In the first month of the year, the capital was still bitterly cold. Zhù Ying and the others came and went, bringing icy drafts sweeping in with them. Those seated on the outer edges shivered repeatedly, and even the least perceptive began to sense that something was not right.
Some of the sharper ones were already guessing: why had all these great officials left their seats?
Zhao Su looked around and said to Su Zhe and Lin Feng: “Begin!”
Zhù Ying had given him a cue before leaving. The Zhù residence rarely hosted song and dance; instead it was well known for competitive games like archery and pitch-pot. Zhù Ying had already given orders for archery targets and pitch-pot sets to be arranged, and prizes to be set out — and then slipped away through the side door.
Many of the guests assumed that Zhù Ying was using the birthday banquet as cover to hold a private conference with Chen Meng, Zheng Xi, and the others. Though curious, they did not dare follow. The group quietly slipped away through the side door.
Before long, after a few rounds of competition, some began to realize something was amiss. If there was business in the palace, they would not be back for a good while, and sooner or later people would notice. The competitions had rankings, and there were prizes to be awarded. With the host nowhere to be found, and the honored guests gone as well, people began to buzz with whispers.
What Zhao Su was responsible for was exactly this — keeping everyone calm and quiet, and making sure no rumors spread to cause a panic.
The group smiled and said, “The results are in — Adoptive Father and the Chancellors have some business to attend to, and have asked us to host in their absence…”
When Zhao Su said these words, his heart was wound tight with anxiety — the only thing he feared was that before the banquet was over, bad news would come from the palace. That would make everything impossible to conceal, and chaos would follow.
Fortunately — mercifully — all the way until he and Chen Fang and the others had seen the last suspicious guests out the door, not a word of commotion had come from the palace.
The guests dispersed in twos and threes, leaving rather early. With the guest of honor not even present, what reason did they have to stay? Better to go home and try to get some information.
Once the guests were finally seen off, Chen Fang said, “I’ll go and find out what’s happening.” His father had entered the palace; the family of his father-in-law should still have people about; and failing those, he still had former colleagues.
Zhao Su clasped his hands and said sincerely, “If there is any urgent news, please do let us know — we need to be ready.”
Chen Fang said, “I understand — and if news comes your way, let me know too.”
Su Zhe said, “I’ll go into the palace! They won’t pay much attention to me; I’ll go take a look at the Eastern Palace.”
Zhao Su said, “Be extremely careful.”
Lin Feng said, “I’ll go with you! Big Brother Zhao, you’ll need to hold down the fort here.”
The group quickly divided their tasks. Zhao Su directed the tidying of the tables and chairs and crockery, using the bustle to settle his nerves.
On the other side, Su Zhe and Lin Feng made their way to the palace. They were not stopped on entry.
Lin Feng said, “Why does this feel somewhat strange?”
Su Zhe said, “It is a little strange — the quiet is right, but the kind of quiet isn’t.”
She turned her head and looked out through the gate. A guard captain stepped forward to block her line of sight, his face severe: “Stop looking. Entry permitted; exit not.”
Su Zhe’s heart lurched. Lin Feng’s expression changed as well. The two drew close together, and Lin Feng asked, “What do we do? There’s no breaking out.”
Su Zhe said, “Let’s go to the Eastern Palace first and see.”
They couldn’t force their way to the Emperor’s presence either, but the Eastern Palace was where they held their posts — they knew the way well. This time they moved with great caution, slowing their pace as they drew nearer to the Eastern Palace, no longer charging straight in as they had on entry. Instead they watched the outside of the Eastern Palace for a good while.
Lin Feng said, “It doesn’t look like anything is happening.”
Su Zhe said, “Grandfather must be at the imperial bedside. I’ll go in; you stay outside. If there is a situation, I’ll shout, and you run — find a way out of the palace.”
At this point they were both at a loss for what to do. Lin Feng didn’t know how he would get out of the palace, or what to do once he did. It all amounted to improvising as they went.
Yet somehow neither of them questioned having such a plan, and so one waited outside while the other went into the Eastern Palace.
