Chapter Sixty
On the evening of the twenty-fifth, Xuanlin returned briefly and told Cui Lanyin that it was Prince Kang who was planning to force his way into the palace.
Xin Chong had helped Prince Kang win over the commanders of the Left Tiger Guard, the Left and Right Cavalry Guards, and the Left Eagle Guard. They had settled on taking action at the beginning of the Hai hour on the evening of the twenty-sixth.
Chief Minister Li spent most of his time handling affairs in the Grand Secretariat. As long as the Ministry of War remained under his control, that was enough for him. Thus, within the Ministry of War, Xin Chong, who served as Vice Minister, handled the actual affairs. The commanders of the twelve guards stationed in the capital all had to show him some degree of respect.
When Prince Kang had bypassed the other three young ladies and chosen Xin Chong’s daughter as his princess consort, this had been one of his considerations. Prince Kang had been coveting that position for a long time.
Every court official knew what Prince Kang had in mind. What Cui Lanyin found difficult to accept was that Xin Chong could not possibly be unaware that the death of Princess Kang had been Prince Kang’s doing. Yet even if he could set aside the vengeance owed for his daughter’s murder, Xin Chong was actually sparing no effort to help Prince Kang succeed.
Chilin told her, “Prince Kang promised to get Xin Chong into the Grand Secretariat. Once he takes that position, he’ll have Xin Chong’s younger daughter enter the palace as a consort.”
Cui Lanyin was disgusted to the extreme. “Climbing upward over the bones of his own daughter and grandson—Xin Chong’s family and Prince Kang truly are birds of a feather.”
“The Xin family’s appetite is far greater than that. They know that, given Prince Kang’s temperament, he won’t tolerate the Li family once he takes the throne. The Xin family wants to become the next Li family.”
Cui Lanyin let out a contemptuous laugh. She was now certain that anyone might succeed—except Prince Kang.
After explaining everything else, Chilin finally revealed the main purpose of his visit. “This time, the prince’s men will be stationed throughout the palace and at all the critical locations. The guards at the residence will be sent to protect Second Miss’s family. The prince wants Second Miss to move into Funing Palace.”
Cui Lanyin had assumed that Prince Kang could never succeed, and that Prince Wei, having received advance word, would lie in wait inside the palace and intercept Prince Kang’s forces. Surely the disturbance would never reach beyond the palace.
But when she heard that Prince Wei was even deploying men to protect the Cui family, and that he wanted her to move into Funing Palace, Cui Lanyin realized that she had been thinking too simply.
She asked, “The Li family still hasn’t made a move?”
Chilin’s answer was intriguing. “Not openly.”
Cui Lanyin understood. The Li family might well have had a hand in Prince Kang’s plans. They were watching from the shadows and would strike at the moment most advantageous to them.
The Li family’s second branch and Prince Duan would certainly seize the opportunity to make their own move as well.
Although Prince An and Prince Ping had always appeared harmless, every prince kept something hidden. Who could guarantee that they would not take advantage of the chaos?
This might well be a battle that changed the entire balance of power. The victor would become king, and the loser would be cast down. If things went badly, gathering everyone in one place would at least make it easier to flee.
At such a crucial moment, Prince Wei had not forgotten the Cui family behind her. In the past, he had helped the Cui family only casually, usually through his Chief Steward. Recalling the circumstances of his departure that day, Cui Lanyin wondered if it had been because she had agreed to his request.
So things really were different now.
“What about the Dong family?” Cui Lanyin asked again.
“Second Miss, rest assured. The prince will look after everyone who follows him.” Chilin added, “You should also know that Cui Su has been assigned a task this time. He’s improved greatly over the past few months and can protect himself even in dangerous situations. Second Miss needn’t worry.”
Cui Lanyin smiled. “Now that he’s entered the Lin Guard, he should advance and retreat alongside all of you. With him following you, there’s nothing for me to worry about. You don’t need to make a point of telling me in the future.”
Chilin still mentioned it in passing. “Cui Su won’t be joining the Lin Guard. After this, the prince has other arrangements for him.”
Cui Su already belonged to Prince Wei’s forces, so naturally Prince Wei would make whatever use of him he saw fit. Cui Lanyin did not press further.
After learning that the Chief Steward and the others also had suitable places to hide, Cui Lanyin felt reassured. She packed a few days’ worth of clothing and necessities and was about to leave for the palace.
Just then, the Chief Steward hurried over and said in an extremely low voice, “Second Miss, Princess Duan has come in an ordinary carriage of the sort used by common households. She says she has something to discuss with you.”
What could Li Yijin want with her at a time like this?
Cui Lanyin recalled her visit to Prince Jing’s residence. Although Li Yijin had repeatedly shown her courtesy, she had not tried to win over Prince Wei in front of the gates of Prince Jing’s residence the way Prince Duan had. She handled matters with far more tact than Prince Duan.
