After midday, Shoukang Palace sent the Twelve Guards’ command tokens to Zhaoyang Hall. As soon as Song Liang received them, he ordered all their left and right commanders to assemble at the training ground of Shangwu Hall at two in the afternoon. After lunch, he took Zhou An and Xuan Seven on a leisurely stroll there.
Shangwu Hall stood at the northernmost end of the palace, its doors facing Zhengyang Gate and the southern city gate. Its name, meaning “Esteem Martial Virtue,” had been bestowed by the founding emperor as a reminder of Great Yao’s origins: honor martial prowess and uphold virtue.
Yet more than two hundred years had passed, and the plaque bearing the founding emperor’s own calligraphy had long faded. Since the late emperor’s reign, Shangwu Hall had become as neglected as a cold palace. Only a few guards patrolled it now. There was not even a servant responsible for cleaning, much less the soldiers who should have been training there.
Song Liang did not mind. He enthusiastically headed for the training ground, then looked at the completely empty field and asked Zhou An, “Are we early?”
“…It is already the Hour of the Monkey, Your Majesty,” Zhou An replied.
Song Liang turned to the two Shangwu Hall guards behind him. “Where are the commanders of the Twelve Guards?”
“The commanders…”
After much stammering, they managed to say, “The commanders have important business to attend to. They said they would come a little later.”
“I see.”
Rather than growing angry, Song Liang asked patiently, “When will their important business be finished?”
The Twelve Guards’ main responsibility was protecting the inner palace—in other words, standing watch. They had little other significant business. Even urgent duties would only involve traveling within the palace and returning the same day. After considering briefly, the two guards answered, “The Hour of the Dog.”
“The Hour of the Dog? Very well.”
Song Liang instructed Zhou An, “Bring a chair. I’ll sit here and wait.”
The guards froze. Wait… here?
By the Hour of the Dog, the city gates would be closed and darkness would have fallen. Anyone could hear the implication behind their words. Had the young emperor not understood?
One guard could not resist reminding him, “Your Majesty, it is only the Hour of the Monkey. There are still three whole double-hours until then.”
The other added, “Yes, Your Majesty. Autumn has arrived, and it will turn cold after dark. You have only just recovered from a serious illness. Your health must come first.”
Song Liang smiled, turned, and sat in the chair Zhou An had brought. He simply watched the empty training ground.
The two guards exchanged a glance, then quietly withdrew from the hall.
Before long, word reached Shoukang Palace.
The Grand Empress Dowager was reclining while someone massaged her throbbing head. Hearing the news, she immediately sneered.
“Wait? Then let him wait!”
“Rest assured, Your Majesty. Someone has already delivered instructions to the barracks. Not one of those commanders dares go.”
“That callow brat thinks possessing the command tokens means he can rest easy? Which of Yanjing’s declining noble families doesn’t depend on me for a living? Without my permission, let’s see who dares meet him at the training ground today!”
The inner guard commanders were gathered in the barracks discussing the matter. When they heard the young emperor intended to sit there waiting for them, they burst into laughter.
“Is the young emperor an idiot? Can’t he distinguish an honest answer from something said to put him off?”
“He always was an idiot. I hear he was poisoned recently. Probably made him even stupider.”
“Let him wait. How long can he sit out there in this weather? I doubt he’ll last two hours before running back to Zhaoyang Hall!”
“If I’d known, I wouldn’t have come back. I was enjoying myself with Xiang’er in my arms at Yanhong House…”
As the group joked, one man sat nearby silently fiddling with the tassel on his waist token. Someone soon noticed him and teased, “Liang Fei, why so quiet? Don’t tell me you really want to catch up with the young emperor?”
“Tsk. He just made an impression on Chancellor Yin by arresting the man who poisoned the emperor. Perhaps he’s been eager to go flatter His Majesty all along!”
Liang Fei kept his head down and said nothing, as though he had not heard their mockery.
His silence made the others lose interest. Looking at the sunlight outside the barracks, they licked their lips, feeling inexplicably unsettled.
The Hour of the Rooster was approaching. The sky had noticeably darkened, and the sun was sinking toward the western side of the imperial city.
