Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 1131 The Prince Secretly Leaves the Capital
As they entered the Imperial Study,

Many officials looked at the memorials and congratulatory messages on the table one by one. Many officials stared intently at them, while others looked at them with a puzzled expression, sighing and groaning, as if they had encountered extremely rare items and regarded them as treasures.

All of this was reflected in Zhang Jinyu's eyes, and she didn't find it strange. Although Xu Changwen was audacious, he had said what these people wanted to say but dared not say. After all, the retired emperor was not a true wise ruler.

"Everyone, hurry up and take a look. After you've finished, send these people to the Ministry of Justice for trial and sentencing. You can all be witnesses."

Someone below uttered a sentence, and everyone's gaze fell upon him. It was Zhou Xianzhe of the Office of Transmission, who appeared extremely impatient.
Seeing everyone's eyes turn towards him, Zhou Xianzhe felt his scalp tingle, followed by another sound;
"What I mean is that Eunuch Chen has already prepared the court hearing at the Ministry of Justice."

Although it was an explanation, all I got in return was a disdainful snort.

Just at this time,

Chief Minister Li coughed a few more times and said;
"You've already seen it, what do you think?"

"Um, Your Excellency, with so many people watching, let's wait until everyone has finished reading,"

Grand Secretary Lu of the Ministry of Personnel, without making a sound, spoke first. Minister of Justice Song Zhen lowered his head and remained silent. The eldest son, Li Chaosheng, dared not say more. So in the end, Gu Yichen stood by the table, carefully savoring the indescribable eeriness in the room.

The four words "national strategic weapon" suddenly flashed through my mind.

Since the elders had spoken, the rest of the people would certainly not refute them; it was just that Zhou Xianzhe was alone, feeling anxious and uneasy.

Fortunately,

No matter how much text was on the table, it was eventually readable. Although the court officials remained silent, their faces showed surprise, clearly indicating something unusual was amiss. Finally, the Emperor tapped the table, his gaze falling on Marquis Luo Yun, the enigmatic look in his eyes growing increasingly intense.
"Lord Luoyun, aren't you going to take a look at the memorial?"

Upon hearing the Empress's question, Zhang Jinyu shifted slightly but said nothing. Having stood for so long, her body had become quite stiff.

"Your Majesty, I will not go to see it. It is nothing more than some arrogant words. I have been outside the pass for a long time and have heard of the Emperor Emeritus's wisdom and martial prowess. The things mentioned in the memorial are probably nonsense. No matter how wealthy the people of the world are, they cannot compare to the Emperor Emeritus's vast territory. As for cultivation and such, I have not been involved and dare not speak rashly. However, the taxes in Jiangnan are probably due to the corruption of the lower officials, which has tarnished the Emperor Emeritus's reputation. They should be thoroughly investigated. As for Xu Changwen, he talks about the canal transport one minute and the military pay the next, always finding fault. I think that all the officials of the Great Wu Dynasty are honest and upright. How could there be such a corrupt official? If necessary, confiscate his property and family assets to prove his innocence."

The speech was lengthy and eloquent, the beginning of which was quite proper, but towards the end, when the word "confiscation of property" was uttered, the entire hall of officials trembled. Many immediately became restless, and the officials from the Six Ministries standing at the front were itching to act. Zhou Xianzhe of the Office of Transmission, seeing this, had a sudden inspiration.
“My lord, you are mistaken. Xu Changwen has committed a grave crime of disrespect. What he said in his memorial is utter nonsense. I believe that he should be interrogated quickly and his crime determined.”

Although he was covered in sweat, Lord Zhou showed no sign of backing down. The more he did so, the more Zhang Jinyu felt that this man was someone left behind by Chen Hui. Zhang Jinyu looked over with sharp eyes and asked in a cold voice.
"Oh, so you know about the Emperor Emeritus's affairs, Lord Zhou. Then you mean to say that there are some things you can vouch for?"

The retired emperor had done all sorts of things, and the officials knew it all. Now that someone had stepped forward to show his loyalty, Zhang Jinyu gave him that opportunity. After all, who in the capital didn't know about the Jiangnan case? If someone dared to speak recklessly in court, neither these civil officials nor the emperor would tolerate it.

