In the fifth year of Jianping, Prince Qi, Zhao Meng, presented a posthumous edict alleging that the late Emperor Zhao Yue was killed by the former Crown Prince, who usurped the throne. He claimed to have found the orphan of the former Crown Prince and sought to assist him in restoring legitimacy. Thus, he gathered an army of eighty thousand men, self-proclaimed as the “Rebel Army,” and in October, they rebelled from Qingzhou, easily breaking through the hundred thousand troops stationed in Yanzhou and advancing straight towards the capital.
After capturing Yanzhou, Prince Qi achieved successive victories. Exploiting his momentum, he recruited more soldiers and crossed the river northward. By then, the “Rebel Army” numbered one hundred thousand strong. Due to their rapid conquests, several cities were caught off guard, and their leaders fled. By February of the following year, Prince Qi’s forces effortlessly reached the capital. Simultaneously, Qin Mu, the leader of Yanzhou, pursued relentlessly with sixty thousand elite troops, vowing to block them from the imperial city.
In February of the sixth year of Jianping, Qin Mu ambushed Prince Qi’s forces at the crossing near the imperial city. Prince Qi, accustomed to little resistance, was overconfident, only to be suddenly attacked within tens of miles of the capital. Caught off guard, he was overwhelmed and killed. His recruited rebel forces, being disparate and disorganized, managed to resist for a few days before scattering. Prince Qi Zhao Meng was shot dead amidst the chaos. Qin Mu beheaded Prince Qi but instead of returning to his base, he rallied all troops to continue towards the imperial city to report their victory.
Though it was nearing midnight, the atmosphere in the Qianyuan Palace was warm. Emperor Zhao Yan, hearing of Qin Mu’s annihilation of Prince Qi and the rebels, was delighted. He summoned Xia Mingyuan, who was supposedly “ill,” praising his contributions and hosting a banquet in his honor. Despite Mingyuan’s attempts to decline, the Emperor insisted on keeping him in the palace.
Inside the palace, amidst the carved pillars and fragrant incense, Emperor Zhao Yan relaxed, playing a game of chess with Xia Mingyuan. The Emperor, in a relaxed posture, placed a white piece and gestured to Mingyuan to make his move.
However, Mingyuan couldn’t ease his tension. Despite feigning composure, sweat beaded on his forehead. This was the night they had planned with Qin Mu to attack the imperial city. According to the plan, Qin Mu would arrive a day earlier than reported, and Xia Qing, Mingyuan’s trusted aide, would secretly open the weakest defense at the north gate to let Qin Mu’s army in. They would then join forces with thirty thousand imperial guards, under the guise of suppressing Prince Qi’s remnants, kill Emperor Zhao Yan, and have the Empress Dowager quell the rebellion, thus establishing a new ruler.
They had discussed this plan extensively and informed Qin Mu through secret letters. Fortunately, Prince Qi instigated and assisted by Qin Mu, decided to rebel and successfully attacked the capital. Now, at the crucial moment, the Emperor unexpectedly kept him in the palace to play chess. Despite his experience, Mingyuan couldn’t calm down.
Mingyuan held a black piece tightly, unable to focus on the chessboard. Glancing at Emperor Zhao Yan, seemingly unaware, he hesitated to make a move. Suddenly, he felt his wrist being grasped by the Emperor. Mingyuan’s heart sank as the Emperor smiled and warned him against making a fatal move.
Mingyuan forced a dry laugh to conceal his panic, withdrawing his hand. Zhao Yan sipped his tea, asking if Mingyuan had any worries.
Mingyuan quickly regained his composure, realizing Zhao Yan might not be oblivious. Regardless of the Emperor’s intentions, he couldn’t underestimate him. They had come too far; there was no turning back. Even if he was kept here for some reason, as long as the plan proceeded smoothly, and Qin Mu successfully entered the city, what did his life matter for the honor of the Xia family? Thinking so, he relaxed, taking a deep breath, and remarked, “Uncle, I’m getting old, can’t match you young folks anymore.”
Zhao Yan’s gaze held a hint of amusement as he toyed with a chess piece, remarking on Mingyuan’s distracted state. Just then, noise erupted outside the palace. Mingyuan’s heart raced. It wasn’t yet the agreed-upon time; could something have gone wrong with Xia Qing? He struggled to control himself, his hand trembling. Zhao Yan glanced at him, then toward the palace gates, remarking, “Uncle, do you hear that? Seems like tonight will be an eventful one.”
Xia Mingyuan raised his head in surprise, unable to discern the deeper meaning of the words he had just heard. Suddenly, the commotion outside the palace ceased, replaced by an even more unsettling silence. Then, the sound of footsteps echoed on the white jade stone slabs as a guard, armed and armored, ran in and whispered a few words into Zhao Yan’s ear. Zhao Yan’s lips curled into a slight smile as he suddenly turned to Xia Mingyuan and said, “It’s a bit stuffy here. Would my uncle care to accompany me to the city wall for a walk?”
Xia Mingyuan’s heart grew cold at this smile. It was the smile of a victor, looking pityingly at the prey still smugly in his grasp. Years of accumulated vigilance made Xia Mingyuan suddenly realize that tonight, defeat was inevitable.
But why had they failed? Where were Xia Qing’s elite troops? How had they been subdued without a sound? And what of Qin Mu and his tens of thousands of soldiers? Where were they now? Could there still be a last chance to turn the tide? As Xia Mingyuan wavered in terror, two guards stood behind him, reaching out and saying, “Prime Minister, please.”
