Chapter 658: Storm in the Imperial Capital (Part 2)

Long Yelin covered his chest, suddenly shouting loudly: "Save the emperor! Save the emperor……"

Empress Jian said coldly: "No matter how you shout, it's useless; time is running out. Do you really want me to refer to myself as 'this humble one' from now on?" There was not a trace of marital affection in her words.

Long Yelin's eyes showed a hint of fear; he nodded and said: "Good! I… I will follow your wishes and appoint Ting Sheng as crown prince."

Empress Jian smiled: "They're all your own flesh and blood; who becomes crown prince makes no difference." She called out: "Attendants!"

The door opened; Ji Feihua walked in slowly from outside. Long Yelin stared at Ji Feihua, his eyes almost spitting fire, and he gritted his teeth: "Indeed, you are this castrated traitor!"

Ji Feihua unfolded a prepared edict on the desk and said softly: "Your Majesty, please review it."

Long Yelin glared at Empress Jian: "You actually conspired with this castrated traitor to harm me!"

Empress Jian said: "If it weren't for Your Majesty forcing me and my son into a desperate situation, I would not have done this."

"Good! Good! Good!" Long Yelin said three goods in a row. He suppressed the chest pain, leaned on the desk to stand, looked up, and saw the edict already drafted. After reading it from start to finish, he couldn't help but be shocked: "You… you actually want Ting Sheng to handle state affairs in my place— isn't that asking me to abdicate? This is clearly high treason……"

Empress Jian said: "Your Majesty should follow the Grand Emperor Emeritus; why cling to the throne? Moreover, Ting Sheng has already reached the point where he can stand on his own."

Long Yelin stared fixedly at Ji Feihua; in his view everything was Ji Feihua's scheming, that foolish woman used by Ji Feihua to deal with him. He slowly nodded: "Ji Feihua, you are indeed ruthless."

Ji Feihua said softly: "Empress Jian is right; Your Majesty should indeed follow the Grand Emperor Emeritus. Withdrawing from the torrent is the right path; since Your Majesty is gravely ill and unable to manage state affairs, letting the worthy step down early is also a wise decision."

Long Yelin looked at Empress Jian and said: "Vile woman, today he treats me this way; later he can do the same to you."

Gazing at her husband's anguished eyes, Empress Jian felt a sudden pang of guilt. But it flashed and vanished quickly; soon she hardened her heart again.

Ji Feihua said: "If Your Majesty were to appoint the Third Prince, Long Tingzhen, as crown prince, given his temperament he would surely exterminate the Eldest Prince; Dakang could no longer withstand such turmoil. The Eldest Prince is kind-hearted; only under his governance could the people of Dakang be truly convinced."

Long Yelin chuckled: "You merely want to find a puppet for you to manipulate."

Ji Feihua said: "I, Ji Feihua, am loyal to the state; heaven can bear witness. If Your Majesty thinks so, I have no recourse."

Long Yelin's gaze returned to the edict: "Forging an edict—do you think this can deceive the court officials and silence the mouths of the world?"

Ji Feihua said: "The one who forged the edict is Your Majesty; what have you done before? The Grand Emperor Emeritus knows best. Should I ask him to come out of retirement and tell the ministers everything you once did?"

Long Yelin looked at the edict, suddenly grabbed it and tore it apart. He roared: "I will never sign my own name; I will never surrender the Heirloom Jade Seal……"

Ji Feihua sighed: "Your Majesty knows better than anyone. The Heirloom Jade Seal in your hand is outright fake!"

Long Yelin felt as if struck in a vital spot by a punch; his whole body went limp, and he trembled: "You… what do you want?"

Ji Feihua said: "That depends on Empress Jian's wishes." He placed another prepared edict on the desk and then slipped away quietly.

The door closed behind Ji Feihua. He Mur led a group of eunuchs to bow respectfully to Ji Feihua. Ji Feihua waved his hand and said calmly: "Without an order from the Zajia, no one may enter or leave the Xuanweigong at will."

"Yes!"

Long Yelin's body shuddered at the shout from outside the palace; looking at the edict on the desk, this time he did not tear it up, calmed down, and Empress Jian came to the desk to grind ink for him.

Long Yelin gazed at the empress full of resentment, whispering: "The Jiangshan of Dakang will be ruined in your hands, you vile woman……"

Empress Jian sighed: "Things aren't as dire as you imagine; whatever you can do, Ting Sheng can do as well."

"What? Be a puppet for others to manipulate?" Long Yelin nodded resentfully, finally wrote his name on the edict. Empress Jian rejoiced, waited for the ink to dry, then quickly took the edict away.

At this moment Long Yelin felt his chest gripped by pain, covering it and panting: "Give me the antidote; I will hand over the Jade Seal to you……"

Empress Jian nodded, walked a few steps toward the door, then took out the porcelain bottle and held it high.

Long Yelin seemed to realize something, panicking: "Give me…… I…… I will give the Jade Seal to you……"

"Why don't you come get it yourself?"

