But judging from Xu Shu's tone, it sounded like a farewell.
Xu Chaozong would never really force his wife to her death, so he hurried to the lakeside in the back garden of the mansion.
As dusk settled and a chilly wind swept through, the lakeside was dark and unlit, making it impossible to see anything. Xu Shu arrived in plain clothes, her hairpins removed, and in the dim twilight, no one noticed her or recognized her. By the time the guards from the Prince's residence arrived and found her, she had been in the icy lake for a long time, her body frozen solid, barely clinging to life. Her eyes were bloodied, as if scratched by something.
Xu Chaozong held her, his whole body trembling, whether from the cold or from shock, it was hard to tell.
The guards hurriedly rescued Xu Shu and took her to a warm room, while also calling for the imperial physician.
Xu Chaozong stood there dumbfounded, watching Xu Shu being carried away. A thought suddenly popped into his mind—two years ago, in the same cold winter month, with the wind biting to the bone, when You Tong threw herself into the water, was she also ashen-faced and on the verge of death as she is now? And before she threw herself into the lake, was she also filled with despair and resentment, determined to die?
At that time, Xu Chaozong was like an ostrich hiding its head, intentionally avoiding thinking about these things. He threw himself into the lake, and it was just a few words that were reported to him. Since the man was ultimately unharmed, it did not affect him deeply.
Now, seeing this scene with my own eyes is truly shocking.
What terrible things has he done?!
Xu Chaozong felt as if needles were piercing his heart, and he chased after them with trembling hands.
...
Late the next night, Xu Shu awoke from her coma with a high fever, severe illness, and aches and pains all over her body. Her eyes were injured by shards of ice and she could not see.
Xu Chaozong, however, had no time to attend to this matter.
The palace spies have sent reliable information: Emperor Xiping did not eat or drink yesterday, and Empress Sun just summoned several important officials to the palace. According to the spies at Prince Ying's residence, Prince Ying disappeared after leaving his residence last night, and is probably already hiding in the palace, waiting for Emperor Xiping to breathe his last so he can take over the throne.
Tonight, the emperor has passed away, and the matter of succession has been settled!
Upon hearing the report, Xu Chaozong immediately looked at Fu Yu, who was standing calmly to the side.
The man, dressed in a black, close-fitting outfit with a dark cloak over it and a sword hanging at his waist, possessed a tall and imposing figure. His cold, sharp eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and his expression was solemn and serious. Seeing Xu Chaozong looking over, he nodded and said in a deep voice, "It's time to enter the palace."
The spies in the palace have already been taken care of. Yesterday, Xu Chaozong even used his position to arrange for Fu Yu to sneak into the palace. Although he didn't go to Emperor Xiping's residence to alert him, Fu Yu already had a clear understanding of the surrounding situation.
—After years of campaigning, they often won with fewer troops, and their iron cavalry was invincible. Knowing the terrain before a battle had become a deeply ingrained habit.
Now that the time was ripe, Fu Yu did not hesitate at all. He immediately took Xu Chaozong and quietly left the mansion, braving the wind and snow that began to fall at dusk, and headed towards the palace.
Chapter 99 Palace Coup
In the dead of winter night, snow was falling heavily, and the long street was deserted.
The snow had been falling for several hours and had accumulated to a depth of over an inch. When the horses trod on it, there was little movement except for a crunching sound. Fu Yu rode ahead, with Xu Chaozong close behind.
The swift horse galloped through the snow and arrived at Zhuque Street. In the distance, the towering and majestic Danfeng Gate was seen tightly closed and heavily guarded.
Torches on the city wall blazed brightly, but were hidden in the swirling snow.
Xu Chaozong glanced at it from afar, then went around it, galloped west for a while, then turned north, reining in his horse behind the Zuoyintai Gate.
—Although the Imperial Guards guarding the palace were not strong enough, they numbered over ten thousand. The guards of Prince Rui's residence were not very capable. Even if Fu Yu wanted to help, he could not possibly send troops from afar to provide assistance. Therefore, from the beginning, Xu Chaozong listened to Fu Yu's advice and planned to quietly enter the palace and strike at the heart of the matter, trying not to alarm the Imperial Guards stationed on the outer perimeter.
