The imperial edict lay before him. When Zhu Zhaowei dismounted to receive it, his five viscera and six bowels burned with fury, yet he could not give vent to it.
“By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I am gravely ill and fear I cannot long attend to imperial affairs. I hereby command all princes and ministers that all matters concerning the state and the realm shall be drafted by the Left Censor-in-Chief leading the Grand Secretariat, with decisions made jointly by the Seven Ministers.”
After Liu Chaoming finished reading the edict, he said coolly, “Seventh Prince has returned to the palace at just the right moment. Accept this imperial edict on behalf of all the princes and officials.”
Zhu Zhaowei’s eyes were dark and gloomy, his usually gentle expression no longer able to maintain a smile.
He slowly accepted the edict and called out, “Someone come. Go immediately to Minghua Palace to summon Eunuch Wu Chang, and to the Shu residence in the western city to request that Imperial Secretary Shu Huan come to the palace to see this prince.”
Minister of the Court of Judicial Review Zhang Shishan said, “What does Seventh Prince mean by requesting Eunuch Wu and Minister Shu?”
Zhu Zhaowei slowly unrolled the edict, examining it line by line, and said seemingly carelessly, “Before this prince left the palace, I carefully asked the imperial physician, who said Father Emperor’s old ailment was triggered by deep worries, with multiple symptoms converging to the point of hopelessness. If he could awaken tomorrow, it would already be a miraculous sign. How is it that in just half a day, Father Emperor not only woke, but even had the strength to draft an edict in his own hand?”
Vice Minister of Justice Fang Huai said, “His Majesty has always been diligent in governance, as Seventh Prince well knows. After His Majesty awoke and learned of the Crown Prince’s death, he endured his grief and illness to issue this edict precisely to prevent chaos in the court with no one to maintain order, and the people’s suffering with no one to attend to it.”
Zhu Zhaowei’s gaze swept over the Grand Secretariat scholars among the court officials, finally settling on Liu Chaoming. “In the eleventh year of Jingyuan, Father Emperor abolished the position of Prime Minister. The disaster of prime ministers lasted ten years and implicated many. Was this not precisely to prevent the great power of the realm from falling into the hands of evil men? Was this not for the sake of the common people of the realm?”
He continued with a smile, “Have we princes all been abolished? Even if Father Emperor awoke to issue an edict, he would entrust the great power of state to us princes. The Grand Secretariat is to be led by this Left Censor-in-Chief, and among the Seven Ministers, the Left Censor-in-Chief also holds one position. This edict is equivalent to placing half the decision-making power over national affairs into Minister Liu’s hands. Is Father Emperor planning to personally elevate a Prime Minister more than ten years after abolishing the position?”
“Seventh Prince, mind your words.” Vice Minister of Justice Fang Huai bowed to him. “How dare we presume to speculate on His Majesty’s intentions?”
“Presume to speculate?” Zhu Zhaowei laughed again. “I fear this is not Father Emperor’s true intention at all.”
Holding the edict, he clasped his hands behind his back and looked at Liu Chaoming. “At the New Year banquet, after Minister Liu was stabbed and caught a chill, I heard it would take a full month of recuperation for you to recover. How is it that in just seven days your illness is cured? Minister Liu, did you not feign illness while waiting for the right moment, seizing the opportunity while the princes were away to force the palace and draft an edict in an attempt to usurp power?” He paused. “Feathered Forest Guard—”
“Present!”
Zhu Zhaowei said unhurriedly, “Left Censor-in-Chief Liu Chaoming has forged imperial commands and edicts, intending treason. Arrest him for this prince.”
“Yes!”
Several Feathered Forest Guards in silver armor emerged from behind Zhu Zhaowei in single file, surrounding Liu Chaoming and the court officials.
Two Feathered Forest Guards stepped forward to restrain Liu Chaoming when suddenly in the night sky, Zuo Qian’s loud shout rang out: “Jinwu Guard!”
The Jinwu Guards who had been stationed on both sides of the courtyard suddenly closed in toward the center. Zuo Qian swiftly moved before Liu Chaoming, his thumb pushing against the sword hilt. The blade, cold as ice, revealed its edge, blocking the approaching Feathered Forest Guards.
Liu Chaoming said impassively, “Is Seventh Prince resisting the edict?”
On the vast courtyard, two sharp “clang” sounds rang out—both the Feathered Forest Guard and Jinwu Guard had drawn their swords simultaneously.
Cold blades like water wove a murderous and severe atmosphere through the darkness, tension filling the air on all sides.
