Chapter 191: Orphan and Widow

Guo Rong's death plunged the entire Later Zhou Empire into profound grief and bewilderment.

Every household voluntarily hung white banners. Countless commoners flooded the streets, kneeling and bowing toward the imperial palace from a distance, wailing inconsolably.

They had lost a good emperor who had brought them peace and hope.

Inside the palace, the atmosphere grew even more oppressively solemn.

Seven‑year‑old Chai Zongxun, led by his mother Empress Dowager Chai, donned ill‑fitting mourning robes and ascended the dragon throne, which still seemed too tall and cold for him.

He became the new ruler of this vast empire, historically known as Emperor Gong of Later Zhou.

During the enthronement ceremony, the young emperor, frightened by the sea of kneeling civil and military officials below, fled straight into his mother's arms.

Empress Dowager Chai, suppressing the pain of losing her husband, cradled her trembling son and, with a gaze bordering on pleading, looked at the few chief ministers beneath the cinnabar throne.

Prime Minister Fan Zhi, Chief of Staff Wang Pu, and the Palace Front Inspector Zhao Kuangyin and Palace Front Commander Shi Shouxin, whom Guo Rong had personally appointed before his death, were also present.

"The late emperor was a heavenly guest, and the new monarch is still a child. Henceforth, the affairs of state will rest entirely on your loyal service," Empress Dowager Chai's voice trembled with sobs, full of helplessness.

"Empress Dowager, rest assured!" Zhao Kuangyin was the first to step forward; towering and booming, his face bearing a sincere, loyal expression, "We have all received the late emperor's great grace. We shall give our lives to protect our Great Zhou realm, forever unshakable!"

"We, the ministers, swear to die loyal!" Shi Shouxin and the others echoed in unison.

Their voices rang through the great hall, appearing utterly steadfast.

Empress Dowager Chai and Prime Minister Fan Zhi, among others, felt a slight calm in their hearts as they watched them.

However, they did not see the fleeting, unmistakable glint of ambition flashing in Zhao Kuangyin's eyes the instant he lowered his head.

……

After the court session ended, Zhao Kuangyin did not return directly to his residence; instead, he summoned core Imperial Guard commanders Shi Shouxin, Wang Shenqi, Han Chongyu, and others to the home of his most trusted adviser, Zhao Pu.

He dismissed all servants, and the few of them closed the door and began a secret conference.

"Elder Brother, with the ruler weak and the state in doubt, this is the best moment for us to achieve great deeds!" Shi Shouxin, impatient by nature, was the first to speak.

"Indeed, Elder Brother!" Wang Shenqi added, "The late emperor was wise, yet before his death he made a blunder. He didn't choose Wang Hao, that clever yet almost demonic fellow, as chief minister, but chose us instead. Isn't that a blatant handover of the realm to us?"

"Silence!" Zhao Kuangyin barked sharply, cutting them off.

He surveyed the brothers who had shared life and death with him and said gravely, "The late emperor bestowed upon us the grace of recognition and promotion. His body is not yet cold; can you utter such treasonous words and still be worthy of him?"

The few, startled by his rebuke, immediately bowed their heads and dared not speak further.

A look of deep anguish spread across Zhao Kuangyin's face.

"I, Zhao Kuangyin, may be coarse, but I understand loyalty and righteousness. The late emperor entrusted the orphan and widowed mother to us; we must devote ourselves wholeheartedly to assisting them. If anyone dares a second thought, I will be the first to punish them!"

His words rang out with righteous conviction, striking the ground like a thunderclap.

Shi Shouxin and the others exchanged bewildered looks, each a little at a loss.

The 'Elder Brother' they had imagined was not such a pedantic loyalist.

Only Zhao Pu, seated nearby, stroked his beard and smiled faintly. He knew Zhao Kuangyin was both testing and performing.

"The Palace Front Inspector is right," Zhao Pu said slowly, "Now the court is unstable and the people are restless. We truly must not act rashly. The immediate priority is to steady the troops and keep the entire Imperial Guards firmly in our hands."

"As for other matters…" a deep glint flashed in Zhao Pu's eyes, "we can deliberate over time."

Zhao Kuangyin gave him an approving glance.

He knew Zhao Pu understood him.

Donning the yellow robe is not achieved in a single day.

He needs to wait for the right moment.

A moment that will legitimize his claim and win the hearts of the world.

And now, all he must do is lie low.

……

Grand Temple of Sacrifices.

Wang Hao, still clad in plain robes, sat in the 'Forbidden Archive' piled with ancient texts, personally polishing the cold steam‑engine model.

Guo Rong's death left him regretful but not deeply sorrowful.

He had long foreseen this outcome.

