health.”
A flash of severity appeared in Emperor Yuanjing’s eyes. Just as he was about to speak, at that moment, Censor Zhang Xingying stepped forward, bowed, and said:
“Your Majesty, Prime Minister Wang has engaged in corruption and bribery, bringing disaster to the country and harming the people. He must not be allowed to remain in office.”
Censor Zhang was Wei Yuan’s man.
Emperor Yuanjing remained silent for a long time. He glanced sideways at Wei Yuan, who remained as still as an old monk in meditation, and said flatly: “Prime Minister Wang, your words are too heavy. You have served the empire diligently and laboriously, with great merit. I trust you.”
The balance that Emperor Yuanjing had painstakingly crafted now became his greatest shackle.
For anyone else, dismissal would be simple, but not for Prime Minister Wang. He was currently the only person in the court who could counterbalance Wei Yuan.
Without him, even if Emperor Yuanjing supported another faction to power, they wouldn’t be a match for Wei Yuan.
In just a quarter of an hour, the three giants of the court – Emperor Yuanjing, Wei Yuan, and Prime Minister Wang – had already completed one round of confrontation.
Emperor Yuanjing gained a small advantage, suppressing the ministers’ fervor and intimidating the officials. Prime Minister Wang and Wei Yuan didn’t lose out either, as the topic was brought back to the case of Prince Huai’s city massacre.
“We implore Your Majesty to severely punish the Prince of Zhenbei, convict him, and give an explanation to the world.”
Finally, Wei Yuan stepped forward.
The ministers immediately echoed his sentiment, but this time, Emperor Yuanjing swept his gaze across them and noticed a small portion remained motionless.
The corners of his mouth twitched imperceptibly. In the court, personal interests ultimately prevailed above all else. That his earlier “killing the chicken to scare the monkey” tactic had frightened even a few was already worthwhile.
“Your Majesty, this humble official believes that the Chu Prefecture case should be deliberated carefully. We must not blindly convict the Prince of Huai.”
The first voice of opposition arose.
The speaker was Yuan Xiong, the Left Chief Censor.
Emperor Yuanjing frowned, feigning ignorance: “Minister Yuan, what do you mean by this?”
Yuan Xiong suddenly became agitated and said loudly: “The Prince of Huai is Your Majesty’s brother and a prince of Great Feng. This matter concerns the face of the royal family and Your Majesty’s reputation. How can we rush to a conclusion?”
Shameless!
The civil officials cursed in their hearts.
This scoundrel had previously used the imperial examination cheating case to implicitly accuse Wei Yuan, of offending the Grand Secretaries of the East Chamber. After the examinations, the Grand Secretaries allied with Wei Yuan to impeach Yuan Xiong.
In the end, it was His Majesty who protected this scoundrel, merely punishing him with a three-month salary deduction.
Now, he had indeed become His Majesty’s knife, used to counterattack the entire civil official group on his behalf.
“Your Majesty, Chief Censor Yuan’s words have merit…”
At this moment, a very elderly man, leaning on a cane, tremblingly stepped forward.
The old man’s hair was silvery white, without a trace of black. He wore a robe with a dark red base, embroidered with golden five-clawed dragons.
Prince Li!
The younger brother of the previous emperor, the uncle of Emperor Yuanjing and Prince Huai.
“Uncle, why have you come? Didn’t I say you didn’t need to attend court?” Emperor Yuanjing seemed surprised and ordered, “Quickly, bring a seat for the Imperial Uncle.”
“If I didn’t come, the 600-year reputation of the Great Feng royal family might be ruined in the hands of an unworthy descendant like you.” The old man snorted coldly.
Emperor Yuanjing lowered his head silently, adopting a posture of admitting fault.
A chair was brought. The old man turned the chair to face the group of ministers and sat down, snorting coldly again: “Great Feng belongs to all under heaven, but even more so to our royal family.
“The Founding Emperor established the dynasty with great difficulty, sweeping away the corruption of the previous dynasty to establish a new one. The Martial Emperor executed treacherous officials and purged the court, paying with how much blood and sweat.
