Today was Prince Zhongshan's birthday, and the Zhongshan Prince's Mansion had prepared many surprises for the guests. However, before their planned events could even begin, one shocking incident after another unfolded.
Prince Zhongshan lay on the ground, his royal robes stained with blood.
The Heir Apparent, who should have been far away in the capital, and the lofty Grand Tutor Deng Yi suddenly appeared at the Zhongshan Prince's Mansion.
Deng Yi declared that the Heir Apparent was the Crown Prince designated by the late Emperor.
That meant the Heir Apparent should have been the Emperor!
Although many people were blocked outside the hall, as previously mentioned, while their view was obstructed, their hearing was not. Those standing outside immediately heard the news, and it quickly spread further.
Among them, a father and son exchanged stunned glances.
Earlier, while riding into the city, they had murmured to each other that Prince Zhongshan was more suited to be Emperor than the Little Emperor. But since the late Emperor had chosen the Little Emperor, for Prince Zhongshan to contend for the throne would be improper and make him a traitor.
But if the late Emperor had once chosen Prince Zhongshan's line, then the outcome would be entirely different!
Prince Zhongshan would be the legitimate heir!
The officials inside the hall clearly grasped the implications more quickly. In an instant, they surrounded Deng Yi, clamoring, "What is going on?" "Grand Tutor, is what you say true?" "Heavens above!"
Prince Zhongshan, lying on the brink of life and death, was momentarily forgotten.
It was the Princess Consort, half-shocked and half-concerned for Prince Zhongshan, who cut through the chaos. Wiping her tears, she instructed, "First, settle the Prince properly, then invite the Grand Tutor inside to explain in detail."
Only then did everyone spring into action. Though still reeling from the shock, the initial panic subsided. Physicians, clad in protective gowns with their hands wrapped and faces masked, carried Prince Zhongshan to a bed in the resting area behind the flower hall. The poisoned physician was also taken away for treatment. The guests, though temporarily unable to leave, were seated in the main hall, where hot tea and refreshments were served.
Of course, this did little to soothe the guests. They sat or stood, whispering among themselves, frequently glancing toward the back. This time, the layers of buildings blocked both their view and the sounds, and they could no longer hear what was being said inside. But it no longer mattered—the most crucial information had already been seen and heard.
Prince Zhongshan had been poisoned by the court.
Grand Tutor Deng Yi had appeared.
Deng Yi had declared that the Heir Apparent was the Crown Prince designated by the late Emperor.
The hall buzzed with murmurs.
Inside the inner chamber, Deng Yi was once again surrounded by the Princess Consort and the mansion's officials, all pressing for answers.
Deng Yi provided his explanation: "Your Zhongshan Prince's line was once designated by the late Emperor to inherit the throne. That is why the current Emperor cannot allow you to exist."
"Grand Tutor, is this true or false?" the Princess Consort asked, wiping her tears. "But we never knew of this."
"Indeed, if the late Emperor designated the Heir Apparent as Crown Prince, why were we all unaware?" the officials questioned.
Some turned to Xiao Xun.
"Did the Heir Apparent know?"
Everyone also recalled that Xiao Xun had been in the capital at the time.
Since inviting Deng Yi back to the hall, Xiao Xun had fallen silent. He remained by Prince Zhongshan's side, staring blankly at him, using an oilcloth-wrapped hand to wipe the blood from the Prince's face, as if detached from everything around him. Only when the officials repeatedly pressed him did he lift his dazed eyes.
"I didn't know," he said. "When chaos broke out in the capital, there was a message from the Imperial City telling me to stay put at the courier station. I had been hiding there all along, but suddenly, the courier station was also besieged. Tie Ying helped me escape."Deng Yi smiled slightly and said, "The Heir Apparent doesn't know, because this decree never made it out of the Imperial City." He then raised his eyes to look at everyone in the hall.
Their expressions varied - some showed fear, others unease, tension, or sorrow.
But how much of these outward displays for others to see were genuine, and how much were false?
How tedious.
Yet, it was also quite amusing. They were all waiting for his word, his words like an ornate cloak.
In the capital, he held the title of Grand Tutor, wielded the imperial seal and tiger tally, with many supporting, propping up, and assisting him - all for the sake of using him to don the splendid garment of power.
Such was the capital, and such was Prince Zhongshan's residence as well.
They needed him, so he would grant them what they needed.
No matter who was who, he, Deng Yi, would still be the one holding the garment.
"When the late Emperor was about to issue the decree," Deng Yi said slowly, "the Chu woman and the Xie family brought private troops and seized it."
The room fell into a frozen silence, then erupted in uproar.
...
...