Inside the Eastern Palace, the guards were startled to see Su Zhe: “Sir Su, were you not at home celebrating Minister Zhù’s birthday?”
Su Zhe said, “Your smiles are too forced. I came at this hour for a reason. I am an official of the Eastern Palace — is there anything here that needs to be kept from me?”
Only then did the guard say quietly: “His Majesty is at death’s door. His Highness has already gone to attend.”
“And the Crown Prince Consort?”
“Inside.”
“What is the palace prohibition about?”
The guard said, “It is by the Highness’s own order…”
——
The Crown Prince had been through one succession before. The first time, he had the early half guided by Zhù Ying, and the latter half managed by Liu Songnian. He had watched it all carefully. This time, he followed the same steps as before. Even before the ministers had arrived, he had already issued certain orders, following the previous precedents.
He did not dare issue too many. He only ordered a strict enforcement of the palace prohibition — for the Emperor’s lifespan was an uncertain thing. He feared his father might yet revive.
Both the Emperor and Empress had people they trusted and people they summoned. The Crown Prince thought it over, and quietly sent for Xian Jing to be brought to the palace as well.
Orders had their sequence, and so did the arrivals. Zhù Ying and Chen Meng were among the first to arrive. The two of them went straight to the imperial bedside. Empress Mu and the Crown Prince were both able to receive Chen Meng and Zhù Ying with something approaching equanimity. At the sight of them, the Crown Prince felt his heart steady somewhat.
The Crown Prince said to the two of them, “Spare the formalities! Come and see — what is best to be done now?”
Chen Meng asked, “What do the imperial physicians say?”
The Crown Prince gave a faint shake of his head. “Not good. They say it is a matter of these two days.”
Chen Meng said, “Then we must keep watch here. Your Highness, Your Majesty — there are several matters that must be attended to now…”
He proved worthy of his position as Chancellor. He asked that Dou Peng and Chief Minister Li be summoned to the imperial presence as well, so that the Grand Council could take turns standing watch. Then there was the Imperial Guard — they needed to be kept in order and posted to guard the palace chambers. Next was the capital itself — the Capital Prefect needed to be quietly ordered to tighten public security in the city.
Du Shi’en urgently said, “Wen Yue has already been summoned.”
A matter of great importance was to summon the princes and lesser princes who had established their own households outside back into the palace — especially the Crown Prince’s two younger brothers!
Chen Meng also made a point of emphasizing: “The Prince of Wei must be summoned as well!”
The Crown Prince let out a sigh. “The Prince of Wei…”
Chen Meng said, “There is a way to handle him — don’t worry.”
“Very well.”
Zhù Ying stood quietly throughout, sparing one glance for Empress Mu. The Empress was urgently asking why the people she had summoned had not yet arrived.
The Crown Prince and Chen Meng spoke for a while, then the Crown Prince asked Zhù Ying, “In the Minister’s view, what is best?”
Zhù Ying said, “Follow the Chancellor’s lead. You are the Crown Prince — you must be steady now, and must not overreach or overstep.” The Crown Prince making too many moves risked inviting misfortune.
The Crown Prince’s heart gave a jolt. He nodded and said, “You think so too?”
Zhù Ying did not answer directly. She said, “There is one more thing: I would ask that Counsellors Shi and Zheng both be summoned to the palace. Counsellor Shi goes without saying — at a time like this, he can anchor everything. As for Counsellor Zheng, his methods of handling affairs are still useful to Your Highness at this moment.”
The Crown Prince hesitated. Chen Meng said, “That is correct. At this time, the priority is stability. What comes after can be dealt with after.” He exchanged a glance with Zhù Ying — it was not that either of them particularly liked Zheng Xi, but at this moment Zheng Xi was clearly well suited to help with certain things. The same went for Shi Kun, who also needed to be temporarily brought out.
The Crown Prince said, “He is not yet out of mourning.”
Zhù Ying said, “Extraordinary circumstances call for flexibility. Act quickly and precisely.”
