Everyone inside Zhaoyang Palace stared in disbelief.
They could not believe the Jinwu Rear Guard would rebel.
This was the imperial palace. Even the Prince Regent, Xie Yun, would not dare act so brazenly. How could Jiang Wei?
Yet the ranks of lightly armored Jinwu Rear Guards surrounding the hall, and the two men standing at their head, gave an unmistakable answer.
They dared.
Grand Secretary Zhang Shiyuan immediately flew into a rage.
Striding to the doors, he pointed at the two men and thundered, “Jiang Wei, how dare you! You command the Jinwu Rear Guard, yet you openly rebel? Have you no wish to live?”
His rebuke rang out with enough force for Jiang Wei and Yang Guangzhen to hear clearly.
Both men froze.
Not because they had been scolded, but because they recognized the man scolding them.
“L-Lord Zhang?!”
Yang Guangzhen stared at the elderly man standing inside the doorway.
“Commander Jiang, that’s Grand Secretary Zhang Shiyuan! What… what is he doing here?!”
“How should I know?”
Jiang Wei was even more alarmed.
Although he had not been on duty in the palace for several days, he knew that the young emperor had fallen ill after the incident at the parade ground and had been absent from court for days.
He had no idea why a Grand Secretary would be here.
“You have the nerve to ask me? Aren’t you on duty today? Why didn’t you know Zhang Shiyuan was here?”
“I…”
Yang Guangzhen faltered.
“I drank yesterday and only woke at the hour of Chen. As soon as I reached Xuanwu Gate, I saw you being arrested.”
Drinking.
Jiang Wei wanted to cut him down on the spot.
He rarely restricted his subordinates. His sole requirement was that they never neglect their duty shifts. Otherwise, if anything went wrong, even the Grand Empress Dowager would have difficulty covering for them.
Yet Yang Guangzhen had taken advantage of his absence from the palace to disobey behind his back!
He shot Yang Guangzhen a vicious glare, but knew there was no use pursuing it now.
Things had gone too far.
Never mind a Grand Secretary—even if Xie Yun himself were inside, Jiang Wei could no longer retreat.
He stepped forward and shouted into the hall.
“By the Grand Empress Dowager’s command! Assassins have entered Zhaoyang Palace with the intention of attacking His Majesty and the assembled ministers. The Jinwu Rear Guard has been ordered to apprehend them! No one is to make a move!”
Zhang Shiyuan found it absurd.
Even setting aside whether an assassin could penetrate the palace’s many layers of security and reach Zhaoyang Palace, how could the Grand Empress Dowager know of it from distant Shoukang Palace?
“Utter nonsense!” he snapped. “Is this what Jiang Mu taught you? Have you no shame for disgracing the Earl of Zhongyi’s household?”
“…”
Jiang Wei’s face alternated between green and white.
Jiang Mu was his grandfather, a contemporary of Elder Zhang’s. But certain upheavals during the late emperor’s reign had forced him into retirement.
After that, the Jiang family had declined further with every passing day.
Jiang Wei had been left with no choice but to seek out the Qin family, currying favor with the Grand Empress Dowager while attending to the whims of the Qins’ young masters and ladies.
Meanwhile, Zhang Shiyuan’s youngest grandson, who was Jiang Wei’s age, already served as an expositor in the Hanlin Academy.
Within two years, he would be participating in court deliberations.
His future was limitless.
Jiang Wei gritted his teeth and answered coldly.
“I am acting on the Grand Empress Dowager’s orders. Lord Zhang, please cooperate. Otherwise, do not blame me if my blade shows no mercy!”
It had been years since anyone had threatened Zhang Shiyuan.
“You wouldn’t dare!”
Jiang Wei sneered.
“You’re welcome to test me. But I advise you to think carefully. If anything happens to you, who will look after your grandson?”
Zhang Shiyuan’s face paled.
He said no more.
The ministers behind him had heard the exchange clearly.
They knew Jiang Wei meant it. They also knew their positions as Grand Secretaries would not deter him.
They did not understand why Lady Qin had suddenly gone mad and rebelled, but they knew she controlled the Golden Plume and Scarlet Cloud Guards.
If she quietly killed them inside the palace, no one would know.
Unfortunately, Xie Yun—the only person capable of restraining her—had recently withdrawn from government affairs to enjoy his leave.
For a moment, they actually found themselves missing that ambitious prince of another surname.
“Why the long faces? Aren’t you in a hurry to leave anymore?”
A smiling voice sounded behind them.
They paused and turned.
The young emperor sat composedly above them, watching with an unhurried smile.
“Have you finally decided to tell me who leaked the information?”
They froze again.
Then, almost at once, they noticed something strange.
Rebels surrounded the doors outside.
Was His Majesty not a little too calm?
Several ministers exchanged glances. Finally, Zhang Shiyuan spoke.
“Your Majesty, Jiang Wei of the Jinwu Rear Guard has rebelled. He has surrounded Zhaoyang Palace and claims to be acting on the Grand Empress Dowager’s orders.”
“I know. I heard him just now.”
“…”
Zhang Shiyuan continued.
“Your Majesty should immediately summon your personal guards to protect you.”
“You’re right.”
