Ruan Jinyu emerged from the main hall and began the long walk down the palace gallery, one step at a time. Over the past two days, incidents had followed one after another in such quick succession that he felt they couldn’t possibly be isolated events. It felt as if a hidden hand were pushing everything forward.
What was the connection between them? At the moment, he couldn’t see it clearly.
The gallery reached a turn. Another hundred paces ahead, and he would reach the doors of his side hall. Ruan Jinyu’s mind was so cluttered with these thoughts that he didn’t immediately notice the person approaching his side.
“My Lord, by the Empress Dowager’s decree, please move to the Cishou Palace.”
A messenger from the Empress Dowager. Her again.
Ruan Jinyu was nearly at his own doorstep but was intercepted before he could enter. Since it was the Empress Dowager’s command, he could not refuse. He changed course and followed the young eunuch toward the Cishou Palace. Furthermore, her summoning him at this critical juncture was likely related to Wen Zhong’s situation. For that reason alone, he had to go. Solving Wen Zhong’s predicament was a matter of urgency, but it couldn’t be rushed blindly.
At the Cishou Palace, it was rumored that the Empress Dowager had been in excellent spirits lately. This was largely because the harem had been filled following the consort selection, which had settled one of her great concerns. With people to accompany her daily, it was no wonder her energy had improved.
This Empress Dowager was different from her predecessors; she did not oppose the new Emperor. Instead, she had busied herself organizing his harem and fulfilling her duties to the best of her ability. Because these two masters of the palace were not at odds, many potential troubles had been avoided—such as the fact that Ruan Jinyu could visit her palace without issue.
The young eunuch was merely a messenger; once he brought Ruan Jinyu to the gates of the Cishou Palace, he withdrew. He was replaced by a personal maid of the Empress Dowager who led him into the main hall.
The Empress Dowager sat in the center of the hall. Ruan Jinyu paid his respects and lifted his head, though he kept his gaze respectfully lowered. “Empress Dowager.”
The Empress Dowager’s hair, though touched with white at the temples, was styled into a towering, magnificent coiffure adorned with gold and jade. Her phoenix crown was perfectly set, its side pearls hanging still without the slightest sway. A crimson dian mark in the shape of a vermilion bird graced her forehead, exuding a sense of solemnity and high station.
Her voice was soft and peaceful as she spoke. “I imagine you have heard of the recent events in the palace.”
Ruan Jinyu kept his eyes on the steps before him, nodding as he answered. “Yes.”
“I truly have no desire to interfere in state affairs,” the Empress Dowager continued, her voice slow and heavy despite the smile on her face. “However, His Majesty’s body is currently unwell, and some matters cannot be left to linger indefinitely. Would the Imperial Preceptor agree?”
So, this was her intent. With the Emperor ill, who else remained to handle these matters? Naturally, the current Empress Dowager.
“Consort Qin is young, after all; it is only natural that such an incident would frighten her. And it is only natural for the Emperor to dote on his favored consort,” she said, leaning her head slightly on her hand. The maids holding the ceremonial fans beside her dared not slacken for a second. “I have heard that the lady of the Wen clan is the Imperial Preceptor’s cousin on his mother’s side.”
The Preceptor cupped his hands again. “To answer the Empress Dowager: yes.”
Hearing this, the Empress Dowager gave a careless nod. “In that case, as long as she is not guilty of colluding with the enemy or treason, I shall see to it that she is protected.”
Ruan Jinyu hadn’t expected her to be so direct. He blinked slowly and answered with certainty, “The Wen family would never collude with the enemy or commit treason.”
Where did these rumors of treason come from? They were nothing more than the neighboring countries taking advantage of the new Sovereign’s unstable seat to send waves of probes and tests. The masked figure who had raided the palace and run into Consort Qin that night might very well have been a foreigner. Precisely because the assailant was likely an agent of another state, the matter had become a source of great irritation. The most severe charge possible was “colluding with the enemy.” Because Wen Zhong had been out that night and was caught by Consort Qin, she was under suspicion.
The fact that the Empress Dowager spoke so directly to Ruan Jinyu meant that she would protect Wen Zhong regardless of the details. Whether Wen Zhong actually colluded with anyone was irrelevant; the final verdict and the nature of the crime depended entirely on who was looking at it.
Ruan Jinyu strongly suspected that this incident had been deliberately orchestrated by someone, and Wen Zhong was merely a piece of bad luck caught in the middle. Her fate depended on whether the person behind the scenes wanted her dead or alive. Since the Empress Dowager had promised her protection, that particular threat was neutralized. The Empress Dowager sat above the orchestrator and had the power to break the trap.
Hearing Ruan Jinyu’s firm assurance, the Empress Dowager laughed heartily. “Good, good. I naturally believe that the Imperial Preceptor’s maternal family would not be under suspicion of treason.”
