Taiheiki

Chapter 248 Leaving the Palace
"Don't worry, everyone in this hall is my man!" Liu Hong pointed around: "It won't leak out!"

Dong Zhong looked around with some skepticism, but ultimately decided to believe Liu Hong. At that moment, a young eunuch entered from outside, his face beaming with joy, and bowed to the emperor, saying, "Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

"What are you happy about?"

"This servant just came from the Ministry of Personnel and heard some great news!" The young eunuch paused slightly. "Eight days ago, General Wei Cong of the Left Army defeated the Moth Pirates' fleet at Sangluo Island, burning hundreds of their ships. Countless pirates were burned to death or drowned, and their corpses floated for hundreds of miles!"

"Wei Cong has won another battle!" Liu Hong slammed his hand on the table and laughed, "Good, good! I didn't expect him to actually have some skill! It's no wonder I made him a marquis. Good, with this victory, Wancheng should be safe now, right?"

"Of course!" the eunuch laughed. "I heard from the envoy of the Ministry of Personnel that the reason why the Emei bandits are so arrogant is only because of their strong navy. This time, General Wei has defeated the bandits' navy, which will not only bring peace to Wancheng, but will also likely trap the entire Emei bandit army on the Han River and annihilate them in one fell swoop!"

"Good, good, good!" Overjoyed, Liu Hong exclaimed three times. He stood up and paced back and forth in the hall seven or eight times before suddenly sighing, "What a pity!"

"Didn't we win the battle? Why do you say it's a pity?" Dong Zhong asked.

"What I mean is that Wei Cong is quite capable, but it's a pity he's not working for me. Otherwise, if I could eliminate the Dou family, what difficulty would there be in ruling personally?"

Hearing the Emperor's words, Dong Zhong's heart skipped a beat. He recalled the things Kuai Sheng had vaguely mentioned in his conversations, but he swallowed the words back. After all, even though the Emperor was his childhood friend, that was all in the past. Besides, every brick in the palace wall might have an ear hidden behind it; he'd better be careful!

Thinking of this, he simply replied, "That General Wei is also a subject of the Han Dynasty. Now that you have become the emperor, how could he not serve you?"

The emperor chuckled twice but did not answer. He waved his hand, signaling the eunuchs and palace maids to leave, leaving only himself and Dong Zhong. Then he leaned closer to Dong Zhong and said with a smile, "Ah Zhong, do you want to go to Jingzhou?"

"To Jingzhou?"

“Excellent! You can be my Embroidered-Robe Envoy. After we arrive in Jingzhou, you can tell Wei Cong that as long as he is willing to eliminate the Dou clan for me and allow me to rule personally, I will appoint him as Grand Commandant!”

Liu Hong's voice wasn't loud, but it sounded like a thunderclap to Dong Chong. He forced a smile and said, "Your Majesty, you're only fourteen this year. There's no need to be in such a hurry, is there? In a few more years, when you come of age, the Grand General will naturally let you rule in your own right!"

"That's true, but don't forget, the Empress Dowager is also surnamed Dou!" Liu Hong said coldly. "Whether they kill me, depose me, or install a new emperor, they can do it!" At this point, he grabbed Dong Zhong's arm: "Ah Zhong, you and I have been friends since childhood, and my mother is your aunt. If I were to take power, you would be my general. Will you help me?"

Dong Zhong felt his mind go blank. He nodded twice, and Liu Hong was delighted to see this. He laughed and said, "It's all thanks to you coming to the capital. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have been able to find trustworthy people to do many things. Although Zhang and the others are trustworthy, they are all eunuchs after all, and they would be too conspicuous if they left the capital. How about this? Sending you to Jingzhou right now would be too conspicuous. You stay in the palace for a month or so, and then I will appoint you as an Embroidered-Robe Envoy to inspect the front-line battle situation in Nanyang. The rest is up to you. I will give you a secret edict to act as you see fit. When you meet Wei Cong, take it out and make him obey your orders!"

When Dong Zhong left Deyang Palace, he couldn't remember what he had said or done inside; his mind was a jumbled mess, like boiling porridge. Led by Zhang Rang, he walked to the palace gate and was about to leave when a procession of carriages and horses suddenly entered from the outer hall—magnificent chariots and fine horses, with elaborate entourages at the front and rear. Before Dong Zhong could react, he heard Zhang Rang whisper, "Dong Yilang, it's the Empress Dowager's carriage! Make way!"

Dong Zhong instinctively retreated to the side of the road, knelt down, pressed his face to the ground, and held his breath. The carriage stopped abruptly as it passed, and a man's voice asked from inside, "Isn't this Zhang Rang? Whom has His Majesty summoned this time?"

"This isn't the Empress Dowager's carriage. Why is there a man's voice inside?" Dong Zhong wondered, but then he heard Zhang Rang's voice: "This servant reports to Marquis Weiyang that the Emperor has just appointed Dong Zhong of Hejian State as an advisor and has just summoned him for an audience!"