Song Liang paused, then added, “But there is no need to waste the effort. I summoned my personal guards a few days ago. No one paid me any attention. I waited six hours for nothing and caught a chill that made me ill.”
“…”
Zhang Shiyuan fell silent.
So did everyone else.
Song Liang seemed not to notice.
“If you had approved my reform proposal earlier, there would not now be a band of rebels outside demanding both my life and yours. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Your Majesty…”
Someone tried to speak, but Song Liang lightly interrupted.
“Ah, yes. What was it you all said? The Twelve Guards are descendants of nobles, founding heroes, and loyal, courageous men. They would never act against the Chen dynasty of Great Yao. If I abolished their posts rashly, I would be defying the founding emperor’s wishes and betraying our obligations.”
Their expressions grew ugly.
Jiang Wei and his threatening troops outside, coupled with the young emperor’s words, were nothing less than a slap in their faces.
“Your Majesty.”
At that moment, Yin Chui suddenly spoke.
“Jiang Wei may be unruly, but he is hardly a man given to such flagrant treason. The Grand Empress Dowager personally surrendered the Twelve Guards’ command tokens not long ago. If she truly intended to harm Your Majesty, she should have acted then, rather than waiting until now.”
“…”
Song Liang slowly raised his eyes to meet Yin Chui’s aged yet still fathomless gaze.
Then he smiled.
“You are right, Chancellor Yin. Unfortunately, he has rebelled, and he claims to be acting on the Grand Empress Dowager’s orders. You all heard him.”
Yin Chui fell silent.
He regarded the young emperor gravely.
“We can discuss this later. Escaping our present danger is more pressing. Your Majesty may send for Liang Fei, commander of the Jinwu Forward Guard. I guarantee he will come to your aid.”
“What unfortunate timing. I’ve sent Commander Liang away on an errand.”
“…”
Yin Chui faltered.
At last, a trace of astonishment appeared on his face.
Meanwhile, in an alley outside the palace, not far from the Prince Regent’s residence, a Black Armor Guard holding a long saber frowned at the black-clad youth who had persistently obstructed him along the way.
He recognized the youth as the young emperor’s guard.
His origins were unknown. His fighting skills were not exceptional, but his lightness skills and footwork were first-rate.
He was exceedingly troublesome.
“I don’t want to kill you. But if you keep getting in my way, don’t blame me for showing no mercy.”
“Then come.”
Xuan Qi held his short blade across his body and crouched slightly, ready to fight.
Seeing this, the Black Armor Guard abandoned all restraint.
His brows lowered, killing intent flashing in his eyes as he raised his saber and charged.
Their weapons met.
Though Xuan Qi had never underestimated the Black Armor Guard’s formidable reputation, the impact still numbed the web of his hand.
The enemy’s blade carried chilling murderous intent and the brutal aura found only on a battlefield. Even the bones in Xuan Qi’s forearm trembled with pain.
A terrible shudder rose along his back, raising gooseflesh in waves.
It was as though he had returned to the underground chambers where Night Owl had trained them years ago.
He shivered.
Yet a strange excitement kindled in his dark eyes.
Almost heedless of his own life, he pressed forward, evading the blade by the narrowest possible margins.
He sought the greatest attacking reach at the cost of the least movement and the smallest injury.
Just as his new master had taught him.
Clang!
A sudden metallic crash rang out.
A third saber appeared between them, forcibly breaking apart their clash.
Displeased, Xuan Qi looked toward the direction from which it had flown.
Then he froze.
At the end of the alley stood Cen Huan in light armor, his brow furrowed.
Beside him was someone wholly unexpected.
Black silk brocade embroidered with gold, a loose outer robe, and a handsome face cold with displeasure.
Simply standing there, he projected an authority ordinary men could not withstand.
The Black Armor Guard immediately knelt.
“Greetings, Your Highness! Commander Cen! I come on Commander Ruan’s orders to report an emergency in the palace!”
Xie Yun’s expression did not change.
His cold gaze rested on Xuan Qi.
“What has he done?”
Xuan Qi parted his lips.
Since he could no longer delay them, he answered truthfully.
“He got the Jinwu Rear Guard, the Jiang family, and the Grand Empress Dowager to join forces and stage a rebellion.”
Xie Yun hardly needed to ask to know those were the emperor’s exact words.
He could even imagine the teasing tone, as though the man were playing an entertaining game rather than engineering a life-threatening coup.
“Does he truly have no wish to live?” he asked.
Xuan Qi gave him a strange look.
“Of course he wants to live. Everything he does is to stay alive. You refused to ally with him, so he found another way.”
“…”
Xie Yun clenched his fist.
Unwilling to argue, he asked in a low voice, “What is happening in the palace now?”
“The Jinwu Rear Guard should have surrounded all of Zhaoyang Palace by now.”
“Where is Liang Fei?”
“Keeping your Commander Ruan occupied.”
“…”
For a moment, Xie Yun thought he had misheard.
His voice tightened.
“You mean he is alone in Zhaoyang Palace right now?”
“There are also a few Grand Secretaries,” Xuan Qi said.
“…”
Xie Yun briefly closed his eyes.
His voice was strained.
“Come with me to the palace.”
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