A Single Tie Of Long Hair Seals A Lifelong Commitment - Chapter 38

The turmoil in Shangyong City was still spreading.

After Xie Yuan was made a vassal king, Consort Xian’s rank was elevated to Noble Consort, and she was put in charge of the six palaces.

Banish her son, promote her mother—this was nothing more than a slap followed by a sweet date, all for the sake of appeasement and checks and balances.

The imperial decree to march out to Nanzhou was issued, granting Chen Liangyu only fifty thousand troops. To penetrate another country and fight, this force was far from enough.

Emperor Xuanyuan issued another edict giving her the authority to deploy the Southern Border’s military forces.

At the same time, he decreed that Chen Liangyu’s position as Grand General of the Twelve Guards would be taken over by Gao Guan.

Gao Guan held the post of Grand General of the Jinwu Guard, and according to convention, he should not concurrently hold any other position within the Sixteen Guards.

Chen Liangyu immediately understood why Emperor Xuanyuan had appointed her to quell the rebellion in Nanzhou.

This was to strip her of her command over the Capital Guards.

When she returned from quelling the rebellion in Nanzhou and handed over her tally, she would no longer command a single soldier. A clipped-wing eagle, unable to move, she would only be able to marry Xie Yu obediently and become one of the many useless imperial consorts in the harem.

Yet, immediately after, Emperor Xuanyuan handed the command of the Twelve Guards’ Capital Garrison and the Yongdu Defense Force over to the idle Marquis of Xuanping, Chen Yuanqing.

This deployment of troops made Chen Liangyu feel uneasy. She had a bad premonition, feeling that once she left, Yongdu would descend into great trouble.

And it would be the uncontrollable kind.

Chen Yuanqing entered the palace upon the edict. Emperor Xuanyuan was resting on the dragon couch, attended by Xie Wenjun and several consorts.

Zhai Ji, the North Yong hostage prince, also guarded the Emperor’s bedside, almost never leaving. Anything the Emperor consumed, he would first personally taste to test for poison.

After dismissing everyone in the hall, Grand Eunuch Sun proclaimed the edict. Chen Yuanqing was also quite surprised.

Emperor Xuanyuan thought Chen Yuanqing would decline and said listlessly, “Elder Brother…”

That expression was all too familiar to Chen Yuanqing.

He had the same look when he was a child, worried that the late Emperor would scold him for not finishing his readings, and when he was a young man during the Revolt of the Five Princes, forced to raise his long blade and fight his own brothers to the death.

A sovereign holding the power over the lives and deaths of everyone in the world, when afraid, still habitually called out that one phrase: “Elder Brother.”

Chen Yuanqing’s tendency to soften his heart was also ingrained. When Xie Lin revealed his apprehension in front of him, Chen Yuanqing would agree to whatever he asked.

Even though his body could no longer possess the might of ten thousand men to block all the open and hidden dangers for the Emperor as it did back then, if it could give him even a sliver of peace of mind, then he was willing to once again take command, don his armor when the Emperor was in danger, and fight for him one last time.

Chen Yuanqing requested one more edict from Emperor Xuanyuan, asking for Chen Luan to be sent out to a post earlier than scheduled.

Chen Luan had passed the imperial examination and served as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy for less than a year. By convention, a first-grade jinshi graduate was required to serve in Yongdu for a full year after being granted an official position before being sent out to serve in local government. His term there and eventual recall to Yongdu would be decided based on his merits and performance in the locality.

After arranging for Chen Luan, he also dispatched Capital Guards to escort Yan Nian and her daughter back to the Northern Territory, to return to Chen Linjun’s side.

Something truly major is about to happen!

Chen Liangyu was uneasy and wanted to ask for details. Yan Baizhang preemptively handed her an iron-clad tube containing a silk scroll. The paper had a complex network of lines drawn on it, with nodes marking places that were common shops, such as stables, cloth merchants, pastry shops, and dried fruit stores, as well as a few farmhouses.

This was not a map of Yongdu. The scattered points, like stars in a constellation, seemed to be points spanning the entire territory of Great Lin.

“Memorize these locations,” Yan Baizhang said. “If you go to Nanzhou and don’t hear any news from Yongdu for a long time, and your messages cannot be transmitted back to Yongdu or to your elder brother, then use the ‘Flying Gadflies’ network to establish contact.”

The “Flying Gadflies” (Feimeng) was a civilian intelligence network established by Jiang Bojin, one of He Niangong’s four disciples, known as the “Flying Gadfly Arrow.” During the Revolt of the Five Princes, he served as a strategist under Prince Fengde, repeatedly proposing strategies to intercept and kill Xie Lin and Chen Yuanqing, all of which were thwarted one by one by Yan Baizhang, Lin Jianshu, and Chen Yuanqing.

Prince Fengde was repeatedly defeated and suspected Jiang Bojin of being a secret agent planted by Xie Lin, so he had his arms severed.

