Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 821 Bloody

A group of men made a night-long raid and finally left Bianjing.

As dawn broke, the people traveling along the official road stopped to look at the sound of horses' hooves. They remained until the group had gone far away, after which they whispered among themselves.

"What's going on here?"

"I don't know, three groups of people have gone there this morning."

"Could there be fighting somewhere?"

The frequent appearances of soldiers in armor were certainly not a good sign. The people looked at each other, and some began to pray: "Please don't think it's conscription in the dead of winter... it could kill us!"

Like a dog with its tail between its legs, the King of Qin changed his clothes and altered his escape route midway, but the pursuers still relentlessly pursued him. He watched as the Vice Minister of State Affairs was shot off his horse by an arrow from the Imperial City Guard, and when he looked back, the man was already pinned to the ground.

The King of Qin felt a sense of disorientation. From preparing to enter the palace to inherit the throne to being hunted down everywhere, it had only taken one night. He thought of the time when he was confined to his home. At that time, he could still hope that the Emperor would change his mind. After all, the Emperor was a benevolent ruler and would not easily kill. But now it was different. The person in charge in the palace was the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager was ruthless. The Prince of Xiang died at her hands back then, and if he were captured and taken back, he would only face death.

"Leave one group to deal with the pursuers," said the King of Qin, "the rest of you continue onward."

At his command, the guards and imperial troops accompanying the King of Qin responded.

The King of Qin looked at the people around him and said, "Rest assured, as long as I ascend the throne, the dead will be compensated, and the benefits will extend to my descendants."

After saying this, the King of Qin went to look at Liang Yanjing. Of his four children, only Liang Yanjing had followed him. His twin daughter and youngest son must have fallen into the hands of the Imperial City Guard.

Before the King of Qin could speak, Liang Yanjing, enduring the pain from the jolting, straightened his back and gripped the hilt of his sword: "Father, rest assured, if... they catch up again, I will protect you."

Liang Yanqing's words drew sidelong glances from the surrounding soldiers, and the King of Qin had no choice but to swallow his words. He nodded and praised, "Brother Jing is benevolent and filial."

Not daring to delay any longer, the King of Qin continued on his way.

……

Beijing.

The palace path had been cleared and looked no different from usual. The wind was still blowing, and the smell of smoke and blood in the air gradually turned into a crimson stain on the palace wall.

The Empress Dowager sat in a chair, looking at the two kneeling concubines. In the abandoned courtyard, a group of palace servants were also being held captive.

The Empress Dowager's pleas for mercy never ceased, and the Empress, who was beside the Empress Dowager, felt a chill run through her body upon seeing this.

“You’re not comfortable staying in Cining Palace, so let’s go somewhere else,” the Empress Dowager said. “The late Emperor has been waiting for you for a long time.”

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager trembled. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, one of them bluntly and fiercely rebuked, "The Prince of Qin was the heir chosen by the Emperor. The Empress Dowager took advantage of the Emperor's serious illness to change the foundation of the state and disrupt the court. We did this for the sake of the Liang Dynasty."

Another imperial concubine glanced at the imperial guards and palace servants beside her, and finally her gaze fell on the empress: "The empress dowager wants to install a puppet to continue to control the government, and Your Majesty the empress is going to sit idly by?"

The Empress Dowager said calmly, "They just want to gain some credit for their own maternal clan... Do you even understand the affairs of the Great Liang Dynasty and its politics?"

The two imperial concubines' expressions changed, and one of them said in a shrill voice, "Your hands are stained with blood, aren't you afraid of being cursed by future generations and leaving a bad name for eternity?"

"How can I know what will happen after I die?" The Empress Dowager smiled, twirling her prayer beads. "Since they don't know, let them be."

At this point, she paused slightly: "The emperor is tolerant and frugal, cautious in using punishment and emphasizes education, so you are not afraid of him... Decades have passed, and there are too many people like this. It is time for someone to take action and deal with them."

“My reputation is well-known. Killing one is the same as killing two. In the end, all I get is the title of ‘Empress’. For me… it’s not a loss.”

