Chapter 247

Chapter 247

Fan Mansion.

With the outbreak of war in Hezhou, Pan Yuerou was probably the happiest person in the capital, as it proved that her father, Pan Yong, would have been a better choice as the commander of Hezhou than Wang Dingxian.

"What did the Emperor say?" Pan Yuerou asked tentatively.

"The Emperor is mobilizing troops and generals. What else could he do?" Fan Zhao replied.

"Which general did the Emperor send?"

"Qi Heng and Zhao Jin."

Seeing Pan Yuerou's stunned expression and the disappointment that quickly followed, Fan Zhao reacted and sneered, "The Emperor just transferred your father away. If he's sent back as soon as something happens, where does that leave the Emperor's dignity?"

"Come to think of it, the Emperor's reasoning makes sense. Although Wang Dingxian is incompetent, he is currently leading the troops in battle, so it's not advisable to replace him at this moment. Anyway, with Qi Heng and Zhao Jin leading reinforcements, and the two skilled generals dispatched by Feng Guogong and Xie Jian, the Ling Kingdom will be forced to retreat once our forces are sufficient. Moreover, that Huang fellow won't last much longer."

"Don't worry. The Emperor has ordered Xie Jian and your father to advance into the Ling Kingdom, which will force them to pull back their troops from the eastern front. If your father can capture one or two cities, he'll be credited with a great achievement. Once the war is over, I'll persuade the Emperor to transfer your father back to Hezhou."

This was the punishment Fan Zhao intended for Wang Dingxian under the Xianqing Emperor's rule. Even if Wang Dingxian isn't dismissed, he will be sent back to his original post.

The Great Yu was established by the late emperor, and Fan Zhao would not allow anyone to ruin the foundation left by the late emperor. The young Emperor was easily swayed by the Wang family, but Fan Zhao would remind him constantly.

"What if the Emperor still insists on favoring Wang Dingxian?" Pan Yuerou worriedly asked.

"Impossible," Fan Zhao replied. "After suffering a setback once, the Emperor would not risk making the same mistake again."

---

The Second Chancellor was responsible for managing supplies and logistics. After the initial tension, the tranquility of Luoyang allowed the Xianqing Emperor to relax again.

In the scorching heat of June, the cicadas' noise was so irritating that the Xianqing Emperor, after enduring it for a while, finally pushed a stack of memorials aside and asked the nearby Liu Gonggong and Chang Gonggong, "Is there any way to avoid the heat in the palace?"

Liu Gonggong, a retainer left behind by the late emperor, was just over forty years old, familiar with palace affairs, dignified, and steady. Upon hearing this, he said, "Shall this old servant have someone bring another block of ice from the imperial ice storage?"

The Xianqing Emperor shook his head. "I'm tired; I want to rest in a cool place."

Liu Gonggong understood. The young Emperor seemed restless and was looking for a way to amuse himself.

While there were many ways to amuse himself, such activities were not befitting a wise ruler, especially with battles ongoing on two fronts. The Emperor could be willful, but they shouldn't help him come up with ideas.

Liu Gonggong pretended not to know.

The Xianqing Emperor then looked at Chang Gonggong, who was around the same age.

Chang Gonggong thought that the more comfortably he served the Emperor, the more likely he would be given Liu Gonggong's position, making him the top eunuch in the palace.

Thus, Chang Gonggong suggested, "Your Majesty, the waters of Qu Pool are vast and it's the coolest place in the palace during the hot summer. The late emperor also accompanied the Empress Dowager to reside in the Liyu Pavilion by Qu Pool to escape the heat. Since Your Majesty has been handling state affairs all day, how about rowing on Qu Pool to rest and then continue reviewing the memorials?"

The Xianqing Emperor smiled. "Alright, let's go to Qu Pool. Arrange the imperial carriage and the imperial barge immediately."

Chang Gonggong bowed and quietly withdrew.

Liu Gonggong then advised, "Your Majesty, there is ongoing warfare in Qingzhou and Liangzhou. If you go boating at Qu Pool at this time, it may tarnish your virtuous reputation."

The Xianqing Emperor looked at him and said, "I'm just going there to cool off a bit; it won't interfere with much of the state affairs. Do you really think staying cooped up in the imperial study will help the troops end the war any faster?"

He knew very well that many noble families in the capital had gardens and pools in their mansions. So, why should officials be allowed to enjoy themselves at home, while he, as the emperor, had to leave the large Qu Pool unused and let such a resource go to waste?