Outside Zhongshan Commandery, thirty thousand troops from various provinces were stationed, all transferred from different regions. Their mission was to strictly guard Zhongshan Commandery.
Standing on the first visible guard post fortress, one could see the opposing military camp with a sweeping glance.
Since the battle a year ago, Zhongshan Commandery had made no attempt to conceal its military strength. Prince Zhongshan was now openly maintaining private troops.
"Not many carriages or horses on the road today," the officer beside him murmured. "Good heavens, the scale of Prince Zhongshan's birthday celebration rivals even that of the new Emperor's enthronement."
"During the new Emperor's enthronement, Zhongshan Commandery was still in mourning clothes, not sending any congratulations at all," another officer whispered.
The Captain coughed lightly to interrupt them: "It doesn't matter how many people enter Zhongshan Commandery to offer congratulations, as long as countless people don't suddenly pour out of Zhongshan Commandery heading to the capital to deliver congratulatory gifts."
Both generals understood what this meant. They no longer believed Prince Zhongshan would send tribute to the court - he had already done so once before. And what was the result? The Emperor himself had to lead a campaign against him. If the Empress hadn't swiftly advanced from the Border Commandery into Zhongshan Commandery to trap Prince Zhongshan, who knows what state the Great Xia would be in now.
Chaos would have reigned both inside and out.
"But—" one officer couldn't help but whisper, "sooner or later—"
He stopped there, though the other two understood his meaning. The stalemate between the court and Prince Zhongshan wouldn't last forever.
Now that the court had achieved a great victory in Yunzhong Commandery and resolved the Western Liang situation, they could focus on dealing with Prince Zhongshan.
At the very least, they wouldn't allow Prince Zhongshan to maintain control of a hundred thousand troops, nor permit Zhongshan Commandery to remain like a separately governed territory.
The three stood on the fortress looking into the distance, each lost in their own thoughts, when suddenly a troop of soldiers appeared in their view.
This was a contingent of about thirty soldiers, clearly coming from the Zhongshan Commandery military camp, drawing closer and closer—
Until they were halted by the guards here shouting, "Imperial troops restricted area, do not approach!"
The thirty soldiers stopped, their horses pawing at the ground, creating a clamor that made the officers watching from nearby slightly tense.
"We come by imperial decree to verify tallies," the leading soldier shouted loudly, holding up an imperial edict.
An imperial decree from the court? The Captain on the fortress was taken aback.
"The court's delegation delivering birthday gifts to Prince Zhongshan just entered," one officer said quietly.
Perhaps they brought it with them.The captain nodded and signaled to the guard, who had already taken the imperial edict and galloped forward. The captain examined it and saw it was an order for troop mobilization. Though the command seemed puzzling, the imperial seal was authentic.
In addition to the seal, there was half of a tiger tally.
The tiger tally was also genuine.
Whether the troops of Prince Zhongshan’s commandery would obey the court’s orders was not their concern, but they themselves had no choice but to comply.
The captain signaled to allow the thirty men to approach and returned the edict and tiger tally to them.
“General Andong is at the main camp,” he said, pointing toward the rear.
The leading officer raised his hand in salute, said nothing more, and led his men through the garrison fort.
……
……
At the same time, the tightly shut gates of Zhongshan Commandery’s city swung open.
Though not as crowded as when they had entered, a considerable number of carriages and horsemen streamed out.
Among them were officials, noble clans, soldiers, and scholars, some on horseback, others in carriages, all galloping off in different directions.
……
……
Many courier stations in prefectures outside Zhongshan Commandery also received new dispatches.
“Is this bound for Jiangzhou?” a station chief at one post asked, turning the dispatch over in his hands and eyeing the group of couriers. “Where are you from? Do you have your official warrant, waist tag, and orders?”
Naturally, courier stations verified identities when transmitting messages.
This group of couriers neither stated their identities nor produced their official warrant or waist tag, instead presenting only a set of orders.
“We are acting under the Emperor’s secret decree,” the lead courier said. “It bears the Imperial Seal.”
The station chief examined the orders. He certainly recognized that the seal imprint was indeed the Imperial Seal. Those carrying such orders could be considered the Emperor’s envoys.
But instead of bowing respectfully and stepping aside as he normally would, he hesitated and produced an edict of his own.
“The court has issued an Empress’s edict,” he said. “It calls for strict scrutiny of the Emperor’s orders. Therefore, please present your official warrant and waist tag.”
The couriers exchanged glances, then suddenly drew their blades—
“Guards—!” the station chief, already prepared, shouted as he retreated.
At his cry, soldiers hidden all around rushed out.
“Capture the impostors—!”
“Spies—!”
……
……
Even those couriers who had successfully passed through the stations and entered cities with their edicts did not all proceed unhindered.