The Empress Dowager glanced at the eunuch, and immediately several people rushed over from the side, gagged the two concubines, and dragged them away.

As the noise faded into the distance, the Empress's heart pounded with fear. She was terrified, yet also afraid of losing her dignity. She tried to cover it up with tea, but her trembling hands prevented her from holding the teacup, and the tea spilled on her.

The Empress Dowager acted as if she hadn't seen anything, and simply said, "The Imperial Concubine has passed away, so the funeral should be conducted in a respectable manner."

There was no response from inside the room for a long time before the Empress realized that the Empress Dowager was speaking to her. She said in a trembling voice, "Yes...yes." "Then it's up to the Empress," the Empress Dowager said.

The Empress replied, "I obey."

Two eunuchs came to help the Empress, who stepped cautiously out the door. The eunuchs outside immediately reminded her, "Your Majesty, the Dowager Consort has left; someone must attend to her. What do you think…?"

The Empress tightened her grip: "Then... let them all die with her!" In the end, the killing fell upon her.

Inside the room, the head servant changed the Empress Dowager's hand warmer.

The Empress Dowager said, "We can't always protect our children and grandchildren. They should be broadened up and given some opportunities to get involved. Otherwise, they'll be too hesitant and won't be able to accomplish anything."

Zhang She said, "You are right."

The Empress Dowager smiled again: "Has the King of Qin left the city?"

The master of ceremonies announced, "Prince Qin and his second son have gone out."

The Empress Dowager nodded and stood up: "It's almost time, my husbands should all be going to the palace now."

The eunuch immediately made arrangements: "Prepare the carriage for the Funing Palace."

……

Wang Yan and Xu En stood at the city gate.

Looking at the mess in the city, Xu En had previously wondered if he had made too much of a fuss. He thought that if he had taken things slowly, he could have gotten rid of those people.

But when he saw so many officials in the capital involved, and that the King of Qin was even able to mobilize the infantry battalion, he knew he was wrong.

The Emperor is still in the Funing Palace. Even if some rumors are spread, they cannot be used as a reason for them to follow the Prince of Qin in forcing the Emperor to abdicate.

"We've arrested so many people, how are we going to interrogate them?" Xu En asked.

Wang Yan said, "Officials who have private dealings with the King of Qin can be listed last."

Xu En couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Why is that?"

Wang Yan said, "Because the King of Qin is inferior to the one to the east."

The Qin King's faction can eventually be uncovered. In other words, even if some of his supporters escape after the Qin King's downfall, it's not a major concern, because once the Qin King falls, they will cease their activities and may even actively support the new ruler to stabilize the political situation. The Eastern Lord, however, is different. He hides behind the scenes, making him impossible to guard against. Many who work for the Eastern Lord have never even seen his face. The fact that he has managed to grow to his current position without relying on status or position shows that the Eastern Lord can gradually expand without depending on the court. Such a person has no scruples; he will do anything as long as there is profit to be made.

Only by seizing an opportunity can one probe the employer's true intentions.

This was the opportunity for the King of Qin.

Wang Yan didn't tell Xu En everything, but Xu En understood: "So this matter is far from over."

At this point, a sudden thought flashed through his mind: "Let me ask... is Lady Xie still in Bianjing?"

Such a capable person as Lady Xie was nowhere to be seen this time; it felt like something was missing.

Wang Yan said, "Isn't it enough that the King of Qin was poisoned?"

Xu En swallowed hard and said with an apologetic smile, "That's not what I meant, I meant..."

Forget it, Wang Yan's gaze was becoming more and more terrifying. He wasn't afraid to tell the truth, but he was afraid that if the news got out, Xie Niangzi would be discovered and in danger, and then he wouldn't be able to live. Xu En couldn't help but feel regret. Why did he, this blockhead, have to be so quick to act? He might as well just stay useless like this.

Wang Yan looked at the official road leading out of the capital. His horse was still pacing restlessly, as if it would rush out to find the person he was worried about if it was not restrained.

But he can't leave right now.

(End of this chapter)