Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 115

Even though the emperor was still an emperor, marriage was definitely not allowed during the mourning period after the emperor's death. Therefore, a letter was sent to the Cui family to postpone the marriage.

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On the night of Li Longji's death, Li Heng, whose health had slightly improved, was sleeping peacefully in his bedchamber. In his dazed state, he seemed to return to the day he fled Chang'an, kneeling before his father's horse and weeping, "The people block the road and weep, saying that the Emperor has abandoned them; it breaks my heart to hear this. Perhaps Your Majesty should first go to Shu, where I will gather the scattered troops, pacify the people, and then catch up slowly..."

Although Li Longji was over seventy, he was originally quite healthy, with an upright posture and still able to ride horses and hunt; even his hair and beard were only slightly gray. However, after the "Mawei Incident," when he was forced to hang Yang Guifei, his spirit seemed to collapse instantly—even during the escape from the capital, he hadn't been so dejected—his twilight years were fully revealed. He immediately dismounted, tremblingly took Li Heng's hand, and said:

"I am utterly exhausted and can no longer fight the rebels and recover the two capitals. This heavy responsibility can only be temporarily entrusted to your shoulders... Do not risk returning to Chang'an, but gather the scattered troops and temporarily defend Fufeng to cover my retreat..."

Just as Li Heng was feeling overjoyed, Li Longji suddenly frowned slightly, his withered hand gripping Li Heng's wrist tightened, and he shook his head, saying, "No, no..."

"Your Majesty, what is it that won't work?"

"If I leave, and you go to Lingwu to usurp the throne, what will become of you? I am not at ease leaving you alone. Come with me, come with me..."

Li Heng was suddenly awakened from his dream, when he heard the wailing of a eunuch outside the palace: "Reporting to everyone, a message has just arrived from the Western Palace that the Emperor Yun, the Emperor Emeritus... has passed away!"

Upon hearing the report, Li Heng was greatly alarmed. He sat up abruptly from the couch, his lips twitching several times. Suddenly, he felt an immense sense of ease throughout his body. However, this ease lasted only a moment. Immediately, his father's words from his dream echoed in his ears again—"I am worried about you traveling alone. Come with me, come with me..."

His body suddenly convulsed, his eyes rolled back, and he tumbled to the floor, unconscious...

Thus, he was forced to remain bedridden in the Daming Palace, while the officials held a funeral procession at the Taiji Palace. For several days, whenever Li Heng closed his eyes, he would vaguely relive the scenes from his dream, and the words, "Come with me now," echoed in his ears. He knew his days were numbered…

He awoke from his deep sleep that day to the sound of sobbing beside him. Turning his head with difficulty, he saw Empress Zhang lying on the bed, weeping sorrowfully. Li Heng slowly reached his hand out from under the covers. Empress Zhang noticed and quickly grasped it, forcing a smile, and said, "Everyone's awake? Take your medicine and then go back to sleep to rest..."

Li Heng shook his head: "No need, it's pointless." After catching his breath, he asked, "With the Emperor Emeritus gone, who will serve as the envoy for the mausoleum?"

Empress Zhang replied, "The court recommends Miao Jinqing as the Grand Councilor."

Li Heng nodded: "Alright." He then raised his voice slightly so that not only Empress Zhang but also many others could hear him: "I am seriously ill and unable to manage state affairs. I hereby appoint Crown Prince Li Yu to oversee the country."

Empress Zhang was shocked upon hearing this and hurriedly said, "You mustn't!" She then quickly found a reason: "You are only slightly unwell because of your grief over the passing of the late Emperor. As long as you take good care of yourself, you will recover soon. Why should the Crown Prince oversee the country?"

Li Heng gave a bitter smile: "I have been bedridden for more than a day, and the affairs of state are in dire straits. How can I not be thinking about the aftermath of my death? Besides, it is not too early to appoint the Crown Prince to oversee the country at this time..."

Empress Zhang couldn't help but weep again, kowtowing on the bed and saying, "Please don't say such things... If you all have any objections, how can I, the widow and orphan Prince Ding, and I live with ourselves?"

