Fish Meat – Chapter 196
by Little PandaThe Fourth Year of Zhao Wu
Secrets in the Sleeve (16)
Inside the Taiji Hall, all was cold and quiet except for the thick medicinal scent and the Emperor’s coughing.
Two massive oil lamps hung above, illuminating the entire hall too brightly, making even the characters on the confidential letter before Li Yanyi painfully glaring to the eyes.
The letter contained only one character – “deceased” [卒 | zú], yet this single character carried enough weight to make one’s heart sink.
The character was written hastily, both its beginning and ending strokes were rough, as if penned in an extremely chaotic environment.
Wei Lun was dead. Wei Lun was finally dead.
For a long while after receiving this secret report, Li Yanyi’s mind went blank, as if after meticulously setting up a perfect trap and seeing the prey just within reach, ready to be captured, the prey unexpectedly died on its own…
The Wei family was preparing to leave the capital for mourning, taking Wei Lun’s remains back to their ancestral burial grounds in Pingcang, like fallen leaves returning to their roots.
Meanwhile, the main Yu army, victorious in the north, was rushing back to Runing. While the tributes from Chongjin were insufficient to replenish the treasury depleted by this expedition, the wealth continuously flowing from the Path of Ten Thousand Directions served as solid backing for the Yu army.
The year of disaster had passed and the public granaries were gradually being replenished. Li Yanyi calculated that even if the Wei family had twenty-five thousand troops in ambush, given one more year, she could definitely eliminate the Wei family, the Zhangsun family, and all their followers.
One year.
So was this what Wei Tingxu thought as well? Did she think that with Wei Lun’s death, outsiders would see the Wei family as having lost its core, making it proper to return home for mourning? Wei Tingxu’s memorial for mourning leave arrived even faster than the spy’s secret report – why such haste to leave Runing? Could she really bear to watch Zhen Wenjun be killed?
Li Yanyi sighed at Wei Tingxu’s stone-cold heart, secretly feeling a trace of admiration.
Wei Tingxu could be so ruthless, able to decisively sacrifice her beloved for the greater good.
Oh Wei Tingxu, Wei Tingxu, you think I fear the power of your Wei family and the Zhangsun family, that I must wait for the army’s return to the capital before making my move?
By then, you’ll have fled to the farthest corners of the world.
Let the Wei family leave the city – when they think they’ve successfully fool heaven and cross the sea [瞞天過海 | mán tiān guò hǎi | meaning to deceive through cunning], they’ll lower their guard. That will be the perfect moment to catch them all in one sweep.
The watchtowers on the city walls would surely report any military movements if Wei family’s private army was waiting outside. Any intelligence gathered from Runing’s walls would reach the Imperial Guard headquarters within the time it takes to burn an incense stick [30 minutes], and then to the Emperor’s hands in the time it takes to brew a cup of tea. Li Yanyi believed the Wei family’s private army couldn’t be far, but still some distance from the city walls.
It was time to act.
The moment had come to eliminate this years-long threat.
Li Yanyi summoned Guang Shaoling, the Military Commander of the Zhuiyue Army, and the Supreme General of the Imperial Guard to inquire about their total troops.
Guang Shaoling, breathing heavily as if having just run a long distance, replied: “Your Majesty, we have fifteen hundred Zhuiyue soldiers available for deployment.”
“And the Imperial Guard?”
Supreme General Lin Ding reported: “Four thousand four hundred and fifty-two men!”
“Six thousand in total.” Li Yanyi descended from the platform, grasping Guang Shaoling and Lin Ding’s hands, speaking earnestly, “I entrust you with a secret mission that concerns the fate of Da Yu’s very foundations and the lives of all our subjects. Success means peace throughout the land, but failure… with warlords dividing the territory and disaster taking root, Da Yu will cease to exist! We – all of us – will be condemned by history!”
Guang Shaoling and Lin Ding knelt and swore their oaths anxiously as Li Yanyi looked up at the bright lamps overhead.
The magnificent hall, bathed in Runing’s golden autumn night, suddenly darkened without warning, like a ghost lurking in the darkness.
The whispered conversations finally ceased. Lin Ding, having received his orders, left the hall with a grave expression, his hurried and forceful footsteps echoing down the long corridor. The Imperial Guard, who were preparing for night patrol, were all called back for a secret assembly.
The night patrol gathered at the square, finding that besides themselves, the capital’s inspection forces, neighborhood patrols, water and grass units [水草 | shuǐ cǎo | supply units], and even the beacon signal troops had all assembled.
This unusual gathering made everyone uneasy.
Most of these soldiers had been selected and recruited since the first year of Zhaowu, and although Da Yu had seen many rebellions and conflicts, the capital Runing had remained as solid as metal and boiling oil [固若金湯 | gù ruò jīn tāng | idiom meaning very secure]. The young soldiers with no major battle experience stood in neat formation in the darkness, exchanging nervous glances, unsure of what was to come.
