【In the summer of the 29th year of Emperor Hui’s reign, Crown Prince Zhu Xuanyu ignored General Yu Ye’s advice during the Battle of Yunzhou, issued reckless commands, and suffered defeat. General Yu Ye died in battle, and Zhu Xuanyu was captured by the Northern Barbarians. The court and the public were shaken.】
So this was how the Crown Prince was captured?
According to the Sky Screen, if he had heeded General Yu Ye’s advice, this battle might not have been lost.
Yu Ye, far away at the border, felt a deep sorrow in his heart.
Those court officials who supported the Crown Prince couldn’t help but lower their heads—a wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall. They must never let the Crown Prince lead military campaigns again in the future.
Zhu Xuanyu himself was stunned. Defeat and capture—what a great humiliation! Why hadn’t he chosen to end his own life instead?
【Logically speaking, Zhu Xuanyu, having single-handedly caused the deaths of 80,000 soldiers and brought shame upon the dynasty, should have atoned with his death. However, most of Emperor Hui’s children died young. At that time, the only surviving sons were the adult Crown Prince and Prince Chen, along with the three-year-old Prince De.
Prince Chen had committed numerous misdeeds and was reported, leading Emperor Hui to exile him to his fiefdom with no intention of making him the Crown Prince.
Therefore, no matter what, Zhu Xuanyu had to be rescued.
The Northern Barbarians, aware of Zhu Xuanyu’s importance and unwilling to continue fighting, made exorbitant demands for territorial concessions and reparations.
The Great Yin dynasty paid a heavy price to bring Zhu Xuanyu back.
Afterward, Emperor Hui confined Zhu Xuanyu to a detached palace for reflection upon his return from the Northern Barbarians.
Prince Chen was displeased.
He had made mistakes, but hadn’t Zhu Xuanyu erred as well? Zhu Xuanyu’s mistakes were even greater than his own, so why could he remain Crown Prince?
While he, Prince Chen, was forced to retreat to his fiefdom. Naturally, Prince Chen decided to rebel.】
Prince Chen’s face turned ashen, his teeth clenched in fury.
They said he had committed many wrongs, but was the Crown Prince some pure, unblemished white lotus?
Had they forgotten how Princess Shunyang’s child died?
Why could the Crown Prince’s role in the death of Princess Shunyang’s child be brushed aside so lightly, while he was banished to his fiefdom?
Why could the Crown Prince, after causing a military defeat, being captured, and forcing the dynasty to cede territory and pay reparations, still securely occupy the Eastern Palace?
Anyone in Prince Chen’s position would be outraged!
Emperor Hui felt deeply troubled. If he had other sons, would he really want to keep Zhu Xuanyu, this disgraceful creature, as Crown Prince?
Recalling how Zhu Xuanyu’s supporters had attacked Princess Shunyang in court these past few days, Emperor Hui irritably rubbed his temples.
If only he had more sons!
He had toiled diligently, yet his harvest was meager—why was this?
Agitated, he swallowed an elixir to calm himself.
At the Duke Shen residence, Zhu Xuanyi immediately speculated that she must have taken advantage of Prince Chen’s rebellion in the future!
She grew even more focused.
【Due to long-term consumption of elixirs, Emperor Hui’s body was nearly drained, like an oil lamp on the verge of extinction. Upon hearing of Zhu Xuanyu’s defeat at Yunzhou and humiliation by the Northern Barbarians, he was so enraged that he vomited blood and fell unconscious on the spot. From then until his death, he never recovered.】
Emperor Hui, who had just taken an elixir to calm himself: ?!
“Pfft— Cough, cough, cough…!”
He had been brought to the brink of death by consuming elixirs?
But these were elixirs meticulously refined by the immortal masters, meant to prolong life!
Had he been deceived?
He had been deceived!
Without waiting for the Crown Prince’s capture, he was already so furious he could vomit blood. What he had just swallowed was no immortal medicine—it was poison.
