ABBLEIP Chapter72

Shen Qingzhuo’s voice suddenly awakened the stunned crowd, and the court officials stood up and saluted, “Your Highness King Jin.”

 

“No need to salute, all Lords.” Xiao Shen responded and asked casually, “I wonder if Lord Shen has arranged a seat for this king?”

 

Shen Qingzhuo smiled and said, “Of course, Your Highness King Jin, please come in.”

 

Xiao Shen was about to sit down when he heard King Chu calling him.

 

“Seventh Brother, Third Brother was just talking to Lord Shen. It’s a pity that you were absent due to injury.” Xiao Hongyao had already put away his facial expression and stared at him inquiringly, “Could it be… Seventh Brother’s injury has healed?”

 

Xiao Shen glanced at him and said calmly, “Thanks to Third Brother’s blessings, it’s not a big deal.”

 

“That’s good, that’s good ah…” Xiao Hongyao turned his gaze back to Lord Shen’s face and said with a fake smile, “Lord Shen, can I have a word with you?”

 

Shen Qingzhuo replied in a neither humble nor arrogant manner, “The humble minister still has duties to perform, so please forgive me for not being able to obey orders.”

 

He bowed with his hands to apologize, then ignored King Chu’s dissatisfied look and walked away.

 

When someone who shouldn’t have been there suddenly showed up, Xiao Hongyao felt an inexplicable sense of uneasiness in his heart. He immediately called his personal guard and whispered a few words to him, and the guard quickly left in a hurry.

 

Kong Shang, who was standing by, saw all the little movements of His Highness King Chu and walked out of the inner hall quietly.

 

At Youzhen hour, the banquet started on time.

 

The etiquette department knelt to invite Emperor Guangxi, and the bell and drum department played music. When the music stopped, firecrackers were set off, and the princes and ministers left their seats one after another, standing in the center of the hall in order of rank, kneeling and bowing, wishing the emperor a prosperous new year and a long life.

 

At the same time, the court officials outside the hall also shouted, Long live the Emperor.

 

Eunuch Pan stood on the right side of the main dragon chair, holding a whisk, and delivered the emperor’s words to show his great grace.

 

After a series of complicated ceremonies, the banquet officially began.

 

The banquet for all the ministers was of high standard. There were eighteen kinds of dishes on each table in the inner hall. The ingredients included everything from flying in the sky, running on the ground, swimming in the water, and delicacies from the mountains and the sea. The top chefs cooked them into delicious delicacies.

 

Perhaps because Emperor Guangxi had not arrived yet, the atmosphere in the hall was not as quiet as in the past banquets.

 

Dozens of dancers in exotic costumes came in one after another. The band played music again, and the dancers danced to the sound of stringed instruments. Their graceful postures were extremely pleasing to the eye.

 

“All the lords present are the pillars of our Dayong.” In the middle of the banquet, King Chu stood up with a golden cup in his hand. “Today is a banquet for all ministers. Emperor Father is ill, and this king has the courage to toast all the lords on his behalf.”

 

“Your Highness King Chu is too polite.” Yan Siqi, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was the first to stand up and express his loyalty. “It is reasonable for the minister to congratulate Your Highness.”

 

Then, the Deputy Minister of the Inner Cabinet, Qin De, stood up. “Minister Yan is right.”

 

Immediately afterwards, the Minister of the Ministry of War, Shi Zhong, also stood up, and King Chu and his followers stood up one after another. The other court officials were whispering to each other, obviously still hesitating.

 

King Chu was very proud and thought that the position of crown prince was already in his pocket today. “This king will drink first as a sign of respect.”

 

When he sat back in his seat, Shen Qingzhuo secretly winked at Eunuch Pan.

 

Pan Dongsheng understood and cleared his throat, “My Lords and Princes, by the holy order, Xie Gelao will read out the edict of establishing the crown prince in public at today’s banquet for all ministers.”

 

As soon as the words fell, the hall fell into a brief silence, and then it was like a drop of water poured into a hot oil pan, which suddenly exploded.

 

“Xie Gelao, please come in.” Eunuch Pan took the imperial edict from the eunuch’s hand and respectfully held it to Xie Gelao with both hands.

 

Xie Gelao walked to the high platform with a cane. At this time, the hall was already full of people kneeling.

 

King Chu knelt at the front with his back straight, his expression and movements fully prepared to receive the order.

