In the fifth year of Jianping, Prince Qi Zhao Meng produced an edict, claiming that the late emperor Zhao Yue had forced the former crown prince to death in order to usurp the throne. He declared he had found the former crown prince’s surviving heir and needed to help restore legitimate rule. Thus he assembled eighty thousand troops, styling himself as the “Rebel-Suppressing Army,” and rose up from Qingzhou in October, easily breaking through the hundred thousand troops defending Yanzhou and driving straight toward the capital.
After Prince Qi broke through Yanzhou, he achieved successive victories and opportunistically recruited soldiers along the way. After crossing the river northward, his “Rebel-Suppressing Army” had grown to one hundred thousand men. Due to his rapid advance, the subsequent cities had no time to prepare defenses, and their commanders fled one after another. By February of the following year, Prince Qi’s great army easily reached the capital. Simultaneously, Yanzhou commander Qin Mu led sixty thousand elite troops in constant pursuit from behind, vowing to intercept them outside the imperial city.
In February of the sixth year of Jianping, Qin Mu led elite troops to set an ambush at the ferry before the imperial city. Prince Qi, having encountered no worthy resistance along his route, was at the height of his arrogance. Never expecting to suffer a fierce attack when only dozens of li from the capital, he was caught completely off guard. Prince Qi’s recruited rebel army was merely a rabble. After barely resisting for several days, they either fled or surrendered. Prince Qi Zhao Meng was killed by an arrow amid the chaotic army. Qin Mu severed Prince Qi’s head, but instead of returning his troops to their garrison, he gathered all his forces and continued toward the imperial city to report his victory.
Though spring had arrived, it was still the season of late spring cold. Qin Mu ordered his most elite cavalry to lead the way, and together with Prince Qi’s surrendered troops he had incorporated, a total of eighty thousand soldiers rushed toward the capital without stopping. All along the route, banners unfurled and horse hooves thundered. Outside the imperial city, the atmosphere was already one of alarm at every sound.
Within the palace walls, Zhao Yan was greatly pleased to hear that Qin Mu had completely eliminated Prince Qi and the rebel army. He specially summoned Xia Mingyuan, who was still “ill,” to the palace, saying his son-in-law had merit in suppressing rebellion and held a feast to reward him. After the banquet, despite Xia Mingyuan’s repeated excuses citing serious illness, he forcibly kept him in Qianyuan Palace.
Near midnight, within Qianyuan Palace with its vermillion lacquered jade pillars and gold-threaded carved dragons, incense burned faintly in the burners. Amidst the chamber’s warmth, Zhao Yan casually placed down a white piece and looked up smiling: “Uncle, your turn.”
Opposite him, Xia Mingyuan couldn’t relax at all. His face, still showing traces of illness, remained rigidly tense. He tried hard to appear nonchalant but only succeeded in breaking out in profuse sweat across his forehead.
Tonight was the time they had arranged with Qin Mu to attack the imperial city. According to plan, Qin Mu would arrive at the city gates one day earlier than officially reported, while Xia Qing would arrange for trusted allies to secretly open the most weakly defended North Gate, letting Qin Mu’s great army into the imperial city. Then they would join with the thirty thousand Imperial Guards under Xia Qing’s command, using the pretext of Prince Qi’s remaining forces causing unrest to kill Zhao Yan in the chaos, after which the Empress Dowager would emerge to quell the rebellion and establish a new ruler.
He had discussed this plan with Xia Qing through many sleepless nights and informed Qin Mu in detail through secret letters. Fortunately, Prince Qi had indeed succumbed to instigation and decided to rebel, successfully advancing on the capital with Qin Mu’s deliberate indulgence and assistance. Just as they were about to proceed to the most critical step, the emperor had suddenly kept him in the palace to play chess. Despite having weathered many storms in his life, at this moment he found it impossible to remain calm.
Xia Mingyuan’s right hand gripped a black piece tightly, but he couldn’t focus his thoughts on the chess game before him. He stole glances at Zhao Yan, who seemed to have noticed nothing, then bit his teeth and was about to place a piece randomly when he suddenly felt his wrist tighten. Looking up, he discovered his right hand had been firmly grasped by Zhao Yan. Xia Mingyuan’s heart sank, but he heard Zhao Yan laugh: “Uncle, if you make this move, you’ll have no way out at all.”
