Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 818 Seizing Power
Before the Prince of Huai could speak, the eunuch beside him had already called out.

"The fire broke out."

"Fire! Help!"

Since the beginning of this dynasty, there have been three fires in the palace, but this one is somewhat unusual. It happened just as the emperor fell ill and the political situation was unstable, and the palace that caught fire was right next to the Cining Palace.

The Prince of Huai frowned and immediately ran over to check the situation.

"Your Highness...where are you going..."

The eunuch's voice came from behind, his voice, which had been like a duck's quack, was now especially sharp and could be heard from afar.

Prince Huai paid no attention to these things and simply continued to quicken his pace.

The fire grew larger and larger, and the wind whipped up thick smoke, forcing Prince Huai to cover his mouth and nose with his sleeve.

Footsteps came from all around. Prince Huai turned his head and saw a group of palace servants and eunuchs gathering with wooden basins and other items, obviously to put out the fire.

"Your Highness," the head eunuch immediately stepped forward and bowed upon seeing Prince Huai, panting, "Ahead... ahead is..."

The Prince of Huai nodded: "Go quickly!" Putting out the fire is the most important thing right now.

The eunuch nodded and waved to the people behind him: "Hurry...hurry up."

Seeing this, the eunuchs and palace servants who had stopped quickened their pace again. As the group approached Prince Huai, the dozen or so people suddenly slowed down, and several pairs of eyes turned to Prince Huai. Then, the hand that was under the basin of water suddenly moved, and all the daggers were drawn. Before Prince Huai could react, the sharp blades were drawn and went straight for him.

……

Cining Palace.

The flames shot into the sky, seemingly illuminating half of the sky.

The Empress Dowager had just settled down to rest when she was awakened by the noise.

"The fire broke out."

The master of ceremonies instructed the palace servants to check the situation, and the master of ceremonies helped the Empress Dowager dress, preparing her to leave Cining Palace at any moment to hide.

"Such a big fire." The Empress Dowager frowned.

The master of ceremonies chased after the Empress Dowager and draped a cloak over her before saying, "I heard some palace servants go by. We are short-staffed in Cining Palace, so we haven't sent too many people yet."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the fire flared up again. The eunuch returned to report: "The wind is too strong tonight. We don't know how long it will take to put out the fire. Your Majesty should go to the other palaces first."

Thick smoke billowed towards Cining Palace. The Empress Dowager couldn't help but cough.

The time has come for me to leave.

The Empress Dowager instructed, "Summon the imperial concubines as well."

The eunuch hurriedly nodded and was about to call the others when he heard a commotion of footsteps, followed by the voice of the Empress Dowager: "Where is the Empress Dowager? There's a fire! Quickly, let the Empress Dowager go out and take shelter."

Several imperial concubines arrived one after another, supported by palace servants. Their expressions remained relatively calm, and they looked at the Empress Dowager with concern.

These were people who had lived in the deep palace for many years, so they wouldn't panic, but a fire in the palace was indeed a rare occurrence... As for concern, whether it was out of courtesy or flattery, even if it was just for show, it was still an expression of respect for the Empress Dowager.

There was nothing unusual about it.

"These are turbulent times; we must avoid any mistakes."

"If we get out of there, we can have more people to put out the fire."

Hearing their words, the Empress Dowager nodded: "Let's go!"

The gates of Cining Palace were opened, and the masters walked in front, surrounded by palace servants and eunuchs on both sides.

The group walked along the palace path, trying to stay away from the fire. The servants from all sides mingled together, and walking in the shadows, they could not distinguish one another for a while.

The eunuch at the front suddenly felt his foot slip. He tried to steady himself, but unexpectedly, his other foot also went out of control. He didn't know when, but a thin layer of ice had frozen on the palace path.

Could it be that water was accidentally spilled while putting out the fire?

No, who would fetch water from such a far place?

A thought flashed through his mind, and as he realized this, the eunuch opened his mouth to warn others, but as he fell, the sound he had just made was immediately drowned out by a scream.

The palace servants who were originally guarding the Empress Dowager and the imperial concubines suddenly rushed out, their sharp blades aimed directly at the Empress Dowager.

...A clang rang out.

