◎This was the benefit of finding a husband who could curse people.◎

The imperial physician came to examine Duke Zhenguo and his son’s pulses, then shook his head at the Emperor. “At the latest, no later than autumn.”

The Emperor paused. “Both of them?”

The imperial physician nodded. “Duke Zhenguo looks better on the surface, but his constitution is already depleted inside—the same pulse condition as old Duke Zhenguo.”

The Emperor always tended to overthink, and his thoughts turned to the Grand Prince Imperial.

The imperial physician had also said the Grand Prince Imperial wouldn’t last.

He sighed: This entire group… thinking about it now, they were indeed making their final gamble to bring down Prince Qi before dying.

Thinking this way, some of his anger dissipated. He said with emotion to old Duke Zhenguo: “Huaiyin, I still remember before you went on campaign, you told me you would completely stabilize Shu Province for me. In the end you actually did accomplish it, yet I kept avoiding you all along.”

When Duke Zhenguo and his son first returned to Luoyang, he had felt guilty in his heart. But because of that guilt, feeling quite awkward, he was even more unwilling to see them.

Then as time passed, with myriad affairs to manage daily, he simply forgot about these two people.

Later when recalling those events, he only felt that regarding the Shu Province matter, old Duke Zhenguo truly hadn’t been capable enough.

He had given sufficient troops. It was old Duke Zhenguo’s underestimation of the enemy that led to defeat and the use of reinforcements.

Otherwise how would so many matters have been implicated? Those elderly, weak, sick, and disabled wouldn’t have needed to die.

The Emperor sighed emotionally. “For every drink and peck, heaven is fair.”

Hearing this, old Duke Zhenguo had to feel guilty, had to blame himself, crying out loudly: “This subject has failed Your Majesty, failed Shu Province!”

He dared not say any other words.

The Emperor patted his hand, deciding not to hold his errors against him, nor punish him for revealing the Shu Province matter. He said: “I understand. It’s all for the younger generation’s future.”

Wasn’t he also enduring the scheming behind this matter for the Grand Prince’s sake, so he would have no regrets?

Old Duke Zhenguo’s tears streamed down. Prostrating at the Emperor’s feet, he cried: “Your Majesty being like this—how can this subject have the face to see you? Originally I wanted to dash my head to death, but I also wanted to see my wife and children once before dying…”

He spoke so miserably that the Emperor inevitably felt a surge of pity, and thus everything became easier to handle.

He had the Court of Judicial Review quickly make Prince Qi sign and seal his confession, preparing to have him guard an imperial tomb. Then he also released Yu Qingwu to return home.

But Lan Shanjun remained confined in Luoyang Prefecture.

Nanny Qian was about to explode with rage!

“Why! Why not release Shanjun!”

She brandished a cleaver at Yu Qingwu. “Each additional day brings additional danger. If Prince Qi harbors evil intentions, what about Shanjun?”

Yu Qingwu raised his hands placatingly. “Soon, soon. Shanjun is still being held because His Majesty is warning the Grand Prince.”

Nanny Qian angrily chopped, chopped, chopped, stir-fried, stir-fried, stir-fried, then finally loaded all the dishes into a food box without leaving any for Yu Qingwu.

But the food box contained portions for two people. Yu Qingwu carried the food box to the prison. Magistrate Sun personally came to receive him. After exchanging pleasantries, Magistrate Sun immediately claimed credit: “There was a jailer surnamed Zhao whose family married his daughter to a steward from Prince Qi’s household. I had just discovered this when I found him sneaking around the prison with a rope in his hands…”

Yu Qingwu’s face darkened.

Magistrate Sun quit while ahead and left with his people.

Only Lan Shanjun and Yu Qingwu remained in the prison.

They hadn’t seen each other for half a month.

One in the Court of Judicial Review prison, one in Luoyang Prefecture prison.

While arranging the dishes, Yu Qingwu muttered: “We can be said to have the bond of sitting in prison in the same city.”

Catching this remark off guard, Lan Shanjun laughed aloud. “Where did you get such thoughts?”

Yu Qingwu: “Thinking this way comforts me.”

He said softly: “Everything was fine for me at the Court of Judicial Review, yet I constantly worried something would go wrong on your end. Several nights I dreamed you turned into a tiger biting people’s throats.”

Lan Shanjun picked up her chopsticks to eat. “This dream isn’t really that bad, is it?”

Yu Qingwu raised his head earnestly. “This isn’t bad? Eating wild chickens and deer would be fine, but what’s good about human flesh?”

Lan Shanjun paused, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. “With you saying this, how can I eat?”

Yu Qingwu realized, quickly saying: “Then eat the cabbage, don’t eat the meat.”

Asking about the jailer with the rope, Lan Shanjun shook her head. “I don’t know if he was coming for me. He was originally my jailer, so his presence before me was normal. As for the rope, I’ve seen them routinely take ropes out to bind people.”

