The Child Emperor

Meng Che had arrived very suddenly, standing there looking around as if searching for someone.

“How has the Empress Dowager been?” Han Ruzi didn’t stand up. For some reason, he wasn’t particularly surprised by Meng Che’s visit.

Meng Che glanced at Yang Feng at the door, took two steps forward and said, “The Empress Dowager hopes the Weary Marquis will leave the Capital immediately.”

Han Ruzi remained silent, waiting for an explanation.

Like his sister, Meng Che wasn’t one for many words. He took out a letter from his robes and gently placed it on the desk.

Han Ruzi waited a moment before reaching for the letter. Opening it, his heart trembled – he recognized his mother’s handwriting. The content was simple: urging her son to leave the Capital, give up the fight for the throne, and instead become a border general to live out his life in peace rather than lose his life in the capital.

A bamboo bookmark came with the letter.

Han Ruzi put down the letter and remained silent for a long while.

Meng Che asked, “How should I respond to the Empress Dowager?”

“If you’re smart enough, you can figure out the reasons yourself. If you’re not, no amount of reasons will convince you.”

Han Ruzi couldn’t help but laugh, looking at Yang Feng, “Trainer Meng’s words rather remind me of Master Yang’s style.”

Yang Feng grunted and asked, “When does the Empress Dowager plan to act?”

“Tomorrow at noon,” Meng Che replied.

Yang Feng didn’t ask what the Empress Dowager planned to do. After pondering for a moment, he said, “We won’t just leave the Capital like this.”

Meng Che shook his head, “Not ‘we’ – just the Weary Marquis. You must stay and do what needs to be done.”

Yang Feng thought for even longer, “Give us some time.”

“I’ll return in an hour,” Meng Che said and left immediately.

Yang Feng closed the door. Han Ruzi still stared at the doorway, saying in surprise, “Why does the Empress Dowager want me to leave the Capital? If she has further plans, she could eliminate me along with the others. If not, why should I leave? Does she think I’m bound to lose?”

The Empress Dowager’s move seemed full of inconsistencies, and Han Ruzi grew more confused the more he thought about it.

Yang Feng seemed to understand the Empress Dowager’s intentions, “For the you, this is indeed a choice.”

“A choice of what?”

“Whether to leave the Capital and stay safe, or remain and risk death fighting for the throne.”

Han Ruzi thought for a moment, not really considering it but showing respect to Yang Feng, “This isn’t a choice, it’s just the Empress Dowager’s scheme. If there’s any choice to be made, it lies with you, Master Yang. All along, we’ve just been cooperating – you doing your part, me doing mine, each taking what we need. But that won’t work anymore. The Empress Dowager is about to act, Prince Donghai is eager to make his move, and the Champion Marquis won’t just sit and wait for death. At times like these, I have higher demands for those around me: either fight alongside me openly, or stand aside – don’t talk anymore about supporting or helping me.”

Yang Feng hadn’t been wholeheartedly supporting the Weary Marquis – he’d been busy with something in secret. Han Ruzi had sensed this but hadn’t brought it up. Now, he felt no need for courtesy.

Yang Feng sat back in his place, “I’ve been searching for Chunyu Xiao’s whereabouts.”

“Mm.”

“I’ve never met the Empress Dowager, but some people in the palace are willing to pass information to me, so I know more about certain things. The Emperor did fall ill suddenly back then, and the Empress Dowager did act strangely for a while – she thought she was cursed, as all the emperors around her had met with accidents.”

“Was that when Wu Xiu secretly returned to the Capital?”

Yang Feng nodded. The Imperial Uncle wasn’t easily fooled – he’d returned to the Capital because the news of the Emperor’s illness was undoubtedly true. “Later, someone pointed out that the Emperor’s illness wasn’t simple – he was likely poisoned.”

“Poisoned?” Han Ruzi was genuinely shocked.

“That’s what I heard. Anyway, the Empress Dowager’s condition began to improve. She kept searching for people to cure the Emperor’s poisoning, even bringing in many sorcerers from pugilist world. It was probably during this time that she formulated her revenge plan.”