They were waiting for orders from the Chief Secretary, but unexpectedly, not only did the Chief Secretary arrive, but also the rarely-seen Supreme General Lin Ding. The Military Affairs Commissioner Zhou, Cavalry Commissioner, Guard Commander… all of Runing’s military forces had gathered in the square, making the usually spacious training grounds so crowded that movement became difficult.
Lin Ding didn’t leap onto the platform to issue orders, instead having the various unit commanders walk among their soldiers, quietly relaying instructions.
“The Emperor’s secret order cannot be disobeyed. Those who defy it will be charged with treason, their entire clan executed. Those who bring the traitors’ heads will be promoted to Third-Rank General, awarded a mansion in the capital and ten thousand jin of gold!” Lin Ding’s simple words stirred excitement among the troops.
Just to ambush a mourning procession, yet such generous rewards – it seemed too good to be true!
The Imperial Guard soldiers prepared for battle, melting into the dark, cool night under Lin Ding’s command.
A quarter-hour earlier.
Lin Ding had left, but Guang Shaoling remained in the Taiji Hall, having important matters to report to Li Yanyi.
Li Yanyi closed her eyes, pressing her fingertips against her aching eyelids.
“Your Majesty, this humble servant has found Lady Ah Xin, but she refuses to return. I was incompetent and dared not force her back. Lady Ah Xin wrote a letter for Your Majesty.”
Li Yanyi’s brow remained furrowed as she tapped the desk, gesturing for Guang Shaoling to present the letter. She coughed twice, her eyes feeling painfully swollen, as if thousands of needles were piercing them.
Guang Shaoling presented the letter. Li Yanyi forced her eyes open despite her discomfort, and after reading it, was bewildered.
“Her master was forced to consume Furong Powder and died? Did you do this?” Li Yanyi’s voice wasn’t loud, but the murderous intent squeezed through her teeth made Guang Shaoling’s scalp go numb. She immediately prostrated herself and cried out in protest:
“Even with a thousand or ten thousand lives, this humble servant would never dare do such a thing! I truly know nothing of this matter! It must be the Wei family’s scheme to sow discord! Your Majesty must not fall for their trap!”
Guang Shaoling cried out her innocence, not daring to raise her head, her heart and lungs burning with fear that the Emperor might order her to be torn apart by five horses.
Li Yanyi coughed, letting out a slow “hmm,” seemingly believing her words.
“I know this master of hers. He harbored improper thoughts toward her, and I’ve long wanted to kill him. However, Ah Xin left home young to study and fight, and isn’t particularly close to her birth parents, but greatly respects this master who took her in. If not for her sake, why would I have let this country bumpkin live until now? Dead is dead.”
Having preserved her life, Guang Shaoling breathed a sigh of relief and raised her head.
“She wants to sever all ties with me.”
Li Yanyi spread out the letter in her hand, pointing at each word.
Guang Shaoling couldn’t process it for a moment: “What?”
“She says I’ve become increasingly jealous and callous with life, specifically targeting innocent people, specifically harming what few friends she has left. She wants to sever all ties with me to prevent others around her from being implicated.” Li Yanyi slammed her palm on the table, laughing before speaking viciously, “She says if not for knowing me, the Xie family wouldn’t have been utterly defeated! She says after careful consideration, she’s decided to part ways with me!”
Guang Shaoling was incredulous: “How… how can this be? Your Majesty has never killed any of the lady’s acquaintances.”
Li Yanyi violently threw an inkstone to the ground with a loud crash, splattering vermillion ink everywhere.
Guang Shaoling blinked, startled by the sudden action.
“Of course I wanted to kill! But if I kill, it would be by my own hands! I would kill before her very eyes! To show her that no one in this world can have even the slightest relationship with her beyond me! But now!” Li Yanyi flew into a rage, kicking over the tall dragon throne and sweeping everything off the table, “Which bastard is stirring things up! Who is it—!”
Guang Shaoling hurriedly advised: “Your Majesty, please calm your anger! This servant will investigate immediately!”
“Investigate what nonsense! Who else could it be but her! Have you forgotten the task I gave you?! Go kill Wei Tingxu!”
“Yes, yes!”
“Get out!”
Guang Shaoling fled, and Li Yanyi felt as if a sword was frantically cutting through her body, the intense pain making her unsteady on her feet.
Her mind was boiling over, and with her heart and liver clawing at her [抓心撓肝 | zhuā xīn náo gān | in extreme anxiety], she laboriously walked toward the hall’s exit, calling for a Zhuiyue soldier to prepare a horse.
“Where does Your Majesty wish to go?” the Zhuiyue soldier asked.
“Leave the palace.”
“Leave the palace? But…”
“If you want to keep your head, mind your tongue.”
Li Yanyi was ultimately too late.
Just as she was about to mount, Empress Dowager Geng arrived.
The Empress Dowager, followed by two palace eunuchs, saw Li Yanyi dressed in practical Hu clothing and leading a horse, and immediately called out: “Where does Your Majesty think you’re going!”
