Nanmen Ding said nothing, only fixed his gaze on the Chief Eunuch, his expression somber and contemplative.
The Chief Eunuch met his gaze steadily, his eyes calm.
No one knew how much time passed before Nanmen Ding suddenly broke into a grin. The hard stance he had held just moments before gave way at once to something modest and agreeable.
“Chief Eunuch, I must trouble you to say a few kind words on this General’s behalf in front of His Majesty. This General’s loyalty to His Majesty is, of course, absolute and unwavering.”
But the Chief Eunuch shook his head. “Noble Consort Rong’s escape from prison has already caused a tremendous stir within the palace. His Majesty is furious, and he now insists absolutely on having Noble Consort Rong brought back to face justice.”
He paused before continuing: “As it happens, His Highness the Crown Prince recently left for the clan temple to perform ancestral rites, and is not expected to return these next two days. His Majesty, mindful of the bond between close kin, does not wish to come into any conflict with the Crown Prince. Therefore, in the matter of Noble Consort Rong, His Majesty hopes to see it resolved as swiftly as possible.”
Nanmen Ding said nothing. The Chief Eunuch continued: “Such is His Majesty’s meaning — does the General have any thoughts on the matter?”
“Then, Chief Eunuch — what exactly does His Majesty wish this General to do?” Rather than answering, he turned the question back.
“Noble Consort Rong’s crime of poisoning the Imperial bloodline is now backed by irrefutable evidence. This charge against her, I am afraid, is inescapable — she will be found guilty without question. The entire Nanmen Manor would likely be implicated as well.”
Nanmen Ding’s expression immediately turned sour again. If His Majesty truly intended to confiscate the Nanmen Manor, there was absolutely no way he would stay behind and dutifully await his death.
The Nanmen clan did not have a great many troops stationed in the Imperial City, but they had also thought through their contingencies. If Emperor Qiwen truly moved against them, they had laid a backup plan to ensure they could leave the Imperial City and withdraw to Jinliang City.
The forces the Nanmen clan kept in the Imperial City were far greater than what anyone could see on the surface.
The Chief Eunuch had naturally considered this as well. He added: “His Majesty’s meaning is — at this juncture, if the General were to act out of righteousness, even at the cost of personal ties, and personally deliver Noble Consort Rong — who has poisoned the Imperial bloodline — along with the Duke, who harbors traitorous intent, to the palace to stand trial, His Majesty would be deeply moved by the General’s loyalty. Not only would he ensure the General was not implicated in Noble Consort Rong’s crimes — he would also credit the General with a distinguished service.”
Yet Nanmen Ding was not so easily persuaded. What if Emperor Qiwen intended to sweep them all up in one net? Entering the palace like that would be walking straight into a trap.
That said, when the Ninth Prince had returned to the city before, he had shown no sign of any warm rapport with Emperor Qiwen. Right now, the Emperor was wary of the Ninth Prince’s military strength, and would certainly not want any conflict with the Nanmen clan either.
Even if he imprisoned all of them, or even did away with them by foul means, the Nanmen clan still had so many people. If even one managed to escape the Imperial City, that person could invoke their own standing and command all the Nanmen brothers in Jinliang City.
Emperor Qiwen should not be reckless enough to take such a great risk — not when the Ninth Prince had already seized control of nearly half of Bei Mu’s territory and the Emperor could not afford to provoke another power, lest the Ninth Prince suddenly launched a rebellion and the Emperor’s realm was lost for good.
He should not have the audacity to gamble that much…
“General, everyone outside is waiting. I ask that the General come to a decision promptly. Otherwise, His Majesty cannot simply allow Noble Consort Rong to continue her insolence unchecked. His Majesty may hold the Nanmen Manor in regard, but the Imperial House still has its dignity.”
The Chief Eunuch’s words were not a threat — yet they were plainly the protest of someone pushed to the very edge of their endurance, with no more room left to yield.
