Font Size:
“Where is Lin Ran?”
Since the Empress Dowager had sent the Imperial Guards out of the palace, she had been constantly receiving reports on their whereabouts. She felt that, given her son’s fondness for Lu Desheng, Lu Desheng would definitely be on the list of those accompanying him in death! She had been waiting for that moment to arrive.
However, when she heard the Imperial Guards knocking on the door of the Duke of Cheng’en’s mansion, she thought she had misheard. “You said Lin Ran is where?”
The little eunuch who was reporting back trembled, “Empress Dowager, Lin Ran, the Imperial Guard Commander Lin, is at the Duke of Cheng’en’s mansion with the Imperial Guards.”
The Empress Dowager felt dizzy. What was the Emperor trying to do? Who was he going to execute?
“Immediately prepare my carriage to go to the Imperial Palace! Quickly!”
Unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager’s carriage, despite hurrying, arrived at the Imperial Palace, and just as she was about to go to Emperor Kang Cheng’s sleeping quarters, she was stopped by Wei Zili.
The Empress Dowager roared, “Insolence! Get out of my way!”
Wei Zili remained unmoved, not giving way. “Empress Dowager, His Majesty said he won’t see anyone.”
As he said this, the Imperial Guards guarding the Imperial Palace all looked at the Empress Dowager, their eyes sharp and piercing.
The Empress Dowager probably realized something. She shouted towards the inside, “My son, you can’t do this, he’s your uncle!”
Emperor Kang Cheng, who had just coughed up blood, sneered. His mother was very perceptive. She didn’t know about the list of those accompanying him in death, but as soon as the Imperial Guards went to the Duke of Cheng’en’s mansion, she guessed that her brother would be in trouble.
He had also received the news just sent back by Lin Ran. At the time, he had just left the Xie family. Based on their speed, they should have just arrived at the Duke of Cheng’en’s mansion, right?
Duke of Cheng’en’s Mansion
The Duke, Peng Yong, after listening to the edict from his nephew, the Emperor, granting him the grace of accompanying him in death, hugged a pillar and cried his heart out, refusing to die willingly.
Lin Ran looked at the time and decided to try persuading him one last time. If he refused again, he would have to force him. “Duke, please choose one, and then go on your way. Don’t force us to act and leave yourself some dignity.”
The Duke hugged the pillar, crying his eyes out. “Sister, save me, ask my nephew to let me go, I don’t want to die!”
Sheng Huixing shook his head next to him. Why bother now? The phrase “for finding a celestial being to refine elixir for me, my heart is greatly comforted” in the edict revealed the key to his downfall.
“Take action!” Lin Ran ordered. From the moment they stepped into the Duke of Cheng’en’s mansion, Peng Yong had already sent someone to report to the palace. If the Emperor wanted to release him, with all this delay, someone would have come to stop them. Since no one had come, it was clear what it meant.
And so, the Duke, a high-ranking official, was strangled to death by the Imperial Guards.
“Go, to the next one!”
In just one hour, the Imperial Guards had gone to three houses. The officials of Chang’an City were instantly silent. After learning that the Emperor had taken even the Duke with him before his death, they had no more fight left. They silently prayed in their hearts that the Imperial Guards wouldn’t come to their houses tonight!
After all, the officials had been busy discussing which prince to support as the heir.
After all, they knew that they would have to accompany the Emperor in death when he passed away. They would definitely not secretly hope for the Emperor’s death. They would definitely hope that he would live a long life, no, a thousand years.
The Zhao family nervously watched the Imperial Guards’ movements, fearing that they would come to the Zhao family.
Yan Residence
“By the grace of the Emperor, the decree states, Imperial Censor Yan Hua is known for his integrity, upright demeanor, and resolute handling of impeachment and inspection of officials. He fears no power, speaks directly and offers advice. I am greatly pleased by this and have granted the honor of accompanying me in death! So be it!'”
Yan Hua listened numbly. Even if the Emperor praised him like a flower, it couldn’t change the fact that he was to be taken away. He was to accompany the Emperor in death!
“Why?”
Seeing him like this, Sheng Huaixing kindly explained, “Mr. Yan, the Emperor is about to pass away. He can’t be without an Imperial Censor.”
“Then he can let Lu Desheng go with him!” Yan Hua shouted hoarsely.
“Mr. Yan, be cautious with your words! At this point, think more about your family and descendants. Tonight, we will not only visit the Yan Residence.” In order to make him die quickly, Sheng Huaixing had to say a few more words, “Mr. Yan, please. We have other matters to attend to and cannot delay any longer.”