 

“His Majesty, by the Mandate of Heaven, proclaim…” A voice as deep and resonant as the sound of ancient bells and chimes rang out, “Since Zhen received the decree to ascend the throne, Zhen has worked diligently day and night, never tired of his work, and never dared to take it easy… The Seventh Prince, Xiao Shen, is a man of extraordinary and pure talent, and a perfect likeness of Zhen. He will surely be able to inherit the throne… Zhen hereby inform Heaven and Earth, the ancestral temple, and the country that Zhen will grant him the imperial seal and make him the Crown Prince, sitting in the Eastern Palace…”〔1〕

 

Before he finished speaking, everyone in the hall was shocked.

 

“Impossible!” Xiao Hongyao stood up suddenly. “Xie Gelao, did you read the edict incorrectly?”

 

Xie Gelao replied solemnly, “The old minister dares not.”

 

Minister Yan questioned loudly, “Xie Gelao, according to the etiquette of Dayong, the eldest son should be appointed instead of the youngest. How could His Majesty appoint the Seventh Prince as the crown prince?”

 

“Did Lord Yan skip over King Han again?” Lord Lin, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, immediately retorted, “Even if the eldest son is chosen instead of the youngest, it will not be His Highness King Chu’s turn either!”

 

Xiao Yixian, who had always been insignificant, coughed twice and said in a calm tone, “This king’s time is short, so I won’t join in the excitement.”

 

“I want to see Emperor Father!” Xiao Hongyao gritted his teeth. “There is definitely something wrong with this edict! This king does not acknowledge it!”

 

After saying that, he actually wanted to force his way into the inner hall in public.

 

Kong Shang quickly drew out the Xiuchun sword from his waist and blocked King Chu’s way with a solemn look. “His Majesty has ordered that no one is allowed to approach the inner hall, please stay!”

 

Eunuch Pan made peace at the right time and said, “All Princes, all Lords, this edict of succession was personally written by His Majesty, and the Imperial Household Department and the inner cabinet jointly confirmed it, so it can’t be wrong.”

 

“This is against etiquette!” The Minister of the Ministry of War said in a dignified manner, “The minister wants to see His Majesty!”

 

“What’s against etiquette?” Just as the atmosphere in the hall was tense, Shen Qingzhuo walked slowly to the center of the hall, establishing the eldest son as the heir instead of the capable one; the eldest son is the heir, not the youngest son; after all, these are all old rules.”

 

Xiao Hongyao’s face turned dark blue, and he asked in a stern voice, “Then why did King Jin break the old system?”

 

“It was because King Jin led a large army to defeat the Xirong and make them retreat to the west of the Suiling River, and the people on the border lived in peace!” Shen Qingzhuo’s every word and sentence is resounding. “When King Jin risked his life to kill the enemy for the sake of the people of Dayong, what was Your Highness King Chu doing?”

 

“I—” Xiao Hongyao was choked by his words and couldn’t think of any rebuttal for a while.

 

“If all Lords want to see, you can ask His Highness King Jin to take off his dragon robe and see the scars he got for his country and his people. Which one of them was not a near-death experience?” Shen Qingzhuo raised his voice, and his tone became fierce for a rare time.

 

Xiao Shen straightened his clothes, his tone was hard to tell: “If this king is not worthy, who is? King Chu?”

 

The hall was silent, and the court officials lowered their heads and dared not say a word.

 

“It’s good that King Jin won the battle, but can the throne of the crown prince be secured just by fighting?” The deputy of the inner cabinet, Qin De, still tried to reverse the situation: “The edict to establish the crown prince was too hasty. We ask His Majesty to withdraw the order and discuss it later!” 

 

Shen Qingzhuo sneered, “Lord Qin, His Majesty’s oral order and edict are both here. Are you going to disobey the order?”

 

At this point, Xiao Hongyao no longer pretended and tore off his face directly: “Shen Qingzhuo held the emperor hostage and falsely conveyed the imperial edict. His crime is unforgivable. Someone come!”

 

A group of guards with swords entered the hall and pointed their swords at everyone. The hall was in chaos. Some timid ministers even crawled under the table for fear of being implicated.

 

“What does Your Highness King Chu mean?” Shen Qingzhuo said calmly, “Are you planning a rebellion?”

 

“You bold slave! You dare to slander this king even when you are about to die!” Xiao Hongyao waved his hand majestically, “Take him down first!”

 

However, the next moment, a new batch of Jinyiwei rushed in from outside the door. After entering the hall, they wiped the necks of all the guards without saying a word before anyone could react.