The three gates to the south are heavily guarded by Emperor Xiping's confidants, making it extremely difficult to intervene and win them over without alerting them.
The inner city of the North Gate was guarded by generals from the Northern Army, who could respond promptly to any disturbances. If the commotion became too great, it would be troublesome. After discussing with Fu Yu, Xu Chaozong set his sights on the palace gates on the east and west sides. After several days of effort, he finally bribed Cui Fu, the general in charge of guarding the Left Silver Light Gate.
Tonight, it happened to be Cui Fu's turn to be on duty. He was fully armored and braving the wind and snow to personally patrol the city gate.
Upon seeing Xu Chaozong and Fu Yu approach, they immediately clasped their hands in a salute.
Xu Chaozong dismounted and said that Emperor Xiping had sent an imperial edict summoning him to the palace to report on urgent military matters. He asked Cui Fu to open the gate and let him into the palace.
Cui Fu readily obeyed. His fellow generals, though hesitant, tried to dissuade him, but Cui Fu sternly rebuked them, saying that Prince Rui was of high status and had entered the palace by imperial decree; how could they be delayed? If important matters were delayed, who would dare take responsibility? The duty of guarding this gate rested on Cui Fu's shoulders. Since he was furious and insisted, the others, who had joined the Imperial Guard for personal gain and self-preservation, dared not disobey.
Since there were only two people at the palace gate, the city gate was opened, allowing Prince Rui and Fu Yu to enter.
Quietly passing through the inner city walls and evading the most heavily guarded section of the Imperial Guards, they were immediately surrounded by disguised palace servants.
Since Emperor Xiping had been recuperating at Penglai Palace after falling seriously ill, Xu Chaozong took the opportunity to avoid the heavily guarded Southern Office and several important meeting places, heading straight for Penglai Palace. With Fu Yu and his entourage protecting him, and with prior arrangements in place, any trouble encountered along the way could be quickly eliminated, and the commotion was drowned out by the sound of the cold wind and snow in the twelfth lunar month, without alerting anyone else.
It wasn't until they were almost at Penglai Palace that news of Prince Rui's intrusion into the palace reached Prince Ying.
...
At this moment, the Penglai Palace was filled with many people.
Emperor Xiping had been ill for several years. His condition worsened, and he spent his days bedridden, deprived of sunlight. His face was horribly pale, and he had become extremely thin, almost emaciated. The hall was filled with the stifling heat of charcoal braziers, the faint scent of ambergris mingling with the bitter smell of medicinal soup, permeating every corner. The old emperor's eyes were sunken, his gaze unfocused, his lips moving, his weak breaths uttering fragmented words—
"Chaozong...Chaozong..."
The sound was so faint that it was almost inaudible unless it was right next to the bed.
Empress Sun sat upright beside him, her brows lowered and hands clasped, tears welling in her eyes, as if she had not heard a thing.
Consort Zhao and Prince Ying stood by, seemingly oblivious.
After days of serious illness and coma, everyone could see that the emperor's time was running out, and he could no longer cling to the throne and relinquish his power as before. Emperor Xiping had clearly resigned himself to his fate. After several days in a coma, he finally awoke at noon and summoned several trusted ministers to the palace.
The matter of Grand Tutor Xu had already reached his ears through Consort Zhao's words. Consort Zhao, always favored by the emperor and adept at whispering in his ear, hadn't said a single good word about the Xu family, even exaggerating the situation by saying that it had damaged the royal family's reputation, causing widespread resentment and gossip. Emperor Xiping, who had always favored Prince Ying, was now in dire straits himself and no longer cared about his relationship with the Grand Tutor. Seeing the situation had come to this, he drafted an edict to pass the throne to Prince Ying. However, father and son were still bound by their bond. He had been frequently in a coma recently, and now, knowing his days were numbered, he mustered his strength and ordered someone to invite Prince Rui to the palace so that father and son could see each other one last time.
How could Consort Zhao and her son be happy about this?
