Spring Remains the Same - Chapter 91

If only His Majesty would suddenly pass away. Before the Crown Prince was officially named, more than one prince had entertained this treasonous thought.

But it was merely a thought. Although the Emperor suffered from occasional minor illnesses, he was generally in good health. For him to die suddenly would not be easy. With the Crown Prince established, the princes found themselves constrained at every turn. The Prince of Jin, left with no other choice, had wanted to drag Puyang into the fray to stir the muddy waters of the court. He had originally thought that with the Prince Consort gravely ill, the Princess would have no mind for court affairs, and even if she did, she would likely lack the capacity to intervene.

But who would have known that Wei Xiu would recover? Not only did the Prince of Jin’s wish fail to come true, but he also lost many of his people for nothing. Puyang ignored everyone else and focused her attacks solely on him. Unable to fend her off, he sought aid from the other three princes, but they had no intention of helping him.

The Prince of Jin grew desperate. He told them, “Right now, it’s not just about Seventh Lady. The one she relies on is His Majesty. It may look like Seventh Lady is attacking me, but the source is still His Majesty. The child’s position as Crown Prince is not secure. To protect him, His Majesty will surely disarm the four of us, confiscate our troops, and dismiss our followers. If we don’t join forces to survive this, will there even be a future for us?”

The three princes remained unmoved. Firstly, the Prince of Jin was cunning and treacherous; if they helped him, they feared he would turn around and bite them in the end. Secondly, Puyang was only targeting him. If they helped, they feared they would all incur Puyang’s resentment. By then, not only would they fail to save the Prince of Jin, but they would also find themselves mired in the same predicament.

None of the three princes possessed great talent or bold vision. They understood what the Prince of Jin was saying, but after being rivals for so long, each wary of the others, it was impossible for them to easily cast aside their suspicions.

The Prince of Jin talked until his mouth was dry, but it was to no avail. In a fit of anger, he flung his sleeves and departed. The Prince of Zhao, however, was inspired by his words. He wanted to keep the Prince of Jing and the Prince of Dai to talk a while longer, to build some rapport so they could act in concert at court. Unfortunately, just as the two princes dared not trust the Prince of Jin, they did not quite trust him either. Their words were all perfunctory.

The Prince of Zhao grew annoyed listening to them and temporarily gave up the idea of winning them over.

With the Prince of Jin at the forefront drawing all the animosity, the three of them were better off and could still catch their breath.

When the Prince of Jin returned to his residence, he locked himself in his study. His mind was in turmoil, and he did not know how to resolve this situation. Sitting down to calculate carefully, he realized he had lost nearly half of his men in the past six months. Coupled with Puyang’s relentless pressure recently, he was already finding it difficult to make any move.

The Prince of Jin strongly suspected that Puyang was using this as an opportunity to avenge the assassination attempt from three years ago. If that were true, getting her to stop would likely be impossible.

Kicking a man when he’s down! Truly treacherous! The more the Prince of Jin thought, the angrier he became. He then thought of how, with disaster looming, his royal brothers were still haggling over past squabbles, ignorant of the need to unite against an external threat. His fury intensified, and with a sweep of his wide sleeve, he knocked everything off his desk. Documents, brushes, and ink fell to the floor. The inkstone overturned, leaving a pool of black ink on the ground.

The noise in the room was startling, and servants outside called out in inquiry. After venting his frustration, the Prince of Jin’s temper subsided. He dismissed the servants and focused his mind on how to break the deadlock.

The Crown Prince was established, and His Majesty placed great hopes in the Imperial Grandson; he would not allow them to threaten the Crown Prince’s position. Only half a year had passed, and he was already at his wit’s end. In another half a year, would there still be a place for him to speak in the court? The Crown Prince was young, and for now, some ministers still supported the princes. But as time passed and the Imperial Grandson grew, the heir’s position would become increasingly stable. At that point, would any minister still be willing to support him?

The situation was growing more and more perilous. The Prince of Jin calmed down and saw things with clarity.

The Imperial Grandson was young and still focused on his studies; he had not yet set foot in the imperial court. Ministers who wished to curry favor with him could not even find a way to do so. After all, with the Emperor still alive, the Imperial Grandson also had to avoid suspicion. Without a compelling reason, how could he dare to summon court officials at will?

Puyang was indeed formidable, but she was merely a woman. There was a limit to how much power she could wield.

The ministers were all weathercocks, siding with whoever held power. They were not the key.

When he tallied it all up, the greatest obstacle in his path was still His Majesty.

The Prince of Jin closed his eyes, his expression growing colder and colder. His brow twitched, revealing a flicker of fear, but the fear lasted only for a moment. A moment later, it was replaced by unshakable resolve.