"Dong Zhong of Hejian?" Dong Zhong felt a gaze fall on him from the carriage. "Oh, so you're a relative of that Noble Lady Shenyuan? Lift your head and let me see you!"

Dong Zhong cautiously raised his head and saw that the door of the magnificent carriage was half-open, inside which sat a young man of about seventeen or eighteen years old. He wore a golden crown and brocade robe, and his handsome appearance was like that of an immortal. He was clearly the Marquis of Weiyang that Zhang Rang had mentioned earlier. When Dong Zhong's eyes met the young man's, he felt ashamed of himself and lowered his head again.

"So this is the one! Ah! Since he is a former official of the Emperor, a mere 600 shi (a unit of grain) is really too low. I'll talk to the Empress Dowager later and hope she can at least raise him to 1,000 shi. That way, it will look better to outsiders!"

Zhang Rang hurriedly said, "If Marquis of Weiyang is willing to speak up, then it will certainly be accomplished. Dong Yilang, why don't you thank Marquis of Weiyang!"

Dong Zhong thanked the young man in a daze. After the young man's carriage left, he asked in a low voice, "Who is this young man? How could he sit in the Empress Dowager's carriage?"

"Young master, please keep your voice down!" Zhang Rang whispered. Once they were out of the palace gates and in a secluded spot, he continued, "Young master, you haven't been in Luoyang long enough. Otherwise, you would have known who I was just by hearing me call him the Marquis of Weiyang. This man's surname is Dou, and his given name is Ji. He is the youngest son of the Grand General and the Empress Dowager's beloved younger brother. The Empress Dowager and he grew up together and are very close. If he asks, the Empress Dowager will never refuse. Let alone the Empress Dowager's carriage, even the imperial treasury is full of rare treasures; what could he possibly want that he wouldn't have?"

"Is that so?" Dong Zhong was taken aback. "But I've heard that General Dou has a very good reputation. Everyone says that he is honest and upright, does not accept bribes, and manages his family strictly so that none of his family members dare to violate the law. But today, I've met him, and he is completely different from the legends!"

"Hehehe!" Zhang Rang laughed upon hearing Dong Zhong's words. "Young Master Dong! You are still too young and don't understand the tricks played by the scholar-officials. Let me put it this way: in the selection of officials in the Han Dynasty, the most important thing is filial piety and incorruptibility. Those selected are all pure and filial, and after becoming officials, they do not manage their family businesses but devote themselves to public service. Some are so poor that their wives and children are dressed in plain clothes, as if all the scholar-officials of the Han Dynasty are going to die of poverty. But the fact is that the family fortunes of these scholar-officials are growing larger and larger. Their estates, fields, and servants are increasing, even surpassing the emperor's. Have you ever thought about why?"

"I don't understand!" Dong Zhong shook his head.

"It's very simple, they say one thing and do another!" Zhang Rang laughed. "Take our General Dou as an example! He himself doesn't ask for much money, and his life isn't extravagant, but the problem is he has uncles, brothers, and relatives! After the late emperor passed away, he made a significant contribution, and three members of his family became marquises, with stipends for tens of thousands of households. After he became General Dou, his daughter became Empress Dowager, and the palace treasury became the Dou family's property. The craftsmen who originally made utensils for the emperor now work for the Dou family, and the palace maids that the Dou family's sons like are taken for drinking and entertainment, costing them hundreds of millions. Of course, our General Dou doesn't know about these things, and no one dares to let him know." Dong Zhong listened in silence for a long time before letting out a long sigh: "I have truly never heard of such a thing before!"

"With the General and the Empress Dowager in power, who would dare to speak of these matters unless they were willing to risk their lives?" Zhang Rang said in a low voice. "We dare not speak of these matters to His Majesty either, after all, he is still young, and we are afraid that if he reveals them in his daily life, it will bring trouble upon him. You are like a brother to the Emperor, so please do your best!"

Dong nodded, saying nothing, but feeling much more reassured. Zhang Rang saw him off out of the palace. When he returned to his residence, Kuai Sheng was already there to greet him.

"Did your journey to the palace today go smoothly, young master?"

"Everything is fine!" Dong nodded. "Someone greeted me at the door, and after entering Deyang Palace, I met His Majesty!"

"Is that so!" Kuai Sheng exclaimed with delight, "That's wonderful!"

Dong Zhong nodded without speaking, but he hesitated in his heart about whether to reveal some of what he had discussed with Liu Hong that day to Kuai Sheng. He was worried that if he did, it would lead to his death. Kuai Sheng noticed that Dong Zhong was preoccupied and asked, "Does the young master have any worries? If it is within my power, I will certainly do my best to relieve your worries!"

Dong Zhong glanced at Kuai Sheng: "I remember you're from Nanjun, right?"

