The Road to Glory

Chapter 221 "Your Highness..."...

That gaze was sinister and venomous, like a gaunt, sickly dog baring its yellowed fangs, drool dripping between its teeth, deliberately intent on tearing a chunk of flesh from the person opposite.

The ministers below, upon hearing this, began whispering among themselves, discussing fervently.

Yet Wen Yu's face broke into a smile: "I imprisoned the King to monopolize power?"

As she glanced sideways, she lightly cast a look at Tong Que standing by the imperial platform. Understanding her meaning, Tong Que took advantage of everyone's attention being on Wen Yu to silently retreat to the side chamber at the rear where tea was prepared.

Wen Yu's dark, tranquil eyes then turned unhurriedly toward Yan Zhen: "Vice Commander Yan bears the responsibility of guarding the royal palace but holds no authority to discuss state affairs. I do not blame the Commander for being unaware of the court's changes. However, if the Commander, due to his own ignorance, wrongs the esteemed ministers present, then I must seek justice on their behalf."

Her voice was cool and distant: "Last year, when I returned to the royal court from Liang, the court ministers and the people of the royal court respectfully requested at the city gates that I continue to govern. It was only then that I resumed governance for this past year. According to Vice Commander Yan's words, does that mean the civil and military officials of the court and the people of the royal court imprisoned the King back then to allow me to govern?"

The incident last year, where the Jiang Family blocked Wen Yu at the city gates over Jiang Yu's death, only to be outmaneuvered by Wen Yu, ultimately leading to the court officials and the gathered citizens jointly requesting Wen Yu to continue governing, had long been widely circulated throughout the royal court. How could Yan Zhen not know of it?

Now, with Wen Yu stating it in such a manner, it was no different from mockery and humiliation. His expression turned extremely grim.

The court officials, who had been murmuring among themselves, seemed to recall last year's events at the city gates and immediately hunched their backs, not daring to speak.

Their state of Chen had long acknowledged Wen Yu as their ruler, so how could there be any talk of Wen Yu seizing King Chen's power?

Moreover, given King Chen's past absurd behavior, what hope could the ministers of Chen possibly have for him?

Realizing this from the reactions of all the ministers present, Yan Zhen abandoned the attempt to use King Chen's imprisonment to rally the court officials. Suppressing his anger with difficulty, he said, "This humble general knows that Your Highness is eloquent. But no matter how silver-tongued Your Highness may be today, can you withstand the blades of all the Imperial Guards with mere words?"

Eunuch Li, standing by the king's desk with a horsetail whisk in hand, pointed at Yan Zhen and said, "Is your Yan Family openly rebelling?"

"My Yan Family is assisting our King in purging the court of evil and restoring order to the government. What rebellion is there? Do you think everyone is like you, a eunuch dog who fawns on outsiders and deceives your master?"

Duke Yan, clad in the robes of a civil official, appeared at the entrance of the grand hall. Though his words were directed at Eunuch Li, his gaze lingered for a moment on Sun Simiao and the other ministers before he let out a cold laugh and stepped into the hall. Bowing to King Chen, he said, "The imperial guards in the city all await the King's command."

His words unmistakably informed all the ministers present that the imperial guards were now on their side.

Many ministers in the hall grew visibly flustered.

Wen Yu, with an extremely faint smile on her lips and cool, composed eyes, remained unperturbed as ever: "So this is the reason Duke Yan cited illness to excuse himself from today's court deliberations?"Duke Yan narrowed his eyes at Wen Yu, his posture ramrod straight, no longer even feigning the courtesy of a bow. His words, however, were grandiloquent: "You, a woman of Liang, have monopolized our Chen court's governance for over a year, engaging in nothing but hen-crowing-at-dawn chaos and upending the natural order! Now you've brought this calamity upon our Chen kingdom. You ought to return authority to our king, then personally go beyond the city walls to resolve this disaster, clarifying that this is a feud of your Liang Camp and has nothing to do with our Chen kingdom!"

Yan Zhen seized the moment to address the court officials: "Gentlemen, this Liang woman is consumed by jealousy! Under the pretext of the king's obsession with alchemy, she confined him to his chambers this past year, forbidding consorts from visiting and even dismissing all palace maids—all to ensure she alone would bear the royal heir. Fortunately, Heaven is just—she bore only a princess! Meanwhile, the king has already sired a son with Consort Jiang!"