The prefect took the presented edict, accepting it with one hand, but did not open it or declare his compliance. Instead, he also produced an edict.
“The court has just issued an Empress’s edict,” he said, eyeing the men before him. “It states that, due to confidential matters, a false Emperor’s edict has been circulated.”
The soldiers’ faces darkened, and they shouted, “How dare you disregard the Emperor’s edict! How do you know the Empress’s edict isn’t forged?”
The prefect, a scholar by background, remained calm and unruffled. “It’s not disregard. We don’t know which is genuine and dare not disobey either.”
As he spoke, his gaze swept over the men.
What of the Emperor’s edict? The Emperor is still a child, less authoritative than the Empress.
Who knew who had issued this edict—Grand Tutor Deng Yi? The Imperial Relatives, the Xie family? If it came from them, how could it outweigh the Empress’s edict?
“Therefore, we will send both the edict and all of you to the capital. Once the authenticity is confirmed—”
Before the prefect could finish, the soldiers drew their swords.
“Prefect of Wuzhou, you rebel—!” they yelled. “We act under orders—!”
Shouting, they lunged at the prefect.
Despite his scholarly and seemingly frail background, the prefect displayed unexpected agility. He stepped back and slipped behind a screen.Earlier they had claimed to be acting on a secret decree, ordering the prefect to dismiss all idle personnel. The clerks and bailiffs of the government office had withdrawn, but they failed to notice the screen in the hall.
The screen seemed somewhat out of place, but government offices often bore the personal touches of officials, so the soldiers paid it no mind.
When their first strike missed and the prefect hid behind the screen, the men advanced again, intending to slash through it. Before they could act, the screen crashed down with a thud, revealing a row of crossbowmen standing and kneeling behind it—
"Seize the traitors—" the prefect shouted.
Amid the cry, a volley of arrows flew. The five soldiers fell dead before they could take another step.
At that moment, clerks and bailiffs from outside the hall rushed in. Seeing the corpses on the floor, their expressions shifted between alarm and uncertainty.
"Your Excellency, that was close," one official whispered. "Fortunately, we were prepared."
Another, still shaken, added, "Thankfully, Your Excellency acted decisively and trusted the Empress's edict. Those who held the Emperor's decree truly intended to kill."
The prefect looked at the two edicts in his hand. In truth, he hadn't trusted the Empress's decree—he trusted no one. Since the late Emperor's passing over three years ago, the state had been unstable, and he had long suspected that the Great Xia dynasty would eventually descend into chaos—
Now, it had finally happened.
…
…
When dawn once again enveloped the Zhongshan Prince's Mansion, Xiao Xun, seated by the bedside, jolted awake.
He first glanced at the bed. After two days, Prince Zhongshan's nose and mouth had stopped bleeding. His breathing was faint, but his eyes remained open.
"Father," Xiao Xun adjusted his posture, resting his head on his hand as he gazed into Prince Zhongshan's eyes. "Are you unable to sleep, or are you incapable of sleeping?"
Prince Zhongshan, of course, could not answer. His rigid eyes could not move; were it not for his faint breath, he would appear dead.
"Don't be afraid," Xiao Xun said softly. "Soon, you will be able to sleep peacefully, never to wake again."
He held Prince Zhongshan's hand, pressing it against his own cheek and gently stroking it, just as he had in childhood.
His father had always enjoyed caressing him this way, and he had cherished nestling close to his father. Only he had received such affection from the Prince.
"When I ascend the throne as Emperor, I will posthumously honor you as Emperor. Your wish will finally be fulfilled."
He looked at Prince Zhongshan, a smile gracing his dimples.
"Father, are you happy?"
Prince Zhongshan could not express whether he was happy or not. He could only lie rigidly, his eyes fixed and unblinking.
Xiao Xun gently stroked his hand, a smile on his face, but his voice was as cold as frozen water.
"I am happy."
"Although I always said I wanted to fulfill your wish, I never truly knew if achieving it would bring me joy."
"In my heart, as long as you were happy, I was happy."
"But now, I have come to realize that there is something beyond your happiness that can bring me joy."
"To be happy for myself—this is what it feels like."
As he spoke, he laughed.
A soundless laugh.
Footsteps echoed outside the door, and then someone entered.
"How dare you!" Xiao Xun's smile vanished abruptly. No matter what, a son should not laugh heartily while his father lay in such a state—especially if seen by others. "How dare you enter without permission! I said—"
He turned his head and saw the visitor, his words cutting off abruptly.
Deng Yi stared at him expressionlessly, offering neither an apology nor any intention to withdraw.
