Chapter 6: Secret Edict

Chapter 6: Secret Edict

Being the Emperor was easy. Han Ruzi had nothing to do, nor did his actions affect the functioning of the Imperial Court or the stability of the realm. Yet being the Emperor was also burdensome. His every action could directly affect anywhere from a few people or tens of thousands of people. The ascension ceremony was a major event with far-reaching consequences. Thousands of people were bustling about in preparation, and the Ministry of Rites and Decorum was the most important of them.

The Minister of Rites and Decorum had the role of personally explaining to the Emperor the various rituals of the ascension ceremony. Prince Donghai’s risky plan was to be employed on this man.

“The senior officials are often in support of the Emperor and opposed to the inner Imperial Palace interfering in politics. The Minister of Rites[1]... What’s he called? Yuan Jiu-ding. Tomorrow, you should secretly hand him an edict tasking him with rallying the officials of the Imperial Court to rescue you.”

Han Ruzi smiled but shook his head. “That would not do. It did not appear very effective when the senior officials surrounded the Empress Dowager’s palace-chambers and the Ancestral Temple that last time.”

“That was different. That was the officials acting on their own accord without an imperial edict. No one was in charge, so the hundreds of them only dared to use their mouths and not their hands. With your edict, acting in opposition to the Empress Dowager would be legitimate.”

“How... How do I issue an imperial edict? By speaking to the Minister of Rites directly?” Han Ruzi was a little persuaded.

“Of course not. You will surely be watched. You must issue a secret edict.”

“A secret edict?”

“Yes... I’ve seen it in books, it was an edict hidden in a waistband. Write an edict and hide it in a waistband, then secretly hand it to Yuan Jiu-ding. He will immediately understand.”

“Have past Emperors done this?” Han Ruzi was extremely shocked, and his interest was piqued further.

“Did you only learn to write and not read anything?”

“My mother told me lots of stories.”

Prince Donghai could not hold back his laughter. He quickly looked at the door before saying softly, “That was a story from a previous dynasty. It was recorded in the history books. As for the first secret waistband edict of our dynasty, it will be written by you.”

“What should I write?”

“I should not have to teach you everything. Just say that you are being held captive, and order the senior officials to depose the Empress Dowager and rescue you out of the palace.”

“Depose the Empress Dowager?”

“Hush, be quiet. The palace is full of the Empress Dowager’s spies.” There were footsteps coming from outside again so Prince Donghai returned to his cattail mat. He whispered, “Write the secret edict tonight and hand it to Yuan Jiu-ding tomorrow. The senior officials will get things done within three days. Then you can abdicate the throne to me. If you dare renege, I will have the Cui clan kill you off. Also, make sure you write on something personal to the Emperor, that way it will be credible. Just paper will not do.”

Han Ruzi still had many questions, but the door was opened and Jing Yao walked in. He knelt on the bare ground and remained silent, appearing to be adamant about personally keeping an eye on the two.

In the time remaining to the day, Han Ruzi and Prince Donghai never had the chance to communicate with each other. They could only occasionally exchange glances. Prince Donghai became increasingly assured, while Han Ruzi grew less and less confident. However, he badly wanted to leave the palace and return to his mother, and hence was willing to bear any risk.

Writing a secret edict was not a simple matter. Han Ruzi always had someone by his side. Even when sleeping at night, there would be someone sleeping on the couch in the same room as him. Sometimes it would an eunuch, sometimes it would be a servant-girl. Any sound would cause them to wake up.

The next day, when Han Ruzi got up before dawn, he had yet to find a chance to write the secret edict.

It was the eleventh day of the fast, and one more item was added to Han Ruzi’s schedule — paying respects to the Empress Dowager after getting up from bed.

Attendant Zuo Ji personally came to fetch the Emperor. After a precisely standard kowtow, the young attendant began to display his extraordinariness. Other eunuchs and servant-girls always went out of their way to avoid all communication with the Emperor — even a glance was not acceptable. But Zuo Ji was all smiles, like a friendly uncle or older brother, his tone that of a lecturing but casual senior.

“Filial piety is the first amongst virtues and the Emperor must lead the people by example. Is Your Majesty willing to be filial to your mother?”

“I am willing.” There was never a moment when Han Ruzi did not miss his mother who was trapped outside of the palace.