Transitions of power are critical moments. Many people had stumbled — standing in the wrong place or making the wrong move — and lost everything at precisely such a juncture. What of senior ministers from the old reign? If they could not win the new ruler’s favor, they were just as likely to be sidelined. Yet if a new ruler mishandled his relations with the elder statesmen at this moment, that too would cost him dearly.
Zhù Ying’s thinking was simple: regardless of what came after, the immediate priority was stability — stability until the Crown Prince ascended the throne.
She looked at the Emperor lying there, then at the Crown Prince standing before her, and weighed it all. For the country’s sake at this moment, an orderly succession was far better than the alternative. If the Emperor woke up again, that would be the real complication. If he died soon, it would spare the realm a few more years of damage.
In his reign, the Emperor had failed to cultivate a single capable Chancellor. At a moment like this, what was there to be finicky about? Someone had to be in charge.
The Crown Prince finally made up his mind: “Send for them!”
A messenger was dispatched in haste to the Zheng residence. Wen Yue also arrived — he had been summoned by the Emperor, but since the Emperor had already lost consciousness, he reported to the Empress instead: “I have come in answer to the imperial summons.”
Empress Mu said, “The Emperor places his trust in you all. Guard the palace city well!”
“Yes!” Wen Yue answered crisply.
The Crown Prince asked, “Is everything quiet outside?”
Wen Yue said, “All is as usual.”
After that, the entire great hall sank into an eerie silence. Chen Meng let out a long, murky breath. Empress Mu looked anxiously this way and that. The Crown Prince glanced at Zhù Ying.
Zhù Ying, just as she had been the last time, gave no excessive show of feeling. The Emperor’s face had taken on a pallor of death — he was nearly gone.
She was no expert in medicine or the signs of death, but she had seen a great many sickly people since childhood. The Emperor’s appearance left no room for doubt.
She noticed the Crown Prince’s gaze and asked, “Your Highness — is the Eastern Palace all right?”
The Crown Prince said, “I have ordered them to keep the doors shut.”
Chen Meng added a reminder: “Steady.”
Then silence settled again.
No one knew how much time passed — perhaps a long while, perhaps only an instant. Dou Peng and Chief Minister Li arrived. Dou Peng looked haggard with worry; Chief Minister Li wept openly. Of all those present, it was Chief Minister Li who seemed most genuinely stricken.
Empress Mu asked again after her family, and a small eunuch came stumbling in: “Your Majesty, Mu Chengzhou drank too much — he cannot ride a horse and has fallen…”
Empress Mu was furious. “That useless wretch! I will never be able to rely on him in this lifetime!”
The Crown Prince hastily urged the Empress to calm her anger.
Then Xian Jing arrived.
Then Zheng Xi and Shi Kun and others arrived one after another. Zheng Xi and Zhù Ying exchanged a glance, then Zheng Xi went to meet the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince said to Zheng Xi, “Had the situation not been so urgent, I would truly not have imposed on the Counsellor.”
Zheng Xi replied that it was his duty and there was no question of imposition.
Of all those present, Zhù Ying held the lowest rank. She was also the most silent. She watched as these men arranged their affairs — all of it had been done once before, a few years ago. None of it was difficult. And unlike the last time, there was no Luwang faction to cause trouble, which made things considerably smoother.
Zheng Xi and Xian Jing’s eyes briefly met, then parted. Zheng Xi said, “Counsellor Chen is quite right. Let us proceed accordingly. We shall take turns standing watch. How are matters in the Eastern Palace?”
Xian Jing hesitated for a moment, steeled himself, and said, “I’ll go back and see.”
The Crown Prince said, “I am in your hands.”
Zhù Ying thought to herself: Wrong. At a time like this, the Emperor comes first. With the Crown Prince not in the Eastern Palace, what reason do you have to go there?
——
The Chancellors had their roles apportioned. Zhù Ying’s presence was now somewhat incongruous — the Emperor had summoned her, so she could not simply leave; but remaining left her without a clear place to stand.
It was fortunate, at least, that she had a thick enough skin to hold her ground.