Poison was now spreading through his organs, devouring his health and longevity!
Clutching the eunuch’s hand tightly, he snarled, “By our decree, arrest those frauds from the Celestial Master Palace immediately!”
Princess Shunyang sighed softly. She had long advised her father that elixirs should not be consumed, yet the Emperor had insisted, “This is different. You’re still too young to understand…”
Under Emperor Hui’s influence, many court officials had become obsessed with elixirs, and now they looked as if they had swallowed flies—no, worse than swallowing flies!
“Fetch the physicians quickly!”
The physicians chuckled inwardly: They trusted charlatans over us, and now they see the consequences! We’ve heard Princess Shunyang doesn’t believe in elixirs… Well done, Princess! She’s a sensible one.
[Under the pretext of visiting the ill Emperor, Prince Chen secretly brought elite troops into the capital. He believed that the person most likely to obstruct him—Yue Guantang, Princess Shunyang’s husband, who had once controlled five of the ten guards of Luojing—had already left for the northern border to take over defense duties. With the Right Imperial Guards commander being his ally, controlling the palace and obtaining the imperial edict of succession would be straightforward. The ten guards of Luojing wouldn’t pose any significant trouble, making the rebellion much easier.
Folks, this is the arrogance of ancient men—they never took women seriously.
They thought Princess Shunyang’s power came from her father, husband, and maternal grandfather. As for the Princess herself—
What power could a woman possibly possess?
Unfortunately, Prince Chen died too early. Otherwise, he would have regretfully discovered that Yue Guantang wasn’t the biggest obstacle in his plans—Princess Shunyang was.]
The Right Imperial Guards commander: The Sky screen has doomed me!
As the maids in the Duke’s residence served new dishes, Princess Shunyang took a sip of tea.
The Sky screen spoke truly—the arrogance of men.
So self-deluded and conceited, believing women should cling to others like morning glories.
She couldn’t even be bothered to refute them with words.
Even now, Prince Chen or the Crown Prince probably still thought she relied on the Yue family’s influence.
[On the night of May 15th in the 30th year of Emperor Hui’s reign, Prince Chen entered the palace as usual to visit his gravely ill father. He brought news: Crown Prince Zhu Xuanyu had raised troops in rebellion.
Had the Crown Prince really rebelled?
Of course not.
The Crown Prince, with his minor kindnesses and major cowardice, was still reeling from the humiliation of his military defeat when Wang En, the eunuch trusted by Emperor Hui, arrived at the separate palace with the Emperor’s verbal decree.
Wang En told the Crown Prince that Emperor Hui was deeply disappointed in him, losing sleep day and night, regretting the territorial concessions and reparations made to rescue him, and wishing he had never had such a son.
He was to commit suicide.
Historical records note that upon hearing this, the Crown Prince turned pale and staggered. Even though Wang En only conveyed a verbal decree without an imperial edict or written order, the Crown Prince drew his sword and slit his own throat.]
Emperor Hui choked, unable to catch his breath, and staggered. The eunuch hurriedly supported him, wanting to offer comfort but finding no words.
All they heard was Emperor Hui’s furious roar: “Foolish son! If I wanted you dead, why would I have ceded territory and paid reparations to bring you home?!”
Emperor Hui felt as if his heart were being squeezed, suffocating him. The eunuch broke out in a sweat: “Fetch the imperial physician! Fetch the imperial physician at once!”
No imperial edict, no written order—yet he drew his sword and ended his life… The Crown Prince murmured to himself, “Impossible, impossible… How could I?”
He paused.
Would he really not have?
When the sovereign demands his subject’s death, the subject has no choice but to die—especially against the backdrop of his military defeat, capture, and the kingdom’s sacrifices to rescue him.
Consumed by guilt, when the deeply trusted eunuch delivered the verbal decree, he truly went and died.
Princess Shunyang couldn’t help but shake her head. If he was going to die, why not do it when he was captured?
Why wait until after the kingdom had ceded territory and paid reparations to save him, only to then take his own life?
