King of Huaiyang coldly sneered at the finally-appeared King Sui: “If His Majesty is merely unconscious, why not wait for him to wake up before allowing him to question us?”
King Sui’s eyes flashed with malice as he slowly replied, “King of Huaiyang, I advise you to confess the truth honestly. Even if His Majesty can wait, your beloved wife cannot. She’s suffering from a difficult labor and hemorrhaging. If you don’t return quickly, you might not see her one last time.”
King Sui was deliberately provoking him, certain that this news would throw the King of Huaiyang into disarray. Liu Mentang was indeed a captivating beauty, difficult to part with. No wonder the King of Huaiyang, despite his outburst upon learning her true identity, still showered her with affection.
Now, due to the Empress Dowager’s orders, all the physicians had been taken from the manor. If Liu Mentang were to perish, Cui Xingzhou would surely fly into a rage, losing all sense of propriety. This would provide the perfect opportunity for the court officials to witness and justly deal with the mad dog Cui Xingzhou.
Upon hearing these words, Cui Xingzhou’s eyes slowly widened, his veins seemingly about to burst. He gritted his teeth and spat, “You’re talking nonsense!”
King Sui’s smile grew even more cordial. “This is the truth. Basins of blood have been carried out of the birthing chamber. Even if a divine physician were to go, it would be too late. Look at the time now; your princess consort can’t hold on much longer. Who knows if the child in her womb has been born yet… People say the Princess Consort of Huaiyang isn’t loved by her prince, and that she might die from hemorrhaging. Who would have thought this prophecy would come true? It’s truly a pity!”
The King of Huaiyang had now stood up, taking large strides towards King Sui, looking as if he might tear him to pieces at any moment.
Just then, a squad of personal guards surged forward, raising their swords and halberds to the King of Huaiyang’s neck, preventing him from getting any closer. Meanwhile, the surrounding court officials, having heard King Sui’s words, changed their expressions and began whispering among themselves: “How cruel, to even lay hands on his wife!”
“This is truly a disloyal and unrighteous person, daring to assassinate the emperor above and kill his father below!” In an instant, the great hall descended into chaos. Everyone had become a hindsight strategist, seemingly eager to immediately apprehend Cui Xingzhou, this disloyal and unrighteous individual.
However, at this moment, the King of Huaiyang’s iron-gray face slowly calmed. He turned his head to examine the personal guards and said, “These don’t appear to be palace guards, but rather the Gong family’s troops who should be in Sanjin. How have local garrison troops entered the palace? King Sui, are you certain it’s I, Cui Xingzhou, who intends to rebel?”
King Sui was stunned by this question. He hadn’t expected the supposedly enraged Cui Xingzhou to notice such an inappropriate detail.
These Sanjin troops were all wearing the clothes of palace guards. How had Cui Xingzhou immediately identified their true origin?
However, King Sui didn’t appear too flustered. He coldly replied, “The evidence of King Huaiyang poisoning His Majesty is irrefutable. Guards, drag him away and behead him immediately!”
Just then, a voice spoke from the high throne: “Everyone, stop in the name of your Emperor!”
King Sui turned his head and his face changed dramatically.
Emperor Liu Yu, who should have been unconscious in his bedchamber, was now walking up the palace steps, supported by Empress Shi. What were the guards stationed at the bedchamber doing? How did they allow His Majesty to come out?
The King of Huaiyang exerted a slight force, flicking his wrist skillfully. The soldiers holding swords to his neck suddenly felt their wrists shake and stumbled back several steps. At that moment, another group of officials rushed in, all wearing the uniform of the Military Affairs Bureau – Cui Xingzhou’s troops.
The Cui family troops, all veterans of bloody battles, charged in and quickly subdued the dozen or so personal guards, disarming them and dragging them away.
King Sui finally showed signs of panic, quickly exchanging a glance with the Empress Dowager seated on the high throne.
The Empress Dowager dug her long-nurtured fingernails into her palm, then asked Emperor Liu Yu with a concerned expression: “Your Majesty, why have you risen? King Sui has already found the poisoner. I’ve entrusted him to handle the matter.”
Liu Yu looked coldly at the Empress Dowager and said, “I didn’t drink any tiger penis soup today. Is the Empress Dowager certain it was the King of Huaiyang who poisoned me?”
At these words, both King Sui and the Empress Dowager changed color. The Empress Dowager, having survived several palace upheavals, immediately sensed the wind changing direction.
If Liu Yu hadn’t drunk the tiger penis soup, why had he suddenly fallen unconscious? And how had the King of Huaiyang’s troops entered the palace so silently?
The court officials, seeing Liu Yu appear, all knelt. However, seeing the situation, they knew that great changes were likely to occur in the palace tonight, and they all fell silent.
The King of Huaiyang also saluted the Emperor, saying: “General Gong Jing of the Gong family arbitrarily reassigned the palace guards, replacing them with the Sanjin garrison disguised as palace guards, and surrounded my manor. Most despicably, he deceived the Empress Dowager and privately colluded with Concubine Yun to poison Your Majesty’s tiger penis soup, intending to frame me and harm Your Majesty. I beg Your Majesty to investigate clearly!”
These words from the King of Huaiyang pinned the traitor’s label on King Sui while exonerating the true mastermind, the Empress Dowager.
