The prince is more stable

Chapter 826 Seizing the Gate and Entering the Palace
After Zhao Xu's death, Zheng Chunhe remained in the Funing Palace.

This is a loyal servant's final remembrance of his deceased master.

These days, Zheng Chunhe was depressed and had the idea of ​​retiring. He originally planned to submit a memorial to retire and return to his hometown after the new emperor ascended the throne.

However, today the palace is in chaos. Zhao Ji led his troops into the palace, and the massacre of the palace servants finally awakened the dejected Zheng Chunhe.

Zheng Chunhe had a very bad impression of Zhao Ji. When Zhao Xu was alive, Zhao Ji often went to the Funing Palace to talk about brotherhood with Zhao Xu.

But the true face of a great man is often only seen by the most lowly. In a place where Zhao Xu could not see, Zheng Chunhe clearly saw Zhao Ji's true face.

Therefore, Zheng Chunhe was not at all surprised that Zhao Ji led his troops into the palace today.

But Zheng Chunhe still came. He arrived outside the Daqing Hall and stood quietly under the pillars, listening to Zhao Ji's madness through the walls.

Desperation breeds hysterical madness, and Zhao Ji was a prime example.

Zheng Chunhe couldn't bear to watch any longer; he couldn't let the palace servants, who shared the same fate, suffer inexplicable calamities.

In front of several imperial guards, Zheng Chunhe analyzed the situation clearly: following this madman down this dark path will only lead to your execution by steel blades severing your necks.

Zhao Ji has gone mad, are you all going mad too?
On the contrary, you will gain merit and glory by helping to open the palace gates now. Look carefully, the Yan-Yun border army has already surrounded the palace. Zhao Ji has no chance of turning the tide.

The situation is clear; any normal person would understand the current predicament.

Several imperial guards were tempted. They had no loyalty to Zhao Ji and were only temporarily bound by the orders of the Palace Guard. Now that things had come to this point, the Palace Guard was probably under the control of the Yan-Yun border army. So why should they risk their lives for a madman?
We don't owe you anything!
“Commander Zheng, if we open the palace gates, will His Highness Prince Cheng really spare our lives?” a guard asked in a low voice.

Zheng Chunhe nodded with a smile: "I can guarantee that you will live, and you will even be able to perform meritorious service."

The imperial guards looked at each other, and after a long while, they gritted their teeth and said, "Let's do it!"

"Following this madman is bad luck, it's a dead end. If it weren't for military orders, I would have run away long ago."

“That’s right. We soldiers are paid by the emperor, and we’ve been labeled as rebels for no reason. I feel very wronged too. Bianjing is in chaos. Who can tell who is the royal army and who is the rebels? We all just listen to the captains and generals. Why are these big shots taking their anger out on us little guys?”

The Imperial Guards were full of resentment and kept complaining.

Zheng Chunhe's expression hardened as he heard the commotion inside the Daqing Hall subside. He said, "You all need to make a decision quickly, or Zhao Ji might go mad again."

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of Zhao Ji frantically smashing and roaring echoed from inside the Daqing Hall.

Several imperial guards shuddered and hurriedly said, "Let's go! Let's gather our men and quickly open the palace gates. This madman, I'm never putting up with his bullying again!"

Zheng Chunhe smiled: "I will take you to the palace gate. His Highness Prince Cheng has been kind to me, and today I should repay even a fraction of that kindness."

The group quickly left Daqing Hall and headed towards the palace gate.

From Daqing Hall to the palace gate, it was about three miles. Along the way, Zheng Chunhe and several imperial guards recruited more imperial guards.

The situation is clear: no one wants to go to hell with Zhao Ji.

Their only way out was to decisively open the palace gates and surrender.

The central gate of the Song Dynasty imperial palace was called "Xuande Gate". To the left and right of Xuande Gate were two gates, called the Left Side Gate and the Right Side Gate, respectively.

The guard at Xuande Gate was a commander of the Imperial Guards, a bodyguard of Prince Duan's residence, and considered a confidant of Emperor Huizong of Tang. Their relationship was similar to that between Zhao Xiaoqian and Chen Shou.

It was precisely because of this trust that Emperor Huizong entrusted him with the task of guarding Xuande Gate.

At this moment, the commander saw Zheng Chunhe leading a large group of imperial guards approaching. His expression changed, and his right hand instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword at his waist. His eyes were filled with a sinister gaze as he stared at the approaching crowd.

The imperial guards surrounding the commander were all from the Prince Duan's residence, and everyone's expressions became tense, showing a guarded look.

Zheng Chunhe staggered forward, ignoring the fierce glares of the Duan Prince's guards, and continued to approach the tightly closed palace gates.

"Who goes there?" the commander asked in a cold voice.

Zheng Chunhe smiled and said, "This servant is Zheng Chunhe, the eunuch who served Emperor Zhezong."

Upon hearing that he was someone close to the late emperor, the commander revealed a disdainful look.

When the late emperor was alive, you were a big shot in the palace, and no one dared to disrespect you. But the late emperor has passed away, and the palace is now in the hands of Zhao Ji. What are you, a mere eunuch, anyway?
It's nothing more than a green onion!
"This is a sacred place, not a place for you. Get out of here immediately!" the commander shouted coldly.

Zheng Chunhe, however, seemed oblivious and continued to stagger closer.

Enraged, the commander immediately drew his sword.

"Old eunuch, can't you understand human language? I told you to get out of here, did you hear me?"

Zheng Chunhe sighed, stopped in his tracks, and said, "Open the palace gates."

The commander was taken aback, then laughed sarcastically, "It seems we haven't killed enough people in the palace. An old eunuch dares to order me around."