A single life is inevitably finite, whereas knowledge and technology are the forces that drive history's wheel eternally.

A Wang Family scion slipped in quietly and handed him a secret letter from Yangzhou.

The letter was penned personally by Head of Family Wang Zhen.

In the letter, Wang Zhen expressed condolences for Guo Rong's death, but chiefly inquired Wang Hao's view on the future northern situation.

Wang Hao spread a fresh sheet of paper and began to reply.

"…The death of Emperor Shizong is not a personal loss but a national tragedy. With the ruler weak and the state in doubt, the imperial clan and military generals will endlessly vie for power. Civil officials are weak and powerless to reverse the tide. In the court, factions clash, and chaos has already arisen."

"Zhao Kuangyin possesses the bearing of a heroic tyrant, wins the troops' hearts, and excels at deception and bribery. His ambition is glaringly obvious. I believe that within three years he will seize the Chai family and replace them."

"Yet this is not entirely bad. Turbulent times need a strong ruler. If Zhao Kuangyin ascends the throne, his skill will swiftly stabilize the situation, fulfill Emperor Shizong's legacy, and achieve unification. For the people of Great Zhou and for our Wang Family, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks."

"Our Wang Family may observe quietly without intervening. After he ascends, we can send envoys to foster goodwill and continue our alliance with Later Zhou."

"My mission in the north is nearly complete. Once the new dynasty is established and the situation stabilizes, I will return home, devote myself to study, and modestly contribute to the Wang Family's centennial plan."

After finishing the letter, Wang Hao sealed it and handed it to the scion.

He walked to the window and gazed toward the imperial palace.

There, it seemed one could already see a new mutiny brewing.

In the seventh year of the Xiande era, the New Year had just passed.

Kaifeng City remained shrouded in a stifling festive atmosphere, when an eight‑hundred‑li urgent military report from the northern frontier struck like a thunderclap, shaking the entire court again.

The Northern Han, colluding with the Khitan, launched another massive southern invasion!

This time, they seized the opportunity of Later Zhou's mourning and the ruler's weakness, advancing more ferociously than ever before.

Northern Han ruler Liu Jun personally led forty thousand troops in a fierce assault on Luzhou.

The Khitan, under their Southern Court Great King Yelü Talie, gathered the strength of the whole tribe, formed twenty‑thousand Iron Cavalry, and pointed their spearhead straight at the towns of Zhen and Ding in the two prefectures, poised to sweep across the entire Hebei Plain.

When the military report reached the palace, Empress Chai and the young Emperor Gong were instantly terrified and at a loss for what to do.

In the court, chaos reigned like a pot of congee.

Prime Minister Fan Zhi, Wang Pu and others, though willing to resist the enemy, were civil officials without troops, so their words carried no weight.

And those generals who held Military Power each harbored their own ulterior motives.

Some advocated holding the line, waiting for the enemy to withdraw on its own.

Some advocated seeking peace, paying annual tribute to the Khitan.

There were even those who advocated moving the capital to avoid their spearhead.

The entire court argued incessantly yet could not produce a practical solution.

Empress Chai looked at the group of helpless, even timid, "pillars of the nation" below and felt a chill in her heart.

She finally understood the deep sense of helplessness her husband Guo Rong felt on his deathbed.

For the first time, she began to regret.

She regretted why she had not insisted that Wang Hao also become a guardian minister.

If there had been that resourceful young man who could turn decay into marvels, perhaps the situation would not be what it is today.

At this moment of crisis, the palace officials before the hall inspected Zhao Kuangyin, and he stepped forward once more.

Empress Dowager! Your Majesty! Era Name Official Compliance, I request to fight!

His voice was like a great bell, his whole being radiated righteousness; in this chaotic court, he was like a stabilizing needle.

The petty Northern Han and Khitan barbarians are nothing to fear! When the late emperor was alive, he once broke their hundred‑thousand‑strong coalition in a single battle! Today, our Great Zhou elite still stand; how could we let the late emperor's prestige fall!

Era Name Official Compliance, I am willing to personally lead the main force of the Imperial Guards northward to resist the enemy! I vow not to return to court until the invaders are defeated!

Zhao Kuangyin's words were passionate and righteous, full of lofty justice.

Empress Chai and Fan Zhi and others seemed to have grasped the last lifeline.

"Excellent! General Zhao truly is a loyal pillar of the nation!" Empress Chai exclaimed emotionally, "I hereby appoint you as Grand Army Commander, to command all the nation's troops and march north to resist the enemy!"

"Era Name Official Compliance!" Zhao Kuangyin bowed his head in thanks.

A barely perceptible curve lifted at the corner of his mouth.