“Revenge against whom? The poisoner? That must be someone in the palace.”

“Presumably so, but the mastermind must be outside the palace.”

Han Ruzi fell silent for a while, gradually understanding many things, “So the Empress Dowager summoned Consort Cui into the palace – she was the first suspect. Then came the Champion Marquis, the second suspect. But the Empress Dowager wasn’t satisfied, so she created this whole succession competition to lure both Prince Donghai and me back. In her mind, the poisoning mastermind must also be involved in the fight for the throne.”

“Yes, that’s likely part of her thinking.”

“The Empress Dowager asking me to leave the Capital means she no longer suspects me. Why?”

Yang Feng pointed at the letter on the desk – only Lady Wang could have changed the Empress Dowager’s mind.

Han Ruzi’s fingers traced over the letter, almost feeling his mother’s presence, “The Empress Dowager’s plan is grand. Finding the poisoning mastermind is just one part.”

“The Empress Dowager’s goal has always been to grasp power. She’s relied on ministers and law enforcement officials, but that wasn’t stable enough. So she wants to create an army loyal to the Shang-guan clan.”

“No, if that were the case, the Empress Dowager is moving too early. Her plans with the Eight Palace Guard Camps aren’t at maturity yet, the Southern and Northern Armies haven’t been weakened, and Grand General Han Xing still commands troops at Hangu Pass. If I were the Empress Dowager, I would first incite conflict between the Southern and Northern Armies, then strip Han Xing of his Grand General seal, and only then…” Han Ruzi fell silent.

Yang Feng said, “The Empress Dowager was forced to act early. Her plans were disrupted.”

“The Empress Dowager didn’t send people to assassinate Prince Ying,” Han Ruzi muttered. “It might have been the Champion Marquis acting rashly in desperation, or Prince Donghai… It was Prince Donghai. Only the Tan family could hire such skilled bandits as assassins and hide their tracks so completely. But this revealed their intentions – the Empress Dowager is convinced that both the assassins and poisoners must be from the Cui clan, so she plans to move against them tomorrow at noon!”

“My guess is the same as yours” Yang Feng said.

“But this still doesn’t explain why the Empress Dowager wants me to leave the Capital. What is this? Showing me mercy?”

“The Weary Marquis’s mother clearly convinced the Empress Dowager, though I can’t guess what methods she used.”

Han Ruzi couldn’t figure it out either. He only knew a storm was coming. He had the chance to hide in a safe place, or he could choose to charge into the tempest and fight for the ultimate treasure within.

“The Empress Dowager asks me to leave but requires you to stay and ‘do what you need to do’ – what is that?” Han Ruzi’s main concern was still Yang Feng himself.

“I understand the Empress Dowager, and she understands me. I’ve always told her about a mysterious group that extends from the pugilist world to the imperial court. Their influence reaches almost everywhere, yet they never show themselves. The fate seers are just a small part – there’s an even more powerful group behind them.”

Han Ruzi had heard this rhetoric before. Yang Feng had clearly told similar stories to all potential power holders.

“You still… believe that?” Han Ruzi couldn’t help asking.

Yang Feng nodded. “I’ve never given up hunting for Chunyu Xiao. He’s in the Capital – I can sense it. He wouldn’t miss such a good show.”

Yang Feng looked around, like a hound catching a faint scent of prey. For a moment, he showed a hint of madness that made Han Ruzi uneasy.

“The Empress Dowager is convinced the Cui clan is behind the poisoning, but she hasn’t completely ignored my theories. By keeping me here, she’s giving me back full authority to investigate the fate seers.”

Han Ruzi didn’t ask what leads Yang Feng had found. Yang Feng was clever but had his own obsessions that no one could talk him out of. Han Ruzi didn’t want to get involved.

They sat in silence. Han Ruzi didn’t say whether he would stay or go, and Yang Feng didn’t say whether he would continue investigating the “mysterious organization” or fully support the Weary Marquis.