At the training ground, Song Liang remained seated, his eyes half closed and his expression peaceful, seemingly in no hurry at all. Beside him, Zhou An draped a fox-fur cloak over his shoulders. Xuan Seven, dressed in a black guard’s uniform, stood so motionless he might have been in a trance.
Watching from a distance, several guards began to grow uneasy. Soon, someone whispered, “Should we call the commander back after all?”
Their unit belonged to the Golden Crow Rear Guard, under Left Commander Jiang Wei. His ancestors had been genuine founding heroes, one of whom had saved the founding emperor’s life. His family even possessed an iron certificate granting immunity from punishment. Though the household had declined, it still held a hereditary title and maintained good relations with the Qins. Jiang Wei was arguably the best connected among the Twelve Guards’ commanders—and therefore the boldest.
When His Majesty’s order arrived that morning, the other commanders, however unwilling, had at least returned from outside the palace. Their Commander Jiang alone had not bothered to acknowledge it. He was still enjoying himself in a brothel.
“If you want to go, go yourself. I’m not going. When I went at noon, he threw a wine cup at my head. The lump still hasn’t gone down. I’m not asking for more trouble.”
“Fair enough.”
“How much longer do you think the young emperor will sit there? The sun’s nearly down. Surely he won’t really wait until the Hour of the Dog?”
“Who knows…”
They looked at one another, all harboring the same question: if the Hour of the Dog truly arrived and the commanders still had not appeared, what would the young emperor do?
The same question hung over the Twelve Guards’ barracks. On hearing that the young emperor was still waiting at the training ground, they fell silent. No one mocked him anymore, and their contempt had faded. Unease was taking its place.
After a long while, someone tried to sound joking.
“He won’t really charge us with defying an imperial decree, will he? That’s a capital offense.”
No one answered. The barracks remained quiet as they recalled everything the young emperor had done recently.
First, he had scolded all three factions at court. Then he had crippled Eunuch Liu Xi, the Grand Empress Dowager’s trusted servant, with a kick. He had used the poisoning to reclaim the Twelve Guards’ command tokens and set those stubborn senior ministers fiercely impeaching the Grand Empress Dowager. Next, he had established a governor-general to divide the five military commissioners’ authority, making the Marquis of Wuying’s hard-won appointment as assistant commissioner considerably less valuable. The Grand Empress Dowager had fainted from anger at court.
And Chancellor Yin’s faction had even helped him. Regent Xie Yun had chosen to take leave at home and remain uninvolved. Was the balance of power in the imperial city truly about to change? Was the emperor really going to govern personally? Had Xie Yun truly abandoned his ambitions of rebellion?
Should they go or not? Going would certainly offend the Grand Empress Dowager. But if they did not, who knew what the young emperor might do to them?
They all came from declining noble families. Whatever merits their ancestors possessed belonged to more than two hundred years ago. Now they were merely trying to collect their salaries. If the young emperor truly moved against them, they would have little recourse. The Grand Empress Dowager might not even protect them.
Yet despite these thoughts, the commanders only looked at one another. No one spoke first.
Then Liang Fei, whom they had mocked earlier, suddenly stood and headed outside. Their expressions shifted, and someone immediately called after him.
“Liang Fei! Where are you going?”
Liang Fei paused and answered calmly, “It’s my turn on duty.”
They were speechless. At a time like this, he was still thinking about guard duty? Still, they were not surprised. He had always been stiff as a block of wood. As commanders, the rest of them had plenty of people to take their shifts. Only this unsociable fellow insisted on going himself every day, playing the upright man.
Seeing that they had nothing more to say, Liang Fei rested a hand on his saber and left.
At the training ground, Zhou An looked at the darkening sky and bent toward Song Liang.
“Your Majesty, it is already three quarters past the Hour of the Rooster. Shouldn’t we return?”
Song Liang yawned. “Hm? Not a single one has come?”
Looking at the empty field, Zhou An nodded awkwardly. “No, Your Majesty.”
“Very well. Then that’s all for—”
Song Liang was about to rise when a figure suddenly appeared ahead. Despite the dim light, he could still make out a black guard’s uniform and a long saber at the man’s waist.
Overjoyed, Zhou An hurriedly exclaimed, “Your Majesty, someone’s here! Someone has come!”
“I see him, I see him.”
Song Liang stood with a smile.
“Come. Let’s welcome this brave soul!”
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