If His Majesty were to pass away…

He had had this thought before but had not dared to dwell on it. Firstly, regicide was not so easy. Secondly, how to absolve oneself of the crime afterward was also a problem. Thirdly, even if he escaped blame, how would he profit? If he ended up doing all the work for someone else’s benefit, regret would be too late!

Back then, he had not dared to take such a risk, but things were different now. He was caught in a dilemma. As long as His Majesty was alive, he would continue to suppress him. By the time the Crown Prince established his authority, there would be no place left for him.

After briefly weighing the pros and cons, the Prince of Jin quickly saw the path forward. The Imperial Grandson was already established. If His Majesty died suddenly, the only one to ascend the throne would be the Imperial Grandson. Xiao Dewen was only a child; could he command the court officials? With a new, young, and unauthoritative monarch, it would be possible to sideline him. At that time, the Prince of Zhao and the others would surely reassert themselves and contend with him. Then there was Puyang, who also had influence and might either support the new emperor or throw her lot in with one of the other three princes. None of them would be easy to deal with. But no matter how difficult, it was better than being suppressed to the point of immobility.

The Prince of Jin had little filial piety to begin with, let alone any regard for familial bonds. If he had possessed even a shred of concern for his family, he would not have tried to assassinate Puyang all those years ago.

For him, patricide and regicide brought no pangs of conscience. His only concern was whether he could escape unscathed.

This was a momentous undertaking. If even a whisper of it leaked out, it would mean utter disaster. The Prince of Jin did not dare consult his advisors; he could only rack his brains alone to devise the most meticulous plan possible.

By the time he had thought through every step and had begun visiting the palace to put his arrangements in place one by one, it was already late autumn.

This year was destined to be turbulent. After the minor disasters of last year, everyone had hoped for favorable weather to make up for what the calamitous year had cost them. Unfortunately, heaven did not grant their wishes. This year was another year of disaster, and the affected area was wider and the impact deeper than the last. At the beginning of the year, the Emperor had ordered Wang Gun to train troops, allocating a large sum for military pay and provisions. The state treasury, which had been built up over many years, suddenly showed signs of being stretched thin.

When the common people went hungry, they would grow dissatisfied with the court. If local authorities handled matters poorly, people would gather to stir up trouble and rebel against the government. Thus, at the end of every dynasty, turmoil throughout the realm was often accompanied by natural disasters.

The court was once again embroiled in arguments over how to provide disaster relief. The Emperor had no choice but to prioritize the people, temporarily setting aside the matter of the princes to discuss relief efforts with his officials.

The Prince of Jin had been worried he wouldn’t have enough time, that he would be stripped clean of his power before his arrangements were complete. This natural disaster was a great help to him. He put on a docile appearance, neither causing trouble nor showing resentment. He even urged his followers to devote themselves to disaster relief, leading people to believe he had accepted reality and given up hope. This served to numb the vigilance of the Emperor and the entire court.

No matter how chaotic it was outside, Luoyang remained a scene of prosperity and splendor.

Wei Xiu’s condition improved day by day. By late autumn, she no longer needed to lie in bed. Puyang was busy with disaster relief and could not spare the time to accompany her. Wei Xiu, content in her own company, sat in the courtyard and admired the autumn scenery.

The autumn air was deep and carried a chill. A velvet blanket was draped over her legs, and she would occasionally let out a cough or two, but there was nothing seriously wrong. All she needed was to recuperate peacefully.

After lying down for over half a year, even the most ordinary scenery seemed intimate and lovely to her eyes.

The Princess was busy with disaster relief and could not attend to many matters, so she had to entrust them to Wei Xiu. Wei Xiu was very pleased; if she didn’t use her mind, she felt she would grow dull.

At this moment, the Chief Scribe was reporting matters to her.

“For the past several days, His Majesty has been summoning the princes for individual audiences. He first met with the Prince of Jing and the Prince of Dai, followed by the Prince of Jin and the Prince of Zhao.” Everyone speculates that His Majesty intends to defeat them one by one.

“After being summoned, the Prince of Jin has grown gradually subdued. He still attends to court affairs, but no longer shows his sharp edge. The Prince of Zhao remains unwilling to concede, while the Prince of Jing and the Prince of Dai are behaving like the Prince of Jin.” In this way, the Prince of Zhao was made to stand out.

“The disaster this year is severe. His Majesty fears the rise of refugees and has decreed that all prefectures and commanderies strengthen their defenses.”

