Chapter 53 - 1#
Inside Qianming Palace, Ning Hongru was bowing, helping Emperor Jingyuan put on the final accessories. It was not yet dawn. The entire palace was brightly lit, but there was not a single superfluous sound, only complete silence remaining.
Emperor Jingyuan only ate a few mouthfuls of breakfast before going to the morning court.
Ning Hongru glanced at it, frowned slightly, said nothing, and hurriedly followed behind the Emperor.
In this morning court, the first person to speak was somewhat unexpected.
In the court, an official from the Court of State Ceremonial stepped out first and said loudly: “Your Majesty, inside the Court of State Ceremonial, both the Annan and Yueyu clans have sent people to negotiate, saying that the diplomatic corps hopes to leave before October. Later, heavy snow will make travel difficult.”
As soon as the voice fell, other officials spoke.
“Inappropriate. The verdict on Heyin has not yet been handed down. If they are allowed to return like this, it will damage our dignity.”
“It is only September now. Could it be that before October, a decision still cannot be made?”
“Absurd. How can such a major event be discussed so lightly?”
With just one sentence, the official from the Court of State Ceremonial caused a dispute in the court.
Regarding the matter of Shangyu Garden and how to punish Heyin, whenever these two issues were raised, the civil and military officials had their own opinions and argued endlessly.
To this day, there is still no conclusion.
Those who advocated martial arts wanted to fight fiercely; there were also those who advocated peace, saying only to send envoys to reprimand them, so that the Heyin people would learn a lesson.
It’s just that in this court, the atmosphere left over from the Late Emperor was that peace was the priority. Although the pro-war faction had great momentum, they couldn’t compare to the others.
Grand Secretary Zhang said with a smile: “If the Heyin people knew that just for such a matter, we could argue for two months, this would be a laughing stock in itself. Why wait for the future to feel ashamed?”
This Grand Secretary Zhang was also a Junior Grand Secretary in the Grand Secretariat.
He was someone who walked into the Grand Secretariat stepping on Huang Qingtian’s bones.
The matter of Huang Qingtian was handled almost entirely by him alone, very straightforwardly. No matter who it was, they couldn’t find any fault.
It’s just that sometimes his mouth was particularly poisonous, enough to choke people to death.
Emperor Jingyuan let the civil and military officials quarrel for two months, but was too lazy to respond with a single word. Today was especially so.
Just listening and listening, he waved his hand towards Ning Hongru.
Ning Hongru understood, bowed, and retreated.
By Emperor Jingyuan’s side, any trivial matter was worth attention, let alone a figure like Ning Hongru.
As soon as he moved, many secretive gazes followed him.
For a moment, someone actively mentioned Empress Dowager Huang again.
The person who said this was Huang Changcun.
He was the Junior Minister of the Court of Imperial Entertainments. It wasn’t a position with much real power, but it was noble.
He was also a handsome and very refined man.
“Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is frail and has lived in the palace for a long time. Perhaps she is feeling depressed. Why not let the Empress Dowager move to Bienan Palace? Perhaps there will be improvement.” Huang Changcun spoke earnestly, “If the Empress Dowager’s health improves, this harem can also return to peace, and there will be no more numerous issues.”
First was the poisoning at the Autumn Banquet, then the fire at Yongning Palace.
Although these two consecutive events were harem matters, the officials naturally heard about them.
The Emperor has no family matters. Even matters of marrying an Empress or taking concubines can be managed by the courtiers, let alone these numerous harem issues, which would naturally become part of their admonitions.
It’s just that Huang Changcun’s words sounded like he was thinking for the Empress Dowager, but upon careful listening, they were subtle.
Bienan Palace was indeed a detached palace with beautiful scenery.
It was in the suburbs of the capital.
It was a detached palace built by a former emperor for his favored concubine, very magnificent and beautiful. To this day, rare animals are kept in the palace. The flowers, plants, and trees are all precious, and the scenery everywhere is delightful.
Huang Changcun’s proposal to let the Empress Dowager go to Bienan Palace to recuperate was a reasonable proposal.
But this Bienan Palace also had another name, called the Palace of the Dead.
Anyone who went to Bienan Palace to recuperate would eventually commit suicide in the detached palace, without exception. Perhaps it was an exception, or perhaps a coincidence, but also because of this reputation, although later emperors would go there for a short rest, they would never stay long.
Is this recuperation, or wanting the Empress Dowager to die?
The Vice Minister of Revenue glared at him, stepped out, and said: “Your Majesty, since the Empress Dowager is weak, she should recuperate in the palace. Moving her for no reason would instead endanger the Empress Dowager’s health.”
He was originally cultivated by Huang Qingtian. Although the Huang family had fallen, in his words, he still helped his former old superior.