He raised a silk scroll high—the imperial edict wherein King Chen had just appointed Lady Jiang as consort.

Simultaneously, Lady Jiang, rescued by the imperial guards from the cold palace and cradling an infant in swaddling clothes, appeared at the hall's entrance with her head slightly bowed.

When King Chen moved to take the child from her, Lady Jiang trembled visibly with fear. The infant was practically wrested from her grasp. Casting aside the swaddling clothes, King Chen lifted the wailing boy high for all courtiers to see: "For years, my lineage hung by a thread! Now Heaven has pitied me—I have a son! This is proof our ancestors protect Chen from being usurped by that venomous woman of Liang!"

Some aristocratic families, whose interests had suffered under Wen Yu's sweeping reforms and who had long conspired privately with the Yan family, now emerged from their shells: "Our Chen people suffer! Last year's autumn harvest, toiled over through bitter labor, was shipped entirely to Liang! Are Liang's battles the only ones that matter? Are Chen's not? Now with foreign enemies at our royal court's gates, must we sacrifice our soldiers and citizens to fill the trenches?"

Others pointed directly at Wen Yu: "You Liang woman have disrupted our Chen court long enough! You should bind yourself and apologize to the Xiao army outside the city!"

"Outrageous!" The Azure Guard flanking Wen Yu immediately drew their swords partway, roaring sharply. The Imperial Guards who had entered with Yan Zhen leveled their spears toward the hall.

As bloodshed loomed in the throne room, Qi Simiao—who had remained silent since King Chen's appearance—shouted, "Enough!"

He turned to face King Chen and the Yan faction, his eyes weathered with decades of official integrity, anger mingled with anguish.

Duke Yan swiftly mocked him: "Qi Simiao, you old dog who bows to outsiders—are you baring your loose teeth to protect your master now?"

King Chen also glared venomously at Qi Simiao, clearly resentful that he had led the royalist ministers to pledge allegiance to Wen Yu.

Qi Simiao's disciples flushed with indignation, stepping forward to retort, but he raised a hand to stop them.

He offered no sharp rebuttal to Duke Yan, instead recounting point by point: "The princess resolved our Chen kingdom's old grievances with the Keji tribe, revised laws, opened trade routes, reduced corvée and taxes for the people, severely punished corrupt officials, and vigorously promoted agriculture—reversing the treasury deficit. These are the oft-cited achievements of her one-year governance.""Furthermore, the princess has overturned the unjust convictions of many loyal ministers previously framed by the Jiang faction, appointed scholars from humble backgrounds to purge the court of corruption, ordered the excavation of canals along lakes to benefit agriculture, and whenever the State of Chen faced urgent shortages, it was the princess who commanded provisions to be transferred from Great Liang through barter. Even the desert tribes that frequently harassed our borders have not invaded Chen's territory for nearly a year due to trade routes opened by the princess."

"Pray tell, what court order has been disrupted by this?"

"Or is it merely that your avenues for embezzling state funds and lining your own pockets have been cut off?"

At these words, aristocratic families who had previously disgorged years of embezzled grain stores—fearing similar exposure after the Liu family's precedent in the autumn grain misappropriation case—immediately began shouting protests: "Who has embezzled state funds?"

"We mere minor officials serving by ancestral privilege—how could we compare to Lord Qi, the princess's right-hand man wielding overwhelming power, who can casually level such baseless accusations against us?"

"Whatever surplus remains in Chen's treasury, hasn't it all been drained away to her Great Liang?"

Qi Simiao's disciples flushed crimson with rage, pointing accusingly and retorting, "You're slandering us outright!"

Before the Azure Guard and Imperial Guards could come to blows, the civil officials in the court had already rolled up their sleeves, shouting insults finger-to-face. The altercation grew so heated that some resorted to shoving one another.

Amid the chaos, Wen Yu, seated above, clapped her hands twice and uttered one word: "Bravo."

The arguing below momentarily ceased. She gazed mockingly at the Yan faction and the aristocratic ministers who had long resented her, remarking icily, "Aside from the three million dan of grain promised by the King and Empress Dowager two years ago as my betrothal gift, I ask you all: What else has your State of Chen given to my Great Liang?"