Disregarding Liu Gonggong's advice, the Xianqing Emperor soon left, accompanied by Chang Gonggong and a few young eunuchs, with four Imperial Guards accompanying him.

There were still a few guards outside the imperial study. Considering that Qu Pool had a lot of water, and where there was water, there was a danger of falling in, one of the guards thought carefully and decided to report the matter to Fan Zhao, the Commander of the Imperial Guard.

Fan Zhao was inspecting several camps inside the city outside the palace. The 20,000-strong Imperial Guard in the city mostly consisted of troops who had followed Fan Zhao from Jizhou, and they were loyal to the late emperor. They also held great respect for generals from the Jizhou faction like Feng and Lu, especially Fan Zhao, who had been in command of them for five years.

The Imperial Guard was responsible for the security of the eight major outer gates of Luoyang and several palace gates. It was a relatively peaceful duty, but also very important. Fan Zhao had always been diligent and never slackened in training the Imperial Guard.

Though the 20,000 Imperial Guards hadn't seen battle in five years, they were now the most elite troops in the capital.

After completing his duties outside, Fan Zhao returned to his duty room within the palace. By this time, the Xianqing Emperor had already been enjoying himself at Qu Pool for an hour.

Fan Zhao had only received the message passed on by the guard.

This was the first time the Xianqing Emperor had engaged in leisure activities in the palace since the period of national mourning had ended.

Fan Zhao didn't take it to heart. The young emperor, just over twenty, had been busy for three months; it was fine for him to relax a bit.

Over the next half month, the Xianqing Emperor went there several more times. Especially after receiving reports that Qi Heng's reinforcements had arrived in Huaibei, and begun to push back the Qingzhou army, the emperor was so pleased that he moved to the Ruyi Palace at Qu Pool, only holding court meetings. Ministers who wanted to see him had to take a boat to the Ruyi Palace.

Fan Zhao finally realized something was wrong. He knew he wasn't good with words and could easily anger the emperor, so he asked Wei Qi and Song Lan to advise the emperor instead.

The Second Chancellor had already tried to persuade him, but the Xianqing Emperor only said he would move back to Qianyuan Palace once the hot season ended.

Wei Qi brought up examples of previous corrupt emperors who had led to the downfall of their dynasties. The emperor still argued confidently, "I am staying at the Ruyi Palace to better handle state affairs. I review and approve the memorials every day. How can you compare me to those corrupt emperors of the previous dynasty?"

Wei Qi said, "It is easy to become accustomed to luxury from frugality, but difficult to return to frugality from luxury. Right now, Your Majesty can still control your desires and diligently attend to state affairs, but after some time, you will find reviewing memorials tedious and boring, and boating and playing will seem much more enjoyable."

The Xianqing Emperor angrily said, "Bold! I know what I am doing. There is no need for you to scare me with such talk. Leave!"

Seeing this, Song Lan decided not to risk further offending the emperor with more difficult advice.

After waiting a few days and seeing that the emperor had not moved back, Fan Zhao guessed that the words of the two chancellors had been ineffective again, and his patience had reached its limit.

That morning, Fan Zhao came to the shore of Qu Pool, where eunuchs and boatmen were waiting with a boat.

Fan Zhao stepped onto the boat.

The eunuch poling the boat said, "Commander Fan, the boat is moving slowly. Why don't you sit down and rest for a while?"

Fan Zhao glanced at him and said, "No need. Just tell me, what does His Majesty do here every day?"

The young eunuch, knowing how to speak appropriately, smiled and said, "He reads and reviews memorials, listens to lectures from the Hanlin scholars, and when he's tired, takes a tour around the lake to refresh his mind."

Hearing this, Fan Zhao felt somewhat relieved. Although the emperor was a bit delicate and couldn't stand the summer heat in the palace, as long as he wasn't neglecting his duties, Fan Zhao wouldn't be as strict with him as he was with his troops.

There were many small islands on Qu Pool, and the main island in the center of the pool was called Ruyi Island. The palace on the island was also called the Ruyi Palace.

As the boat approached the dock of Ruyi Island, Fan Zhao suddenly caught sight of a shifty-eyed, round-faced young eunuch. Seeing him, the young eunuch turned and ran inside, like a lackey left outside to keep watch while his master did something wrong.

Fan Zhao thought, if His Majesty were truly reading and reviewing memorials, why would he need someone to keep watch?

