Xun Zu and Qiu Zhi broke out in cold sweat, their fingertips trembling beneath their sleeves.
The young Emperor was also startled, but he managed to remain somewhat steady. Just pearls and gold bricks—though private exchange wasn’t good, with the General’s magnanimity, she surely wouldn’t mind too much, right?
The young Emperor directly took out the cloth bag, untied it, and reached inside. Touching the leather sheath, his expression changed.
Xun Zu couldn’t stop him in time, watching helplessly as the young Emperor, without any concealment, turned deathly pale.
Zhao Hanzhang’s eyes narrowed. At a glance, she could tell the young Emperor didn’t seem to know what was in the bag.
She extended her hand.
The young Emperor hesitated while gripping the cloth bag, but still placed it in Zhao Hanzhang’s hand.
The court officials all looked confused, most worrying about the Emperor while also somewhat dissatisfied with Zhao Hanzhang. What was wrong with the Emperor carrying a cloth bag in his sleeve? As a minister, how could she treat His Majesty this way?
Just as the thought crossed their minds, they saw Zhao Hanzhang pull a short blade from the cloth bag. Everyone’s knees went weak as they stared in shock at Xun Fan on the bed. Seeing Xun Fan equally astonished, they looked at the standing Xun Zu.
Xun Zu was drenched in cold sweat. The court officials finally understood.
They couldn’t help secretly stamping their feet—Xun Zu was misleading the sovereign!
Zhao Hanzhang drew the short blade with a swoosh. Cold light flashed. It was a fine blade. The old ministers present only felt that cold light pierce straight into their hearts, and they couldn’t help dropping to their knees with a thud, quickly pleading: “General, His Majesty was deceived and didn’t know there was a weapon in the bag. Please show mercy!”
“Is that so?” Zhao Hanzhang turned her head toward Xun Zu, then her gaze slid to Xun Fan, asking: “Who presented this blade to His Majesty?”
Xun Zu bit his lip, about to kneel, when Xun Fan suddenly said: “It was this subordinate.”
Xun Zu’s leg, bent halfway down, straightened abruptly. His lips turned white as he looked at Xun Fan, wanting desperately to refuse his taking the blame, but under Zhao Hanzhang’s clear, cold gaze, he ultimately didn’t dare admit it.
Xun Fan said: “I took the liberty of choosing another path for His Majesty. This short blade is a gift to His Majesty. In the future, if someone bullies him, he can use this blade to strike back.”
The young Emperor suddenly reacted, quickly saying: “Yes, the Grand Tutor chose another path for me. General, I’m not a qualified ruler. I truly cannot serve as Emperor. Please follow heaven’s mandate and ascend the throne.”
Zhao Hanzhang froze.
Xun Zu also froze. Qiu Zhi suddenly raised his head and shouted: “No, Your Majesty—”
He turned to glare furiously at Zhao Hanzhang, cursing loudly: “Traitorous minister! You forced His Majesty to abdicate. You’re shameless to this extent—what face do you have to meet Duke Zhao and the Late Emperor?”
Zhao Hanzhang came to her senses, looking at Qiu Zhi with a half-smile: “Is Gentleman Qiu afraid I won’t ascend? Cursing me like this—aren’t you afraid I’ll impulsively agree? Are you truly a loyal minister of the Late Emperor, or a loyal minister of my Zhao clan?”
“You! How could I be a loyal minister of your Zhao clan? I’m ashamed to associate with you! I…”
“Enough, I’m too lazy to argue with you.” Zhao Hanzhang waved her hand. Zeng Yue, standing in the corner, immediately brought two guards forward, covered Qiu Zhi’s mouth, and dragged him away.
The court officials were all startled, looking anxiously at Xun Fan, momentarily unsure how to react.
The Emperor’s sudden abdication surprised them all. This—how come no one consulted with them?
Ji Yuan also stood worriedly to the side, concerned Zhao Hanzhang might actually agree immediately. That would look bad in the history books!
He saw Zhao Hanzhang tie up the cloth bag and return it to the Emperor: “Your Majesty has been overthinking and probably didn’t sleep well last night, speaking in confusion. I’m truly alarmed by what was just said. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it.”
“This short blade looks good but is actually quite ordinary. If Your Majesty wants self-defense, you can’t rely on short blades—you must practice swordplay, especially the gentleman’s sword.” Zhao Hanzhang said: “However, short blades are indeed convenient to carry. If Your Majesty likes this style, I’ll give you one.”
She reached down to remove the leather sheath at her waist and drew out the short blade to show him.
The blade gleamed with rippling light, very steady. Zhao Hanzhang gripped the blade and casually lifted it upward—a wooden frame beside her had its corner sliced off.
The cut wooden piece fell to the ground. Everyone’s hearts thumped with alarm.
Zhao Hanzhang smiled and asked the young Emperor: “What does Your Majesty think?”
The young Emperor took a small half-step back, forcing a smile: “Good—very impressive blade.”