Fortunately, the Sky Screen had forewarned her. This time, she would absolutely not allow such humiliating events like ceding territory and paying reparations to occur again!
Duke Shen gazed at the Sky Screen, thinking, Sheng Mian must be furious to the point of death over the Crown Prince’s actions!
As he expected, Sheng Mian had already fainted from rage. With the help of his servants, he managed to regain consciousness.
[Emperor Hui did not believe the Crown Prince had any intention of rebellion. He knew Prince Chen was deceiving him. He also realized that Prince Chen dared to act this way only because he had the support of the Imperial Guards and certain officials.]
Emperor Hui had recovered his composure. He lamented, “A son does not know his father!”
Emperor Hui closed his eyes in anguish.
The Crown Prince was indeed unfit for great responsibility.
[Unfortunately, confined to his sickbed with a frail body, just as he was racking his brains to find a way out of this predicament, Princess Shunyang arrived. Why had Princess Shunyang come at this moment?
At this point, we must speak again of the woman behind the Sage Ruler—Queen Wang.
Having managed the inner palace for years, Queen Wang had spies everywhere. Prince Chen’s schemes had already been uncovered by her.]
At this moment, the Sky Screen transitioned from static portraits to dynamic scenes.
In the deep of night, a eunuch entered the elegant and ancient Phoenix Palace, bowing his head as he stood: “Prince Chen has taken the Emperor hostage and intends to rebel and usurp the throne.”
Below the Sky Screen, Emperor Hui scanned every eunuch around him.
Who was it?
Who was the one who helped Prince Chen falsely convey the imperial decree?
Who was the one who informed the Queen?
The eunuchs stood with bowed heads, not daring to speak or move.
[Princess Shunyang understood Prince Chen’s ruthlessness. Since he had embarked on this path, both the Crown Prince and even Prince De would inevitably be killed.
A tremendous opportunity had fallen into the hands of Princess Shunyang, who had been planning for a long time.
The Princess ordered the Queen’s lady-in-waiting, Xu Meizhen, to secretly seek out the deputy general of the Left Imperial Guards, Feng Shuo, with a token and handwritten decree. She commanded Feng Shuo to do everything in his power to eliminate the rebel leaders within the Imperial Guards and maintain the stability of the palace. After that, without the slightest hesitation, she bravely stepped out of the Phoenix Palace, taking her first step toward the supreme position.]
The deputy general of the Left Imperial Guards, Feng Shuo, was Princess Shunyang’s person?!
Sheng Mian sighed in despair. If the Princess’s influence had already penetrated the Imperial Guards, what about the Ten Guards of Luojing?
Confined within the sealed-off palace with no way out, Princess Shunyang had not even consulted with her strategists and confidants. She decisively resolved to seize this opportunity.
Such boldness was beyond the Crown Prince and even Emperor Hui.
Princess Shunyang clenched her fists. It wasn’t that simple!
Was it only Feng Shuo?
No. By contacting Feng Shuo, who would control the palace, he would surely relay the message to the Yue family’s influence within the Ten Guards of Luojing—the Princess’s faction—enabling swift action to help the Princess maintain stability in Luojing.
At this moment, stability was of utmost importance.
The most critical element in a rebellion was the ringleader.
To see Emperor Hui, Lin Zhitong should not have been able to penetrate the inner chambers. So who killed Prince Chen?
It was herself!
No!
She would not kill him, only severely injure him.
[Prince Chen kept Emperor Hui under strict surveillance. Princess Shunyang’s ability to see the Emperor was thanks to Prince Chen’s underestimation of women. If it had been the Crown Prince or other officials, Prince Chen would not have allowed them entry.
But Princess Shunyang could.
Princess Shunyang was a woman, not a competitor for the throne.
Now that the Crown Prince was dead, it was convenient to have Princess Shunyang, Emperor Hui’s most beloved child, persuade him to pass the throne to Prince Chen.]