"Even common folk observe proper etiquette in betrothal gifts, never daring to lose face by presenting mismatched dowries. Do you presume the State of Chen no longer requires such dignity?"

Attempting to renege on betrothal gifts in a royal marriage was truly unprecedented in all of history.

Many court officials felt their faces burn with shame.

One aristocratic minister attempted to argue: "But the treasury must be able to provide... the common people below..."

Wen Yu asked calmly, "Were last year's corvée taxes increased? Or are the people suffering unbearably? Wasn't the autumn grain collected according to that year's tax rate based on per-mu yield? Or perhaps Vice Minister Xu wishes to inform me that the Ministry of Revenue's grain records are inaccurate?"

The official immediately fell silent. Stuttering "I—", he caught his clan elder's murderous glare and promptly chose to lower his head and shut his mouth.

Last year, Wen Yu had made an example of Imperial Censor Liu Guangling and his family to warn others, frightening the remaining aristocratic families into disgorging their embezzled grain stores. But the origin of these grains required local prefectures to record them during tax collection.

In previous years, after embezzling half the two-dan-per-mu yield, they had ordered local offices to record only one dan. To cover the shortfall, they had to attribute their disgorged grain to prefectures with later autumn harvests, resulting in registered yields as high as four or five dan per mu.

A thorough investigation would certainly expose irregularities. Wen Yu had ultimately chosen to turn a blind eye—but only because they had shown some discretion.

Now if they themselves exposed the tax grain affair, and Wen Yu opted for a full investigation, descending upon the prefectures with anomalous grain records would quickly expose the aristocratic families behind the scheme.The faces of the Yan family father and son, along with those of several major noble clans, were extremely grim.

They had intended to topple Wen Yu today, yet none of the numerous charges they listed could sway the neutral ministers to join their side.

Duke Yan quickly declared, "That Liang woman is most eloquent! Do not waste any more words on her!"

King Chen, seemingly enraged to the extreme, raised his arms and shouted at the ministers, "I stand before you now, yet you still pledge allegiance to such a venomous woman? In the afterlife, will you have the face to meet the ancestral kings of Chen?"

Though some among the neutral and royalist ministers showed hesitation, none ultimately spoke up.

The ministers with Keji lineage, suppressing their indignation, pressed their right fists to their left chests and declared to Wen Yu, "We pledge our undying loyalty to the princess!"

Wen Yu, seated above, remained silent. Her earlier words were merely to buy time.

King Chen would never father a child with anyone. The Yan father and son's claim of a "royal heir" meant they would not spare A Li.

Her earlier glance at Tong Que was a signal to hurry back to Zhaohua Palace.

While the Yan father and son and King Chen were still maneuvering in the hall—partly to incite the ministers to defect to King Chen, and partly fearing the Azure Guard under her command—they also intended to capture A Li to force her surrender.

Wen Yu's expression was as cold as ice, appearing calm and seated firmly, but beneath her wide sleeves, her nails had long dug into her palms.

Tong Que used a blowgun coated with Mafeisan, which she carried with her, to incapacitate the Imperial Guards stationed outside the side chamber of the council hall. She then led her team through the window and rushed toward Zhaohua Palace.

The group avoided the Imperial Guards as much as possible while sprinting. When they unavoidably encountered them head-on, they gave no chance for the guards to signal, drawing their blades and cutting them down. They advanced through a trail of blood and finally reached Zhaohua Palace, which, as expected, had been besieged by a squad of Imperial Guards for some time.

Tong Que and her companions raised their swords and joined the blood-soaked fray. Like the tip of a sharp arrow, they fought their way inward, while the Azure Guard inside the palace protected A Li and fought their way out. The two groups finally broke through the wall of Imperial Guards.

In their brief meeting, the Azure Guard holding A Li wrapped in cloth against her chest urgently called Tong Que's name and asked, "Where is the princess?"

Tong Que shook her head in distress, swinging her sword to cut down an advancing Imperial Guard, her face splattered with blood. "Take the young mistress and break out first!" she said.

Although court officials believed Xiao Li's demand for Wen Yu was to avenge the arrow wound from before, Tong Que, worried as she was for Wen Yu, knew all too well that even if Wen Yu were sent to Xiao Li, he would not harm her.