Li Heng shook his head: "The Crown Prince is very filial and will certainly not mistreat you and your son. Why worry unnecessarily?"

"The Crown Prince... the Crown Prince's heart is truly unfathomable..." Considering that he had been speaking ill of the Crown Prince for quite some time, and that Li Heng hadn't listened to him at all, and besides, Li Yu had indeed been obediently staying in the Eastern Palace, without any faults to be found, he quickly changed his tune—"The Crown Prince is honest and kind, but I fear he may be misled by wicked people, and see my mother and me as a thorn in his side... Moreover, the Prince of Fengjie has always been at odds with my mother and me..."

Li Heng's face suddenly darkened, and he looked coldly at Empress Zhang: "Shi'er has never spoken ill of you and his fifteenth uncle (Prince Ding, Li Tong) in front of me. How can you say that you are not on good terms?"

"This……"

"I understand Shi'er's temperament. As long as you and your son remain in your positions and do not provoke him, he will not act recklessly or commit any unfilial acts. You can rest assured."

"However... there is also the King of Qi. The King of Qi is leading troops abroad and harbors a long-standing grudge against me. He will surely incite the Crown Prince, which will be detrimental to the Prince of Ding!"

Li Heng thought for a moment, then raised his voice again: "Then let us issue an edict ordering Li Tan to return to the capital. Longyou... Longyou... the Ministry of War shall select a capable general to govern it in his place."

Empress Zhang pleaded with him to no avail and was instead driven out of the palace. She immediately wiped away the tears from her cheeks and ordered her attendants to summon several of her confidants to discuss important matters.

The "Five Traitors"—Zhu Huiguang, Chen Xianfu, Ma Yingjun, Duan Hengjun, and Dan Tingyao—arrived on orders. Empress Zhang asked them, "The Emperor has already issued an edict to have the Crown Prince oversee the country—what should be done in this situation?"

Dan Tingyao hurriedly asked, "Can this decree be stopped?" Empress Zhang glared at him, "How can it be stopped?!"

For years, Empress Zhang had been secretly cultivating her faction and expanding her power within the palace, but a formidable obstacle stood in her way—Li Fuguo. Li Fuguo governed daily from within the palace, remotely controlling the outer court, but the old eunuch also knew very well that the palace was his true base, and therefore dared not be disrespectful. While avoiding direct conflict with the Empress's faction, he also planted his trusted confidants in key positions throughout the palace. Therefore, if Li Heng were to whisper to Empress Zhang on his sickbed, perhaps outsiders would not dare to approach and eavesdrop; but if he were to loudly proclaim an imperial edict, how could it possibly escape Li Fuguo's notice?

If Li Fuguo knew that the emperor wanted the crown prince to oversee the country, how could Empress Zhang possibly stop him if he didn't object?

Empress Zhang had spoken ill of Li Fuguo to Li Heng on several occasions, but Li Heng trusted Li Fuguo deeply—such a loyal servant was hard to find and difficult to cultivate—and ignored the Empress's words. Then, Empress Zhang tried to praise Li Fuguo while criticizing him, suggesting that Li Heng allow him to enter the Council of State Affairs—if the old eunuch's energy was too tied up in the outer court, perhaps he would be more relaxed in the inner palace—but Li Heng still firmly refused to accept him.

The emperor was weak-willed, but once he made up his mind about something, it was very difficult to change his mind.

Now, after hearing the Empress's words, Dan Tingyao knew that the Crown Prince's regency was a foregone conclusion, and couldn't help but sigh, "The Crown Prince is already supported by the ministers. If he also assumes the power of regency, he will probably be even more uncontrollable! Prince Ding... how will Prince Ding deal with this..."

Empress Zhang glared at him: "If this were easy, would we need to summon you all to discuss it?"

Zhu Huiguang and Duan Hengjun exchanged a glance, then bowed and said, "In that case, I'm afraid the Empress will have no choice but to make a hasty decision."

"What you call a grand plan is..."

