Chapter 297: One Is Radical, the Other Has Given Up

The Jia-cell prison was filled with wailing.

When the imprisoned officials learned of the Crown Prince's deposition, some immediately burst into loud sobs; one cried, then two, then three…

The crying seemed contagious.

In the end, everyone was weeping.

Some screamed until hoarse; others wept in silence.

All the imprisoned officials mourned the Crown Prince.

Though the Crown Prince was not dead, the spiritual hopes and ideals placed upon him had died utterly today. His deposition meant the end of an era—a sudden, unforeseen death, offering no time for preparation.

What loyalty and filial piety? After decades of study, this is what it came to: deposing the Crown Prince?

What fault had the Crown Prince committed?

On what grounds was he deposed?

Because the old emperor disliked him?

What difference does the old emperor's liking or disliking make? The Crown Prince is not a toy—he is the foundation of the state, order, succession, ideal, hope. Regardless of the old emperor's feelings, the Crown Prince, as a man and as the dynasty's spiritual symbol, ought to sit firmly in the Eastern Palace, not be deposed on the whim of one man's private spite.

"It's chaos! Total chaos!"

A foolish ruler governs—Great Qian's heaven is collapsing!

"The Crown Prince's crime does not warrant this! The old emperor deserves to die! Even if you execute my nine clans, I will say it: Emperor Taixing deserves to die!"

"All civil and military officials of this court deserve to die. How could they allow the Crown Prince's deposition? How could this edict pass through the Council of State and be proclaimed nationwide?"

"Everyone is guilty! Every single official in this court is guilty!"

"So what if there's a military mutiny? Even if the old emperor is mad, he can't kill every official. With the courage to die a hundred or a thousand deaths, I refuse to believe he'll dare hold onto the deposition."

"Wah… why didn't you hold out longer? Why did you surrender so quickly, within just a few days?"

"From Li Liangcheng down, all of them deserve to die—none are innocent. Zhao Mingqiao, where is your master? Why didn't your master die? Why was the Crown Prince deposed?"

The imprisoned officials screamed and cursed Lu Mingchuan; Zhao Mingqiao was dragged into it by association.

Zhao Mingqiao lay sprawled in the straw heap, imagining himself a fish gasping for water, on the brink of death. For a moment, he truly wished to die—to end it all, to escape this suffering.

But he could not die!

With the Crown Prince deposed, morale shattered, unrest in the north, rebels rising everywhere… the court was riddled with internal strife and external threats. The realm was likely on the brink of great chaos.

As scholars, it is our sacred duty.

He clenched his fists—he must get out, he must realize his ambitions.

When Chen Guanlou arrived at the prison gate, he saw in Zhao Mingqiao's eyes fury and hatred—the kind of desperate, all-or-nothing hatred.

He was curious.

So he asked: "Who are you hating?"

"Those who deserve hatred—they all deserve to die."

Who deserves to die?

This was not Zhao Mingqiao's old style.

Master Zhao had always been righteous, seeking to convince with reason. Yet now, Chen Guanlou saw a Zhao Mingqiao who looked like a warrior.

"Chen Jailer, how do I get out?"

Chen Guanlou stared at him. "Are you alright? If you're unwell, I'll send the physician to examine you."

"I'm fine—I'm perfectly well! I must get out. Is there any way?"

"With the Crown Prince deposed, many officials will soon be imprisoned. The prison cells are limited; the Ministry of Justice will surely release some to make room. I'll try to get your name on the release list—but you'll need your master's help. If you need to pay, don't be stingy; if you need to use connections, use them fully. But I've offended your master before—he may refuse to see me."

"No matter. I'll write a few letters—just deliver them for me. Whether I get out or not, it's fate."

Zhao Mingqiao had become decisive, efficient.

Though puzzled, Chen Guanlou ordered the stationery brought.

Zhao Mingqiao wrote four letters in quick succession, sealed them in envelopes, and handed them to Chen Guanlou. "Please help me deliver these, Chen Jailer."

"Small matter. You… are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine. Staying in the Heavenly Prison is wasting my youth. We scholars belong on the court, shining."

Chen Guanlou quietly exhaled in relief—this was the Zhao Mingqiao he knew, always speaking of righteousness and ideals, a steadfast idealist. He had feared Zhao had changed, become a pragmatist.

Nature is hard to change—this is an eternal truth.

The Crown Prince was deposed and renamed Prince Zhong, ordered to vacate the Eastern Palace within fifteen days and move into the Prince Zhong Mansion in the city.

Called the Prince Zhong Mansion, it was merely a three-court, three-hall residence, previously owned by the Ministry of Imperial Household and left unoccupied. The compound was somewhat dilapidated. Suddenly designated a prince's mansion, the Ministry rushed to clean it up—only enough to make it look decent on the surface; details could wait.

Compared to a proper princely mansion, this residence was so shabby it was painful to look at.

Even the Right Chancellor Wu Dashou muttered to the old emperor: "This is too harsh—it will invite criticism!"

"But there are no suitable residences available right now. This is merely temporary. Later, His Majesty will allocate funds to build Prince Zhong a new mansion fitting his rank," said Qiu Defu, acting as the old emperor's mouthpiece.

Some things the old emperor did, he himself knew were unjust—he was too ashamed to speak of them. Only Qiu Defu, the Grand Eunuch, could voice his excuses, patch up his face.

Li Liangcheng snorted. "No matter what, Prince Zhong should not be treated so cruelly. As I know, the Ministry of Imperial Household still owns several large residences, all seized from confiscated estates. A little renovation would make them ready-made princely mansions. Your Majesty, you've already deposed him—don't further humiliate him materially, lest you break the hearts of the realm. He is your own child, raised by your hand, your eldest legitimate son. Even if his faults are great, deposing him as Crown Prince is enough. He should not be treated this way."

"Do you think I want to do this?"

The old emperor suddenly flew into a rage and hurled his fly whisk to the ground.

"Do you know what this rebellious son is doing? He's refusing food! He's starving himself to force me to bear the blame of killing my own son. I swear, I have never mistreated him. Yet he keeps pressuring his father and sovereign—is this the duty of a son?"

"Prince Zhong has committed no grave crime, yet he was deposed. What else do you expect him to do? Should he rejoice at being deposed? He has been Crown Prince for thirty or forty years—since childhood, he has been the Crown Prince. To be stripped of it overnight, left confused and terrified—can you not show him even a little mercy? Even tigers do not eat their cubs. How cruel you are, Your Majesty."

The Left Chancellor Li Liangcheng had given up entirely—he was saying anything that came to mind.

He no longer cared.

As Left Chancellor of this court, he would be nailed to history's shame pole, reviled by the people of this age and the next. He was the most incompetent Left Chancellor in three hundred years of the empire—unable to stop the old emperor's coup, unable to stop the deposition of the Crown Prince.

He had failed utterly as Left Chancellor.

The Crown Prince was already deposed—he had nothing left to lose.

If the old emperor disliked it, let him dismiss me. If that wasn't enough, let him chop off my head. The old emperor had cut off plenty of officials' heads before.