Xia Mingyuan gave a dry laugh, concealing his inner panic, then withdrew his hand that was about to place the piece and assumed a thoughtful pose. Zhao Yan picked up the teacup beside him and took a light sip: “Does Uncle have something on his mind?”
Xia Mingyuan lowered his eyes, his thoughts racing. He vaguely sensed that Zhao Yan certainly wasn’t ignorant of everything. Having come this far, he could never again underestimate the man before him. But since they had already reached this point, there could be no turning back. Whatever his reason for keeping him here, as long as the plan could proceed smoothly and Qin Mu could successfully bring troops to attack the capital, for the honor of the entire Xia clan, what did one person’s life matter? Thinking this, he suddenly relaxed, exhaling deeply: “Uncle is old – I can no longer match you young people.”
Zhao Yan’s gaze held some amusement as he toyed with the piece in his hand: “Uncle needn’t be so modest. If you weren’t distracted and disrupting your own formation, how could I gain any advantage?”
Just then, noise suddenly came from outside the palace. Xia Mingyuan’s heart leaped – it wasn’t yet the time they had agreed upon. Could something have changed with Xia Qing? He couldn’t quite control himself, and his hand holding the chess piece began trembling continuously. Zhao Yan’s gaze circled around his hand, then he set down his piece and stood up, looking toward the palace gate while saying: “Uncle, do you hear any disturbance? It seems tonight will be an unusual night indeed.”
Xia Mingyuan looked up in alarm, unable to discern the deeper meaning in those words. At this moment, the commotion outside suddenly stopped, replaced by an even more unsettling silence. Then “tap tap tap” footsteps sounded on the white jade stone slabs as an armed guard ran in and whispered something in Zhao Yan’s ear. Zhao Yan curved his lips slightly, then suddenly turned to Xia Mingyuan: “It’s rather stuffy in here. Could Uncle accompany me for a walk on the city walls?”
Xia Mingyuan’s heart grew cold bit by bit in that smile – it was a victor’s smile, gazing with pity at prey still smugly unaware in his grasp. Years of accumulated alertness suddenly awakened him: tonight, defeat was already certain!
But why had they failed! What about Xia Qing’s Imperial Guards? How could they be subdued without making any sound! And Qin Mu with his tens of thousands – where were they now? Was there still a chance for one final struggle? While Xia Mingyuan hesitated in terror, two guards had already positioned themselves behind him, extending their hands: “Chancellor, if you please.”
The threat in these words was heavy. Xia Mingyuan finally understood that he now had no retreat, and could only lift his unsteady legs to reluctantly follow Zhao Yan toward the city walls. In the boundless dark night, Xia Mingyuan walked out in a daze without his fur coat, the bone-piercing cold wind making his entire body ache. He gazed blankly at that leisurely walking figure before him, feeling as if this short stretch of road was like walking through an entire lifetime.
But when he reached the top of the city walls, he understood what true despair felt like. In a narrow alley below the city walls, flames now shot skyward with cries of anguish and calls for help never ceasing. Tens of thousands of soldiers wearing “Qin” character military uniforms were trapped in a dead-end alley as boiling hot oil continuously poured down from the city walls, mixed with huge stones crushing countless bodies. Corpses lay everywhere – soldiers whose faces couldn’t be recognized after being burned by hot oil huddled together, struggling desperately amid severed limbs and remains, crying for help. Pale moonlight illuminated blood splattered on the walls – this was truly hell on earth!
Xia Mingyuan watched with a twisted expression, bending over and retching continuously, then his legs went weak and he collapsed kneeling on the city wall. He stared up with terrified eyes to see the young emperor beside him standing with head raised and hands clasped behind his back, looking down from on high to observe this cruel battle. Roaring flames danced in his eyes with an aura of looking down upon all living beings with authority and majesty.
Finally, Zhao Yan’s gaze found a familiar figure and he called out clearly: “Qin Mu deliberately allowed rebels to advance north and led troops into the city intending rebellion. Tonight, whoever takes his head will be heavily rewarded!”
