Ge Jing, nearing eighty, had lived through the Jiajing and Zhengtong reigns, naturally possessing unique insights into the state of affairs. Now that Prince Jing had survived his ordeal and been recalled by the Emperor, there were two possibilities: one, that Prince Jing would replace Prince Yu, which would be ideal; but another possibility could not be overlooked. This Emperor was formidable, and it was not impossible that he might exploit Prince Jing, present him briefly to introduce some variables, and then send him back to Anlu. If this were to happen, any rash action might not allow for a safe return. Looking at this child now, it was evident he had suffered inhuman torment, his mind far more developed than before. He would naturally consider this, otherwise, he would not have visited so suddenly tonight. Since he was not impatient and wished to rally support, he naturally desired the throne. Before, it had been impossible, but now it was highly attainable. For the sake of the court, assisting this person to succeed to the throne could be a wise strategy. After all, Prince Yu was not a good choice, and the Yan family was revealing their malevolent intentions. If they succeeded, where would the hope of the realm lie?
After some thought, Ge Jing believed that even if he did something, the Emperor might not necessarily blame him if he found out. After all, this child had suffered too much. If no one helped him, the Emperor might be displeased. Moreover, whether the Emperor would allow him to succeed to the throne was still uncertain. As long as he didn't overstep, some things could be done.
Looking at Prince Jing's face, which bore a滄桑 (cāngsāng - vicissitude/weather-beaten look) unsuited to his age, Ge Jing's heart ached again. The Yan family had gone too far, to have caused a prince to suffer so miserably! At this thought, he felt he had no children and nothing to worry about even if he were to be torn apart. He might as well lend him a hand.
"Your Highness, this old servant recalls two people, I don't know if they can be of use. We'll have to see. Hmm, one is Li Xiong, and the other is Wang Zuo..."
Li Xiong, Wang Zuo?
Prince Jing had heard of these two, but they belonged to another era.
Both were from the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Li Xiong was ranked fourth, and Wang Zuo was ranked third. Although their positions were high, since Yan Song came to power and the Emperor heavily relied on Zhang Er, Zhu Qi, and Xu Jiu, these two had fallen into obscurity. Furthermore, because they were old retainers of the Prince of Anlu, Yan Song had relentlessly ostracized and framed them, causing them to live in idleness for many years.
The two things he wanted to do most were, first, to ascend the throne, and second, to destroy the Yan family. Both of these endeavors naturally required such individuals. He immediately bowed to Ge Jing and said, "Elder Ge, I trouble you to take care of this for me."
"No, no... Your Highness, you have suffered greatly. It is Heaven's will that you have recovered at this time. A good person is always protected by Heaven. Do not be impatient with anything, just observe the situation."
Ge Jing, in his twilight years, seeing this person he regarded as his closest kin had moved him to tears. Now, thinking of the chaotic state of the court and this person's sudden reappearance, could it be anything but Heaven's will? Seeing that his temperament had indeed changed compared to before, he couldn't help but feel pained.
Prince Jing pondered for a moment and then asked, "Elder Ge, there are two other people I haven't seen in many years. I don't know if they can be used. Please take a look for me. One is Wu Ding, and the other is Li Juemao. When I was in the capital, they were both brigadiers in the Capital Army."
Ge Jing paused for a moment and then recalled, "Wu Ding is still in the Capital Army, he should be a deputy commander. As for Li Juemao, when I left, he was still in the Imperial Forest Guard."
Good!
Prince Jing felt invigorated. If these two could be used, he would have the Imperial Forest Guard in his hands. Although the numbers were not large, they were responsible for guarding the nine gates, and if any incident were to occur, they would be of great use.
They talked for a while longer. Prince Jing thought of a few more scholars, but most had left the capital early, and some were merely hangers-on, completely useless. After a brief discussion, they dropped the matter.
Before dawn the next day, Prince Jing entered the mansion with the other servants. Back in his inner chambers, he took out five hundred taels of silver notes and gave them to the page, chuckling sinisterly, "You gambled all night last night, you must have made a fortune?"
The page was terrified. Since ancient times, anyone involved in royal secrets, whether willingly or unwillingly, often met a violent end. Now that Prince Jing was giving him money, it meant he wouldn't silence him.
He knelt down with a thud, trembling all over, and kowtowed repeatedly.
Prince Jing chuckled gloomily, "I see your luck is very strong. You'll win if you gamble again another day." Only then did the page understand that he was destined to be his substitute and nodded repeatedly.
The next day at noon.