As expected, Zhou Xianzhe's face stiffened. He dared not agree. Even if he wanted to show his loyalty, he couldn't sever ties with the civil official lineage. He felt a pang of regret. How could he have so easily agreed to Eunuch Chen's offer? But the benefits Eunuch Chen promised were what he had always dreamed of: a mansion in the capital. After thinking for a moment, he gritted his teeth...

“My lord, I have only been in the capital for a short time. Regardless of whether Xu Changwen’s memorial is right or wrong, it is treasonous. As subjects, how can we act willfully and make one mistake after another?”

His determined gaze caught Zhang Jinyu's attention, who smiled.
"Lord Zhou is still the most loyal. Of all the officials, I think only Lord Zhou is truly loyal to the Emperor Emeritus. Alas."

Whether it was genuine regret or not, these words caused a slight change in the expressions of all the officials in the hall. Even Zhou Xianzhe was so frightened that he was at a loss for words.

The Emperor Wu's expression was strange, but he smiled inwardly. What was this talk of confiscating property to prove innocence? There wasn't a single person in the entire hall with a clean background. It seemed that this person from the Office of Transmission had someone pulling the strings behind the scenes.

"I've always said you're glib, and I haven't been wrong about it. Today, cabinet officials are here, and you're Xu Changwen's mentor. Since you're involved, tell me, when will the trial be held?"

"this."

Zhang Jinyu was also somewhat dumbfounded. Although he was one of the presiding judges, the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, along with Eunuch Chen from the Directorate of Ceremonial, were clearly the driving force behind it. The Grand Secretaries, being civil officials, should have realized that the Directorate of Ceremonial wanted to seize power. Therefore, this case wouldn't be easily investigated and any information obtained. Even if it were obtained, His Majesty and the Emperor Emeritus would need to consider it further. So, why rush things?

"Your Majesty, I believe we should make more preparations today and conduct the trial tomorrow. After all, the case is of great importance. The case in Jiangnan has not yet been concluded, and now another case has arisen. Therefore, I have not yet figured out how to conduct the interrogation. But in the end, slow and steady wins the race."

For some reason, Zhang Jinyu was no longer afraid. The Emperor's attitude had changed, and even if the Emperor Emeritus persisted, the person wouldn't die. Since the person wouldn't die, the rest would be easier to discuss. Perhaps these Grand Secretaries had already devised a plan, especially Chief Minister Li, that old fox who remained silent throughout.

"Slow and steady wins the race, that's true. In that case, finish reading the memorial. Go back and prepare for the formal interrogation tomorrow."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Many court officials knelt on the ground, their faces grave as they looked at Marquis Luo Yun. It seemed His Majesty's favor towards Marquis Luo Yun remained immense, making the trial difficult.

The senior officials exchanged a brief glance, as if they understood each other's intentions.

Just as things were getting lively in the palace.

The Honglu Temple had long since returned to its former bustling state. Many foreign envoys, after returning to the Honglu Temple, all hid in the courtyard and refused to go out easily. Only a few princes did not go to the mountaintop to rest, but instead stayed in the courtyard at the foot of the mountain, not venturing out.

As noon passed,

The sky turned gloomy, pressing heavily on the eaves of the Honglu Temple. In the main hall of the East Garden, the candlelight flickered in and out with the breeze, reflecting the tense faces of several princes. Prince Zheng, Zhou Changde, had just put away the secret letter to the palace when a call came from the east. Suddenly, there were a few "dong dong dong" sounds, three long and two short, which were the secret signals of the prince's guards.

"Come in."

King Zheng paused on the table, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. King Song was stroking his beard, King Chen had his hand on his sword, and King Han was drinking tea with King Wu, his hand still suspended in mid-air.

After a short wait, the door was opened a crack, and a servant dressed in coarse cloth shorts crouched down and came in, half of a silver tiger tally tucked into his sleeve. He was from the Prince Zheng's residence.

"Master, Mr. Fan has a secret letter."

The servant knelt on one knee and presented a roll of mulberry paper with both hands. Prince Zheng quickly reached out and took it. His fingertips touched the cool paper. When he unfolded it, he saw that the ink had penetrated the back of the paper; it was indeed Fan Wenhai's handwriting.

"After the birthday banquet, the capital city guards increased their troops by 30%, and the checks at all city gates became much stricter. The 'Delayed Reporting Order for Princes' issued by the Ministry of Personnel yesterday was stamped with the 'Urgent Order.' I observed the stars last night and saw that a guest star was trespassing on the side of the Purple Palace. Leave quickly, or things will change."