The matter of the crown prince had remained unresolved for two years. Although an imperial decree had been issued and the matter was now settled, if Xu Chaozong were to enter the palace and interfere before the Prince of Ying ascended the throne, it would only add more uncertainty. Therefore, when the eunuch delivering the decree left Penglai Palace, he was stopped by a palace maid beside Consort Zhao, who blocked the message.
With the emperor seriously ill, the throne would become the Prince of Ying's tomorrow. The young eunuch dared not disobey and secretly slipped away.
Emperor Xiping held on to his last breath, having waited in vain for so long. His breath gradually weakened, but he refused to give up and continued to mutter intermittently.
Empress Sun, heartbroken, could guess Consort Zhao's ulterior motives, but the situation was now clear, and she couldn't expose her. She could only weep for her husband. Among the officials, some were somewhat honest and guessed the clues, but they were powerless to help. Although Consort Zhao and her son had some affection for Emperor Xiping, and had shed tears by his bedside recently, they were secretly delighted upon seeing the imperial edict. They only needed to wait for the emperor to take his last breath so they could announce to the world that he had ascended the throne.
The hall was silent, save for Emperor Xiping's intermittent, weak voice and Consort Zhao's soft sobs.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for the final moment.
Until the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the hall.
Heavy, hurried footsteps pounded on the deep snow, quickly approaching from afar before reaching the palace.
"Your Majesty the Empress—" The guard knelt outside the hall, his voice echoing throughout the palace, "Prince Rui has barged in!"
Like a thunderclap from a clear sky, it jolted Emperor Xiping back to his senses and caused Consort Zhao and her son to change color abruptly. The two exchanged a glance, disregarding everything else, and immediately strode out. As soon as they reached the palace gate, they saw torches blazing in front of the palace, and Xu Chaozong was surrounded by about thirty people, who rushed in aggressively.
Although those people were dressed as eunuchs, they were all agile and valiant, and must have been martial artists who had disguised themselves and infiltrated the palace with the help of an inside agent.
This display was tantamount to storming the palace, and the King of England immediately shouted to stop it.
Xu Chaozong paused slightly after hearing that stern shout.
...
Leading a dozen or so men to forcibly break into the palace was something Xu Chaozong would never have dared to even imagine in the past.
Given the abilities of those around him, let alone recklessly storming the palace, even protecting him would be extremely difficult.
But tonight, braving the biting wind and heavy snow, he gritted his teeth and ran all the way here surrounded by the Fu family guards, and was completely unharmed. All the palace guards he encountered along the way were killed by the Fu family members, swiftly and ruthlessly, without making a sound. The Fu family guards disguised as eunuchs supported him on both arms, and he moved with lightning speed, so much so that even after he arrived here, no one outside noticed anything amiss.
Xu Chaozong was, after all, a scholar. He rushed over, his heart pounding, and a thin layer of sweat on his body.
Seeing Fu Yu killing people with impunity in the palace, I was even horrified for a moment.
If times had changed and he were the one living in the palace, would Fu Yu have been able to storm the palace as easily as he did tonight? It was as if the strict palace restrictions and tight patrols were no match for Fu Yu. This most majestic palace in the world was no longer the impenetrable fortress it once was.
But the thought quickly passed, and all he could think about was how to deal with the King of England.
At this point, even without any informants, Xu Chaozong could guess that Emperor Xiping had ultimately chosen Prince Ying.
He can never rightfully inherit the throne in this lifetime.
But it's even more impossible to hand over the throne that's within our grasp!
What he was doing now was a palace coup, a forceful seizure of the throne, a trap to kill his half-brother and his confidants. There was no room for hesitation. In the past few days, Xu Chaozong had outwardly remained inactive, only visiting the palace to pay his respects as usual, without doing anything in front of Emperor Xiping. But in secret, with Fu Yu's guidance and arrangements, he had made many preparations—for example, bribing the palace guards, arranging inside agents, planting spies in the Imperial Guards in front of the palace, and secretly sending Du He and Fu family secret guards into the palace disguised as inconspicuous palace servants.