His voice rang out clearly, breaking through the dark night and the rising and falling wails from below the city, making ears buzz and ring. Then Xia Mingyuan saw someone emerge from the shadows of the tower – a figure in military dress and red armor with white plumes on his helmet, who knelt before Zhao Yan in salute: “This subject will not fail in his duty!” Then he raised the longbow in his hands and without hesitation drew and shot at Qin Mu, one arrow piercing through Qin Mu’s chest. Xia Mingyuan felt everything go black before his eyes – he finally understood everything. It was Xia Qing! He had finally been defeated by Xia Qing!
At this moment Zhao Yan turned to him and said coldly: “Chancellor Xia, what do you have to say?”
Xia Mingyuan trembled as he prostrated on the ground, no longer showing any of his former arrogance. He understood that at this point further argument was useless, and could only say tremblingly: “This subject’s crimes deserve death ten thousand times over, but this matter was entirely planned by me alone. I beg Your Majesty, for the sake of our remaining blood ties, to spare the other members of the Xia clan!”
Zhao Yan looked down coldly at this powerful minister who had once dominated two reigns, now crawling at his feet begging for mercy. Father Emperor, do you see? This is the realm that belongs to our Zhao family!
At this moment the horizon was already showing the pale light of dawn. The common neighborhoods of the capital knew nothing of this night’s heart-stopping drama and were beginning to slowly revive with life.
But within the Lateral Courts, cold lamps and candles still illuminated a scene of desolation. Empress Dowager Xia stared vacantly at the bronze mirror before her, mechanically combing her already white hair. The face before the mirror had once been bright and striking, had once drawn that stunning glance on her wedding night. But in the snap of a finger, beauty ages, beloved had long become enemy, and all her pride and ambition was buried within these endless palace walls, waiting hopelessly for final withering.
Suddenly, intense hatred flashed in her eyes as she raised the wooden comb in her hand and threw it viciously at the bronze mirror. At this moment a palace maid hurried in and whispered something in her ear. Empress Dowager Xia stared in terror with widened eyes as scalding tears continuously poured from her eye sockets, then as if all life had been drained from her, she completely collapsed.
When Zhao Yan arrived at Chonghua Palace, Empress Dowager Xia had already had someone dress her anew. Though she wore no phoenix crown, her bearing and appearance still seemed like the mistress of the six palaces who had once been unrivaled in the world. She glanced sideways at Zhao Yan entering but didn’t rise, only shifting her gaze and saying in a sharp voice: “Congratulations to Your Majesty for finally achieving your heart’s desire!”
Zhao Yan sighed and walked to crouch beside her: “Mother, I know you’re heartbroken. But your son has his own aspirations and absolutely refuses to be an emperor controlled by others. Rest assured, you will forever be my mother, and this place will be arranged according to Changle Palace, with everyone still treating you with the courtesy due an empress dowager.”
Empress Dowager Xia laughed, but her laughter contained endless sorrow: “You truly are my good son, arranging a way for me to live at the very end. But unfortunately I will always be surnamed Xia. If I remain alive in this world, how can you completely eradicate the Xia family?”
Zhao Yan’s expression changed as he discovered that Empress Dowager Xia’s lips, hidden beneath thick rouge, had already turned dark. Her body swayed and blood flowed from the corner of her mouth. Zhao Yan supported her continuously sliding body in great alarm, anxiously shouting: “Where are the imperial physicians? Quickly summon the imperial physicians!”
Immediately there was bustle outside the palace, but Empress Dowager Xia grasped his wrist with one hand, smiling weakly: “It’s useless. I took hundred-poison grass – no one can save me.” Her gaze suddenly became gentle as she caressed Zhao Yan’s cheek with her cold palm: “Yan’er, do you remember when you were five years old? Once you had a nightmare and came running to find me, holding me tightly and refusing to let go, crying and asking Mother to stay with you forever.”
Zhao Yan gripped her hand tightly as if trying to pull her back from death’s abyss, continuous painful whimpers emerging from his throat. Empress Dowager Xia’s gaze gradually dimmed, her hands slowly dropping as she used her last bit of strength to say: “I’m sorry. Mother broke her promise. Mother can no longer stay with you. This imperial throne is finally yours alone.”
Zhao Yan held tightly to the gradually cooling body in his arms. The rising morning light shone on the glazed tiles, harshly stinging his eyes. Today, he had finally fulfilled his lifelong wish, defeating that incredibly powerful enemy. Today, he had also finally become truly alone in the world.