If you do not, you’ll meet the same end as the late Emperor… Emperor Yongxing’s mind buzzed, and the miserable scene of Emperor Yuanjing dying a violent death flashed through his head.
Inside Jinluan Hall, a sudden silence fell, and it became deathly quiet.
One after another, all eyes fell on Xu Qi’an. For a brief moment, no one rebuked him, and no one protested.
In today’s Great Feng, if anyone still dared to commit regicide and would truly carry it out, Xu Qi’an was one of them.
After a long silence, King Yu stepped out with a solemn face and persuaded:
“Xu Qi’an, the Great Feng is in turmoil, beset with internal and external troubles, unable to withstand further upheaval. For the sake of how the court has raised you in the past, I beg you to show mercy.”
King Yu knew he had not really mentored Xu Qi’an, but he did help him several times, so he stepped forward to try to persuade him.
“That’s right!”
The Minister of the High Court swallowed and, summoning his courage, called out loudly:
“Xu Qi’an, you were Wei Yuan’s trusted confidant. Wei Yuan devoted himself to supporting the nation and bringing peace to the people of the Central Plains. How can you betray his dying wishes and personally push the court into an abyss of eternal ruin?”
With these two taking the lead, the meritorious and scholarly supporters of Emperor Yongxing all began to urge and remonstrate.
In their eyes, Xu Qi’an was indeed a lawless martial man, but he was by no means a bloodthirsty madman. On the contrary, in the past, all he had done could be praised as chivalrous and righteous.
They therefore believed that, as long as they stood on the side of reason and righteousness, they could exert pressure on Xu Qi’an.
A gentleman can be swayed by reason!
Emperor Yongxing looked like a cornered beast, suddenly jumping up from the throne, pointing at Xu Qi’an and roaring in a frenzied manner:
“You want to force us to abdicate?
“Xu Qi’an, we trusted you, relied on you, and even granted you marriage to Lin’an. Is this how you repay us?
“Are you not afraid that, once news of this spreads, your reputation as Silver Gong Xu will be utterly ruined? That in the records of posterity you will never be spoken of kindly, and your name will be reviled for generations?”
Even a rabbit bites when cornered, let alone an emperor!
“If I am to marry Lin’an, I shall marry her myself. What need is there for you to grant the marriage?”
Xu Qi’an grabbed the spear in Yang Yan’s hand. With a flick of his wrist and a “bang”, the spear shot out, taking with it a corner of Emperor Yongxing’s robe, and sank into the throne behind him.
Emperor Yongxing collapsed to the ground, his pupils dilated, his body trembling slightly.
In that instant just now, he had felt a powerful killing intent. That spear felt as if it were stabbing straight into his heart.
He really wants to kill me… Enormous terror exploded in Emperor Yongxing’s heart.
“Don’t!”
Inside the hall, a clamour broke out.
King Yu and the others were startled. One prince, consumed by grief and indignation, threw caution to the wind and shouted:
“Xu Qi’an, when has it been your place to decide the fate, or deposition, of the emperor of our Great Feng?
“Is there any court or royal family at all in your eyes?”
The faces of the princes and lords all turned grim, feeling both humiliated and indignant.
A shame beyond all measure!
In the six hundred years since the founding of the Great Feng, never had anyone dared to act with such outrageous audacity. Even the Jianzheng had never gone this far, treating the royal family as nothing more than ants.
The late emperor was killed on a whim; the new emperor to be deposed in the same fashion. The late emperor may well have deserved to die, but on the other hand, all this exposed the weakness of the imperial clan and revealed that Xu Qi’an had no regard at all for the royal family of the Great Feng.
Even regarding them as mere puppets to be manipulated at will.
To those present from the imperial clan, this scene was a humiliation beyond compare.
Where was their dignity now?
Xu Qi’an walked slowly to the throne, looked toward King Yu and the other members of the imperial family, and said:
“Yuanjing was muddle-headed and unprincipled. He betrayed his ancestors and his people. So I killed him.
“After Yuanjing’s death, the Great Feng was shaken, disaster and cold swept the land, and the Yunzhou rebels rose up. Yongxing is weak and timid, and in order to secure his own position, he is willing to cede land for peace, even forsaking his ancestors. Do you truly think such an ineffectual sovereign can uphold a court that is hanging by a thread?
“Emperor Gaozu went through countless hardships to establish this foundation. Are you truly willing to watch him see it ruined at Yongxing’s hands?
“Why are all those lords in this hall willing to help me purge the court? Why do the Wang Clique and Wei Clique, bitter enemies, choose to set aside their differences now? Why are the soldiers outside willing to put their lives on the line to force Yongxing to abdicate? Who is right and who is wrong? Search your hearts and answer me.
“Who is really the one betraying the ancestors?”
King Yu was visibly shaken. The princes and nobles around him opened their mouths to argue, but could not find the words.