Duan Hengjun lowered his voice and said, "The Emperor firmly refuses to change the heir apparent, and even if he did, Prince Ding is still too young, and it would be difficult to gain the support of the people. If the Prime Minister disregards him and the officials are suspicious, Li Fuguo could take the opportunity to incite the internal and external armies, and the Empress would be in grave danger! Have you not heard of the story of Li Ji of Jin? Moreover, there is no Xun Xi in the court..."

During the Spring and Autumn Period, Duke Xian of Jin, due to the slander of his favorite concubine Li Ji, killed his crown prince Shen Sheng and forced his two older sons, Chong Er and Yi Wu, to flee. He eventually made Li Ji's son, Xi Qi, his heir. However, on his deathbed, Duke Xian saw that Xi Qi was still young and that most of his court officials missed Shen Sheng. Fearing chaos after his death, he entrusted Li Ji and her son to the loyal minister Xun Xi.

Not long after Duke Xian's death, powerful ministers Li Ke and Pi Zhengfu indeed rebelled. They first sent assassins to kill Xi Qi, and then Xun Xi reinstated Zhuo Zi, the young son of Li Ji, as ruler. Li Ke and Zhengfu, not content with their actions, then sent assassins to kill Zhuo Zi as well. Xun Xi was also forced to commit suicide, and the state of Jin descended into chaos…

Empress Zhang had originally placed her hopes on her eldest son, Prince Xing, Li Zhao, but unfortunately he died young... It was because of Li Zhao's death that Li Heng completely gave up his illusions, and thus, under the advice of the court officials, he established Li Yu as the crown prince.

However, Empress Zhang still had a young son, Prince Ding, Li Tong, so she still harbored delusions and was unwilling to give up easily. But even if Li Zhao was still alive, he was still a minor. Since the son was honored because of his mother, it was not unreasonable to directly establish him as the crown prince. However, it would be inappropriate to deliberately remove an adult crown prince from the throne and change the title to a child. The officials would certainly not agree to it.

That's why Duan Hengjun said, "Even if the heir is changed, Prince Ding is still too young, and it will be difficult for him to win over the people." At that time, Li Fuguo and the officials of the outer court will be completely on the same side. Will the young heir in the palace be able to sit securely? Empress, is it possible for you to use your son to control the court and thus rule the world?

Now, the only option is to "make a grand plan urgently," or rather, "make no grand plan at all."

Zhu Huiguang explained, "Judging from the current situation, the one who is obstructing Prince Ding's succession and Empress's rule is not the Crown Prince, but Li Fuguo! We must first eliminate Li Fuguo, and then temporarily support the Crown Prince to succeed to the throne, placing him under the Empress's protection. Once Li Fuguo is gone, the Empress will have the sole authority to decide matters in the palace, and she can issue edicts through the successor Emperor to handle matters in the court. Then, when Prince Ding grows up, he will surely be able to ascend the throne."

Empress Zhang pondered for a long time, but in the end she had no choice but to bow to reality: "This is the only way..."

The son is still too young. — Emperor, couldn't you have held on for another ten years? — In times of peace, it's fine, but when the country is in turmoil, if there were any other options, which courtier would agree to a young emperor ascending the throne? Throughout history, how many young emperors who have ascended the throne have had a good ending?

As Zhu Huiguang suggested, if we simply tolerate Li Yu's ascension to the throne, and as long as we can control Li Yu as the Empress Dowager, then it won't be difficult for him to make Prince Ding the Crown Prince, or even directly pass the throne to Prince Ding...

"However, how do I get rid of Li Fuguo?" If Li Fuguo doesn't die, I still can't completely control the inner court. Even if Li Yu becomes a puppet, he's very likely Li Fuguo's puppet, not mine...

Zhu Huiguang said, "Only a sage could kill Li Fuguo..."

“I have often offered my advice, but the sage has always refused.”

Upon hearing this, the "five thieves" exchanged bewildered glances.

