Song Liang did not think he had done anything wrong. He had indeed broken into the prince’s study out of concern for Xie Yun. But since he was already there, of course he ought to take something valuable. That did not conflict with caring about Xie Yun.
Just as he had sent people to intercept Ruan Chong and the Black Armor Guard messenger to prevent an ambitious man like Xie Yun from ruining his plans, he had come over to show concern once he realized Xie Yun had no intention of interfering and appeared to be injured. How was that not genuine affection?
Still, to avoid any misunderstanding, he patiently explained, “I really was worried about you when I went to your study that day. I took the Cloud Stationery, but only because it was there. I wasn’t planning to use it against you.”
After a pause, he made a point of adding, “Even though you turned down my offer to cooperate three times last night, I’m not that angry.”
Xie Yun’s gaze passed over the blood on his face, the saber in his hand, and the undisguised ambition in his eyes. Finally, it settled on the Golden Crow Guards and Feathered Forest Guards behind him.
“Did Your Majesty truly need my cooperation, or was it merely a diversion to mislead me?”
“Of course I truly needed it.”
Song Liang sounded surprised.
“All I have is the Golden Crow Front Guard and half the Feathered Forest Front Guard. Yet I had to guard against the Black Armor Guards inside the palace, keep you from getting word outside it, and fend off the remaining Golden Crow Rear Guards as well as the Golden Feather Guards beyond the palace. My chances weren’t good.”
“But with your help, today’s palace coup might never have happened.”
“Unfortunately, you refused me.”
“Three times.”
“The last person who refused me once has already lost his head.” Song Liang smiled. “But you—I can give you plenty of chances. I like you, after all.”
Xie Yun found it laughable. His voice grew colder.
“Should I thank Your Majesty for sparing my life?”
“There’s no need. I know my limitations.”
Even if he gained complete control of the Twelve Guards, the troops at his disposal would still be outnumbered by the Black Armor and Dark Armor Guards, both of which had undergone three expansions in preparation for war. And those were two armies that had truly been tempered on the battlefield.
As he was now, he was still far from being the emperor of Great Yao in any meaningful sense before Xie Yun. If Xie Yun wanted to kill him and seize the throne, his chances of success would be high.
“I merely wanted to tell you that I could have stood on the same side as you.”
“The same side…”
Xie Yun scoffed, his expression cold and indifferent.
“I don’t know what gave Your Majesty that illusion, but I will never stand on the same side as the descendants of Great Yao’s Chen imperial family.”
“So that’s why you refused me three times last night?”
“…”
Ruan Chong arrived just in time to hear that sentence. It reminded him of Liang Fei’s remark about the past affection between His Majesty and their prince. His expression shifted several times before he stepped forward and bowed to them both.
“Your Majesty. Your Highness. The Golden Feather Guards are making a move.”
Song Liang’s gaze flickered. He glanced at Ruan Chong, somewhat surprised that the man would report this to him.
Puzzled by that look, Ruan Chong glanced at Xie Yun. Instead of receiving any instructions from his prince, however, he received a fierce glare from Cen Huan.
Ruan Chong: “…”
What was that supposed to mean?
“Thank you, Commander Ruan.”
Although Song Liang did not believe the Grand Empress Dowager would truly dare act now, he thanked Ruan Chong all the same. He also realized that the man seemed to bear him no ill will.
In that case, Xie Yun’s hurried arrival…
His gaze shifted to Xie Yun, and he asked tentatively, “May I ask what brought you to the palace so suddenly today—”
Xie Yun cut him off coldly.
“The Qin woman commands both the Golden Feather and Crimson Cloud Guards and controls the Chief Military Commission. One sheet of Cloud Stationery will not shake the Qin family’s position. As for your slaughter of the Golden Crow Rear Guard, aren’t you afraid of earning a reputation as a bloodthirsty tyrant?”
“I never intended to be a sage ruler.”
“…”
Xie Yun stared at him for a moment, then turned and left.
Cen Huan shot Song Liang a cold glare and followed. Only Ruan Chong, who was still on duty, remained, unsure whether to stay or go. As he hesitated, the young emperor’s voice reached him.
“Commander Ruan, do you know why your prince suddenly came to the palace?”
“…”
Ruan Chong fell silent for a moment. He did not know why their prince had come so suddenly, but Cen Huan had told him that their prince should have remained unconscious for at least three days. Yet on hearing that the young emperor was about to stir up trouble, he had awakened early. Then, despite Miss Qi’s repeated attempts to stop him, he had dragged his ailing body out and rushed here with only Cen Huan.
