Chapter 9: The Imperial Palace

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Jia Zheng did not participate in the ancestral rites. As an official of the imperial court, he arrived early at the Taihe Hall for the morning assembly. Being only a modest fifth-rank officer, he was not permitted inside the hall and stood about twenty paces from the entrance. Usually, both inside and outside the hall, the officials would crowd the space, but today Jia Zheng noticed that outside Taihe Hall, the officials were sparse—half fewer than usual.

The fear of Prince Qian’s army had reached this point!

Looking around, Jia Zheng saw the faces of the officials attending court were mostly troubled, with only a few maintaining their usual composure. Normally, there was no business discussed at this regular assembly, but after the officials knelt in homage, no decree to dismiss the court was issued for a long time, indicating that the ministers were engaged in a discussion with the emperor inside.

Suddenly, the sharp crack of a whip echoed from within the hall, startling Jia Zheng and those around him. They exchanged glances, realizing that a quarrel had erupted, and the ceremonial eunuch was signaling a warning with the whip.

The disturbance inside did not subside. Officials near the entrance abandoned the usual court protocol and gathered closely, straining to hear the debate inside. Jia Zheng and several fellow fifth and sixth-rank officers could no longer restrain themselves and surrounded the entrance to Taihe Hall.

After a moment’s hesitation and seeing the eunuchs from the Court of Ceremonies turning a blind eye, Jia Zheng stepped forward and caught fragments of the ministers’ argument.

The first to speak harshly was Grand Marshal Luo Gu:

“We receive our salaries from the sovereign and should be loyal to the nation. Yet, before the enemy army has even entered the city, you dare speak such treacherous words in the emperor’s presence. Those who say ‘surrender’ deserve execution!”

“Hmph, I say the one who deserves death is you!” came the retort.

Jia Zheng recognized the voice as that of Prince Zhongshun.

He sneered coldly, “It was your absurd idea to send three hundred thousand troops to intercept Prince Qian’s army. Now, the court has no soldiers left. The thirty thousand troops were routed by Prince Qian. You should die to atone!”

Grand Marshal Luo Gu flushed red. Prince Zhongshun then bowed to the emperor on the dragon throne and spoke:

“Your Majesty, less than half of the officials have appeared at today’s court. How can this city be defended? The officials at court, neither civil nor military, are all incompetent, merely occupying their positions without merit. I hope Your Majesty makes a swift decision and no longer trusts the arrogant words of incapable men like the Grand Marshal!”

His words cut deep, leaving the ministers inside Taihe Hall ashamed and colorless.

“Prince Zhongshun speaks too harshly,” said Scholar Song Zhen from Wuying Hall, stepping forward to petition respectfully. “Your Majesty, there remain fifty thousand defenders within the city, and with a million civilians, who can be mobilized to add tens of thousands more soldiers. We are not without a chance to fight.”

The emperor, Yongning, who had looked gloomy due to the sparse attendance, now showed a flicker of hope and ordered him to continue.

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“Your Majesty!” Prince Zhongshun interrupted loudly, urgency in his voice. “Do not believe their words. Even with three hundred thousand troops, they were defeated. How can the capital be defended? And expecting the common people to man the walls? These pedantic scholars speak nothing but nonsense. If the city doesn’t descend into chaos, it’ll be a miracle. How can we rely on civilians to defend it?”

“Your Majesty!” an official stood up, pointing at Prince Zhongshun angrily, “He keeps calling Prince Qian a rebel king, showing he has been frightened by that traitor Chu Yan’s words: ‘First kill the princes, then the dukes, then the entire court.’ He’s too scared to stand with the country!”

Inside the hall, the shouting continued, and outside, Jia Zheng saw his colleagues near the entrance also heatedly debating whether to surrender or fight.

The matter concerned life and death—no one dared be careless.

Prince Qian had already issued a threat: if they refused to surrender, for every soldier he lost, he would execute three court officials.

Jia Zheng knew that most believed Prince Qian would kill those ministers who vocally supported resistance but spare those who clearly submitted, to stabilize the court’s situation.

Thus, the question of surrender or war was a line that every official had to clearly choose which side to stand on.

Jia Zheng listened for a while longer but could discern little. Many ministers inside advocated surrender, but many loyal ministers insisted on fighting to the death. Notably, several princes attending court urged early surrender to Prince Qian.

“Prince Qian’s tactic of starting by killing princes is truly ruthless,” Jia Zheng sighed inwardly.

After hours of bickering, the assembly ended in discord, with no surrender agreed upon.

Jia Zheng waited a moment, then saw his brother-in-law, Prince Teng, exit the hall and approached him to ask about the outcome.

“It’s hard to say,” Prince Teng shook his head. After stepping away from the hall entrance and ensuring no one else was nearby, he confided, “The emperor may be swayed by Prince Zhongshun.”

Jia Zheng was taken aback.

Prince Teng explained, “Just the other day, His Majesty declared he would rather die than become Duke Anle, but when everyone spoke of surrender earlier, he said nothing.”

Jia Zheng pondered this deeply.

At today’s court, half of the officials feigned illness to avoid attendance, dealing a heavy blow to the emperor’s morale. Prince Zhongshun’s harsh words were not unfounded—few capable ministers remained at court.

Prince Teng sighed, “Since Chu Yan seized Jingling’s Yingtian Prefecture over a year ago and declared himself king, rewarding his followers and swiftly stabilizing Jiangnan, he has won popular support and is no longer seen as an ordinary bandit.”

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Yingtian Prefecture was one of the two capitals of the Shun dynasty. Only after Chu Yan captured it did he proclaim himself king.

“What are we to do now...?” Jia Zheng’s mind was in turmoil.

Prince Teng stopped walking, furrowed his brow, and after a moment’s thought, suddenly said, “We must go see the Old Sage!”

Jia Zheng was startled. Seeing Prince Teng already heading toward the Eastern Palace, he hurried to follow.

Upon arriving, Jia Zheng saw that not only they, but Prince Zhongshun, Prince Wu, and others had also gathered before the East Six Palace, where the Retired Emperor resided.

The East Six Palace, also called the Daming Palace, was overseen by the palace supervisor Dai Quan, who hurried out upon seeing the crowd. He saluted quickly, then hurried back to report to the Retired Emperor.

Prince Teng endured the solicitations from Prince Zhongshun and others, waiting about half an hour before Dai Quan reappeared, his face grim.

“Your Highnesses and Ministers,” Dai Quan forced a smile onto his aged face, “The Old Sage has said he will not concern himself with these worldly affairs. He plans to bathe, burn incense, and then refine an elixir!”

The group was stunned, unable to believe it.

With two hundred thousand rebel troops besieging the city, the Retired Emperor still had the leisure to refine elixirs?

Prince Zhongshun tried to force his way inside, but Dai Quan and his eunuchs refused stubbornly, forcing them to leave.

Prince Teng quietly slipped a silver note to Dai Quan and whispered, “Did the Old Sage say anything else?”

Dai Quan accepted the note and sighed, “Since learning of the defeat of the three hundred thousand troops, the Old Sage declared it was Heaven’s will. Heaven wants him to renounce worldly desires, abandon the glories and riches of the mortal realm, and ascend to immortality. The immortals worshipped in the palace say if the rebel army breaches the city, that will be the best time to take the elixir. Thus, the Old Sage has devoted himself entirely to refining the elixir from dawn to dusk, only sleeping at the fourth watch last night.”

Prince Teng’s expression was one of shock.

The day the rebel army breaks the city is the best moment to take the elixir and ascend?

How utterly absurd!

Those cultivators in the palace must be executed!