She had not been standing long when the Prince of Qi and others came weeping in. Empress Mu, having regained some composure, called out sharply, “Your father is still here — what is there to cry about?!”
The Prince of Qi quietly dried his tears.
Then the Prince of Wei arrived as well, asking urgently, “How is His Majesty?”
Empress Mu said, “He is still being treated.” Then she closed her eyes, sat on the edge of the bed, turned her wrist bracelet, and paid no further attention to anyone. In her heart, she was calling Mu Chengzhou every name under the sun.
By lamplight, the Emperor had still not woken. The medicine brewed by the imperial physicians was ready, but the Emperor could no longer swallow it. The imperial physician’s hands began to tremble uncontrollably. The Crown Prince said, “Treat him well — I will not have you executed.”
The problem was that there was nothing to treat!
The mind of the imperial physician flashed to the farewell letter he had written in advance.
Chen Meng again urged the Princess and the princes to go and rest in a side hall, following the precedents of the late Emperor’s reign. The Prince of Wei looked around at the sword-bearing Imperial Guard standing on all sides under Wen Yue’s command, said nothing, and took the lead in filing out.
Food was brought in from outside. Empress Mu urged the Crown Prince to eat something. She herself could not swallow a morsel. The Crown Prince could not eat either, but he still ordered food and drink arranged for the ministers.
Outside was black as night; the food before them was piping hot. Zhù Ying unabashedly picked up her chopsticks. Chen Meng said with a trace of envy, “The young — how do you still have an appetite?”
“How would you get through it without eating? Stop lamenting and eat something — in case something comes up.” Zhù Ying said.
“What?!” The Crown Prince exclaimed in alarm.
Zhù Ying said, “All will be well if nothing happens — but it is best to be prepared. Your Highness, it is not loyalty or filial devotion to lose one’s composure and weep now. Remaining calm, managing affairs well, and stabilizing the nation — that is loyalty and filial devotion, and that is what honors the realm.”
The Crown Prince felt some measure of reassurance, though also a degree of envy. Asking him to be calm right now was utterly impossible. His heart had leapt into his throat. He thought to himself: you are at ease because you are calm, but I cannot feign such composure — this matter cuts too close to me; I cannot pretend to be undisturbed.
After the meal, they endured on until midnight. The Emperor had still not woken. The Crown Prince was swaying slightly on his feet.
Zhù Ying said, “Your Highness, please rest a little while too — there is still a long vigil ahead.”
The Crown Prince made a valiant effort to shake his head. “I… I’m all right.”
Empress Mu said, “Go and rest — I am here. And du Shi’en — have the second prince and the others properly settled as well.”
“Yes.”
Du Shi’en arranged things not only for these gilded young nobles — Zhù Ying and the others also found a small cot in one of the side chambers. She did not go to rest, but remained in the imperial presence and sat cross-legged in meditation.
Seeing her in such a manner, the Crown Prince gradually felt more settled in his heart.
So the vigil went through the night, until the cock crowed. The Emperor had still not woken. Zheng Xi came to relieve Chen Meng, and advised the Crown Prince: “The routine business of each office would best proceed as normal.”
The Crown Prince agreed.
Zhù Ying said, “Then I will return to the Ministry of Revenue first.”
Zheng Xi said, “You were summoned by His Majesty — you cannot just leave. Find a place to rest a while, and wait for the Emperor to wake.”
“All right.” Zhù Ying answered without any fuss.
Three days passed in this way, and the Emperor did not wake.
At noon on that day, the Crown Prince “personally tasted the medicine” and said to the Emperor: “Father, it is time for your medicine.”
He spooned the medicine toward the Emperor’s lips. Suddenly, his hand gave a jerk — a spoonful of bitter medicine spilled onto the bedclothes.
The Emperor had stopped breathing.
Empress Mu let out a sob. The Crown Prince broke into loud weeping. The sounds spread out, and a crowd pressed toward the Emperor’s bed.
Zhù Ying let out a quiet sigh, stood up, and walked to the Crown Prince’s side. “Your Highness, please accept our condolences. I ask that you preside over the affairs of state.”
