Li Jinglong thought to himself that the Duke’s title was gone, and the Emperor’s willingness to spare his life was already looking favorably upon his contributions in reducing feudal power. Since everyone at court was mocking him as Prince Yan’s spy anyway—otherwise how could he have lost six hundred thousand troops so completely—he might as well make this spy business real. Why bear a false reputation?
Li Jinglong said, “Fine, I agree. If Prince Yan attacks Beijing, I’ll open the city gates to welcome him. But if he doesn’t have the destiny to become emperor, then pretend I never said anything.”
Li Jinglong kept one hand free, becoming a fence-sitter. Ji Gang didn’t press him to take an immediate stance either. The fact that they could negotiate showed Li Jinglong could be won over. Currently, Prince Yan needed to unite all forces that could be united to oppose Emperor Jianwen.
Ji Gang applauded, “Duke Cao is truly a straightforward man. I’ll convey your words to His Highness Prince Yan.”
Li Jinglong asked, “This is my residence—how did you get in?”
Ji Gang chuckled, “Duke Cao is truly forgetful, forgetting what I used to do for a living. As long as I’m willing, I can even enter the imperial palace. So Duke Cao must keep today’s matter absolutely secret—my informants are spread throughout the capital.”
Li Jinglong felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end and asked, “Since Master Ji can enter and exit the imperial palace as if it were uninhabited, why not—”
Li Jinglong made a throat-slitting gesture, meaning why not directly assassinate Emperor Jianwen.
Ji Gang said, “There’s a two-year-old Crown Prince in the palace, and outside the palace there are two younger brothers of the Emperor who haven’t gone to their fiefdoms because they need to fulfill filial duties to Empress Dowager Lu. Moreover, how many princes who fled here for refuge are now in the capital? Each one is a cunning old fox. No matter who takes the throne, none would be as easy to deal with as the current sage—a soft persimmon is easier to squeeze.”
Simply put, if others became emperor, they wouldn’t lose their fortune as quickly as Emperor Jianwen was doing…
Li Jinglong thought about it—hey, that actually made quite a bit of sense!
Cining Palace.
Hu Shanwei and Empress Dowager Lu were playing chess.
Empress Dowager Lu had planned to force the palace with Prince Heng after Emperor Jianwen pacified Prince Yan’s rebellion. She had thought it would take at most three months to see Prince Yan’s head, but three months became another three months, then another three months. From the eighth month of Jianwen’s first year until the eighth month of Jianwen’s second year, a full year had passed. Not only had Prince Yan not died, but he had grown increasingly powerful.
Empress Dowager Lu couldn’t sit still anymore. She had planned to reap ready-made benefits, but now it seemed the eldest son was too incompetent. If he couldn’t even secure the realm, and Prince Yan attacked, Prince Heng would have no chance to ascend the throne.
Snap!
A black piece fell on the board. Empress Dowager Lu said, “We can’t wait any longer. If we keep waiting, the realm will be completely ruined by the Emperor. What use would it be for Prince Heng to get an empty imperial throne? Better to take a gamble and change emperors. With me behind the scenes listening to governance from behind a screen, I’ll surely turn the tide and rescue the Great Ming from the brink of crisis.”
Having thrown away six hundred thousand troops and still failed to eliminate one feudal prince, Empress Dowager Lu had given up hope on Emperor Jianwen.
Empress Dowager Lu felt that even if she, a woman, took charge, it wouldn’t result in such complete defeat.
Empress Dowager Lu was bold and ruthless. Hu Shanwei wasn’t surprised by today’s risky move—the Empress Dowager had risen from concubine to mistress of Cining Palace through her daring to think, dare to act, and her terrifying capacity for action.
Snap!
Hu Shanwei placed a white piece. Looking at the overall board position, the white pieces had formed an encircling formation. She said calmly, “A move once made cannot be taken back. Has the Empress Dowager thought this through clearly?”
Empress Dowager Lu’s gaze turned cold. “Make your preparations. We’ll act at the Mid-Autumn Festival family banquet on the fifteenth day of the eighth month.”
A stone had finally settled. Hu Shanwei said, “Very well, this subject will make the arrangements immediately.”
Just as Hu Shanwei agreed, Princess Huaiqing entered the palace under the pretense of visiting Empress Ma—Empress Ma was already seven months pregnant.
Princess Huaiqing had given birth to two sons and was already a grandmother. Her eldest daughter-in-law had given birth to a plump grandson for her last year, so she spoke knowledgeably about child-rearing.
Due to the continuous failures in the northern expedition, Empress Ma worried day and night. This pregnancy wasn’t going smoothly, so after exchanging a few pleasantries, she said she was tired.
