Fish Meat – Chapter 201
by Little PandaThe Fourth Year of Zhao Wu
Secrets in the Sleeve (21)
Li Yanyi truly donned her imperial robes and crown before heading to the Taiji Hall.
Empress Dowager Geng had no idea whether Li Yanyi was lucid or confused at this time, or whether her physical condition was good or poor. When one might say she was well, she would still cough incessantly; when one might say she was unwell, she would move so swiftly that even the Zhuiyue Army could barely keep up.
The great bell announcing the morning court rang out from the center of the Forbidden Garden, leaving all the officials of various departments and bureaus puzzled. The hour for morning court had long passed, so why ring the bell now?
Bo Lan was carrying a stack of official documents toward the Court of State Ceremonials when he heard the morning court bell and immediately stopped, exchanging bewildered looks with colleagues approaching from the opposite direction.
Regardless of the reason for the bell’s ringing, when summoned by the Son of Heaven, they must appear immediately without any delay.
Bo Lan quickly set down the documents, adjusted his official robes, and hurried along with the rushing crowd toward the Taiji Hall.
Having heard rumors about last night’s events, Bo Lan felt vaguely worried about the emperor’s sudden and unusual summons of everyone – could something momentous be happening?
The officials arrived at the Houjun Pavilion, where they typically had to wait at least a quarter-hour before entering the hall, but today was unusually quick. Bo Lan had barely reached the pavilion when he saw the great doors of the Taiji Hall slowly opening.
The officials entered in confusion, not knowing they were walking into unprecedented disaster.
After Wei Tingxu and her family reunited in Zhao County, they quickly relocated. Lin Ding’s pursuing forces were lured south, but upon sensing something amiss, they turned back to give chase along Zhao County’s wilderness paths.
Zhen Wenjun, being a veteran of military campaigns, borrowed the divine military map box from Ah Liao to survey Zhao County’s terrain. She recruited local civilians to scout the Imperial Guard. The civilians, disguised as merchants and woodcutters without flaw, reported back that the Imperial Guard numbered about two thousand. Zhen Wenjun then asked Wei Tingxu if her family had hidden private troops in the area. Wei Tingxu initially tried to be mysterious about it, but Zhen Wenjun saw through her:
“Given your typically cautious nature, you would never choose to stop here if Zhao County didn’t have private troops. How many are there – ten thousand? Twenty thousand?”
Wei Tingxu honestly replied: “Fifty thousand.”
Though she had expected hidden troops, Zhen Wenjun hadn’t imagined that tiny Zhao County concealed as many as fifty thousand. Looking again at the map formed by the divine military map box at her feet, she had a premonition and used a wooden stick to point at four cities: Zhao County, Chun County, Yao County, and Yu River. As she pointed, Wei Tingxu watched her with great interest, and from Wei Tingxu’s expression, Zhen Wenjun knew she had guessed nine-tenths of the truth.
“These four cities form a hand-like formation surrounding Runing from west to east. If you’ve hidden ambush forces in these four cities, once the Chongjin forces attack from the south and you raise your army, Runing will surely fall.”
Wei Tingxu neither confirmed nor denied this, simply continuing to drink her medicine.
“However, it’s strange that the Chongjin army was supposedly routed by Bo Chishen and even offered tribute and sued for peace. Something doesn’t feel right about this.”
Wei Tingxu asked, “You mean there’s deception involved?”
“I’m not familiar with this Bo Chishen and haven’t witnessed his abilities, so I can’t judge directly. However, I’ve faced the Chongjin in battle before, and while they were fierce and brave, they also showed remarkable ability to learn and imitate. They quickly adopted any military strategy used against them – they’re not just a bunch of brutes who only know frontal attacks. Since their defeat in the eleventh year of Shenchu, they’ve likely spent these years not just training troops but also developing a series of battle plans. This major defeat and peace offering must be part of one such plan.”
“If you were the Chongjin leader, how would you deploy your forces?”