Judging from the Empress's tone, the Emperor was on his deathbed and probably didn't have many days left. The easiest way, in fact, would be to surround the Emperor's bedchamber, isolating it from the outside world, and then issue a false edict to eliminate Li Fuguo. However, the palace wasn't entirely under the Empress's control. If the news leaked, forcing Li Fuguo to take desperate measures, those of them would be in real danger…

Secondly, surrounding the imperial bedchamber and falsely issuing an imperial edict was a desperate gamble. Not only would any mistake be tantamount to putting one's head under the knife, but even if successful, the person who offered the suggestion would likely be made a scapegoat. Therefore, none of the "Five Traitors" had the courage to propose this ruthless plan.

It would be best if the Empress made the decision herself. That way, even if someone had to be pushed out to quell public opinion later, we five could just draw lots at most, and everyone would still have a four-fifths chance of survival. However, after waiting for a while, the Empress, whether she hadn't thought of it at all or didn't intend to risk her life, still refused to speak.

Duan Hengjun could only reply, "In the past, only the Sage could kill Li Fuguo; but now there is another one..."

Chapter Twenty-Two: Where is Li Ji?

Duan Hengjun said that in the past only Li Heng could order the execution of Li Fuguo, but now there is another person who can do so.

Empress Zhang seemed to understand—"You mean..."

“Since the Crown Prince has been appointed to oversee the country, killing Li Fuguo is merely a matter of issuing a document.”

Empress Zhang frowned and shook her head slightly: "The Crown Prince is relying on Li Fuguo for support, how could he be willing to kill him? And what if Li Fuguo refuses to obey?"

Zhu Huiguang smiled slightly and said, "Since the Emperor has appointed the Crown Prince to oversee the country, it is foreseeable that a major upheaval will occur in the palace. The Empress can hint that she will no longer obstruct the Crown Prince's succession. In that case, the only way he can turn enemies into friends with the Empress is to kill Li Fuguo. The Crown Prince is usually weak and will most likely not dare to disobey the Emperor's decree. If Li Fuguo disobeys the order, he will also be angry with the Crown Prince. When the two tigers fight, the Empress can reap the benefits. Isn't that a brilliant plan?"

Empress Zhang said, "Those who plan ahead will win, those who plan behind will lose—what if the Crown Prince insists on refusing to comply?"

Duan Hengjun said, "That would be courting death. If the emperor has any doubts, the country will seek a mature ruler. Although Prince Ding is young, are there no other adult princes who can be the heir apparent?"

Empress Zhang pondered for a moment and said, "You mean... the King of Yue?"

"And the Prince of Yan."

Prince Li Xi of Yue was the second son of Li Heng, and Prince Li Xian of Yan was the sixth son. Both of them usually respected Empress Zhang and sent people to inquire about her well-being day and night. But was it true filial piety or ulterior motives? Not to mention the "Five Traitors", anyone in the palace could see it.

Of Li Heng's older sons, excluding Li Yu, there were four who were most qualified to succeed him: Li Xi, Prince of Yue; Li Tan, Prince of Qi; Li Xian, Prince of Yan; and Li Quan, Prince of Jiang. Li Xi and Li Tan were the second and third sons, respectively, and were chosen based on their age. Li Xian and Li Quan were born to Lady Wei, Li Heng's principal wife when he was the crown prince (who was later forced to divorce him), so their status was relatively higher.

In the Empress's faction's scheme, Li Tan was naturally the first to be eliminated; Li Quan, on the other hand, not only consistently treated Li Yu with respect but also secluded himself to study, never having any contact with Empress Zhang, and therefore was not considered either. So, those left were naturally only the Princes of Yue and Yan.

"The Empress can order the Crown Prince to kill Li Fuguo. If the Crown Prince can successfully eliminate him, all the better. If a conflict arises, the Empress can then adapt to the situation, either helping the Crown Prince succeed and thus keeping him under her control, or helping Li Fuguo to make him obey her. If, by any chance, the Crown Prince refuses, then invite the Princes of Yue and Yan to the palace, entice them with the position of heir apparent, send troops to eliminate Li Fuguo, and blame the Crown Prince... The two princes are both greedy and foolish, and will surely fight over him after the deed is done. The Empress can then choose the one who is easier to control, thus taking control of the palace, and even the entire realm!"

Step by step, seemingly logical and comprehensive, Empress Zhang listened and nodded in agreement. But she ultimately raised a crucial question: "If we use the Princes of Yue and Yan, how do we kill Li Fuguo?"