“The Prince of Huai has committed a grave error and deserves death, but as long as this prince lives, I will not allow you to tarnish the reputation of our royal family.”
Zheng Xinghuai’s face flushed with blood. He said in a deep voice: “Old Prince, in the 600 years since Great Feng’s founding, there have been quite a few monarchs who issued self-reproaching edicts…”
Before he could finish, Prince Li interrupted him forcefully. The old man shouted: “The ruler is the ruler, and the ministers are ministers. You have all studied the classics extensively and graduated from the Imperial Academy. Have you forgotten the teachings of Master Cheng?”
The officials suddenly felt their scalps tingle.
If Emperor Yuanjing had said these words, the officials would have been delighted, each vying to remonstrate. Stepping on the emperor to gain fame was the most satisfying thing in the hearts of scholars under heaven.
But the one saying these words was Prince Li. In his youth, Prince Li had been a man of outstanding talent, a famous scholar in the capital. Before him, the officials could only be considered junior learners.
With his identity as both a prince and a senior in the Confucian circles pressing forward, he was using his age and status to his advantage, and no one could do anything about it.
The momentum of the radical faction was once again suppressed.
“Alas, Prince Li, please reconsider.”
Wei Yuan’s sigh rang out.
Prince Li straightened his back, his wrinkled old face stern, looking at Wei Yuan askance:
“Hmph, this eunuch should have been a slave in the palace. If it weren’t for His Majesty’s discerning eye giving you a chance, how could you have today’s glory?”
Wei Yuan lowered his head slightly, adopting a posture of weakness, and then said:
“If Prince Li is concerned about the reputation of the royal family, he should not cover up this matter for the Prince of Huai. Yesterday, three great Confucian scholars from the Yunlu Academy wanted to come to the capital to severely criticize His Majesty, but I stopped them.
“The three great scholars said that while the court can alter history books, the history books of the Yunlu Academy are not under the court’s control. Today, the Prince of Zhenbei massacred 380,000 people in Chu City. In the future, the scholars of Yunlu Academy will firmly remember this event and pass it down through generations. And His Majesty, shielding his brother and sharing in his crime, will all be meticulously recorded in the history books.”
Emperor Yuanjing’s face changed dramatically.
The radical faction ministers looked at each other.
This was indeed something the Yunlu Academy scholars would do. Those scholars following the Confucian system were arrogant and contemptuous in their actions, but… it was so satisfying!
Prince Li said calmly: “Future generations will only recognize official histories. Who cares what the unofficial history of an academy says?”
He was saying this for Emperor Yuanjing to hear, telling his nephew, who both wanted to practice Daoism and cared about his reputation, not to be threatened by Wei Yuan.
Wei Yuan said softly: “Prince Li has lived a life without blemish, with profound knowledge, a model for the royal clan and an exemplar for scholars. Don’t let this matter be recorded by the Yunlu Academy, tarnishing your reputation in your later years.”
Prince Li’s expression changed abruptly. He raised his hand, pointing tremblingly at Wei Yuan, and said sternly: “Wei Yuan, you dare threaten this prince? Are you trying to rebel?”
Prime Minister Wang said calmly: “Since when has remonstration become a threat?”
“You, you all…”
Prince Li trembled with anger, his chest heaving.
Prince Li had studied from a young age. Although he held the status of a prince, he had always considered himself a scholar. Compared to ordinary nobles and military generals, he cared more about the phrase “leaving a name in history.”
A common flaw among scholars.
Wei Yuan’s words had indeed made Prince Li deeply wary. His earlier comments about official and unofficial histories were merely to comfort Emperor Yuanjing. As a scholar, he knew better than anyone the authority of the Yunlu Academy.
In court struggles, moves, and countermoves were constantly exchanged.
Seeing that Prince Li had fallen silent, Emperor Yuanjing knew this move had been neutralized by the “enemy,” but it didn’t matter. The next move would be crucial in securing his victory.
Thinking of this, he glanced at Duke Cao in the ranks of the nobility.
Duke Cao understood and stepped forward, saying loudly: “Your Majesty, I have something to say.”