“First, I would send spies deep into Da Yu to understand the relationship between the central government and local authorities, choosing to strike when internal conflicts are at their peak. But I wouldn’t go straight for the dragon’s lair. Even a lean camel is larger than a horse [η¦ζ»ι§±ι§ζ―馬倧 | shΓ²u sΗ luΓ² tuo bΗ mΗ dΓ | idiom meaning even in decline, something formidable remains threatening], and no matter how weak the Da Yu central government might be, they remain a fearsome enemy. I would first sacrifice some troops to create the illusion of defeat, and when the Yu army believes victory is assured, bring in the main force. While the central government is consumed by political struggles, we would reap the benefits like the fisherman who profits from others’ quarrel.”
“Indeed, that’s a strategy with minimal losses,” Wei Tingxu said. “When Bo Chishen first turned the tide at the northern frontier, I also sensed Chongjin’s intentions. If Li Yanyi were still clear-minded, she wouldn’t have missed this insight. Unfortunately, she’s no longer in control of herself.”
“No longer in control? What did you do to her?”
Even though Zhen Wenjun had tried to reduce the bitter herbs when preparing the medicine, the intense bitterness still made Wei Tingxu furrow her brows.
“You’ll know very soon.”
Wei Tingxu didn’t mobilize the private army in Zhao County, telling Zhen Wenjun to remain calm as there was no need to directly confront the Imperial Guard. Lin Ding would soon leave this place and rush back to Runing.
“Could it be that you’ve left some hidden trap in Runing?” Zhen Wenjun asked. “Is something wrong with Li Yanyi?”
Wei Tingxu thought of Ah Fu, sighing sadly: “Ah Fu gave his life to protect our Wei family’s escape from the capital, saving all our heads. Even if just for Ah Fu’s sake, I’ll make sure those Runing brutes all follow him in death.”
Sure enough, the next morning news arrived that Lin Ding’s forces had suddenly turned back toward Runing for unknown reasons. Simultaneously, secret reports from the front lines revealed that the Yu army’s main force led by Bo Chishen was ambushed while retreating to Runing, becoming trapped at Jiufeng Ridge. Of the 120,000 troops, only 2,000 fought their way out to report back; the rest perished in the mountains. Bo Chishen and Bo Qin died in battle, while the National Uncle’s son, Geng Yu, was protected as he broke through the siege, though he lost an arm and became crippled.
When Wei Tingxu received this battle report, her mourning procession was slowly heading west, still five hundred li [250 km or 155.3 miles] from Pingcang.
Across the vast yellow earth, soft snow fell as Wei Tingxu raised her hand, scattering spirit money [η΄ι’ | zhΗ qiΓ‘n | paper money burned for the dead] to the sky.
“Ah Fu, Da Ge [big brother], let my eyes witness the fall of the Li family for you.”
The Chongjin army advanced aggressively, closing within eight hundred li [400km or 248.5 miles] of Runing in just one month. Beyond Baiyu City and Mengliang, they captured six more cities, along with Guanyang, which fell easily.
The Battle of Mengliang had been a great shame for Chongjin, and they had spent years building strength just for today’s chance to avenge that humiliation. More importantly, as the northern climate grew increasingly harsh, the warm and fertile south remained their dream, one that made their blood boil. Countless Chongjin people had sworn to “die in the south” – they were tired of the cold and needed good food, warm houses, and especially the soft, fragrant southern women.
Chongjin was like a drawn arrow aimed at Da Yu’s heart. While urgent military reports reached Runing, the emperor residing there was busy executing people.
The emperor suspected long-term poisoning and questioned the court officials during morning audience, declaring that if someone confessed, only they would die; if no one admitted guilt, all officials would be held collectively responsible.
No one could describe the scene in the Taiji Hall. All officials were dumbfounded – in all their years serving at court, they’d never heard of such absurdity. Yet the emperor’s sickly appearance and strange demeanor was deeply unsettling.