The Chief Scribe reported the items one by one. Wei Xiu listened with her eyes closed, then suddenly interrupted, “Has the Prince of Jin’s residence had any contact with the Feathered Forest or Tiger Warrior guards?”

The Chief Scribe was stunned for a moment, then immediately replied with clear words, “No. It is the same as it has always been. They are avoiding suspicion.”

Wei Xiu seemed lost in thought. Seeing this, the Chief Scribe waited quietly by her side, not daring to make a sound.

After thinking for a moment, Wei Xiu looked at the Chief Scribe, who bowed his head to receive her orders. The words turned over on the tip of her tongue twice before she swallowed them back. She only said, “Do not relax your watch on the princes. Keep a close eye on them.”

The Chief Scribe clasped his hands and said, “Yes.”

Wei Xiu waved a hand, signaling for him to withdraw.

The entire nation was busy with disaster relief, unaware that a momentous event was brewing in the capital.

One winter morning, it happened to be a day of rest.

Puyang was with her people, discussing matters for next year’s spring planting. The afflicted prefectures and commanderies had all been settled, and the disaster was barely under control. The next tasks were to organize corvée labor and build irrigation canals. These matters were also arranged, in the hope that the spring planting would not be delayed.

Wei Xiu was sitting in the residence. Around noon, the snow stopped. She changed her clothes, intending to enter the palace for an audience with the Emperor.

The residence staff informed Puyang. As Puyang could not get away for the moment, she sent more people to accompany Wei Xiu and gave an instruction: “Tell the Prince Consort that the roads are slippery after the snow. Be careful on the way.”

When Wei Xiu went out, besides the people from the Princess’s residence, she always brought her own people as well. This time, she brought Yan Huan.

The carriage entered the palace gates. On the way in, she did not encounter any ministers, only a few palace attendants. This was a normal sight. It was true that many matters urgently needed to be addressed after the famine, but on a day of rest, the ministers still needed a short break. There were not many who were so diligent as to sacrifice their day of rest to handle political affairs. Thinking of her Highness, Wei Xiu couldn’t help but show a faint sense of pride.

The snow on the palace path had not yet been cleared. The wheelchair rolled over it, leaving two deep tracks. Wei Xiu’s hair was bound up under a cap, and she wore a light-yellow outer robe. It was still the attire of a carefree recluse, but she looked somewhat more solemn than usual.

She observed her surroundings as she went. She had not entered the palace in a year. The layered towers and successive palace walls all seemed to be coated in an antiquated hue, making them feel much more unfamiliar. The palace attendants coming and going, however, were dressed in new winter clothes that, set against the white snow, appeared bright and beautiful, adding many splashes of color to the palace city.

The Great Wei was in an era of vigorous progress. The glory of a dynasty was just beginning. From top to bottom, the court was looking forward to a future of prosperity. The Emperor in the Hall of Proclaimed Virtue was the most expectant of all; two consecutive years of famine had not worn down his ambition.

The entire dynasty was like a rising sun just emerging from the sea, full of heroic vigor. This could be seen, to some extent, from the imperial palace itself.

Wei Xiu passed through the Imperial City and entered the Inner Palace.

Just as she entered the Inner Palace, she encountered the Prince of Jin on his way out.

The Prince of Jin was very modest and amiable. He smiled and addressed her as “brother-in-law,” and also inquired about her health. Wei Xiu, for her part, responded politely.

The two were not well acquainted, so after exchanging a few pleasantries, they passed each other by.

Wei Xiu casually remarked to the eunuch guiding her, “His Highness the Prince of Jin arrived quite early.”

The eunuch smiled and said, “Indeed, he was early. He arrived at the Chen hour and spoke with His Majesty for a long time.”

The Prince Consort was gentle and easygoing, never harsh with the palace staff. When she spoke, she was not overbearing, so the palace attendants all liked her very much. Wei Xiu intentionally prompted him to say a little more. The eunuch, caught off guard, naturally continued, “Recently, His Highness the Prince of Jin has found great favor with His Majesty. He often comes to the palace, and His Majesty sees him every time, and is no longer so stern with him.”

“It is a good thing for a father and son to be on harmonious terms,” Wei Xiu said casually. She then looked at the eunuch and added, “When His Majesty is pleased, your work must also go more smoothly.”

“We all work for His Majesty. What does it matter if things are smooth or not? All that matters is loyalty,” the eunuch replied smoothly.

Wei Xiu smiled and glanced at Yan Huan beside her. Yan Huan took out a pouch of money and handed it to the eunuch. “The winter is harsh. Sir, take this to buy some wine to warm yourself.”