Thinking of the unexpected events at yesterday's banquet and the change of heart by the Directorate of Ceremonial, how could Prince Zheng not know that everything he had done before was nothing but trying to catch the moon's reflection in the water, all for naught? The huge disappointment in his heart was especially painful.

"Postponed performance review?"

After the King of Song finished reading, he was startled and slammed his hand on the table.
"I knew the way the guards at the gate were looking at me today was weird! This isn't a postponement, it's a pretext for house arrest!"

The King of Wu suddenly stood up, and his sword flashed out of its sheath half an inch:

"He dares! Back then, the Emperor Emeritus appointed us to guard the southern heartland. Now that the Emperor Emeritus is in his prime, does he want to confine us to the capital?"

Perhaps they hadn't expected this, and their faces showed some fear. Besides, there were still elite soldiers from their royal palace at the post station, so how could the emperor really dare to make a move?

"sit down."

King Zheng gave a low shout, held the slip of paper to the candle flame and lit it. The ashes drifted into the celadon brush washer.
“What’s the use of getting angry now? Fan Wenhai never plays games. When he said ‘delay will only lead to trouble,’ he must have found solid evidence. Or, we’ve made a mistake by coming to the capital. The capital is no longer the capital it was ten years ago.”

He looked at the servant boy.

Did Mr. Fan say how to get out of the city?

Since you've thought of these things, there must be a way.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Mr. Fan has already ordered three coal carts to be prepared inside Xizhimen, with the clothes of a substitute hidden under the carts. He also said..."

The servant paused, then lowered his voice.

"Mr. Xu from the Prince of Han's Mansion also sent a message, instructing all the princes to leave today. He has other arrangements at the south entrance of Yongding Gate. Choose one of the two routes and you must leave the capital before dark."

"Xu Liangcai has made a move too?"

A flicker of surprise crossed the King of Han's eyes, followed by a wry smile.

"It seems that not only Second Brother's men have noticed the news, but I, the strategist, am always more cunning than a fox."

Suddenly glancing at the other young masters, he noticed the household tutors were also present; how could they not have given a warning? Then he looked at the servant, who was already kneeling on the ground.

"The other gentlemen have already created a false impression; even if someone notices, it's all fake."

Upon hearing this, the princes breathed a sigh of relief. Since there was a way to leave, it was a perfect solution. But if they left, how would they explain it to the court?

"How will we explain this to the imperial court?"

King Zheng frowned and left without saying goodbye, fearing it would arouse suspicion. The servant quickly looked up and replied.

"Your Highness, Mr. Fan has already written a memorial. The southern prefectures have already received word that the White Lotus Sect, the Taiping Sect, and the Mountain Clan are plotting together to move west. In seven days, urgent documents will surely be sent to the capital."

"What."

King Zheng understood immediately; it seemed Fan Wenhai had already contacted those people. The others were also intrigued.
Prince Chen suddenly spoke:
"We can leave, but what will happen to the princes if we leave?"

He glanced at his eldest son and the others beside him. Although the young men looked tense, they showed no fear whatsoever—Prince Zheng's heir, Zhou Zhengbai, clenched his fists, and Zhou Yewen and the others also wore resolute expressions. After all, being in the capital wasn't particularly dangerous.
"Leave."

King Zheng's voice was as cold as ice.
“You are heirs, the legitimate sons of vassal kings. Your presence at the Court of State Ceremonial is ostensibly to handle our follow-up matters, but secretly…”

He abruptly changed the subject, his gaze sharp as a knife.

"It's a reassurance for His Majesty. As long as you're here, the court won't immediately break off relations, giving us time to return to our fiefdoms and mobilize troops."

"Father!"

Zhou Zhengbai said urgently,

"Father, rest assured, we know what to do. It's just that the road back is dangerous,"

"It's precisely because of the danger that we must leave quickly." Song Wang Zhou Jiansheng interrupted him, his tone stern, but his eyes revealed a hint of reluctance. If they stayed, when would they ever be able to return?

“You are young and don’t have many scruples in your actions. If someone dares to touch you, everyone will say that His Majesty cannot tolerate the princes’ heirs. The court will be hesitant to act against you and will instead protect you to some extent.”

