City in Turmoil (Part 1)
I did not tell Zhou Shi and Mao Shi about my plan to leave Yongzhou.
For one, the outcome of this matter remains uncertain, and even with more people, my ability to influence it is limited. Secondly, if Zhou Shi and Mao Shi have different intentions, mentioning these concerns would only bring needless worry. It might be better not to speak of it. Within the Wei residence, only Ah Yuan is aware of this matter.
And in truth, sharing my speculation about Wei Tan's survival with Zhou Shi and Mao Shi was not a sudden whim on my part.
Wei Tan, Wei Gang, and other Tang Xiongdi share a bond that is far from ordinary. I also have a deep friendship with Zhou Shi and Mao Shi. I understand the pain of losing a husband, and in a way, we share the same affliction. In saying all this, I hope that if by chance there are troubles in Yongdu in the future, the two of them will find solace in these thoughts and persevere.
I can only do what is within my capabilities.
*****
Li Shang's letter has finally arrived. He informed me that Ma Kui and the gang will arrive in three days.
The timing is quite fortuitous. On that day, the Emperor will open the Imperial Observatory (御观-yu guan) within the palace. It will be presided over by the Grand Diviner (太祝-TaiZhu), offering blessings for the departed.
This is a great opportunity. If I stage a small incident on the way and coordinate the response well, I can escape smoothly. The so-called 'incident' is exactly the kind of thing that Ma Kui and his associates excel at. As for the rendezvous point, Li Shang informed me that he has chosen a secluded residence in the East Market. While the main street is bustling, it serves as an excellent cover, perfect for avoiding unwanted attention.
After reading it, the tension that had been hanging over me for the past few days finally started to ease.
However, the next day, something happened in the court.
Wei Zhao proposed relocating the capital in the court, and the Emperor granted permission. However, there arose a disagreement regarding the destination for the new capital.
This time, it wasn't a collective opposition of a group of nobles against Wei Tan, as in the previous case. Instead, it was one individual standing against Wei Zhao and other court officials. The dissenter happened to be Wei Kang.
Since Wei Kang arrived in Yongdu, he has held himself in high regard. It's not surprising, considering that among the three existing military camps in Yongdu, the Liangzhou Camp is the largest, providing Wei Kang with a strong backing.
Wei Zhao believes that Yanzhou, two thousand miles away, boasts a pleasant climate, fertile land, and prosperous inhabitants, making it a suitable choice for the new capital.
Wei Kang, however, disagrees. He says, If one was to talk about auspicious terrain and abundant resources, in ancient times, Longzhou was once a capital city. There is no better option than Longzhou.
With this statement, the court officials were in an uproar.
Wei Kang spoke eloquently, asserting that with 60,000 troops stationed in Liangzhou, the Emperor could confidently proceed with relocating the capital to Longzhou.
To put it bluntly, this is a bold threat.
Guo Cheng was the first to refuse, confronting Wei Kang directly in the court. As the argument escalated, Wei Kang insulted Guo Cheng as a 'house's servant', and Guo Cheng retorted by mocking Wei Kang as a 'gambler'. In a fit of anger, Wei Kang swept his sleeves and left.
"Furen," Ah Yuan said anxiously, "I heard that as soon as Wei Kang returned to Duyang, he immediately ordered the troops to drill and train. It seems like there might be some unfavorable developments."
I also sense the gravity of this matter. Wei Kang's anger likely stems from Wei Zhao's closeness to Guo Cheng, which has led to Wei Kang feeling neglected as the San Shufu. While he may want to vent his frustration on Guo Cheng, if a conflict arises, it will undoubtedly implicate Yongdu. I wonder how Wei Zhao plans to handle this situation given its complexities.
During the night, when Wei Zhao returned to the residence, it wasn't long before news of a dispute between Wei Zhao and Guo Furen reached us from their side.
The steward came to invite me (to ease the dispute), and I didn't refuse. After tidying up my hair, I went to Guo Furen's courtyard. Before I even reached the door, I could hear the tense atmosphere inside, as if swords were drawn and arrows were nocked.
"...He is your Jiufu!" This was Guo Furen's voice.
