Chapter 117: Forced to Face a Palace Coup
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Before dawn the next morning, the Embroidered Uniform Guards had finished changing into their new uniforms. After arranging the defenses of the inner city, half of them headed straight for the outer city, preparing to seize control.
The Embroidered Uniform Guards were not adept at large-scale military engagements. They were far better suited to small-unit combat. Originally, armed with nothing but their Embroidered Spring Sabers, they would not have stood a chance against an organized army—not even qualified as its opponent. But the appearance of the Second World War weapons in Yang Xin’s possession had completely transformed their weakness into an advantage.
The small-unit tactics the Embroidered Uniform Guards had always favored were far more compatible with modern warfare. They seized the outer city with astonishing ease.
Anyone who tried to resist was met with a burst of gunfire and killed on the spot. When organized troops attempted to block their path, Browning light machine guns and heavy machine guns were simply set up and opened fire. Their muzzles spat, “Rat-a-tat-tat!” and tongues of flame lashed out like whips, tearing the obstructing soldiers in two—or reducing them to shredded flesh.
The armies of the Great Ming had never witnessed firearms so devastating. Under the overwhelming deterrence of such powerful weapons, Liu Mian, Commander of the Northern Pacification Office; Xu Gong, Commander of the Southern Pacification Office; and Jin Ying, Chief Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, raised the imperial edict high and ordered the soldiers of the Five Military Commanderies to cease resistance, lay down their arms, surrender, and help restore order.
The Embroidered Uniform Guards took the outer city’s defenses with ease and imprisoned the soldiers loyal to the Five Military Commanderies. Anyone who resisted was shot without a second word. Heavy Browning machine guns were then mounted on every section of the walls, at every gate, and atop every watchtower. In an instant, everything within the outer and inner cities of the capital fell under Zhu Qizhen’s control.
The bodies of those killed by the wild gunfire were not buried. The Embroidered Uniform Guards simply threw them into the abandoned wells scattered throughout the palace. At the bottom of those wells, root after root burst through the earth, voraciously and rapidly consuming the flesh and blood. The divine tree Yang Xin had planted in the imperial palace grew ever more luxuriant.
Human flesh and blood truly was the divine tree’s finest nourishment. The chakra it produced was of extraordinary purity. Even Zhu Qizhen could sense its refinement. He drew a deep breath of the pure chakra, then ordered the Jingyang Bell to be rung.
When the Jingyang Bell rang, the civil and military officials entered court.
Except for a few heartless fools, none of the officials had slept at all. The imperial palace had been sealed off the previous night, and not a word of news had emerged. Everyone was anxious, and the faint smell of blood drifting from the city walls only deepened their unease.
Fortunately, once the civil and military officials had assembled in force, their imposing presence steadied their hearts.
When they entered the Golden Hall, the officials could not help but freeze. Normally, the officials entered first, followed by the emperor. Yet the Emperor of the Great Ming, Zhu Qizhen, was already seated expressionlessly upon the Dragon Throne. His immensely favored grand eunuch, Wang Zhen, was nowhere to be seen; in his place stood Jin Ying. Nor had the Grand Empress Dowager Zhang appeared to conduct affairs from behind the curtain.
“May I ask Your Majesty where the Grand Empress Dowager is?” Yang Shiqi, Grand Secretary of the Three Yang Cabinet, stepped out from the ranks and asked with a bow.
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Zhu Qizhen, seated upon the Dragon Throne, did not even spare Yang Shiqi a glance. Instead, he closed his eyes.
Ignored.
Utterly, contemptuously ignored.
Yang Shiqi was furious, but he did not dare to rise. Although the Three Yang Cabinet had joined forces with Grand Empress Dowager Zhang to control the court, Zhu Qizhen was still the Son of Heaven seated upon the Dragon Throne. If he did not permit Yang Shiqi to stand, then stand he could not.
Yang Shiqi was old and frail, his body no longer sturdy. After remaining bowed for only a short while, he could no longer hold himself up. His entire body began to tremble, cold sweat poured down his face, and the old bones of his lower back even gave a crisp crack.
“May I ask Your Majesty where the Grand Empress Dowager is?” Yang Rong of the Three Yang Cabinet also stepped out from the ranks and bowed as he spoke.