The King of Wu was unwilling to leave his only son behind; his voice tightened.
"Second brother, I only have one son, how can I leave him behind?"

"That's a woman's view. Once we've established ourselves in our fiefdom, we'll find a way to bring them back."

The King of Han glared at him, scolding him impatiently, "Don't you understand even this basic principle?" He surprisingly softened his tone.
"Remember, in the capital, speak less and observe more. Think twice before giving you any information, especially from people in the palace."

The King of Han took out a jade pendant from his robes, engraved with the character "Han," and handed it to his heir apparent beside him.

"This is a token from my Prince's mansion to mobilize troops. Keep it. If you really have no other choice, have your teacher take you to seek refuge with the garrison commander of Zhangde Prefecture. He is your mother's cousin."

The candlelight crackled and popped, and King Zheng looked out the window. He and his comrades left their tokens of troop deployment and urged them on.

"Stop dawdling."

He untied the jade belt from his waist, casually handed it to Zhou Zhengbai, and got up to walk outside;

"Change into servants' clothes and come with me."

In the woodshed in the backyard, three large wooden chests covered with black cloth were already prepared. When they were opened, they found coarse cloth jackets covered with coal dust, tattered felt hats, and several masks with bushy beards stuck on them. When the princes came in, they knelt on one knee and reported.

"Your Highness, Mr. Fan said that the coal carts will pass through Xizhimen at 1:00 AM. The centurion guarding the city is his former subordinate. He will let them pass if he sees the red ribbon tied to the cart shaft. When they reach Luomapo, thirty miles outside the city, people from the Prince's Mansion will meet them."

King Zheng gave instructions while changing his clothes.
"Okay, you guys, hurry up."

"Yes, second brother."

The King of Song put on his tattered cotton-padded coat and disgustedly tugged at the collar:

"This coal ash smell will probably take half a month to get rid of."

While complaining, her hands didn't stop; she quickly messed up her hair and smeared soot from the bottom of a pot on her face.

The King of Han was already tall and imposing, and dressed in coarse cloth, he looked like a sturdy porter. However, his eyes were so bright that he simply covered half of his face with a cloth strip.
"That way, no one will recognize us."

After changing his clothes, Prince Chen rummaged through the bottom of the wooden box and found a small cloth bag containing a few copper coins and half a dried biscuit.
"Make it convincing, don't let anyone see through your act."

Only the King of Wu was frail and struggled to wear the heavy robe; the King of Zheng reached out to help him.
"Xu Liangcai's men are at Yongding Gate? Why don't you go that way, it's shorter."

"No."

The King of Wu shook his head and smeared ashes on his face.
"If we walk together, we can look out for each other. I'm sickly, and if I walk alone, I'll only attract attention."

As they were tidying up, footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard. Prince Zheng, Zhou Zhengbai, ran in and whispered:

"Father, the Imperial Guards from the Court of State Ceremonial have arrived, saying they are conducting a routine inspection."

"Understood, go and make the arrangements."

King Zheng remained expressionless, but gave his son a meaningful look.
"You go and deal with it. Just say we're discussing how to apologize to Marquis Luoyun tomorrow."

After his son left, he lowered his voice.
"Hurry up, let's go through the side door."

"Yes, second brother."

The group quickened their pace, and a moment later, only five porters dressed in coarse cloth remained in the woodshed. The princes seemed to have vanished into thin air. Prince Zheng checked one last time to make sure no trace was left before saying to the servant:

"Tell the people outside to proceed according to the original plan."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Escorted by men in black, the sound of creaking wheels came from the coal yard inside Xizhimen. Three coal carts covered with tarpaulins slowly drove out. Sure enough, red silk ribbons were tied to the shafts of the carts. Prince Zheng and Prince Wu were in the first cart, while Prince Song, Prince Chen, and Prince Han were in the last two carts. They all huddled in the hidden compartments under the carts, leaving only two secret guards from the princes' mansions to disguise themselves as drivers.

"stop!"

Upon reaching the city gate, the guards strolled over lazily and asked,

"What?"

The driver, a seasoned veteran arranged by Mr. Fan, handed over a few taels of silver with a grin and said obsequiously:

"Sir, this is coal delivered to a restaurant in the city. The manager is pressing us hard and wants to buy a few more cartloads. Could you please make an exception?"