Zhao Hanzhang sheathed the blade and handed it to the young Emperor: “Minister Fu gave me this. The blade is good, just too sharp. Ordinary people can’t handle it well, so I rarely use it. After all, if not used properly, it harms others and oneself. Now I’m giving this blade to Your Majesty.”
The young Emperor didn’t really want it, but under Zhao Hanzhang’s gaze, he still accepted the short blade with trembling hands.
Zhao Hanzhang smiled with satisfaction and turned to Xun Fan: “Grand Tutor, rest and recover well. I’ll escort His Majesty back to the palace.”
Zhao Hanzhang strode out. The young Emperor quickly followed. He desperately wanted to bring up abdication again, but seeing Zhao Hanzhang’s coldly stern face as she sat across from him, he didn’t dare speak. They returned to the palace in silence.
Zhao Hanzhang didn’t enter the palace but stopped at the palace gate: “I’ll only escort Your Majesty this far.”
The young Emperor opened his mouth but could only stare blankly as she left. He wanted to cry. He truly wanted to abdicate! General, please believe me.
Zhao Hanzhang returned home frowning. Yuan Li had already received the news first and was waiting in the General’s Mansion.
Zhao Hanzhang stopped and asked him: “Who gave the blade to His Majesty? Xun Zu or Qiu Zhi?”
“This subordinate asked the underground contacts. Before His Majesty got the cloth bag, Qiu Zhi stayed in the main hall the whole time. Only Xun Fan and Xun Zu could have contacted His Majesty, but that blade was Qiu Zhi’s.”
Zhao Hanzhang understood. About to enter the house, Yuan Li lowered his voice: “My Lady, Qiu Zhi has ill intentions. Should we not…”
Zhao Hanzhang turned to look at him.
Yuan Li silently lowered his head.
Zhao Hanzhang said expressionlessly: “Hand Qiu Zhi over to Zeng Yue for detention. Tomorrow morning, send him to the Court of Judicial Review for lawful punishment. He insulted me—let him receive the punishment for insulting a superior. Yuan Li, you’ve done too much.”
Yuan Li knelt to beg forgiveness.
Zhao Hanzhang said: “Before me, Jin’s biggest problem was people in positions not doing their jobs. I don’t want it to become people not in positions but doing those jobs under my rule.”
Yuan Li’s face paled slightly as he bowed his head deeply.
Zhao Hanzhang turned to enter the house: “Both are calamities for the nation.”
Ting He brought tea and snacks. Seeing him kneeling, she said: “The Lady has already left.”
Yuan Li was already on both knees, unmoving: “This subordinate is guilty and should kneel.”
Ting He stopped bothering with him and turned to enter the house: “My Lady, Yuan Li is kneeling outside.”
“Let him kneel.” Zhao Hanzhang called in her guards: “Go summon Ming Yu and Zhao Shen. Also send someone to watch the Xun residence. As soon as Ji Yuan comes out, have him come see me immediately.”
The guards agreed and immediately went to call people.
Zhao Hanzhang sat in her study contemplating. The young Emperor’s sudden abdication offer—was it his own idea, or had Xun Fan already discussed it with him?
Was today’s utterance forced by her circumstances for self-preservation, or the result of careful deliberation?
With so many people present, completely suppressing this was impossible. So should they continue, seizing the momentum in one push, or temporarily refuse and wait for the next opportunity?
Zhao Hanzhang shook her head. No, there would be no better opportunity than this moment.
This was like warfare—momentum weakens with each delay. Who knew what other accidents might arise searching for the next chance?
And now, she still had the ability to control all accidents.
Ji Yuan, who remained in Xun Fan’s room, thought the same.
Once Zhao Hanzhang and the young Emperor left, the remaining court officials couldn’t care that Ji Yuan was still in the room. They rushed to Xun Fan: “His Majesty’s sudden abdication—was it the Grand Tutor’s idea? How can it be so hasty? Why not consult with the assembled ministers?”
Others went straight for Xun Zu: “Was it you who secretly passed the short blade to His Majesty? You’re harming the Emperor! Speak—did you secretly pledge loyalty to the Zhao clan and conspire with them to do all this?”
Ji Yuan, who had been silent, couldn’t help speaking: “Gentleman Wang’s words are mistaken. If you say Grand Tutor Xun is part of our Zhao clan, there’s some basis for that. But Censor Xun… he isn’t. He definitely isn’t!”
There were no people this stupid in the Zhao faction.
“You!” The disdain on the other party’s face was too obvious. Xun Zu’s face flushed red with anger.
The old ministers, who had lost all reason, only then noticed Ji Yuan was still here. They quickly reached out to push him outside: “Chamberlain Ji, why didn’t you escort His Majesty back to the palace? Quickly go escort His Majesty and the General…”
They forcibly pushed him out of the room.
