Chapter 472: Both Mad and Wild

The Three Great Camps insist on seeing the old Emperor; until they see him, they will not withdraw their troops.

The Imperial Princes seized the chance to raise a clamor—they too wanted to see their father Emperor.

What is the meaning of court ministers blocking them from an audience with their father Emperor? Could it be that someone intends to play the role of a powerful minister?

In Da Qian, in the Emperor Taixing reign, no one can play the powerful minister. Any minister who entertained such a notion already has weeds on his grave tall enough to reach a man's waist.

Another group of ministers also seized the moment to raise a clamor, demanding an investigation into the truth behind the altar explosion.

A group of hot-blooded young officials, represented by Zhao Mingqiao, even pointed the spearhead at the various grown Imperial Princes.

"Every Imperial Prince and prince is a suspect!"

What is the strongest point of these young officials?

Not their background, not their backers, not their connections.

It is their overflowing fighting spirit! They fear no death, so why fear a mere bloody head? They fought the Imperial Guards, they fought the Brocade Guards, stormed into Taiji Palace, demanding to question the senior ministers, to question the Imperial Physicians of the Imperial Medical Bureau, to question the eunuchs on duty.

They charged forward, heads and faces streaming with fresh blood, battering against the order the senior ministers had so painstakingly maintained—all they demanded was the truth!

Were they truly only seeking the truth?

Clearly they wanted to fish in troubled waters.

They wanted to create more disasters amid the chaos, to make the water in the pool even murkier.

Everyone present was a thousand-year fox; aside from the utterly straightforward, everyone saw through the true purpose of Zhao Mingqiao and his group at a glance.

What to do?

Of course, grant them their wish.

Things the senior ministers dared not do, words they dared not speak—constrained by their status, by the infamy that would follow, by the interests of many parties—Zhao Mingqiao and his people were doing and saying them on their behalf. Quite good.

Even if they did or said wrong, it didn't matter; afterward the senior ministers would step forward in the posture of saviors to salvage the situation.

This is called: propping up a falling sky!

Splendid, perfectly aligned with everyone's interests.

It just didn't align very well with the Imperial Princes' interests.

It meant they were being shut out, their fate entirely in the grasp of these ministers. For certain people with an overwhelming need for control, this was intolerable.

The ministers at least showed some regard for propriety, not swarming into the old Emperor's sleeping hall in a body; instead they sent representatives to visit the sleeping hall, to confirm the old Emperor was still alive, only that he had remained in a coma.

On the day the altar exploded, the old Emperor was injured in the head and fell into coma on the spot.

It was the Brocade Guards who, disregarding their own safety, rescued the old Emperor and rushed him back to the palace for treatment. Since being wounded, he had never woken.

The Imperial Physicians of the Imperial Medical Bureau exhausted every method, yet still could not rouse the old Emperor.

In such circumstances, even the Imperial Physicians dared not give guarantees—perhaps he would wake the next second, perhaps he would never wake again.

"Since Your Majesty cannot wake for the time being, let us select one from among the Imperial Princes and imperial clansmen to act as Regent. A state cannot go a single day without a ruler; the court cannot remain paralyzed forever. And the Three Great Camps certainly cannot keep the Imperial Palace surrounded indefinitely."

"Regent! Regent! Regent!"

The young officials raised their clamor once more.

The several senior ministers exchanged a glance among themselves; everyone understood without a word.

Since this was the unanimous demand, let the court assembly be convened. All officials of Jing Si Pin and above were to gather inside the palace, hold a great assembly, and decide on the Regent.

Chen Chen Guanfu secretly snorted a laugh. "Finding excuses to stall!"

When has a major matter of state ever been decided by holding a great assembly?

It was clearly deliberate delay, clearly an attempt to bring all court ministers under control.

To do what?

Chen Chen Guanfu glanced toward the sleeping hall—could the old Emperor truly be at his end?

……

Others did not know how mad Zhao Mingqiao was, but Chen Chen Guanlou did.

When he heard the court was going to hold a great assembly to discuss the matter of the Regent, he knew Zhao Mingqiao and his people had made their move. What exactly they intended to do, he could not yet fathom. But one thing he was certain of: the assembly was only a façade; the other side had a greater, deeper purpose, one that could not be spoken of.

He slipped away from the Heaven Prison to find Zhao Mingqiao, hoping to sound him out.

Fortunately, he met the man.

Zhao Mingqiao was not at all surprised by his arrival; right before his eyes, Zhao Mingqiao changed into his official robes, preparing to enter the palace for the great assembly.

"What are you trying to do?"

"Hold a court assembly."

"Bullshit! That line might fool outsiders, but don't try to fool me. Aren't you tired of putting on an act in front of me?"

Zhao Mingqiao looked at himself in the mirror, quite satisfied with his appearance.

He turned to look at Chen Chen Guanlou. "What does Brother Chen think I will do?"

"If I knew, I wouldn't have come to ask you."

"In that case, let me tell Brother Chen—I intend to set things right, to restore everything to its original state, to return the court to its rightful order. Everything, all of it, should return to the correct path."

Chen Chen Guanlou slightly furrowed his brow. "You wouldn't be thinking of restoring the Loyal Prince's position as Crown Prince, would you?"

"Why not?"

"You've all gone mad."

"Mad?" Zhao Mingqiao smiled smugly. "Haven't you seen how many people support us? Haven't you seen the surging crowds outside? Haven't you heard—this is the cry of all under heaven, the direction of the people's hearts."

"Be careful not to be used as someone else's weapon, making a wedding dress for another." Chen Chen Guanlou doused him with a bucket of cold water.

Zhao Mingqiao snorted coldly. "You only see the possibility that we are being used as someone else's weapon—why don't you see that we are using force against force, seizing the chance to use others as our weapons? Brother Chen, do not doubt our wisdom. We may be naïve, but we are not stupid. Moreover, we possess the courage and the readiness to perish together. I ask you—how many in the court dare to fight us to the death?"

"You've gone mad! Is it worth it?"

"Worth it! Of course it's worth it! For an ideal, laying down one's life is a small price. This is what you told me back then—establish a lofty, correct ideal, walk the right path, use the right means. Thank you; I have found my direction, and I have my means."

Zhao Mingqiao was like a fanatic cultist; Chen Chen Guanlou could barely make sense of him anymore.

He suddenly asked, "The altar explosion case—does it really have anything to do with you? Who actually did it?"

"You should be asking how many people were involved in this, and how many factions profited from it."

Chen Chen Guanlou's expression turned Solemn. "So it really does have something to do with you?"

He couldn't believe it!

How had Zhao Mingqiao become more and more unhinged, acting ever more reckless and reckless, heedless of consequences? He'd gone off the rails!

Zhao Mingqiao considered for a moment, then said, "I was opposed to it. You once told me that, as a Standard-Bearer, I must not act rashly, that I must set rules and an example for those who come after. I have always lived by that. As for the altar explosion, all I can say is that I did not take part in it. Who exactly was involved, I don't know. Even if I did know, I wouldn't say."

"What exactly are you trying to do?"

"We're going to change the heavens and swap out the earth! We mean to correct this mad world, to set everything back on the right path. Mistakes must be corrected, criminals must be punished." Zhao Mingqiao spoke with great solemnity. "Brother Chen, please wait in the Heaven Prison for our good news. If we fail, I'd trouble you to help collect the bodies. I don't want to be buried in a mass grave—I've left money for a coffin, in the drawer. You may take it whenever you wish. Many thanks!"