With that thought, Fan Zhao grabbed a nearby oar and hurled it toward the eunuch like a thrown weapon.

Fan Zhao was incredibly strong and accurate, with both strength and precision, and with one oar, he knocked the small eunuch to the ground. The eunuch struggled to get up, and the two Imperial Guards standing nearby, guessing that General Fan had questions for him, immediately seized and held him down.

Moments later, Fan Zhao jumped ashore and demanded of the eunuch, "Why did you run when you saw me?"

The eunuch, too afraid to look up, stammered, "Your Excellency rarely visits, so I thought the Emperor might want to greet you personally."

Fan Zhao laughed coldly, "What a smooth talker. Just wait."

After saying this, he called over another eunuch and ordered him to lead the way.

The eunuch, trembling in fear, silently led the way to the Liuli Palace.

The Liuli Palace was the main structure on the island, surrounded by other buildings.

Fan Zhao arrived at the Liuli Palace to find a desk cluttered with memorials, but the Xianqing Emperor was not there.

Any palace servants who tried to slip away to report the news were all captured by Fan Zhao's guards.

These guards were under Fan Zhao’s command, but the Xianqing Emperor had ordered them to remain outside, so they couldn’t enter without permission and had no idea where the emperor was or what he was doing.

Fan Zhao continued to interrogate nervous-looking eunuchs and made them lead the way, with two guards following behind him.

After winding through the corridors for over ten minutes, they arrived at an unassuming courtyard.

There was only one small eunuch outside the courtyard, and when he saw Fan Zhao draw his sword in threat, the eunuch immediately knelt on the ground.

Fan Zhao left the two guards behind and entered alone.

The courtyard was elegantly adorned with flowers and plants, and in the middle stood three rooms with closed doors and windows.

Fan Zhao first approached the door of the main room and, peeking through a crack, saw Chang Gonggong crouched in front of the east room, staring intently at something.

Fan Zhao then moved to the window of the east room and, hearing the sound of giggling inside, pressed a small hole in the window paper.

The Xianqing Emperor was indeed inside, and the spacious, dim room was scattered with seven beautiful women.

The emperor's eyes were covered with a black silk cloth, and he was playing a game of blind man's bluff with the beauties.

Fan Zhao had played this game as a child, but back then, everyone had been clothed, unlike these seven women.

Fan Zhao was a man with his own desires, but at that moment, he had no interest in the women. His face was filled with anger as he glared at the Xianqing Emperor.

The room was not very large, and soon the emperor caught one of the women. He didn’t pause to touch her face or hair.

The woman, shyly, wrapped her arms around the emperor's neck.

With his eyes still covered, the Xianqing Emperor pushed the woman against the wall and began his "business."

Fan Zhao turned away from the window and looked up at the sky.

The summer sky was a brilliant blue, but near the blazing sun, the air shimmered with heat.

Fan Zhao stood there, looking up and listening.

If the late emperor could see this, he would probably be furious enough to explode.

As the lewd smile of Chang Gonggong appeared in his mind, Fan Zhao understood everything.

Perhaps the emperor hadn't intended to be a negligent ruler, but he was surrounded by too many traitors and corrupt officials.

The sounds from inside stopped after a while.

Figuring that the Xianqing Emperor had already dressed, Fan Zhao suddenly kicked open the door to the main room.

Chang Gonggong was still peeping and was almost scared out of his mind by the sudden kick. When he saw Fan Zhao looming like a specter in the doorway, a chill ran down his spine.

"What's going on?" called out the Xianqing Emperor's panicked voice from inside.

Chang Gonggong was terrified of Fan Zhao and frantically pounded on the door. "Your Majesty, Commander Fan is here. Please open the door quickly!"

Xianqing Emperor: "..."

He didn’t want to open it.

Fan Zhao didn’t need him to open it. He grabbed Chang Gonggong's thin neck and asked through the door, "Your Majesty, was this your idea, or did Chang Gonggong lead you astray?"

Inside, the Xianqing Emperor's face was flushed red.

Since childhood, he had been taught the virtues of a gentleman, and he knew better than anyone how disgraceful his actions were today. That’s why he had come in secret, but he was caught by Fan Zhao after only three rounds of the game. Could he confess that this was his doing?

The Xianqing Emperor couldn’t, and Chang Gonggong couldn’t let the emperor take the blame for him either. Gripping Fan Zhao's iron-hard arm with both hands, Chang Gonggong said, "It's this servant, Your Majesty. This servant was bewitched and acted recklessly. Please spare my life, Commander Fan. I will never dare again!"

