At noon,
In Yuxi Palace.
A chill suddenly permeated the silence, laced with a sense of grim urgency, mirroring the Emperor Jiajing's drawn, elongated face. In the shadows, a pair of eyes flickered.
Lu Fang, who had served him for over forty years, recalled seeing this only once before, during the time when Yang Tinghe and his faction, with two to three hundred men, had forced their way into the palace. That had been the first instance of a mass imperial audience ultimatum in the Great Ming.
He understood the reason for this current situation naturally—
Yan Song had utterly disregarded his imperial decree, instead proceeding as if he were still the Senior Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, even surpassing his former authority and showing no regard for the Emperor's dignity. All of this stemmed from the existential threat to the capital, with the Tumet Khan potentially launching an invasion at any moment, and the palace possessing virtually no directly controllable military forces.
Wu Dui's defiance of Li Tingzhu's order to mobilize the Shenji Camp had, several hours prior, been placed under joint administration by Yan Song, acting under the authority of the Privy Council. Although Zhang Juzheng was the Minister of War and also within the Privy Council, any private deployment of troops was impossible without the consensus of all four members.
While the situation was within his expectations, Yan Song's audacious overreach caused Lu Fang considerable unease. Remaining in a corner, hesitant to approach, he pondered every detail, certain that some link had been misjudged or overlooked. It was this very precision on Yan Song's part, surpassing the Emperor's, that had led to the current predicament.
Emperor Jiajing's mood was indeed the worst it had been in decades. He had hoped to avoid the worst-case scenario, but now, there was no alternative but to take extraordinary measures.
"Lu Fang, you personally see to it. At this juncture, there is nothing more I can do... You know what needs to be done..."
Lu Fang indeed knew—
This was the final step. First, to bring the Imperial Guards into the Forbidden City and place them under the joint command of Huang Jin and Wang Tingxiu. Joint command meant neither held sole authority, thus ultimately remaining under the Emperor's control. This was the absolute fallback; then, he himself would personally take over the Shenji Camp, seal the nine gates, preventing even a fly from entering or exiting. Concurrently, the staunch supporters of the Prince of Yu needed to be protected, to carry out tasks that were inconvenient for others to undertake.
He could handle these matters. Speed was paramount; delay would be fatal. After all, Yan Song's rampant arrogance was still confined to discussions among high officials, and the Tumet Khan had not yet arrived. If he delayed, and the Tumet Khan besieged the city, Yan Song would directly seize power. Calculating back, Yan Song's rebellious intent had surfaced two to three hours ago. At this moment, his son and he were still processing events, and even if they reacted, they would not dare to act, as the Tumet Khan had not yet arrived.
With this thought,
He immediately mustered one hundred and twenty percent of his spirit, drafted the imperial edict for taking over the Shenji Camp, affixed the imperial seal, and then presented himself before Jiajing.
Jiajing was greatly pleased. He nodded slightly, then suddenly asked,
"Where is Ge Jing? After you finish your task, go find him. He has managed the Imperial Guards for over a decade; what if someone exploits an opportunity..."
Mmm,
Lu Fang nodded repeatedly and left the hall without a word. Just then, figures flickered in the distance; it was Huang Jin leading Ge Jing!
He had a general idea, perhaps there was another variable, possibly related to the Prince of Jing. But it was likely good news? He had no time to speak with them, stating calmly as he walked,
"Jin'er, Eunuch Ge, His Majesty has been waiting for some time. I will not accompany you..."
"Farewell, Old Ancestor..."
Both bowed simultaneously.
...
Entering Yuxi Palace,
Huang Jin pulled Ge Jing hurriedly inside, and with a thud, they knelt. "Reporting to Your Majesty, Ge Jing has important matters to report."
Jiajing did not open his eyes, merely stating indifferently,
"What is it that requires such haste..."
Ge Jing had received reports from his informants in the afternoon, learning that the Yan father and son had already usurped authority. He realized the Emperor's concessions were likely due to his ignorance of the Prince of Jing's affairs. This was something that absolutely could not be concealed, otherwise, a monumental blunder would occur on his watch, and it would be impossible to explain.
He trembled and said,
"Your Majesty, this old servant has committed the crime of deceiving the sovereign..."
Oh?
Jiajing naturally knew that Ge Jing had been very close to the Prince of Jing. If anything were to happen, it would surely be related to the Prince of Jing. But what could the Prince of Jing possibly be involved in?