As for Huang Changcun…
Hmph, a side branch, also delusional enough to claim to be big here?
Huang Changcun was calm and composed: “This statement is wrong. Changing the environment, perhaps the Empress Dowager’s body can truly improve.”
These two people actually started arguing over this matter.
Just at this moment, fragmentation footsteps came from outside the main hall.
Ning Hongru came in again, followed by a middle-aged general. In the general’s hands, he was holding a jar that was neither big nor small.
Although he didn’t carry weapons, the chilling murderous aura on his body made the faces of many officials who had never seen blood turn slightly pale.
“Tang Zhuo?”
Someone recognized at a glance who this middle-aged general was.
Tang Zhuo followed General Stone Tiger to guard Yushi Pass and would not leave the border easily.
Now that he appeared in the court, it must not be a small matter.
Tang Zhuo knelt in the main hall and said loudly: “General Tang Zhuo, under the order of General Stone, presents the head of Huying Huda to Your Majesty.”
As the voice fell, the middle-aged general held the jar with both hands and raised it high.
Huying Huda, in the Heyin language, means the heir and prince of Heyin.
Huying Huda of Heyin was a brave and skilled general. In these few years, the alliance between Heyin, Yueyu, and Gaonan mostly relied on his eloquent tongue.
With him, at least Heyin’s next thirty years could be worry-free.
This person was a major concern for the Helian Dynasty.
In the court, whether pro-war or pro-peace, no one was unfamiliar with this person.
Tang Zhuo’s words caused a great sensation.
The previous argument between the Vice Minister of Revenue and Huang Changcun seemed irrelevant in the face of such a major event.
Huang Changcun retreated unnoticed and frowned.
His speech today was not aimless, but to create a rift between Emperor Jingyuan and the Empress Dowager. Naturally, everyone knew that the relationship between the Empress Dowager and Emperor Jingyuan was poor, but if they could have more conflicts, wouldn’t that be just right?
After the Empress Dowager claimed illness and stayed in, frequent incidents occurred in the palace.
This could be said that Consort De was young and couldn’t suppress things, or it could be said that these numerous things all had the Empress Dowager’s hand in them, aiming to force the Emperor to ask her to come forward.
Just like this time, with the fire in Yongning Palace, didn’t the Empress Dowager take over Consort De’s power as a matter of course?
Huang Changcun knew clearly that what he was doing was sowing discord.
If the already bad relationship between the Empress Dowager and Emperor Jingyuan could be made worse, what does it matter if others spat on him? Caring about reputation, can it get him anything?
Being a dog by Huang Qingtian’s side for these years didn’t bring any benefits. Now that something happened to all the direct descendants, it was his turn to be the master.
The taste of power was truly too delicious.
Once Huang Changtian tasted it, he could never stop.
He didn’t think his methods were ruthless; this was just learning from Huang Qingtian. As long as he can keep his current power, what does it matter if his conscience is eaten by dogs?
If the Empress Dowager could also die earlier, that would be truly wonderful.
Huang Changtian looked at Tang Zhuo who stood up with a bit of regret. With him here, I’m afraid this matter cannot be mentioned again today.
With foreign enemies present, these are all trivial matters.
Undoubtedly, after Tang Zhuo stood up, almost all the officials in the main hall were watching him.
Before troops move, provisions go first.
This has been the principle since ancient times.
Stone Tiger wanted to start a war. Even if there were soldiers, where were the provisions in hand, and who gave the support? The usual reserves at the border were completely insufficient for Stone Tiger to start a fight.
Emperor Jingyuan propped up his face and said absentmindedly: “Shatter it.”
Tang Zhuo subconsciously looked at the Emperor, his thick eyebrows furrowed, seemingly a bit puzzled.
Ning Hongru: “Since the lords have doubts, shatter the jar in the court, so that everyone can see if this is really Huying Huda.”
Tang Zhuo understood and readily threw the jar hard on the ground. With a cracking sound, a pale head rolled out.
Presumably, it had undergone special methods to keep the head from rotting. That pale and terrified expression condensed on the face was preserved eternally.
That head, under Tang Zhuo’s strength, rolled straight to Huang Changtian’s feet, startling him.
He dodged back, avoiding this head, but his eyes couldn’t help looking up, “…This, this is really Huying Huda.”
Huying Huda had been to the capital.
When the Late Emperor was still around.
That was also the last time many envoys came to the court during the Late Emperor’s reign.
Because of many unpleasant things that happened at that time, many people had fresh memories of Huying Huda, so they naturally recognized that this was him!
Huying Huda really died.
At the moment of seeing this head, this fact truly poured into their minds.
For a moment, there was an uproar everywhere.
