Chapter 268: Chapter 268

The study was eerily quiet.

The bright candlelight flickered slightly, casting a glow in the study. The father and son stared at each other in the candlelight.

For a long time, there was silence.

After an unknown period, Duke An finally spoke with difficulty, "This matter is of great importance; I must think it over carefully."

Zheng Chen remained calm, softly saying, "Time is short. I hope father can seize the opportunity."

That was the devastation of war, countless lives of civilians and soldiers. Zheng Chen spoke with such a calm and collected voice, it was chilling. For some reason, Duke An suddenly felt a sense of fear and unease.

"You go back first; I need a moment alone," said Duke An.

Zheng Chen nodded and agreed. Before leaving, he left a final remark: "To do things, one must first have power. This principle was taught to me by father. Wang Rong is the head of the Wang Family, the Three Dynasties Prime Minister. The Minister of the Ministry of Personnel is his man, the Left General at the border is his man, and countless civil and military officials support him."

"Father knows the Emperor’s health. He won’t last much longer before passing. By then, when the young Crown Prince ascends, how could the Empress Dowager compete against Prime Minister Wang, whose disciples fill the court?"

"The Zheng Family is an external family and has today’s prosperity thanks to the Empress Dowager. We should help ease her burdens. From the perspective of our Zheng Family, to become Da Liang’s leading family, we must truly control the court. Compared to this, which is heavier, a Pingzhou or a Heroic Guard Camp? Please weigh it carefully, father."

After Zheng Chen left, the study returned to silence.

Duke An stared intently at the candlelight, his expression constantly changing, as complex emotions flickered in his eyes.

The candlelight in the study burned bright all night.

Red-eyed from a sleepless night, Duke An emerged from the study, casually asking the nearby long-term follower, "Has Zixi been here?"

"Report to Lord, the Young Master went to the palace at the fifth hour."

As the Crown Prince’s Companion, Zheng Chen entered the palace daily to accompany the Crown Prince, attending the court sessions together. This provided an excellent opportunity for training and development.

In the future, when the Crown Prince takes on governance, Zheng Chen will be able to rise swiftly and become a trusted courtier of the new emperor.

Duke An exhaled a deep breath and gave a few low instructions, which the long-term follower received and left to carry out.

That evening, several unfamiliar faces appeared in Duke An’s study. These were death warriors secretly raised by the Zheng Family.

Under the watchful eyes of all, General Du led thirty thousand elite troops from the Heroic Guard Camp to Pingzhou for reinforcements.

For the next month or so, battle reports flew to the court like snowflakes.

After General Wei’s defeat, the morale in the Heroic Guard Camp was low. Subsequently, they suffered continuous defeats.

Pingzhou suffered two consecutive years of droughts, with ineffective relief from the court. The people were starving, and public resentment was boiling. After Tan Sheng occupied Pingzhou, he eradicated all the major households in the region, much like a butcher slaughtering livestock. Ordinary people had no grain, but the granaries of the wealthy were full.

Tan Sheng seized the grain from the wealthy and distributed it to the people, quickly gaining their favor. This "King of Pingzhou" was surprisingly well-supported by the locals, and even many young men voluntarily joined the Pingzhou Army.

In a short period, the number of Pingzhou troops had expanded seven or eight times, reaching about thirty to forty thousand. People eagerly passed on court army movements, making the Heroic Guard Camp’s positions in Pingzhou feel constrained like a tiger fallen into a lowland.

General Wei repeatedly sent letters of plea for crime. By the time the third report reached the court, even graver news arrived.

General Du was assassinated by a rebel force upon entering Pingzhou territory and died on the spot. The thirty thousand elite soldiers fell into chaos due to the death of their main general and were routed by the encircling Pingzhou Army, suffering heavy casualties.

Thus, the Elite Guard Corps, a five-thousand-strong elite force, suffered repeated defeats in Pingzhou, with severe casualties, broken morale, and numerous soldiers who secretly fled from the military camp.

Upon hearing such catastrophic news, Emperor Taikang’s dragon eyes abruptly widened, his dragon face flushed with anger, and he spurted out a mouthful of blood before fainting again.

Pandemonium erupted in the palace. Imperial physicians urgently tended to the Emperor, yet the enraged Emperor Taikang never recovered. That night, he drew his last breath.

Consort Li wept until she fainted. The young and beautiful Consort Fan also cried into unconsciousness.

Empress Dowager Zheng cried out in heart-wrenching pain, cursing, "Wang Rong, it was you who insisted on sending General Wei to quell the turmoil, you who sent General Du for reinforcements. The continuous defeats of the Heroic Guard Camp, the countless dead and wounded, and the complete loss of Pingzhou—all led to the Emperor’s death by your selfish motives."

"What face do you have to kneel here, get out! Get out now!"

Prime Minister Wang could no longer maintain his usual arrogance and domineering manner; he knelt beside the Dragon Couch, tears streaming down his face, filled with self-blame and regret.

Crown Prince Jiang Song, with eyes reddened, stared intently at Prime Minister Wang, his gaze filled with hatred.

In truth, Emperor Taikang’s health had gradually worsened, sustained only by medicines. The dire situation in Pingzhou dealt him the final blow.

Emperor Taikang couldn’t endure this winter, nor live to see the new spring. He closed his eyes forever on the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth month.

In his final moments, he couldn’t even utter a single word. Otherwise, he could at least have advised the Crown Prince to stabilize the court first and not rush to take action against Prime Minister Wang.

"Guards," the Crown Prince ordered angrily, "arrest Prime Minister Wang and wait until after my father’s funeral to hold him accountable!" Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵※𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮※𝓷𝓮𝓽

However, Prime Minister Wang had accumulated authority for a long time. When the Crown Prince gave the order, the Imperial Army soldiers hesitated and remained unmoving.

The Crown Prince, in a fit of rage, pointed at the Commander of the Imperial Army: "General Bao, I order you to immediately seize Prime Minister Wang!"

General Bao dared not hesitate further, immediately accepting the order. Just as his hand reached Prime Minister Wang’s sleeve, Prime Minister Wang stood up abruptly: "Who dares to touch this Prime Minister!"

Empress Dowager Zheng’s face, overwhelmingly grief-stricken, ignited with fury, became distorted and fierce: "A mighty Prime Minister indeed. Even if I, the Empress Dowager, must risk my life today, I will take you down! I want to see if all the court officials are willing to advance and retreat with you!"

Minister Zhang of the Ministry of Personnel, kneeling nearby, immediately stood up: "Empress Dowager, please calm down. There are many mysteries concerning the assassination of General Du in the Battle of Pingzhou. Once clarified, Prime Minister Wang will provide explanations to the Empress Dowager and the nation. Now is not the time to pursue this matter. What is most vital is to ensure the Emperor a peaceful afterlife."

Minister Dai of the Ministry of Justice also stood up: "Minister Zhang speaks wisely. I believe organizing the Emperor’s funeral should be the priority."

Immediately afterward, one court official after another rose to support Prime Minister Wang.

The night before, when senior ministers stayed vigil by the Dragon Couch, among them were the Six Ministers and Vice Ministers, important military generals, and members of the Imperial Family, totaling more than thirty people. Among them, as many as ten openly supported Prime Minister Wang.

Finally, Duke An, who had remained silent, stood out, furiously accusing, "The Emperor has barely closed his eyes, and you already plan to rebel!"