At this moment,
Ge Jing said,
"Reporting to Your Majesty, around noon today, Wu Dui, the commander of the Capital Garrisons, came to find this old servant and said that the Prince of Jing had, several days ago, seized fifteen thousand troops from the Shenshu Camp and left the frontier with them..."
Hiss!
Jiajing abruptly opened his eyes, staring fiercely at Ge Jing, and said,
"What else..."
"There is more..."
Ge Jing was somewhat fearful and could only say,
"The Prince of Jing had previously sought out this old servant, and then met with Wu Ding, Li Juemao, and a few others... The participating general in the troops he seized was Wu Ding, and Li Juemao is still within the Imperial Guards..."
He glanced up, seeing Jiajing's cold, electric gaze still unwavering, and quickly added,
"Wu Dui dared not enter the palace and entrusted this old servant to convey a message to Your Majesty, saying that some officers and soldiers of the Shenji Camp are loyal unto death to the Great Ming..."
Hoo...
A great stone lifted from Jiajing's heart—
Wu Dui was indeed reliable. At this critical juncture, he still thought to find Ge Jing, which was truly commendable. Since he could say this, it meant his trusted subordinates were all in place. Even if Yan Song used the Privy Council's authority to jointly manage affairs and prohibit troop movements, at least a portion of the Shenji Camp obeyed his command. Thus, he had a basic strategy. As long as Lu Fang took the imperial edict to issue instructions, the worst outcome could be avoided. At the very least, Yan Song would not immediately usurp the throne.
However, what exactly was the Prince of Jing planning? Where was he now? Would there be new variables? These were all unknowns.
He suddenly stood up, paced to Ge Jing, bent down, and examined him closely. Then, he asked gently,
"You saw the Prince of Jing? Is that the Prince of Jing?"
Hiss!
Ge Jing's heart trembled, utterly bewildered by the question. He stammered,
"This old servant, this old servant does not know what Your Majesty is asking..."
"I ask you, when you saw the person, was there a red mole beneath his chin..."
Ah?
This?
Ge Jing's mind flashed back to the scene, but he could not recall if he had seen the red mole.
It must be known,
He shared an unusual familial bond with the Prince of Jing. Based on that feeling alone, he was certain it was that person. But now, when the Emperor asked about the mole, he could not answer. He could only kowtow repeatedly, trembling,
"This old servant, this old servant did not look closely..."
After kowtowing for a while, he sadly raised his eyes, his face devoid of any deception.
Jiajing stared at his face, his eyes unblinking, revealing a chilling depth.
"Then, is it that person..."
Ah?
Ge Jing, who had been confident before, suddenly became uncertain after this question. He could only kowtow incessantly, unable to utter a single word.
Jiajing slowly straightened up, pacing leisurely, but his heart was filled with foreboding—
Yan Song dared to act as he did, naturally banking on the Prince of Jing. But on what grounds? Could he possibly sow discord between father and son?
Since noon, he had a sudden feeling: perhaps that Prince of Jing was not real. Although Xu Jiu had reported seeing the mole, why was the situation so unusual?
Just now, he heard Ge Jing say that the Prince of Jing had already seized troops, which made it even more suspicious. It further convinced him that Yan Song dared to reveal his rebellious intentions precisely because he had leverage, and that leverage was undoubtedly the Prince of Jing. If this were true, all his plans would be mere preparations for the Yan family, and the Great Ming would be overturned within these few days.
Thinking of this,
He suddenly shivered. It was impossible to recall the morning's imperial edict; the Prince of Jing becoming Crown Prince was now an unalterable fact. Since it could not be reversed, he had to prepare for the worst.
He said grimly,
"Huang Jin, go fetch Xu Jiu... and then find Zhu Qi, tell him to do something for me..."
Huang Jin, also aware that the day's events were likely unprecedented, scrambled closer and declared loudly,
"Your will be done!"
"Tell Zhu Qi to bring everyone the Prince of Jing met after arriving in the capital to Chaotian Temple, leaving no one behind... Ge Jing, you will go with him..."
Both felt their legs weakening, almost stumbling out of the hall.
Not long after,
Xu Jiu hurried in from the Western Garden's duty room.
Jiajing's heart was filled with suspicion, but he now acted in reverse, showing no sign of it. Instead, he said calmly,
"Xu Jiu, go find Mu Chaobi, Zhang Er, and the others and bring them here... say, say that I have something to ask them personally..."
Xu Jiu, keeping his head bowed, felt his heart leap when he heard these names. But he dared not ask, or even think about it, only saying,
"Your will be done."
He turned and left in a hurry.