When did Stone Tiger send troops, where did he get the provisions, and whose support was it? Without going through the Grand Secretariat, did Emperor Jingyuan issue a transfer order? Why did no one notice? Was it a victory or a defeat?
These countless questions, chattering all at once, made the entire main hall noisy like a vegetable market.
Ning Hongru had to raise his voice and said sternly: “Silence—”
After several consecutive shouts, the wave of sound was barely suppressed, but many people’s faces wore the same confusion.
Tang Zhuo stepped on several fragments under his feet but stood proudly.
For military generals, as long as they won a battle, this was their greatest confidence. Even if there were more doubts, they were not afraid.
Tang Zhuo held his head high and said: “This is all thanks to Your Majesty’s brilliant plan. This general dares not take credit.” He knelt down and bowed to Emperor Jingyuan, the joy in his heart indescribable.
The border was frequently harassed. Who could be more aggrieved than them?
But the wave of pro-peace in the court had always been significant. Since the Late Emperor’s reign, military supplies had been reduced several times. Even if the soldiers had the heart, they were powerless.
This surprise attack on Heyin was the most satisfying battle they had fought.
This kneel of his was truly sincere.
He even wanted to shout long live and vent properly.
…
The court fought with Heyin and won.
This news spread throughout the capital at a rapid speed, and even the Court of State Ceremonial was no exception.
The people of the capital didn’t care at all about the mood of these foreign envoys. They spontaneously walked onto the official roads, cheering and celebrating in various ways. The government office also lifted the curfew, and it was lively until dawn.
Such cheering and jubilation naturally had reasons.
The court hadn’t fought a war for a long time. Even if there were frictions, they mostly ended in pursuit and did not actively counterattack. Firstly, this was an old habit; the Late Emperor didn’t like large-scale military actions. Secondly, there was no such ability.
An elite army cannot be cultivated in a day. The border army that had become weak since the Late Emperor would need three or five years of effort to be revitalized again.
But the common people didn’t know this.
They only knew that their country had been harassed by foreign tribes all along, and they only knew that they hadn’t won a battle for many years.
Now the Battle of Heyin not only took Huying Huda’s life but also heavily struck the arrogant flames of the foreign tribes. How could the common people not be excited, how could they not be thrilled?
Emperor Jingyuan ordered Huying Huda’s head to be hung on the city wall.
Many people went below to curse. The consistently cold-faced city guards pretended not to see, especially when those rotten eggs and rotten vegetable leaves were thrown around, they just moved their bodies to avoid accidental injury.
If it weren’t because the city gate became too messy later, damaging the dignity of the capital, they wouldn’t have come forward to stop it.
Otherwise, those rotten things might have piled up high, submerging most of the city wall.
The excitement in the capital naturally reached the harem.
Shoukang Palace was very happy to hear this good news and gave generous rewards. Even the monthly allowance of palace servants for these two months was doubled, very generous and straightforward.
For a moment, each palace received the decree and accepted the reward, very lively.
Inside Shoukang Palace, the Empress Dowager sat in front of the dressing table, and a female official was gently combing her hair.
The hall was very quiet, which made Consort De kneeling on the ground look somewhat pitiful.
She had been kneeling here for half an hour (one hour).
Even if Consort De could endure hardship, her body was originally delicate and had never experienced such torture. This time had already made her face pale with pain, and cold sweat broke out.
After the female official recombed the Empress Dowager’s hair and put on accessories for her, the Empress Dowager looked at herself in the bronze mirror and said slowly: “Consort De, do you know your mistake?”
Consort De’s voice was weak: “Concubine, knows the mistake.”
She was called to Shoukang Palace before the Empress Dowager’s afternoon nap and had been kneeling until now. If she knelt any longer, her legs would be crippled.
The Empress Dowager glanced at her lightly, then signaled the female official to help her up.
When Consort De sat down, her whole body was trembling. Her hands gripped the armrests tightly; otherwise, her whole person would slide down.
“Where did you go wrong?”
“…Concubine, shouldn’t have, been impatient for a moment, in order to, in order to save face, made a reckless judgment…” Consort De lowered her head, her expression unclear, “It was concubine who was confused…”
“You are truly confused!” The Empress Dowager scolded sternly, “In this harem, don’t you remember what reputation you had before? Everyone said Consort De was fair and just, and did things properly. But now? You are a joke!”
Although the matter of the Autumn Banquet was damaging to Consort De, if she hadn’t been impatient and planned slowly, how could she not find out the clues?
But Consort De happened to be hit by a chaotic punch, messing up her own footing, and made a reckless judgment to maintain her reputation.
Who couldn’t see that these two implicated palace concubines couldn’t be the masterminds at all?
So what if the people from the Imperial Tea Kitchen and Supply Depot were removed?
Consort De made one mistake, then mistakes at every step.
Those people should have stayed even more!