"This is ultimately a last resort; when the time comes, we'll have no choice but to resort to force..." Zhu Huiguang turned to Chen Xianfu and asked, "What about the Divine Strategy?"

Chen Xianfu said, "Liu Xixian is usable. In case of emergency, we can summon him to the inner court, kill Li Fuguo, and assist the Empress."

"The inner and outer courts are ultimately guarded by the Yingwu Army. So how should the Yingwu Army be dealt with?"

Duan Hengjun said, "This servant is acting on the Empress's orders to select two hundred brave and strong eunuchs from the palace. Once they are well-trained, they will be able to cooperate with the Shence Army from within and without, and the Yingwu Army will be no threat. However..." He paused, then smiled bitterly, "Li Ji is not easy to deal with."

Li Ji was renowned for his bravery and had long commanded the Yingwu Army, winning the hearts of his soldiers. If he were disregarded, the few hundred men guarding the inner and outer courts, along with the thousand-odd Yingwu soldiers protecting the outer court, were indeed not a threat. Liu Xixian, leading the Shence Army, which outnumbered them by more than two, could easily divide, encircle, or even massacre them. However, although Li Ji had been lured out of the capital, the rebel army approached Shanzhou last year, and Li Heng, fearing for his life, recalled him…

Empress Zhang asked, "Before the Emperor Emeritus passed away, Li Ji seemed to be absent for several days. What was the reason?"

"I heard that Li Ji wanted to marry Cui Guangyuan's daughter. The marriage contract had been sent and the wedding date had been set. Therefore, I asked for leave to stay at home and handle the arrangements."

Empress Zhang stamped her foot and exclaimed, "The Emperor Emeritus is dead... His passing was truly ill-timed!"

Chen Xianfu said, "Li Ji and Li Fuguo have a long-standing grudge, so it might be possible to persuade them to act."

Empress Zhang shook her head: "We cannot have such high hopes. If it fails, it will only leak the news... What other plans do you have?"

Ma Yingjun, who had been silent all along, finally spoke: "This servant recently found an extraordinary person who can kill Li Ji!"

Empress Zhang looked at him with some hesitation: "Li Ji is brave and strong, invincible against ten thousand men. Who dares to say that he can definitely be killed?"

Ma Yingjun said, "Therefore, he is called an extraordinary person, and he truly possesses extraordinary skills, capable of killing Li Ji. Your Majesty, rest assured, how could I dare to boast before Your Majesty if I were not confident in such a matter?"

Empress Zhang now deeply regrets not having devised a plan to eliminate Li Ji earlier… The key reason is that she thought the emperor could still hold out for a while, so she only needed to find a way to drive Li Ji out of the capital. In the future, when her son ascended the throne and she ruled from behind the curtain, she could still summon him to serve. Now that her strategy was well-planned, the only variable was this lowly sixth-rank official. She truly had to be ruthless and eliminate him as soon as possible.

"Don't make a move in the capital, lest you alert the enemy," Empress Zhang finally agreed with Ma Yingjun's suggestion, but added, "You should devise a foolproof plan as soon as possible to lure Li Ji out of the capital."

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Li Ji took a few days off to prepare for the wedding at home—of course, when the wedding date arrived, he would have to take an even longer leave—but unexpectedly, Emperor Li Longji suddenly passed away, and the wedding was forced to be postponed, so he had no choice but to return to Daming Palace.

While he was handling official business in the yamen, Dou Wenchang ran out of the palace with a cheerful smile and informed him: "The Emperor has issued an edict appointing the Crown Prince to oversee the country."

With the Crown Prince acting as regent, his power is equivalent to that of the emperor unless the emperor issues a direct order, and all officials will inevitably submit to his command. Even if this regentship is short-lived, and the emperor soon recovers and regains power, he can at least open the gates of the Eastern Palace, facilitating communication between the Crown Prince and the outer court.