Zheng Chunhe lowered his eyes, his aged body as steadfast as Mount Tai, the hem of his robes fluttering gently in the breeze, exuding an air of profound tranquility and unyielding strength.

“Look at these men behind me, they’ve all come to open the palace gates,” Zheng Chunhe said leisurely. “They’re all innocent people, and we don’t know who’s right and who’s wrong. They just follow the general’s orders like fools. Now that our lives are at stake, there’s no need to let these innocent people lose their lives.”

"General, please have mercy and spare their lives."

The commander's pupils contracted rapidly as he stared at the imperial guards behind Zheng Chunhe. These guards belonged to the Palace Guard Command, not to the Prince Duan's household, so they had no regard for loyalty to Zhao Ji.

"Do you intend to open the palace gates?" the commander asked in a cold voice.

A member of the Imperial Guard mustered his courage and stepped forward, saying, "Yes, the Yan Yun border army has surrounded the palace. If we do not surrender, we will surely perish. Please, General, have mercy."

Without saying a word, the commander suddenly swung his sword.

The snow-white blade sliced ​​across the guard's neck, and blood gushed out instantly.

The imperial guard clutched his neck tightly with both hands, staring glaringly at the commander, before collapsing weakly.

The commander sheathed his sword, surveyed the imperial guards, and said coldly, "Anyone who dares to suggest opening the palace gates again will suffer the same fate. All of you, retreat and take your positions!"

The imperial guards behind Zheng Chunhe became restless. Their timid expressions were replaced by anger. Looking at their comrades who had lost their lives on the ground, a sense of desolation, like that of a rabbit mourning the death of a fox, welled up in their hearts.

The killing was originally intended to establish authority and intimidate, but killing in such a desperate situation is like a spark hitting a powder keg, igniting the previously dormant emotions.

"If you don't give us a way to live, you won't live either!"

From the crowd, another Imperial Guard roared.

"Kill these villains, open the palace gates, and welcome His Highness Prince Cheng into the palace!"

"We've all been labeled as rebels, and you still won't let us live? Let's all die together!"

"Kill them!"

The imperial guards drew their swords and angrily approached their commander.

The commander panicked. He hadn't expected that killing to establish authority would have the opposite effect, and he immediately felt some regret.

Zheng Chunhe was pushed and shoved by the Imperial Guards behind him, and he also approached the commander step by step.

The situation was beyond repair, so Zheng Chunhe simply snatched a broadsword from a guard behind him, then suddenly turned around. Taking advantage of the commander's panic and lack of time to guard against the old man, Zheng Chunhe's sword, like a snow-white ribbon, slashed fiercely from left to right.

No one expected the old man to have such courage, not even the commander.

By the time he realized what was happening, the snow-white blade had already grazed his neck.

The surroundings fell silent instantly. Everyone stared in disbelief at Zheng Chunhe and the small, bright red bloodstain on the commander's neck.

In the blink of an eye, the bloodstain grew larger and larger, and fresh blood gushed out from the wound. The commander stared at Zheng Chunhe with furious eyes, unable to believe until his death that this old man actually dared to kill him.

Then the commander's knees buckled, and he knelt on the ground, clutching his neck tightly with both hands. Finally, all life in his body was exhausted, and he collapsed and died.

Perhaps it was divine retribution, but the commander died in exactly the same way as the imperial guard he had just killed to establish his authority, even in the same posture after he died.

With the commander dead, the imperial guards behind Zheng Chunhe became even more jubilant, while the remaining hundred or so imperial guards from the Prince Duan's mansion panicked, unsure whether to resist or surrender.

After Zheng Chunhe killed the commander with his sword, his body became hunched over again, as if his back would never straighten up, and he sighed with his body half-bent over.

"Open the palace gates; this chaos must end."

…………

The heavy palace gates slowly opened, and outside the gates, two red-clad cannons had already lit their fuses.

Standing beside the cannon, Zhao Xiaoqian was ready to watch the palace gate be blasted into pieces when, just then, the palace gate opened a crack, and then opened wider and wider.

Zhao Xiaoqian was startled and hurriedly pulled hard on the lit fuse, extinguishing the cannon that was about to fire.

That was close! It was just a hair's breadth away.

The moment the palace gates opened, the soldiers of the Yan-Yun border army behind Zhao Xiaoqian looked solemn, pointing their guns at the palace gates and watching the movements inside warily.

After a while, Zheng Chunhe, with a hunched back and unsteady steps, walked out of the palace gate alone.

After exiting the palace gates, Zheng Chunhe knelt down on both knees and announced in a high-pitched voice, "Zheng Chunhe, the chief eunuch, leads the palace guards to welcome His Highness Prince Cheng into the palace!"

Immediately afterwards, a large group of people emerged from behind Zheng Chunhe. These people had all removed their armor and weapons, and came out empty-handed. They knelt behind Zheng Chunhe and shouted in unison.

"Welcome, Your Highness Prince Cheng, to the palace!"

Without Zhao Xiaoqian's order, the soldiers of the Yanyun border army stepped forward to take over the surrendered imperial guards.

Zhao Xiaoqian stepped forward alone and helped Zheng Chunhe, who was kneeling in the dust, to his feet.

"Eunuch Zheng, it's been a long time," Zhao Xiaoqian said with a smile.

Zheng Chunhe also laughed, but with tears in his eyes: "The Mandate of Heaven rests with King Cheng. Those who obey the Mandate of Heaven live, and those who defy it die. The people of the world are foolish and ignorant, which has led to this chaos."

"Only under the rule of Prince Cheng can the great Song dynasty live up to the late emperor's legacy."

(End of this chapter)