Eternal Night - Chapter 102
Feng Yangxi was stunned.
The fat man exclaimed in surprise, "Little White, you're actually back!"
A group of people carrying pigeon cages surrounded him and laughed, "Master Wang lost you three days ago and couldn't eat or drink. I never expected you to come back."
Feng Yangxi didn't listen any further; he felt he had made a grave mistake. When he rushed back to the Peony Courtyard, it was in complete chaos.
He grabbed a guard who was carrying a bundle and trying to leave and asked, "What's going on here?"
The guard recognized him and said in a flustered manner, "My mother said that the Peony Courtyard is closed and told us to take whatever valuables we can find in the courtyard."
Where is she?
"They're gone. They left an hour ago."
Feng Yangxi stared at the three wheel shaft seals, his heart pounding. He felt as if he had lost something of utmost importance.
---------------- ...
Li Tianyou and Prince Duan split their forces into three groups and followed the cart tracks to the outskirts of the city, where they discovered three abandoned carriages.
Prince Duan stared intently at the carriage and solemnly ordered, "Close the city gates, and declare martial law in the capital."
Tianyou looked at Prince Duan, about to say something, when Prince Duan glanced at him and said, "His Majesty's intention is that we will act if anything changes at the Peony Courtyard."
Palace intrigue
The atmosphere in Kyoto suddenly became tense.
The six guards—the Valiant Cavalry, the Bear Cavalry, the Leopard Cavalry, the Imperial Guards, the Archers, and the Second Flying Guards—swiftly took control of the four gates of Kyoto. After the initial chaos, Kyoto was eerily quiet. The only sounds on the deserted streets were the footsteps of patrolling soldiers and the occasional cries of children coming from behind cracks in doors.
Three thousand Imperial Guards sealed off all the palaces. The whole thing was accomplished in the blink of an eye.
Soldiers, banging gongs and relaying orders along the streets, roared: "By order of Prince Duan, those still engaged in business will be killed! Those who leave their homes without permission will be killed! Those who harbor spies will be killed!"
A eunuch from the Eastern Palace, relying on the favor of the Empress and the Crown Prince, volunteered to go out of the palace to gather information. He was shot in the throat by an arrow as soon as he stepped out of the palace gate.
Only half of the Crown Prince's guards were present, but they reluctantly closed the palace gates to protect him.
Clad in armor, Li Tianrui had no idea that things would change so suddenly. Neither the news from the Prince Duan's residence nor the Prince You's residence indicated anything unusual that Prince Duan, Li Gu, would suddenly issue such an order. Meanwhile, the ailing Emperor Yujia was still alive and well in Longxiang Palace.
"Is Li Gu planning a rebellion?" Li Tianrui spat out the question through gritted teeth, drew his gleaming sword, and said to the guards of the Eastern Palace with a grim face, "Li Gu, relying on his high merits and the Emperor's trust, has actually mobilized the Imperial Guards to seal off the palace. He harbors treacherous intentions and plans to take advantage of the Emperor's serious illness to force the Emperor to abdicate. Rather than waiting here to die, we should break out of the Eastern Palace and purge the court of corrupt officials."
The left and right guards of the Eastern Palace naturally followed the Crown Prince's lead. However, what they did not expect was that when they were escorting the Crown Prince and slowly opening the palace gates to question the imperial guards, ten siege crossbows were lined up at the palace gate.
Li Tianrui gasped; this setup was clearly designed to kill him.
The commander of the Imperial Guards, surnamed Zhang, came from a prestigious family and was the nephew of Prime Minister Zhang. He smiled gently and said to Li Tianrui, "Your Highness, please calm down. The heir of Prince Duan, the Marquis of Yong'an, has been kidnapped upon returning to the capital. Your Highness's overprotective nature has been somewhat excessive. Your Highness, please rest in the Eastern Palace and restrain the guards there. Your Highness will come personally to give you an explanation."
That's far too arrogant. Li Tianrui sneered, "Does the Emperor, Empress, and I all pale in comparison to a mere Marquis of Yong'an? Does Uncle not respect the Emperor at all?!"
He was right; even Emperor Yujia would be furious enough to jump out of bed upon hearing these words. Commander Zhang forced himself to finish speaking, sighing inwardly. If Prince Duan didn't give him a proper explanation, it would be a capital offense of treason, resulting in his execution and the confiscation of his property.