"Indeed, I am from Nanjun!"

"I remember you mentioned Wei Cong to me, saying he was an old friend of mine! Is that right?"

"Indeed! I did have some acquaintance with Marquis Wei when we were still young. Why do you ask about this today, young master?"

"It's nothing! When the Emperor saw me today, he mentioned Marquis Wei, which is why I asked you!" Dong Zhong sighed and then recounted how the Emperor was very pleased to learn that Wei Cong had defeated the Moth Pirates' fleet in Sangluozhou. However, he did not mention that the Emperor wanted to use Wei Cong's strength to eliminate the Dou family and take over the reins of government.

"The emperor was very pleased and praised Wei Cong repeatedly. He even said that if Wei Cong had not ascended the throne and was unable to leave Luoyang, he would have personally gone to Jingzhou to see him!"

"Is that so?" Kuai Sheng laughed. "Then Marquis Wei will be very happy to know. However, he is a very chivalrous and impulsive person. I wonder if he suits the Emperor's taste!"

"A chivalrous and principled person? What do you mean by that?"

Kuai Sheng smiled and recounted how Wei Cong had offended the younger brother of General Zhang Bolu on the road, first ambushing and killing Zhang Bolu on the river, then wiping out his entire clan; and how, when leading troops to conquer the Wuling barbarians, the county magistrate of Baling failed to come to their aid in a time of crisis, so after breaking through the city, Kuai Sheng killed the magistrate, abandoned his army, and fled into the wilderness, where he gathered a band of followers. Dong Chong listened with great interest, occasionally exclaiming in amazement at the thrilling parts, and finally remarked, "This Marquis Wei's actions are somewhat like those of Guo Jie of the Zhu family, rather than those of a scholar in the court!"

"Haha, you're right, young master! That's what I said to him back then, but he didn't take it to heart! He's naturally intelligent, not only skilled in military strategy, but also quite knowledgeable in economics and technology. He's only been in Jiaozhou for a few years, yet he's managed to bring prosperity to the people and make the barbarians fear him. He's truly a rare genius of our time!"

"Really? I really want to meet such a prodigy!" Dong Zhong said with a smile.

"That's easy!" Kuai Sheng laughed. "We're at war right now, but once the E'er bandits are pacified, it won't be difficult to meet them, whether they come to Luoyang to pay homage or you go to Jingzhou. Marquis Wei would surely be very pleased to see a young hero like you, sir!"

Dong Zhong naturally understood Kuai Sheng's current intention: Wei Cong didn't want to see him, but rather to use him to see the Emperor. This coincided with Liu Hong's thoughts. After thinking for a moment, he said, "By the way, today when the Emperor and I were chatting, he expressed considerable concern about the war situation in Jingzhou. He seemed to want me to be an envoy in embroidered robes to go to Jingzhou to investigate the truth. Lord Kuai, what do you think I should do, accept or refuse?"

Kuai Sheng was taken aback upon hearing this, thinking to himself, "The Emperor wants you to go, how could you refuse? It seems this kid is testing my resolve." After a moment's thought, he said, "The Emperor's word is law; once spoken, it cannot be taken back. We, his subjects, have no choice but to obey!"

"What I mean is, if I do this, won't it offend the Grand General? That would be troublesome!" Dong Zhong recounted how he happened to encounter Marquis Dou Ji of Weiyang riding in the Empress Dowager's carriage when he entered or left the palace. He concluded by saying, "To be honest, the Dou family holds all the power right now, and I don't want to get myself into trouble!"

"This kid isn't too stupid! He knows to avoid trouble!" Kuai Sheng thought to himself. "But doesn't he know that his only value is his relationship with the current emperor? Others can avoid it, but how can he? If the current emperor is deposed, the Dong family will also suffer collateral damage!"

“Young Master! In my opinion, you’re more likely to get into trouble if you stay in Luoyang Palace!” Kuai Sheng said in a low voice.

"Where do I begin?" Dong Zhong asked.

"I ask you, how many things have you encountered since you entered the palace this morning? The Emperor is the core of the inner palace, and there are many things you can't avoid once you're by his side. As time goes on and you encounter more and more things, how can you possibly avoid them every time?"

Upon hearing this, Dong Zhong was stunned. He recalled that from the moment he entered the palace that morning until the palace gates opened, in less than two hours, he had encountered four incidents: being scorned and mocked for asking for directions, discussing with the Emperor his intention to eliminate the Dou clan and assume personal rule, and witnessing Marquis Dou Ji of Weiyang illegally riding in the Empress Dowager's carriage upon leaving the palace. After leaving the palace, he had heard Zhang Rang recount a long story about the hypocrisy of the scholar-officials. Any one of these four incidents would have been enough to cost him his life. And he had encountered them all this morning. If he continued to spend his days in the palace near the Emperor, sooner or later he would be implicated and lose his life.

(End of this chapter)