Xu Qi’an then swept his gaze over the officials, lingering over those who supported Emperor Yongxing, and said in a low voice:
“In the battle of Qingzhou, tens of thousands of soldiers died wrapped in horse hides. It was a hard-fought struggle to destroy Yunzhou’s elite, only for you all to nullify their efforts with a single document, turning their sacrifices to ash. You take the court’s salaries, are you even doing human work?
“The treasury is empty, and just keeping the army and the court running is already difficult. For the sake of momentary peace, Yongxing has cut off our own escape route. Not only did you fail to argue against him, you were happy to see it happen, and helped facilitate the peace talks. All your knowledge of the sages, has it gone to the dogs?
“You ceded Yuzhou, rich in iron, and Zhangzhou, abundant in grain, handing both iron and food to the Yunzhou rebels, wishing only that our collapse would come faster. Yongxing deludes himself, and you are just as worthless as he is!”
His furious rebuke echoed through the hall.
Following Xu Qi’an’s lead, the Bronze Gongs and Silver Gongs, as well as the guards and soldiers, gripped their sabres tightly in anger and indignation.
In recent days, news of peace talks between the court and Yunzhou had spread throughout the capital, and anyone with a drop of blood in their veins felt heavy resentment in their hearts.
Since ancient times, injustice has always eventually been voiced.
Now, even the cultured officials, like the princes, were left blushing in shame.
But the officials were skilled in the art of debate, and someone, unwilling to admit defeat, muttered:
“But even the Jianzheng is dead, so what can we do? At this point, apart from negotiating, what other way is there? Who else could possibly resist the beyond-mortal experts of Yunzhou?”
All eyes fell upon Xu Qi’an to see how he would respond.
It was not for lack of backbone, the Great Feng really was on the brink. Their decision had been forced by circumstance, and they would never admit that what Xu Qi’an said was true.
“Then let me!”
Xu Qi’an’s tone suddenly rose:
“Let the soldiers who fight on the front lines do it. Let the men willing to bleed and die for the Great Feng do it. Whether the Great Feng falls or thrives is for us to decide. Not for you frail scholar-officials who only know how to argue their tongues off in the court.
“Soldiers! Are you willing to fight and die on the battlefield for the Central Plains and for the Great Feng?”
Within the hall, all the armed soldiers cried out in unison:
“To follow Silver Gong Xu and die on the battlefield!”
Xu Qi’an glanced coldly at the surrounding officials and sneered:
“If this Silver Gong should fall in battle, and the soldiers of the Great Feng are slain and their weapons lost in the sands, then even if you surrender, it will not be too late then.”
No one else spoke.
At this moment, Xu Qi’an stretched out his hand, his tone calm:
“Come!”
From outside the hall, a streak of golden light howled in, placing itself into Xu Qi’an’s hand.
The Sovereign Sword!
It still chose Xu Qi’an… At that moment, the imperial relatives, nobles and meritorious officials, and all the dignitaries in the hall stared blankly at this sword of Emperor Gaozu, a legendary divine weapon that had guarded the fortune of the nation for six hundred years.
In their eyes there were shock, helplessness, reflection, and also relief.
After only three months since the late Emperor’s fall, the Sovereign Sword had chosen Xu Qi’an once again.
The hall fell into a deathly silence. No one spoke out in rebuttal or reproach.
Huaiqing’s expression remained cool and calm. Her hands rested atop her lower abdomen as she said indifferently,
“We ask all of you to remain in the hall for now, and await our summons.”
She immediately looked towards Xu Qi’an and gave a slight nod.
Xu Qi’an bent down, lifted up Emperor Yongxing, and left shoulder-to-shoulder with Huaiqing.
As they passed the Yunzhou delegation, he glanced sideways, giving them a light, fleeting look.
Ji Yuan, Xu Yuanshuang and Xu Yuanhuai all felt a chill in their hearts at the same time.
Once Xu Qi’an and Huaiqing left the Jinluan Hall, Ji Yuan lowered his voice to a whisper,
“Yuanshuang, Yuanhuai, do you have any confidence in breaking out?”
Xu Yuanhuai looked at him as if he were an idiot.
“There are three fourth ranks in the hall alone, and there must be more outside.”
Despair clouded the hearts of the Yunzhou delegation.
“Damn it, this brainless brute, did they not say that Xu Qi’an possessed outstanding cunning, and repeatedly thwarted the National Teacher?!” Ji Yuan’s eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging from his forehead.
“Has he gone mad?!”
He believed that, given the current situation in the Great Feng, it was only wise to “swallow one’s grievances for the greater good”, then slowly seek an opportunity to turn the situation around.
It was precisely because Ji Yuan believed Xu Qi’an possessed such wisdom that he came to the capital with such certainty and confidence, swaggering in as a victor ready to negotiate.
But Xu Qi’an’s current choices were wholly inconsistent with his past deeds.
As reckless as a crudely uncultured martial man.
Ji Yuan was frightened. A cold dread welled up in his heart.