“Why can’t you do it? You are so stupid — why can’t you just pretend to have a fall?”

“I can’t even write anything, there’s always someone in the room.”

“Heavens!” Prince Donghai smacked his own head a few times in frustration. “Have you never had servants before? You are their master, you can give them orders! Like asking them to catch fish in the winter, or to grab fireflies in the summer, or to serve food in the middle of the night... That’s what they’re supposed to do! Did you actually think servants should just sleep soundly the entire night? You...”

The eunuch Zuo Ji noiselessly returned. He smiled and said, “Prince Donghai, this is where the Founding Emperor’s ceremonial dress is housed. Your behavior is improper.”

Prince Donghai embarrassedly returned to his cattail mat. “It might be because I did not have any food in the morning so I was feeling a little dizzy and fell over. I’ve heard that the Founding Emperor was very kind to his descendants. He would forgive me, right?”

Zuo Ji knelt at the door and did not pursue the matter. Prince Donghai heaved a sigh of relief, and kept to himself the rest of the day.

The problem was left to Han Ruzi. Of course he had had servants before. Not many, but his mother Maiden Wang was always polite to these servants and never made strange requests of them. Hence, something that might come easy to Prince Donghai was quite difficult for Han Ruzi.

Han Ruzi thought on it for a long while, and finally thought of an idea after dinner.

He first announced that he wished to practice his writing. The two eunuchs in the room were very obedient, and they immediately lay out paper and prepared the ink using an inkstone. Han Ruzi’s characters were not written very neatly. He kept writing and throwing away the pages, while those which he was especially dissatisfied with were torn into bits. The two eunuchs then picked up the papers and scraps thrown about.

There was not that much paper in the room for Han Ruzi to throw about. Just before the paper ran out, one of the eunuchs went to get more. Han Ruzi spoke to the other eunuch in a deliberately off-handed manner, “Get me a cup of tea.”

“Your Majesty should rest...” The eunuch was rather hesitant.

“A cup of water would be fine as well. I am thirsty.” Han Ruzi tried his best to put on Prince Donghai’s tone.

The other eunuch thus left the room. Han Ruzi continued to write on the paper, and quickly tore a small piece which he kept hidden within his left hand.

Every item of clothing in the room had someone to keep an eye on. Han Ruzi was unable to get a wasitband or any other personal effect to hide a secret edict in.

Things went much more smoothly than he had expected. The two eunuchs returned quickly and did not discover anything. Han Ruzi went to bed after drinking the cup of water, but he hardly slept this night.

The next day’s bath and changing of attire was the most troublesome. He had to be waited upon by the eunuchs and servant-girls while completely naked. The crushed paper ball was small, but it was difficult to keep hidden. His hands, his collar, his waistband, his sleeves... Han Ruzi kept moving this little paper ball around, and finally managed to keep it hidden.

And then it was time to hand it over to the Minister of Rites and Decorum, Yuan Jiu-ding. This was a very difficult step. There were always at least two eunuchs standing between him and the officials of the Court, so there was no chance for direct interaction.

Prince Donghai was still with the entourage of attendants. Through exchanging glances, he knew that the secret edict had been written, and he was even more anxious than Han Ruzi. Just before the rehearsal was about to end, Prince Donghai tripped over a doorway and fell forward with great force. The entire procession thus fell over each other.

Han Ruzi finally had the chance to fall onto the Minister of Rites and Decorum.

Prince Donghai got up and apologized profusely. To the officials and eunuchs participating in the rehearsal, this was a serious matter. Nobody dared to lay the blame on Prince Donghai, so they got on their knees and admitted to their misconduct. They then discussed a plan to avoid such an incident from happening during the actual ascension ceremony.

In the afternoon, when Prince Donghai had the opportunity, he impatiently asked Han Ruzi, “Is it done?”

Han Ruzi nodded. He had stuffed that paper ball into the Minister’s wasitband. Yuan Jiu-ding must surely have felt something and yet he kept silent. This was a good sign.

“Everything’s done, then. Just wait and see. We will soon be able to escape the Empress Dowager’s clutches,” Prince Donghai prophesized with extreme confidence.

[1] The Minister of Rites and Decorum will be called the “Minister of Rites” when used in dialogue, to prevent it from being too much of a mouthful for characters to say.

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