The soldier weighed the silver in his hand, then glanced at the red silk on the carriage shaft. Just as he was about to wave the carriage through, a centurion from the Imperial City Guard stepped forward and asked in a deep voice:
"Is the truck carrying all coal?"

The driver's heart tightened, but his smile only grew wider:

"That's right, look at this dark place, what else could it be but coal?"

The centurion didn't say anything, but walked straight to the lead cart, reached out and lifted the tarpaulin to reveal the black coal slag underneath. He then tapped the cart's board, making two solid "thump-thump" sounds—the hidden compartment was covered with a thick wooden board, on which a half-foot-thick layer of coal was piled up, making it virtually undetectable without close inspection.

"Let's go."

The centurion of the Imperial City Guard waved his hand, a meaningful glint in his eyes. The coachman breathed a sigh of relief, cracked his whip, and the carriage creaked its way out of the city gate. After traveling about two miles, Prince Zheng asked in a low voice from inside the secret compartment:

"Was that centurion one of Mr. Fan's men?"

"Yes."

The driver replied through the wooden plank.

"Mr. Fan said that this centurion of the Imperial City Guard committed a crime back then, and it was Your Highness who secretly saved his life."

The sound of dogs barking came from outside the carriage, and King Wu clenched his fists in the hidden compartment:
"I didn't expect Fan Wenhai to even use this connection."

"It's not that he used it, it's that we owed him a favor, and now we're repaying it."

King Zheng's voice was calm.

"Remember, in the capital, having more friends means having more opportunities to survive."

The carriage bumped along the official road. The dark, stuffy compartment was filled with the pungent smell of coal dust. The Prince of Han couldn't help but cough, and the Prince of Chen quickly handed him a handkerchief, whispering:
"Third Brother, just bear with it, it'll be fine after we get past Luoma Slope."

After traveling for an unknown amount of time, the carriage became increasingly bumpy, clearly indicating that it had left the official road.

As dusk fell, the carriage finally arrived at Luoma Slope. There stood an old locust tree on the slope, beneath which five fast horses were tethered. Two men in black stood guard, their hands on the hilts of their swords. Upon seeing the carriage arrive, one of them stepped forward and said:

"Your Highness, Mr. Fan has instructed that the horses are ready, and the rations and water are in the saddlebags. Once you leave this forest, heading southeast will take you to the territory of the State of Zheng, and heading southwest will take you to the State of Song. You princes may choose your own paths, and the troops are at the foot of the mountain."

King Zheng crawled out of the hidden compartment. The firelight shone through the gaps in the trees onto his soot-covered face, giving it a strange, clear appearance. He patted King Song on the shoulder:

"Once you arrive at your fief, immediately deploy troops to guard the border. Remember, do not believe any imperial edict without my permission."

"Don't worry, second brother."

The King of Song mounted his horse, pulled on the reins,
"But you, be careful on the road."

Prince Chen clasped his hands in a fist salute to the crowd:
“I will go west. If there is any unusual activity in the capital, I will send someone to deliver a message to you via the Han River.”

King Wu, leading his horse, suddenly turned and glanced in the direction of the capital:

"I wonder how many more dramas will unfold in the Court of State Ceremonial after we leave."

The King of Han coughed and laughed:

"There's no shortage of good shows, but we're afraid no one will watch them. Let the princes keep an eye on things, and we'll wait in our fiefdoms. We'll settle the score eventually."

Five horses galloped off in different directions, their flames blazing. The leaves of the old locust trees on Luoma Slope rustled in the wind, as if bidding them farewell.

Meanwhile, in the east courtyard of the Court of State Ceremonial, Prince Zheng's heir, Zhou Zhengbai, was holding the jade belt left by Prince Zheng, standing by the window gazing at the afterglow of the setting sun. The other princes slowly walked in, each holding a note they had just received.

"Brother, after all the twists and turns, we have returned to the way we were before. We should support each other and wait for news. Mr. Xu from your Prince's Mansion has sent someone to say that the princes have already left the capital."

"understood."

Zhou Zhengbai fastened the jade belt around his waist, then suddenly turned around. The childishness in his eyes was gone.

"Gentlemen, now that the princes have left, tell the people below that from today onwards, we will be in charge of the affairs of the East Courtyard. The soldiers at the post station will not be able to stay, but the guards of the Court of State Ceremonial will not be able to leave."

"Haha, I'll listen to you, brother."

(End of this chapter)