To be honest, with Li Yu "imprisoned" in the Eastern Palace, communication between the inside and outside was difficult. His cronies could only consult with Li Shi when something happened, but Li Shi couldn't visit his father often, so no one was at ease—would the Crown Prince really agree to what we were doing? Would he be happy to see it happen? What if we worked for nothing, only to have the Crown Prince disown us after ascending the throne, or even blame us for being nosy?

Even if the Crown Prince is benevolent and wouldn't abandon his support after the fact, if one's own actions don't meet his expectations, it's impossible to leave a good impression, which would be quite regrettable...

Now that the Crown Prince is overseeing the country, we finally have the opportunity to consult him in person. Therefore, Dou Wenchang was overjoyed and even made a special trip to the Yingwu Military Headquarters to inform Li Ji.

Upon hearing the news, Li Ji was not pleased; instead, he frowned slightly and asked, "How has the Sage been lately?"

"Because of the grief over the passing of the Emperor Emeritus, his health has worsened; otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed the Crown Prince to oversee the state," Dou Wenchang explained, then asked Li Ji, "The Crown Prince doesn't seem very pleased?"

Li Ji replied, “When the sun is about to rise, the sky is darkest; the closer the victory is, the more complacent people become and the less prepared they are. The Empress has long desired to make Prince Ding the heir apparent, but now that the Crown Prince is overseeing the country, his position as heir apparent is almost secure. Does the Empress simply accept this without any countermeasures? You in the palace must remain vigilant at all times, gather information, and prepare for any eventuality.”

Upon hearing this, Dou Wenchang finally suppressed his smile and slowly nodded, "Changwei's concerns are valid. I will inform Lao Huo." Among the palace eunuchs who could be considered true allies of the Crown Prince, only he and Huo Xianming were truly close associates. Wang Jiahe, on the other hand, avoided offending either side and rarely expressed his opinion, which was why he was able to take command of the Yingwu Army. There used to be Cheng Yuanzhen, but he was ultimately a former subordinate of Li Fuguo. After returning to the inner court from the Sixteenth Prince's residence, he relied heavily on Li Fuguo's influence, and now he could only be considered an ally.

In fact, Li Ji only said half of what he meant. There was another half that he couldn't say: "I reckon the emperor won't live much longer!"

Li Heng's health had always been poor, but he preferred to entrust state affairs to a eunuch, and even made an exception by appointing a eunuch to head the Ministry of War, rather than allow the Crown Prince to have any power. He kept the Crown Prince confined in the Eastern Palace. Since February, his illness was said to have worsened, and he rarely saw outside officials. He did not think of releasing the Crown Prince. So why did he suddenly order the Emperor to oversee the country?

It is highly likely that Li Heng is on his deathbed and knows that he doesn't have many days left to live.

At this time of transition, a major upheaval is likely to occur in the palace! Given Empress Zhang's ambition, it's impossible for her not to take a risk. Li Ji, having read extensively from historical records, possessed a deeper understanding of the hearts and minds of those within the palace and a greater ability to predict palace coups than even seasoned eunuchs like Dou Wenchang and Huo Xianming.

However, he couldn't possibly tell Dou Wenchang, "Be careful, I think the emperor is about to die." He could only keep a close watch on things and devise a plan to deal with the situation on his own. Well, these days, those sent to the central and inner courts must all be loyal, diligent, and trustworthy confidants of his.

Furthermore, the spies planted within the Shence Army should also be brought to light.

Li Ji frequently hosted banquets for the generals of the Shence Army, which Liu Xixian initially paid little attention to. However, after he formally fell out with Li Ji over the matter of falsely accusing wealthy households and even scholars in Chang'an of robbery, he could no longer help but become more cautious. As a result, the generals who had previously been invited to banquets by Li Ji were gradually marginalized.

However, Li Ji invited so many people, almost all of the lower-ranking generals of the Shence Army, that Liu Xixian couldn't possibly sideline them all—otherwise he would be left with no one to command—so he had to be selective and treat them differently. Therefore, when Li Ji sent out more invitations, some Shence generals, fearing they would offend Liu Xixian, made excuses not to go. Li Ji, however, took the opportunity to subtly hint to some of his chosen men—you don't need to come either.

