Chapter 65: Fortunes Change

Chapter 65: Fortunes Change

Han Ruzi had gone without food for an entire day and night, yet he had no appetite at all. After eating just a little, he put down his chopsticks, desperately wishing to speak with his mother. However, he was accompanied only by Prince Donghai and two eunuchs.

After the Grand Consort had been question, the Emperor was escorted into the side-chamber to rest. The Empress Dowager and senior officials continued to discuss matters. The palace coup had been thwarted, but not all the conspirators had been captured: the fate seer Chunyu Xiao had yet to make an appearance, Marquis Junyang’s whereabouts remained unknown after his flight, and Gui Yuehua’s location was unclear after he jumped out of the building...

All of this no longer concerned Han Ruzi; he had returned to square one, becoming an Emperor in name only.

“It was I who sent out the Founding Emperor’s treasured sword,” he muttered, unsure whether it was Liu Kunsheng or Chancellor Yin Wuhai who had concealed the truth.

“Lord Father wanted to make me Crown Prince, Lord Father wanted to make me Crown Prince...” Not far away, Prince Donghai repeated this phrase countless times. Suddenly, he raised his head, intending to rush towards the Emperor but was stopped by the two eunuchs. He had not yet been punished, and the sole reason was that the power of the Cui clan had not been destroyed.

“You heard what the Grand Consort said!” Prince Donghai exclaimed, no longer cautious. “I should have been Emperor!”

Han Ruzi suddenly found Prince Donghai somewhat pitiable. “The Grand Consort’s words cannot be believed. Even if Lord Father wanted to make you the Crown Prince, it would only be a temporary measure. After subduing the senior officials and eliminating the power of the Cui clan...”

“Do you think I am as foolish as you?” Prince Donghai burst out angrily. The two eunuchs shook their heads at him, signaling that he should not disrespect the Emperor. Prince Donghai, realizing his position, softened his tone. “As long as I am appointed Crown Prince, as long as I stay by Lord Father’s side, no one would be able to undermine my position as Crown Prince. No one... Ah, there were signs that Lord Father wanted to make me Crown Prince; Lord Father used to be Prince Donghai, and I am also Prince Donghai!”

The Graceful Emperor had already passed away, and no one could guess his true intentions. Before him, the Martial Emperor had appointed three Crown Princes. The first two were not only deposed but also executed later, leaving behind rumors of ghosts in the Eastern Palace. The Graceful Emperor was merely a fortunate participant in a game of musical chairs.

And there was the Empress Dowager outside. She had lost her husband, son, and sister, but held power more tightly than ever. Could she be said to have won?

“We are alone.” Han Ruzi thought of the words his grandfather had once said and suddenly felt a chill.

Prince Donghai snorted. He had never treated Han Ruzi as an emperor, and all the more he refused to do so now.

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside. Prince Donghai rushed to the door, listening carefully, “Shang-guan Xu has entered the palace. It seems... it’s not good news.”

The two eunuchs tried to pull Prince Donghai back, but the Emperor also left his chair, running to the door to listen with Prince Donghai. The eunuchs had no choice but to stand behind them, carefully watching them to prevent them from rushing out.

The news brought by Shang-guan Xu was not good. As soon as he entered, he knelt on the ground, kowtowing, his voice filled with fear and anger, “Cui Hong... Cui Hong has taken control of the Southern Army...”

Prince Donghai cheered softly.

In the morning of the previous day, several officials entered the Southern Army, presenting an imperial edict to revoke Shang-guan Xu’s seal of office. Of course, Shang-guan Xu did not believe it, and he tried to detain these people. He sent others into the city to investigate the news, but they were stopped outside the palace and could not see the Empress Dowager.

Both sides were deadlocked, both losing the chance to take the initiative. The news spread quickly among the troops, and the earthquake had already sparked numerous rumors. The news of the seizure of the seal left the soldiers even more uncertain. Shang-guan Xu was newly appointed, with a short tenure and no military background, so he was not very popular. The officials involved in the attempt to seize the seal were of low rank, and one of them came from the Northern Army, so they were even less popular.

As the palace coup in the Capital was at a critical juncture, a mutiny was brewing within the Southern Army camp.