She straightened her back against her seat, her smile fading as her expression turned solemn and her tone grew formal. “Actually, it is not difficult to see. When all is said and done, this matter stems from the palace guards’ negligence in their duties.”
It was precisely because the palace defenses were weak that neighboring countries felt emboldened to send waves of intruders. “I believe we must rectify the palace rules and strengthen our defenses,” the Empress Dowager said, lowering her gaze. “Imperial Preceptor, would you say my assessment is reasonable?”
Ruan Jinyu’s gaze stiffened. He understood her meaning completely. He nodded and complied: “Naturally.”
Ruan Jinyu emerged from the Cishou Palace feeling a bit light-headed. He never expected Wen Zhong’s situation to be linked to this other matter. He walked back toward his hall and saw Qian Qi rushing toward him halfway.
“My Lord, I came as soon as I heard! Why did the Empress Dowager summon you?”
Ruan Jinyu didn’t answer immediately. He remained silent until they had returned to the privacy of the side hall.
“Wait outside,” Ruan Jinyu said, feeling utterly drained. “If an imperial decree from the main hall or an edict from the Cishou Palace arrives, come and tell me immediately.” He went into his room and collapsed onto the bed.
Though curious, Qian Qi didn’t press him and went out to keep watch. Nearly an hour passed without a sound. Ruan Jinyu thought he would fall asleep, but he remained wide awake. Finally, he heard movement. Qian Qi entered to report.
“My Lord, an imperial decree has been issued. Starting today, the palace will begin a massive recruitment of soldiers.”
They were gathering forces. “The decree has already been sent to the common people,” Qian Qi continued. “Also, in three days, the palace will host a hunt and archery competition in the outskirts.”
The speed was even faster than Ruan Jinyu had anticipated. By now, Qian Qi had begun to understand. He watched Ruan Jinyu’s face and asked cautiously, “My Lord, did the Empress Dowager’s summons have something to do with this?”
The Empress Dowager wanted the authority over the Imperial Guards.
Qian Qi was still a bit confused. “The Empress Dowager has always said she wouldn’t interfere in politics. Why would she want the military power of the guards now?”
That was before. Too much had happened in the past few days.
First, there was the matter of the garrison at the Heng River. That situation should never have been General Xue’s burden to bear, especially since the General had just decided to stay in the Capital. The Emperor had signaled several times that he wanted Xue to stay; he had even held a grand feast to announce it, showing how much he valued the General. It also proved that General Xue, a man of military prowess but modest ambition, didn’t care if the new Emperor was “unfit” for the throne. Yet, the Emperor had been forced to send his most valued general away almost as soon as he had secured him.
Through this, the Empress Dowager saw clearly that the new Sovereign’s actual power was quite limited. She had attained her position because the Emperor chose her—a woman with no children in the harem. Her authority over other matters was indeed vast, but she had reached a point where she could no longer ignore the vacuum of power. Even if she could accept a “traitorous usurper” on the throne, she realized now that this Emperor’s capability didn’t even match her own feminine ambitions.
How to turn the situation around? The first step was for the Empress Dowager to hold power in her own hands. Even if she didn’t formally govern, she needed leverage. Thus, she set her sights on the Imperial Guards.
When the late Emperor was alive, the guards were under his direct control. After his passing, that power had largely fallen to the Commander of the Imperial Guards, Shen Changlang. But Shen Changlang was a subordinate of Prince Wu’an. Prince Wu’an, like Prince Xian, had never accepted Yan Yan’s ascension. Their ambitions were identical.
The Empress Dowager could not allow Yan Yan to fall, so she could not align herself with the two Princes. The military power held by Prince Wu’an could be reclaimed using the recent security breaches as a pretext. To do this, she needed someone who could navigate both the court and the civilian world—the Imperial Preceptor, Ruan Jinyu.
The guard’s authority could not remain in Prince Wu’an’s hands indefinitely. Perhaps the Emperor had even hinted at this; otherwise, the decree would not have come from the main hall. However, the Emperor surely didn’t know the extent of the Empress Dowager’s personal ambition. Otherwise, he would never have agreed.
Qian Qi looked at Ruan Jinyu with unease. “Is My Lord really going to do this? It is true that the Empress Dowager promised to protect the eldest Miss Wen, but My Lord… the Emperor could also do that. He wouldn’t even need a reason to ensure she remained safe.”
He was trying to say that Wen Zhong was now part of the harem, and the ultimate authority there was the Emperor, not the Empress Dowager. Ruan Jinyu was the Emperor’s “Teacher”; surely asking the Sovereign for help was a better path than following the Empress Dowager.
Ruan Jinyu, who had been staring blankly at nothing, finally reacted. He slowly raised his head, his eyes calm and gentle. “The Emperor didn’t say he wanted the military power, did he?”