Chen Meng, Dou Peng, and the others began to form into lines, knelt, and wept. After the weeping, the Chancellors led the Crown Prince in being acclaimed — and the Crown Prince was enthroned on the spot at the Emperor’s bier.
The Emperor, at this age — his passing was not altogether to be mourned. Zhù Ying wept along with the rest, but listening to the voices around her, the ministers’ sounds were not much different from her own: no great sorrow. The Prince of Qi, Princess Mingyi, and the others sounded genuinely grieved; the imperial concubines wept with abandon; Du Shi’en stared blankly ahead, unseeing.
All the preparations made beforehand seemed, in the end, to have been entirely superfluous. The Crown Prince had no leisure to ponder it carefully — he made the expected show of declining twice and was then ushered by the Chancellors onto the throne.
He let out a quiet breath and asked: “I am still young. I rely on you all for everything. What should be done next?”
The Chancellors exchanged glances. Shi Kun said, “Of course — the first order is to properly manage the late Emperor’s funeral rites.”
The new sovereign asked with humility: “What must be done? The Counsellors presided over the last one — please instruct me.”
Shi Kun had already been planning to push Chief Minister Li out. Chief Minister Li going to serve as Superintendent of the Imperial Mausoleum was perfectly fitting. Beyond that, there were edicts to be drafted, and all the various affairs of the court to be settled.
Shi Kun did not get into specifics; he offered the new ruler only one piece of advice — the imperial clan could not be overlooked. Obvious things like elevating the Empress to Empress Dowager, and a princess becoming a Princess Imperial, were only natural. The new ruler’s brothers and paternal uncles were another matter — there was no rule that a prince’s imperial rank automatically rose when his brother became Emperor.
Shi Kun recommended elevating the Prince of Wei to Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince and relieving him of his duties at the Court of the Imperial Stud. This was a promotion in name while stripping him of real power.
The new ruler was immediately enlightened!
Shi Kun said, “As for the rest, it is not for this minister to say more.”
No matter how much the new ruler pressed him, he would not say another word.
The affairs of the court were borne by the Grand Council. The first edict elevated Empress Mu to Empress Dowager and raised the Crown Prince Consort to Empress. Then came the management of the funeral rites.
After Zheng Xi returned, the efficiency of the Grand Council rose noticeably. Zheng Xi and the others proposed recalling Yao Zhen.
The new ruler gave a slight frown. Zheng Xi said, “He was the one who spoke up on Your Majesty’s behalf — that kindness cannot go unrewarded.”
“Will he manage the Ministry of Personnel again?”
Zheng Xi smiled slightly. “The Ministry of Rites would also be suitable — a transfer. Only the Ministry of Revenue should not be lightly touched right now; the imperial mausoleum depends on them.”
The new ruler nodded. “The Counsellor is right. With Chief Minister Li gone for the mausoleum construction, there is yet another vacancy in the Grand Council — add someone. Xian Jing, then. He was Chief Minister Wang’s student, and Chief Minister Wang has always been a man I deeply admired.”
Zheng Xi paused, then said, “I dare not disobey.”
The new ruler said, “Very well — have him arrange the officials of the Crown Prince’s Household Administration. The old officials of the Eastern Palace must not be left unrewarded either!”
Zheng Xi’s smile stiffened somewhat: “Yes.”
Beyond these matters, everything proceeded according to precedent — a general rise in officials’ ranks, notification to all foreign states and tributaries, orders for mourning dress, and so forth.
Everything was progressing in an orderly and busy, if unremarkable, manner.
Su Zhe finally made contact with Zhù Ying, and the two met within the palace. Zhù Ying said, “Why did you two come into the palace?”
Su Zhe said, “Outside the palace we knew nothing at all, of course we had to find out what was happening! For the sake of the realm, the Emperor matters most — but for us, of course you matter most, Grandfather.”
“Shh—”
“Heh heh.”
Zhù Ying patted her head and thought to herself: you are also an official of the Eastern Palace — when the chickens and dogs of the household ascend to heaven along with their master, how much more so you?