A Xu Qi’an who would walk his own road to destruction would have no misgivings.
The Yunzhou delegation was in grave danger!
…
Inside the Imperial Study.
Xu Qi’an tossed Emperor Yongxing onto a grand chair and looked at his dumbfounded brother-in-law, saying coolly,
“Would you like me to grind your ink for you?”
Emperor Yongxing’s face was deathly pale as he protested unwillingly,
“You don’t want us to sue for peace? Then we can change. If you want the court to continue fighting, then we can go along with you too. Xu Qi’an, we granted our sister’s hand to you in marriage, yet you repay our kindness with ingratitude.
“You are repaying kindness with enmity!!”
By the end, he was furiously roaring.
“I did give you a chance.” Xu Qi’an picked up an inkstone and gently began to grind the ink.
“You married Lin’an to me only to win me over. If someone else advanced to third rank, you’d do the same for him. Lin’an is the girl I loved, yet you saw her merely as a tool for currying favour. Where is the kindness in that?
“Yongxing, your greatest mistake was sitting on that throne.
“You lack the ability, yet are greedy for power. The peace negotiations are only the beginning. If the ensuing war goes poorly, you would only go on to make more traitorous, self-serving decisions. One day, in the annals of history, you will not escape the infamy of being a monarch who lost the nation.
“Forcing you to abdicate is for my own safety, and for the sake of the Great Feng’s realm.”
He dipped the writing brush in ink, and handed it to Yongxing.
“Enough said. See to your own affairs.”
Xu Qi’an then looked to Huaiqing.
“There are still several battles raging in the palace. I’ll go suppress them first. I’ll leave this to you.”
Huaiqing nodded.
She watched Xu Qi’an leave, then instructed the armoured guards outside,
“Go and call King Li here, and bring all the other princes and dukes in the hall as well.”
Several guards acknowledged the order and left.
After a short while, a few Silver Gongs and over a dozen armoured guards with sabres escorted the princes and nobles to a side hall near the Imperial Study.
King Li was getting on in years and had not attended court today, so he arrived late.
Leaning on a cane, King Li stepped across the threshold and swept the room with his slightly clouded gaze.
Huaiqing, clad in a plain white long dress, sat in the place of honour. King Yu and the other princes, as well as the dukes, were seated as guests, their demeanour somewhat reserved, a stark contrast to Huaiqing’s leisurely enjoyment of tea.
“Grand-uncle, please, do take a seat.”
Huaiqing gestured for King Li to take the secondary seat, alongside her.
King Li, leaning on his cane, unhurriedly walked over and sat at Huaiqing’s side. Turning his head, he looked at this unassuming younger generation and slowly said,
“Go on, tell us what has happened.”
Contrary to expectation, this hot-tempered old prince was surprisingly calm.
Huaiqing smiled.
“The bigger the incident, the calmer you are, Grand-uncle. Then, I shall speak directly.”
She proceeded to succinctly recount the events.
“Forcing Yongxing to abdicate…” King Li sighed.
“We are now old, and have no interest in power struggles. As to whether Great Feng has come to this because of who, and who is right or wrong, we can no longer tell. We know you have gathered everyone so as to avoid a bloody conflict.
“Speak plainly, who do you wish to enthrone?”
All those present, all the princes and dukes, turned in unison to look at King Yan.
King Yan was born of the Empress Dowager and was the legitimate direct son, as well as being Huaiqing’s own brother. There was no way that Huaiqing and Xu Qi’an would stage a coup only for someone else to benefit.
Naturally, they must be planning to raise their own brother to the throne.
If it were this prince who ascended, none of them would object. Emperor Yongxing had betrayed his ancestors, his recognition of the Yunzhou line as orthodox had offended all the imperial clan.
There was no reason for them to risk their lives in order to keep Yongxing on the throne.
King Yan’s face instantly flushed, and he could hear the wild pounding of his own heart, blood surging hotly through him.
He couldn’t help but remember the Zhou Histories that Huaiqing had once shown him, waiting for the opportunity!
He knew that at last, this day had come.
“Huaiqing, well done!”
King Yan took a deep breath, got up and strode towards his sister, making to place his hand on her shoulder as a mark of approval.
Huaiqing lifted her head, regarding him coolly.
“Sixth Brother, you are not fit to sit the throne.”
She then turned to King Li, swept her gaze over all the princes and dukes present, and said, word by word,
“We wish to proclaim ourselves Emperor!”
Comments for this chapter. You will need a GitHub account. Please follow all terms and conditions of GitHub issues and maintain etiquette in the comments. Cookies are required for this functionality.
If you want to talk with other readers about Nightwatchers (or other cultivation type books) you can join our cultivation groupreading discord server!
I also have a Kofi, which for legal reasons is definitely for supporting my digital art only (promise!): ko-fi.com/yanxin ... plus I guess server space isn't free, and I don't want to put ads/trackers... ever, so thank you if you do!