The enemy of my enemy is my ally.
The moment Zhu Zhaowei saw Zuo Qian, he knew the Jinwu Guard had joined forces with Liu Chaoming to save Zhu Nanxian.
But what did it matter?
Right now, with Zhu Jingyuan asleep, who else in this court could surpass his military strength?
Zhu Zhaowei laughed coldly and called out lightly, “Twelve.”
Zhu Qiyue nodded once and shouted loudly, “Yingyang Guard!”
Today the front palace was guarded by the Yingyang Guard. Besides the five hundred guards Zhu Qiyue had taken to Zhaojue Temple, over three thousand Yingyang Guards remained in the palace.
Following Zhu Qiyue’s shout, voices responded with “Yes” from afar in the darkness.
In an instant, urgent footsteps could be heard from all corners of the palace. Three thousand Yingyang Guards in black armor rapidly assembled on the courtyard of Fengtian Hall, blocking the rear routes on both sides completely.
The path to seizing power was fraught with danger—each moment’s delay added a variable.
Zhu Zhaowei thought, at most there were a thousand Jinwu Guards in the palace, with the rest still at the Northern Camp. Even if they were brave and skilled in battle, they could not defeat such overwhelming numbers with their small force.
With this thought, Zhu Zhaowei hesitated no longer and called out loudly, “Yingyang Guard and Feathered Forest Guard, hear my command!”
“Present!”
“Arrest this group of rebellious Jinwu Guards for this prince.”
“Yes!”
“Elite Feathered Forest Guard, hear my command!”
“Present!”
Zhu Zhaowei stared at Liu Chaoming and said slowly, “Never mind the others, go straight for the head of Left Censor-in-Chief Liu Chaoming—”
Before he could finish speaking, Liu Yun standing opposite him suddenly curved his lips slightly, slowly revealing a smile.
Zhu Zhaowei had known Liu Chaoming for several years, only knowing this unfathomable censor was always detached and reticent, never once seeing him smile.
Yet at this moment, the smile on Liu Chaoming’s lips seemed extremely natural and gentle, like a rare fine jade bathed in moonlight. Unfortunately, the light refracted by the jade was cold and harsh, for what showed in his eyes was not goodwill, but a heart-trembling mockery and derision.
Just then, the sound of horse hooves suddenly came from outside Fengtian Gate.
The earth-shaking noise seemed to place this deep palace pavilion upon a battlefield of raised spears and leaping horses. Everyone’s movements stopped the instant they heard the hoofbeats.
The next moment, the previously tightly closed Fengtian Gate burst open. A general dressed in a flying fish robe with an embroidered spring sword at his waist rode in and proclaimed loudly, “Subject Wei Zhang, Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, following His Majesty’s oral decree, from this day forward returns to the palace guard, together with the other eleven guards to protect the palace.”
He raised his hand in a stopping gesture, having the two thousand cavalry of the Embroidered Uniform Guard behind him await orders outside Fengtian Gate, while he alone reined in his horse and entered.
The guards who had just been fighting fiercely unconsciously made way for him.
Wei Zhang came before Liu Chaoming and suddenly dismounted to kneel on one knee. “This subordinate, upon receiving His Majesty’s oral decree conveyed by Minister Liu, immediately led two thousand Embroidered Uniform Guard cavalry to rush to the palace. I did not expect to still arrive late. Please do not blame me, Minister.”
Liu Chaoming did not respond to this.
He stood with hands behind his back, looking at the flashing blades before him, and said coolly, “Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard Wei Zhang, hear my command.”
“This subordinate is here.”
“From this moment on, those who recklessly brandish weapons shall be killed; those who rebel against authority shall be killed; those who resist the edict and refuse to comply shall be killed!”
“Yes!”
Night wind swept across the courtyard. After Liu Chaoming’s shout, none of the guards who had just been fighting dared to move. The cold night held only the frigid gleam of blades.
Zhu Zhaowei also saw the two thousand cavalry awaiting orders outside Fengtian Gate.
After all, it was the Embroidered Uniform Guard—a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. These two thousand elite cavalry were such a force that probably only the Tiger Guard, Jinwu Guard, and Feathered Forest Guard could match them, aside from no other guard unit.
Although he had four thousand guards at his disposal, unfortunately most had dismounted. To face two thousand Embroidered Uniform Guard cavalry plus a thousand Jinwu Guards as enemies, he feared he could not withstand them.