“Your Majesty, please summon the Grand Empress Dowager to court to conduct affairs!” Yang Pu of the Three Yang Cabinet stepped forward and spoke bluntly.
“Your Majesty, please summon the Grand Empress Dowager to court to conduct affairs!”
The civil officials saw that the cabinet grand secretaries had spoken and immediately raised a thunderous, unified cry.
The military officials had never been on good terms with the civil officials, but together with the Grand Empress Dowager, the two factions formed a solid triangle. The three powers had divided control of the court among themselves. Now that the emperor showed signs of taking back authority, how could they willingly surrender the power already in their hands? Thus, they joined in pressing him:
“Your Majesty, please summon the Grand Empress Dowager to court to conduct affairs!”
The civil and military officials dropped to their knees in a sweeping wave, leaving only a handful still standing in the entire court.
Zhu Qizhen remained unmoved. Seated upon the Dragon Throne, he tapped his fingers lightly against the armrest. Gradually, the rhythm of his tapping matched the beating of the officials’ hearts. An immense pressure descended upon the hall. One by one, the officials found it difficult to breathe, and some of the elderly and infirm even collapsed to the floor.
Zhu Qizhen slowly opened his eyes and said in a deep voice, “The Martial Emperor of the Great Han once declared that the harem must not interfere in government affairs.”
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“Your Majesty, the Great Han was the Great Han, and the Great Ming is the Great Ming. The Martial Emperor of the Han was the Martial Emperor of the Han, and Your Majesty is Your Majesty. The Great Han and the Great Ming are separated by more than a thousand years—how can they be spoken of in the same breath? Your Majesty, please summon the Grand Empress Dowager to court to conduct affairs!” Yang Shiqi shouted.
“Are you attempting to force the throne from me? Are you truly so unwilling to relinquish the power in your hands? Or do you wish to sit upon this supreme throne yourself? Come, then. Come up and sit!”
Zhu Qizhen knew that, in terms of palace intrigue, he was no match for these old foxes. He could not be bothered to exchange empty courtesies with them any longer and simply overturned the table. Rising to his feet, he gestured toward the Dragon Throne, inviting Yang Shiqi to come up and take his seat.
The civil and military officials, led by the Three Yang Cabinet, were stunned. The emperor had completely abandoned all convention. Worse, there was no way to respond to his words. No one dared to answer, nor could anyone answer. Whoever did would die—and would likely bring extermination upon his entire clan.
Caught utterly off guard, Yang Shiqi exchanged a glance with Yang Rong and Yang Pu. They opened their mouths, yet not a word came out. Just as they were frantic and at a loss, a voice rang out from beyond the Golden Hall, rescuing the officials from their predicament.
“Grandson, to pressure Grand Secretary Yang in this manner is contrary to the conduct of a wise ruler!”
Grand Empress Dowager Zhang strode into the Golden Hall. She had just begun walking toward the Dragon Throne, intending to take her customary seat behind the curtain, when Jin Ying stepped forward and blocked her path.
“How dare a wretched slave obstruct me?” Grand Empress Dowager Zhang roared. She swung her hand and slapped Jin Ying across the face.
Grand Empress Dowager Zhang was merely a woman, while Jin Ying had practiced the Sunflower Manual for many years. To him, her slap was no more significant than a mosquito bite. He paid no attention to her fury, simply standing firm and blocking her path as he said coldly, “Without His Majesty’s command, no one is permitted to pass.”
“Grandson, you have trained your servant well! Tell this wretched creature to move aside!” Grand Empress Dowager Zhang flung back her sleeve and pointed directly at Zhu Qizhen’s face.
Zhu Qizhen paid no heed to her shouting. Instead, his indifferent gaze fixed upon the people standing behind her.
The eunuchs who had accompanied Grand Empress Dowager Zhang dropped to their knees with a thud.
“Your Majesty, spare our lives! It is not that we failed to stop her. The Grand Empress Dowager insisted on leaving the palace!”
The court erupted in an uproar. The civil and military officials leaned toward one another, whispering excitedly, while their hearts rejoiced.
At last, they had caught him in the act. The young emperor was attempting to place Grand Empress Dowager Zhang under house arrest. Such a deed violated filial piety.
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