Chapter 253

Chapter 253

Every time there is good news from the battlefield, there is also a letter home.

This time, each letter Xiao Zhen wrote to Tong Sui during his campaign consisted of six to seven pages, and Tong Sui would reply with a similar length, appearing as a couple deeply in love.

In reality, this was to facilitate the conveyance of messages. Fewer lines might not provide enough space to hide secret messages, and a sudden increase in thickness could raise suspicion.

With the crisis in the capital city, Xiao Zhen's secret message was very short. He asked if Tong Sui was safe in the capital and then described his pursuit of Lu Sheng, mentioning his admiration for Zhao Liangchen, his comments on the surrendered generals of the Liangzhou army, and his depiction of the summer and autumn scenery of Liangzhou. As expected of the well-read Second Master of the Xiao Family, his descriptions of the scenery were vivid and engaging.

Tong Sui carefully pondered Xiao Zhen's intentions.

Xiao Zhen was not someone who would easily admire others, as he was quite formidable himself, and his family had an exceptionally wise elder. When alone with his wife, Xiao Zhen rarely expressed admiration for the late emperor, so for him to admire Zhao Liangchen, who had less battle merit and prestige than the late emperor, was significant.

Therefore, Xiao Zhen was telling her that he had formed a good relationship with Zhao Liangchen.

The news of the Wang Family's extermination of nine clans must have reached Liangzhou by now, and Xiao Zhen should have guessed that Fan Zhao had already suppressed the Xianqing Emperor and seized power.

But could Xiao Zhen have predicted that the Xianqing Emperor had recently taken to his bed?

This was an outcome that even Tong Sui did not foresee when she chose to save Fan Zhao from the Wang Family.

It seemed that those who wanted to poison Fan Zhao were not only the Wang Family but also the Xianqing Emperor, who was the mastermind and had been discovered by Fan Zhao.

Wei Qi and Lu Gong had Fan Zhao's people following them from the residence to the palace, and the visit of Old Lady Lu to the Fan Family ended in a quarrel. All of this indicated that they did not approve of Fan Zhao's oppression of the Xianqing Emperor, but as a civil prime minister, Wei Qi, and Lu Gong, whose army was trapped outside the city walls, were powerless against Fan Zhao.

Fan Zhao was aiming to usurp the throne, so the capital city remained under martial law, with strict searches of people and merchants entering and leaving the two main city gates.

To usurp the throne, he had to be prepared for opposition from other generals.

Fan Zhao did not restrict Lu Gong from leaving the city, indicating he did not wish to become enemies with him. Presumably, Lu Gong and Feng Ji, the key generals of the Jizhou faction, felt the same way about Fan Zhao.

Tong Sui considered the various generals and concluded that the Xiao Family and the Qi Family were the ones Fan Zhao needed to be wary of.

Only if the Xiao and Qi Families surrendered the military power of the Southern and Western Camps could Fan Zhao feel completely at ease.

In the best scenario, Fan Zhao wanted only the military power and not their lives, and would allow the two families to return to Weixian and Shuozhou to farm or engage in other peaceful activities.

In the worst scenario, if the generals of both families were dead, they would not be able to rise again to seek revenge on Fan Zhao.

But what gave him the right to strip the two families of the glory and prosperity they had earned through countless battles, simply because he was seen as the late emperor's second son?

Both in public and in private, Tong Sui refused to remain passive.

After pacing slowly in the study and carefully choosing her words, Tong Sui sat back at her desk and began to write her reply to Xiao Zhen.

Amidst the household matters and the longing for her long-absent loved one, she hid three new secret messages:

"The emperor is hard to meet, the chest needs food, and the gates are strictly guarded.

Wait for your return, the emperor will provide but not fairly, and I will act as an inside contact.

Do not forget the hope of Hanjiang."

In the evening, Tong Sui went to the Duke's residence to review the family letters that Madam He, Xiao Yuchan, and Lin Ningfang were to send out the next day.

Madam He asked suspiciously, "Why are you looking at this?"

Even though her letters to her two sons were not as affectionate as those to her husband, it was unusual for her niece-in-law to make such a request.

Tong Sui said, "I have my reasons. Second Aunt, please don't ask too much. I've also read Fourth Younger Brother's wife's letter."

Xiao Shouyi said to his wife, "If I tell you to hand it over, you hand it over. Are you hiding something?"