Ji Yuan broke free in the courtyard, straightening his sleeves: “Alright, alright. I know you want to plot in secret. I won’t delay you. But gentlemen, don’t forget—quite a few people were present today. Besides me from the Zhao faction, there were many guards and attendants from the palace. His Majesty’s abdication cannot be concealed. I advise you all—since this has begun, it’s not good to stop midway. Otherwise, the Sima clan already had no credibility. After this, I fear even the young Emperor will follow in his ancestors’ footsteps.”
Wei An, who had pushed him out, changed expressions repeatedly. After watching him leave the courtyard, he quickly returned to the room.
Everyone was pressing Xun Fan for answers. Xun Zu was also pressing him. At this moment, his head was buzzing. Just thinking about how the young Emperor’s single sentence had cut off all his escape routes made him want to go mad: “Brother, how could you let His Majesty say such things? Since you knew his thoughts, you should have advised against it.”
Xun Fan: “It was I who proposed His Majesty abdicate.”
Xun Zu and the old ministers froze. Except for a few neutral ones who remained relatively steady, the rest turned red-eyed: “Grand Tutor, why do this? Surrender such a fine realm to others just like that?”
Xun Fan: “You all came so quickly—you must have been watching at the city gate for the arriving procession, right?”
Everyone nodded.
Xun Fan said: “When you saw Taizhang and me safely enter the capital, did you feel genuine admiration for Zhao Hanzhang from the bottom of your hearts?”
Everyone fell silent.
Xun Fan sighed: “We hold such an antagonistic position yet can’t help loving and respecting her. What about the people of the realm?”
“Among those present, who serves the sovereign loyally for the sovereign’s sake? Who willingly serves out of respect for the sovereign’s character and the imperial house’s virtue?”
Everyone grew even more silent.
“In this court and throughout the provinces, not one person respects the imperial house. The people of the realm have long resented it. I once fantasized that His Majesty was young, gentle-natured, and kind-hearted. If we worked hard to educate him, we could certainly produce a capable ruler who could restore order and reestablish virtue, bringing peace to the realm. But… the General is far superior to His Majesty.” Having made this decision, Xun Fan’s heart wasn’t without difficulty or fear.
He also feared handing this realm to Zhao Hanzhang wouldn’t allow it to continue well.
He feared that after his nephew abdicated, he wouldn’t end well and would come to resent him.
But… “Go to the provinces and listen, look around. Nearly every household enshrines the General’s longevity tablet at home. Court decrees not only reach the villages—the people actually obey and follow them. Even Emperor Wu couldn’t achieve this.”
Of course Sima Yan couldn’t. During his reign, he spent considerable effort silencing critics. He and his father Sima Zhao worked hard to suppress public criticism about killing the Emperor. Isn’t that how the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove became famous recluses?
They treated the scholar class this way—what about commoners?
“I used to think only Luoyang was like this because she’s in Luoyang. But going to the provinces, I learned it’s the same everywhere. Moreover, the provinces trust her even more than Luoyang’s people do.” Xun Fan said: “If remote areas are like this, what about places like Yuzhou that she’s personally governed?”
Xun Zu: “Brother, you’re just giving up like this?”
“Shut up!” Xun Fan showed him no kindness, but quickly suppressed his anger and told everyone: “Since we must yield sooner or later, why wait to be forced? Better to yield early—it ensures His Majesty’s safety, the Zhao clan’s safety, and the realm’s safety.”
The assembled ministers looked thoughtful.
Xiahou Ren finally couldn’t hold back. Ignoring his friends’ attempts to restrain him, he said approvingly: “The Grand Tutor speaks reasonably!”
Wei An and the others grew displeased, mocking: “The Xiahou clan can finally wash away past shame and take revenge.”
“You used to be just nominal relatives of the imperial house. Now you’ll have blood kinship.”
“I said long ago he’s part of Zhao’s faction. You all insisted I had a petty heart. Look how quickly he agreed—does he seem like a neutral minister?”
Xiahou Ren was displeased: “How am I not a neutral minister? You’re not neutral! When she was here just now, why didn’t you curse her? Did you dare?”
Xiahou Ren wasn’t easy to bully. He retorted to each person: “Also, I didn’t propose His Majesty abdicate—the Grand Tutor did. Why not confront him but come after me?”
“You’re all just petty-minded. I am related to Zhao Hanzhang, but we’re relatives eighteen generations removed. Would the Xiahou clan dare presumptuously claim kinship?”
“We wouldn’t dare—after all, the current Xiahou clan is ruled by branch lines. The main line was exterminated long ago.”
This struck Xiahou Ren’s painful spot. His eyes turned red with rage: “What did you say? Yes, our main line was exterminated, but we died for loyalty and righteousness. What face do you traitorous ministers have to speak?”
“We’re traitorous ministers?”
“If you’re not traitorous ministers, what are you? Don’t forget how the Sima family got their realm…”
The room erupted in fierce argument. Xun Fan tried several times to stop them but couldn’t—everyone’s arguing voices drowned him out. Finally, they even came to blows. After Xun Fan shouted several times without effect, he simply leaned quietly against his pillow watching them fight and argue, his face utterly hopeless.
—