Prince Yu arrived at the secret residence again. Zhang Er, who had been anxiously waiting, hurried to meet him. As soon as they were seated, Zhang Er leaned close to Prince Yu's ear and whispered, "Your Highness, Luo Longwen sent a message through Lu Bing saying that the Yan family will no longer interfere. He said that who inherits the throne is up to the Emperor to decide..."
Prince Yu, Mu Chaobi, Wu Jijue, Zhang Rong, and Yin Tai were almost stunned simultaneously.
Mu Chaobi pondered, "No longer interfere? How is that possible? Did we guess wrong? Was Prince Jing originally unrelated to the Yan family?"
Everyone present shared this doubt.
Zhang Rong shook his head, "No, if the Yan family dares to let go, it means they are even more certain of Prince Jing. They are not afraid of anything. First, they are confident that the Emperor will likely let Prince Jing succeed to the throne. Second, they are confident they have Prince Jing under their control and are not afraid he will disobey the Yan family. We must not let those brats go!"
"Mm-hmm," Mu Chaobi worried, "Duke Ying speaks the truth. I don't think the old Yan Song values his grandson's life so much that he would yield so easily. Moreover, one has already escaped, and his Yan family will not be without heirs. This behavior, on the contrary, shows they are truly sure of Prince Jing."
Prince Yu nodded. He thought of how bizarre the past cases were, and how there were likely secrets unknown to others behind them. The Yan family most likely had Prince Jing under their control. In this case, the Yan family would be sitting pretty.
He paced a few times, realizing he was in grave danger. The ministers and officials, manipulated by the Yan family, had pushed to the doors of the Directorate of Ceremonial. The next step would be to reinstate the Grand Secretariat. Once the Grand Secretariat was reinstated, his position as Prince Regent would become a huge joke.
Under severe pressure from the Emperor, he might even make Prince Jing the Crown Prince, thereby resolving the crisis of the stalled court and the unsettling rumors. Everyone present was aware of this point, but alas, the Yan family was too cunning. They repeatedly used rumors and manipulated officials, causing the situation to become increasingly deadlocked, and increasingly disadvantageous to Prince Yu. Now, the rumors were spreading like wildfire, coupled with the public resentment under martial law, all directed at Prince Yu. The information they gathered from their efforts outside was already very unfavorable.
At this moment, the Yan family had taken a small step back. It was as if they had been held underwater in a bucket, and now they could finally lift their heads for a breath of air. They all felt that it was time to do something.
Among the group, Yin Tai was most grateful to Prince Yu and could empathize with him the most. After deeply considering the situation recently, he had become convinced that Prince Yu had only one path to take. Seeing him quite agitated, he immediately puffed out his chest and said, "Your Highness, your humble servant has something to say?"
Oh?
Everyone looked at him.
Yin Tai was unfazed and said frankly, "Your Highness, it is said that a sharp knife cuts through tangled hemp! We have been constantly pressured by the Yan family, and now we are at our wit's end. If there is any slack in the Directorate of Ceremonial, and the court is reopened and the Grand Secretariat is reinstated, then the matter of the Regency will be a mere formality and a laughingstock of the realm!"
As he spoke, he became increasingly passionate, his voice growing louder. "Since ancient times, has there ever been a minister who treated his ruler like this! This is not rebellion, then there is no such thing as rebellion in the world! Your Highness, your humble servant believes that your Highness is in a precarious position now. Without taking decisive action, it will be impossible to recover!"
Decisive action?
The others were extremely surprised to hear this.
Mu Chaobi asked curiously, "What is decisive action?"
Yin Tai said magnanimously, "Your Highness, my lords, your humble servant believes that the spreading of rumors by officials, the forcing out of Grand Secretary Chen, and the coercion of Xu Jie to draft decrees against regulations, entirely disregard the fact that the Crown Prince's Regency is established by celestial law! How can such rebellious and defiant actions not be investigated? Your Highness, the situation is urgent now. I hear there are also movements in Liaodong. When we face both internal and external pressures, if the Emperor weakens even slightly, Your Highness will surely be deposed!"
These words had indeed struck Prince Yu's deepest thoughts, and he blurted out, "Then, what should be done?"
Yin Tai said sternly, "As Lord Zhang previously investigated, those who spread rumors and colluded with court officials were Ge Shouli, Bai Qichang, and Feng En, with various officials from the Yan family behind them... Your humble servant believes that they can be imprisoned for the crime of instigating chaos in the court, Ge Shouli, Bai Qichang, and Feng En, and they should be executed to serve as a warning!"
This?
Even the seasoned players were stunned. How could this person be so ruthless?