Chapter 35: The widow and orphan he left behind were actually being bullied!

Zhao Kuangyin sat in his chair, his body leaning forward slightly, his dark face devoid of expression. Yet, inside, a tempest raged; he was far from calm.

It was all too familiar. Everything Li Cheng recounted was painfully recognizable. How similar it was to that night at Chenqiao Station! Both were men who were about to become emperor, oblivious to what was unfolding, only to be suddenly pushed and pulled onto the throne. There were the same shamanistic figures, the same hesitation and refusal when faced with the throne, and the same forceful shove from those nearby.

If all of this were true, his third brother, who had participated deeply in the Chenqiao mutiny, had truly mastered its essence. Everything had been executed with such fluid precision. "Oblivious to what was happening beforehand"? It was clearly a long-laid scheme, a single lethal strike to seize the throne.

Setting aside other matters, the historical records mentioned by Li Cheng revealed many clues. Cheng Dexuan must have been in on it; otherwise, how deranged would he have to be to stay up all night, keeping watch at the Prince of Jin's gate? And according to Li Cheng, it had been snowing that night. To be standing in the freezing cold and snow, waiting at the gate without sleep, only to "coincidentally" run into Wang Ji’en and lead him to the Prince—to suggest there was no premeditation would be absurd.

A new emperor brings new courtiers. From his own experience, Zhao Kuangyin knew that the history written after his own death and his brother's ascension would surely be filled with obfuscations. For instance, Cheng Dexuan's claim of hearing someone calling out to him was either a lie or a deliberate distortion by the historians. In reality, he had likely been waiting for Wang Ji’en all along.

As for his third brother, the act of being shocked and hesitant before being urged by Cheng Dexuan to enter the palace was even more theatrical. Forget the process; look at the result. The fact that he entered the palace immediately after being urged completely rendered his prior hesitation irrelevant. What Cheng Dexuan said to him—ostensibly a piece of advice to seize the opportunity—might have held a deeper meaning: a signal that all preparations were complete and there was no danger. That was why his brother had stopped hesitating and proceeded decisively.

"And then?" After a long silence, Zhao Kuangyin looked at Li Cheng and spoke again.

"Afterward, Empress Song, who had been keeping vigil by the Emperor’s side in the Wansui Hall, heard the commotion of Wang Ji’en and the others arriving and asked, 'Is it Defang who has come?' Wang Ji’en replied, 'It is the Prince of Jin.'"

"According to historical records, upon seeing the Prince of Jin, Empress Song wept and knelt before him, saying, 'The lives of my son and I are now entrusted to your Majesty.' The Prince of Jin also wept and replied, 'We shall share wealth and status; have no fear.'"

Zhao Kuangyin gripped his jade axe once more. *Share wealth and status! Have no fear!* Fine! Very fine indeed! On the surface, it appeared to be a scene of harmony, but beneath it, how much power struggle and malice lay hidden?

As he seethed with indignation, a distant yet vivid image surfaced in Zhao Kuangyin’s mind: seven-year-old Chai Zongxun and his young Empress, looking at him with a mix of terror and helplessness. When he had led his troops into Bianliang and entered the palace, he had made similar promises to them—that the descendants of the Chai family would remain unharmed as long as they did not commit treason.

Was this the cycle of karma? What he had done to others had been visited upon his own wife and children over a decade later. Zhao Kuangyin knew that people must have whispered behind his back that he bullied orphans and widows. Now, his own orphaned family was being bullied, and by his own brother, no less! A good brother! Truly, a fine brother!

"According to historical records, by the hour of Chen, the Prince of Jin, Zhao Guangyi, had ascended the throne in the Wansui Hall. He changed the era name, replacing the Emperor's 'Kaibao' with 'Taiping Xingguo.' From the moment the Emperor passed away to the moment he became emperor, only six hours had elapsed. Oh, right, six hours is three *shichen*. In our later generations, we divide a day into twenty-four hours."

*Only three shichen?* From his own death to the coronation of a Prince of Jin who had not even been named as heir, all completed in just three *shichen*? Such speed! Zhao Kuangyin was genuinely stunned. He had thought his own coup at Chenqiao Station and the subsequent stabilization of the situation in Bianliang—forcing Fan Zhi and the others to acknowledge his position before having Chai Zongxun abdicate—was already fast. But compared to what his third brother had done, he was far behind.

"Truly, the student has surpassed the master! He learned it all perfectly!"

But the crux of the matter was that while he had seized the empire from the Chai family, his own brother had used those very skills against him! What was one to make of that?

Hearing that this man had abolished his "Kaibao" era name on the very day of his ascension and replaced it with "Taiping Xingguo," even Zhao Kuangyin, a master of composure, could not help but knit his brows in rage. He had not been willing to wait even a moment to erase the influence of the founding emperor to prove his own legitimacy. It was truly painstaking of him to be so calculating!

"If the Emperor still does not believe me, one can see further clues in the career advancements of Wang Ji’en, Cheng Dexuan, and Ma Shao after Zhao Guangyi became emperor."

After waiting for a moment and seeing that Zhao Kuangyin remained silent, Li Cheng decided to add fuel to the fire, determined to crush the "Donkey Cart War God" Zhao Guangyi once and for all.

"Wang Ji’en was promoted to Commissioner of the Palace Gardens and concurrently Prefect of Hebei. Later, he was moved to Director of the Inner Palace Bureau, placed in charge of the Imperial City Department, and appointed Commissioner of Political Affairs. Cheng Dexuan was promoted to Commissioner of the Hanlin Academy, later becoming the Director of Hanlin Medical Officers and concurrently Commissioner of Ceremonial. As for Ma Shao, the man who shouted that the Prince of Jin should be established, he was appointed Registrar of the Bureau of Astronomy in the first year of Taiping Xingguo, later rising to Assistant Director of the Bureau of Astronomy and then Assistant Director of the Bureau of History."

Zhao Kuangyin remained silent, sitting perfectly still, his expression terrifying. Li Cheng said no more; this was enough to damn Zhao Guangyi. Moreover, from their previous interactions, he knew Zhao Kuangyin’s desire to have Zhao Dezhao succeed him was profound. Zhao Kuangyin had been confident in his own achievements, but to suddenly learn that he had less than a year to live and would be murdered by his trusted brother to seize the throne—it was only natural that he needed time to process this. He believed that what he had revealed was more than enough to ruin Zhao Guangyi. He looked forward to seeing the "fraternal harmony" he had long anticipated.

The small pavilion fell into silence. After a while, Zhao Kuangyin rose, his jade axe in hand, his tiger-like eyes filled with murderous intent. He took a few steps forward, closing the distance to Li Cheng in the blink of an eye. With lightning speed, he swung the jade axe toward Li Cheng’s face, giving him no chance to resist. He intended to strike Li Cheng down right then and there!