From the moment the two sides began fighting for their own interests, this night was destined to be anything but peaceful.
At midnight, in the great camp outside the city, Yu Wenzhao sank wearily into his seat after seeing off a group of experts bearing the empress dowager's token.
As deputy commander of the Palace Guard Infantry Command, with sole command over the Dragon Guard and Divine Guard, he had already been approached by two groups that night.
Although he was outside the city, Yu Wenzhao could sense an invisible storm brewing, one that could smash a person to pieces at the slightest misstep.
Yet everyone wanted to win him over because of his position, so he had no way to stay out of it.
Knock, knock! "Deputy Commander, someone requests an audience."
"Didn't I tell you not to disturb me?" Yu Wenzhao knitted his brows, already in a foul mood.
"Deputy Commander, the visitor has His Majesty's token and says he came from the palace."
The palace! His Majesty!
Hearing that, Yu Wenzhao's headache grew worse, but he could hardly refuse to see the visitor.
In name, the imperial guards like him owed allegiance to only one person: the Son of Heaven of Great Song.
Neither the high officials from the great aristocratic clans who had come to lobby him nor the experts bearing the empress dowager's written orders could truly be considered his superiors.
As a deputy commander in charge of the imperial guards, under normal circumstances he could tell anyone but the emperor to take a hike.
But... the emperor was too young.
His colleagues who had long since latched onto the powerful and taken the empress dowager's side were all riding high. If the late emperor had not personally appointed him deputy commander, they probably would not have tolerated his prolonged refusal to declare a side.
Two groups had already come that night. Now there was a third, and this one came from the emperor in the palace.
However slow-witted Yu Wenzhao might have been, he understood what was about to happen.
No wonder the aristocratic clans urged me to stay put outside the city, while the empress dowager's people told me to lead my troops into the palace to clear out the traitors. These people, they want to...
The mere thought of the word "regicide" sent a chill down Yu Wenzhao's spine.
He wanted absolutely no part in such a thing.
Whichever side won or lost, a man in his position would gain nothing good.
If he went and they failed, then as the Son of Heaven's lackey, he would have helped outsiders bite his master. That meant ten deaths and no chance of survival.
If he went and they succeeded, wouldn't his new master fear a traitor like him? If he could betray his old master today, how could he not betray me tomorrow?
If he stayed away and they failed, would the one in the palace think he had stood by and done nothing, that he was in league with them?
If he stayed away and they succeeded, having made no move, he would definitely be dealt with by the new master.
In short, the moment these people came knocking, Yu Wenzhao was doomed to have yellow mud fall into his crotch-dead either way!
Forget it, forget it. I'll hear what the emperor's side has to say first!
Caught in the middle of something like this, I can't win either way. If the young emperor wants me to risk my life fighting these people, I'll throw in my lot with the empress dowager and the aristocratic clans.
Yu Wenzhao rubbed the space between his brows and quickly settled on a plan.
If there was truly no other way, he could only take a side, and it had to be the aristocratic clans, who held the greater advantage.
"Someone, quickly show the imperial envoy in."
Before long, an elderly eunuch entered. It was none other than Eunuch Huang.
Xu Xiao was in the palace, and after the disturbance that evening, most of the Palace Front Army had been killed or scattered. The young emperor truly had few skilled men at his disposal.
And to leave the city and meet the commanders of the imperial guards, one needed not only martial skill but absolute loyalty. That left Eunuch Huang to make the trip himself.
When the two met, Eunuch Huang looked around the brightly lit room and spoke directly to Yu Wenzhao.
"Deputy Commander Yu, it looks like you've been very busy tonight."
That single remark left Yu Wenzhao drenched in sweat. He hurriedly cupped his hands in salute.
"Not at all, not at all. I must look ridiculous to you, imperial envoy. I have a habit of practicing at night, so-"
"Enough, Deputy Commander Yu. Let's speak plainly."
Eunuch Huang had no wish to listen to his clumsy excuse and interrupted him outright.
"I only came to tell you one thing. No matter how many people you've seen or how much you've heard tonight, remember that you're a man who eats the Zhao family's rice."
"Your Majesty!" Yu Wenzhao hurriedly knelt. Though he had done nothing and agreed to nothing, he still felt guilty.
"Deputy Commander Yu, His Majesty won't make things difficult for you. His Majesty said you need only keep your troops under control and have them stay outside the city. We'll handle matters inside the city ourselves."
"Once everything is settled, you'll still be a loyal subject of Zhao Song."
"Ah!"
Yu Wenzhao, kneeling on the ground, thought he had misheard. All he had to do was stay outside the city?
He had assumed the emperor had sent this eunuch to win him over. He had never expected that merely standing by would be enough.
"Enough 'ah'! His Majesty has more methods at his disposal, and more formidable ones, than you imagine. As long as you don't go courting death yourselves, this won't involve you."
Eunuch Huang rolled his eyes at Yu Wenzhao, who was kneeling on the ground. With his experience, how could he not know what schemes were running through the man's mind?
From the moment Eunuch Huang entered, Yu Wenzhao had been so nervous and afraid that he must have made contact with the aristocratic clans and those rebels long ago.
What a pity! None of you know who stands at His Majesty's side, or that everything you're doing is nothing more than courting death!
Having personally encountered Xu Xiao, Eunuch Huang held him in profound awe.
Indeed, the corpses of the Palace Front Army piled like mountains in the square before Daqing Hall had all been cleared away bit by bit by men he had personally assigned.
As a pro-emperor eunuch who practiced internal arts, he could sense Xu Xiao's terrifying power more keenly than anyone.
A being like that was simply not someone people could oppose, not even with an army.
Though Xu Xiao had humiliated His Majesty, at least he had not killed him.
Now that Xu Xiao and His Majesty were allies in the same camp, Eunuch Huang had also accepted Xu Xiao's presence.
After all, he could not defeat Xu Xiao either, and Zhao Xu, an emperor of the Zhao bloodline, was still on the throne. He did not want to do anything to provoke Xu Xiao.
After hearing Eunuch Huang out, Yu Wenzhao finally went down on one knee and saluted.
"I understand. I will keep the troops under control and make absolutely certain nothing goes wrong."
"Deputy Commander Yu, as long as you understand. Take care not to ruin yourself."
Eunuch Huang nodded. Regardless of whether Yu Wenzhao was sincere or merely putting on an act, he turned and left.
He still had several other imperial guard units to visit and notify, and there was little time.
The Northern Song's imperial guards numbered more than a hundred thousand, all stationed in the nearby outskirts outside Kaifeng Prefecture. The only ones closest to Kaifeng, however, were the four upper armies, the strongest fighting forces among the imperial guards.
He still needed to deliver orders to the commanders of the other two imperial guard forces one by one and ascertain their loyalty while he was at it.
According to the palace's commander of the Palace Front Army, as long as the upper armies outside the city stayed put, they could hold off the other troops even if those troops entered the city.
For His Majesty and for the realm of Zhao Song, he had to make the trip and try, no matter what.