After all, if he truly held a grudge against Wen Yu, he would not have helped conceal her identity back in the Wei camp, nor would he have ultimately betrayed Wei Qishan to abduct her.

The most dangerous one now was A Li.

With that mad dog King Chen regaining power, his hatred for the Jiang Family and Wen Yu would likely be vented on A Li.

After breaking out of Zhaohua Palace, several other Azure Guard members also carried swaddled infants in front of them, splitting up with Tong Que's group to divert the pursuers.

Tong Que and the remaining Azure Guard hid in a narrow passage between palace walls. After the Imperial Guards were lured away, she glanced at A Li in the swaddle. Despite the fierce battle, A Li had not cried. Instead, clutching the sachet Wen Yu often wore, she seemed to find the jostling and clamor quite amusing, smiling at Tong Que and revealing four tiny milk teeth.Tong Que's inner turmoil and panic subsided slightly. She gently touched A Li's cheek with the back of her unbloodied hand and promised, "This servant will definitely help Your Highness escape."

As she and the seven or eight accompanying Azure Guard members protected A Li while fighting their way toward the palace exit, they emerged from a long, narrow corridor between palace walls and encountered an elderly matron from the Empress Dowager's retinue. Without a second thought, Tong Que pressed her blade against the woman's throat, narrowly avoiding cutting it. Fortunately, the matron timely declared, "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager sent me to assist you!"

The bloodstained edge of Tong Que's blade hovered mere millimeters from the matron's neck. Reeking of blood—both her own and that of the Imperial Guards—she coldly demanded, "Why should I trust you?"

The matron, truly a seasoned servant of the Empress Dowager, remained remarkably composed despite her fear, unlike the two eunuchs accompanying her who trembled like sieves. Calmly and logically, she explained, "The young mistress is also a descendant of the Hussar General. The Hussar General was the Empress Dowager's own nephew, whom she watched grow up. Though the King cannot tolerate the young mistress, Her Majesty is determined to preserve this bloodline for the Hussar General's sake."

Tong Que kept her blade in place and asked, "How does the Empress Dowager intend to help?"

The matron presented an exit pass from the Empress Dowager's palace.

—

A carriage raced urgently through the solemn royal palace toward the main gate. Guards stationed at the entrance stopped it for routine inspection. As the carriage curtain was slightly lifted, the matron displayed the pass to the guard captain. Her expression revealed neither anger nor deference as she stated, "We are leaving the palace on the Empress Dowager's orders to procure some items."

When the guard captain attempted to peek inside the carriage, the matron blocked him completely. With a lifted eyelid and the natural authority of someone long serving a master, she addressed the royal court subordinate: "Satisfied?"

The guard captain could only reply with an apologetic smile, "Yes, satisfied."

"Xiao Shuangzi."

The matron retrieved the pass and called out impassively. The eunuch driving the carriage raised his whip, but the guard captain, knowing he must not let them pass, steeled himself to stop the carriage despite risking the Empress Dowager's displeasure. Just then, a urgent shout came from behind: "Do not let them pass!"

Seeing the troop of Imperial Guards galloping toward them, the guard captain instantly felt relieved.

In moments, the newcomers surrounded the carriage.

The matron cracked open the carriage curtain, her face stern. "What is the meaning of this? How dare you stop a carriage from the Empress Dowager's palace?"

A junior officer of notable rank among the Imperial Guards ignored her implicit threat and said, "An assassin was reported in the palace today. We are under orders to apprehend the culprit. We beg your indulgence, Matron."

With that, he gestured toward the carriage and ordered, "Search the carriage!"

The matron shouted sharply, "How dare you! Have you no respect for the Empress Dowager?"

Her evident tension made the junior officer smirk, convinced their target must be inside.

However, when his subordinates forcibly pulled open the carriage curtain, they found only the matron inside.

The junior officer's face fell instantly. After a soldier searching under the carriage stood up and shook his head, he crouched down to look for himself, even tapping the carriage base as if checking for hidden compartments.

But the thickness clearly indicated no such space existed.

The matron, her face frosty, barked, "Are you treating this old woman as an assassin? Very well! I shall return to the palace and report this to the Empress Dowager at once!"With that, he ordered the young eunuch to turn the carriage around and head back.