Lin Ningfang was the first to cooperate, and Xiao Yuchan also retrieved the letter she had written to Fifth Younger Brother. Seeing this, Madam He had no choice but to comply.

Lin Ningfang's letter was concise, only one page, almost entirely about Huai Zu.

In her letter, Madam He complained that her daughter-in-law had been strict with her lately, even forbidding her from going out.

Xiao Yuchan's letter mainly reminded Fifth Younger Brother to bring her more gifts from the border.

Tong Sui said to Xiao Shouyi, "Second Uncle, could you ask Second Aunt to remove this part and rewrite the rest?"

Being a general, Xiao Shouyi understood the situation immediately and, without hesitation, took his wife back to their room to rewrite the letter.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, couriers came to the general's residence to collect the family letters. After collecting them, they would wait outside the palace to deliver imperial orders to the outskirts of the city.

Normally, the relevant officials would hand over the imperial orders directly to him, but today, an imperial guard led him inside and finally stopped in front of a duty room.

"Are all the family letters to be sent here?"

The guard rudely took the courier's leather bag and asked.

The courier, not daring to resist, nodded nervously.

The guard took the leather bag inside.

A stack of a dozen family letters lay spread out before Fan Zhao.

Fan Zhao first opened Tong Sui's letter and saw the first sentence: "Finally, the battle is over, all thanks to the late emperor's protection!"

Fan Zhao felt a sharp pang of grief.

Lv Sheng's defeat had come so quickly, indeed due to the blessings left by the late emperor. Without the late emperor's prestige, the Liangzhou army would not have surrendered one after another.

Suppressing his nostalgia for the late emperor, Fan Zhao continued reading. The letter was seven pages long, and after reading it three times, he found nothing unusual. When he read the parts where Tong Sui expressed her longing for Xiao Zhen, Fan Zhao sneered a few times, thinking that the so-called Lady Anguo was not much different from an ordinary woman missing her husband, except that she had learned archery well.

After finishing Tong Sui's letter, Fan Zhao continued to open the others, checking them all. He then instructed a clerk he had brought with him to restore the envelopes to their original state, making sure no one could tell they had been opened.

Once everything was done, Fan Zhao ordered the guard to find another courier to deliver the letters and gave the original courier some reward money while keeping him under temporary custody.

——

The courier raced at breakneck speed, arriving in Chang'an on the morning of September 19th. Yuan Loushan received the order to appoint him as the Liangzhou garrison commander. After making a simple arrangement, he set off with a few of his personal soldiers, planning to send for his family to join him in Liangzhou once he was settled.

Changing horses at various post stations along the way, the dusty group finally arrived in Liangzhou on the morning of the 23rd.

After catching up, Zhao Liangchen said to Xiao Zhen, "We shouldn't wish for war, but if it comes, I'd be honored to fight alongside you, General."

Zhao Liangchen laughed heartily. A few years ago, he hadn't given Xiao Zhen and his grandfather much thought. Now, he saw Xiao Zhen as a true hero, a man worth knowing.

After reorganizing the troops, Zhao Liangchen saluted Xiao Zhen, Yuan Loushan, Luo Xiao, and Xiao Yan, along with the other brave generals, before riding off gracefully.

After seeing off his colleagues, Yuan Loushan went to rest and recuperate. Xiao Zhen returned to the main tent with a letter from Tong Sui.

When he started to open the letter, Xiao Zhen hesitated, then retrieved the previous letters Tong Sui had sent for comparison. He noticed that the sealing wax on this one was slightly larger than before.

After opening it, Xiao Zhen brought the opening close to his nose and detected a faint smell of wine.

In the past, Tong Sui's letters always carried the scent of the facial cream she used on her hands.

Have things really come to this?

The image of Fan Zhao, with his bold drinking posture and the dirt under his nails, appeared in Xiao Zhen's mind. His face became as cold and still as water.

The next day, the army began its return journey.

In case of emergency, cavalry units can travel up to two hundred miles a day. However, Xiao Zhen did not order an urgent march. Acting as if oblivious to the crisis in the capital, he maintained a normal pace, covering only 150 miles a day and resting for two days.

On the seventh day of the tenth month, nearly fifty thousand cavalry from the Southern Camp arrived outside Chang'an city. Although the Liangzhou army had surrendered quickly and had little combat effectiveness, the Southern Camp still lost several thousand troops during this campaign.