Xu Chaozong was familiar with the layout of the Forbidden City, but he lacked capable generals. Fu Yu had many skilled warriors under his command, but they were unaware of the details of the palace.
The two forces combined worked together seamlessly.
All of these are for the purpose of a decisive blow tonight.
With this thought in mind, Xu Chaozong's face immediately darkened when he saw the mother and child outside Penglai Palace.
The palace was guarded by Imperial Guards, twice the usual number. Torches illuminated the falling snow, and the guards, clad in heavy armor and wielding heavy swords, stood ready for battle.
Meanwhile, the King and Consort Zhao and their son stood behind the guards, looking down at each other with an air of confidence and fearlessness.
Knowing he was in the wrong, Xu Chaozong dared not delay any longer. Without allowing the Prince of Ying to rebuke him, he drew his sword and shouted, "My father is seriously ill and his health is failing. You and your mother have actually taken him hostage and threatened him, colluding with foreign officials to plot a rebellion. You are traitors and villains, and your hearts deserve to be punished! Seize them!" As he spoke, the sword flashed forward.
He was surrounded by only thirty people, as weak as ants under the encirclement of two or three hundred heavily armored soldiers in front of the palace.
The King of England found it laughable and roared, "It is clearly you who forcibly entered the palace and distorted the truth! Generals, seize him!"
At his command, the surrounding Imperial Guard generals immediately obeyed, drawing their swords.
Some lunged at Xu Chaozong with their knives, while others turned and slashed at their colleagues.
The wind and snow raged, blood splattered on the ground, leaving dark red stains. Torches illuminated the blue bricks before the palace. From the shadows, someone frantically ran out, trying to call for reinforcements from the outer imperial guards, but was shot down by disguised eunuchs who had been lying in ambush. He didn't even escape the Penglai Palace. The clash of weapons echoed as the Fu family's secret guards shielded the sweating Xu Chaozong in the center, blocking the outer imperial guards' charge—
They were used to fighting against overwhelming odds and holding their ground to the death.
Du He and several other leaders brandished their swords and charged toward the Imperial Guard generals, while Fu Yu stood in the shadows, coldly watching the battle.
Imperial power was majestic, and the palaces and gates were originally supreme and imposing.
Now, all that remains is a foolish and incompetent ruler, powerless to stop the chaos in the world, and only fighting for power and scheming against each other in this small area.
He glanced at Xu Chaozong, who was hiding among the guards, and then turned his gaze to the Prince of Ying.
That person clearly sensed the perilous situation and intended to hide inside the hall.
This man was no better. To seize the throne, he colluded with Wei Jian, arbitrarily promising him several prefectures, sending countless people to Wei Jian's tyranny and allowing corrupt officials to exploit them. For the sake of power, he only focused on the court, embezzling funds to win over important officials, appointing treacherous ministers, and even betraying his own brothers, blaming and framing each other, ignoring the suffering of the people, and showing no intention whatsoever of restoring order and justice to the court.
The two brothers were pampered and spoiled from childhood, unaware of the hardships of the world. No matter who the throne fell into their hands, it would not be a blessing for the people.
However, given the current situation, the Fu family lacks prestige and can only maintain stability in Yongning and Xuanzhou areas; it is not yet appropriate to replace them.
His eyes were cold and sharp, and his longsword was drawn with a clang.
The dark figure leaped into the air, and with the help of the palace lanterns beside the corridor, it swooped down towards the palace gate like an eagle.
The Imperial Guard generals, who had been won over by Consort Zhao, only saw a huge black shadow rushing in from the sky, as fierce and swift as a tiger or wolf. In their haste, they abandoned the Fu family guards they were fighting and risked their lives to save him, pointing their swords diagonally, aiming straight for Fu Yu's vitals.
Fu Yu dodged to the side, but the sword in his hand flew out, carrying the power of thunder, and pierced into the back of the King of England.
The King of England had barely stepped across the threshold when the longsword pierced through his bear, the immense force pulling him forward half a step. As the sword clanged into the gold-paved floor, the hilt trembled slightly, and the King's body slowly slid down, collapsing to the ground without a groan, lifeless.