When Bo Lan stepped forward to advise the emperor, the emperor found his very sight offensive and sneered, “Well, well, Bo Lan, you dare to show yourself.”
The Bo family was the first to meet with misfortune.
Earlier, the unclear matters between Bo Lan and Zhangsun Wu had long weighed on Li Yanyi’s mind, filling her with suspicion and utter disappointment. Now that Bo Lan dared to approach with honeyed words, she immediately had him thrown into prison for severe interrogation.
Before Bo Lan could say anything, he was cast into the deep dungeon. Within half a day, he endured every form of torture, revealed nothing, but nearly gave up half his life.
The report to Li Yanyi stated that this man was extremely tight-lipped, refusing to disclose anything about the poisoning.
Li Yanyi ordered the arrest and overnight interrogation of all six hundred members of the Bo family. She demanded to know who was Wei Tingxu’s running dog, who had used the emperor’s trust to get close and poison her!
When the Bo family yielded nothing, they interrogated the Zuo family, and when the Zuo family confessed nothing, they seized the Lin family. In one night, over four thousand people from these three great families were imprisoned, sparing neither distant relatives nor servants beyond the immediate family members.
Only those closest to the emperor would have had the opportunity to administer poison. Li Yanyi despised traitors, despised those who colluded with Wei Tingxu.
She was determined to find this person and tear them limb from limb.
As the fourth year of Zhaowu drew to a close, warfare continued unabated in the north, with several cities falling in succession. The long-suppressed Chongjin army engaged in burning, killing, and looting after breaking through cities, barbarically massacring populations, hanging heads on city walls to display their achievements, and wearing ears around their waists to compete for the title of massacre hero.
Because the poisoning case remained unsolved, the prisons in Runing were overflowing, shocking the capital. Other court officials who still retained their lives began requesting leave to flee.
It wasn’t that no one took the blame.
Buying a life for one hundred taels of silver wasn’t particularly unusual.
However, the emperor, alternating between manic and lucid states, wasn’t easily fooled. When someone came to confess, Li Yanyi would make them detail the poisoning process – if they spoke even half a lie, lingchi would be their only fate.
The capital’s noble families gradually couldn’t withstand the pressure. Five or six people were sent to confess, all were executed by extreme punishment, and afterward, no one dared come forward again.
Urgent military reports arrived one after another at the Taiji Hall, but Li Yanyi was drowsy and couldn’t make out a single character before her eyes.
Empress Dowager Geng’s heart burned like fire.
The Imperial Physician had explained that the “Buddha’s Curse” poison would cause manic restlessness and dramatic personality changes. Li Yanyi’s recent actions had chilled the hearts of all who had stood by her side. Especially the tragic end of the three great families – the Bo and Zuo families executed, the Lin family exiled en masse – everyone had witnessed these events.
After years of careful maneuvering to finally ascend to the throne, all the innovations and diligent governance, all the painstaking efforts and lofty ambitions, couldn’t compensate for the mistakes made in just these few days.
Li Yanyi had reached the cliff’s edge – without anyone pushing, she might fall and shatter herself. Meanwhile, the Chongjin forces had reached Runing’s borders. Da Yu’s main force had already been routed, and now only the private armies of local noble families were resisting the hu raiders. These noble families were also restless; hearing of Runing’s turmoil, various forces that had long laid dormant began to raise their heads.
Empress Dowager Geng went to the Imperial Physician seeking medicine, asking how to alleviate the emperor’s poisoning and restore her consciousness. The Imperial Physician shook his head with a bitter expression:
“If discovered earlier, there might have been medicine to ease it, but now…”
“But now what!”
“I’m afraid it can only get worse.”
Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Geng fell to the ground, weeping uncontrollably. Several junior palace eunuchs tried to console her for half a day but couldn’t.
“If Heaven means to destroy my Huaichen, why bestow the Mandate of Heaven? Making my child suffer so, and leaving an evil name to be cursed by ten thousand generations!” Empress Dowager Geng cried out, “Who! Who is harming my Huaichen!”