Luo Xiao was set to take command of Chang'an.

As Luo Xiao rode alongside him for a bit longer, he said bitterly, "I wonder what the capital city is like now."

Lu Gong, Wei Qi, and Fan Zhao had all written to him. Although the wording differed, and some parts of the letters had been crossed out, they all conveyed the same message: to prioritize the bigger picture and guard Chang'an well. Fan Zhao had specifically added that Luo Xiao should not return to the capital with his troops without a direct order.

Luo Xiao believed that Xiao Zhen must have received news of the capital's upheaval as well.

Xiao Zhen only smiled, whether he did not understand Luo Xiao's implication or did not know how to respond.

Having become quite familiar with Xiao Zhen's temperament, after a brief silent exchange, Luo Xiao bowed to Xiao Zhen and said, "Whether you believe me or not, for the sake of the people, I hope your return to the capital is smooth."

Fan Zhao was a fierce general, but certainly not cut out to be a capable ruler.

Xiao Zhen looked somewhat surprised, but his smile grew more sincere. He bowed in return and said, "I will take your good wishes, Brother Luo."

After that, he turned his horse around and returned to the Southern Camp.

At this point, Xiao Zhen's army was only five or six days' journey away from Luoyang city.

——

Two days earlier, on the fifth day of the tenth month, in Luoyang, at the imperial palace.

Every morning, Wei Qi visited the Qianyuan Hall to check on the Xianqing Emperor.

This time, as he approached the hall, he heard Fan Zhao's suppressed shout from inside, "What do you mean he's not getting any better? Didn't I order you to stop the medication days ago?"

Startled, Wei Qi was announced by a guard just as he heard Fan Zhao's words.

Wei Qi kept his composure and continued walking, pretending not to have heard the outburst. As he entered, two imperial physicians came out, sweating profusely.

Wei Qi stopped and asked with a concerned expression, "Why do you both look like this? Has the Emperor's health deteriorated again?"

One of the imperial physicians hurriedly said, "No, Wei Xiang worries too much. His Majesty's health is showing signs of improvement. He even ate half a bowl more of soup just now."

The other chimed in, "Yes, yes."

Wei Qi smiled, visibly relieved.

Upon entering the inner chamber, Fan Zhao also wore a pleased expression, while only the Xianqing Emperor remained unconscious on the bed.

Fan Zhao said happily, "If Prime Minister Wei had arrived a little earlier, you could have kept the Emperor company and chatted with him."

Wei Qi, still cold toward him, replied, "If you stay away from the Emperor, His Majesty would recover faster."

Used to this, Fan Zhao did not respond to the remark.

Wei Qi carefully observed the Xianqing Emperor for a moment, then shook his head and, filled with disappointment, said to Fan Zhao, "Once the Emperor recovers this time, you should quickly return to Jizhou, so you don’t provoke His Majesty again. His Majesty can't tolerate you either."

Fan Zhao lowered his eyes and said, "I know. I don’t want to stay here and be a nuisance to you all."

Wei Qi continued, "In about ten days, the Southern Camp army will arrive, and Qi Heng’s forces will return. How long do you plan to keep the capital under martial law?"

Fan Zhao replied, "We have to wait until the Emperor recovers. In his current condition, I really can't feel at ease."

Wei Qi nodded and, as usual, scolded Fan Zhao a few more times before heading to the Council of State to review some documents.

As soon as he left, Fan Zhao's expression turned somber, and he frowned as he looked at the Xianqing Emperor on the bed.

To take back military control from the Xiao Family and the Qi family, he needed to use the Emperor's authority as a pretext. Therefore, the Emperor had to stay alive to serve as a puppet. Once everything was settled, he would have the critically ill Xianqing Emperor issue an imperial decree for succession. By then, even if people questioned the decree’s authenticity, as long as the border generals backed him, he could dismiss any scholarly debates as irrelevant.

On the evening of October 8th, Wei Qi, sitting at his desk reviewing documents, suddenly cried out in pain.

Song Lan and several officials turned to look at him.

Wei Qi winced, clutching his shoulder.

Wei Qi had an old problem with shoulder pain. Some advised him to go home and rest, while others suggested he see the imperial physician.

Wei Qi said, "The imperial physician won’t do any good. I need to go to the North Market."

Song Lan knew that Wei Qi often visited Zhou Jingchun, but at this critical moment when Xiao Zhen was about to return to the capital, was Wei Qi really going just for acupuncture?