“If she came here to avoid notice, there’s no harm in meeting her,” Cui Lanyin said. “Try not to let anyone see us. Find somewhere nearby, and I’ll go meet her there.”
“She may be able to help the prince,” the Chief Steward agreed. “It’s right that you see her. No one goes to the grain office in the west, so you can meet her there.”
Clearly, the Chief Steward knew everything.
Cui Lanyin followed him toward the front with Chiyue and Chiyun. He first led her to wait in the duty room at the grain office. Before long, he brought Li Yijin in with her two maids.
Had she not been prepared for it, Cui Lanyin would never have recognized Li Yijin in that chestnut-colored plain silk top and skirt, with nothing in her hair but a silver hairpin. She looked just like a young married woman from a moderately wealthy family in Ying City. Not only someone who had met her once—even someone who saw her often might not have recognized her.
Li Yijin had never been as sociable as Li Yixin, rarely going out and speaking little whenever she did. It was only when she helped receive guests at Prince Jing’s residence that day, displaying remarkable eloquence and social skill, that Cui Lanyin realized her former demeanor was not her true nature.
Now, too, Li Yijin acted with great decisiveness. She sat down opposite Cui Lanyin and came straight to the point.
“I know what my aunt has learned, as well as what I know myself. We can hand over everything you need. I can guarantee that Prince Duan will honestly live as a wealthy and honored idler from now on. As for the offense he committed before, can you let bygones be bygones?”
Cui Lanyin was not about to take her word for it. She smiled and said, “Princess, you must be joking. I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean.”
Li Yijin continued to smile with composed grace. “I know that Prince Kang intends to force his way into the palace on the evening of the twenty-sixth. I can’t control what other people do, but I can guarantee that Prince Duan will not take either side. The Li family’s second branch is the second branch; my elder brother, my aunt, and I will have nothing more to do with them from now on. With the three of us keeping watch over Prince Duan, no one will be able to use him to accomplish anything.”
Seeing how sincere she sounded, and that she did not appear to be pretending, Cui Lanyin still did not relent. “If that is what you mean, Princess, you should accompany Consort Shu to speak with Empress Dowager Li.”
Li Yijin stroked her slightly rounded belly, a trace of sharpness entering her eyes. “I imagine no one has told Second Miss about something so vile. Prince Duan and I were deceived by Prince Kang, while the first and second branches of the Li family clearly knew what was happening and allowed it to continue.
“I never intended to marry Prince Duan. I lost my mother when I was three and was raised in my aunt’s palace. She is like a mother to me, and Prince Duan is like my own elder brother. How could I ever have such an immoral intention?”
She paused for breath before continuing, “I won’t hide it from you, Second Miss. I truly did once intend to use the Li family’s second branch to help Prince Duan succeed. I even foolishly thought that once Prince Duan took that position, the first and second branches of the Li family would be mine to deal with.
“You must have seen how busy we were a while ago. My aunt suffered plenty of cold treatment at Empress Dowager Li’s palace, while Prince Duan and I made fools of ourselves with one ridiculous scheme after another.
“It was only after my elder brother learned from the Li family’s second branch that Prince Kang had persuaded five of the guards stationed in the capital to force their way into the palace that my aunt and I realized our plans had been nothing but a joke. Prince Duan didn’t even have enough usable forces in his hands to get anything done. Compared with Prince Kang, he was far weaker. Even if the Li family’s second branch supported him, he would only be a puppet who could not make his own decisions.
“Since that’s the case, we won’t hope for anything anymore. But we can’t just stand by and watch them celebrate their triumph, either. I heard that the Second Miss is an upright and forthright person, so I came to find you.”
With that, Li Yijin took a booklet from her sleeve and handed it over. “My aunt and I put this together. Everything we know about the Li family and the palace is written in here. Take it, Second Miss, and see if any of it can be of use.”
At this point, there was no longer any reason to doubt Li Yijin’s intentions.
Cui Lanyin had not expected the situation behind the scenes to be so complicated. Li Yijin was truly one of the rare few who could both take things up and let them go. She accepted the booklet and flipped through it briefly. It should provide Prince Wei with a useful reference.
She asked, “Will the second branch of the Li family be involved this time?”
Li Yijin shook her head. “They must have realized that my aunt and I no longer share their intentions, so they’ve been hiding many things from us. My elder brother hasn’t been able to find out much more.”
Cui Lanyin did not dwell on the matter. She agreed readily. “Then keep Prince Duan under control.”
Li Yijin was overjoyed. “Thank you, Second Miss. I’ll await your good news.”
After seeing Li Yijin off, Cui Lanyin had Geng Dayou return to the Cui family’s main residence to stand guard. She then entered the palace with Aiye, Sangzhi, Buyan, and Buyu, seated in two carriages.
Chilin took the booklet Li Yijin had handed over and went to find Prince Wei.
Since Cui Lanyin went to Funing Palace every few days, no one would suspect anything.
The moment Empress Dowager Chen saw her, she pulled her to her side and comforted her. “You must have been frightened, hm? It’ll all be over soon.”