Upon hearing this, the Yan family inexplicably felt less sorrowful. What was going on? Yes, the Yan family was not the most unfortunate. The Xue family, the Xie family, and even the Duke of Cheng’en had all complied obediently. Could the Yan family resist?
As they left the Yan Residence, Lin Ran looked at him.
“Commander, why are you looking at me like that?”
“You didn’t say anything when you were at the Xie family.”
Sheng Huaixing chuckled and replied, “The Xie family understands righteousness very well, I don’t need to say much. I said that earlier to not delay our work.”
They then visited nearly ten more households.
Sheng Huaixing finally understood. The person writing the edicts was truly cunning. For those officials who were to accompany the Emperor in death, the edict listed their crimes, and then granted them death: for those without crimes, they were praised excessively, stating how useful they were, and that the Emperor wanted to continue using them underground, before granting them death.
After executing their official duties that night, he began to feel a shadow in his heart from the Emperor’s praises. He guessed that the group of officials had the same thought when they heard the edict: “Emperor, stop praising us, can you stop praising us? We just hope not to die.”
The Emperor even granted death to a favored courtier, whose position was second only to Lu Desheng.
The reason given by the Emperor for granting death was that he wanted someone loyal by his side.
This statement was a thunderbolt for the courtier. He exclaimed, “We are all favored courtiers, why are you treating us differently, Your Majesty?”
The Commander informed him that the Emperor resented his loose tongue, leaking information about his affairs.
After each completion, they ticked off a name on the list and moved on to the next household.
That night in Chang’an City, heads rolled.
Later, when someone counted the officials who had been granted death that night, they found that the officials of this dynasty were in a difficult position. Being an official under Emperor Kang Cheng was tough. Being too bad meant being taken away, and being too outstanding also meant being taken away.
In the Imperial Palace, Emperor Kang Cheng had not slept all night. He counted the officials he had already dealt with: Xue Huaimin, the Chief of the Imperial Secretariat; Xie Mingtang, the Minister of Personnel; Duke Peng Yong; Imperial Censor Yan Hua; Crown Prince’s Tutor Chen Bingguang; favored courtier Liu Shujie…
Only one household was left.
He had done everything that needed to be done. If there were any omissions, they would have to be resolved by his descendants. He sighed and thought to himself.
This time, when he took action, he almost treated everyone equally. Those he felt threatened by, he took one or two people from each family. He just wanted to eliminate some individuals, especially the wings of those prominent families, not to force them to rebel and cause turmoil in the dynasty. He believed that his approach was justified.
Indeed, as Emperor Kang Cheng had anticipated, the officials and nobles whose households were visited by the Imperial Guards that night, upon inquiry, found that the scope of Emperor Kang Cheng’s actions was quite broad. Suddenly, they didn’t feel as sorrowful anymore.
“You lost a hand? I lost a leg.”
“Your head was chopped off? I lost my stomach.”
“Everyone suffered losses? It’s okay, we’re all still alive, we can slowly recover.”
Only Xie Zhan, upon hearing his confidant’s response, guessed the Emperor’s intentions. Those officials who were to accompany the Emperor in death also understood. They thought that the praise in the edicts was genuine, and the real reasons for their death should not be made public!
He couldn’t help but sigh. The Emperor’s balancing act was truly well-played.
Lu Songli, too, marveled at Emperor Kang Cheng’s political acumen and felt that he must award him the title of Grand Master of Endurance as a lifetime achievement award to honor his strategy.
Inside the Imperial Palace, Emperor Kang Cheng set down the list in his hand and slowly reached out his hand to Wei Zili at the side. “Bring it here.”
“Your Majesty, are you sure?” Wei Zili’s eyes were already filled with tears.
“Yes.”
Emperor Kang Cheng looked at the nine pills in his hand, then swallowed them all, and lay back on the dragon bed, closing his eyes.
A quarter of an hour later, as the winter sun’s rays pierced through the clouds, the funeral bell of the dragon resounded throughout Chang’an City: Ding-dong-ding…
In Chang’an City, almost everyone had gone through a heart-pounding night. At this moment, as they listened to the tolling bell, they all felt a strange sense of coincidence.
Lu Songli also heard the nine tolls of the funeral bell. She stood up, looked towards the direction of the palace, and thought, “When alive, be alive; when dead, be dead. Song Zhi, you truly live up to being a true emperor.”