Either way, it was not something he should get involved in.

Before Wei Qi even left the palace, Fan Zhao had already received the news. After some thought, he said, "Send someone to follow him. Keep an eye on him during the acupuncture session. If Prime Minister Wei makes any unusual moves, take both of them down."

"Yes, sir!"

In a carriage, Wei Qi soon arrived at the North Market. When he saw that Fan Zhao's arranged "bodyguard" actually intended to follow him into the treatment room, Wei Qi's face flushed with anger, but he restrained himself from exploding.

Zhou Jingchun asked curiously, "What's this about?"

Wei Qi, rubbing his shoulder, said, "My bodyguard wants to come in and learn a thing or two."

Zhou Jingchun smiled, pointed to a stool nearby, and invited the bodyguard to sit, all the while casually helping Wei Qi undress.

In the brief moment of overlapping shadows, Wei Qi slipped a small paper wad into his hand.

Zhou Jingchun sneezed.

Wei Qi teased him, "You’re an old doctor, and you’re still catching colds?"

Zhou Jingchun, tossing Wei Qi's outer robe to the bodyguard, said with a wry smile, "Even doctors get sick as they age."

He then proceeded to massage Wei Qi before beginning the acupuncture.

The bodyguard watched closely, ensuring there was no unusual contact between them and no strange words were spoken. After the session, he escorted Wei Qi back to his residence and then returned to the palace to report to Fan Zhao.

The more critical the situation, the more cautious Fan Zhao became. "Send someone to keep an eye on the Zhou family. If anyone from the Zhou family goes to the Xiao family, report it immediately. Also, arrange some covert guards around the streets near the Xiao family. Even if it's just a vendor lingering by their walls, report it."

The guard accepted the order.

Two days later, on October 10th, the guard found Fan Zhao in the Qianyuan Hall and whispered, "Lord, it seems that Lady Anguo is unwell. Just now, a maid rushed to the north market to fetch Doctor Zhou."

The Xiao family contacted Doctor Zhou first?

After a moment of recollection, Fan Zhao remembered that Xiao Zhen had reported good news in front of the late emperor in early March. Calculating the time, Tong Sui would be due next month, so it was no wonder she was experiencing issues while heavily pregnant.

"I understand. Keep watching."

At the Marquis’s residence, Zhou Jingchun first checked his granddaughter's pulse to ensure she was truly fine before secretly slipping the paper note from Wei Qi inside his sleeve, so discreetly that even Liu Chu didn't notice.

Only he knew about this arrangement. If his granddaughter hadn't asked him to come, he would have sent his daughter-in-law to visit his granddaughter today anyway.

Tong Sui let her grandfather rest first, then went to her room to examine the paper note. She was taking a gamble, just in case Wei Qi had something important to convey through her grandfather.

The paper note contained only four characters: "Not long for this world."

Tong Sui clenched the paper note tightly.

Shortly after, she also slipped a paper note to her grandfather, instructing him, "This afternoon, a person riding a donkey will come to the clinic. If he says the donkey has a sore shoulder, give him this."

This was the pre-arranged signal with her covert agent. If someone was watching the Marquis’s residence, then whoever she met, the covert agent would go find that person instead.

That night, a shadowy figure scaled the wall into the Chancellor’s residence and quietly made its way to Wei Qi's window. The figure tore through the window paper and tossed something inside.

Wei Qi, startled awake by the noise, lit a lamp to find an extra shoe on the floor. Inside the shoe's fabric was a note, along with a small drawing of a donkey.

Wei Qi: "..."

He knew that, apart from Tong Sui, no one else would have been watching the Wang family closely enough to uncover their secret of buying poison.

From Xiao Mu to Xiao Zhen and his wife, none of them were simple!

The note contained just one sentence: "In case of death, a night fire will signal the move."

Wei Qi's right hand trembled slightly as he burned the letter.

At this point, either Xiao Zhen would win, or Fan Zhao would.

Song Lan chose to sit back and watch the conflict unfold. No matter who ascended, it wouldn't affect him.

Wei Qi couldn't do that.

The people of the world needed an enlightened ruler. He had been more than loyal to the late emperor. Since the Xianqing Emperor couldn’t be saved, it was time to support a new enlightened ruler.

While he had a history with Fan Zhao, Xiao Zhen was the better choice.