Princess Huaiqing quickly took her leave. She hadn’t come to the palace for this purpose anyway. When Hu Shanwei heard that Huaiqing had entered the palace, she knew her purpose well and volunteered to escort the princess out.
Princess Huaiqing said to Hu Shanwei, “Prince Yan says the Emperor must be kept alive—the palace cannot be thrown into chaos.”
Hu Shanwei was speechless. “Didn’t we agree before to let them kill each other, killing two birds with one stone?”
Princess Huaiqing said, “No matter who takes the throne, none would be as beneficial as the current Emperor. Now that feudal princes from various regions have gathered in the capital, if the palace falls into chaos, the princes will reap the benefits while Prince Yan is a thousand li away. Wouldn’t that be making wedding clothes for others?”
Hu Shanwei thought about it. Given the current chaotic situation in the capital, which no one could have predicted, maintaining the status quo was indeed the most prudent approach and most beneficial to Prince Yan.
Hu Shanwei said, “Very well, but you cannot touch the Crown Prince and Empress Ma. Spare the lives of mother and child—first, the child is innocent, and second, Empress Ma is a decent person who is also pregnant. Nothing can happen to her.”
Emperor Jianwen could never have imagined that Prince Yan was actually his guardian angel!
His closest relatives wanted to kill him, while his greatest enemy wanted to protect him. What a magical reality this was!
Princess Huaiqing said, “Naturally. Prince Yan isn’t some devil. What he promises, he will certainly do. Moreover, if Prince Yan were as unprincipled as the current young emperor, wouldn’t we have followed the wrong person? We won’t harm children or pregnant women.”
Having received confirmation, Hu Shanwei felt somewhat reassured and asked about the recent situation with Mu Chun and A’Lei.
Princess Huaiqing, using her sleeve as cover, secretly slipped her a letter.
In the letter, Mu Chun said he had taken Prince Yan’s eldest grandson Zhu Zhanji to Yunnan and had finally seen his daughter. Mu Chun used nearly five hundred characters to write about how adorable his daughter was, how much she resembled him, heaping praise upon his daughter as if the complimentary words cost nothing.
The only drawback was that his daughter called her grandfather “Father” and called him “Brother-in-law.” He hadn’t corrected this, as in these turbulent times, it was actually safer for his daughter this way, and so on.
Hu Shanwei was very happy. She couldn’t accompany her daughter, but having Mu Chun there was good too. A’Lei was truly pitiful—clearly having both parents alive, yet living as if orphaned.
Hu Shanwei reluctantly burned the letter. Fortunately, she had a good memory and memorized every word Mu Chun had written before burning it, chewing and savoring them slowly in her mouth, hoping that when she returned to her dreams at midnight, she might dream of her daughter.
Just as Empress Dowager Lu and Prince Heng were sharpening their knives for the Emperor, Emperor Jianwen’s third change of commanders finally showed results:
In the seventh month, Sheng Yong’s southern army decisively defeated the Yan forces at Jinan, not only protecting Jinan but also recapturing strategic locations like Dezhou. Prince Yan retreated back to Beijing.
How did Sheng Yong defeat Prince Yan, protect Jinan, and turn defeat into victory?
Speaking of it, it was quite magical. Sheng Yong pulled an incredibly audacious maneuver: facing the Yan army’s artillery fire and wave after wave of fierce attacks, Sheng Yong hung an enormous wooden plaque above the city gate with five large characters written on it: “Sacred Tablet of Emperor Gao.”
Emperor Gao referred to Ancestral Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang.
No matter what, Prince Yan Zhu Di could never bring himself to shout “Bring out my Frankish cannons” and fire at his own father’s sacred tablet.
Prince Yan hadn’t expected that after playing audacious moves for a year and manipulating Li Jinglong like a puppet, retribution would come so quickly. The third commander, Sheng Yong, played even more audaciously than he did. Fighting poison with poison, defeating audacity with audacity.
Meeting his match, for Prince Yan, the real test was just beginning.
Left with no choice, Prince Yan had to cease fire and withdraw his artillery. Jinan became even harder to attack, and Sheng Yong sent General Ping An to cut off the Yan army’s supply lines. Unable to fight on empty stomachs, the Yan forces had to completely withdraw from Jinan and retreat to Beijing.
When news arrived, the entire court erupted in celebration. Emperor Jianwen immediately enfeoffed commander Sheng Yong as Marquis Licheng with hereditary succession, granted him a golden book and iron certificate, and urged Sheng Yong to continue his efforts to pacify Yan territory.