“Have you forgotten, Your Majesty? I’m Cui the Second Fierce now. I’m not afraid of a little fright.”
Empress Dowager Chen burst out laughing. “You mischievous girl. With you here, nothing can upset me.” She narrowed her eyes. “We must put an end to all this nonsense as soon as possible. Then you can stay here as often as you like without any trouble.”
Knowing that Empress Dowager Chen was mainly trying to reassure her, Cui Lanyin made an even greater effort to appear calm and told her about Li Yijin’s visit.
Empress Dowager Chen was silent for a moment before sneering. “Men can accomplish things on their own, so why must they always step on women to climb higher? Call them useless, and they still refuse to admit it. Hmph!”
The waiting before a major event was the most agonizing part. The morning of the twenty-sixth passed uneventfully. Cui Lanyin accompanied Empress Dowager Chen to sit beneath the corridor, basking in the sun and teasing the parrots. Qi An, Qian He, Aunt Xia, and Aunt Gao also came over to keep them company and join in the amusement. Everything in Funing Palace still appeared as normal.
After lunch, even Empress Dowager Chen began to lose her composure. She repeatedly summoned Qian He to ask about the situation in various parts of the palace.
The tension in Empress Dowager Chen and everyone in Funing Palace told Cui Lanyin that the outcome would be decided today. There would be no chance to make amends afterward.
When Prince Wei had first entered the palace, Cui Lanyin had secretly been glad that she could avoid him. But now, after six days without seeing him, and at a time like this, she suddenly found herself longing to see him.
She asked Qian He, “Where is Uncle? Has everything been settled on his end?”
“The prince has been handling state affairs at Benyuan Hall. He ordered that no one go there and said he would send someone over if anything happened. I don’t know what the situation is there either.”
Cui Lanyin could only suppress her impatience and wait. When Empress Dowager Chen said she wanted to go to the Buddhist hall at the back to pray, Cui Lanyin immediately offered to accompany her, supporting her arm.
She lit incense with utmost sincerity, then knelt beside Empress Dowager Chen on a prayer mat and silently begged the Buddha for protection—for Prince Wei to succeed in everything and return safe and whole.
When they returned from praying, it was time for the evening meal. Empress Dowager Chen and Cui Lanyin each ate only half a bowl of rice before setting down their chopsticks. After that came a long, agonizing wait, and neither of them had any inclination to speak.
Qi An and Qian He went to the front hall. In the sitting room, Aunt Xia and Aunt Gao kept going in and out, clearly unable to contain their anxiety.
When the water clock reached the first moment of the Hai hour, Cui Lanyin clearly saw Empress Dowager Chen’s hand tremble. Her own heart clenched in response.
“Your Majesty.” Without thinking, she reached out and clasped Empress Dowager Chen’s hand.
Empress Dowager Chen squeezed hers in return. “Your uncle is capable. We won’t be the ones to lose.”
A quarter of an hour later, shouts and the clash of weapons could be heard in the distance.
It had begun!
Before long, the area outside Funing Palace descended into chaos. Someone began pounding on the gates, followed by an eunuch’s shrill voice from outside.
“Your Majesties, His Majesty is gravely ill and has something he wishes to tell the Empress Dowager. Please, Your Majesty, move to his chambers.”
Cui Lanyin looked at Empress Dowager Chen. “I don’t think this is right. Don’t go.”
“Even if it were true, I wouldn’t go now.” Empress Dowager Chen sneered. “If the people who came for us aren’t your uncle’s men, then we’ll remain seated right here and do nothing.”
When those outside saw that neither Qi An nor Qian He would open the gates no matter how much they pleaded or threatened, they stopped pretending. Drawing their weapons, they attempted to force their way in.
The Xuan Guards, who had been concealed in the shadows, sprang into action. In a few swift moves, they drove the attackers back.
Only then did Cui Lanyin realize that it was Chilin who had come to guard Funing Palace.
Empress Dowager Chen was equally surprised. She knew better than anyone how crucial the Four Xuan Guards were within the Xuan Guard corps. At this critical moment, when the success or failure of the entire undertaking hung in the balance, Prince Wei had actually sent one of the four—Chilin—to protect Funing Palace.
All the grievances and discontent she had carried for so many years dissolved in that instant.
She relaxed and said, “The wisest thing I’ve done in my entire life was taking your uncle in. From now on, I won’t meddle in anything. Whether it concerns the palace or the world outside, I can finally enjoy my retirement in peace.”
Cui Lanyin, however, could not bring herself to smile. The shouts and sounds of battle outside seemed capable of tearing through the heavens. Fires had broken out in several parts of the palace. With the autumn wind rising, the flames leapt higher and higher, their glow reddening more than half the palace complex.
This was definitely not something Prince Kang could have accomplished alone. All the various factions must have joined in.
We’re moving to a new map now, hehe.
Someone asked how long this novel is expected to be. It’ll probably be around five hundred thousand words. Kisses!