Nanmen Rong was Nanmen Ding’s younger sister. Everything she had done over the years — Nanmen Ding knew it all.
If he himself were Emperor Qiwen, he would have had this woman who had poisoned the Imperial bloodline struck down long ago.
After a long silence, Nanmen Ding finally clenched his fist and said in a low, firm voice: “Very well. This General will personally escort this scourge of the nation back to face justice.”
——
That night, Nanmen Ding personally escorted both Nanmen Rong and Nanmen Ye into the palace. No one at the manor had the slightest idea what had transpired.
The palace guards who had accompanied the Chief Eunuch had clearly already departed — yet for some inexplicable reason, more than one shichen later, the Chief Eunuch returned once again with a new contingent of troops and surrounded the Nanmen Manor on all sides.
This new wave brought even more men than before — at least a thousand.
“Chief Eunuch, what is the meaning of this?” Nanmen Ding’s eldest son had died in battle on the front lines years ago. With their father now absent, the one who came forward was the fifth son, who enjoyed the most favor in ordinary times — Nanmen Tuo.
“What have you done with our father and grandfather?”
Their elders may not be present, but they, the younger generation, were hardly to be trifled with either!
If the Chief Eunuch truly dared act recklessly, they could fight their way out with troops!
The Chief Eunuch paid no mind to the furious glares around him. He held up that evening’s Imperial Edict — though this time, rather than showing it to one person in private, he read it aloud before everyone.
“By Imperial decree, it is proclaimed that Noble Consort Rong has, over many years, repeatedly poisoned the Imperial bloodline, and the evidence of her crimes is irrefutable…”
“What — Aunt poisoned the Imperial bloodline?” Several of the young lords stepped forward, their faces full of disbelief.
Some had heard rumors before, but there had never been any real proof. Within the inner palace, their aunt had always stood alone at the summit of power, and no consort had ever dared bring a complaint before His Majesty.
In earlier years, the consorts who had dared to complain had subsequently vanished without a trace.
Of course, all of this was nothing but rumor — whether true or false, they did not know.
The Chief Eunuch paid no heed and continued to read the edict to its conclusion: “…By Imperial command, the Nanmen Manor is hereby placed under seal. All those within the Nanmen Manor are to be escorted to prison. Tomorrow at noon, they shall be publicly executed as a warning to all!”
“Outrageous!” The seventh son, Nanmen Jun, was the youngest and the least able to contain his temper. With a sharp ring of steel, he drew his longsword, the tip pointing straight at the Chief Eunuch’s face.
The Chief Eunuch had come fully prepared, of course. Two guards behind him stepped forward instantly, and with a resounding clang, deflected Nanmen Jun’s blade back.
That single act immediately ignited the fury on both sides. Behind Nanmen Jun, his men drew their swords one by one. Nanmen Tuo roared: “How dare you run wild in our Nanmen Manor — someone seize him!”
“You dare rebel! Do none of you care for your own lives — or for the lives of General Nanmen and the Duke?” the Chief Eunuch thundered.
“You treacherous dogs — how despicable!” the third young lord raged. “Our father was surely tricked into the palace by your honeyed words!”
The Chief Eunuch said nothing. No matter the sweet-talking or otherwise, the deed was done — the man was now inside the palace, in their hands.
Whatever curses were hurled at him, it changed nothing about that fact.
“Do you truly think the Nanmen clan has no men left!” Nanmen Tuo extended his longsword, his stance making it absolutely clear he would not submit: “Do you think those thousand-odd men outside can really hold us back?”
Who had ever calculated how many of the Nanmen clan’s elite fighters there truly were?
The Chief Eunuch’s expression darkened, and he replied with equal displeasure: “Even if the Nanmen clan is formidable, your forces are still finite. Even if you flee back to Jinliang City, how many days can you hold that city? Are you certain — that fleeing back to Jinliang City guarantees you a path to survival?”