The young officer’s expression was extremely grim. Even though King Chen and the Empress Dowager were at odds, they were still mother and son. Failing to carry out his duty and offending someone from the Empress Dowager’s palace, the young officer knew this matter would not be easily resolved. He had no choice but to suppress his temper and humbly apologize to the old matron.

At the same time, at the western side gate of King Chen’s royal palace, which was usually used for transporting kitchen waste, a young eunuch drove a cart of slops toward the palace gate.

The guards at the gate conducted a routine inspection, lifting the lid of every slop bucket to check. Only after confirming there was nothing unusual did they allow the cart to pass.

Once the slop cart left the palace, it headed into the streets. When it reached a secluded alley, the young eunuch lifted the bucket at the very edge.

It turned out that the large slop bucket had a hidden compartment. Only the top three inches contained slops, while the bottom was hollow, without even a base.

Tong Que and the Azure Guard members emerged one after another by moving the bucket aside. Tong Que immediately looked at A Li in her arms. Fortunately, A Li’s breathing was steady and deep, still fast asleep.

Fearing any mishaps during their escape from the palace, she had administered a very small dose of sleeping draught to make A Li fall asleep.

The young eunuch bowed respectfully to Tong Que and the others, saying, "This humble servant can only escort you ladies this far."

Tong Que replied with a complicated expression, "Please convey our princess’s gratitude to the Empress Dowager."

The young eunuch gave a slight nod.

This was no place to linger, so without another word, Tong Que led A Li and several Azure Guard members away from the alley.

The atmosphere in the council hall remained tense as drawn swords.

After the official spoke those words, King Chen, seemingly unable to bear such betrayal, directly drew a sword from one of the Imperial Guards and strode toward the minor official of Keji descent. The darkness in his eyes almost solidified, and a ferocious sneer curled his lips as he demanded, "What did you say, you traitorous scum?"

Before the minor official could defiantly repeat his earlier statement, King Chen thrust the sword fiercely into his chest. Blood splattered across his face, but he paid it no mind. Pulling the sword out, he turned to the other court officials and roared with near madness, "This is the fate of those who betray me!"

Pointing his sword at the crowd, he shouted, "Who else dares swear undying loyalty to that venomous woman? I will grant your wish!"

The ministers aligned with the king, led by Qi Simiao, closed their eyes in sorrow, unwilling to witness the ruler they had once served behaving in such a manner.

The neutral faction of officials wore expressions of alarm, though their disappointment in King Chen’s actions was evident.

The Yan father and son appeared indifferent to King Chen’s outburst in the court. They had restrained themselves until now, seemingly waiting for some news.

Wen Yu gazed coldly and intently at the minor official lying in the center of the hall, his blood soaking a large patch of the carpet. She lightly tapped the armrest of the throne.

The Azure Guard stationed before the imperial steps immediately drew their swords and charged toward King Chen.

"Protect the king! Protect the king!" King Chen screamed in panic, frantically pulling elderly ministers in front of him as shields. When he grabbed Duke Yan, the Imperial Guards armed with halberds in the hall finally rushed toward the Azure Guard.

Civil officials scrambled in panic to either side of the hall, while some military officers joined the fray with the Imperial Guards. Others, uncertain of which side to take given the circumstances, chose to retreat to the sides with the civil officials.

An Imperial Guard hurried in from outside the hall and whispered something into Yan Zhen’s ear. In that instant, Yan Zhen’s expression turned indescribably grim, and he lifted his gaze to Wen Yu on the throne.After dismissing the Imperial Guard, Yan Zhen directly ordered: "Crossbowmen, ready!"

The crossbowmen who had been waiting outside earlier filed in with their crossbows. Having first fired into an empty area to intimidate everyone in the hall, the previously brawling Imperial Guards and Azure Guard quickly separated.

A court official shouted: "Yan Zhen, do you intend to kill us all!"

Yan Zhen snatched a crossbow from an Imperial Guard and immediately shot an arrow into the court official's leg.

The official immediately clutched his leg and howled in pain on the hall floor, striking fear into the hearts of all other ministers who witnessed it.

Yan Zhen said fiercely: "Since you insist on remaining loyal to that Liang woman, you are no different from traitors. This general is eliminating treacherous officials on behalf of the King!"