Countless people sighed in sorrow, countless others sneered in ridicule.
Who told Prince Chen to underestimate women?
【Princess Shunyang entered. Emperor Hui wrote in Princess Shunyang’s palm: Prince Chen rebels, summon the Crown Prince.
Princess Shunyang asked Emperor Hui, “Kill?”
Emperor Hui nodded.
Thus, in the inner hall where only Emperor Hui, Princess Shunyang, and Prince Chen were present, Princess Shunyang approached Prince Chen, pretending to discuss with him, yet swiftly drew the dagger concealed in her wide sleeve and plunged it into Prince Chen’s abdomen. Afterwards, Emperor Hui summoned ministers overnight and proclaimed the imperial edict to pass the throne to Princess Shunyang.】
Indeed.
Princess Shunyang’s tense heart relaxed.
The person who understood her best was herself.
How could she possibly kill Prince Chen?
Regardless of whether Prince Chen rebelled or not, killing him would be detrimental to her great cause.
Severely wounding Prince Chen would suffice.
Compared to Princess Shunyang’s calmness, more people were stunned.
The Princess actually acted with her own hands?!
Some wondered, if it were the Crown Prince, would he have done it?
The Crown Prince would probably first reason with righteousness? Then order someone else to act?
He probably wouldn’t have acted personally.
Emperor Hui gazed at the bloody knife embedded in Prince Chen’s abdomen on the sky screen—after Prince Chen was severely wounded, was the throne directly passed to Princess Shunyang? How could it be that simple?
Would that knife also be pressed against his own body?
【What did the Princess say to Emperor Hui? The “Book of Yin” does not record it in detail. However, the unofficial history “Zhaowen Chronicles” contains an account.
Below, let us appreciate this video segment thoroughly researched from official and unofficial histories like the “History of Yin” and “Zhaowen Chronicles,” and experience the dialogue between father and daughter in the emperor’s bedchamber on the night of the palace coup.】
Everyone looked solemn as the sky screen displayed moving images again.
The brightly lit bedchamber showed the emperor lying weakly on the bed, appearing utterly exhausted.
“Summon the Crown Prince to the palace.”
The young and healthy Princess stood by the lamplight, her calm face radiant.
“The Crown Prince has been forced to commit suicide by Prince Chen.”
Emperor Hui, half-reclining on soft cushions, suddenly straightened up, his eyes blazing with disbelief. “Wh-what?”
“The Crown Prince has been forced to commit suicide by Prince Chen.”
Princess Shunyang repeated, stating coldly and emotionlessly.
Emperor Hui stared blankly—yes, since Prince Chen intended to rebel and usurp the throne, how could he let the Crown Prince live?
“Xuanyu, oh Xuanyu!”
Emperor Hui collapsed on the bed, weeping bitterly.
Below the sky screen, Zhu Xuanyu turned pale. He had failed his father’s trust; he had wronged the Great Yin.
On the sky screen, amidst the brilliant lamplight, Princess Shunyang’s eyes glistened with moisture.
Seeing this, Lu Fengqiu couldn’t help but sigh softly. Faced with her elderly father’s grief-stricken cries, even the Princess, full of ambition, couldn’t help but feel sorrow.
Emperor Hui barely suppressed his inner sorrow and said, “Summon—Prince De and the ministers.””
But Princess Shunyang remained silent.
Emperor Hui trembled, his voice shaking. “Could it be that Prince De also…”
“Father, since Brother Prince Chen has taken this path, how could he spare the lives of the Crown Prince and Prince De?”
The Crown Prince, Prince Chen, and Prince De were Emperor Hui’s only three sons.
With the Crown Prince and Prince De dead, was he to appoint the rebellious Prince Chen?
Was Heaven determined to end his lineage?
Emperor Hui was deeply shaken. He didn’t notice Princess Shunyang bringing brush, ink, and the imperial edict paper. When he regained his senses, he heard Princess Shunyang say, “I beg Father to pass the throne to me.”