Just after five in the morning, Ji Yuan, who was lying on his side on a straw mat and covered with a filthy and tattered quilt, was startled awake by the bang of a door opening.
The sound came from the iron gate at the end of the corridor, followed by the sound of footsteps.
Soon, a dozen or so Nightwatchers appeared in Ji Yuan and the other Yunzhou officials’ line of sight.
“Get up, let’s go outside for some sunshine.”
A Bronze Gong took out a key and unlocked the chain wrapped around the barred door.
Ji Yuan was roughly dragged to his feet by a taciturn Bronze Gong, who shoved him out of the cell.
This was his third day in the Nightwatchers’ dungeon. The dry straw mat and battered quilt had saved his life, stopping him from freezing to death in the bitter cold of the dungeon.
But, pampered since childhood, he had never suffered such hardship.
In just two short days, his hands and feet were covered in frostbite, his face was blue, his lips devoid of colour, and his hair was a tangled mess.
During these two days, he was constantly tormented by regret for accepting the position of peace envoy.
Ji Yuan was erudite and eloquent, which were genuine talents, but ultimately, as a noble son who had been brought up in comfort, he lacked worldly experience, let alone any knowledge of the Jianghu.
Having talent did not mean he could endure hardship well.
His ordeal over the past two days, coupled with his fear for the future, had brought him to the brink of an emotional breakdown.
His only hope was that he still had value, and Xu Qi’an would not kill him, but rather use him as a bargaining chip to negotiate with Yunzhou.
It was this hope that helped him grit his teeth and carry on.
Whether in the sun or left in the cell, I’ll freeze to death sooner or later… Ji Yuan staggered along the dim corridor, trailed by over twenty Yunzhou officials.
Upon stepping out of the dungeon, the air was cold but clear, and the sun, neither harsh nor weak, hung in the sky, bringing a hint of warmth.
Ji Yuan stopped in his tracks, raised his head, and savoured the sensation of sunlight on his face.
A Bronze Gong behind him gave him a hard kick, sending him sprawling to the ground.
Ji Yuan struggled to his feet, glaring furiously and resentfully at the Bronze Gong.
“What are you looking at? You think I won’t gouge your eyes out.”
The Bronze Gong pressed one hand to the hilt of his sabre, his stern and rigid face expressionless, and said,
“Weren’t you rather arrogant? Didn’t you demand that the Minister of Rites, the Prime Minister, and even a king come out of the city to greet you before you would enter the Capital?
“Weren’t you the one who lectured all the officials in the palace, leaving them too cowed to even lift their heads?
“Weren’t you the one who, with a clever trick, made the people of the capital doubt Xu Ningyan’s reputation?
“Why don’t you keep being arrogant.”
Ji Yuan clenched his fists tightly, gritting his teeth and enduring it.
When Yunzhou’s iron hooves conquered the capital, he would personally destroy the Nightwatchers constabulary, and have all these Nightwatchers who were friendly with Xu Qi’an cut to pieces.
At this moment, a middle-aged Silver Gong walked over, sweeping his severe gaze over the group.
The Bronze Gongs all tidied their clothes and straightened the Bronze Gongs on their chests, ensuring everything was symmetrical and in order, before respectfully saying,
“Boss.”
The middle-aged Silver Gong nodded slightly, withdrawing his gaze in satisfaction, not even glancing at the dishevelled, filthy, and wrinkled Ji Yuan.
“Let’s go, don’t waste time.”
Go? Go where? Ji Yuan’s heart gave a jolt. He wanted to ask but felt certain he wouldn’t get an answer, and would only get beaten up for it.
That taciturn Bronze Gong escorted Ji Yuan out and offhandedly said,
“Boss, Ningyan wants us to have a drink together tonight.”
The middle-aged Silver Gong was silent for a moment.
“The goulan or the Jiaofangsi?”
“The goulan. He said he won’t go to Jiaofangsi anymore.” The Bronze Gong replied.
The middle-aged Silver Gong seemed rather gratified.
“A promise worth a thousand tons of gold; he always kept his word.”
Li Yuchun knew that after Fuxiang had died, Xu Qi’an had promised never to visit Jiaofangsi again.
Zhu Guangxiao was silent for a moment, then added,
“He said he could invite all the Oiran of Jiaofangsi to the goulan.”
… Li Yuchun didn’t want to speak anymore.
Passing through the rear of the constabulary, along the covered walkway, and through offices and courtyards, they finally reached the entrance.
At the gate, prison carts stood in a row.
Zhu Guangxiao looked at Ji Yuan and said blandly,
“Let’s go get some sunshine.”
Ji Yuan’s face went rigid, and he stood frozen in place.
…
The notice boards at the entrances to the various government offices and the inner and outer city gates in the capital had a new announcement posted early in the morning.
Notices were the main channel for ordinary citizens to obtain official information in the capital.