 

Blood spurted out, and the ministers were so shocked that they covered their heads and shook their heads. The Fifth Prince, Xiao Jingrui, couldn’t help but stand up. “Third Brother! Lord Shen! If there’s anything to say, just talk it out, why do you have to fight with swords?”

 

“Your Highness King Qi, it was King Chu who started the fight today, and everyone present can testify to that.” Shen Qingzhuo stopped smiling. “Come, arrest King Chu!”

 

Xiao Hongyao gritted his teeth and said, “If this king can’t get out of this Fengtian Palace, the Governor General of the Imperial Guards, Xu Guangchang, will be ordered to enter the palace. Do you think you can escape?”

 

“Imperial Guards?” Shen Qingzhuo smiled calmly, “Xu Guangchang himself may be in danger now, Your Highness King Chu should just worry about yourself, Kong Shang!”

 

Kong Shang responded and stepped forward to take down King Chu.

 

In a flash, Zou Peng, who was standing on the right, suddenly moved and drew out the Xiuchun sword like lightning and put it on Lord Shen’s neck.

 

Shen Qingzhuo’s heart sank. “Lord Zou?”

 

The moment the sword flashed, Xiao Shen’s pupils shrank, and his body reacted faster than his brain could command, rushing forward like an angry beast.

 

“Don’t move!” Zou Peng shouted, and with a slight force of the Xiuchun sword, a blood mark appeared on his slender white neck. “Lord Shen has delicate skin and tender flesh, and he can’t withstand a light scratch from the Xiuchun sword!”

 

Xiao Shen’s footsteps froze in place, and the other Jinyiwei also stopped moving.

 

“Hahahahahahaha!” Seeing this, Xiao Hongyao laughed wildly, “Shen Qingzhuo, you are smart all your life, but you didn’t expect to capsize in the perineum at the critical moment, right?”

 

“Commander Zou.” Shen Qingzhuo raised his neck slightly. “King Chu is already trapped in a jar, why should you accompany him to die?”

 

“A good bird chooses a tree to live in. I think that His Highness King Chu is a good master.” Zou Peng pressed against him and threatened in a low voice, “Lord Shen, order the Jinyiwei to withdraw from Fengtian Palace.”

 

“Your Highness King Chu, Fengyi Palace has been surrounded by the Jinyiwei. Shouldn’t you also think about Consort Xian’s safety?” Lord Shen’s tone was still calm. “The palace is full of Jinyiwei. Even if I die today, your people can’t escape either ah.”

 

Speaking of Consort Xian, Xiao Hongyao’s face darkened. “For the sake of the country, Mother Consort will definitely understand my difficulties. Let your people withdraw quickly!”

 

The implication was that he would no longer care about Consort Xian’s life or death.

 

“The humble minister’s life is worthless, and death is not a pity.” Shen Qingzhuo smiled faintly, not daring to look at his little disciple’s face, and only ordered, “Kong Shang, capture King Chu.”

 

“You dare!” Xiao Hongyao shouted, “Zou Peng!”

 

The Xiuchun sword against his neck went deeper, and Zou Peng shouted, “Lord Shen, the sword has no eyes!”

 

“Zou Peng, I really didn’t think you would betray the Jinyiwei.” Shen Qingzhuo smiled helplessly, “But you have to think about it. I die alone, but what about the lives of the old and young of your family?”

 

Zou Peng’s hand that was holding the sword tightened, but his tone became a little panicked: “What did you do to them?”

 

“If anything happens to Lord Shen today, I promise you that your whole family will die without a complete body, and even the Zou family’s ancestral tomb will never rest in peace.” At this time, a voice as eerie as hell sounded.

 

Zou Peng was shocked and met His Highness King Jin’s terrifying eyes, who was as scary as a demon, and he shuddered.

 

“Zou Peng! Don’t believe his lies!” Xiao Hongyao tried to rush forward, “Have you forgotten this king ah—”

 

With a scream, Xiao Shen kicked him hard in the back, sending him flying.

 

Kong Shang quickly stepped forward to suppress King Chu and blocked his mouth.

 

“This king is the rightful and legitimate Crown Prince.” Xiao Shen walked towards the two people step by step. “Today Gu promises you in front of all the ministers, as long as you stop at this moment, Gu will never pursue any crime against you.”

 

After hearing this, Zou Peng was obviously hesitant, and he slowly retreated while holding Lord Shen.

 

Xiao Shen continued, “If you are worried, you can release Lord Shen, and Gu will be your hostage instead.”

 

Zou Peng’s face was full of struggle, but he still didn’t let go.