Li Yanyi remained silent, leading the horse along the small path behind the Forbidden Garden, a route specifically designed for the Emperor’s excursions. The Empress Dowager’s presence here clearly showed she had already guessed her destination.
The Empress Dowager stepped forward to block the horse’s path, standing tall: “If Your Majesty wishes to leave the palace, you’ll have to step over this grieving one’s body!”
The Empress Dowager’s attitude was absolutely resolute, as if she had long known what she intended to do.
Li Yanyi understood.
“Did Mother Empress do this?” Li Yanyi asked her, “Forcing my beloved to leave me, is this what Mother Empress wanted? How much do you truly hate me?”
“I hate Your Majesty? When you speak such heart-piercing words, have you considered my feelings?! I think of Your Majesty’s safety and Da Yu’s security every moment! That woman’s very existence threatens Da Yu! How can Your Majesty not understand!” Empress Dowager Geng grabbed Li Yanyi’s arm, crying out, “Beautiful women bring disaster! Have you forgotten all the fallen dynasties of old? I thought Your Majesty wouldn’t be seduced by beauty, yet unexpectedly you’ve fallen for love instead. Do you know how it pains this mother’s heart? Do you remember that you are Da Yu’s Emperor?”
“If not for her, I would have died countless times already! How else could I stand here listening to Mother Empress’s teachings! You say I am the Emperor, yet why do you repeatedly violate imperial authority? Is Mother Empress truly concerned about my indulgence in love, or do you wish to emulate that poisonous empress of the previous dynasty!” Li Yanyi’s ears rang, unbearably agitated, and she pushed away Empress Dowager Geng.
The Empress Dowager stumbled back two steps, and would have fallen if not for the palace eunuchs supporting her.
The Empress Dowager hadn’t expected Li Yanyi to treat her this way, her face full of disbelief: “Your Majesty pushed me? Your Majesty actually pushed me for that worthless person?” The Empress Dowager stepped forward, pointing at her belly in thunderous rage, “I am your Mother Empress! Your birth mother! I carried you for ten months, enduring all hardships to bring you into this world! Exhausted every effort to secure your place on the throne! Now you treat me like this! Do you still know the principles of ethics, do you even remember how many strokes are in the character for ‘filial piety’ [孝 | xiào]!”
The Empress Dowager’s fierce expression made Li Yanyi’s eyelids twitch, and her long-suppressed anger made her blood flow backward. Just as she drew breath to speak, before a single word could emerge, she spat blood all over the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager’s eyes froze, completely stunned.
From chest to chin, nose, face, and forehead, she was covered in Li Yanyi’s blood.
Li Yanyi’s body swayed, seeing the Empress Dowager’s state, then touched her own lips, finding her fingertips covered in blood.
“Huai… Huaichen…” The Empress Dowager was terrified, supporting Li Yanyi’s arm, “Huaichen, what’s wrong? Don’t frighten Mother.”
What’s wrong with me?
Li Yanyi stood motionless, eyes unblinking.
What’s wrong with me, she asked herself.
Why cough up blood? Though the cold symptoms and coughing had persisted for some time, it shouldn’t lead to vomiting blood, especially not this much.
Why was this happening?
Lin Ding joined forces with Guang Shaoling, leading soldiers in ambush outside the city.
After waiting for some time, they finally heard the successive sounds of hoofbeats.
Someone was leaving the city.
The mourning procession entered the dark official road, with torches mounted on the lead carriage, fluttering in the wind.
A group of over two hundred people, moving in grand formation.
Guang Shaoling had been to the Wei residence before, and in the firelight, she clearly saw the coachman’s face – indeed a Wei family member.
Guang Shaoling didn’t strike immediately, waiting until she saw Wei Tingxu’s familiar carriage appear in view.
Kill!
Inside the deep palace, golden windows and jade railings glittered with lamplight, though the Emperor hadn’t appeared today either.
While the bored men and women of the inner palace enjoyed moon-viewing and poetry in their respective courtyards, Wei Jing’an sat alone indoors until a palace eunuch came to summon him.
Wei Jing’an followed the eunuch to a room, and upon entering, found Eunuch You already waiting inside.
Eunuch You stared at Wei Jing’an, a chilling smile appearing on his thickly powdered face, raising his hand to gesture Wei Jing’an to sit opposite him.
As Wei Jing’an knelt down, he noticed a wooden tray on the table before him, holding a wine cup covered with white cloth.
Seeing this scene, Wei Jing’an quickly understood what was about to happen.
“Please, Noble Consort,” Eunuch You’s casual tone was as if truly offering wine.
Wei Jing’an lifted the white cloth, staring at the poisoned wine, quickly picked it up, but paused just before bringing it to his lips.
“Noble Consort is a sensible person.” Eunuch You closed his eyes, “Now that Lord Wei has passed, the fate of the entire Wei clan lies in the balance. Trading one life for the whole family is a fair deal. Why hesitate?” Wei Jing’an gave a cold laugh and drank it down.
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