Normally, ordinary people didn’t pay special attention to the notice boards, unless something major had happened recently.
Right now, the biggest issue in the capital was the peace talks.
“What does the notice say?”
As soon as it was posted, the crowd surged around, some discussing, others querying the clerks posting the notice.
In the double-hour before it went up, clerks would “sing the notice,” reading it aloud to the people.
After all, only a minority of commoners could read.
Furthermore, official notices like these were difficult to understand; even those who could read, without a certain level of education, often didn’t grasp the content.
It often ended up as “I know every character individually, but together I haven’t a clue what it means.”
“It must be about the peace talks. The court lost the war, Qingzhou has fallen. I heard they even plan to cede land in exchange for peace.”
“A mere bandit province, yet so arrogant! Ever since the new Emperor took the throne, life for us commoners has gotten worse and worse. Corrupt officials are everywhere.”
“Shh, keep your voice down, be careful what you say.”
“What’s there to fear? There aren’t any soldiers about, and anyway, everyone says the same things these days.”
And from the peace talks, the conversation drifted onto the topic of Qingzhou falling.
“Even Silver Gong Xu couldn’t hold Qingzhou? He’s the one who, at Yuyang Pass, with a single sabre, wiped out the Church of the Warlock God’s two hundred thousand-strong army.”
“I’ve heard that one too many times. Who can say? Come to think of it, it’s been ages since Silver Gong Xu appeared in the capital.”
“I heard that even the Jianzheng died in Qingzhou, Silver Gong Xu hasn’t been able to fight off the Yunzhou rebels.”
“Sigh, no wonder Silver Gong Xu has kept such a low profile. Nothing he can do, just can’t beat them.”
Having vented for so many days, most people, while still resentful, had passed the peak of their anger. Though they still cursed the peace talks between the court and Yunzhou in private, they knew they could do nothing about it.
Their opposition was no longer as vehement.
Especially after Qingzhou’s fall and the Yunzhou delegation entering the capital, rumours had spread and gradually allowed them to piece together the situation, including the news that the Guardian Spirit of Great Feng, the Jianzheng, had died in Qingzhou.
Though in their eyes, the Jianzheng was never as revered as Silver Gong Xu.
To ordinary people, the Jianzheng was just a title, an abstract concept.
At this point, a clerk standing by the notice read aloud in a clear voice:
“In ancient times, a ruler’s duty lay in preserving his people, not in harming those he was meant to nourish… Since We ascended the throne, We have governed poorly, allowing the Yunzhou rebels to rise, bringing chaos to the land, turmoil to the realm, suffering to Our people, and devastation everywhere. We are ashamed before Our ancestors…
“Eldest Princess Huaiqing, of great virtue, surpasses Us in many ways… She shall therefore inherit the throne as a matter of order, with Xu Qi’an as her assistant, upholding the state, quelling rebellion, and restoring peace and light to the Great Feng. Is this not fitting? Such is the decree;”
The notice ran to over four hundred words. When the clerk finished reading, the crowd was struck dumb, frozen in place like a host of statues.
“Wha- what does that mean?”
“It sounds like… the Emperor is abdicating to the Eldest Princess?” The speaker’s eyes widened in shock: “The Eldest Princess is going to be Emperor?”
In an instant, the place exploded, the crowd seething like boiling water.
The announcement delivered a sudden jolt and deep shock, leaving the people bewildered.
No longer caring about speaking out of turn, they launched into heated discussion.
“How can a woman be Emperor? Isn’t this absolute nonsense? Are they going to have the officials embroider with her?”
“Can the Eldest Princess even read characters? Why has His Majesty abdicated to her? A woman as Emperor, won’t the whole world mock us?”
Their first reaction was resistance and anger, finding it utterly unacceptable and believing it to be the utmost absurdity.
Afterwards, someone said:
“Have you ever listened to storytelling at the teahouse? I think there used to be a woman who became Emperor, called… what was her name again?”
“The female Emperor of Great Yang”
“Yes, yes, you’ve heard of her too.”
The hubbub died down a little. It was clear that in recent days, many people had heard similar stories while spending time in entertainment spots such as restaurants, teahouses, brothels, and courtesan houses.
Then, someone else continued:
“The notice says that the eldest princess is ascending the throne, with Silver Gong Xu assisting her.”
Ah, so Silver Gong Xu is assisting her.
The voices of opposition faded further, yet some still muttered:
“Why would Silver Gong Xu assist a woman in becoming Emperor? Is this not utter nonsense? In the six hundred years since the founding of the Great Feng, there has never been such a precedent.”
“Indeed, I really don’t know what the officials and Silver Gong Xu are thinking. On one hand, they are negotiating peace with Yunzhou, on the other, they’re propping up the princess as Emperor.”
“Silver Gong Xu must have lost his mind.”
