"I've heard that those powerful families that have close ties with the Palace of Phoenix Ceremony have been working closely together lately."
Noble Consort Chen knelt on the ground, her voice very soft.
"If this edict to depose the crown prince is kept in limbo..."
"Once they've set up their trap outside, they might actually dare to use the pretext of 'purging the court of corrupt officials' to forcibly snatch that rebellious son Gu Moyuan, out of the palace."
"At that time, the situation in the capital will truly be in chaos."
The Empress Dowager did not respond.
His thin, bony fingers held the string of sandalwood prayer beads, circling them once around his wrist.
We went around in circles again.
His drooping eyelids suddenly snapped upwards, revealing his yellowish eyes fixed intently in the cracks between the blue bricks.
"Killing your own brother, you're worse than a beast!"
"Crown Prince? He doesn't even deserve to use that title to measure himself."
" The Wang Family and Lu Family practically tore off their ancestors' coffins and used them as stepping stones for them."
"He can forget about ever moving half his butt back onto the dragon throne!"
"I have reviewed the medical records that Elder Shen submitted this morning."
"The one lying on the dragon bed has long since died."
The Empress Dowager gripped her dragon-headed cane tightly with her two withered hands, and a dull, crisp crack came from between her kneecaps.
He forced himself to stand up straight.
The old phoenix robe hung loosely on his body, yet his spine stood as straight as an iron spear.
"Send someone to the Central Secretariat Department to give Elder Chancellor Su a definite answer."
"There's no need to wait for the imperial edict in the Hall of Supreme Ultimate before dawn tomorrow!"
"Directly follow the ironclad rules agreed upon by the three provinces and affix the imperial seal, nailing this order to abolish the crown prince to the pillar!"
" Gu Moyuan murdered his own siblings, seized the position of crown prince, and was stripped of all titles and honors."
"Drag him into the imperial mausoleum's death row cell and imprison him. Even if he rots into a pile of mud for the rest of his life, he shall not be allowed to step out of the mausoleum gates!"
Go and summon the Grand Commandant.
"Tell him that at daybreak, he will personally lead the central army's armored troops to surround those aristocratic mansions three layers deep, forming an iron barrel!"
"At this critical juncture, who would dare to release a single carrier pigeon or pass out even half a note?"
"It doesn't matter whether he's a high-ranking official in one of the Six Ministries or a member of the imperial family in the harem."
"Apprehend those involved, drag them out into the street and behead them, along with their entire families!"
The head of the cane slammed heavily onto the blue bricks, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Even if it causes a major upheaval, I'll risk my old life!"
A layer of white sweat seeped from Noble Consort Chen's back, and she bent down even lower.
"Your Majesty, I will take care of it immediately."
"But what if that person in the Hall of Supreme Ultimate wakes up at this crucial moment..."
"Awake?"
The Empress Dowager let out a cold, whistling sound that seemed to escape her nostrils.
She used her cane to slowly and laboriously make her way to the altar where the Buddha was offered.
He casually tore off a plain white cloth from the corner of the table and used it to wipe away the incense ash that had accumulated along the edge of the bronze incense burner.
"Do you think Imperial Physician Shen has spent most of his life in the Imperial Medical Bureau just to survive by doing nothing?"
"When the ruler commands his subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die."
"But having personally experienced what happened back then, can he really swallow that humiliation?"
"That rebellious son, Gu Chengshi, seized the throne by stepping on blood, and utterly ruined my Chengqian."
"He's been lounging in that chair for over twenty years."
"I've already shown him such great respect by sparing his life until today!"
The white handkerchief was twisted tightly between his withered fingers, and the veins on the back of his hand throbbed like earthworms.
"To protect my only son, the third child, I swallowed my bloody slurred words."
"I've accepted this ungrateful traitor as my own son, and coldly watched him pretend to be a wise and virtuous ruler in court for over twenty years!"
The Empress Dowager abruptly turned her face away.
That gaze was like a thin blade tempered with ice, piercing straight into Noble Consort Chen's very bones.
"This Great Yan has never truly belonged to him!"
"This empire, after all its twists and turns, will eventually be returned completely to the hands of Chengqian's bloodline!"
"Let's just wait for the good news from the front lines in Ran'er."
