Chapter 147: City Seal

Volume One, Chapter 147 City Seal

The news of the Emperor's coma could not be concealed at all, and Han Xinglan had no intention of hiding it either; soon, court officials began to remonstrate.

Han Xinglan saw Consort Ming and her son's eyes light up; he turned his head to glance at his own Empress.

The Empress, looking at the palace attendant who had come to report, scolded, "His Majesty is comatose; the court officials do not know how to share his worries. What can they do by entering the palace now? Go back and deliver the message that they will be seen once His Majesty awakens naturally."

Consort Ming immediately replied, "Empress, your words are somewhat inappropriate, aren't they? Precisely because His Majesty is comatose, the senior court officials need to come and handle state affairs. If you exclude them and a major state matter is missed, what then?"

The Empress and Consort Ming could not settle the dispute; the virtuous consorts sat silently, glancing here and there without readily voicing any stance.

"The Imperial Physician said His Majesty might awaken by tomorrow morning; can Consort Ming not wait a night? Or is there something unsavory in your heart?" the Empress asked bluntly, her sharp eyes fixed relentlessly on Consort Ming.

Consort Ming was again annoyed that before the Empress arrived she hadn't managed to take control of the Taoist temple; now, everything is restrained, truly powerful yet nowhere to use it.

"Empress, if you say it, then do it; once His Majesty awakens, he'll naturally know right from wrong." Consort Ming snorted coldly.

Is this a complaint?

The Empress was not intimidated; her eyes flicked toward the sleeping hall, she pressed her lips together and muttered coldly in her heart that it would be best if His Majesty never woke, for then her son, as Crown Prince and the rightful heir, would ascend the throne in due course.

As for Consort Ming and her son, unless there is an imperial edict from the Emperor or a cavalry rebellion, any attempt to contest the throne with her own son would be ridiculed by the world.

Rong Luoge was stationed in Dong Gong; after receiving the news that Shi An had been sent back by Han Xinglan, she breathed a slight sigh of relief, seeing that side could remain stable for now, and she could relax a bit.

Later in the afternoon, she took a brief nap, and upon waking heard Rong Xin speaking back and forth, "Good Lady, Song Good Lady has invited Zhou Liangyuan, Luo Zhaoxun, Xu Chenghui and Qin Fengyi for tea. However, Qin Fengyi politely declined, Xu Chenghui did not go, and only Luo Zhaoxun and Zhou Liangyuan attended."

Rong Luoge nodded slightly, "No rush; see what Song Good Lady is really up to. Have someone keep a tight watch on the Dong Gong gates; without the Crown Prince's seal, no one may enter or exit at will."

"Yes, I'll go inform Yuan Bao right away," Rong Xin said immediately.

Rong Luoge nodded, it seemed Song Huihe was getting restless?

Indeed, the Emperor's condition is uncertain; he may wake or may not. If, by any chance, His Majesty never awakens this time, the Crown Prince will ascend, and the Empress's position will become highly coveted.

Song Huihe came from a marquis family; before Rong Luoge severed ties with the Protector Duke's household, her background naturally could not match Rong Luoge's. However, since Rong Luoge has cut off relations with the Protector Duke's house, in terms of lineage, Song Huihe is superior to Rong Luoge.

Moreover, Song Huihe has never divorced, so overall her advantage over Rong Luoge is considerably greater.

Song Huihe has timed it, intending to send a letter to her family so they can assist her in maneuvering.

Rong Luoge smiled and said, "Song Good Lady is indeed clever and swift. She's trying to win hearts, hoping to rally people in Dong Gong together to oppose me."

Que Cai replied from beside, "After entering Dong Gong, Song Good Lady hasn't even seen the Crown Prince's face, so she naturally doesn't want to continue as is; she must take a gamble. If she can collude with people from the Ning Yuan Marquis Residence, the outcome is unpredictable. Song Good Lady's intentions are obvious; if Zhou Liangyuan and Luo Zhaoxun also side with her, it would be even worse."

Rong Luoge snorted, "Song Good Lady is not the Crown Princess; without the Crown Prince's sanction, acting on her own is not a good thing. Moreover, she has no favor yet dares to be delusional, merely hoping to leverage her family's influence to pressure the Prince."

Using power to coerce can succeed, but only if the other side is powerless to resist.

But is Han Xinglan such a person?

No.

Rong Luoge watched Song Huihe leaping up and down, knowing she would regret it sooner or later.

"What do we do now? Should we just watch Song Good Lady flaunt herself?" Que Cai frowned, saying it was truly infuriating.

Rong Luoge smiled, "Let her jump; in the end it will be nothing but emptiness."

Que Cai didn't quite understand, but Song Good Lady's words still made sense.

Rong Luoge pondered and saw that the five had already shown fissures; at least Qin Fengyi and Xu Chenghui were no longer aligned with Song Huihe, which was excellent news for her.

The Dong Gong palace gates were already closed, and Song Huihe could not dispatch any messages; Rong Luoge had little to worry about, only the Taoist temple side and the previous mess hall problem remained a concern.

Both matters required time; Rong Luoge knew she couldn't rush, so she had to be patient and wait slowly, perhaps news would arrive by early tomorrow.

The lights in Dong Gong went out early, and Rong Luoge slept peacefully.

Song Huihe, however, could not fall asleep; she hadn't expected her attempt to win over Zhou Liangyuan and Luo Zhaoxun to fail. Though the two did not refuse outright, it was close enough.

What a pair of idiots!

Don't they consider the current situation? Could they not think about the future?

Even if Rong Luoge were to gain favor, what would it matter? Whether as Crown Princess or future Empress, she wouldn't even think about it.

A person who has divorced would never be approved by the court to occupy that position.

Thus, someone with a good family background and a clean reputation, when compared to Rong Luoge, has even more hope.

They can't even imagine this, nor dare to take a gamble; such a person is destined to have no future.

Song Huihe's anger boiled over; the news couldn't get out, and her family didn't know whether they might use the opportunity to push her forward.

The next morning, His Majesty had not awakened; Han Xinglan did not return to Dong Gong, and only Shi An quietly delivered the news back, allowing Rong Luoge to feel at ease.

Having been comatose so long without waking, it seemed the Emperor had truly emptied his own body before; this time, once he fell, it would be hard to rise again.

This time the court officials could no longer stay idle, clamoring to see His Majesty; led by Prime Minister Yun, they pressured the Crown Prince and the Empress, and the situation began to stalemate.

Rong Luoge sensed the gravity behind it; this was a place she could not help, only hoping Han Xinglan's earlier arrangements would succeed.

At noon, news arrived that the Imperial Dragon Guard's Commander Xiao, holding the Emperor's edict, had sealed the palace gates, instantly dividing the inner and outer city, making the situation increasingly tense.

As the Imperial Dragon Guard moved, the three major camps outside the city also stirred, like arrows on a string, and the entire capital grew tense.