There was no one else around. The eunuch accepted it with a smile, tucking it openly into his sleeve pocket. “You rarely come to the palace and are likely unfamiliar with its ways. If there is anything you need, you have only to command this humble one.”

Wei Xiu smiled.

They soon arrived at the Hall of Proclaimed Virtue. When Wei Xiu entered the palace, someone had already reported her arrival to the Emperor. She had just arrived when she was summoned inside.

The Emperor was very happy to see her and asked, “Why have you come alone? Where is Seventh Lady?”

Wei Xiu performed her salutations before replying, “Her Highness is in the residence discussing matters of the spring planting and could not spare the time, so this servant had to come alone.”

The Emperor chided, “The spring planting is still two or three months away. Why is she in such a hurry?” Though his words were a reprimand, his tone was pleased.

A palace maid entered and took away a jade bowl from the Emperor’s desk. Wei Xiu glanced at it; there was still a small amount of residue at the bottom. It was likely ginseng soup.

“Her Highness says that with the court so busy, she wants to do as much as she can. Her strength is limited, but it is a token of her devotion to Your Majesty.”

The Emperor smiled. “We know.” Upon hearing of Wei Xiu’s recovery, he had long wanted to summon her, but was unfortunately too busy and had to put it aside.

Now, she had come on her own. The Emperor took out a memorial from his desk and had Dou Hui pass it to Wei Xiu, saying, “This is Wang Gun’s memorial on amassing troops. You once said your ambition was to throw the state into chaos. One cannot throw a state into chaos without soldiers. How to train them, how to station them for defense—do you have any good strategies?”

Wei Xiu had a map in her mind and was extremely familiar with the terrain throughout the country. After reading the memorial, she proposed two strategies for deployment. The Emperor listened intently. Wei Xiu’s mind was quick and agile. Listening to her, the Emperor was also inspired to think of many ideas. Their conversation shifted from one speaking and one listening to a mutual discussion.

Just as their interest was piqued, the Emperor’s expression suddenly changed.

There were many palace attendants standing in the hall, and Dou Hui was right by the Emperor’s side. These people’s lives revolved around the Emperor; how could they not be alert? Dou Hui hurried forward to inquire. The Emperor was about to speak when a sharp pain shot through his abdomen. In an instant, he lost the strength to even utter a word. Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead, and the color drained from his lips in a flash.

All of this happened in a mere moment. Dou Hui was horrified and shouted, “Quickly, summon the imperial physicians!”

The hall was instantly thrown into chaos. Wei Xiu moved her wheelchair forward, grabbed the Emperor’s wrist, and began to check his pulse.

The Emperor felt an unbearable pain, as if his heart, lungs, and all his organs were being torn to shreds. Feeling someone grasp his wrist, he looked up and saw it was Wei Xiu. He had a premonition, and his mind suddenly cleared from the intense pain. He seized Wei Xiu’s hand and, with all his might, said to her, “The realm… the realm is passed to… Zhao… the Prince of Zhao!”

Her hand was gripped so tightly by him that it felt as if her bones would be crushed. Hearing his words, she paid no mind to the pain, feeling only her eyelids twitch in a heart-stopping premonition.

The Emperor held his last breath, the veins on his forehead bulging. He stared fixedly at Wei Xiu, waiting only for her to agree. Wei Xiu looked back at him and said nothing.

The Emperor’s pupils constricted. He suddenly realized something, and his eyes filled with fury. He tried to speak, but it was as if something was strangling his throat, and he could not force out a single word. The Emperor’s eyes grew wider and wider as he stared deathly at Wei Xiu.

Wei Xiu watched him until the last glimmer of light faded from his eyes, then slowly said, “This servant accepts the command.”

But the Emperor could no longer hear her. He died with his eyes open.

Wei Xiu looked at his face in death, her expression calm.

The Emperor had died suddenly. From beginning to end, it had only been a few moments. The people in the hall had not yet reacted. Dou Hui collapsed to the floor, his face filled with astonishment. The Emperor lay slumped on his imperial throne, his eyes wide open and his features twisted, having long since stopped breathing.

Wei Xiu glanced at the Emperor again. She felt as if her soul had left her body, as if none of it was real. But it was only for an instant. She then gave an order: “Close the doors! No one is to leave!” The palace attendants were at a loss. Hearing someone give a command, they shut the hall doors tightly in their panic, trapping everyone inside.

Her sharp command jolted Dou Hui back to his senses. At this moment, someone was indeed needed to take charge. He turned his head to look at Wei Xiu, and what he saw stunned him. Wei Xiu had already come to his side. Looking into his eyes, she gave a slight smile and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, “Lord Dou, the favor of saving your life back then… it is time to repay it today.”