The threat in these words was unmistakable. Xia Mingyuan finally understood that he had no way out. He had to lift his weak legs and reluctantly follow Zhao Yan toward the city wall. In the boundless night, Xia Mingyuan stumbled out without his cloak, the bone-chilling wind causing his entire body to ache. He stared blankly at the figure walking ahead of him, feeling that this short distance felt like a lifetime.
When he reached the city wall, he understood what true despair was. Below the wall, an alley was ablaze with fire, filled with endless screams and cries for help. Tens of thousands of soldiers, dressed in uniforms bearing the character “Qin,” were trapped in a dead-end alley. Scalding hot oil was being continuously poured down from the city wall, accompanied by huge stones crushing countless bodies. The ground was covered with corpses, soldiers with their skin burned off huddling together, struggling and screaming amid broken limbs and remnants. The pale moonlight illuminated the blood splattered on the walls, creating a scene of true hell on earth.
Xia Mingyuan’s face twisted in horror as he bent over, vomiting uncontrollably, then collapsed to his knees on the city wall. He looked up with terrified eyes at the young emperor beside him, who stood with his head held high, hands behind his back, overlooking the brutal scene below with an air of supreme authority.
Finally, Zhao Yan’s gaze found a familiar figure, and he called out loudly, “Qin Mu, who harbored traitors and led troops into the city with the intent to rebel, will be greatly rewarded to whoever brings me his head tonight.”
His voice rang out, breaking through the night, and the rising and falling wails below, causing ears to buzz. Xia Mingyuan then saw a figure step out from the shadows of the city tower. This person was dressed in red armor, with white feathers on their helmet. He knelt and saluted Zhao Yan, “Your servant will not fail!” Then he raised his longbow and, without hesitation, shot an arrow straight into Qin Mu’s chest. Xia Mingyuan’s vision went black as he finally understood everything—it was Xia Qing! He had ultimately lost to Xia Qing!
At this moment, Zhao Yan turned his head and said coldly, “Prime Minister Xia, do you have anything left to say?”
Xia Mingyuan trembled as he bowed to the ground, all arrogance gone. He knew that further arguments were useless at this point. Trembling, he said, “My sins are unforgivable, deserving a thousand deaths. But this was all my doing alone. I beg Your Highness, for the sake of our family ties, to spare the rest of the Xia clan.”
Zhao Yan looked coldly at the once powerful minister, now prostrate at his feet, begging for mercy. Father, can you see this? This is truly a world that belongs to the Zhao family!
The sky had already begun to lighten, and the city was slowly coming back to life, unaware of the night’s harrowing events. In the secluded Inner Palace, however, the cold candlelight cast a desolate glow. Empress Dowager Xia stared blankly into the bronze mirror, slowly combing her now-white hair. The face before her had once been striking and radiant, capturing the gaze of her husband on their wedding night. But beauty fades in the blink of an eye, and the lover has long since turned into an enemy. Her pride and ambition were buried within the boundless palace walls, waiting hopelessly for the end.
Suddenly, a strong hatred flashed in her eyes, and she threw the wooden comb at the bronze mirror. Just then, a palace maid hurried in, whispering something in her ear. Empress Dowager Xia’s eyes widened in terror, tears streaming down her face. She seemed to collapse, all vitality drained from her.
When Zhao Yan arrived at Chonghua Palace, Empress Dowager Xia had already been dressed again. Though she wore no phoenix crown, her demeanor was still that of the once unparalleled mistress of the Six Palaces. She glanced at Zhao Yan as he entered but did not rise. Instead, she shifted her gaze and spoke sharply, “Congratulations, Your Highness, you have finally achieved your desire!”
Zhao Yan sighed and knelt beside her, saying, “Mother, I know you are upset. But I have my ambitions and refuse to be an emperor controlled by others. Rest assured, you will always be my mother. This place will be arranged like Chang Le Palace, and everyone will continue to treat you with respect due to an Empress Dowager.”
Empress Dowager Xia laughed, but it was a laugh filled with endless sorrow. “You are indeed my good son, giving me a way out in the end. But as long as I bear the surname Xia, how can you eradicate the Xia family while I live?”
Zhao Yan’s expression changed as he realized that her lips, heavily covered in lipstick, had turned blue. She swayed, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. Zhao Yan, alarmed, caught her as she began to collapse, shouting urgently, “Where is the imperial physician? Summon the imperial physician immediately!”
The palace erupted into a flurry of activity, but Empress Dowager Xia grabbed his wrist, weakly smiling. “It’s useless. I took Hundred Poison Grass; no one can save me.” Her eyes softened as she gently touched Zhao Yan’s face with her cold hand. “Yan’er, do you remember when you were five, you had a nightmare and ran to me, clinging tightly and begging me to stay with you forever?”
Zhao Yan clutched her hand desperately as if trying to pull her back from the brink of death, his throat emitting pained sobs. Empress Dowager Xia’s gaze dimmed, her hands slowly falling as she used her last bit of strength to say, “I’m sorry, Mother has broken her promise. I can no longer stay with you. This throne is now yours alone.”
Zhao Yan held the gradually cooling body tightly. The rising sun’s rays reflected off the glazed tiles, painfully stabbing his eyes. Today, he had finally fulfilled his lifelong desire, defeating the incredibly powerful enemy. Today, he had also truly become an emperor without any allies.