"He is indeed Er's Jiufu. Er only hopes he considers the bigger picture! San Shufu has a narrow-minded temperament, why should Jiufu bother to be on the same level as him? What makes San Shifu displeased is the entry of Liaodong troops into the city. As long as Jiufu withdraws them, San Shufu will let the matter rest."
Guo Furen sneered, "Your Jiufu placed the soldiers in the city for your own good, didn't he? It was you who said that Xiliu Camp couldn't be trusted!"
"At this moment, it's not the same as before," Wei Zhao's voice sounded resigned. "If San Shufu stirs up trouble, it won't benefit either me or Jiufu. Please, Muqin, think carefully!"
With that, the sound of footsteps echoed, and shortly after, Wei Zhao opened the door and stepped out.
Seeing me, a hint of surprise flashed across his angry face, but he quickly composed himself. He gave a bow and said, "Zhangsao."
I returned the greeting, "Er Shu."
Wei Zhao didn't say much and hurriedly departed.
"Shao Furen, you see..." The steward looked at me with unease.
I knew he came to make me give counsel, but given the current situation, I found it difficult to offer any advice. Just then, I heard a sudden "crash," the sound of porcelain shattering. This only reinforced my belief that going inside would lead to no good.
"I'll come back tomorrow," I told the steward, then turned and walked away.
"Furen," Ah Yuan murmured quietly on the way, "Er Gongzi is also aware of his biased actions. Now he's considering reconciliation."
Reconciliation? I scoffed inwardly. What's there to reconcile?
Ever since He Kui set the precedent of helding the Emperor's head to command the feudal lords, others have followed suit. When it comes to Wei Jue, he has taken this to the extreme. Now, Wei Kang is merely imitating the same tactics.
Wei Kang and Guo Cheng, one a wolf and the other a tiger. Wei Zhao has brought these two fierce beasts into his chamber, yet he lacks the means to tame them. The intention to mediate is noble, but how does one mediate in this situation? Is it to ask the wolf for its skin or to ask the tiger for its skin?
*****
With everything prepared, Ah Yuan and I began discreetly gathering our belongings. When it comes to escaping, we can't take too many items, so we have to be selective. As for our clothes, Ah Mi doesn't need much—just a few pieces of cloth will suffice. As for gold and silver, Ah Yuan has already managed to discreetly pass some to Li Shang these past few days. When it's time to leave, we can each conceal a bit in ourselves.
I looked around the house. Having lived here with Wei Tan for two to three years, we've accumulated quite a few belongings, both mine and his. As I prepare to leave, I can't shake the feeling that someone might break in and vandalize the place. Just thinking about it makes me feel bad.
I carefully put away Wei Tan's personal belongings. Most of them aren't worth much, but I hope that whoever comes to claim them will handle them with care.
Thinking of money, I suddenly remembered the side chamber where Wei Tan mentioned he would give me ten jin of gold.
How could I leave without taking the gold with me? My heart surged with emotion. I was about to go, but as I stepped out the door, I remembered that I had asked Ah Yuan to bring two unused pieces of cloth to Zhou Shi. She hadn't returned yet.
Digging for gold in the ground is a task that requires assistance. After waiting for a while and still not seeing Ah Yuan, I decided to lie down and rest for a bit.
These past couple of days, the weather has been oppressively hot. At night, there's been no cool breeze at all. I lay on the bed, struggling to fall asleep.
I dreamt of walking under the scorching sun, holding Ah Mi, desperately searching for something, feeling anxious.
The streets were bustling with people, but no one paid me any attention.
"...What are you doing?" a voice with a smile came.
I turned around, but the person had their back to the bright sunlight, so I couldn't see their face clearly. However, the silhouette seemed oddly familiar, as if they had been standing there for a long time.
I felt a surge of joy in my heart and wanted to speak to him. But in the blink of an eye, he was standing on a towered ship.
The ground trembled beneath me, and I called out his name. He turned back with a smile, the corner of his lips hinting at a mischievousness…
"...Furen, Furen!" I was awakened by Ah Yuan. I opened my eyes to see her, her hair still disheveled, looking panicked. "Furen, there's chaos in the city!"
I jolted awake, all traces of sleepiness gone.
Looking out of the window, I couldn't make out anything in the pitch-black darkness. But there was a tumultuous noise, as if people were shouting and running around loudly.
Ah Mi had also woken up. Her wet nurse held her, looking at us with apprehension.