After all, Liu Yu was her grandson. Even if the Empress Dowager was the true mastermind behind this treachery, His Majesty couldn’t easily punish her. He had to give her some face, at most confining her to the back palace afterward. This way, the old ministers would have nothing to say, and the common people would find no fault.
However, although King Sui was also an elder, he was still a subject! He had overstepped his bounds this time, and with the court officials as witnesses, it was now possible to legitimately deal with this royal uncle!
At this moment, Concubine Yun, with disheveled hair, was dragged into the great hall. As she was pulled along, the festering skin on her neck was exposed.
Seeing Liu Yu glaring at her with an ashen face, she wailed, “Your Majesty, I was forced by King Sui, I had no choice! Please investigate clearly, Your Majesty. I had already reduced the dose of ginseng for Your Majesty. This concubine never wanted Your Majesty to die!”
But the Empress Dowager wasn’t about to let Liu Yu deal with her most beloved son. She coldly said, “Your Majesty, since you weren’t poisoned, you should have informed me earlier. Your unconsciousness led to the misunderstanding that the King of Huaiyang was rebelling. King Sui entered the palace to protect the throne at my behest. What wrong has he done?”
Liu Yu remained silent, but the King of Huaiyang spoke with a smile: “The Sanjin troops received King Sui’s verbal order to enter the capital ten days ago, and they camped near Qingfeng Town, close to the capital. Moreover, after His Majesty ‘mistakenly’ drank the tiger penis soup at night, they immediately entered the palace to change the guard. If I hadn’t been prepared, His Majesty might have been smothered to death on the dragon bed by King Sui’s subordinates!”
Hearing this, Liu Yu’s face turned ashen. He said, “Fortunately, the King of Huaiyang had sent secret guards to protect me. Otherwise, King Sui, your subordinates would have succeeded…”
At this point, King Sui’s face was ashen. He suddenly reached out and smashed a nearby vase.
This was a prearranged signal for his guards. Once the vase was smashed, someone was supposed to deliver a message, and thousands of troops would surround the entire imperial palace.
Unfortunately, even after he knocked over three or four vases, shattering them to pieces, there was only silence outside. No one came to his aid, making the scene extremely awkward.
King Sui stared at the King of Huaiyang in disbelief: “Impossible, your Cui family troops were all reassigned, and the city gates have been closed tight. How did they enter the city?”
The King of Huaiyang smiled slightly: “In these peaceful times, my good soldiers under me had strength but no place to use it. So since entering the capital, I’ve been following His Majesty’s sacred order, rotating them on guard duty, digging a tunnel to the palace for His Majesty’s use… Did you think you were the only one who could plant spies in other people’s manors? Unfortunately, your poisonous plot with Concubine Yun was revealed early on by her maid, Huaping, to the Empress.”
Concubine Yun, who had been hanging her head low, raised it in disbelief upon hearing these words. Behind her, a group of her maids were tied up, but Huaping was nowhere to be seen.
Looking up at Empress Shi, who was supporting Liu Yu, her plump face still wore the same bland, seemingly harmless, and simple expression…
King Sui listened with widening eyes, staring at the King of Huaiyang before him. He said, word by word: “I underestimated you… But what right does he have to sit on this throne? If it weren’t for me, he’d be nothing but a bandit on Yangshan Mountain now, free to be together with your wife, Liu Mentang! Hahaha, King of Huaiyang, are you sure the child your wife is carrying is yours? Could it not be His Majesty’s dragon seed, fostered in your manor?”
At this point, King Sui knew that all his plans had been exposed. He might as well break the pot and smash it, taking pleasure in upsetting Cui Xingzhou with his words.
Liu Yu’s heart was heavily blocked by King Sui’s words. Sometimes, he truly wished he was still on Yangshan Mountain. If time could flow backwards, perhaps he would make different choices, and not miss out on his life’s true love, allowing the woman he loved to carry another man’s child.
Given the situation, even if Liu Yu ordered King Sui and Concubine Yun to be dragged away, no old minister would step forward to plead for them.
After all, the crime of rebellion affected nine generations of the family. Who would dare to intercede for such a crime?
The Empress Dowager, having weathered many storms, still held her back straight even as the palace coup failed. Only her brow had suddenly aged and darkened considerably.
As Empress Shi smiled and respectfully invited the Empress Dowager to return to her palace to rest, she slowly rose and left the great hall, but collapsed and fainted at the corner.
The King of Huaiyang knew that the Emperor could handle the subsequent affairs on his own. What he wanted most now was to return to his manor to check on his “hemorrhaging” beloved consort.
So he left the great hall, listened to his subordinates’ report on the palace’s defense arrangements, then mounted his horse and rode straight to the King of Huaiyang’s manor.
However, he didn’t dismount at the manor but stopped in front of a residence one street away. When he knocked on the door ring, Bicao’s crisp voice came from inside: “Who’s knocking?”
Cui Xingzhou said in a deep voice, “It’s me! Bicao, open the door quickly!”
Bicao hurriedly opened the door to welcome the King of Huaiyang.
As the King of Huaiyang stepped into this small courtyard, he saw his beloved consort, who should have been hemorrhaging in childbirth, sitting by a small table on a warm kang bed, relishing fried cakes with great enjoyment.