On the small path in the Forbbiden Garden, which led out of the palace.
A person wearing the gray-blue robes of a low-ranking eunuch walked quickly toward the exit, head lowered.
As they reached the gate and produced their token, just as the guard was about to let them through, a cough sounded from behind.
“Where is Attendant You heading?”
The person stopped but didn’t immediately turn around.
The guards, seeing the emperor, immediately knelt in greeting, and only then did the eunuch slowly turn to face Li Yanyi.
Li Yanyi wore casual clothes, appearing paper-thin and haggard. Her eyes, clouded for days, remained shrouded in dark poisonous qi, even opening them took great effort. Yet within the darkness, she had regained some clarity, and her gaze remained sharp as arrows when fixed on Attendant You.
Attendant You bowed deeply: “Your Majesty, this servant’s mother is gravely ill. I have already requested permission from the Empress Dowager; this servant must return home to bid final farewell to my elderly mother.”
“Oh? Your elderly mother is ill – such filial piety is commendable.” Li Yanyi, followed by three sword-bearing Zhuiyue soldiers, approached Attendant You while coughing. “If Attendant You’s mother in the Nine Springs could know of this, she would surely be deeply moved.”
Attendant You stood motionless, as if not hearing Li Yanyi’s words.
“You didn’t poison my regular food, but found a way to ensure I lacked the energy to judge food safety when distressed.” Li Yanyi gazed at the horizon. “To be more explicit, you didn’t poison in Xiashou Palace, but in Guang’an Palace, the Empress Dowager’s chambers. You’ve always served the Empress Dowager’s meals and tested her food. My visits to Guang’an Palace were limited, and you dosed the poison skillfully. During every visit, the Empress Dowager would inevitably press about appointing a consort, distracting me, and being in her chambers, I’d be less vigilant than usual. The poison entered without my notice. Attendant You, you didn’t leave Runing with the Wei family but stayed to relay messages to her – I admire such courage.”
Attendant You remained silent, only the corners of his eyes lifting slightly, a smile appearing at his lips.
“This poison is indeed vicious enough to destroy my reputation for all time,” Li Yanyi smiled weakly, watching the setting sun.
All time.
Attendant You died in prison. Li Yanyi maintained clarity for two days, deploying troops to resist the approaching Chongjin army, before falling back into uncontrollable rage. She wanted to destroy everything before her eyes, unable to control these extreme emotions.
The empire teetered on the brink, while she, beyond cure, was powerless.
Ah Xin tried to see her several times but was refused.
“Your Majesty… Lady Ah Xin has been waiting outside for a day and a night.”
Of the Zhuiyue Army that once followed Li Yanyi, most had died, leaving only Ah Yin.
Li Yanyi, barely regaining consciousness, lay slumped like a puddle of mud behind her desk.
Hearing Ah Xin’s name, warm tears flowed from Li Yanyi’s eyes.
“Make her leave… leave!”
Ah Yin could only obey.
As Ah Yin was about to depart, Li Yanyi suddenly called her back.
“The lamp.”
Ah Yin: “?”
“Light the lamp for me.”
Ah Yin glanced at the floor-standing pillar lamp already burning brightly, utterly astonished, but dared not say so. She pretended to check it and said: “There’s no oil left. This humble servant will go refill it.”
Li Yanyi, lost in thought, softly murmured someone’s name.
Ah Yin couldn’t hear clearly.
“…Now, only she… *cough cough*… can defeat the hu raiders. Zhen Wenjun…” Li Yanyi struggled to sit up. “Go, find Zhen Wenjun. Tell her, trade the Chongjin leader’s head for… for her mother’s life!”
LP: Ah, Li Yanyi. Good or bad, you’re a great complex character.
I keep hearing in my head the Viva La Vida song as Li Yanyi falls from the throne.. Is this the true price of power?