He ought to tell the young emperor. But remembering Xie Yun’s hard, cold expression when he left, Cen Huan’s angry glare, the blood on the young emperor’s hands and clothes, and the bodies strewn nearby, he understood something of what had happened. In the end, he said nothing beyond, “I do not know.”
Song Liang studied him for a moment, then let him leave without pressing further.
Ruan Chong nodded and headed in the direction Xie Yun had gone.
At some point, Xuan Seven had quietly returned. Standing behind Song Liang, he said softly, “Xie Yun received word early and appeared with Cen Huan ahead of schedule. I couldn’t beat the three of them, so I failed to stop them.”
“That’s fine. Were you hurt?”
Song Liang had never expected him to stop them outright. He had only wanted to buy some time.
“No. They ignored me. They were in a hurry to reach the palace.”
Xuan Seven paused, then added, “And Xie Yun seems badly injured.”
Song Liang’s gaze stilled. He turned to look at him.
Xuan Seven continued, “There was a strong smell of blood on him, along with the medicinal scent from acupuncture treatment. It included the deadly poison Canshang. His internal energy was unstable, too.”
“…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Song Liang sighed wistfully. “I just suddenly feel that a man’s heart is harder to fathom than a needle at the bottom of the sea.”
Xuan Seven: “?”
“Never mind. You’re too young to understand.”
Song Liang patted his shoulder, ordered Liang Fei to lead the cleanup, and returned to Zhaoyang Hall with Xuan Seven.
The hall was still in chaos. Jiang Wei’s mutilated corpse lay where it had fallen, his head a short distance away, eyes wide open and face stiff and pallid. Red and white flesh mingled at his severed neck, blood still dripping from the wound. The carpet was soaked through. A nauseating stench filled the hall, while the pale, shaken ministers of the Grand Secretariat sat silently in a corner, as though part of their souls had been frightened out of them.
“Are you all well, my ministers?” Song Liang asked with a smile.
The sudden sound of his voice made the old ministers shudder. When they saw him entering, blood spattered over his face and clothes, they went paler still.
“…Your Majesty.”
Someone called weakly, forcing himself up on unsteady limbs to bow.
The others dared not delay. They rose shakily to salute him, Chancellor Yin Wei included.
Song Liang smiled with genuine pleasure.
“How courteous you all are. I didn’t go to all that trouble to save your lives for nothing. Remember this favor, and serve me faithfully.”
“…Your Majesty is right.”
“I shall certainly serve with loyalty.”
“…”
They thanked him in fear and trembling. Not one dared offer a word of refusal.
Watching coldly, Yin Wei suddenly asked, “How does Your Majesty intend to deal with the remaining Golden Crow Rear Guards?”
“The remaining Golden Crow Rear Guards?”
Song Liang blinked with a smile and said slowly, “There are only three or five of them. Deal with them however you like.”
Three or five?
Everyone stared. Yin Wei’s heart began to race as an ominous feeling rose within him.
“…May I ask why there are only three or five?”
“Because that’s all that’s left. I killed the rest.”
“…”
Yin Wei and the others stared at him in horror, seemingly unable to believe that a force of several hundred Golden Crow Rear Guards had been slaughtered just like that.
“Although the Golden Crow Rear Guard participated in the rebellion, apart from Jiang Wei and Yang Guangzhen, the others were not its masterminds. To execute them all…”
The speaker’s voice trembled.
“Is that not too cruel?”
Song Liang glanced at him and smiled faintly.
“Remember this: they were rebels. Anyone who sympathizes with those rebels will be taken as wanting to join them.”
“I would never dare!”
The man dropped to his knees and bowed low in terror.
“Good.”
Song Liang smiled at them.
“I have investigated the leak from the Grand Secretariat. The traitor Jiang Wei bribed a palace attendant to pass information in secret. It had nothing to do with any of you. I should have let you return home, but something else has come up, and I need you to decide how to proceed.”
No one spoke. They waited for the young emperor to continue.
“Before his death, the traitor Yang Guangzhen confessed that the Grand Empress Dowager had ordered the rebellion. He also produced a letter in her own hand on Cloud Stationery as proof. Please discuss how this matter should be handled.”
“…”
Song Liang tossed the sheet of Cloud Stationery in front of them, leaned down to meet their eyes, and curled his lips.
“Handle it properly. Don’t disappoint me.”
Then he turned and left, leaving the ministers staring at the Qin family seal on the plain white paper in prolonged silence.
They knew the young emperor had finally lost patience with their willingness to stand aside and watch others fight. He was forcing them to choose a side.
Investigating the Qin woman’s treason would be their pledge of allegiance.
Leave a Reply