However, Prince Duan was Zhang Xiang's son-in-law, making him essentially Prince Duan's man. Prince Duan enjoyed considerable prestige in the army, and Zhang Xiang tacitly approved of this. Martial law was declared in the capital, and the Six Guards of the capital region not only blocked the streets and controlled the city gates, but also surrounded the residences of officials. It is said that several officials who dared to speak out rushed out of their residences to seek the Emperor's decision at the Meridian Gate, but were beheaded in the street.
Li Tianrui, unaware of the situation, retorted with a stiff neck, "I do not believe that the civil and military officials can let the Imperial Uncle act recklessly! His son is missing, yet he dares to mobilize the Imperial Guards to force the emperor to abdicate; he is plotting a rebellion!"
Commander Zhang did not respond, but clasped his hands in a salute and said, "This humble general is under orders that anyone who dares to leave the palace gates, regardless of who they are, shall be killed!"
"Will you kill the Empress even if she leaves the palace?" Li Tianrui asked, his face revealing a sinister look.
The Left and Right Guards of the Eastern Palace and the Imperial Guards were all somewhat confused. Whoever it was? Did it include the Emperor himself?
"This old minister greets Your Highness the Crown Prince." A gentle voice rang out. Zhang Xiang, dressed in a scarlet official robe, appeared at the entrance of the Eastern Palace with several other ministers. "This old minister is hereby ordered to appease Your Highness. His Majesty has given a verbal instruction that the matter was sudden and understandable. Please, Your Highness, restrain the Eastern Palace guards and prevent them from clashing with the Imperial Guards. So be it."
Li Tianrui rose in surprise, seeing that the arriving ministers were none other than high-ranking officials known for their integrity and lack of involvement in his power struggle with Li Tianyou. He felt slightly relieved, but remained extremely displeased that siege crossbows had been used to seal the palace gates. The fact that siege crossbows had been mobilized and transported so quickly suggested that Prince Duan had been well-prepared. He suppressed his anger and asked Prime Minister Zhang, "My lord, what exactly happened?"
"Youli Valley colluded with the Chen Kingdom to assassinate the Emperor while he was seriously ill. They had no choice but to seal off all places in the palace. Prince Duan is currently leading the Imperial Guards to search, and it is estimated that he will arrive at the Eastern Palace soon. In order to prevent the assassin from escaping, we request that an order be issued to implement a scorched earth policy."
Li Tianrui sighed. Youli Valley? Had they already launched their operation? He thought about it again and felt something was amiss. The plan didn't seem to be an assassination. Could things have changed, forcing them to resort to assassination? The palace gates were sealed shut. Li Tianrui smiled after a moment of silence, "Then I can rest assured. Thank you for making this trip, sir. I wonder how Father Emperor's condition is? I haven't been able to pay my respects to him today."
"With His Majesty presiding over the Dragon Soaring Palace, the Crown Prince can rest assured." Prime Minister Zhang cupped his hands in greeting and left with several other ministers.
Li Tianrui glanced at the siege crossbows at the entrance of the East Palace and ordered the palace gates to be closed.
---------------- ...
At the hour of You (5-7 PM), in the Dragon Soaring Palace.
A faint cough could be heard coming from behind the heavy curtains.
Emperor Yujia leaned against the bed, his cheekbones high and his face ashen.
Prince Duan knelt before the bed, looking at him with concern.
The yellow silk handkerchief was unfolded, revealing a shocking sight of fresh blood coughed up.
Emperor Jia stared blankly at the candlelight. Only Prince Duan and his personal attendant, Wang Yi, were present in the vast palace. Where were his sons? Tianxiang was far away in Qinhe, and Tianyou was patrolling outside the palace; not a single concubine was by their side. What did he hope for? A house full of children and grandchildren to surround him so he wouldn't have to leave alone? It was something he had expected, but he still couldn't help asking, "Has Tianxiang's marriage been arranged?"
"Yes, we will marry the fourth young lady of the An family this October."
"October..." Emperor Yujia sighed. He couldn't wait for that day. "Notify the Ministry of Rites to expedite the process and ensure the wedding is completed within 100 days. After the mourning period, it will be three years."
"Yes." Upon hearing this, Prince Duan couldn't help but feel a lump in his throat.
"Heaven's blessing, this is even more necessary. A country cannot be without an heir; he must establish an heir within a hundred days. Otherwise, it will be three years later."
Prince Duan was somewhat surprised to hear this: "Tianyou..." He didn't know who Prince You was engaged to. He felt uneasy.