Although he deliberately distanced himself from these generals, even intending to sever ties, Li Ji still secretly offered them money and silk from time to time, asking them to keep an eye on Liu Xixian. The real reason was naturally inconvenient to reveal, but since he had just had a falling out with Liu Xixian, it was only natural to plant some pawns next to his enemy; the Shence Army generals all understood this perfectly.

The key point is that Li Ji was generous, while Liu Xixian mostly pocketed the rewards from the Empress, only letting a few scraps slip through his fingers to bribe his subordinates; moreover, Li Ji once wrote a letter of recommendation to Li Tan, giving Xu Yu and others who had been expelled from the Shence Army a place to go, which made many Shence Army soldiers happy to work for him.

He immediately picked up a pen and wrote a few lines, which he then sent to the generals through a pre-arranged secret channel: "The emperor is unwell, and there may be unrest. If the Shence and Yingwu armies are to fight, your assistance may be needed. You will be richly rewarded."

That's all we can say for now.

Afterwards, Li Ji considered whether he should simply stop going home these days and stay at the yamen instead, to avoid any sudden disturbances in the middle of the night. However, this move was too obvious and might arouse the suspicion of the enemy—at least Liu Xixian was nearby, so whether he went home on time or not would most likely not be hidden from him.

If Li Heng were to truly pass away, or issue some chaotic decree before his death, Empress Zhang would be the first to know, followed by Li Fuguo. Who would strike first and who would be subdued would depend entirely on their power struggle; I would have no choice but to obey orders and draw my sword. Empress Zhang, wanting to eliminate Li Fuguo, would most likely deploy the Shence Army, while Li Fuguo, to counter Empress Zhang, would need to mobilize the Yingwu Army and the Weiyuan Army. Therefore, if I could enter the Daming Palace before Liu Xixian, victory would be assured.

Where does Liu Xixian live? In Daozheng Ward, east of the East Market, about the same distance from the Daming Palace as my current residence in Pingkang Ward. So, all I need to do is keep an eye on Liu Xixian; when he's on duty, I'm on duty too; when he goes home, I go home too.

So he temporarily abandoned the idea of ​​spending the night in the government office every day—and continued to take turns with Ma Sui and others as before.

The following day, though outwardly calm, undercurrents were stirring. Ma Sui's connections within the palace were, in some ways, better than Li Ji's. Li Ji spent his money bribing lower-ranking officers in the Shence and Weiyuan armies, while Ma Sui used his monthly allowance to cultivate relationships with Liu Xixian and the palace eunuchs, thus gaining better access to information. According to Ma Sui's investigation, the Crown Prince had already met with the prime ministers to discuss the funeral arrangements for the retired emperor.

Perhaps to avoid suspicion, although Li Yu was appointed regent, he dared not stray far from the Eastern Palace, much less sit in the Taiji Hall, Liangyi Hall, or Ganlu Hall (the three upper halls of the western inner palace). Instead, he would only bring the prime ministers into the Eastern Palace and meet them in the Mingde Hall. Even when they sat, Li Yu would not face south, but rather face west as the host, while the prime ministers faced east as guests.

The second message said that the Empress sent Duan Hengjun to meet with the Crown Prince, but what they said was unknown.

From Ma Sui's expression and demeanor, Li Ji realized that the other man was just as tense as he was, which actually made him feel a little more at ease. Regardless of whether Ma Sui was actually a member of Li Fuguo's faction, at least he had never shown any signs of siding with the Empress's faction, so he could be considered a peer with peace of mind—and Ma Xunmei's talent was certainly not weak either.

Seeing that everything was temporarily settled, Li Ji left the palace at the usual time after his shift ended and rode home. However, as soon as he entered his house, he sensed something was wrong. First, Qingluan hadn't come to greet him, and then the servants were all running around aimlessly like headless flies. Li Ji called out to Kang Lian and asked, "Where did Zou Shi go?" Kang Lian shook his head and replied, "She disappeared after noon, and we don't know where she went..."

Li Ji was wondering: Where could a pregnant woman, even if her belly wasn't very noticeable, have gone? Suddenly, he heard someone knocking on the door: "Is Erlang back?"