"He's carrying the empty title of suppressing the Japanese pirates, but he'll easily seize control of 100,000 troops in the heart of the Central Plains."
"The day he beheads the Japanese pirates and leads his army through the gates of the capital..."
The Empress Dowager loosened her grip.
The handkerchief, covered in incense ash, slowly fell into the smoldering embers at the bottom of the bronze incense burner.
The flames rolled up, instantly scorching the plain white fabric into a charred black mess.
"I will naturally carry the medicine bowl myself into the Hall of Supreme Ultimate."
"To ensure Gu Chengshi's safe and sound journey to the end."
"This empire is destined to be restored, and not even the gods and Buddhas in the heavens can stop it!"
"Anyone who dares to extend even half a finger at this moment, I will chop off their head and use it as a stepping stone for Chengqian's son to ascend the throne!"
"If I hadn't been too lenient back then, we wouldn't be in this mess today..."
Yi Prefecture, the old palace.
The rain was fine and the bluestone slabs outside the front hall gleamed with a slippery, dark sheen.
Newly sprouted willow branches hang from the eaves, their leaves swaying back and forth against the pillars in the wind.
At the bottom of the stone steps.
Two rows of large cowhide trunks were stacked neatly in a square.
The box was covered with tung oil for moisture protection, and it emitted a pungent, musty smell.
Su Yao sat behind a rosewood square table under the corridor.
The huanghuali abacus rattled like popping beans.
She rubbed her stiff wrist and pulled down hard with her fingertips.
The two beads hit the ground with a thud.
She pushed aside the half-foot-thick ledger and leaned half her body against the paperweight.
"His Highness will be setting off tomorrow."
"The wind in Qi and Lu is too harsh."
"I've already smashed up all the grain depots along the way using the Prince's private seal."
She lifted her face.
His eyes were dark and bluish-black from lack of sleep.
"The grain and cash stored in the city will be transported downstream in sections by waterway."
"One ship departs every seven days, sailing down the Yangtze River and then onto the official Grand Canal, directly to the Dengzhou Garrison camp in Shandong..."
At the other end of the long table.
Xie Wanqing was carefully stacking the secret letter, which she had just reviewed, into the bottom of a black lacquered wooden box.
Each box was put in.
She took a piece of coarse linen and rubbed it hard on the wax seal twice.
To prevent moisture from seeping into the paper seams.
"The transfer orders from various garrisons, and the locations of our informants along the route."
"Both the light and dark volumes are now complete."
She explained as she wiped away the wax residue, without looking up at anyone.
Beside the courtyard gate.
Liu Ruyan was instructing several maids to stack woolen cloaks onto the cart.
She wore only an ebony hairpin in her hair, and her face was clean and free of any makeup.
As she passed by the pillars, she reached back and grabbed the thickest fur-lined cloak.
He stuck his fingers inside the lining and rubbed it hard twice.
After confirming that there was no moisture inside, he gestured with his chin to the porter beside him, indicating that he should stuff it into the car.
Three women gathered under the eaves.
The courtyard was filled with the sounds of black-armored guards trudging through the mud.
Pack them into boxes and hang crossbows.
The metal plates scraped together, making a scraping sound as they rubbed against flesh.
Everyone knew they couldn't go with them, and no one took a single step towards the main door, afraid of interrupting Gu Moran's thoughts as she looked at the map.
The thick felt curtain was lifted.
Gu Moran stepped out of the door.
The corner of his dark round-necked robe brushed against the doorframe, and two specks of yellow mud splattered on the soles of his black boots.
The belt was tied a little loosely and sagged down by half an inch.
Su Yao went to greet her.
She wrapped her arms around his waist, then pulled the jade belt back up with the backs of her hands.
Taking advantage of the lull in the fighting.
He flipped his wrist.
The sandalwood seal, engraved with the secret marks of various merchants, was forcefully pressed into Gu Moran's palm.
Su Yao tilted her head slightly upwards.
"The entire financial and logistical resources of Yi Prefecture City are contained in this piece of wood."
"If we reach the territory of Qi and Lu, even a single grain of rice less will be eaten by my men."
"Your Highness, feel free to come back with your sword and take my life."
Gu Moran closed his five fingers, grasped the wooden seal that still carried her body heat, and pressed it on the back of her hand.
" Yao'er, your husband's granary depends entirely on you..."