GSY Chapter69

“On the night of the coup, King Ding led his men to block the palace gates and attempted to force His Majesty to abdicate. His Majesty, despite his frail body, wrote down his will in a critical moment.”

 

The night was silent, with a few candles lighting up the room. Cheng Huai’s voice was hoarse, it was both deep and dull, as if bringing people back to that tense, bloody, and cruel night of the palace coup.

 

Cheng Huai said, “In order to protect the will from falling into the hands of others, Master cut open his own stomach and embedded the will into his flesh and blood.”

 

“First it was King Ding, then it was King Xuan. The scene was in chaos.” Cheng Huai said with a blank expression on his face. His face was a bit sickly pale, and his lips were bloodless. “Master pretended to denounce King Ding’s wolfish ambitions and had an argument with him, and then took the opportunity to collide with the guards’ sword.”

 

“This is how I was able to temporarily hide from their eyes and ears and preserve the will. Later, I took the opportunity to take out the will from Master, escaped from the palace, and hid in Rongxiang Fang.”

 

Cen Yelan listened in silence. Few people knew the details of that night.

 

This was a branch courtyard of the Meng family. Cen Yelan took Cheng Huai out of Rongxiang Fang and went directly to the Meng family branch courtyard.

 

Meng Tan was here.

 

Neither of them spoke.

 

Cheng Huai took off his clothes, revealing the young man’s lean and strong body. It was a body covered with scars, and even Cen Yelan raised his eyebrows in surprise.

 

Cheng Huai picked up the scissors beside him and neatly cut open his undergarment. There was a lining inside. Cheng Huai used the scissors to pick apart the threads one by one, slowly revealing the dark blood-stained will.

 

Meng Tan narrowed his eyes and heard Cheng Huai say, “Before his death, Master said that he wanted to hand the will over to Lord Meng personally.” He raised his eyes and looked at Meng Tan. Meng Tan stared at a corner of the will for a moment, then lifted his robe and knelt down.

 

After a moment, Cen Yelan also stood up and knelt on the ground.

 

Cheng Huai held the will in both hands, as if holding a heavy weight, and slowly walked to Meng Tan. The bright yellow silk cloth was soaked with blood, and the words in the middle were stained with blood, but the handwriting could still be clearly seen.

 

Cheng Huai began to recite, “The Seventh Prince Yuan Zheng is a man of noble character and is destined by heaven to succeed Zhen as emperor. The Right Prime Minister Meng Tan is the pillar of the court and the backbone of the country. The new ruler is young, so Zhen now promotes Meng Qing[mfn]Qing is a term in which the emperor used with his ministers[/mfn] to be the regent minister to assist the new ruler with all his might.”

 

“Zhen’s words shall be known to heaven and earth, announced to the whole world, and heard by all.”

 

After Cheng Huai finished speaking, the air in the room became stagnant. Meng Tan did not move for a long time. Finally, he bowed deeply as he kneeled on the ground, saying in a hoarse voice, “Long live the emperor!”

 

He stared at the will in Cheng Huai’s hand, and when he held it with both hands, he couldn’t help but cough violently. He coughed so hard that his body trembled, as if he was about to collapse. Cen Yelan frowned and immediately supported Meng Tan. Meng Tan clenched his fist, and blood could be vaguely seen between his fingers.

 

Meng Tan said, “It’s alright.”

 

He stood up with the help of Cen Yelan, his face becoming paler and paler. He looked at Cheng Huai with his dark eyes and raised his hand to salute.

 

Cheng Huai took a step back and said, “Lord Meng, there is no need to do this.”

 

“I am just following Master’s will and letting him go in peace.”

 

Meng Tan swallowed the fishy taste in his mouth and said, “Your Excellency is so noble and righteous. You should be honored by Meng Tan.”

 

Cheng Huai was silent for a moment and said, “Lord Meng, if possible, Cheng Huai just wants Master to rest in peace.”

 

Meng Tan said, “Of course.”

 

Soon after, Meng Tan asked his servants to take Cheng Huai to rest, leaving only Cen Yelan and Meng Tan in the room.

 

Cen Yelan glanced at Meng Tan, who was staring at the will. Meng Tan was the late empress’s half-brother. He and the late emperor had known each other since they were young, and they had been monarch and minister for more than ten years. Meng Tan was highly trusted by the late emperor.

 

Meng Tan smiled suddenly, but there was no smile in his eyes. He said softly, “I have always been smart, but I didn’t expect that I would be fooled by such a kid.”