A smile reappeared on Xiao Xun's face. "So it's the Grand Tutor. What brings you here?"Deng Yi paid no mind to the smile on his face, nor did he spare another glance at the paralyzed Prince Zhongshan. "Zhongshan Commandery and the eight prefectures and twelve cities beyond have all received the imperial decree," he said. "The thirty thousand provincial troops outside Zhongshan Commandery have also laid down their defenses and await orders."
Xiao Xun laughed heartily. "Thank you, Grand Tutor. With you here, our Zhongshan Prince's Mansion gains formidable strength."
Deng Yi replied indifferently, "You flatter me, Heir Apparent. It is the prince who laid the groundwork decades ago, winning over hearts and minds. All that was missing was the command to act."
Xiao Xun's smile widened. "But the command never came. For decades, my father never issued it. If not for you, Grand Tutor, even now it would remain unspoken."
Deng Yi turned his gaze to Prince Zhongshan. "Then the prince should thank you, Heir Apparent. It is you who, for the sake of the realm, were willing to sacrifice your father's life to secure that command."
Xiao Xun knew that since Deng Yi had entered, Ning Kun must have already cleared the area of outsiders. He had no fear of being overheard. As for Prince Zhongshan—he glanced at his paralyzed father and smiled faintly.
"This is my father's wish," he said. "To fulfill it, my father would sacrifice me, and naturally himself as well. Even in death, he would be content."
Whether Prince Zhongshan was content or not, Deng Yi neither knew nor cared to investigate. He chuckled softly, looking at the prince. "Yet I suspect His Highness may now understand Emperor Jingyang's sentiments."
Emperor Jingyang was the father of both Prince Zhongshan and the late emperor. To secure the crown prince's position from threat, he had turned a blind eye when the young Prince Zhongshan was crippled by the empress dowager.
All for the sake of the throne.
Prince Zhongshan had hated his father all his life. Now, what difference was there between him and his son, and the past?
Father abandoning son, son resenting father, kin turning against kin.
Xiao Xun naturally detected the mockery in Deng Yi's words, but his expression remained unchanged as he smiled. "My father has not yet become emperor. It is too early for him to comprehend an emperor's sentiments."
Deng Yi ceased idle chatter with him and averted his gaze. Speaking of becoming emperor—he smiled wryly. "I have not finished. While the official troops in Zhongshan Commandery and its vicinity have been resolved, matters are less smooth closer to the capital. Courier stations and local prefectures have received the Empress's decrees, so many of our own orders have been intercepted."
Xiao Xun glanced at Deng Yi and laughed. "I never expected the Empress's decrees to carry more weight than the Emperor's."
Deng Yi nodded. "The Empress's current prestige is indeed formidable." He looked at Xiao Xun and smiled again. "Heir Apparent, if you wish to claim this realm now, you must seize not only the Emperor's position but the Empress's as well."
Xiao Xun laughed heartily. "I will only seize the Emperor's throne. Once I am emperor, the Empress's position will still belong to Miss Azhao. Would that not suffice?"
As Deng Yi was about to respond, Ning Kun's voice came from outside.
"Heir Apparent, everyone is ready." Ning Kun entered, bowing to both Xiao Xun and Deng Yi. "Please proceed to the hall for the proclamation."
Deng Yi said no more and strode out. Xiao Xun made to follow but paused, turning back to look at his paralyzed father.
The room was bright with daylight, yet he could scarcely make out his father's face—not just now, but even in memory, his father's features had grown blurred.
There was little worth remembering from the past. From the moment he was escorted to the capital, his life had been defined by humiliation and resentment.
He must wash away this shame and discontent.
Xiao Xun withdrew his gaze and walked out."Let the consort and the young princes come to bid farewell to Father King," he said.
Ning Kun bowed his head and acknowledged the command.
...
...
In the third year of the Xingping era, on the twenty-seventh day of the eighth month, the King Who Pacifies the Country passed away. Grand Tutor Deng Yi rushed to Zhongshan Commandery, bearing the late emperor's final decree. He informed the officials and generals of Zhongshan Commandery that the court lacked righteous ministers and harbored treacherous rebels. Garrison General Chu Ling and his daughter Chu Zhao, taking advantage of the chaos among the princes during the Yongning era, had colluded with Imperial Relative Xie Yanfang. Using private troops to threaten the late emperor, they seized the throne, dominated the realm, and poisoned the King Who Pacifies the Country.
In the ninth month of the third year of the Xingping era, Heir Apparent Xiao Xun of the King Who Pacifies the Country, honoring the late emperor's final decree, raised an army to crusade against the usurping Empress Chu Zhao and treacherous minister Xie Yanfang, vowing to rectify the chaos and restore order as he mobilized his forces for campaign.
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