Han Ruzi looked at Prince Donghai across from him, “After all that has happened, do you still want to be the Emperor?”

Prince Donghai glanced at the two eunuchs and said, “Even if I were to be beheaded immediately after becoming Emperor, I would still want to be one. Some people are born to be Emperors, like me. Don’t you like the feeling of being an Emperor?”

“I am but a puppet,” Han Ruzi did not care that the eunuchs could hear him as it was a well-known fact.

The two eunuchs were extremely embarrassed, coughed a few times, and simply stood at the door, pretending not to hear anything.

Prince Donghai leaned forward and said earnestly, “That’s right, you are just a puppet. Yet, there are still people who willingly serve you: the Keeper of the Imperial Seal Liu Jie, those eunuchs and palace maids, and the Captain of the Palace Gates who helped deliver the sword...”

“Ah, you knew I was the one who took the sword out?”

“Heh, everyone knows, but no one is a fool. Unless the Empress Dowager personally admits it, no one will acknowledge your contribution. The senior officials will only silently thank you in their hearts. Hehe, you’ve done them a great favor; from now on, the Empress Dowager will rely more on the senior officials. The thing Lord Father tried so hard to avoid, the Empress Dowager has now brought into being.”

Prince Donghai impatiently tapped his fingers on the windowsill and suddenly walked toward the door, “No, I must see the Empress Dowager, my uncle...”

The two eunuchs stepped forward and shook their heads at Prince Donghai.

Prince Donghai had no choice but to return to his original spot, appearing even more agitated. He muttered under his breath, “If my uncle were smart, he would immediately lead troops into the palace under the pretext of saving the Emperor, just like Shang-guan Xu did before, so it wouldn’t be breaking with precedent. Why did my uncle let Yang Feng come? That eunuch can’t be trusted. Even if he wants to negotiate with the Empress Dowager, he should bring troops in and talk directly face to face...”

Prince Donghai did not need to pretend to be foolish any longer. His analysis of the current situation made sense, and Han Ruzi could not help but nod in agreement, “The Empress Dowager’s brother has lost his military power, but she has the support of the senior officials. Your uncle wouldn’t dare act recklessly.”

“At a time like this, who cares about the senior officials? If it weren’t for Luo Huan-zhang and Bu Hengru...” Prince Donghai snorted angrily, “Besides the Cui clan, there’s no one worth trusting in this world. Now I understand why Emperors always trust their Imperial In-laws and eunuchs.”

“It’s really strange. Your uncle gave up his official seal back then, and now he wants to take it back again. If he knew this would happen, there would be no need to go through all this.”

“It’s not strange at all. At that time, the court was controlled by the Cui clan, the Empress Dowager was the one taking risks to get what she wanted, and Prince Qi was watching closely from the outside. So my uncle chose to step back as a way to advance. He could not watch the Empire collapse and his own family buried under the rubble, could he? Now the situation has change: the Empress Dowager’s position is stable, and she desperately wants to protect the court. The Cui clan, on the other hand, is facing trouble and has to resort to risky tactics. Do you understand?”

Of course, Han Ruzi understood, “Everyone uses the fate of Chu as a bargaining chip. Does nobody think of doing something useful? Ironically, it was the rebel Luo Huan-zhang who thought about the common people.”

“Haha, why should the Cui clan and the Empress Dowager care about the common people? They’re not the Emperor, you are. They’re playing games with your empire at stake. If it were me...” Prince Donghai’s coup failed miserably, and he was deceived by Luo Huan-zhang. For a moment, he felt disheartened and even lost interest in making boasts.

The door opened, and Maiden Wang walked in. She said to the two eunuchs, “I want to speak with His Majesty for a moment. The Empress Dowager orders you to take Prince Donghai out.”

“What conditions did my uncle ask Yang Feng to bring?” Prince Donghai asked. Without getting an answer, he had to leave with the two eunuchs, feeling anxious.

This was the first time mother and son had met alone since Han Ruzi left home a few months ago. He stood up, unsure of what to say.

Maiden Wang walked up to her son and smiled, “Ruzi, let’s not do this Emperor thing anymore.”

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