Meng Che entered the room silently and asked, “How is it?”

“I just need to leave the Capital – the Empress Dowager has no other demands?” Han Ruzi asked.

“Those are the orders I received. If the Weary Marquis is willing to leave, I will escort you out of the city. My sister is waiting outside to escort you to the Northern Army.”

Han Ruzi raised his eyebrows – this was the first he’d heard of Meng E’s whereabouts in days. “The Empress Dowager has forgiven her?”

“Yes.” Meng Che offered no further explanation.

“The Northern Army won’t help. I can hardly convince them to return to the frontier, and once there, it will be difficult to feed such an army.”

“I have two imperial edicts to give you after we leave the city.”

“Imperial edicts? How rare. What do they say?”

Meng Che didn’t answer.

After thinking for a moment, Han Ruzi said, “I need to bring two people with me.”

“Fine,” Meng Che replied.

Han Ruzi turned to Yang Feng, “Please ask Zhang Youcai and Ni Qiu to come.”

Yang Feng grunted in agreement and left to call them.

Meng Che said, “Don’t come back after you leave. The Empress Dowager will show mercy only once – both you and my sister.”

Han Ruzi remained silent, thinking about what moves the Empress Dowager, Prince Donghai, and the Champion Marquis would make.

Zhang Youcai and Ni Qiu arrived quickly. Ni Qiu was bleary-eyed and yawning constantly, but Zhang Youcai appeared alert.

“Bring three horses, we’re going out,” Han Ruzi said.

“Yes, master,” Zhang Youcai responded, casting a surprised glance at Meng Che. He recognized him as a palace guard and Meng E’s brother but asked nothing, leaving with Ni Qiu to prepare the horses.

There wasn’t much to take from the residence. Han Ruzi waited quietly, while Yang Feng and Meng Che remained silent as well.

They left through a side gate without disturbing others. Yang Feng saw them to the door and clasped his hands in farewell, saying, “Forgive me for not seeing you further – I must meet someone.”

Han Ruzi returned the gesture and said, “Please stay, Master Yang.”

The Weary Marquis’s residence wasn’t far from the North Gate. When they arrived, it wasn’t yet dawn or time for the gates to open, but today was special. Several eunuchs guarded the gate, and upon seeing Meng Che, they immediately ordered it opened just wide enough for horses to pass through.

Zhang Youcai grew increasingly surprised but still asked nothing.

Meng Che only escorted them this far, handing two documents to the Weary Marquis. “You understand what leaving the city means, don’t you?”

The so-called succession struggle was just a deception, but for many unaware people, it was real. The Weary Marquis’s departure from the city was equivalent to announcing his forfeiture to these people.

Han Ruzi smiled slightly. He had nothing to say to Meng Che and didn’t even pause, riding through the gate with Zhang Youcai and Ni Qiu following, utterly amazed.

The gate closed, to reopen again normally a while later.

Meng Che left, but the eunuchs stayed. They would control the gate for the next few days.

Meng E waited alone on horseback by the road across the moat.

Han Ruzi continued forward, with Meng E following. No one spoke.

After turning a corner, out of sight of the city walls, Han Ruzi reined in his horse and turned to Ni Qiu: “Go find people. Meet at the second watch on the third night from today.”

“Yes,” Ni Qiu rode away.

Zhang Youcai’s confused expression turned to joy.

Han Ruzi looked at Meng E, “Did you see my mother in the palace?”

His mother’s letter had contained a bamboo bookmark he had given to Meng E, originally meant for Cui Xiaojun in the palace to reassure her. It had come full circle back to Han Ruzi.

Meng E nodded.

“What did she say?”

“She told the Weary Marquis to read the imperial edicts.”

Han Ruzi took out the documents and read them. They were indeed imperial edicts bearing the imperial seal – one appointing Han Ruzi as Grand Marshal of the Northern Army, the other dismissing Cui Hong from his duties. The Empress Dowager not only wanted the Weary Marquis to guard the frontier but also hoped he would seize control of the Southern Army.

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