Originally, the common folk had regarded Xu Qi’an as a hero and guardian, but they were already disappointed over the loss of Qingzhou, and considered the peace talks a disgrace. Although nobody criticised Xu Qi’an openly, there was certainly disappointment in their hearts.
Once the notice was posted, this disappointment quickly fermented and turned into discontent.
Suddenly, a commotion drew the attention of the crowd near the notice wall.
Looking towards the sound, they saw a line of prison carts slowly approaching, followed by a large throng of citizens who kept throwing stones and spitting at the criminals tied up in the carts.
Some even carried chamber pots and flung filth at the prisoners inside.
Among the leading cavalry, a Nightwatcher sat smugly atop his horse, banging a bronze gong and shouting:
“By order of Silver Gong Xu, the Yunzhou traitors are to be paraded through the streets for public disgrace!”
The crowds lining both sides of the street were stirred up, and those who had come to watch joined in: some joined the stone-throwing, others pointed fingers and cursed, and some clapped and cheered, their spirits greatly lifted.
Ji Yuan’s head was covered in blood and his heart was filled with hopelessness.
The Yunzhou officials travelling with him trembled with fear, weeping and wailing.
…
Dusk.
In the imperial study, Huaiqing sat behind a large desk draped with yellow silk. In the hall were Liu Hong and Qian Qingshu, heads of two cliques, as well as the Minister of Rites.
The Minister of Rites bowed and said:
“Your Highness, the preparations for your accession have all been completed.”
Huaiqing, clad in a plain palace gown, nodded slightly.
After the Minister of Rites returned to his place, Liu Hong stepped forward and bowed:
“Today, the entire city was in an uproar. There is still some resistance among the people, but it is not serious, and Silver Gong Xu’s reputation has improved. The citizens of the capital still mostly hold him in affection.”
When Liu Hong finished, he could not help but laugh:
“With Silver Gong Xu’s current prestige, having him escort Your Highness to the throne is the most suitable arrangement. There is no one in the court more beloved by the people than him.”
The nobles, in fact, found the idea of a princess ascending the throne easier to accept than a commoner. As long as their interests were secured, and with a little military coercion, plenty of them would yield.
Most crucially, in the eyes of the ruling class, though Huaiqing was a woman, she was nevertheless of pure imperial blood.
A woman becoming Emperor was merely an exception; the next monarch would still be of the Great Feng’s imperial house.
This greatly reduced the resentment within the ruling class.
But the commoners cared little for such matters. To pacify them and gain their trust, Huaiqing’s reputation was not enough, nor was that of the other grandees. Only Xu Qi’an could manage it.
Qian Qingshu echoed:
“Whether Your Highness can unite the hearts of the people shall be decided tomorrow.”
With her head lowered, Huaiqing was reading a memorial in her hands and replied without looking up:
“It is getting late. My Lords may withdraw.”
The three bowed and left the imperial study.
The memorial Huaiqing held had been submitted by the cabinet, detailing the various matters to be attended to after her accession. Most were trivial, but one was especially important: summoning all provincial governors and commanders-in-chief back to the capital to report on their administration.
This was, in fact, a round of negotiation and persuasion, an effort to win over the provincial leaders.
…
The next day.
The atmosphere in the capital was most peculiar. From the nobles and aristocrats down to the common folk, all knew that today would certainly go down in the annals of history.
For today, the eldest princess, Huaiqing, would ascend the throne, an unprecedented event in the six-hundred-year-long history of the Great Feng.
The ordinary people could not witness the enthronement, but that did not stop them following and discussing the matter.
Each social class had a different view. Scholars from the Imperial Academy and the literati were deeply pained by Huaiqing’s accession; even the public shaming of the Yunzhou delegation did not win their favour.
At best, they didn’t curse Xu Qi’an.
The commoners had the most mixed opinions, some could not accept it, some said it was none of their business, others chose to trust Silver Gong Xu.
At Xu Manor, Auntie voiced the opinions of the noble ladies.
“Husband dear, isn’t Ningyan just making a mess of things? How could a woman become Emperor? I do not even dare to go out, afraid someone might recognise me as Xu Ningyan’s auntie and pelt me with rotten eggs.”
Auntie was as beautiful as ever, as if the years had especially favoured her.
She no longer had a girlish air when sitting with her daughter, but neither did she look old, her skin was tender and fair, without a wrinkle in sight.
Second Uncle Xu lowered his head to eat and did not comment.
“Big brother knows what he is doing.”
Compared to her mother, Xu Lingyue actually admired her elder brother’s bold action.
Seeing her topic fall flat, Auntie sighed:
“Qingzhou has fallen, and we have not heard any news of Erlang. Lingyin is cultivating among the shaman clans, who knows how many years it will be before she returns? Will she be bullied by the barbarians of the Southern Marches?
“Ungrateful little wretch Xu Ningyan, now that he is back in the capital, he never even comes home for a look.”
As she was speaking, Auntie’s gaze suddenly froze, staring directly at the entrance to the hall.
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