Fan Zhao: "So, you admit your guilt?"

Chang Gonggong's feet were almost off the ground as he hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes, I admit it!"

Fan Zhao: "You lured the emperor here. Who else in the palace knows about this? Tell me their names one by one."

Chang Gonggong: "Not many, only five including myself!"

He obediently listed their names.

Fan Zhao ordered the guards waiting outside to bring the other four young eunuchs over.

Once they were all there, Fan Zhao ordered the guards to leave and, glancing at the five bound and gagged eunuchs, he spoke to the Xianqing Emperor inside the room, "Your Majesty, I will not spread word of today's incident and tarnish your reputation, but I can't guarantee that these petty men won't gossip. In my opinion, I should eliminate them to prevent any leaks and set an example. What do you think, Your Majesty?"

Xianqing Emperor: "..."

Fan Zhao: "Or does Your Majesty believe that you have been corrupted by them and think that today's actions do not count as those of a tyrannical and debauched ruler?"

Xianqing Emperor: "...No, they have deceived me because of my youth. Their crime is... unforgivable."

Fan Zhao: "Very well, I will now execute them."

Drawing his saber, Fan Zhao positioned himself behind the five eunuchs, ensuring he wouldn’t get blood on himself, and swung his blade five times in quick succession.

The Xianqing Emperor and the seven beauties heard the chilling sound of bone being severed five times, followed by the rolling of heads on the ground.

The Xianqing Emperor was the first to retch.

Fan Zhao knocked on the door. "Your Majesty, it's time to review the memorials."

The Xianqing Emperor vomited a few more times before replying weakly, "You... clean up outside first."

Fan Zhao: "You should go out first. If I tell others that they attempted to harm Your Majesty, and the guards come in now, it might raise suspicion."

The Xianqing Emperor could not refute and could only tremblingly open the door.

The late emperor had witnessed countless soldiers die on the battlefield, but the Xianqing Emperor had rarely seen such bloodshed. The last time was when Fan Zhao brought two severed heads to him and his father after executing the men in Jizhou.

The door creaked open, and the Xianqing Emperor, his eyes shielded by black silk, hesitantly shuffled towards the door. Even so, he still caught a glimpse of something blood-red.

The Xianqing Emperor, who had just rushed out of the main hall, began retching once more.

At that moment, cries and screams erupted from the east room, mixed with calls for "Your Majesty" and "Help."

The Xianqing Emperor looked over in disbelief.

With a splash, it was unclear which concubine’s blood had splattered onto the window paper.

The woman who had just been beneath him, captivating him with her allure, was now dead.

The next moment, Fan Zhao emerged, sheathing his blood-stained blade as he looked up at the Xianqing Emperor.

The Xianqing Emperor, both fearful and angry, demanded, "Why did you kill them? They were innocent!"

Fan Zhao remained expressionless. "Anyone who misleads the emperor, regardless of gender, must die."

The Xianqing Emperor trembled all over.

Fan Zhao said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, apart from you and me, no third person will ever know of this."

The Xianqing Emperor averted his gaze, only to be met with the sight of a bloodied head inside the main hall—the dead, wide-eyed Chang Gonggong.

The Xianqing Emperor swayed.

Fan Zhao supported him, and seeing that the emperor’s legs were too weak to hold him up, simply carried him on his back.

Physically and mentally devastated, the Xianqing Emperor’s face turned pale. He attempted to resist a few times but ultimately gave in, resigning himself to lying on Fan Zhao's back. He occasionally dry heaved, recalling the horrors of the palace. Compared to this, the fleeting moments of pleasure with the women felt like a fleeting dream, nothing more than an illusion.

Fan Zhao carried him all the way back to the boat, where the two of them, emperor and subject, sat facing each other.

The Xianqing Emperor closed his eyes, trying to block out the horror.

Fan Zhao looked around at the pool and smiled, asking, "Does Your Majesty know why the Qu Pool is so cool?"

The Xianqing Emperor remained silent.

Fan Zhao replied, "Water is associated with yin energy. The spirits of the concubines, eunuchs, and palace maids who were unjustly killed during the reign of the previous emperor have gathered here, creating an eerie chill."

The Xianqing Emperor said nothing.

Fan Zhao spoke again, "Your Majesty, you are not well. It would be wise to visit this place less frequently."