I instructed Ah Yuan to quickly gather our belongings and get dressed. We walked out of the house. The courtyard was empty. As we stepped outside the yard, I could see people hurrying about. Some of the servants were running past, holding things tightly in their arms.
"What has happened?" I stopped a person and asked.
The person's face was filled with urgency. They wiped sweat from their brow and said, "Shao Furen! Troops from Liangzhou (Wei Kang's troop) have launched a night attack. If the city gates can't hold, they'll be breached. Please, hurry and escape!"
I was astonished and asked, "How could this happen? Where's Er Gongzi ?"
The person said, "Er Gongzi's whereabouts are unknown. Guo Furen just left in a carriage!" With that, he bowed to me and hurried away.
Upon hearing this, my heart raced with anxiety. I immediately headed towards the main hall. Along the way, there were surprisingly few people in sight. Neither the master nor the servants could be found. I felt a sense of foreboding and rushed to Wei Jue's courtyard to find out what was happening.
"Zhangsao!" Zhou Shi's voice suddenly reached me. I looked over to see her and Mao Shi hurrying towards me.
Clearly, they had been awakened by this sudden chaos. Their hair and clothes were a bit disheveled.
Zhou Shi grabbed my arm. "I heard that Guo Furen has left with all the residence's guards. Is that true?"
My heart sank suddenly.
"The residence's guards?" I widened my eyes.
"Zhong Ming!" An anxious voice called out. We turned to see it was actually Liang Hui.
She had entered the palace during the day, originally intending to stay overnight. However, her current appearance suggested that she had hurried back upon hearing the news.
"What about Zhong Ming?" She looked panicked. "Where is Zhong Ming?"
I shook my head and quickly asked her, "Gongzhu, coming from the palace, how does it look outside?"
Liang Hui didn't answer, but instead, she rushed towards Wei Jue's bedroom, where the lights were still on. She forcefully pushed open the door.
"Ah!" A sharp scream echoed out. The three of us immediately rushed inside.
"Ah..." When we saw the scene before us, Mao Shi covered her mouth and stared wide-eyed. I also felt a shiver run down my spine.
Wei Jue's bed was empty. Below it, a woman lay lifeless, her eyes turned white, her tongue hanging out, a cloth tied around her neck. She had been dead for quite some time—it was Ren Ji.
"This..." Zhou Shi supported the trembling Liang Hui, her face pale.
"Guo Furen ordered her to be strangled," a voice softly stated, "right as she was escaping with Chengxiang."
We all jumped in surprise, but when we looked, it was Xu Ji.
Her hair was elegantly arranged, and she wore light and delicate clothing. In this chaotic night, she seemed eerily calm.
"Xu Ji." I looked at her, sensing something unusual. "Where are the others?"
"They've left," Xu Ji said slowly. "There were too few carriages, so Guo Furen killed all the concubines and took the children with her. There are no guards left in the residence, and the servants have fled on their own."
"What about Zhong Ming?" Liang Hui's voice trembled, tinged with a hint of tears. "Has he left too? He didn't wait for me.."
"Wait for you?" Xu Ji chuckled. "Why would he wait for you? You're just a princess, not the Emperor!"
Liang Hui's face immediately contorted in response.
"It was you!" She exclaimed with bitterness, releasing Zhou Shi. "It's all because of you b**ch! If it weren't for him going to see you yesterday, I wouldn't have returned to the palace!"
Xu Ji didn't argue, but there was a mocking smile on her face. When Liang Hui lunged at her, she made no attempt to dodge or evade. Just as Liang Hui was about to slap her, I caught a glimpse of a glint of cold steel in Xu Ji's hand and quickly warned, "Watch out!"
But it was already too late. Liang Hui's hand froze in mid-air, her eyes filled with disbelief as she stared at her own chest.
"Ah!" Mao Shi screamed.
"Xu Ji!" Zhou Shi's expression shifted dramatically. "You..."
"It's finally over." Xu Ji stared at us and murmured softly. She pushed Liang Hui to the ground.
"Go!" I shouted loudly, pulling Zhou Shi and Mao Shi towards the courtyard gate.
Xu Ji stood in the courtyard, seemingly uninterested in pursuing us. Anxious, Zhou Shi slammed the courtyard gate shut with a loud bang.