With his soft sword in hand, Prince Huai blocked the incoming weapon, stepped to the side, twisted his body to change his center of gravity, and immediately broke free from the encirclement. Almost at the same time, several arrows flew out of the darkness and shot straight at the eunuchs who were attacking Prince Huai.

Several imperial guards immediately rushed out, and the leader first stabbed a palace servant to death.

"Send a few men to guard the Prince."

The appearance of the Imperial Guards resolved the crisis for Prince Huai, but soon another group of eunuchs rushed over. The eunuchs were no match for the Imperial Guards. Prince Huai had been training with these men for a long time, waiting for those hiding in the shadows to make their move.

The usually solemn and dignified palace path has suddenly become a bloody hell. When dawn breaks the next day, no matter which side wins, the palace walls will be even more vibrant.

The Prince of Huai said, "Resolve this quickly and go protect the Empress Dowager."

……

On the other side, the Empress Dowager stood still, while the two palace maids who rushed to her side froze in place, blood flowing from their abdomens pierced by sharp weapons.

The Empress Dowager cried out in alarm, and some people stumbled and fell to the ground in their haste to avoid her.

Two groups of palace servants clashed.

Too many imperial guards cannot remain in the palace, otherwise those lurking in the shadows will not dare to show themselves. Those imperial guards are mainly used to protect the Funing Palace and the Prince of Huai.

"We should leave more manpower behind," Zhang She said, standing in front of the Empress Dowager.

"If anything happens to any one of them, it will be very troublesome," the Empress Dowager said calmly. "The King of Qin will calculate very clearly that the number of people who come to kill me will be the fewest."

Therefore, she could handle the situation with the eunuchs and palace servants she trusted. Even if something went wrong, it wouldn't affect the overall situation too much. It wasn't that she was willing to risk her life for the men of the Liang family.

She simply doesn't like to lose.

The Empress Dowager looked at the eunuch and said, "Go and deliver the letters left by the Empress's two brothers to her. After she reads them, she will know what to do."

She did not punish the Empress, but instead sought out the Empress's father and brothers. As long as they stood on the Emperor's side, the Empress would naturally not dare to have any wicked thoughts.

She wouldn't waste her breath on useless things.

Even if she were to die, the Empress would surely accept the credit for such a crucial moment in stabilizing the harem.

……

The fire in the palace wouldn't spread outside, but troops were already gathering on the streets, which should have been quiet.

While the King of Qin was targeting those within the palace, he did not forget the powerful ministers outside the palace.

There was a knock on the prime minister's gate, and the imperial guards brought news: "The King of Qin has made a move."

Wang Bingchen had already put on his official robes and was about to walk out of the room when Wang Yan stopped him.

“Father, you don’t need to go out tonight,” Wang Yan said calmly. “With the sudden changes in the capital, the people will be in a state of panic. Tomorrow, Father and the other ministers must go to the palace as usual to handle government affairs. Only in this way can we stabilize the people’s hearts.”

Wang Bingchen frowned. At this critical moment, he couldn't let his son stand in front of him while he himself hid away.

Wang Yan said, "The implementation of the new laws of the court still needs Father. No one else can do this better than Father."

Looking at his son's tall and upright figure and listening to his words, Wang Bingchen felt a warmth in his heart. He realized that he had been too harsh on him. Yan Ge'er had already shouldered more responsibilities and could even protect the family from the wind and rain.

"Father, please take care of your health. You still have to work hard for Daliang for at least another twenty or thirty years."

Wang Bingchen felt a strange bitterness rising in his chest, but he also keenly sensed that something seemed off about those words. However, Wang Yan did not give him a chance to think about it. After bowing, he strode out with his men.

Watching his son's retreating figure... Wang Bingchen's eyebrows furrowed.

Why would he have to toil for another twenty or thirty years? It's not like he doesn't have sons who have entered officialdom...

and many more……

Wang Bingchen's emotions, which had been fluctuating due to being moved, suddenly calmed down.

Could this rebellious son be planning to make a great contribution and then leave? The new emperor will surely be rewarded for his great contributions upon ascending the throne, but father and son cannot hold power at the same time, so... he leaves the father behind while the rebellious son goes off to live a carefree life?

This is the essence of filial piety and parental love.

The previous worries eventually turned into spitting in the direction his son had left.

　Wang Bingchen: Ah tui
　　(End of this chapter)