Just then, a small fire-tender running from the side of the palace gate, covered in sweat, glanced up at Zhu Zhaowei, then at Liu Chaoming. For a moment he didn’t know whom to salute first, so he bowed randomly left and right and knelt, saying, “Reporting to Seventh Prince and Minister Liu, Eunuch Wu from Fengtian Hall and Imperial Secretary Shu have arrived. The two of them are blocked outside and sent this humble one to report first.”
Zhu Zhaowei ordered, “Tell those two to come see this prince immediately.”
The guards made way on the left side. In a moment, Wu Chang and Shu Huan came before everyone.
Zhu Zhaowei raised the edict in his hand. “Eunuch Wu, you serve at Father Emperor’s side. Take this edict and look—is this drafted in Father Emperor’s own hand today?”
Wu Chang acknowledged and raised his hand to accept the edict, but suddenly withdrew it and placed it before him. “Reporting to Seventh Prince, His Majesty established a plaque in the palace forbidding ‘Palace servants shall not interfere in politics; violators shall be executed.’ Without His Majesty’s permission, if this slave privately touches or views an imperial edict, it truly violates the prohibition and is utterly treasonous. However—”
He thought for a moment, raised his eyes and carefully glanced at the edict in Zhu Zhaowei’s hand. “This humble slave remembers the cloud pattern on this silk. This evening, His Majesty did awaken for a while and ordered this slave to go to the Censorate to summon Minister Liu for an audience. After Minister Liu came, this slave did indeed see His Majesty draft an edict on this cloud-patterned silk and give it to the Minister.”
Zhu Zhaowei narrowed his eyes at him, then turned and handed the edict to Shu Huan. “Minister Shu often drafts edicts for Father Emperor and is skilled at identifying handwriting. Please, Minister Shu, look and see—is this edict in this prince’s father emperor’s own hand?”
Imperial Secretary Shu Huan was precisely the father of Hanlin Academician Shu Wenlan.
Shu Huan unrolled the edict and looked. First he was startled, then examined it character by character.
When presenting the edict back, he hesitated before saying, “In reply to Seventh Prince, this edict is indeed from His Majesty’s own hand.”
Zhu Zhaowei said coldly, “But this prince sees you do not seem certain.”
Shu Huan said, “In reply to Your Highness, this subject is not uncertain, but the characters on this edict are light and floating, unlike the vigorous and forceful writing of before. This subject speculates this was written by His Majesty suspended-wrist while ill, and merely worries about His Majesty’s condition.”
Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhaowei’s expression darkened as he took back the edict from Shu Huan.
Things had reached this point—further dispute was useless. Moreover, with the arrival of two thousand Embroidered Uniform Guard cavalry, whether this edict was genuine or false, tonight he could not overcome Liu Chaoming.
So be it. Liu Chaoming was not of the Zhu family bloodline. Even if he had ambitions to seize power, at most he would be equivalent to a chief minister. If he wanted the imperial throne, which of the princes and ministers would submit to him? Besides, when spring deepened into summer and his troops from Fengyang arrived at Yingtian Prefecture, no one in the capital would be able to contend with him.
The urgent matter was still to resolve his greatest threat—killing Zhu Nanxian, this legitimate thirteenth son, was what mattered.
Thinking of this, Zhu Zhaowei said to Zhu Yiheng and Zhu Qiyue who followed at his sides, “Let us go.”
However, before he had taken two steps, he heard Liu Chaoming say from behind, “Seventh Prince, stay a moment.”
The night condensed on the cinnabar between his brows. Zhu Zhaowei turned around with hands behind his back and smiled lightly. “What is it? Does Minister Liu have further instructions?”
“I would not dare.” Liu Chaoming said, “I only heard that Thirteenth Prince also went to Zhaojue Temple today. May I ask Seventh Prince, where is Thirteenth Prince?”
Zhu Zhaowei seemed to suddenly recall there was such a person as Zhu Nanxian in this world, and said with great sorrow, “Minister Liu must not have heard yet. Today this prince’s eldest imperial brother died—he was killed by Thirteen leading his troops. How lamentable that eldest brother always treated Thirteen with the greatest closeness and trust, yet in the end Thirteen repaid kindness with enmity. Truly heart-wrenching.”
Having said this, Zhu Zhaowei turned once more to leave. Unexpectedly, Liu Chaoming actually took two steps toward him.
Eyes like cold jade looked straight into Zhu Zhaowei’s, even his voice three degrees colder: “This official asked, where is Thirteenth Prince himself?”