 

Since Lord Shen joined the Jinyiwei, he was destined to never make a breakthrough. Rather than waiting to be completely sidelined, it is better to give it a try, so he was deceived by His Highness King Chu and turned against him on the spot.

 

But he overlooked one point. If King Chu failed to ascend the throne, he and his family would be doomed.

 

“Think about your family, think about the bright future…” Xiao Shen advised calmly. At the moment when the Xiuchun sword relaxed, he grabbed the sharp blade with his bare hands and turned it towards himself.

 

“Master!” He pulled his master into his arms with lightning speed and kicked his knee at the same time.

 

Lord Shen barely escaped, and the Jinyiwei on both sides rushed up and held Zou Peng tightly.

 

“It’s alright, it’s alright…” His dying heart finally beat again. Xiao Shen pressed his master against his chest, his voice full of trembling after surviving a disaster, “It’s alright, Master…”

 

“I’m sorry…” Shen Qingzhuo took a deep breath, and then he realized that his back was soaked with cold sweat.

 

His throat was choked, and he couldn’t speak. However, the two of them were in the chaotic Fengtian Palace at the moment. Xiao Shen didn’t dare to show too much emotion. He could only breathe in his master’s smell to make sure that the person in his arms was safe.

 

After a while, Shen Qingzhuo came to his senses and reached out to push his little disciple away.

 

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the two still had to avoid suspicion.

 

“Your Highness the Crown Prince—” But as soon as he opened his mouth, his eyes fell on his bloody right hand, and the composure on his neck collapsed instantly, “Your hand is bleeding, a lot of blood…”

 

“It’s just a minor injury, nothing serious.” Xiao Shen took a deep breath and whispered soothingly, “Let’s finish it first, Master.”

 

***

 

Late at night, the palace returned to silence.

 

The bloodstains in Fengtian Hall had been cleaned up, and Emperor Guangxi also returned to Zichen Palace, lying half-dead on the bed, his breathing so weak that it could be almost ignored.

 

Xiao Shen simply bandaged his right hand and decided to accept the summons to see him for the last time and hear if his Emperor Father had any last wishes.

 

“Emperor Father.” He stepped into the inner hall and walked slowly to the dragon bed. “You summoned Erchen. Do you have any other instructions?”

 

Emperor Guangxi opened his eyes with great effort. “Come… come closer…”

 

Xiao Shen was silent for a moment, then took another step forward as he was told.

 

“It’s a done deal…” Emperor Guangxi didn’t know where he got the strength from and suddenly raised his hand to grab his sleeve tightly. “But you have to remember, Shen Qingzhuo can help you to the throne today, and one day, one day he can also seize your kingdom!”

 

Xiao Shen said calmly, “Don’t worry, Emperor Father, Master will not treat me like that.”

 

“Stupid! The young man of the Shen family has Youbei as his backer, and now he is… he has absolute power in the palace. In time, he will not be willing to be inferior to others…” Emperor Guangxi used his last breath to explain, “Your sixth uncle has never had the ambition to fight for power. After you ascend the throne… you must rely on King Qin to help you sit firmly on the throne! The Empress Dowager and her group are still treacherous. They can use the power of the Qi family to restrain the Shen family, sit on the mountain… watch the tigers fight, and then wait for an opportunity… wait for an opportunity to catch this bunch of traitors and thieves in one fell swoop. Never… never let the Xiao family’s kingdom change master!”

 

He had devoted his whole life to fighting with his brothers before ascending the throne and fighting with the Empress Dowager after ascending the throne. He had spent all his energy to prevent the imperial power from falling into the hands of others, but he never expected that in the end he would be making things easier for others. How could he be willing to close his eyes?

 

Xiao Shen said nothing, as if he had taken his words to heart.

 

Emperor Guangxi’s eyes were about to burst: “As an emperor, you must not be soft-hearted! You promised Zhen… to kill—kill him someday!”

 

“Tsk…” Xiao Shen finally reacted. He pulled his sleeves out from between his dry fingers and looked down at his Emperor Father. “So what if Master has the power to control the government and the country?”

 

Emperor Guangxi’s eyes widened. “Lao Qi, you, you…”

 

Xiao Shen smiled, “As long as Master likes it, even if I have to offer the Xiao family kingdom to him, so what?”

 

The author has something to say:

The Wolf Cub: What is the throne? What is the country? As long as Master is happy, they are all his toys.

The Master: Xiao Qi, that’s not what I taught you!

Note [1] Used in historical edicts.