Chapter 115: Troops at the City Gates

Chapter 115: The Army Arrives at the City Gates

The officials in the grand hall immediately descended into chaos.

"How did Princess Fuguang's army arrive so quickly?"

"That fool, the Minister of War, squandered the imperial guards in Nanyang, leaving the capital defenseless and impossible to hold!"

"I've said it all along—Princess Fuguang should never have been put in charge of Yuzhou. Now we’ve fed her ambition until it’s grown out of control."

"What’s the use of saying all this now? Shouldn’t we be thinking of a solution? Do you really want Princess Fuguang to break into the city?"

The ministers had some inkling about Princess Fuguang’s actions in Yuzhou. It was said that after taking office, she vigorously promoted the systems of female-headed households and female officials, severely oppressing the men in the province.

The lands and properties of the local gentry and wealthy landowners were all confiscated. Officials who had served before her appointment were either imprisoned or executed. Her brutality was in no way inferior to Empress Dowager Chi’s.

Therefore, they could never surrender to someone like her.

Yet some still clung to hope, thinking that since Princess Fuguang and the current emperor were siblings, bound by blood, perhaps her military advance was meant to force Empress Dowager Chi to step down and return power to the emperor.

In that case, they would wholeheartedly support it.

The Minister of Personnel was the first to step forward, calm and unhurried, saying, "Your Majesty, the princess and the emperor share a deep bond as siblings. If Your Majesty allows the emperor to negotiate with the princess, she will surely withdraw her troops to avoid the accusation of harming her own flesh and blood!"

Upon the throne, Chi Jing’s expression was indifferent, hard to read.

"Oh?" she sighed softly, sweeping her gaze over the ministers in the hall. "What about the rest of you? Do you all agree with the Minister of Personnel’s approach?"

The Minister of Personnel dropped to his knees with a thud. "I stake my life on it—I can persuade the princess to withdraw her troops. I beg the Empress Dowager to release the emperor!"

The other officials echoed in agreement, all kneeling down and proclaiming in unison, "We beg the Empress Dowager to release the emperor!"

At this point, they refused to believe Empress Dowager Chi would still cling stubbornly to power.

Chi Jing looked at these kneeling male officials, and allowed a faint smile to curve her lips, though her eyes were icy. "Since you plead with me so sincerely, I shall grant your wish."

She wanted to see what kind of expression they would wear when they finally laid eyes on the emperor they had been longing for.

The Minister of Personnel looked up in surprise, his eyes bursting with ecstatic delight.

Empress Dowager Chi had held power for so many years that almost all the civil and military officials in the court had been replaced, yet the emperor had never once attended court.

They were, after all, subjects of Great Rong, educated in Confucian teachings, believers in the orthodox tradition of succession. Even if they superficially obeyed Empress Dowager Chi’s orders, deep down they still saw her as a demon queen who had misgoverned and manipulated authority.

The Minister of Personnel had expected Empress Dowager Chi to remain obstinate, never imagining she would relent this time.

But then again, things had reached such a state. Even if Empress Dowager Chi clung desperately to power, it would be useless.

If she did not release the emperor now, once the city fell, she would be condemned as a traitor who had brought ruin to the nation and its people. Even if the rebels spared her, the people would not.

Empress Dowager Chi must be feeling utterly helpless now, right?

The Minister of Personnel secretly lifted his eyes to gaze at Empress Dowager Chi on the throne, hoping to detect a trace of defeat on her face.

But to his astonishment, Empress Dowager Chi was as calm and solemn as ever, her dark eyes gleaming with a cold, sharp light.

Startled, he felt an inexplicable panic, lowered his head, and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty is wise."

"You may all go to the South Peace Gate and wait. I will bring the emperor to the city walls to persuade the enemy to retreat. If your plan truly proves effective, then I may as well step down as empress dowager." Chi Jing’s icy voice carried a faint, almost imperceptible hint of laughter to the ministers’ ears.

For some reason, even though their goal had been achieved, they felt uneasy.

It must be because Empress Dowager Chi had held authority for too long, the ministers comforted themselves.

Watching Empress Dowager Chi depart, they instantly felt a great weight lifted from their shoulders and hurriedly left the grand hall, making their way to the South Peace Gate.

At that moment, defending the South Peace Gate were only a thousand guards and two thousand civilians who had just been mobilized and recruited.

Seeing the civil and military officials arrive, the guards, who had already lowered their flags and silenced their drums, were very surprised and quickly invited everyone up to the city wall.

Only then did the ministers learn that Princess Fuguang had arrayed her troops outside the city, firing only three cannon shots as a deterrent, and had not yet begun the formal assault.

Their hearts grew considerably calmer, and they became even more convinced that Princess Fuguang had come to eliminate Empress Dowager Chi and rescue the emperor.

After all, Princess Fuguang was already one of the most noble princesses in the world—she had everything she could want. What more could she be dissatisfied with?

It could only be that she was unhappy about her younger brother being imprisoned by his stepmother.

As for the rumors circulating among the people that Princess Fuguang was a heaven-sent female ruler, that was nothing more than hearsay.

No matter what, Princess Fuguang was still a woman—how could she dare to make herself emperor?

Their only fear was that Princess Fuguang might become too ambitious after saving the emperor, relying on her merits to assert herself and become a second Empress Dowager Chi.

But that was a matter for the future. For now, persuading Princess Fuguang to withdraw her troops was urgent.

The ministers pondered all this as they followed the guards up onto the city wall.