 

“His Majesty died with hatred, and Ah Zheng fell to this point—”

 

Cen Yelan said, “Who can really plan everything perfectly?”

 

Meng Tan looked at Cen Yelan and said, “Ah Lan, it’s a good thing you went there in time tonight.”

 

Cen Yelan said, “We have already alerted the enemy with the Rongxiang Fang incident, it is bound to not end well.”

 

Meng Tan said, “If it is bound to not end well, then be it. The battle for the throne is a life-and-death struggle, and there is no room for negotiation.”

 

Meng Tan’s eyes were elegant and noble, and he spoke slowly and calmly, but Cen Yelan could keenly smell the bloody cruelty and determination to win in them.

 

Determined to win—Cen Yelan thought of Yuan Zheng and thought, Yuan Zheng was really pretending to be crazy.

 

If Yuan Zheng was really crazy, how could Meng Tan be so cautious and push Yuan Zheng to the supreme position? Cen Yelan finally felt relieved after thinking about it, but he was also angry.

 

Yuan Zheng actually hid this from him! He would rather act crazy and stupid in front of him than believe him, but why should Yuan Zheng believe him when he wanted to draw a clear line between them?

 

Besides, he also hid something from Yuan Zheng.

 

As soon as the incident in the capital happened, Meng Tan’s secret letter was delivered to him. Even when Meng Jiu came to the northern border, the first person he met was also Cen Yelan.

 

Cen Yelan knew everything about the capital.

 

Cen Yelan let out a breath and said, “Yan Nan and the people from the Western Territory have already left. I asked Yuan Heng to allow me to leave yesterday, but Yuan Heng avoided the topic and did not agree.”

 

Meng Tan sneered and said, “As expected.”

 

“If you return to the northern border, it will be like letting a tiger return to the mountains. Although Yuan Heng has Si Shaoying in his hands, but he dares not take the risk.”

 

Cen Yelan did not comment and said, “Si Shaoying’s Hedong Army is secretly stationed a hundred miles away. When the time comes, I will follow the agreement to hold him back for you, but—” Cen Yelan changed the subject and said, “Prime Minister Meng, from ancient times to the present, there has never been a madman who ascended the throne as emperor.”

 

“Can the Seventh Prince’s illness really be cured? When will it be cured?”

 

He asked calmly. Meng Tan was startled. He actually heard some anger in his words. He smiled and said, “General Cen, when do you think Ah Zheng will be cured?”

 

Cen Yelan choked and met Meng Tan’s meaningful gaze. In an instant, it seemed as if all the shameful affairs between him and Yuan Zheng were exposed to the public. He felt unusually uncomfortable.

 

Cen Yelan pursed his lips and said calmly, “It’s getting late, I’ll go back first.”

 

Meng Tan immediately stood up to see him off. When he reached the door, Cen Yelan remembered something and asked, “When I left Rongxiang Fang tonight, I happened to see Xiao Mengsheng dealing with the city guards. Is it really a coincidence?”

 

Meng Tan paused for a moment, but before he could speak, Cen Yelan seemed to understand what he meant. He didn’t ask any more questions and walked out.

 

Meng Tan looked at Cen Yelan’s slender back and couldn’t help but sigh. Coincidence? How could there be such a coincidence?

 

He thought of Yuan Zheng, who had grown up under his care. Yuan Zheng was spoiled and had a domineering and arrogant personality. The late emperor and Meng Tan felt sorry for his mother’s early death and were reluctant to blame him too much.

 

That day, Yuan Zheng insisted on meeting Grand Tutor Xiao.

 

Grand Tutor Xiao is old now, and he always goes to the Huguo Temple outside the city to burn incense and worship Buddha during festivals.

 

Meng Tan and Yuan Zheng left the city in disguise and met Grand Tutor Xiao in the meditation room. Meng Tan originally planned to persuade him himself, but unexpectedly, Yuan Zheng took off his bamboo hat and knelt down. He knelt directly in front of Grand Tutor Xiao.

 

Although Grand Tutor Xiao was Yuan Zheng’s grand tutor and taught him poetry, books, etiquette, and the ways of being a monarch, but Yuan Zheng was the most honorable prince and only knelt before Heaven, Earth, and his Emperor Father.

 

When he knelt, Meng Tan was stunned, and Grand Tutor Xiao gasped and took a few steps back in shock.

 

Yuan Zheng’s eyes were red, and he choked up and said, “Yuan Zheng begged the Grand Tutor to save me.”