Long Yelin bit his lip; his hatred for this wife of his youth had reached the extreme—if he ever got a chance to escape, he would hack her to pieces to quell his hatred. He staggered forward a few steps, but before he arrived Empress Jian threw the porcelain bottle to the ground; it shattered, and three pills rolled out.

Long Yelin rushed forward desperately, but his legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground. He struggled to crawl ahead, ignoring the broken porcelain shards cutting his skin, and disregarding the dignity of a monarch, his trembling hand picked up the pills from the floor and shoved them into his mouth. After swallowing them he felt a little relief, patted his chest, took a few rough breaths, and shouted loudly: "Attendants……" Suddenly before his eyes appeared a variegated halo, then a terrifying vision: Long Yelin wailed: "Get away… get away… don't kill me… don't kill me……" His cries turned into loud wailing; he became utterly mad.

Empress Jian stood outside the Xuanweigong, hearing Long Yelin's miserable cries; her face showed a hint of reluctance, but she soon composed herself.

He Mur quietly approached her side and said respectfully: "Empress Jian, what has happened to His Majesty?"

Empress Jian said: "His Majesty has gone mad……" After speaking she sighed: "This matter must be kept strictly secret."

"Understood!"

At the same time the Cheng'en Mansion was already surrounded in layers by the Feather Forest Army; Li Yan held the edict aloft, strode into the Cheng'en Mansion head high, and announced: "The edict has arrived!"

Several young eunuchs came out in panic, prostrating themselves on the ground.

Li Yan coldly eyed them: "Where is Quan De'an?"

A young eunuch trembled: "Reporting to Li Gonggong, Quan De'an left early and has not yet returned."

Li Yan eyed them suspiciously, gave a cold snort, and said: "Search! Comb the Cheng'en Mansion inside and out, leaving no corner unchecked."

Wen Chenghuan shot up from bed, crying: "Bo Yuan!" He had another nightmare, breaking out in a cold sweat; outside came the sound of pattering rain, and amidst the wind and rain the faint neighing of a horse could be heard. Wen Chenghuan rose, lit the bedside candle.

At that moment a hurried knocking sounded at the door; a servant cried out in alarm: "Sir! Sir, something serious has happened—the Director of the Imperial Household Directorate, Ji Feihua, leading troops, has surrounded our Grand Tutor's mansion!"

"What?" Wen Chenghuan didn't bother to dress properly, strode to the door and flung it open.

The servant's clothes were soaked by the night rain; he quivered: "Sir, both front and back doors are blocked; Ji Feihua is already outside the main gate."

After a brief panic Wen Chenghuan quickly regained composure, nodding: "Go! Open the main gate and invite Eunuch Ji to take a seat in the front hall."

"Sir……"

"Go!"

Wen Chenghuan turned to the bronze mirror, adjusted his appearance, dressed neatly, then walked at a leisurely pace to the front hall. He had endured a lifetime of ups and downs, witnessed the vicissitudes of the world; for the sake of his nation's great cause he had lain on firewood and tasted gall, endured humiliation to survive, long since disregarding life and death; after his son's tragic death his resolve became steadier than ever, vowing never to relent until Dakang is preserved.

Ji Feihua sat quietly in the front hall of the Grand Tutor's mansion, holding a porcelain teacup with blue-and-white pattern, sipping tea while waiting for Wen Chenghuan's arrival.

Wen Chenghuan's voice came from the east; he chuckled: "Eunuch Ji, it's so late—what brings your esteemed presence?"

Ji Feihua's brows rose like swords, his eyes glinting with cold autumn water; he smiled: "It's rather late to disturb the Grand Tutor, I'm sorry, but the matter is important—I cannot stay away; I apologize for interrupting your rest."

Wen Chenghuan sat beside Ji Feihua, his gaze sweeping the front courtyard where twenty warriors who had accompanied Ji Feihua stood; their armor gleamed, each holding weapons like statues standing proudly in the wind and rain. These are the Feather Forest Guard that Ji Feihua relies on to dominate the capital.

Wen Chenghuan curled his lip in a smirk: "Eunuch Ji, what a grand display!"

Ji Feihua waved his hand; the warriors withdrew, and he said calmly: "The Zajia still remembers that when the Grand Emperor Emeritus abdicated, Wen Chenghuan was the first to step forward in support of the new emperor's ascension."

Wen Chenghuan frowned: "Eunuch Ji, if you have something to say, just speak plainly."

Ji Feihua leaned in, lowering his voice: "His Majesty suddenly fell gravely ill, his mind disordered; he even killed two palace attendants, and just now he nearly killed Empress Jian as well……"

Wen Chenghuan's face changed: "What?" His heart was overwhelmed by fear.

Ji Feihua said: "Fortunately, the Emperor had already drafted an imperial edict earlier, and the Crown Prince's position was confirmed in time."

Wen Chenghuan obviously hadn't expected this change to come so suddenly; perhaps he had been distracted lately due to his son's death, and actually overlooked the shifts in the court. Ji Feihua seized this opportunity to stir up a storm in the palace. Since he said that, it proves that a tremendous upheaval has already occurred inside the palace. Wen Chenghuan whispered: "The Emperor has always been in good health; how could it suddenly..." (To be continued~^~)