Raising their eyes, they saw beyond the city banners fluttering everywhere, soldiers covering the hills and plains as far as the eye could see. Cavalry galloped back and forth between the ranks, kicking up clouds of dust. At the very front, five cannons gleamed with a blue light, their black barrels aimed directly at the city wall.

The ministers were immediately terrified, their faces turning ashen, not daring to breathe loudly. Some of the more timid ones, who had never seen such a grand scene, were so frightened their legs went weak, and they had to lean against the wall to steady themselves.

The Minister of Personnel said in a trembling voice, "E-even if Princess Fuguang wants to intimidate Empress Dowager Chi, there’s no need for such a massive show of force."

————

Zhao Mingyue sat atop a small hill, gazing into the distance at the capital’s city walls.

She had imagined returning to the capital many times but never thought that when she stood outside its walls again, it would be like this.

But no matter what, she had returned.

Xue Qi stood at her side. Watching the sun set in the west, its red glow spreading across the entire sky with indescribable beauty, then looking at the majestic Zhao Yuzhang at the army’s front, the heroic Mei Junrong, the battle-ready Yu Zhao, and the imposing Zhu Dafeng, her mood became as radiant and joyful as the scarlet clouds filling the sky.

A faint smile touched her lips. She had waited so long for this day.

This decaying and outdated world was finally about to welcome its first female ruler.

And she, too, would finally have the chance to fully showcase her abilities in this era belonging uniquely to women.

Xue Qi looked at Zhao Mingyue. "Princess, why haven’t you given the order to attack the city yet?"

Zhao Mingyue did not withdraw her gaze from the capital, nor did she answer the question. Instead, she asked softly, "Master Xue, do you think… will Mother hate me?"

She hesitated, afraid.

She wasn’t afraid of the officials’ opposition, nor was she afraid of the people’s rumors. She only feared seeing the hatred in her mother’s eyes.

Would Mother hate her? Surely she would.

Even as this was her inner response, she still followed the general's suggestion and opted to lay siege to the capital.

Even though she knew it was a betrayal of her mother.

But such a golden opportunity to reach the pinnacle was right before her eyes—who could possibly refuse it?

Xue Qi did not hesitate. "Princess, knowing Empress Dowager Chi, she would never hate you."

"Really?" Zhao Mingyue beamed at Xue Qi.

Xue Qi stated firmly, "Of course. Empress Dowager Chi would only admire you, because you have accomplished what she could not."

As soon as she finished speaking, they heard a loud commotion from the city wall. The two turned to look and saw a group of guards accompanying someone up to the ramparts. Dressed in dark robes and a veiled hat, with an imposing demeanor, it was none other than Empress Dowager Chi.

Behind her, a small bright yellow palanquin followed, with eunuchs holding a yellow canopy beside it—clearly, it was the imperial procession.

The male officials, upon seeing the emperor's sedan chair, were so overcome that tears streamed down their faces. They immediately bowed and knelt, shouting in unison, "Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor!"

The common folk below the city walls, thinking the emperor had come to personally oversee the battle, their earlier thoughts of surrender wavered. They too knelt and shouted, "Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor!"

After shouting, they quietly raised their heads, waiting to get a look at the emperor's actual face.

The Minister of Personnel even approached on his knees toward the sedan chair, respectfully extending his hand, intending to help the emperor step down by offering support.

After waiting for a while, his arm grew weary, but no one emerged from the sedan chair.

The Minister of Personnel frowned. Had the emperor, after being imprisoned for so many years, become afraid of facing people?

Just as he was puzzled, two strange squeaking noises came from inside the sedan chair. Then, a hairy simian hand suddenly grabbed the curtain, flung it open, and leaped out, pouncing onto him.

Before the Minister of Personnel could react, the monkey was already riding on his neck, its two hands tightly gripping his head.

Terrified, he immediately jumped up from the ground, flailing to beat the monkey off, shouting angrily, "You vile creature! Release me immediately!"

To his surprise, the monkey not only refused to let go but also bit down on his ear, tearing it off and holding it in its mouth, chewing vigorously.

The entire scene was both bloody and absurd, stunning the officials on the city wall and the commoners below.

The Minister of Personnel couldn't bear such agony. Enraged, he grabbed the monkey from his neck, threw it to the ground, pinned its lower body under his foot, snatched a waist sword from a nearby guard, and with a swift motion, lopped off the monkey's head.

Bright red blood splattered across his face, but he felt an intense satisfaction, not even bothering to wipe it off. He turned to Empress Dowager Chi and roared, "Empress Dowager Chi, why did you bring a monkey to mock us? And why did you make us kneel to it as if it were the emperor? What are your intentions?"

The other officials, feeling deceived, also rose to their feet and angrily exclaimed, "We are doing our utmost to save the court from crisis, yet you, Empress Dowager, mock us like this! Such behavior is utterly unbefitting of a ruler!"

"In this time of national crisis, Empress Dowager, you stubbornly cling to your own views and obstruct the emperor from personally resolving the siege. If the capital falls, you should die for the nation, for it is all the result of your abuse of power and mishandling of state affairs!"

Perhaps sensing that Empress Dowager Chi could no longer harm them, these once-submissive officials straightened their backs and loudly rebuked her one after another, no longer even addressing her as "Your Majesty."

Chi Jing looked at them coldly and sneered, "Are you blind? Can you not even recognize the emperor? I ask you, Minister of Personnel, should one who personally slays the emperor be punished with the extermination of their entire clan?"

The Minister of Personnel widened his eyes in disbelief. What? That ugly monkey was actually the emperor?!