His final fate was unknown. Some said he was hacked to death by a random force; others said he was banished and became a beggar.

In short, no one saw him again, and gradually everyone assumed he was dead.

His “Flying Gadflies” network was absorbed by Yan Baizhang and continued to be used.

Chen Liangyu suddenly remembered something and said to Yan Baizhang and Chen Yuanqing, “Father, Uncle Yan, Master Lin Jianshu gave the Three Volumes of Yin-Yang to Zhai Ji before he died. If turmoil breaks out in Yongdu, he will certainly take advantage of the chaos, stir up trouble, and escape. Now that he is guarding His Majesty’s side, it is difficult for him to act, but we must find an opportunity to kill him without leaving any evidence. We absolutely cannot let him return to North Yong alive!”

Although the Three Volumes of Yin-Yang had circulated among the populace and may have already been acquired by North Yong, strategists in warfare are most wary of empty theoretical talk.

But Zhai Ji was not merely theoretical; he possessed a great comprehension of leading troops into battle. At the age of binding his hair, he could trap Yan Baizhang in a battle array and shoot an arrow through Yan Baizhang’s calf.

If he mastered the Three Volumes of Yin-Yang and returned to North Yong, it would be equivalent to letting a tiger return to the mountains.

For Great Lin, he would be a difficult problem to handle.

Emperor Xuanyuan’s health was deteriorating.

After being ill for over a month with no sign of improvement, he was moved to a resting hall behind the Chongzheng Hall. He re-inscribed the plaque, renaming the hall to the Hall of Longevity (Changsheng).

The intent was to wish for a life as long as the pine and cypress, eternal and everlasting.

Inscribing the plaque with “Longevity” did not bless him with extended life. While he took medicine and supplements daily, his body grew weaker month by month.

This day at dusk, Xie Wenjun served Emperor Xuanyuan his medicine, wiped the residue from his lips with a towel, and prepared to withdraw.

Emperor Xuanyuan called out to her, “Jiangning…”

“Your daughter is here.”

Her bowing was meticulous and flawless, but the Emperor looked at her for a long time without speaking.

Since he fell ill, Xie Wenjun had come to attend to him whenever she was free. She was careful in everything she did and extremely thoughtful, but he always felt that something was missing.

Only with that bow did he understand what was missing: warmth.

Blood kinship should be the closest and most intimate bond, so why was she so distant?

“You are my only daughter. Why are you so distant from me?”

Xie Wenjun immediately performed a full kowtow, saying, “Father Emperor is my sovereign father, magnificent and formidable. Your daughter respects Father Emperor.”

Emperor Xuanyuan felt a profound sense of loss.

Respect? What he desperately longed for now was not that respect for the sovereign father.

The more fragile one is when sick, the more one craves the family affection of children. But it seemed Heaven was unkind to him, unwilling to grant even such a small prayer.

“I…” Emperor Xuanyuan spoke hesitantly. “Never mind. Return to the Eastern Palace. You have worked hard these past few days.”

Just as Xie Wenjun was about to rise, Emperor Xuanyuan suddenly asked another question, “If I do not wake up tonight, who do you believe is more capable of succeeding the throne?”

Xie Wenjun replied, “Your daughter does not understand such matters.”

Emperor Xuanyuan gave her a meaningful look, “It’s best if you don’t understand. You’ve been so lonely all these years. It is my fault as a father for not caring enough about you. Return to the Eastern Palace. Ask the Crown Prince… to select a few companions to enter the palace to keep you company and help you pass the time.”

Still feeling it was not enough, he called for the young Eunuch Wei who was waiting outside the Hall of Longevity and instructed him, “Wei Qi, take good care of the Princess. I trust you.”

“Your servant obeys the decree.” His voice was damaged, raspy and unpleasant.

Eunuch Wei bowed, his back hunched, his face obscured, making his expression indiscernible. But he seemed very nervous; his hands and feet were slightly restless.

Perhaps, this restlessness could also be interpreted as excitement?

“Thank you, Father Emperor. Your daughter takes her leave.”

Xie Wenjun rose and withdrew from the Hall of Longevity. She returned to the Eastern Palace and headed toward the Qianqing Hall. Rong Jun was also walking over, his steps somewhat hurried.

Piles of memorials were stacked on the desk in front of Xie Yu.

Rong Jun said, “Your Highness, a secret letter from Yifeng Pavilion.” He paused and added, “His Majesty is also already aware of it.”

Yifeng Pavilion was ostensibly just a royal brothel, but secretly it was a dark line within the palace for collecting information on the movements and secrets of officials and the populace. Under the veneer of romance and pleasure, it also concealed a secret prison. Only royal family members who committed high treason were unfortunate enough to experience the tortures within this prison; ordinary individuals were forbidden entry.