Faced with countless arrows aimed at them, many ministers from the royal faction and neutral parties were visibly intimidated, no longer daring to speak out easily.

The Azure Guard swiftly returned to Wen Yu's side, forming a tight protective barrier around her.

Some officials fiercely loyal to Wen Yu, despite their fear, trembled as they attempted to move in front of her throne to shield her. One managed to utter "Your Highness, do not fear" before falling to Yan Zhen's arrow.

Wen Yu stared coldly at Yan Zhen, her fingers clutching her wide sleeves so tightly that the smooth fabric wrinkled deeply. To her at this moment, officials from Liang or Chen made no difference—they were all her people.

She declared, "Enough."

Yan Zhen sneered, "This general thought Your Highness would only say those words after all the maids shielding you had perished."

"Your Highness calculated brilliantly by sending the princess away beforehand, but this general believes there are others besides the princess who can be used to threaten you."

Imperial Guards swarmed into the hall, escorting the female officials from Morning Cloud Pavilion and Wen Yu's aunt's family.

Some Chen female officials wept upon seeing their fathers in the hall, while those from Liang dared not even cry. Yang Baolin and her mother mournfully called out "Your Highness" through tears, pleading not to be cared for.

Wen Yu addressed Yan Zhen, "Does Vice Commander Yan intend to slaughter half the court?"

Yan Zhen's expression darkened. He knew the prowess of Wen Yu's Azure Guard. He and his father had been maneuvering in the main hall, waiting for the Imperial Guards to capture A Li and use her as leverage.

Unexpectedly, they failed to find her. His subordinates even risked searching the Empress Dowager's Lingxi Palace but found nothing. They then turned to arresting the female officials from Morning Cloud Pavilion, only to find the Azure Guard stationed there equally troublesome, causing further delays.

Threatening all courtiers with arrows might force Wen Yu to submit but would alienate both royal faction and neutral ministers. He had been forced into this desperate measure.

Cornered by Wen Yu's questioning, he could only invoke King Chen: "This general is merely eliminating traitors for His Majesty!"

"Traitors?" Wen Yu's gaze remained icy before she seemed unwilling to engage further, closing her eyes. "Spare them. Aren't you planning to bind me and deliver me to the Xiao Army for apology? Proceed."

The Azure Guard protecting her urgently cried, "Your Highness!"

Wen Yu appeared resolute. "All of you, step back."

Chen officials stared at Wen Yu in disbelief. Branded as traitors by King Chen, they now witnessed her willing to be bound and sacrificed to the Xiao Army for their sake. An elderly minister wept openly, crying "Your Highness."

The Liang female officials sobbed uncontrollably.

After the Azure Guard retreated under Wen Yu's order, Imperial Guards moved to restrain them. Instead, the female officials seized the guards as human shields against incoming arrows, quickly retreating to the side chamber before discarding the shields and escaping through windows.

Yan Zhen glared furiously at Wen Yu.

Wen Yu calmly stated, "I go to my death. Their pursuit of survival is beyond my control."

Frustrated but speechless, Yan Zhen could only signal his men to bind Wen Yu.

King Chen, believing Wen Yu was now at his mercy and he could finally avenge past grievances, approached her with a sinister yet barely concealed excitement.Wen Yu's gaze was as sharp as ice, her tone indifferent as she delivered her words: "Have you all considered this carefully? I have already sent my daughter to Liang. Whatever I can accomplish, the ministers of Liang can assist her in achieving. When the day comes that Liang's army arrives at your gates to settle accounts with your Chen Kingdom, if you claim you had no choice but to hand me over to the Xiao Army, there might still be room for negotiation. But if any harm befalls me before I am delivered to the Xiao Army, do you truly believe the Xiao Army will take the blame for your Chen Kingdom?"

The faces of the Yan father and son darkened. With Chen's western border already locked in a death grip by the Western Mausoleum and now Xiao Li besieging the city, they had only suggested capturing Wen Yu to offer to Xiao Li as a means to seize power.

If the Liang army were to march south later to demand answers, they would have no way to explain themselves.

Duke Yan shook his head at his son.

Yan Zhen also stepped forward to block King Chen, saying, "Your Majesty, the greater situation must take precedence."