But at this critical time, with Magistrate Sun wanting to use this for favor, they had to accept it. She said: “I was going to tell you about this. After you leave, inquire about it—don’t let innocent people be implicated.”

Yu Qingwu noted this and nodded. “Alright.”

The two reunited but didn’t speak of other matters, and tactfully avoided mentioning other things, fearing walls had ears.

But whether walls had ears or not, Prince Qi could certainly be cursed.

Yu Qingwu’s mouth was already formidable at cursing people. Moreover, having held back so long, he cursed intermittently for about half a shichen without stopping.

Outside, Magistrate Sun initially heard the commotion and came to listen, but later only felt his ears hurt—though there were no vulgar words, he hadn’t expected refined language could curse so filthily.

He moved further away.

Yu Qingwu finally finished cursing. Lan Shanjun listened with great relish. She herself didn’t have such eloquence—when cursing Prince Qi and Song Zhiwei, she only repeated “beasts” a few more times.

This was the benefit of finding a husband who could curse people. She smiled and suddenly reached out to touch Yu Qingwu’s face.

“You’ve lost weight.”

Yu Qingwu: “You too.”

He raised his hand to touch her shoulder. “Prison is damp and easily breeds illness. Does this hurt?”

Lan Shanjun understood his meaning. He was talking about Liu Guan.

She smiled, feeling somewhat more secure. “It doesn’t hurt. My health is excellent.”

Yu Qingwu continued: “His Majesty hasn’t calmed down yet. You may still need to stay at Luoyang Prefecture.”

Lan Shanjun’s eyes narrowed. “How long?”

Yu Qingwu: “His Majesty is benevolent and kind-hearted. It should be soon.”

Lan Shanjun said slowly: “So before that, I’ll just keep staying here?”

Yu Qingwu: “It can only be so.”

He smiled. “When you leave again, you’ll probably be the most familiar with Luoyang Prefecture.”

Lan Shanjun looked at him with surprise.

Did this mean she should take control of Luoyang Prefecture then?

She had thought the Grand Prince Imperial would find a way to have her go inside the Eastern Palace to protect the Grand Princess Consort’s family.

Yu Qingwu had thought the same. But the Grand Prince Imperial said: “Didn’t you say Shanjun would be a fierce general in the future? Won’t you let her try?”

Yu Qingwu couldn’t refuse. He knew Shanjun also couldn’t refuse.

He sighed, pinched her face. “Shanjun, you must remember—I’m waiting for you at home.”

—

In early May of the fifty-first year of Yuanshao, the Emperor ordered Prince Qi to depart immediately for Ji Province to guard the imperial tomb. Prince Qi wrote a blood letter in prison, repenting his crimes, then wanted to see the Emperor once.

The Emperor ultimately couldn’t bear it and prepared to have a final lunch banquet with Prince Qi at noon on the eighth of May.

At dawn on the eighth of May, Prince Qi and Yang Kui launched a palace coup.

They had subverted the Left Jinwu Guard, Right Qianniu Guard, Left Jianmen Guard and other vice commanders—the main commanders were loyal to the Emperor, knowing the chances of subverting them were slim, so they had been subverting vice commanders for many years.

The vice commanders killed the main commanders and led their brothers in striking the first blow.

Then, the Works Ministry officials brought over three hundred craftsmen as reinforcements. The servants from Prince Qi’s household, the Yang family, and other rebel households also came into use at this time.

The wind sounded like cranes throughout Luoyang City as everyone closed their doors.

Prince Qi took the lead, attacking from north to south with his men, first capturing Nongxuan Gate and controlling Taiji Palace. Then in an extremely short time, he brought the Left Jinwu Guard and thousand cavalry through the north gate, heading straight for the Emperor.

The Emperor was enraged, immediately transferring troops from Yong’an Gate and Guangyun Gate into Chengming Hall for protection.

Liu Guan frantically closed the great door. “Your Majesty, there’s a great fire in the direction of the Eastern Palace. Prince Qi may have attacked the Eastern Palace.”

The Emperor was so angry his vision dimmed. “The two generals at Nongxuan Gate were the generals I trusted most. How could they be subverted by Prince Qi?”

Liu Guan: “They must have harbored treacherous intentions long ago.”

The Emperor laughed coldly. “Good, good, good. I want to see how quickly he can reach my presence.”

—

Outside the palace, Zhu Shan led the Ministry of Justice people to carve out an opening. Lan Shanjun held a blade in her hand. Having obtained the command token from Magistrate Sun, she said: “Sir, rest assured. Lord Zhu and I will lead people into the palace to rescue His Majesty.”

Magistrate Sun was on the verge of tears.

Whether they were going to rescue His Majesty or not, he didn’t know. He only knew that with this formation, once the Grand Prince and Emperor were in danger, it would certainly be the Grand Prince who survived.

As for whether he himself could survive—that really depended on fate.