Yifeng Pavilion had a complex network of connections and was not loyal to any single person. It held people belonging to the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and naturally, people belonging to Xie Xuan, and even Xie Yuan.

However, after the latter two left Yongdu to take up their vassalages, their spies had been purged by Xie Yu.

Xie Yu opened and read the letter, his eyes red, like an enraged lion.

After Prince Qi, Xie Xuan, abolished the Bureau of Agricultural Affairs in his fiefdom of Zhudong, the clamor for Xie Xuan among aristocratic families and gentry in various regions grew louder. The Huang family of Yucheng, the Tan family of Yaocheng, and the Yan family of Lin’an had all aligned with him.

Many aristocratic families held official positions in court. The most powerful figures from these three families were Huang Qiaoqiong, Minister of Rites; Tan Xialing, Minister of Justice; and Yan Tianzhu, Supervisor of the Imperial Astronomy Bureau.

Having been weakened over time, the current aristocratic families were merely a generalized term for powerful clans and gentry. Although various clans still controlled a portion of land and population, they only occupied a small area compared to the powerful noble clans of the past, and they were disparate and disorganized, posing no threat to imperial power.

Though not comparable to the prestige and authority of the former noble clans who ruled over territories, controlling local economies, politics, and armies, the alliance of these aristocratic families and gentry to support someone in a bid for the throne was truly terrifying.

Due to the support of local aristocratic families, a spy report arrived at Yifeng Pavilion in late summer of this year, stating that Xie Xuan was enlisting the support of other aristocratic families and secretly raising troops in his fiefdom.

Grand Councilor Zhang had no choice but to go north for a personal inspection.

His purpose was both to deter and to co-opt.

However, the close guard who accompanied Grand Councilor Zhang on his inspection sent a letter to Yifeng Pavilion this morning: Grand Councilor Zhang was assassinated in Zhongwu City.

The most highly placed person from the Lin family of Zhongwu City in court was Lin Zhong, Commander of the Northern Army Imperial Guards.

Rong Jun said, “Grand Councilor Zhang is unharmed. All assassins have been executed.”

Xie Yu asked, “Who instructed them?”

“They were assassins-for-hire.”

Many high-ranking officials and nobles had the habit of keeping assassins-for-hire to eliminate political rivals when necessary. Assassins-for-hire, as the name suggests, were bound to die once given a mission by their master; whether they succeeded or failed, they would never reveal their master’s identity.

The perpetrator may not have been Xie Xuan, but the attempt to assassinate Grand Councilor Zhang already suggested that some people no longer took the Crown Prince seriously.

“Imperial Brother,” Xie Wenjun called out.

Xie Yu’s gaze shifted from the letter to Xie Wenjun.

Xie Wenjun continued, “Father Emperor wants you to select a few princess companions to enter the palace.”

As she spoke, she dipped a light blue brush into the ink and circled a few spots on the local map in the Qianqing Hall.

Xie Yu remained silent for a moment and then said, “I understand.”

In the current situation, gathering noble daughters from various families into the palace, ostensibly to select companions for the Princess, was actually a prelude to the Eastern Palace securing the support of these families.

Princess companions were generally selected only from the imperial clan and the Emperor’s relatives, rarely from the daughters of officials from outside families.

Though convention dictated this, times had changed, and circumstances called for special measures for special cases.

Emperor Xuanyuan’s intentions were clear: at least while he was alive, he wanted to check the power of all sides and eliminate the possibility of infighting immediately triggered by one side becoming too powerful.

He only cared about having peace during his lifetime, even if massive waves ensued after his death.

The spots Xie Wenjun circled included the Eastern Palace and the hometowns of high-ranking officials in the Six Boards and Nine Courts.

When high officials and aristocratic families sent their daughters into the palace as princess companions, they were aligning themselves with Princess Jiangning.

But everyone knew that Princess Jiangning was raised in the Eastern Palace. By aligning with the Princess, they could ride the coattails of the Crown Prince.

If the Crown Prince successfully ascended the throne as the new Emperor in the future, promotion and generous rewards would be secondary. There was an idiom: “One person achieves the Dao, and his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.” This opportunity to instantly become a trusted minister of the Emperor and ensure the family’s prosperity was something that could not be achieved even after years of searching.

Once the news of the Eastern Palace selecting princess companions spread, the high officials themselves couldn’t sit still. They all sought connections, trying every possible way to let their best-trained daughters make an appearance in the palace.

The final confirmed companions included Chapter Shu County Princess from the Eastern Palace, Yan Rou, the legitimate second daughter of Yan Tianzhu, Supervisor of the Imperial Astronomy Bureau, Sheng Yuxuan, the daughter of Sheng Xiuyuan, Minister of War, Su Liqin, the granddaughter of Su Chasang, Minister of Revenue, and Heng Yang, the youngest daughter of the Marquis of Luping from the Southern Border, among more than ten others.