At this time, Hu Shanwei had nearly finished preparing the Hongmen Banquet for the fifteenth day of the eighth month. She asked Empress Dowager Lu, “The northern expedition has finally won a battle—should we cancel the plan?”
Empress Dowager Lu was somewhat confused at this point, feeling that Heaven was always working against her. Every time she had just made up her mind, something would happen to make her change plans, delaying again and again.
Like this time—she had completely despaired of Emperor Jianwen’s governing ability, yet the northern expedition army had won a great victory, making it seem like Emperor Jianwen might actually turn things around.
Empress Dowager Lu held a white piece, hesitating over her move. Finally, she asked Hu Shanwei, “Palace Director Hu, what do you think?”
The Yan army had suffered a great defeat, and it was warm autumn—they had neither favorable timing nor geography. At this moment, if the southern army pressed their advantage to attack Beijing, Prince Yan might be defeated.
If at this critical juncture the imperial palace fell into turmoil, requiring internal pacification before external resistance, Emperor Jianwen would certainly be distracted, focusing his attention on internal purges, which would reduce pressure on Prince Yan’s side.
If it were before, Hu Shanwei would have thought it didn’t matter who became emperor. But now, Prince Yan’s eldest grandson Zhu Zhanji was in Yunnan, playing companion to her daughter A’Lei. She and Mu Chun had already taken Prince Yan’s side—there was no possibility of remaining neutral anymore.
Sigh, the rice was already cooked—she had to eat it whether she wanted to or not.
Hu Shanwei made up her mind and said, “This subject’s opinion has never changed—whoever killed Palace Director Fan must pay blood for blood.”
Hu Shanwei’s resolute gaze helped the wavering Empress Dowager Lu make her decision. She slapped down her chess piece with a snap, “Good! This Dowager trusts Palace Director Hu. The plan for the fifteenth day of the eighth month proceeds as scheduled. Victory or defeat hangs on this single move.”
Hu Shanwei applauded, “The Empress Dowager’s decisive killing spirit truly makes her a heroine among women.”
Empress Dowager Lu was quite pleased to hear this, “This Dowager has achieved today’s position relying eighty percent on solitary courage, daring to think and fight. This Dowager has always trusted her own judgment and has never failed yet.”
Empress Dowager Lu spoke truly, but she hadn’t realized that this time she had originally intended to continue observing, but Hu Shanwei’s stance had influenced her real judgment.
Because the southern army had achieved their first great victory, the court and the realm were outwardly jubilant. Emperor Jianwen was in excellent spirits, and even Empress Ma rallied herself, supporting her belly to energetically organize the Mid-Autumn Festival family banquet—though of course, it was all Hu Shanwei doing the work. Empress Ma only asked questions and decided on the banquet’s various dishes and musical performances.
Hu Shanwei looked at Empress Ma’s belly with some worry, “The family banquet is set outdoors. The night will be deep with heavy dew—Your Majesty the Empress must take care of your health.”
Empress Ma touched her large belly dismissively, “The baby has been much quieter recently than before, not constantly practicing martial arts inside and keeping this palace awake. This palace feels much more energetic lately and can hold out until the banquet ends. Besides, this palace wants to take this opportunity to accompany the Emperor and Empress Dowager in moon-gazing. Later when my body grows heavier, it won’t be convenient to go out.”
When Empress Ma mentioned fetal movement, it instantly triggered Hu Shanwei’s memories. She remembered when pregnant with A’Lei, the frequent movements were like a thousand troops and horses, tormenting her through sleepless nights until the last two months before delivery when they finally quieted down.
Maternal instinct drove Hu Shanwei to say, “When the fetus reaches this stage, its body has grown large, stretching the womb to its limit. There’s no room left for punching and kicking, so fetal movement naturally decreases and the belly becomes peaceful.”
Empress Ma smiled, “I didn’t expect Palace Director Hu to understand so much about women’s pregnancy.”
Hu Shanwei quickly covered with a smile, “This subject has served in the palace for many years, witnessing the births of many princes and princesses. Through constant exposure, I naturally understand some basics.”
Empress Ma was pure-hearted and quite dependent on Hu Shanwei, so she didn’t think deeply about it and smiled it off.
But watching Empress Ma carefully supporting her belly as she walked, Hu Shanwei secretly worried for the Empress. Tonight’s Mid-Autumn banquet would be heart-stopping. Though they wouldn’t harm Empress Ma and the Crown Prince, given Empress Ma’s current condition, if she were frightened, there was still danger of losing both lives.
How to catch the rat without breaking the precious vase? Hu Shanwei pondered and conceived a plan.